Breast feeding success stories

[mbear]

I remember when i was pregnant with my first, i thought there was a choice b/w breastfeeding or bottle feeding - i didnt realise some women just couldnt breastfeed for whatever reason. In my preparation for DD#1 i never bought a bottle, sterlizer, bottle warmer etc. I was so determined to breastfeed nothing was going to change my mind.
I had a pretty rough labour with DD#1. She came out face up (tummy up), and i tore heavily. I had retained placenta, and lost massive lots of blood. I never got to feed DD, they whisked me away to theatre for removal of placenta - DH was literally left standing holding the baby.
I was gone for quite a few hours. I found out later my DH was with my DD and my mum. DD was hungry/distressed/needing her mummy, and i wasnt there. The midwives were pushing DH to give DD a bottle. He refused, he knew how much i wanted to breastfeed. Another hour passed and they asked DH if he wanted to give DD some formula from a spoon, that way she's not getting used to the bottle, just gives her something to settle her down. Again he refused. I finally returned from theatre. I was drowsy, but so excited to see my little girl and my DH. I remember DH literally threw her at me, and said 'here, she needs some breastmilk' - keeping in mind 4 hours had passed, i hadnt even held her yet, let alone breastfed before. But she latched on perfectly - neither of us (DD or me) moved till 8am the next morning (later found out not something hossi was allowed to do - let mums sleep with newborns). Whilst i had a difficult path ahead of me (2 x blood transfusions, very weak etc), DD breastfed so perfectly. She really was the one that kept me going in those first 6 weeks. I was, and still am so, so grateful for the experience of being able to breastfeed. I know (gulp) there will come a day, when that part of my life is no longer. Thus the reason i really do treasure every moment feed time comes along. Its bloody fantastic !!!!

[maz]

Fantatic thread babe!

And girls - WTG on all your successful journeys....you have all been an inspiration for me in my times of need

God - were do I start

I wont even bother about my first 3 babies as they were unsuccessful.

BUT

mateauz.....he entered the world nice and blue with some complications and to my assitance i BF him as soon as I could. I fought the nursing staff, who even put a feeding tube down his nose to 'feed him formula' in ICU. My luck was that the doctor had seen me BF him and he told the nursing staff to take the tube out. I have BF my little man from the start and wasnt looking back.
At almost 3 weeks of age we were rushed to firstly the Mercy then the Royal Childrens as mateauz had suffered strokes from clots and a lovely STAF and menigincocils infection. The whole time were were in Melbourne, I BF him, expressed an hour later, then BF him again. One night time nurse gave him formula and didnt do it again after I ripped her head of..her excuse was I looked tired and thought that I needed the sleep.
My little man is BF now but as he is little and needs all the strength he can, he has one bottle of formula at night, once he is around the 5 month mark this will be hopefully taken away. Doctors are very pleased with him and said that he must need the extra bottle. he has a BF at 6pm, then screams for FF at 7, then back for a BF at 8pm.
Im still extremely happy to say that my little man is loving his girls and I know for a fact that by BFing him...well it probably helped save his life as his immunie system probably wouldnt have coped for as long as it did with out my goodness helping him. I can also say that every day now is truely a blessing because the doctors told us if he gets to 3 months then we could start breathing easier...well he made it and is still going strong.
Im also super glad that I stuck to my guns and decided that It was BFing or bust for us.

[Jennifer13]

Oh what a great thread MR, you girls have some inspirational stories!

Our story pales into insignificance by comparison, as we started with so few problems. I had to have a c/s due to placenta praevia so was very focused on bfing instead of delivery. I went to the hospital's bfing class conducted by the LC (which was in total agreement with everything said by the ABA and very critical of some books I know now are full of tripe). DP was on board with bfing and I expected to hold Lucy in the theatre and maybe even sneak a bf in then.

