For the BF mums, why did you choose to BF, esp if you found it tough at first?

[Narla83]

Did anyone elses partner feel left out? I bf our son for three months and loved every minute of it but my partner would feel really left out and felt like he was'nt bonding with him so we moved onto formula. I'm glad i did though and would for our nxt one.

 

[oliviarose]

I chose to because with my daughter I didn't try hard enough to feed her (only managed 2days before I gave up) and o regret that everyday. So I was determined to so my beat with Harrison and I have 14 wks later I am still feeding him. And I have had alot of trouble on the early days, never satisfied and always crying. I nearly gave up. A few times. But I stuck at it

It has taken time away from my daughter thou, so if I had another one I will bf for a few wks , but unsure if I could stick at it.

They are there to feed out babies so why is it so hard?

I love that I am the one making him thrive now. When he is putting on lots of weight because of my milk xxx

 

[hpjagged]

I just knew I wanted to breastfeed. Its free, quicker, easier than bottles. I was lucky that I didn't have that many problems and I'm so proud that I have come so far.

 

[chetnaz]

chetnaz, what a wonderful job you're doing! i can totally understand how you might feel like you're missing out on time with your son, i absolutely commend you feeding twins, as i can imagine how time consuming it is. how long do you plan to breastfeed for?

Thanks Emma. I've always said that until the boys can drink a real cow's milk, they'll be drinking from this cow! So I guess a year. Partly because now that we've established BF and they are also on solids (and have cut back on feeds, so I'm not BF 24/7) it's not so bad and they love it so much I just don't have the heart to stop just yet. But also a major reason is because I just won't be able to afford the formula what with two babies! A box of Aptimil (which is what I would use if I did) costs about £9 and would only last me a week! What with the extra nappies, I dont want to add formula to our budget.

 

[xemmax]

i never chose to breastfeed as such, like louandivy, it never seemed an option for me to formula feed - i knew formula would only ever be a secondary option if i had problems breastfeeding.

as i was studying at university when i fell pregnant it was originally planned that i would have to return 3 weeks after oliver was born so while i was pregnant i had to accept that i probably wouldn't be able to breastfeed because of this. what actually happened is that i suspended my studies for another year, mainly due to this reason. i wanted to be able to breastfeed him and as i had encountered no problems i figured it would be silly to give it up to go back to uni (i wasn't ready to return anyway, but breastfeeding was a huge factor in it).

my mum is VERY pro breastfeeding and she breastfed my older brother for 4 years, myself for 2 and my younger for 3 years. she did all of this while working full time as a social worker, and coming home on her lunch breaks to feed. breastfeeding, i suppose, just seems normal to me. (there isn't actually much about my upbringing which i haven't adopted - my mum and i are very similar in our parenting styles).

i was worried when i was pregnant that i wouldn't want to do it when he was born, but actually, it was the first thing i did (i actually asked the midwife's permission i could feed my own baby - haha!). i'm so proud of how big and chunky he is all because of my milk.

i guess overall i wanted to because it is the normal thing to do, and as i didn't encounter problems, i saw no point in using an alternative when the original is readily available.

it's best for him and totally best for me.

 

[ayh78]

Ooooh, so many reasons! Mainly because it's best for DS - I think the fact he gets antibodies from me is my main reason. It's nutritionally balanced and he also gets subtle flavours that I'm hoping will help when it comes to weaning. Then there's convenience (sp?), I have enough to do without sterilising and preparing bottles, night feeds are hard enough without extra complications and I don't have to take any bottles out.

Those are my main reasons, but it's an added bonus that it's free, helps me lose weight (or more accurately eat more without gaining!) and protects me against various illnesses.

Like most, it was a steep learning curve at first, DS took about 3 weeks to get back to his birth weight and we had latch issues due to his tongue tie. I had to cup feed him and express to get my milk going. We got some good support and I'm so glad I kept at it.

