Breast feeding success stories

[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.

[sunshine_sieben]

I didn't just want to BF my baby, to me it was a given that I would BF my baby. I never once considered anything else. It must have to do with my upbringing, with every woman in my family having natural births and BF their babies. I just couldn't imagine doing anything else. Boy was it a shock when I started hearing criticism about my choices...
I had what I would call "shy nipples". They're not inverted, but they also don't poke out as much as some others... they're just pretty much flat. And I have always hated nipple stimulation. Nevertheless, I knew I was gonna BF and I knew I was gonna be able to learn to handle nipple stimulation.
I did manage to have a beautiful natural birth and instantly fell in love with my DD. Establishng BFing wasn't so easy. DD had lots of trouble attaching. I was very very lucky that I had chosen a birth centre birth and had lots of loving support from my midwife and also from my mother who was staying with us in the first 4 weeks. On day 3 my midwife decided that she wasn't qualified enough to help me with my problem so she booked me in with a lactation consultant the next day. Together we went and were shown how to express colostrum. What a tedious process. But it worked well, lots came out. I will always remember a strange woman sitting in front of me trying to catch every drop of this liquid which we all regarded as pure gold. I went home confident. Unfortunately it didn't work so well at home. The next day when my midwife came, I was discouraged. I had bruised my nipples from trying so hard and still only managed to get half the amount I got when with the lactation consultant. But I stuck it out. That afternoon I decided to try my manual breastpump. But that didn't really work either. But, that night my milk came in. Boy was I relieved. I could finally use a breastpump to express and decent amounts came out. The next day my midwife came with her hospital breast pump which she loaned to me for 4 weeks. I felt like a cow using it, but hey, it was a lot less tedious than hand expressing colostrum. The pump helped draw my nipples out enough for DD to get a semi alright attachment happening. I was still supplementing with EBM, but also putting her on the boob at almost every feed. I hated the experience of having to pump and feed EBM. It seemed like such a hassle and took sooo long. But hey, if that's what it took, that's what had to be done. I have to honestly say, the thought NEVER occured to me to give her a bottle of formula. A week later, she was BFing exclusively. I have never looked back. Although in the first weeks, it seemed like hard work getting the attachment right, before too long I could BF in the dark, while walking through the house, while sleeping (the best thing ever). And nothing beats the feeling you get when your baby smiles at you while suckling off your breast.
DD is now 12 1/2 months old and I do not feel any need to let this sweet relationship come to an end. Of course we don't feed nearly as often anymore and it doesn't take as much time, but I'd be more than happy to BF for some time to come. Something I never thought I would do before I had DD. See, I always thought I would BF. And I had hoped to be able to do it for 1 year. But I thought BFing a toddler is weird. I have definitely changed my mind.
I know, it doesn't always come easy. And I know that most women don't get enough support. But I feel sorry for women who for one reason or the other cannot establish a breastfeeding relationship. It is such a special bond to share...
Oh, I'm in tears and all emotional now. I think I need to find DD and cuddle her...
Sasa

[blueflower]

Wow, I came across this thread, while looking for something else, but I am so glad that I did find it!
I have read through many of your posts, and feel inspired to write mine down for you all.
I remember being pregnant, and with the questions that came with being pregnant, 'are you having a boy or a girl?', 'when are you due?', etc, and one that I always though was a bit weird, 'Are you going to breast feed or bottle feed?'. I was a bit dumb struck the first time I had ever heard it! Why on earth would I give my child formula, when I have two boobs that are getting huger (after already being on the big side) as time progresses. My reply was simply breastfeed of course.
I come from a Nutrition background, so knowing how much better Breast milk is to formula, and I was determined to make everything work and breastfeed.
DD was born at 8.29pm. While in labour I spoke to my midwife, and said, I wanted to breastfeed her straight after birth. I explained that I was determined to breastfeed. The midwife was great, she helped DD attach, which she did quite easily, and we had our first breastfeed, which lasted for about an hour. My DH's family came into the delivery suite, to see us. I was just covered with a blanket, and DD was still feeding. I said to my DH that they had better get used to seeing me like this and these BB's. hehe

While in hospital, my milk came in on day three or four. There was no problems with my supply, in fact, I had such an abundance that DD could attach properly until I had expressed some out.

