Breast feeding success stories

I stopped BFeeding DD a couple of months ago. I was just this evening thinking that I miss the intimacy. We had a good run though and it was a mostly positive experience.

It was difficult at first. DD was born by c/s and it took 6 days for my milk to come in. We both struggled with attachment, but eventually we tried nipple shields and I think they taught DD to take more of my nipple. We only used them for a week and after that she fed well and it was pain free.

DD also lost more than 10% of her birth weight in that first week. So I started pumping and topping her up with the syringe and tube and bottles after feeds. I think I just wasn't giving her a chance to get enough milk because my mum kept on telling me that she only needed 10 min each side. So with the top ups and letting her feed as long as she wanted, her weight improved quickly. Mum meant well, it was just the advice that she had been given.

Feeding was mostly easy after those first 2 weeks. DD quickly settled into a routine and fed 5 times a day and slept all night. We had a problem for a while where she didn't like feeding from my right breast. I made sure she fed from that side first thing in the morning when she was too hungry to refuse it and after a while she got over it.

It also was difficult to feed her in public as she was much more interested in looking around. I would have to hide away somewhere quiet, but I soon learned that it was ok if she missed a feed sometimes. I couldn't make her feed, I could just offer.

At one year DD was feeding 3 times a day and over the next 4 months we reduced that to morning and night, then just morning and then none at all. It was a natural progression and DD was perfectly happy with it all. She didn't miss it and is happy with cows milk in a cup now.

I did get some family pressure to stop after she was a year old. That was frustrating. Especially since it really didn't effect anyone else. The morning and night feeds where private, so why should anyone care.

Anyway, I'm happy with the way things went, particularly that it all ended in a positive way.

I think this just might be my all-time favourite BB thread!! You are all amazing and your stories are so beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing and well done to you all.

DS and I have now been bfing exclusively for 6 months so I thought I?d post in this thread as a celebration! There were days when it was all I could do to just get through one feed at a time. (It's a bit long, sorry!).

I had an "unplanned" (emergency) c/section. DS stayed with me in recovery and we were able to have our first feed within about an hour or so of his birth. The feed lasted about an hour. The nurse in recovery was awesome! She helped me to attach him and swap sides. DS had good attachment and a good strong suck (well he was 11 days overdue!!). I was told my milk might not come in on time due to a heavy PPH immediately after his birth. I accepted a blood transfusion on about day three and my milk came in soon afterwards. I was told his attachment was 'textbook' and I felt really pleased and relieved that he seemed to know what he was doing. Bfing had been very important to me during my pregnancy but now that I?d had the exact birth outcome I had most dreaded/feared/wished to avoid, bfing took on a whole new level of importance. I didn't get anywhere close to the birth I had hoped for so I wasn't going to be giving up on bfing him! I had read a little bit about bfing and knew it would be 'hard' but I had no idea how difficult it was to turn out to be. Bfing my son is probably the hardest thing I have ever done in my whole life. We had one issue after another, often overlapping for probably 10-12 weeks before things settled down.

Things seemed great for about a week or so, then at the first home visit, DS had not quite gained his birth weight after just over 2 weeks. He was only 20g off but that's when the pressure started for him to gain more. So began a period of weekly weighing and ever increasing stress about his feeding and weight gains. His gains were implied to be small and decreasing, 150g, 120g, then 60g. I was told they wanted him putting on 200-250 and feeding at least 8 times a day. He was feeding 7 times a day and it was difficult to fit any more feeds in. 7 was his magic number. Each week they said, "hopefully next week we'll see a bigger number". When he only gained 60g they started talking Motilium and said my supply had dropped. I'd had no idea. My breasts never really got that engorged and I didn't leak much. Mum said she didn't either so I hadn't been that concerned about it. He'd always had plenty of very wet nappies and nearly every one was dirty as well. I started expressing after every daytime feed (so 5 times a day) and topping him up the previously expressed milk afterwards. I did that for a week and only left the house briefly twice in that time. I nearly went mad but I was determined to avoid Motilium if I could and I wanted to keep it as a back up plan just in case expressing didn't work. DS was taking up to an hour to feed, plus extra time topping him up, then I would put him down and settle to sleep (he NEVER stayed asleep after a feed!), then I would express with a hand pump for 15 mins a side, then wash everything up and sterilise for the next feed. Often I only had 15 mins before he woke for the next feed. I could eat or I could shower but I couldn't do both in the time I had between feeding. (Showering took me a while after the c/s). That week he put on 280g. The attitude and gushing congratulations of the MCHNs was so different to the previous week's concern when the only positive thing they could think to say was that I was "trying really hard".