 

[xemmax]

chetnaz, what a wonderful job you're doing! i can totally understand how you might feel like you're missing out on time with your son, i absolutely commend you feeding twins, as i can imagine how time consuming it is. how long do you plan to breastfeed for?

Thanks Emma. I've always said that until the boys can drink a real cow's milk, they'll be drinking from this cow! So I guess a year. Partly because now that we've established BF and they are also on solids (and have cut back on feeds, so I'm not BF 24/7) it's not so bad and they love it so much I just don't have the heart to stop just yet. But also a major reason is because I just won't be able to afford the formula what with two babies! A box of Aptimil (which is what I would use if I did) costs about £9 and would only last me a week! What with the extra nappies, I dont want to add formula to our budget.

goodness, i never thought of the expense! well, i really take my hat off to you for getting to 6 months, you're doing a great job. hopefully it'll be easier on you now they're on solids, and you can reach the year mark if that's what you want to do, what a fabulous thing to do. well done!

 

[chetnaz]

my first didn't go to plan - undetected tongue tie and by the time anyone realised what the issue was my milk had dried up (switched to formula).
I was young then - 22yrs and just assumed BF was what you did, MW's didn't discuss formula so I went along with the flow. Those few weeks mentally broke me down.
Still, 6yrs later along comes no.2 and I plan to BF once again.
Not for health reasons but financially really (sorry if that sounds off, but it is the truth).
I wanted to spend a whole year off work (so 9mths mat leave and 3mths unpaid) and figured that BF would help stretch the money a bit further.
She latched well, but it still hurt for a good 10 days.
Then I got flu like symptoms which became mastitis in my right breast (for some reason never got much milk out of that side and I have a flatter nipple so LO did struggle more to latch when vvv hungry).
We got over that and then at 4wks the constant feeding started - 5/6hrs every evening from 5pm on.
I had no time to go to the loo let alone give my 6yr old a cuddle, do his homework, play a game or anything. He started to feel left out and daddy was trying to do everything himself - cooking dinner, uniform, collecting our son from his nans. It all became too much.
She wasn't even feeding all that time, mostly comfort but she refused a dummy and would scream blue murder if I removed her.
My son said he wanted cuddles with me but 'my sister is always there...'
That finished it for me, the family need was greater and I quit after 5/6 weeks
x

This just makes me want to Sounds like my son at the moment. He's finding it really difficult that I always seem to be feeding the babies, but the last few weeks since we've started the twins on solids things are improving and I've really cut back on the feeds (so much so that I've actually started on my period today for the first time since having the twins and I'm sure is because of cutting back on BF) so I'm hoping I'll have more time and energy for DS1.

 

[oliviarose]

Just to add to my post it is not easier with an older child, if anything I would say it is harder.my daughter is very understanding of me bfing, but I know that it upsets her alot because of my time spent with Harrison.

Sometimes all she wants is for me to tuck her in at night but I can't because I am feeding Harrison to sleep, so it is allways f
Dad putting her to bed.

She is alot older and Harrison is always ready for bed at 7pm and it takes over an Hr to feed him and get him off to sleep. She can't go to bed at 7pm, its not fair xxx

 

[xemmax]

Did anyone elses partner feel left out? I bf our son for three months and loved every minute of it but my partner would feel really left out and felt like he was'nt bonding with him so we moved onto formula. I'm glad i did though and would for our nxt one.

not at all, we have a good divide on the things we do. nick does the nappy changes and baths him, they're "his" things (and i wouldn't dare try to do either ) and they found it very easy to bond without him being able to feed him. i suppose everyone is different though!

 

[BunnyFace]

I chose to BF because for me, formula wasn't ever really an option. I was determined to breast feed from day one because of the substantial benefits for baby and i believe that, where possible, breast milk is best.