Unfortunately we were very delayed in going in so the theatre was freezing. I didn't even hold her, but gave her face a stroke and kiss before she was taken away. I was in recovery for half an hour before going back to the room. DP bought Lucy in to me straight away and I pulled the gown down to bf her even before the midwife came by. She was perfect! Latched on first go with the absolute widest mouth I've ever seen in a tiny baby (and she was tiny - 2.5kgs). A note was taped to her bassinet 'Frequent breastfeeding' as she was so small. The midwife came by, took one look at her attachment and said 'great' and left us to it. I got a slight nipple graze on day 3 from not being able to sit up properly (spinal fluid leak from the epi = exploding head) but that healed quickly and I was shown how to bf lying down.

At 6 weeks and with a massive oversupply I had my first brush with mastitis in the middle of the night. I expressed for the time that was unbearable. I visited the LC at the hospital at lunch time but by then had gotten through it by bfing constantly on that side.

I had another half a dozen bouts with mastitis over the next six months (honestly, I lost count) and learnt better management techniques every time. I had one more bout after she was 12 mths old but managed to avoid a/bs this time using all of my knowledge! Nothing since (touch wood) so perhaps after 2 years I've finally gotten the hang of this! The ABA provided some great advice and I joined when Lucy was a few months old.

The only other drama I've had is a persistent fiddler in my DD (look out belly button, nose, chin, fat pinches - ouch!). I have been lucky enough to have a bfing-supportive husband, family, friends and medical system. I have nothing to complain about and they've all contributed to giving my little girl the best possible start in life. I think I'm an example of how it SHOULD be for all first-time mothers.

[Phoenix]

What a great idea!!!
My story starts with DS. From the start we had troubles with cracked nipples(read bleeding pussy horrible OUCHY!!!), top ups of formula in hospital due to dehydration and really really engorged breasts when my milk did come in. By week 3 I had a blocked duct and a couple of days later this turned into mastitis. The antibiotics that I was prescribed took away the flu symptoms but not the lump. 3 course of AB's and 4 weeks later I found myself undergoing surgery for a breast abscess. The abscess was 7.5 x 8cm and I had to have a drain inserted. 3 weeks later the drain was removed and slowly the hole in my breast was closed. This involved having gauze and solugel inserted in the hole at each dressing change OUCH!!!Every time my milk letdown it would run out of the hole. I had several dressing changes with half a dozen students watching while being told 'now this is what happens when BF goes bad" and nurses scaring me by telling me how I would now probably get breast cancer in that exact spot!
At 4mths the hole was closed completely. I was lucky that when this started no one suggested weaning but I was unlucky that no one told me to contact ABA. Once i had the surgery I was referred to ABA where the lovely ladies gave me advice on how to reduce my engorgement which at 8weeks I still had and a lovely midwife told me about nipple shields to help with the severely cracked nipples. From there it was pretty smooth sailing. DS was weaned at 23mths.

DS2 is a completely different and very successful story. My partner was in a car accident when I was 4.5mths pregnant. He was out of a wheelchair 2 days before I had DS2. Stress and bad eating meant I developed gestational diabetes. I expressed from 34weeks to build up a store so that DS2 didn't have to have any formula. In the end I didn't need it as he fed like a champ for 1.5hrs after birth. Constant contact with ABA counsellors and a feeding plan meant I had very little trouble feeding him. I used nipple shields for 1 week before he rejected them and apart from 2 doses of mastitis everything has been great. He turns 3 in July and is still feeding once every day or so. I intend to wean him at 3 but I think he's go other ideas so we'll just see what happens.
Considering when I was pregnant with DS I said I would not be feeding past 1yr I think I'm doing well!

[Lewis's Mummy]

I had a dream pregnancy and really positive birthing experience. I'd decided early on in my pregnancy that I would try to breastfeed, but it wasn't something I was passionate about at that time. Initially the decision was made because my boobs are there and I can't be stuffed dealing with formula and bottles etc plus of course breastmilk is free. I still figure these are great reasons to keep bfing.

I gave birth in a certified 'baby friendly' hospital - bf is strongly supported, dummies, bottles etc are strongly discouraged there, there are bf how to posters everywhere... one would assume that meant I'd get all the help I needed... nice theory...