After that week I stopped topping him up as much and I also eased up on the expressing. Possibly a little too early because he only put on 120g that next week so the stress and worry returned. Again I was encouraged to 'try for a bigger number'. I was so concerned about his feeding, unsettled behaviour during feeds and weight gain that I started keeping notes of every feed, including whether his nappies were wet/dirty and how much I was topping him up. I was paranoid they were going to start saying that I wasn't feeding him enough or properly or something and make me put him on formula! Sleep deprivation has a lot to answer for!! It was suggested that I try to keep him on each side for 20mins and there was lots of talk of foremilk and hindmilk. This turned out to be bad advice for DS, he wanted to be a quick feeder right from the beginning. Trying to keep him on for specific time periods just led to lots of 'battles' after a while and lots of tears from both of us. I continued to stress about how much he was getting and what his weight was doing. Because I'd had no idea my supply had dropped before I lost confidence in both of us. I still feel terrible admitting that now. I was listening to other people who barely knew us, rather than watching and trusting my son to take what he needed.

In the middle of all of this we got thrush twice. I'd never had it before and didn?t realise what was going on. Because I hadn't been able to feel my let downs, initially this is what I thought it was LOL! I also had damaged nipples that started in hospital despite his good attachment. Right before I started expressing to help him gain weight and increase my supply, I had ended up resting my left side for 36 hours due to ongoing pain. I was breathing through it at every feed. The nipple wasn't cracked but ringbarked at the base. Although his attachment was 'textbook' DS had been pulling back on my nipples. Nobody told me to stop him doing that. Everything I read focused on attachment and his was good so I stopped paying attention, even though it hurt when he pulled, his actual feeding didn't hurt. He damaged the right side too but not as badly as the left and it healed faster. I finally worked out that he was pulling in frustration at the slower let down on the left and possibly a slower flow as well. DS liked his milk fast and immediate. Occasionally he would bite me, especially on the left side. Ouch!! Of course, topping him up with a bottle wasn't helping because it was fast and immediate and he didn't have to work for it as hard. I suspect this is why my supply dropped in the early days. He was giving up too early. I couldn't feel my let down so I didn't know what was going on. It wasn't until he was about 10 weeks old that I started to feel my let downs and that's when his behaviour started to make some sort of sense. He also seemed to 'train' the left side because it started letting down faster and by about 12 weeks, he was feeding the same off both sides and not pulling back as much. To say that he was an unsettled feeder would be an understatement. He still fusses and carries on with crying even now at 6 months old, especially when he's tired but I know what's going on now so I am able to stay calm, try to relax myself more and keep encouraging him back on until the let down occurs. Sometimes he gets so worked up I have to give him the dummy to regulate his sucking and breathing before he can attach properly. He wants to feed but just gets beyond it. Strangely, he is easiest to feed when we're out and about. There's too much to look at, he's super fast and never cries :clap:

We've also had the typical issues more recently with him being distracted (even at home). He often turns to see what's going on but tries to keep my nipple in his mouth. The left side has started hurting again recently, although there isn't any damage that I can see and it seems to be improving again. Also a few weeks back I had a close brush with mastitis. Luckily I caught it early, knew to keep him feeding off that side and I also expressed a few times as well, even overnight for the first 12 hours. So I guess I know there still could be ongoing issues because of the way he feeds but I now have the confidence to work out what's going on and what I can do about it. DSs weight is still on the low side but I have finally accepted that he knows what he's doing (and so do I!!). Funnily enough, he's now feeding 8-9 times a day but only taking about 10 mins all up at each feed. Even though I am more relaxed about feeding him, the habit of counting his feeds and watching the clock is hard to break. :rolleyes: Now when he pulls off and looks around or fusses I know that he's finished that side and there's no point trying to get him to take any more. He still cries at times during the switch from one side to the next like he thinks he's not going to get the second side even though he's always had it at every feed!! He's a pretty happy, easy going kid most of the time, even when he's so tired his eyes are out on stalks we can still get a laugh out of him. I'd estimate that 80-90% of his crying has occurred around and during feeds.

I have to give a huge amount of credit to my DP and my mum who, IRL, provided me with endless support to keep going during the tough times. DP spent some of K Rudds money at Easter to buy me a double electric pump and it changed my life!! :) If it weren't for their practical and emotional support and encouragement I might have caved in and given him formula. And although that normally wouldn't have been the end of the world for most people, it would have been to me, partly because I would have seen it as another failure after his birth. I'm so proud that he's only ever had BM and I credit my ability to successfully bf DS with keeping PND at bay.

I also have to give the bfing problems and support forum and the regular girls who post in there lots of credit too. I didn't always post very much but reading what others were going through and the advice they were given was invaluable. To the regular posters who always reply and share their wisdom, I owe you a lot. :hug:

The main things I have learnt are:
*there is more to bfing than simply attachment*,
*no matter how much you want to bf a baby, only he is in charge of how much he drinks*,
*I need to trust my baby, ignore the charts, and put the numbers in perspective*.
And due to my experience of bfing DS, we have decided to do BLS. After trying to 'force feed' him for set periods of time at each feed etc which only led to stress for both of us, I never want to go down that road again. Although I feel guilty for not realising sooner how he was feeding and that it was ok, I am using that lesson to inform the rest of our feeding journey. He is not very good at increasing my supply on his own when he needs to so I need to leave him in charge of dropping feeds and not fill him up on solids too early. So far (5 days in) he's loving his finger food and actually eating some of it too! Although it is sometimes frustrating to still be feeding him 8-9 times a day, I know I will be sad when he starts to cut back on the number of feeds. I can't actually imagine him ever weaning, although logically I know he will eventually. When he's feeding calmly, it's some of the happiest moments in my day and I'm forever grateful that I persevered through the difficult early months. It has been so worth it.

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.

Hi Everyone

These stories are so inspirational. Well done to all of you :clap: It's such an achievement and so fulfilling feeding our babies/kids isn't it?

Here is our story :D We made 12 MONTHS TODAY!!!!!!!!! :leap:

https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...stfeeding.html

Everyone's stories are wonderful, I love reading them.

We just made the 3 month mark and I'm very proud.

I researched all there was to know about b/f before little missy was born because I was determined that this was the way I wanted to feed my baby. I had a (semi)elective c-section - bubby was very transverse - and she was given straight to me and put on my chest in theatre and then again in recovery. She took to boobie like a wee duck to water - and hasn't stopped guzzling since.
However, after the first day I got cracked nipples. Some of the midwives were just awful at helping me and showing me how to attach her properly, some of them grabbing my nipple and shoving it in her wee mouth until she started sucking. So after such a good start in recovery, the midwives on the ward ruined it for me.
I begged to see a lactation consultant and saw one on day 3, which is the day that my milk came in and I also left the hospital. She told me that everything was fine, to stick some hydrogel pads on my nipples in between feeds and all would be well.
All was not well. The cracks turned into holes and I had a hole on each nipple. I cried at every single feed and didn't leave the house when she needed fed as I did not have the confidence to sit through a feed in front of anyone other than DH.
I then developed mastitis, which was AGONY. But it quickly cleared with antibiotics and continued feeding. The pain continued and the holes remained as huge as ever.
I went to my GP about another matter and she asked me how the b/f was going. I broke down and told her that I had sore nipples, showed her than and she almost fell off her seat. She told me that i had to stop b/f. I told her that wasn't an option. She kind of glared at me and I told her again that it wasn't an option. So she said that I needed to express for a few days to let the nipples heal - from both breasts. Again, I told her that wasn't an option for me, I didn't want my supply to go down. So we compromised and I expressed from the right breast and fed from the least (although still very) painful left breast. And slowly they healed.
One of my friends who had been away overseas returned and we met for coffee and I was feeding Evie and she said "honey, you're latching on wrong". She showed me how to do it properly and IMMEDIATELY it felt right. I still had damaged nipples at that point but latching on the way my friend showed me, it didn't hurt at all.