I had a few problems at the start with latching trouble as LO was small and jaundiced which led to her damaging my one nipple (it's flat and she found it even more difficult to latch on to) I was in hospital for the first 4 days and recieved no support from midwives etc which didnt help at all and for the first 4 weeks LO was feeding every 2 hours at least and my one nipple was so painful it was like continually contracting for the duration of the feed and no one seemed to be able to help me. It was making me depressed and i was so p****d off at myself over it but i just decided to suck it up and get on with it and finally as she got bigger she latched better and at 9 months we are still breastfeeding and we both love it and wouldnt have it any other way

 

[chetnaz]

i never chose to breastfeed as such, like louandivy, it never seemed an option for me to formula feed - i knew formula would only ever be a secondary option if i had problems breastfeeding.

as i was studying at university when i fell pregnant it was originally planned that i would have to return 3 weeks after oliver was born so while i was pregnant i had to accept that i probably wouldn't be able to breastfeed because of this. what actually happened is that i suspended my studies for another year, mainly due to this reason. i wanted to be able to breastfeed him and as i had encountered no problems i figured it would be silly to give it up to go back to uni (i wasn't ready to return anyway, but breastfeeding was a huge factor in it).

my mum is VERY pro breastfeeding and she breastfed my older brother for 4 years, myself for 2 and my younger for 3 years. she did all of this while working full time as a social worker, and coming home on her lunch breaks to feed. breastfeeding, i suppose, just seems normal to me. (there isn't actually much about my upbringing which i haven't adopted - my mum and i are very similar in our parenting styles).

i was worried when i was pregnant that i wouldn't want to do it when he was born, but actually, it was the first thing i did (i actually asked the midwife's permission i could feed my own baby - haha!). i'm so proud of how big and chunky he is all because of my milk.i guess overall i wanted to because it is the normal thing to do, and as i didn't encounter problems, i saw no point in using an alternative when the original is readily available.

it's best for him and totally best for me.

I definately second that. The twins were so small when they were born - One was 5lb 8 and the other 4lb 13. They were both well over 16lb the last time they were weighed about 5 weeks ago. They are so chunky and chubby, I just love the fact that this is down to me, that not only did my body grow and nurture them for 9 months, it is continuing to do so now.

 

[Sugarmuppet]

I had always been brought up to believe 'breast is best'. I was breastfed past 2. Bottle feeding never entered my head, I never researched bottles or sterilisers when pregnant like i did prams etc. (although I wish I had, as i didn't have a clue when I realised I was going to have to express and use bottles long term!)

I couldn't breastfeed at first as I was in ICU and my baby was in NNICU. I expressed and she was feb by a tube, when she didn't latch on I expressed for her and continued to do so for 6 months. Never thought about giving her formula, although even some HVs and midwives were encouraging me to stop expressing, saying that you couldn't do it long term. I didn't mean the inconvience (for the first 6 months anyway) of expressing if it was better for Gaby. Although i'm not sure where I got that idea from?

Obviously i will never know if it would have been different if she had been FF from the start but she has never had colic or an upset tummy, not even a cold, and she has slept 12 hours from 6 weeks, so pleased with her! She attends the hospital because she was premature and they are so happy with her progress.

 

[Miss_Bump]

Human milk for humam babies

I chose to BF because thats what is there for.

FF wasnt an option for me and i was planning on continuing until Evie weaned herself but now im expecting twins, i dont fancy tandem feeding 3 babies

xx

 

[LPF]

I bf because like others it was just kind of what you do and people expected you to but I never really understood or was told (even in a 1:1 bf support session in hospital) how hard it was. I had a very traumatic birth and didn't really engage with Evan til he was 12 hrs old and he didn't feed for 48 hrs.

Once home he had latch problems and fed constantly, I was in tears all the time and hated it. The reason I didn't give up is because whenever I posted a question on here or talked to hv/mw - they made me feel guilty fit considering giving up.