So months later, DD is now 11 months, and we are still going strong.
I am pleased to say that in this time, I have not had one problem. No grazes, cracked nipples, blocked ducts, or mastitis.
There have been the occasional bouts of me second guessing my milk- usually after people have made comments to me about my milk like 'playing netball will stop your supply', 'when her teeth come through you will stop breastfeeding in a hurry', and even one from the community child nurse 'she is not putting enough weight on'. With this last statement, A trip to the Paediatrician calmed my fears down and he said, she is a very happy and content child. Even now that she is on solids, she still does not put weight on easily. I have found that these always came from people that never breastfed their children.

I am so glad that I have been able to breastfeed this long. Every day is a blessing to me. My DH let me stay on leave without pay, just so that I could breastfeed till 12 months.

Even to this day, I don?t know when our breastfeeding will come to an end. I have not really set a time to finish it. I do know that I would rather me end it, as I don?t think I could mentally handle DD refusing her much loved breastfeeds. I return to work next month, so I think we will just take it one day at a time.

Months on, I am ever so grateful for my DH, he has never said anything negative about my breastfeeding. I have expressed the occasional bottle, for him to feed, and I think in 11 months, he has given a total of four bottles. He has bonded with DD in other ways, like she loves her bath time and playtime with daddy.
Also I think I was very determined to BF, with the thanks to my mother. She was very active in the then 'Nursing mothers Association'. She is no longer here with us today, but I know how much breastfeeding her children meant to her, and as her only daughter, I have managed to do this as well. I know that if she were here today, she would be so proud of me! I know I am proud of me!

Thanks for reading my story if you are still reading. For someone that had no problems what so ever, I sure have rambled on!

[~Saram~]

With my first I did all my reading and although I was apprehensive and a little embarrassed (having been brought up with the whole sexual nature of breasts and how my artner would react etc) I was determined that it would be the best thing for my baby.

DS was induced at 36wks and had an underdeveloped suck reflex and jaundice which made him sleepy. Becuase of the lack of sucking my milk didn't come in until about day 9. I distinctly remeber day 4 at 4am when they were syringe comp feeding my little bub while I was hooked up to a breast pump exprerssing 2-3ml and the midwife yelling at me that I needed to have more than that, it just wasn't going to cut it and that my baby needed to be formula fed.

The next day the paed walked in and reved me again at how all this had happened, why didn't I say he wasn't feeding etc ( of course I didn't know he wasn't feeding - I would put him to the breast, he would suck at the nipple and fall asleep!) and then he yelled at the midwife for telling me not to bother breast feeding and told me to get back on that breast pump and stop the comp feeding.

2 wks later of expressing every feed and syringe feeding and then bottle feeding my MIL sugguested nipple shields. We went on to breast feed with shield for over 9mths before DS was ready to wean of the shields, we then BF until past 2yrs!

DD journey was a lot less dramatic with just the usual cracked nipples so we turned to the shields again but only for 3wks. DD is now successfully breast feed and occassionally bottlefeed and I lov ehte flexibility of doing both!

[Carol-Sean]

Like all other first time mums, the first weeks of BF were excruciatingHowever after abt 3wks of endurance, I found it a very pleasant experience. it brings out the most beautiful, warm fuzzy feelings and the connection it built between my son and I is indescribable. I think I have BF for 17months mostly because it makes me feel good than because it is necessary. I'm thinking of weaning him now though coz he is a very big boy and once he grabs onto that breast he leaves me famished and I cant keep eating like there' s no tomorrow, a girl's got to get her figure back. But i must say, it's the best thing a mum can share with her baby.So if u can go for it!