So after seeing numerous midwives, a lactation consultant and my GP - it was my friend who was the most helpful. And since that day, we haven't looked back. And to be honest, i think one of the reasons I never gave up was because I knew deep down in my heart that I hadn't been given the best advice about things. Surely breastfeeding couldn't be this sore or hard - people do it every day!!!!
Throughout all of this, my baby girl continued to gain heaps of weight and is now 6.4kg and has the cutest, chubbiest thighs I've ever seen on a baby hehe. Gorgeous!

I love breast feeding and am really going to miss it when we're not doing it any more. Not sure when that will be, I'm just going to go with the flow and see how little missy takes to solids and maybe even decides herself that she doesn't want boobie.

Thanks for reading.
Sue x

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One of my friends who had been away overseas returned and we met for coffee and I was feeding Evie and she said "honey, you're latching on wrong". She showed me how to do it properly and IMMEDIATELY it felt right. I still had damaged nipples at that point but latching on the way my friend showed me, it didn't hurt at all.

So after seeing numerous midwives, a lactation consultant and my GP - it was my friend who was the most helpful. And since that day, we haven't looked back.

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Sue this is a fabulous story! Thank goodness for your friend. While it's a shame that the professionals didn't do a better job of guiding and supporting you (grrr at your GP's attitude), your story is a great example of how we women can help each other as mothers. Just think, you might be able to do the same thing for someone else one day!

Jennifer that is so true about mothers helping each other. My friend got her helpful little tip from another mother when she was having troubles in the beginning herself!!!

Sue xxx

V was born in hospital in January 2010, post-dates. He had a positive direct Coombs test, developed moderately bad jaundice and was very sleepy. My milk came in promptly and I had a massive oversupply. This was good for his jaundice, which was unnoticeable by 6 days post-partum, but breastfeeding was very painful for me from about 6 days post-partum to about 3 weeks. Plus at 5 days post-partum I felt terribly sick, had a GP make a house call in the middle of the night, and, yup, mastitis.

I had a rough few weeks. The midwives said the latch looked good but that I had some nipple damage, I didn't find the ABA counsellors on the phone very helpful, and eventually spoke to the hospital's lactation consultant by phone who said that many women found feeding painful until about 10–14 days in and suggested coping mechanisms such as rhymes or singing to myself. Mostly I got through the next few days on the knowledge that the pain would end soon. I didn't really consider stopping feeding because I didn't want the mastitis to come back. After 2 weeks or so the pain was largely gone and I just had to deal with the constant leaking and so on. That settled down at about 6 weeks.

V is now 5 and a half months old and is still getting breastmilk exclusively. We didn't try and introduce a bottle until he was 4 months old and didn't have a lot of luck, he's now taking expressed milk from a sippy cup instead at daycare two days a week. When he is 6 months old we intend to begin BLW. Except for the first two weeks, I've enjoyed breastfeeding V a lot and do not intend to stop nursing for a long time.