DS was very alert from the minute he was born. He attached immediately there in the delivery room but it wasn't long before I had a blister on lefty. So the midwives helped me move him over to the right... that became his favourite side for the next few days. I wasn't prepared for the constancy of newborn feeds. It felt like he was constantly suckling and on night 2 he was very awake and unsettled - something I now know is pretty normal, especially when the mum had no drugs during delivery...

That was the start of my bf nightmare... The night shift midwife told me he was hungry and that I wasn't feeding him enough, so for that night and the next 2 days I was feeding all the time, every hour and a half for an hour at a time! My nipples quickly became cracked, bleeding and very sore, and I felt guilty as hell that I wasn't feeding my baby enough - my milk hadn't yet come in and I felt like it was my fault. I had two midwives who were my saving angels and without them I probably would have given up by then end of that first week! One took the emotion out of the feeds for me and put in the logic, reminding me that Lewis had such a tiny tummy there was no way he needed to feed for so long each time. She was the midwife who delivered him and knew that he had sucked his fist as soon as he was born - he is a sucky baby. She also helped me feel less guilty for giving him a dummy and gave me other ways to settle him, reminding me that crying didn't always mean hunger.

So feeling a bit better I discharged myself on day 4, although they had recommended I stay longer to get the feeding sorted - I dreaded the nights and the night shift staff, feeling anxious at shift change etc, so couldn't wait to get home. By the time the midwives visited when Lewis was about a week old I had my first bout of mastitis. Feeling even more miserable than before, the CYH nurse who visited for Lewis's first check up gave me nipple shields and talked me through my emotions. I decided to keep trying.

4 weeks later came a second bout of mastitis That time I was hospitalised because over 2 thirds of the breast was inflamed and my temp was so high... I couldn't keep down any food or fluids and just about collapsed in the drs waiting room...

Determination and stubbornness run in both sides of my family. I started to see bf as a battle of wills. My mum reassured me that I would be able to do it if I wanted to, but that if I decided to switch to ff noone would think worse of me for not giving it my best shot. My stubborn side was not going to let bf beat me without a fight. I decided I had to exhaust all avenues of support before giving up. That was when I found BB and Barb recommended a private LC. The 90min drive to see her was so worthwhile! My GP was great too, and I ended up attending a day feeding clinic nearby. Amazingly I had the whole clinic to myself for the full day which meant the midwife was there for me all day too. It was wonderful to have someone who could take the time to sit with me and really help with each feed. It's such a pity that didn't happen at the hospital as I'd expected when Lewis was born.

So now 5 months on we're still going. I've had 2 blocked duct episodes since, but I'm now so paranoid about getting mastitis again that I jump straight into the shower, grab the pump, feed constantly from that side and phone the ABA helpline if nothing else seems to be working, just to check I've done everything recommended again. We've had a short stint of breast refusal but given his chubby cheeks and thighs, I know DS is fine and will feed again when he's ready. His latest trick is taking mini-breaks during a feed to sit up and check out what the dog is doing or what is on the tv... we're back to long feeds again for now, but he does amuse me I no longer dread feeds, instead looking forward to putting my feet up and watching an episode of my favourite series on dvd - just the right length for most feeds.

My minigoal was to make it to 6 months. The formula sticks I bought in the early weeks in case are still unopened in my pantry and only go in the nappy bag when I haven't been able to express enough if I'm going out and MIL is looking after bubs and gets desperate, but thankfully she's been calm enough to hold out until I get back to feed him. Once we hit that 6 month mark I intend to just keep going, taking each day as it comes.

[aussienic]

My story..

Ds2. Fairly easy pregnancy apart from being huge.. isaac was born at 3:20pm and I finally got to hold him at 6pm. We tried Bf but was no good. He was so fidgetty, wouldn't stay attached. Finally at 3am I allowed a comp feed as he was quite upset.. anyways long story.. seizures breathing difficulties and 16 days in SCN followed.. I expressed and attempted to feed for the 16 days.. Went home with breastfeeding going ok. We struggled , I got mastitis within 2 days of leaving hospital as my breasts were used to expressing and bening fed from so I had an oversupply by this stage..

We tried everything. Nipple shields were ok but Isaac was just so sleepy due to the meds he was on.. So at 7 weeks I went to expressing full time. I hired a hospital grade pump. and we never looked back. I expressed every 3-5 hours. Stopping at 9 -10 at night and starting again in the morning. I expressed while camping, shopping and travelling..