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

I have loved reading all these stories, what a great thread idea MantaRay!

Here's my story (it's quite a bitter one at first, but I'm bloody proud of myself now I look back at that first month!):

I always just assumed I'd breastfeed because I can't be arsed with bottles and that stuff. It was very much seen as a bad idea by my mother's family, who told me how awful feeding is and how wrong it is and they bought me bottles whilst I was pg! So I decided that I WAS going to breastfeed and my baby would NOT be having formula.

His birth... didn't go to plan, let's just say, as that's a whole novella in itself. He was completely disinterested in feeding for the first day at least... but I don't know if he was given formula in the SCBU because he was just taken away for 90 minutes after he was born.

Then the stupid horrid cow of a midwife on the ward told me I'd never be able to breastfeed and DS "needed" formula so if I didn't give it she'd take him away and do it. I insisted on breastfeeding before formula, and only using a cup, which was acceptable.

Then my milk came in - same time as the woman in the bed opposite me. Evil cow midwife was very helpful to her and got her cold cabbage leaves, which the nice lady offered to share when she realised I wasn't getting the same treatment. Luckily for me I had no engorgement or pain so it wasn't needed.

We were discharged and home for the weekend. On the monday we were rushed back to hospital as DS had lost weight and was jaundiced and I couldn't feed him. The SCBU team were lovely and were really great, helping me express and BF and making sure they gave EBM before formula. They did let me sleep through two nights, the two nights surrounding my birthday, which meant I got my pre-birth birthday wish of getting a decent sleep with a baby for my birthday LOL. (BTW, I have damage to my optic nerve, which means that to me DS looked jaundiced normally, the pinky tone looked a bit more yellow to me. When he has a temperature he looks purple and bruisy, so I always know when he's ill on sight, but explains why I never noticed the jaundice, he looked the same as me for skin colour to me.)

At 3 weeks old DS was having one bottle a day. He started to throw up after that bottle so we stopped it. At about 5-7m he had a pre-bed bottle in the hope he'd sleep through, but that's a lie.

TBH, although I did a lot of fighting initially, after about 4 weeks it was really easy and my DH was fantastically supportive (once he got used to the idea that I'd squirt when uncovered at first, he was icky about that) and DS self-weaned really easily. Too easily really, I'd still be doing it if I could. Full-time, making meals for DS is such a pain and when he leaves food, just a waste.

I haven't even had many negative comments from people, possibly because my family realised pre-birth that I was going to feed DS for as long as possible. And because I'm scary LOL.

[Inanna]

Great thread MR!
DD13: I had a very long and difficult labour - she was to be a homebirth and we transferred to hospital after 24 hours or thereabouts of labour. I had an epidural and had a dural tap - when the cerebro spinal fluid leaks creating an excruciating headache. I was discharged home with this as "the pain isn't bad enough to be a dural tap". I couldn't sit up without calling out in pain so we used nipple shields. DH attatched DD for each feed - she screamed and fed nonstop. After 7 days at home I went to hospital and a dural tap was diagnosed and a blood patch done to rectify. A few hours later I could sit up for the first time in a week without pain. It was heaven. We had trouble with attatchment and had to wean off the shields. I got blisters, bleeding - it was pretty hideous. But we got the hang of it eventually and she went on to exclusively b/f for 10 months and b/f in total for 3 years. She self weaned.

DS7: I had a beautiful birth centre birth - he attatched immediately but his attatchment wasn't great. I ended up with blisters, bleeding nipples and 3 hideous bouts of mastitis. My nipples were an absolute mess. By 6 weeks it was all good and he self weaned at aobout 2 1/2.

DD5: She fed like a trouper - she was born sucking and took to the booby with flourish. No problems, no mastitis, nipple trauma. She fed beautifully - she self weaned at 2 years.