If I have another child I hope to have another successful breastfeeding relationship. I will definitely go easier on myself in the first month or two about getting out of the house and even getting dressed in the morning: those first weeks are SO HARD. Hang in there, new Mums.

my BF journey so far has been a far easier one than many people have had to endure. that said, there was a point where i thought we weren't even going to make it to a week & if it wasn't for the fantastic support of the BB community (and a fab ABA counsellor who listened to me sobbing down the phone), we wouldn't have made it past those first few days.

i had GD during PG. i was induced & ended up having an epidural & an assisted delivery. this meant i was parked in the bed in a room while DP went off with the m/w to have DS weighed etc. his BSL were a bit low so they gave him formula as his first feed while he was away from me. luckily later that evening the m/w on duty was also a LC & she couldn't believe DS had been given formula & amongst her tsk tsking at the other m/w, she spent time with me showing me how to BF. the next day a m/w told me that because DS was a "big boy" (3.99kg - so big, but not huge!) he could go 4 hours between feeds. no one ever mentioned that when my milk came in i should feed more frequently & once i went home i ended up with engorged boobs that DS couldn't latch on to & after 6 hours of trying when he was 3 days old, i did the emergency run to the chemist for formula. i really thought i was never going to get him back on but the ABA counsellor told me to take it one feed at a time, not to panic that it was all over because of a couple of formula feeds & away we went.

i never particularly enjoyed it though, i BF him because i felt i should do what i thought was best for DS - and didn't till DS got much older. nowaways i appreciate BFing moments a lot more - with a busy crawling baby, it's great to have a time when the world simply stops & we just sit there together & everything is peaceful. i never really thought past 6 months, although 12 months was always my 'ultimate' goal. now we've made it to 12 months & i can't believe how fast the time has gone.

i always thought what would stop me BFing would be a major thing like mastitis etc but in the end it was something so small, yet loomed so large in those early (very hormonal) days. you just gotta hang in there though & go with the flow.

a very run of the mill story really, but it feels like a success all the same!

Sloane, it certainly is a success hun, well done and thank you for sharing :hug:

Liminal, you have done a great job to overcome early problems - well done hun and congratulations on still exclusively bfing at nearly 6 months :hug:

Sue, thanks for sharing your milestone in here. Congratulations again :hug: Great work!!

well done! to everyone.

I just want to add a little bit more.

I'm almost at the 6 month mark and we got missy weighed yesterday and she is a whopping 7.5kg and 70cm. She has gained 3.5kg and 18cm in her wee short life of 5.5 months.

And why I am posting - it AMAZES me that it's all down to milk that MY BODY has provided for her.

Breastfeeding blows me away, it really does.

Just had to share.

I get that feeling Mummasue & it truly is amazing. I remember feeling that way with all of my babies. My first the breastfeeding road was so incredibly incredibly hard. I breastfed her for 3 ish years. She didn't have solids until she was 1. I used to look at her & think: "man she has grown from microscopic to enormous (she was the michelin baby) all from nourishment from my body! I was blown away by that.

It really IS amazing. Hehe, she has THE CHUBBIEST thighs (gets it from me)!!! She's sooooo cute!

I text DH yesterday to tell him that I'd got her weighed (I don't get her weighed often, it stresses me out - and I am sick of health professionals telling me she should be on solids) and he text back saying "f&$k". LOL, he can't believe it either.

:hide: can I let you guys on a little secret

on days when I feel blerg and emotions are all over the place...i come in here and read everyones stories and I end up with tears of joy down my face.

BFing was such along time ago for me now....I am so proud that I stuck to my guns and did it with M. He is such a smart, strong and happy little man, even with his disabilities he just keep son going.
He is 3 in January...and for the little boy who they said would remain extremly small and unable to walk, he is a whopping 17.5kg, in size 4 clothing and runs everywere.

Just believing in your body and what it does is the most positive reenforcment anyone can give.

That's fabulous Maz.

You're so right in saying believe in your body. Over the past 15 months, my body has done things that I didn't think it was capable of - IVF, pregnancy and now breastfeeding. I am so proud of myself. (although I'd never tell anyone else but you guys that hehe).

Sue xxx

i'm pretty proud and amazed to. i'm waiting til the 6 month mark, but not too much longer and i will post my story too.