Now at 10 weeks it's easier but not convenient - I don't want to feed out because Evan is a very difficult feeder and vomits sooo much that feeds are very stressful so I'm home alot and Evan takes a formula bottle at night from dh (then sleeps 10-12hrs) so I could hive him a bottle out but again I feel guilty!

If I had another child I'm not sure I'd bf because I did nothing else for 6-8 weeks and dh had to do everything else and I don't want that for Evan.

 

[Narla83]

Did anyone elses partner feel left out? I bf our son for three months and loved every minute of it but my partner would feel really left out and felt like he was'nt bonding with him so we moved onto formula. I'm glad i did though and would for our nxt one.

not at all, we have a good divide on the things we do. nick does the nappy changes and baths him, they're "his" things (and i wouldn't dare try to do either ) and they found it very easy to bond without him being able to feed him. i suppose everyone is different though!

I suppose he didnt see it like that wish i had explained to him like you just did. He has always been hands on with changing but he still wont bath him, think its because hes so small compared to OH.

 

[LankyDoodle]

It wasn't really one of the things during pregnancy that I had to sit and actively think about, to be honest! I considered there to be one way to feed a baby and alternatives would be a last resort, but I'm an 'I'm invincible' kind of person so I just never really thought we'd have trouble. She did have a tongue tie, not detected til day 5/6 and cut on day 7, but we managed to get through it thankfully (once we got home and were away from the prodding and poking MCAs!). I just never considered I'd be feeding my baby any other way.

I am the first in my family to breastfeed exclusively. My mum breastfed my brother, who was 3mths prem in 1987, for a month or two, then I remember him having bottles. All my cousins were FF, my other brother and I were FF. I didn't have much of an example from older generations, and no one had ever really spoken about it, but I remember when my youngest cousin was born when I was 16 and thinking 'why isn't he breastfed?' which wasn't me being malicious - it was a genuine intrigue as to why my aunt wouldn't bf. So I don't know where it became so ingrained that BF is normal as I haven't had the example set, but it's obviously been there for quite a long time. Maybe those memories of my mum feeding my youngest brother, were enough to give me the motivation to bf? I don't know.

I guess I just never even imagined myself FF, and never considered things would go so wrong that I couldn't muddle through. And I do it because it is nutritionally tailored to my baby's individual needs and is simply the best thing for her. Someone posted a link in BF section a week or so ago, detailing the nutritional contents of B/M versus F/M.

I do it because I just think it's the normal way to feed a baby. Any choice I made would have been choosing NOT to breastfeed and to formula feed, whether the choice was deliberate or made for me due to my circumstances at the time.

 

[53xym0m]

Human milk for human babies

I chose to BF because thats what is there for.

FF wasnt an option for me and i was planning on continuing until Evie weaned herself but now im expecting twins, i dont fancy tandem feeding 3 babies

xx

 

[Dilek]

I breastfeed cause thats all i have ever known. I come from a background that as mothers we have an obligation to bf our children for 2 years. All my friends did and are very relaxed when i pop the boob out and feed lo. They are all ok with it.

Also, i love the fact that his weight gain and his growth is through my efforts alone makes me feel proud and feel like a great mum.

And the main factor i love the bond that we have, i love that he stares into my eyes when he is feeding and its just me and him. My MIL is dying to have Lo stay with her but she knows hands of cause im bf. We both have possesive personalities and bf suits me fine LOL.

 

[kelly29]

i ff 3 of my babies, but thought i would try this time to bf. yes it is such hard going in the early days but has got easier sometimes it does feel like lo is always feeding although iv'e stuck it out and its got easier she's also getting CHUNKY lol which is great i made the stuff she's been drinking i still get tough days but then ff is like that too.
i wouldn't change it now, i love bf, i feel so close to my lo, i'm so in love with her and i'm pretty sure bf has made me like that i know both sides, ff and bf, bottles are in fact a pain in the arse, i cant even be botherd to exp milk id rather put her to the breast
xxx