Breast feeding

Okay so I realize I have been breast feeding for less than two days. But ugh. Any advice , suggestions and encouragement is welcome

[MrsK]

There is tons of advise to be had. What is the difficulty?

[Michele]

Ugh, lost my post!

It took D a month home before he latched well. He was used to feeding with no contact, so I finally got him to latch by lying next to him with no body contact....just mouth and nipple....but it took a month.....we started trying just 1-2 at breast feedings a day, then slowly adding more. It was really hard for me to trust he was getting enough at first. But he was.

Change positions! P could ONLY latch and nurse in football for the first week! Some babies will prefer one hold for one breast and a different hold for the other breast. Keep trying.

Watch the videos on DrJackNewmans site. He also has guidelines for how to tell if she's getting enough milk.

Pillows, pillows and towels. Bring her to you, don't be uncomfortable! You want her to be supported so you don't have to hold her....that way you can use your hands to manipulate your breast.

Really try to relax. Breastfeeding should be about you and your baby. Try not to be tense. If you are frustrated, it's ok to give the bottle and pump and try again later. She's already gonna have nipple confusion if she's gonna get it...not all babies do. If you are really tired or if she's really hungry it'll be harder.

You can do it!

[Pollyanna]

Relax, you're doing great. Eat, eat, eat. Drink, always make sure you have a glass of water nearby (or milk, or juice). Don't feel bad if you need a break and want to supplement with formula. Most importantly, relax, you are doing great

That's the basics, but like Mrs. K asked, do you have any specific concerns?

Don't hesitate to call the lactation consultant. DD#1 had trouble latching and was causing PAIN. It was amazing how helpful the LC was. She explained that DD was probably having troubles because of something related to being suctioned after delivery, and she told me how to massage her mouth beforehand so she'd relax. The first few days can be a challenge, but once she gets the hang of it, it will be much easier. I also started supplementing with formula at around 6 weeks with one of my babies. It is possible to do both, but ask the LC & read up on that option.

[migirl]

With my first, it took us a good 3-4 weeks before I felt like we really had bf down. And we didn't even have any "extra" issues! It's definitely not as natural as you would think, it can be so hard and frustrating. Hang in there, and let us know what your specific concerns are.

[SuzySunshine]

My sister, who has a new one month old, was about ready to throw in the towel until she got the right help. If there are issues CALL SOMEONE!

I had to pump with both of mine so I have no advice but if its something you really want to do, don't give up and get some help!

[HouseofWool]

I was shocked at how hard it was at first, with both kids! Caleb was tiny when he was born. Not even 6 pounds at 38 weeks and only 19.5" so, feeding for him was tremendously difficult. I was pumping and bottle feeding until I got mastitis at 7 wks post partum. Then we buckled down and figured it out.

Like the others have said, try to get in with a LC. They can really help. All sorts of different holds work. I found that for new babes the football hold gave me the most control in timing when they had their mouth wide open to latch. I could easily see their face and position them as needed.

What part of the whole bfing thing are you struggling with the most?

[ides]

At first I had an issue with being engourged so much that O couldn't latch. A little pumping & he was able to latch. No one told me that! I also used a lot of book & Internet references & most importantly kept trying. It was so hard to keep him awake & it took sooo long to feed him. Just challenging especially with the whole exhaustion thing. Keep working on it!

It is hard. It's totally doable, but (as is clear from these posts) it doesn't seem to come as naturally as we'd all think! Everyone has great suggestions - be sure to let us know if there is something specific you want answers to.

You're doing great!

[TigerLily]

Hang in there! It is really difficult at first but it gets easier.

[JC76]

Every single person I know struggled with it at first. I struggled for 2-3 months and was ready to finally throw in the towel when overnight all of the sudden Zoe started breastfeeding like a "normal" baby. She was born small, 5 lbs at 39 weeks, and just could not latch at first. They introduced a nipple shield in the hospital which worked for her, but it took her FOREVER to feed when I used that. I relied on using a combination of that and bottle feeding pumped milk for almost 3 months. Finally I called a lactation consultant to come to a visit at my home. I was being really stubborn and insisting that I should be able to figure it out on my own. Within 30 minutes the lactation consultant was able to get her to latch and eat normally without using a nipple shield. From then on it was a piece of cake. I felt like a total ass for being so stubborn for so long. You'd think that breastfeeding would just be some sort of evolutionary intuitive thing, but it's not.

Keep at it. Get help if you're getting frustrated. And just have faith that it will eventually start working. A lot of friends of mine have said that they struggled for 4-6 weeks and then just when they were ready to quit, something clicked. You can do! Hang in there! And don't beat yourself up when you use a bottle. Another benefit to mixing bottle and breastfeeding is that your DH and other family members will have the joy of feeding her too. That can be really special and will give you a break from time to time. Good luck!

[Vanquisher]

I just want to add that it doesn't always work out, and that's okay too. My son had a severely attached frenulum (tongue tied), and he was failing to thrive. I gave up after 2 weeks. The lactation consultants I went to were zero help and did not notice his anatomical issues. They sucked! Only when Ryan was 6 months old did the pediatrician notice how severe it was. I felt guilty and horrible that I couldn't do it. I even faced some "mommier than thou" reactions that made me feel like I just didn't try hard enough. Ryan ended up having a fairly major reconstructive mouth surgery when he was 4.

My DD Alexia was breastfed for 3 months. The last month she was breast fed I had recurrent and persistent mastitis that would not go away on its own. I ended up in the hospital on IV antibiotics as I was approaching sepsis. I had to stop.

Forgive me, but this subject is always touchy for me. I had to post even from my vacay in the DR. Breastfeeding is f'ing hard. It is okay if you can't make it work. All you can do is your best.

I now have 2 mostly formula fed kids who rarely, if ever, get sick who are geniuses (tested, literally). Try to do what you can, but in the end whatever you do will be best, right, and enough.



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[rainbabies]

What Heidi said.
You're doing great, Krystal!!

[GrayMatterWife]

Breastfeeding is f'ing hard. It is okay if you can't make it work. All you can do is your best.

This. If it is important to you, stick with it and take all the good advice you've had above. But don't beat yourself up if it doesn't work out. All that stuff about breastfed babies being better, smarter, healthier, more well-adjusted blah blah blah. is a big bunch of crap, IMHO. I have three who were minimally breastfed. They are rarely, if ever, sick. We bonded well, they are well-adjusted, etc. Perfectly normal. I can't say they're geniuses, but I never got them tested (I don't need the stress of knowing my kids are way the hell smarter than me! hahaha). But they're not idiots. (Well, unless you count a recent attempt to fly...but I REALLY don't think that has anything to do with the effects of not being breastfed).

It is going to be fine, no matter what you do. Being a great mom has zero to do with breastfeeding. Go with your gut and do what you feel is best for you and Baby.