DD4: She took to the breast beautifully too - no trauma, mastitis and she self weaned at about 16 months.

DD10 months: As most of you know she was a 28 week premmie. I began expressing the day after her birth (I was in icu for first 24 hours - and expressing wasn't even considered) and nothing came - not even a speck of colostrum. I was shattered. By day 5 the nicu staff were getting heavy about needing some milk for her. I was absolutely terrified of not being able to produce milk for her. I knew all the stats and premmies that don't have breast milk are at higher risk of all types of problems. I phoned a lactating friend who offered to give me her milk. She came with a bottle and I sureptitiously put it into the speci jars supplied by the hospital. At least I knew she would have "the good stuff". I then expressed and got my first colostrum - 5mls. It was like Christmas! My friend ran down to NICU with the precious colostrum. Her milk wasn't needed after all! I was on motilium for supply. I continued to express for the next 3 months and 1 week every 3 hours around the clock. Immy went home fully breastfeeding and still is!

[clairekerzner]

I love reading these inspiring stories- you guys are all amazing!

We had a real breastfeeding odyssey ourselves, and every bit of struggle was worth it in the end. My daughter was born by emergency c-section at four days overdue after becoming tangled in her umbilical cord before labour could even begin. She suffered severe brain damage as a result and spent a month in the NICU at Princess Margaret Hospital in Perth. Today at 14 months of age she's 100% healthy and perfect, which is a complete miracle, but in the beginning things were very rocky.

For the first few days, she was in a coma and not receiving food. I was pumping every four hours and feeling pretty pleased with myself when I got my supply up to a total 60mL each time- but it plateaued there, and that was the most I ever got while pumping. After about a week, they started giving my daughter tube feeds, increasing the amount she could take by a few mL every four hours. They expected her to reach 60mL per feed and stop- but no, that wasn't enough for her! She rolled straight past 60mL and ended up taking 110mL every feed.

She quickly went through the EBM I had stored, and from then on we were playing catchup as she moved onto bottle feeding and at the same time began to attempt our first breastfeeds. She would try to latch on without success, then drink a 60mL bottle of EBM, then a 50mL top-up of formula, then I would rush off and express for her next feed, then run back just in time to start it all again. I was going crazy watching other mums churn out 250mL of milk every time in the communal expressing room, and feeling super guilty that I wasn't making enough milk for her (never mind the immense stress of the delivery, the situation we were in (literally living in the intensive care unit) and her diagnosis, which was terrible).

The midwives started pushing me to express more frequently, but I just couldn't do it. Gradually with the help of a nipple shield she started to get better at latching on, though she would fall asleep almost instantly as she was on an anti-seizure medication that made her very drowsy. Bit by bit, though, we got better at it, and the amount of top-up she needed dwindled down.

By the time we were ready to go home when she was one month old, I was totally over the whole pump-feed-pump routine, and I decided it was time to give it up. It occurred to me that there was a good reason why my breast-milk supply wasn't increasing, and it wasn't due to me not pumping enough (as I was told repeatedly)- it was due to all the medical professionals telling me I had to wait three to four hours between feeds. I figured that if she only got 50mL in one feed, but she fed again one hour later instead of three, she would build up the supply.

And I was right, too. Over the course of eight weeks, we breastfed almost hourly all day and all night, with occasional formula top-ups, too. And finally, finally, my milk supply had gone up enough that we farewelled the bottle altogether at about three months of age, and now at 14 months of age she is still fully breastfed (though now with solids and sippy cups too, of course).

I look at my rapidly growing little person and I am just amazed at our joint tenacity and determination with breastfeeding, and so proud of what we've managed. I'm now ready to wean her, as I've gone back to work and she's dropping feeds herself, but it's been an incredible journey.

