such lovely stories ladies. Here's mine:

Josh latched on within about 5 minutes from birth. i didn't feel like a first time mum as i have a VERY large family all of whom breastfeed until about 2-3 years old, so i had grown up around babies and breastfeeding. Whenever he opeded his mouth i would put a breast in it... when Josh was 5 weeks & 5 days i felt really unwell, he had an appointment with the MCHN and so took him, he had not gained much weight and had certainly not returned to his birth weight. she advised me to weigh him, feed him and then weigh him again (pre/post feed weigh) which i did and he 'only' gained 50grams (considering the stress and fear of failure was a fantastic gain), she told me i was starving my son and handed me a box of formula to give him. i ended up in hospital on IV antibiotics with severe mastitis. Josh was diagnosed with a kidney dilatation and infection. i rang nursing mothers (aba) as it was called back then and organised a supply line (a tube to place on your nipple whilst feeding your baby), i expressed and fed 2 hourly to try and increase my supply. i was feeling very depressed and like a failure but refused to give my baby formula. i had lots of wonderful support from the aba and continued. Josh didn't reach his birth weight until about 7 weeks and only gained small amounts every month. i had to wean josh off the supply line and eventually did at 7 months. he was gaining an ok amount of weight and i lied to the MCHN and said he was having formula so she would get off my case. she ended up saying that he was just a lean, long baby well der! he is now 170cm and weighs 45kg. i continued to breastfeed him until he was 2 when he decided he just didn't want to feed anymore. i did struggle with nipple thrush throughout the whole time he was breastfeeding.
Zak latched on straight away also, i felt more confident about his slow weight gain as i had been through it with Josh - neither ever lost weight but woud sometimes only put on 50 grams. i feed him to need which was about 2 hourly. he was a very high needs baby and lucky the breast comforted him. i got mastitis again when Zak was 5 weeks & 5 days (exactly the same time as Josh) but knew what it was and how to treat it so it didn't get bad at all. he weaned when he was 3 years and 10 months. again i had nipple thrush on and off throughout our breastfeeding relationship - ouch
Oscar latched on after a very difficult birth. the only thing different with his first attachment was he licked the nipple for about 5 minutes before i actually couldn't stand it any more and attached him (probably not the gentlest of ways but it was started to freak me out), he did not reach his birth weight until about 6-7 weeks like his older brothers and was slow at gaining weight but it just didn't bother me because i knew that my babies just did that. i had lots of trouble post birth needing a blood transfusion etc but really i just breastfed to need and we got on with it. i did have mastitis once when oscar was about 5 months and had 1 lot of nipple thrush which finally they made a cure for and took the diflucon 1 for 3 days under the instructions of the breastfeeding friendly pharmacist (my hero) and i never got it again - argh relief. oscar is still breastfeeding and doesn't look like he is anywhere near weaning yet. i have really enjoyed my 3 different breastfeeding relationships with my babies and am amazed how differently they all were regarding feeding and weaning etc.
thanks for starting this thread MR it is a great one.
beckles