I just posted this in another thread, and thought I'd share it here too. My baby was only born a month and a half ago, but we had a little bit of a rocky start and I'm so glad now I didn't give in to the pressure to formula feed.

I was scared I wouldn't be able to bf. It was something I really wanted to do, and I think being determined to do it helped so much. I had to have an emergency c-section, so my milk was a day or so late coming in. During our first few days in hospital DS lost too much weight and had low blood sugar levels. One of the midwives kept telling me to give him formula, but I was stubborn and wanted to get bf working for us. The same midwife also kept hounding mre to give him to her at night time, so she could keep him quiet when he was hungry to give me more sleep.. but I knew delaying feeding wasn't recommended while my supply was building up (she was obviously not encouraging bf). So I kept breastfeeding, but as I only had colostrum when DS wanted milk, he'd get frustrated and hungry and would cry during feeds. A different midwife brought in an electric pump, so I expressed every 3 hours and topped up each feed with EBM. Then the bf got harder and harder with a frustrated baby, so I just gave him EBM only. This was very hard work, expressing all the time, but I continued it after we went home. I found a lactation consultant, she came to our house to help me with the feeding problems the next week, and the week after. We eventually got the hang of it, and because I didn't resort to formula my supply was great. Now I am exclusively bf, no expressing at all (except to keep an emergency supply in the freezer), and now it is so easy!!

It may be difficult to start with, and now even though its only been 6 and a half weeks, it is just the best. Night feeds are so much easier, and feeding is a beautiful bonding time for us, I love it.

At our last weigh in at 5 weeks old, my boy had gained 610 grams from the week before.. making it a total of over 1.1kg gain in three weeks, so it looks like my milk is working! So proud of my boobs :)

Bec, thank you so much for sharing. Well done hun. That sure is a success story and has really given me the warm fuzzies. I am so glad that your determination paid off for you. You are doing a wonderful job and I'm really pleased to hear that things are easier now :hug:

I'm looking forward to your story too Kate.

Bec, that is fantastic, good on you hun :hug:

I have been breastfeeding for 7 months now. Yay for us! My journey wasn't a difficult one but it involved a lot of research and preparation.

I have a medical condition and have to take medication. If you look them up in the MIMS book, the basic recomendation is not to be taken during pregnancy and not to be taken whilst breastfeeding. I don't really have the choice to not take the meds, and i was interested in having children and my preference was to breastfeed and so my research began. I looked into the studies of the medicines that were used to make the recomendations, and found they were only animal studies using massive doses of the drug. I checked out pubmed for articles on humans taking these drugs whilst pregnant or breastfeeding and although there weren't many articles on pregnancy and even fewer mentioning breastfeeding, no birth defects or conditions were attributed to use of the medications.

I discussed the info with my neuro, and an Ob through the high risk pregnancy clinic who agreed that the risk of the medications harming the bub during pregnancy was low and the adverse effects of stopping meds were high. However they were not so willing to commit to breastfeeding. I got in contact with Rodney Whyte who looked into my meds for me, and he said that although there was little published data either way, he would be comfortable in me trying breastfeeding. He said that it was actually abit easier to work out meds for breastfeeding compared to pregnancy because with breastfeeding you can observe the baby and look for many potential adverse effects where as with pregnancy you can't see the bub.

He also pointed out that my meds have a side effect of reducing prolactin, and this could affect my ability to produce milk (wouldn't know til i tried) and that meds used to increase supply would decrease the effect of my meds (so not an option for me). With this in mind, i wanted to be as proactive as possible. I got a subscription to the ABA and read their book "Breastfeeding Naturally" cover to cover. I went to a breastfeeding class and bought some BFing singlets i would be comfortable to feed in. I read heaps of the threads on BB on breastfeeding and many of the articles on the ABA website.

So, when my beautiful baby girl was born she was placed on my tummy straightaway. Some of the goo was wiped off with towels (also to stimulate her cos she was a little shocked). We had skin cuddles and soon after she made it to my breast and had her first feed- amazing stuff! We stayed there for more than an hour before bub was weighed and dressed and had a cuddle with her Dad.

