I dont hate it, but I am not exactly enjoying it either. My nipples are constantly sore, my boobs ache, I cringe every time I put DD to the breast. Hugging DH or DD1 or even wrapping a bath towel around myself is now uncomfortable. I cant feed in any other position but the football hold, and its awkward in public. I feel house bound and tied to the baby.
Then I read stories on here of ladies expressing for months on end and thankfully I dont have any issues like that. Really I should be glad, but I just dont like it.
That being said I am forcing myself to continue on, she is gaining weight and is a content little girl. I just wish I could like it.
One plus, I finally have a decent set of boobs that look absolutely fantastic in bathers hehe
TBH i dont particually enjoy it either but here i am 12months on lol. Dont get me wrong i love the snuggles and sometimes how boob fixes all, but yeah its not something i would say i "enjoy"
Hopefully with time your wont have to feed with the football hold
P.S our DD1's are born on the same day and same year
It isn't always fun though. I totally get that. there were times, weeks sometimes, where I totally hated BF. It was annoying and inconvenient sometimes, and it was 46 degree the first 3 months DD Was alive, so super sticky and horrible.
I can promise you though the icky boob feeling - the aching, the random shootig pains, the heavy and stretched feeling... it does go away and it does settle down as your supply settles down and bubs eases off a bit. Once she his the efficient feeder stride, it does get better. Your boobs will be totally touchable again soon... Even if your nipples stay precious for a little longer, they will get there too.
Have a try using the hot/cold compress rotation and see if it eases the discomfort a bit, and once DD is a bit bigger you will be able to feed in different positions.
You aren't alone many women don't like it (and never do) and that is ok, so hang in there. x
there were many times when i really didn't like breastfeeding too so i can relate i reckon at least once a fortnight i thought "i'm done" but for some reason i kept going (glad i did too). I struggled to feed in other position than the football hold too for a while but at about the 9 or t10 week mark, i tried again with cradle hold and we got there!
You're doing a great job good luck xxxx and remember we're always here for encouragement if you need/want it.
babe, just wanted to offer some support too. I know the feeling all to well.
With DD I just aimed for 'just one more day' and like Limey said, it did just get easier. I don't know how or even remember noticing, but it did. Once she gets more competent and your boobs aren't so full you'll be surprised how easy is is to learn a new position which I titally agree makes it much easier for 'public' feeding.
Everyone thinks I'm obsessed with BF coz I'm constantly preaching it, and always reiterate that I will bf for as long as DD likes, but in reality, I'm only doing it for her benefit, and I really do not enjoy having my nipples stretched and pinched and sometimes bitten. I don't enjoy maternity bras, and I don't enjoy the stickiness of our bodies so close together in Summer. I also would love to be able to go out without wondering if I should head home soon in case I leak all through my clothes.
You are not alone, it's all just part of being a mum! As it gets easier you will enjoy it a bit more, like the quiet, snuggly night ones.
Yep, hang in there. For however long you can - it'll be worth it, one day, one week, one month, one year, whatever you can do.
I still have a love/hate relationship with breastfeeding DS2. He's a biter, a kicker, he get's distracted ...i could go on. But he is healthy and content (and 12 months old now!) and somewhere along the way it got easier, and the convenience outweighs the frustration and 'dependency on me'.
Hang in there hun, I know exactly how you feel. Its feeling like a constant battle here too ATM but nothing has tipped me over the edge enough to force me to throw it in. And.....I know DD is getting huge benefits from it so I'm doing it mainly for her. It hurts, one boob is always playing up somehow, she's a pincher and just won't bleeping lie still during a feed. I'm sick of having to wear clothes I can get easy access with. Gah!
I'm a bit with Traveller too.....I like to prove the doubters in my life wrong too (and there are lots of them).
I felt the same until DD was 12 weeks! I had SO many breastfeeding issues (severe nipple vasospasm being the worst) I loathed it most the time but when I was finally pain free, it was awesome I can't wait to BF again, when we have #2, I only hope it's a little easier next time.
i hated it for the first month - it was so painful. but saw a lactation consultant that was really good and had it sorted within a week.. and as bubs has learned to attach better too its so much better. and for some reason, lying down on the bed with bubs beside me made a huge difference to the whole breastfeeding experience for me - as soon as i started doing that, both of us seemed to relax so much more. that lanisoh was a lifesaver in the first few weeks too..
oh traveller - i am totally with you on the proving others wrong thing - my MIL - every time she sees me she says ' oh he seems so much happier on the bottle, why dont you just bottle feed?'' (grr).
You now how it goes - mothering is hard work and not all of it is fun, but it's so worth it.
Well done to you for sticking with it anyway - that's great! It wil get easier as she gets older. Soon you won't be spending nearly as much time feeding and hopefully it will also get a lot more comfortable for you by then.
I do remember that feeling of dread that it was time to feed DS again - I didn't hate it or love it, I just did it because he needed feeding but it just hurt so much early on.
i really didnt 'love' it this time in the beginning with Marta. i had gotten a *lovely* bout of nipple thrush and she had oral thrush (PITA to get rid of) and then had 2 bouts of mastitis. her attachment was also really crapulent and after 8 weeks we finally found out that she had a posterior tongue tie. the LC at the RWH told us to get our bums to an osteopath and VOILA! our BF journey was transformed! her attachment improved and i began to love it again.
i cannot say how much i recommend seeing an Osteopath for BF. my midwife told me that she believes that all kids should see one after they are born 'cause let's face it alot of squishing and squashing goes on
Ohhhhh my goodness thank you so much everyone!!! I honestly thought I was on my own on this one.
Traveller & Infinity - I also have one person in my life who has nothing but negative comments to say about breastfeeding and I really know what you mean about proving them wrong. I am so gonna do it!!!
MadB - Yep I get that feeling of dread. Not always, but often enough.
Cassius - Glad it worked out for you and M in the end. I know that E has the attachment right, because I can now feel the difference between a good and bad attachment and whip her straight off if she happens to attach badly. She mostly has a good attachment though. I think its just that my nipples/boobs are a bit sensitive from simply feeding so much.
I must make some more trips to the beach and pool to get the girls out while I've got them hehehehehehe!!!
Thanks again ladies, very glad not to feel alone on this. 100% hanging in there for baby.
another one who wasn't a huge fan! well, i love the idea of BFing & i love the benefits it's giving my DS but it was a hard slog to get to a place where it was just something i didn't overthink or dread.
but you can & will get there - it really does settle down with regards to how demanding it feels on your emotions & also physically. i only fed football hold for about the first 9 months. i don't feed in public (absolutely nothing against it - love seeing other mums BFing in public, i just detest my boobs - but that's not a BFing thing ) but we still got out & about. i found which parent's rooms had good feeding areas.
i'm just about to start weaning & DS is almost 19 months. actually, now i'm kind of sad to think it'll be coming to an end.
I dont enjoy breastfeeding
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Kim
) but we still got out & about. i found which parent's rooms had good feeding areas.
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