Greenslaw - wow, i've been told for a bub to have a UTI it's quite a big deal, that must have been an ordeal (in hospital, away from home too). I'm glad you have a supportive dh. i agree totally with Ali, many times in the first four months, if it wasn't for dh making sure i got a sandwich and a drink, telling me what a lovely sight it was to see me and bilby feeding together, encouraging me when it was difficult - i may have thrown in the towel MANY times. i DID need a cheersquad, and he was it. Times when i doubted everything i was doing and thought "this is all too hard!".

we did the "partners aba" course, at 8 months pregnant with the local aba office. i think dh learnt so much in that three hours, about how important his role was, to keep me going, physically and emotionally, when bf-ing got difficult. i had no idea if he would "step up" when needed, but he surprised me, and did. (i initially thought he would run a mile, and find it all a bit "ugh".)

Something i got told, is that bubs with colic benefit from having their knees up. SOunds like that would already be happening in your situation Greenslaw, cos you are using a sling. But i remember being told how useful a baby hammock was (for bubs with wind issues like colic) cos when they're sleeping, their knees are up (in the hammock).

Your dietary constraints sound very full on. I am assuming he has food intolerances? and you're in the stage of finding out what they are? might be? sounds very tricky.

i know there is SUGAR free chocolate available. i wonder if there is LACTOSE free chocolate? You need SOMETHING to have a bit of a treat!

So hard to keep going when you're sleep deprived. :nods:

Welcome Lauren, glad the bf-ing is working out for you and your nb, congrats.

Phoenix, commiserations at having to wean your bub, sometimes you just gotta do, what you gotta do, to get thru. But i would also try to take from the situation, the celebration of your success, you have obviously breastfed your bub for twelve whole months!

in Australia, that is about 11.75 months more than most bubs get, so think of all that wonderful boost he's already got to his immune system, to his chances (as an adult) of getting all those chronic diseases like diabetes? You have given him the gift of better current and future health! So remember, you are a breastfeeding success story. It might have ended a bit earlier than you desired, but it's still a success - good on you!

Welcome Kamarine - yeh, it's much easier to bf when you know you have somewhere to ask your questions. i think joining BB when i was pregnant was good, because then i was exposed to the possibilities of "bf-ing is not easy, you do need help" so instead of not preparing, and expecting it all to be easy, i EXPECTED it to be hard, did some research, and joined the ABA in advance.

i still got a shock when the medical staff in hospital were so negative and unhelpful about bf-ing (this, in a supposedly pro breastfeeding hospital - cough splutter), but at least they weren't my ONLY source of info. i knew i could ring ABA, i knew i could hire a private lactation consultant if things got urgent. i eventually found a GP who was also a LC which was great.

i never actually got involved in the physical meetings of the aba, due to alot of reasons, but i got so much support in other ways from aba
- the bimonthly magazine you get with your subs, called ESSENCE, i would read that from cover to cover. full of interesting info on bf-ing, it felt so real, hearing from other mums going thru similar issues to me and my baby
- the phone helpline
- the email helpline on the aba website
- the info on teh aba website
- the podcasts (linked on the website)
so most of my support was online, which is what suited me.

all the things i just listed, apart from the ESSENCE magazine, all those thigns are free and available to anyone, (you don't have to be a paid up memeber of ABA to ring them, email them, or listen to their podcasts).

and of course belly belly, i have gotten so many wonderful posts of support on here, when i have posted about bf-ing frustrations. and practical things i could try.

so yes, without my online "village", i doubt i would have kept bf-ing this long (three years, two months now). to think my initial goal was three months! at the start i didn't even think my body would make milk! i was so surprised when my milk came in! (what? my body is actuall yworking like it's meant to?).

i like being able to get advice, but not being judged on which way i might go with it. BB has been a safe place to get it all out, have a vent when you need to. Know you won't be judged.

i'm so tired, i'm rambling! night all!