Whilst in hospital, the midwives said that we looked like we had done this before, bub and i worked out breastfeeding pretty quickly. I credit this to the info i got from BB, the ABA and being able to have that gorgeous skin contact with bub.

My only difficulties were on Day 3 when bub was feeding lots and lots and i was tired and wasn't paying attention to her attachment and we did a little nipple damage. The midwife on duty that night was very unhelpful., especially when she told me that i was 'starving' my baby after i asked if i was doing something wrong after bub had been feeding constantly for hours. Again, without the info i had received from BF supportive folk i may have made different choices at that time, but i really wanted it to work.

As my medical condition sparked up after the birth, i needed some help in looking after bub but breastfeeding was something that only i could do for her, and it was so cool that it was working! I learnt to feed lying down and other positions. When we got home, DH would get her up for me and change her nappy and bring her to me for a feed.

DD had great weight gains over the first few weeks which then slowed down. At 5 weeks she only gained 30 grams for the week, and the MCHN at my Mother s group recommend that i go to the local council breastfeeding day stay clinic just to check technique. I went to this which just rattled my confidence. At the clinic, when the LC found out about my meds she rang an info line and then said that both meds affected prolactin and i would be unable to exclusively BF bub. She started telling me about formula and how to make it up, which to choose....

I drove home crying. Then i talked to DH who said it didnt make sense. My boobs were still massive, i was leaking milk often, baby was happy, plenty of wet nappies etc. We weren't ready to give up yet.

Bub really only took one side each time at this stage, so i began offering the second side each time. She often wouldn't take it but i kept offering. If she got cranky with one side, i would offer the other instead. I figured she knew what she needed better than me so would go with her flow. At the next weigh in, she had put on 320grams in two weeks (including the week where she put on just 30g) so the extra offering was working or maybe the scales were not working the week before?

Bubs weight gains were about 100g a week. She was born at 75% percentile weight but slowed to 50% but has been pretty steady there. I think that is just her make up. Trying to force feed her didn't work and just created stress. I regained my faith in bub and me to work it out.

So, we made it to 6 months exclusive breastfeeding Yay! and are now starting baby led solids. I don't know what effect, if any, my meds have made on my breastfeeding. We still feed over 8 times a day. Not sure whether this would have happened anyway or it is the way to encourage my boobs to make enough milk. Whatever it is, it works for bub and me.

My next goal is 12 months, but at this stage i would still like to go to 2 years. We have had a couple of illnesses in the family and so far bub has had minor versions of the sicknesses, its cool to think that breastmilk might have helped with this.

that's an awesome story kate :D you & your DD sound like a great BFing team.

fwiw, my DS was still feeding 8 times a day (at least) at 7 months & still has 3 feeds during the day plus overnight at almost 17 months....some babies just seem to be little guzzlers!

Awesome BF story Kate, I had no idea that you had all of those medical issues!! You're a machine!!

I also feed around 8 times a day sometimes more, sometimes less. I just let DD do what she wants, she knows best.

Well done on 7 months!
Sue xxx

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 :wall:

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 :dance: 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

Good for you Fi xxxxxxx

What amazing stories. Thank you for sharing Kate and Fi. Well done to you both :hug:

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!!

Great stuff finsmum. 2 years is a fantastic effort especially after such a difficult start.

I can join in!!

We're there! We've succeeded! We beat all our problems & haven't had a problem for almost 2 weeks!!

DD has a high palate, which caused us some drama's. She also has pretty crappy suction & looses her latch with every suck, but she's getting better.
We're just lucky I have a massive let down & great supply so that it just falls into her mouth, lol.

Our first 2 weeks were ok, but then we struggled with reflux & constant cracks to my nipples.
10 weeks was our turning point this time around.

Feeling so much more relaxed & happier than ever atm :)

Ah Clover, I am so happy to see you here!! Congratulation hun, you have done a top job.