I fell pregnant 10 months later and my milk started to dry up and stopped al together when Isaac was 10 months old. I am very proud of how long I kept up expressing for as it is not easy but you adapt and it becomes like second nature. No different to doing anything else I guess..

ds3 . Ah what a dream child.. born at 9:17am attached to the breast by 10:30 . one or 2 comp feeds in hospital and nothing else till over 21 months. Solids of course at 7 months. but he refused all milk unless it came from mummy We finally stopped feeding when I was 10 weeks pg and Jacob self weaned.. I am so proud for making it to 21 months.

DD1. Born at 10:20am. expressed before she was born.. Finally brought to me for a feed late that afternoon and never looked back.. She is brilliant and still is. I won't say it hasn't been 100% easy and painless but time and perserverance helped

I should say I also Bf Ds1 and looking back it was easy. I stupidly gave up at 3 months for selfish reasons. I wish I had known what i know today..

[believer]

After an easy pregnancy and 2 nights of 12 hour long false labour, ds was born after only 6 1/2 hours of actual labour. He didn't wanna latch on at first, so I started expressing and fed him ebm with a spoon. Thank God I express easily so I could make sure I had 1 feed ready in the fridge.
At feeding time we tried latching him on first and if that didn't work, we'd heat up the ebm. I made sure not to upset ds, didn't want him to hate the breast. We had a lc come over to lend a hand and rule out any problems as his tongue didn't seem to be able to curl around my nipple. But everything was fine. Just my left nipple "looking down" instead of being in the middle. So right was his favorite side.
By the end of the first week, he took the right breast no problems and after 11 days, he even took the left! Just like that, no tricks needed!
Ever since, breastfeeding has been wonderfull. When I returned to work, he went back to refusing the left boob for a day or to, but that passed.
I feel very lucky things are going this well, and that I can express so easily so i don't need to put him on formula when I have to work.
I strongly recommend not to fight a newborn to make him/her take the breast, but make it a positive experience and feed ebm with a spoon (he even took the bottle at that stage nps) and give him/her time to take to the boob. It worked a treat for me!

[Roquen]

I thought I should post here in the hope of inspiring someone else to keep BF! My story isn't anything amazing, but here goes..!

Jordan was born 26 Feb 08, 40W+6d. After a really traumatic 30 hour labour, he was taken away from me for 30 minutes while I was in recovery. At the time I was upset as I really wanted a chance to try and feed asap but I was shaking uncontrollably and extremely exhausted and it did give me a chance to gather myself and prepare.

When I was reunited with him, the midwife assisted me with trying to feed, in a number of different holds, but he couldn't latch on and was getting frustrated. My normally B cup boobies were DD and chocka block full. He was jaundiced, so got tired easily too which wasn't helping. We ended up expressing a few drops of colostrum and used a syringe to drip into his mouth, the next feed, we expressed a little more and had to stomach tube, then the next feed we got 20ml so he had that from a bottle.

After about 3 days of frustrating BF attempts where he was only getting small amounts every so often, we tried a nipple shield with success! He could finally latch on and have a good suck. I was experiencing a lot of pain even with the shield which was turning me off the whole idea. When home, I gradually tried without the shield, with or with out it though, the pain was toe curling, excruciating every feed for the first 10 minutes or so, and this lil man was feeding every 2 hours around the clock on the dot!

I persevered, and resorted to the odd panadol to get through a feed, and kept reminding myself why I was doing it. Around the 4 week mark, (still at 2 hourly feeds), he was able to latch on without the shield, so I threw it away so I wouldn't be tempted to use it anymore. The pain was still happening, but after about another 3 weeks, it vanished. I have now been exclusively bf for just under 4 mnths, and I love it!

I thoroughly enjoy and look forward to feeds now, I used to dread it! I am so glad I stuck it out, many nights when I was in pain from the birth, in bed trying to feed a screaming little man, I wanted to give up so much, but it was well worth it as now it is truly a enjoyable experience and its our special time together.