Breastfeeding...?

Question

Can anyone give me their experiences of breastfeeding? IT doesn't matter if it's good or bad. It's just that I plan to breastfeed my baby and I have asked several people what it was like and someone said it really hurts and others say its the most beautiful thing in the world. Now I am torn whether to breast or bottle feed....

Answer 1

I keep saying that I want to become a peer counselor for breastfeeding moms for one reason only. To show that it is so so hard in the beginning but that it DOES get easier. Mine didn't hurt...I used the nipple cup things that madela makes (you put them on between feedings...not during) which made me never feel engorged and kept air flow around the nipples to ease with the dryness and chapping. So my nipples and boobs never really hurt. HOWEVER, I watched those videos and read the books and knew all the pros and cons and my best friend breastfed for a year so I knew I wanted to do it. I think the videos of babies breastfeeding is really misleading. How they show the baby turning towards the nipple and latching on. And"this is what you do to break the latch". They never explained that that was clearly an experienced baby and NOT a newborn. That being said, the first two weeks or so, I was in tears. She would NOT latch on! ANd she'd arch her back and pull her head back and cry and cry. I refused to give her the bottle and her dad was always standing by with one telling me it was okay to quit. Which of course, just made me more frustrated and determined at the same time. SO, by about the 3rd week she really got the hang of it. ANd I remember talking to my friend about how around the 6th week I could just unhook my bra and put her in the general area and she'd go right to it. If I hadn't been so stubborn I would've quit. Just because it was never really explained how impossible it would be the first few days. She's 12 weeks on Thursday and just started taking one bottle a day (of pumped milk) two days ago. We've really got the hang of it and I would recommend it to anyone.

Also, I used to think that women breastfeeding in public was so unsanitary and quite frankly, disgusting. Now I am the mom who sits on a bench in the lawn and garden section of Wal-Mart and just whips it out cause she's crying from being hungry. I can't tell you how many bathrooms I've fed her in. A lot of stores will bring a chair into the bathroom for you to feed with too if you ask (I've been buying furniture and the furniture stores always bring me in a nice chair to use) or how many times she's been fed in the passenger seat of my car.

Good luck. I'd be interested to know how you do if you do try it.

Answer 2

First child: I was induced (they didn't calculate my due date properly). I was in shock, couldn't get the milk going, used the hospital breast pump and got MRSA in my breast.

Second child: born at home, safe and secure. Breastfeeding was obviously painful at first, but there's a lanolin ointment in a purple tube called Lansinoh, and it's the best thing ever. Problem: the breast that had had MRSA evidently still had scar tissue, and so the milk wasn't getting through and the baby wasn't putting on weight. Looking back, there was no reason why I shouldn't have continued feeding him one-sided, but I was all emotional, confused and scared from last time. And he was a slow feeder who wanted to stay on 20 hours a day, waking and sleeping.

I am not sure of this, but there seems to be a bit of anecdotal evidence that the baby's feeding pattern after birth will approximately follow what yours was before the birth. This would mean that if you are snacking continuously throught the day, then the baby will expect to do that after it is born, and you'll never be able to put it down. I had one friend who didn't do much eating outside mealtimes, and her baby took 10-minute feeds when he was born (instead of the hours that mine took). But of course you have to do what the baby wants while you're pregnant too, to some extent, even if it means eating little and often.

Answer 3

My breast milk took 5 days to come in, normally breast milk comes 3 days or so. So for five days I fed my newborn colostrum which would come in only small amounts and usually my daughter would feed for an hour at a time. My nipple hurt a lot, but I used cream and clothes and that helped. On the fifth day when my milk came in my breasts hurt for a few hours then they were fine. It takes me 15 minutes to feed my daughter now. I also bottle feed a baby that I watch, it takes over 30 minutes every time I feed her. There is a weird smell that comes form the formula and it just feels unnatural. I personally am glad I chose to breast feed. My husband relaly supported me, and without his support I probably would have tried to give up. It might seem easy to breastfeed for an hour and deal with the pain, but you have ot remember that you just gave birth and are totally exhausted. I would try breast feeding. Also my daughter and the baby I watch both got the same cold that I have too. My daughter seemed fine and the cold lasted less then 3 days. The other baby has been sick for 7 days and has lots of mucous and a horrible cough. I truly beleive my imunities from my breast milk helped my daughter more then formula could have.