Thank you!! :)

And good on you, Clover, well done! I'm very pleased for you and your little person! :-)

I've been thinking for awhile that there's not much to consider "successful" in my BFing journey cause it never occurred to me to NOT BF. But as we head for 7 months of BFing and still going strong, I wanted to jump in and say :cheer: :bluecheer: for me and my DS for BFing so far. After all, whilst we haven't suffered the challenges that many other women have, and we've had oodles of support from the beginning, none of that should minimise the fact that I am so happy and proud to BF my son every day. The fact that I always intended to BF and it never occurred to me to do otherwise (I was BFed until 2.5, and was surrounded by positive BFing role models) doesn't reduce our achievement and we are truly a success story. I hope tms. It saddens me that we are quite possibly in a minority to have BFed this far, but I know BFing is the right thing for us and the best thing for my DS - and he is thriving as a result.

I :heartbeat: breastfeeding and am so glad I've been able to do it.

That is definitely a success story hun, and you are definitely a successful breastfeeding mum. Congratulations hun and thank you for sharing. This is my favourite thread!!

All I can say is 10 weeks 2moro yay we've had a bout of thrush and that's it with DS I gave up after 5 days so we've smashed the record
go little Jazzy go

BF roolz! Well done everyone xxxxx

Woooo hoooooo 9 months and still going strong. In fact, no sign of slowing down! Still feeds like a crazy woman and isn't hugely interested in solids. :)

It's all about the magic milk!

Similar to Persephone, I guess we are a success story but it kinda 'just is' for us! We are a week off 22 months now, not a drop of formula and no end in sight yet. I'm so proud of both of us and even though I'm still getting up 2-3 times in the night, I loooove breastfeeding. So nice to read about so many beautiful and successful breastfeeding relationships!!

I love reading these sorts of stories.

Mine is a small success story, DD had all the initial problems with learning how to attach properly which resulted in very very sore battered boobies. She also had a side preference and getting her to feed from both sides was a real struggle. I ended up back in hospital for a day with the MW's watching me but of course DD performed like a champ when they were watching and I always left help feeling like a ditz because no one saw what was going on at home.
At the hossy they tried hooking me up to the dairy machine but I got a lousy 60ml between two sides after an hour of expressing. I was told that I had low supply and I should pump inbetween breastfeeds to increase supply or I would have to substitute with formula. I was also told to store all my EBM and give DH a bottle to feed DD so I could get a break.

ETA ~ It was only a few months ago at my local ABA meeting that the Leader suggested that I don't actually have a let down at a pump, obviously DD was getting enough even when it was her only source of food.

We did that, we gave her a bottle but it just about broke my heart as she reluctantly took it and sipped gazing into my eyes. I remember saying to DH that the advice was B.S and I was so determined to prove them wrong.
I got some really wonderful advice from the ABA and after a few calls about a few different issues we are still feeding today at nearly 14months. DD has 4-7 feeds regularly though mostly its because she feeds to sleep. the days we have more feeds is when we have bad nights and she spends so much time at the breast.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Looking back I am sure that if I was not the sort of person that I am, if I had not had the sheer determination to do things my way, to push through the pain barrier on more than one occasion AND if I had not had some really wonderful support from the ABA and my DH (and of course all you wonderful ladies) I am sure DD would have ended up on formula.

I can see how some women loose faith in themselves and resort to formula after some well meaning but really bad advice from MW and others. I am not against formula by any means BUT I am sure many women do not know what resources are available and are easily led to other method to nourish their babies.

I had a friend who was told to use formula after only 4 weeks, her son was gaining weight but was going through that horrible newborn phase of crying all the time as he got use to his system. She stopped BF because her MCHN told her it was the only way to get him to sleep.

Anyway,

Here we are at 14 months, I only ever hoped to get as far as I could. Even now I have times when I struggle with the demands of feeding when so many others have stopped. That whole "grass is greener" thing. But after everything we went through to have DD, after everything we went through in those first months ........ be buggered if I will let anyone tell me when its time to stop. Its up to DD!

Nae x