Breast feeding success stories

[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.

[Neenee Jellybeanie]

Great topic!!

DD and I had hurdles at first. Due to our unfortunate birth experience, she didn't breastfeed for quite a while after she was born. It was a bit tricky at first but we got into it fairly quickly. At a few months old, she went through a horrible phase of breast refusal. The only thing that really helped was time, patience and having showers together. Looking back, I think the problem was my supply. I had supply issues at around 6 months as well, again, we got through it. I was giving her bottles of formula before bed for a while in the hopes that she would sleep better but it didn't help, in fact it gave her tummy aches, so we cut that out. I had a few people tell me to stop BFing; my ex MIL, ex P (who didnt want my boobs to sag) and my GP who said (in response to me being worried about DDs weight, without actually seeing her) "You can't keep breastfeeding just because you want to! There's no benefit to breastfeeding beyond 3 months anyway" LMAO.
The most recent problem we've had is biting, which is a direct result of teething. 2 months or so ago, she drew blood from both nipples! She's cheeky too, I remove her from the breast when she does it so now she only bites and the end of the feed LOL. It's annoying and often painful, but once the tooth cuts the gum, she stops so I just grind my teeth and deal with it until it ends. Such is life!

I'm so proud that we've made it this far and I have a feeling we're going to make it to 12 months! I honestly didn't think we would many times but it was definately worth persevering. I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't comfort DD when she wakes in the night or hurts herself with the boob! My life would be so much harder lol! DD has never been sick either, even when I've been sick. I contribute that to BFing

[The[cookie]Doctor]

I decided, that now we are nigh on six months, I would finally post in here.

Our journey has been quite simple. We had no attachment issues and no supply issues - our main problem was me fighting the norm of forumla feeding that surrounded me. I felt terrible pressure by my DF to breastfeed which made the first few days and weeks rather unpleasant. With my 'I'm so big I need my own postcode boobies', we battled through the discomfort until we found a way to feed that bothered neither of us. We eventually accomplished breastfeeding in public - which progressed from completely covered up in parents rooms, to the ability to now whip it out whenever and whereever; including supermarket aisles, trains and at the park.

I have battled through PND - where I do not want to be touched, or have my baby anywhere near me some days, and we're still going, still exlcusive and almost at six months. There are times I have wanted to give up. There are days when I wil cry through a feed, or when I will vomit afterwards, because I am sickened by touch. But we're still going. I have now encountered three painfully blocked ducts in a matter of six weeks, as well as shortlived, but painful and annoying round of thrush.

Even though I was hesitant to begin with, I am now confident, and as much as I am battling with tactile aversion at the moment, I do really love breastfeeding. There are days when I would like to give it up so I can stop feeling like I am losing my DH, but I am lucky that he understands. And I am lucky that I also seem to have had a stellar run with health professionals that have always praised WHO standards. I am lucky that I have had support from BB and I am ever so thankful that I have a thirst to prove myself.