There are two things I would say to other breastfeeding mothers. One is, don't be afraid to breastfeed on demand, no matter what you're told you "should" be doing. Follow your instinct and do what feels right for you. The other is, don't be afraid if you have to give formula top-ups for a while if you're having supply problems. If I hadn't given Sophie formula top-ups, we wouldn't have succeeded at breastfeeding because she would have failed to thrive. Giving the top-ups took the pressure off both of us and allowed her to grow at the same time as letting my milk supply increase from frequent feedings.

I actually wish I'd kept up the routine we had of giving her one bottle of formula a day, usually in the evening. She was fantastic at taking bottle OR breast until about five months of age, but after that she became exclusively breastfed and wouldn't look twice at a bottle, no matter the circumstances. This meant she couldn't be babysat for more than a couple of hours until she was almost a year old, and nobody else could put her to bed except me as she needed the boob to sleep.

Anyway! If there's one thing I've learned, it's that there's no "right" or "wrong" when it comes to feeding your kids. As long as they're happy and healthy, it's all good. But I guess our story shows that persistence and determination goes a long way to succeeding if you want it badly enough.

[fi1980]

Wow - so many women have done such an amazing job often under really difficult circumstances it's just wonderful to see so many of us perservere and give bf everything we've got!

I'll keep my story brief! I've now been breastfeeding for over 12 months and I am so proud of myself and so glad I was able to make it this far.

Before having my daughter I had no real expectations for breastfeeding other than hoping I would be able to do it for a at least a few months! That might sound silly but it is just something I had never been exposed to. My mum didn't bf for long and all my friends and family seemed to have trouble bf and bottle feeding was the norm. Because of this I got a lot of pressure to put DD onto a bottle - every time she was unsettled or I was stressed I was told to just give her a bottle - as though ff would magically make everything better?? I still get told the same thing, even my next door neighbour who frequently hears DD when she is unsettled told me just the other day that maybe she needs a bottle at night

Well I showed them!! It hasn't been easy, that's for sure. Aside from having little support or encouragement to continue bf I ended up with PND which almost put an end to our bf journey. Thankfully I got some help and was able to stick it out and get back on track and 12 months into it we are still going strong with no sign of stopping anytime soon All this and I returned to work when DD was not quite 4 months old so learnt to become a champion expresser!

I'm so glad that I perservered and continued to bf, it is such a wonderful experience and is something that I know I will miss when I've completed my family and have no more babies to feed! But until then I'm going to continue enjoying every special minute!!

Fi

[finsmum]

What an excellent thread!

My beautiful girl was born a little over 2 years ago after an induction at 42 weeks. She was tiny (under 3 kgs) and a very enthusiastic if inexpert feeder. She was shoved onto my breast by an insensitive midwife (the same one who scared me into the induction in the first place..) and after that I got her latched on, albeit painfully, often in the days that followed.

Every feed hurt, it seems it was because she had a tiny mouth and just got the nipple, not the aureole. When my milk came in at day 4, it was worse, she was feeding constantly and it hurt, but I never considered quitting; this was just something we'd figure out!

After a week or so the ends of both nipples were raw and bleeding, and I think she got as much blood as milk! I was only
worried for her, but after being reminded that breastmilk is made from blood and it was fine for her, I just persevered, trying to get the positioning right and grinding my teeth at the pain..! Slowly slowly we worked on it, and I called the ABA helpline one evening to ask if literally constant feeding was normal..! Taking her off to fix positioning seemed to make her terribly upset and desparate, as she thought booby was being taken away! Poor love!

In a month or two we got the positioning down well enough that my nipples healed. After 6 weeks I saw my chinese herbal gynocologist, and got my low supply problem fixed - later on (at about 8 months) I used fenugreek to bump it up more.

My daughter is now 2 and a bit, and is naturally starting to feed a lot less during the day, although her molars coming through have seen a return to a lot of feeding the past few days! I intend to go with her on weaning at her pace, and feel very comfortable with that.

I feel very joyful at sharing this beautiful realtionship with my gorgeous child!!