Answer 4

My daughter will be 22 in July, I breast fed her for 13 months. It was a wonderful experience. To this very day we are very close. She was born with a mid wife, no hospital, no drugs, every thing was completely natural. I started to breast feed her before the cord was cut. It actually helps in the recovery process for the mom. From the time I was 8 months along, the midwife had me take brewers yeast tablets from the health food store to increase my production of milk. This worked great. I had enough milk to feed on demand and also to pump for use later. I am a redhead and my skin is very fair. She also taught me to use Vitamin E on my nipples if they became sore. Vitamin E is no harm to the baby. There are many support out their that are willing and able to assist new moms. La Leche League is one of them. To me, this is a experience that a new mom should not pass up. At least nurse for 6 weeks, so the baby will get all the good stuff from you. Good luck and I hope that you give it a try.

Answer 5

It hurts at first, but after labor, pain is relative. I found the most difficult part to be feeling that I couldn't get a break from feeding. Initiaaly babies nurse every 2-3 hours. It can begin to feel like your only job in life is milk production. That being said, I chose to do it a second time. In addition to all the documented health benefits, I found it more practical: no packing bottles everytime you leave the house or bottles to wash. It's also free.

I would recommdend introducing bottles early on. That way you can always use a bottle in a pinch. We like to take weekend road trips and it's very time consuming if yoy have to stop to nurse every few hours, whereas you can bottle feed as you travel.

Answer 6

I breastfed for about 4 weeks, and although I loved being able to provide for my baby, and I loved knowing I could make her content, it was the most exhausting thing I have ever done. I have postpartum depression, and the breastfeeding was really a trigger for me because I felt like it consumed my whole life. I felt like I had no freedom because my husband couldnt feed her or get up with her in the middle of the night, so I switched to pumping exclusively. Still exhausting, but not as much. God must have known that it wasnt working for me, because my daughter was really colicky and uncomfortable with my breast milk. We switched to formula and she has been fine ever since. That was the excuse I needed to stop without feeling completely guilty about it. I have tried to give her frozen milk since and she still has a bad reaction, so I feel good about my decision. I would just give it a try. You never know how you feel about it until you do. Remember your child is only as healthy as their mom, so if youre not digging it, then it might be better to stop. If you enjoy it, and it works for your family, then good for you! Either way, good luck and congratulations!

Answer 7

Pros of breastfeeding-
-baby will develop your immunities, possibly less ear infections etc., then less medical bills!
-digests easier(less colic symptoms)
-no bottle to make in the middle of the night
-special bond with baby
-lose baby weight really fast(breastfeeding burns 500 extra calories a day)
-so much less expensive
-no need to wash bottles all the time

Cons of breastfeeding-
-temporary pain in the first few weeks, but that goes away completely
-not convenient out in public (unless you don't mind feeding under a blanket or going out to your vehicle-which is what I did)
-watch what you eat, some things can bother baby's tummy

Answer 8

Breastfeed.
It is awesome.
The first 2 weeks or so - honestly suck. You're trying to get your milk supply in, learn your baby's needs, you're tired and exhausted and you might want to give up. But don't!!!
Once you get past those first 2 weeks - it starts going a lot smoother.
It is such a bonding experience to look down and see you giving your child the best nourishment possible.
To look down and see those 2 big eyes staring at you. And awhile later when the baby gets older - he'll smile at you. My daughter, when she's nursing, if I smile at her, she'll smile right back.
I would give it a try. It's what's best for you and your baby.
They do make a nipple cream, I got some at the hospital, that helped out a lot.
Good luck!!!

Answer 9

It hurts at first, but that's temporary. I thought it was very rewarding. I loved the extra closeness with my daughter. Many women combine the breast and the bottle. The best of both worlds.

Answer 10

my dear give it a try anddont give up after a week or 2, initially itspainful and very uncomfortable, after sometime when you get a hang of it, you will very well start enjoying it.
especially with all the benefits for your child,i also thinks it calms a baby down, it also bonds the both of you especially when the baby starts touching you with his cute little fingers and looking straight into your eyes, for me that the most wonderful feeling.
the only snitch is that for me it made me gain a lof of weight cos as soon as my son came off the breast i go straight into the kitchen to feed my self.
good luck