What did you struggle with and how did you overcome it?

[SjandPeanut]

A friend just got some crappy breast feeding advice on Facebook about having low supply ( her baby is 2 days old!) and it got me thinking.

I thought it might be nice if people could put down what thy struggled with in early days and how they dealt with it in order to carry on. It could be tongue tie, using SNS, latch problems or just tiredness. Maybe it can help people struggling in the early days

For me i was worried about Aurora's latchh because she was feeding so much I thought she mustn't be getting anything. Because I was worried about her latch and I was constantly readjusting her, this was making her cross and really hurting my nipples. I remember crying because she wouldn't latch 'properly'. When the health visitor came out I told her how worried I was and she asked me:

When she latches herself is it very*painful? No
Is she gaining weight? Yes
Is he wetting nappies? Yes

Then her latch is fine. I was so caught up in how she 'should' latch I was making more problems for myself. When I stopped trying to 'fix' it things got much easier.

x

 

[Rachel_C]

Good idea!

I worried that my LO's jaundice would get worse as her older sister and I had ABO incompatibility which can make jaundice worse than it would otherwise be. I read as much as I could before she was born and just made sure to feed feed feed when she was born. Her jaundice lasted longer than 10 days so we had a few check ups but I knew what I was doing better this time and she was fine.

Tiredness was an issue for the first few days (well, weeks/months!) but a lovely midwife showed me how to feed lying down when LO was 2 days old. She didn't specifically mention co-sleeping but I assume she saw how our beds were set up to do it safely.

LO has a lazy latch so at first I kept unlatching and relatching her but I soon realised that it made my nipples sore to do that, whereas leaving her on the nipple as she was didn't hurt much and she would usually correct the latch herself in the first minute of a feed.

 

[w8ing4bean]

I struggled getting bee to latch! She went for everything except boob! Her fave thing being my forearm lol. I literally couldnt feed her without hubby helping and she would be crying

Got admitted to hospital for her jaundice and slow weight gain and got amazing help from a lc. They suspected tongue tie, but she didnt have one afterall. She taught me how to lay back on the bed, tuck her flailing arms out the way and let her find the breast herself. Soo grateful to that lady

 

[Hopeful1479]

Great thread... I had issues with bf from day two, and I say day two because the lactation nurse at the hospital freaked me out so bad that I really had issues. My baby had latch issues and it turned out to be because I was not producing enough. The crazy nurse had us using a syringe with pumped breast milk to try and latch the baby and when not, then if not still use it to supplement formula!! I was a mess... I cried all the time. But then I found an awesome place near my house with a lactation specialist and she helped me a great deal. Showed me how to get my baby to latch by using the nipple shield, it woked wonders, then I slowly took it off. But sadly it turned out that I will was not producing, so I started taking fenugreek (herb) and had to add domperidone which have been my life saver!! I hve decided that I will only continue to bf through 6 months, the cost of the presciption is not cheap and I don't want to pump over the summer as for work I have to travel now and again. But I have learned a lot about bf through this whole process, that if I have another baby, I know what to expect and what to do!!

 

[Calif]

I struggled with an extremely painful latch. My nipples were lipstick shaped and peeling off. I was going to give up and it had only been 1 week. I then tried a nipple shield and the relief was immediate. My nipples healed and breastfeeding was enjoyable. Breastfeeding was time consuming though and I had no sleep but it was a case of ignorance is bliss. When baby weaned off the nipple shield the feeds became faster but I don't regret using it because it allowed me to not quit.

 

[Heather.1987]

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[Kanichen34]

I struggled with getting baby latched once my milk came in as I instantly became engorged. Thankfully I was leaking so much milk I could basically drip it into her mouth. I went to several feeding clinics for help on positioning etc but it wasn't until a maternity nurse spent 2 hours with us that it clicked. I loved my nursing pillow as Imogen hated to be held whilst feeding. It meant it was completely doing my back in but I didn't care as Imogen was feeding! Biggest lesson is don't be afraid to do what you have to, Imogen has gone through phases of boob preference, only feeding when stood up etc etc. whatever works for you and your little one is fine even if it's not conventional!

 

[PearDrops20]

The only major problem I had breastfeeding was a sore cracked nipple just on one side too although the other side did do it eventually it wasn't as bad or that way for as long 1 week compared to 6 weeks for the really bad one.
I tried the creams & the nipple shields which helped for a little while but every time I attempted to latch him without the nipple shield it would make my nipple crack again so I'd repeat the process but I didn't want to have to use the nipple shields for the entire time I was breastfeeding so after nearly 4 and a half weeks I found out by chance that if I rubbed my milk onto my nipple before my son latched the pain was 10x better & I could cope with it and then after doing it for a couple of weeks I was pain free & didn't do it for every feed and we have been great ever since.
I can't even remember what made me do it probably desperation & wanting to try anything & everything

 

[luna_19]

We struggled with a very sleepy baby due to being a bit early, low birth weight with too much weight loss and jaundice. He also did not successfully latch for about two weeks and I had flatish nipples. I was just too stubborn to give up! We supplemented with formula for a few days until I was making enough milk then every feed we worked on getting a latch for about 20 minutes, then pumped and fed what I pumped. The entire process took over an hour and we were doing it every 3 hours then one day as we approached his due date he latched on to the side with a less flat nipple we spent a few days working on getting him onto the other side then feeding on the side he liked then pumping that first side as it wasn't getting emptied properly. Then one day he finally latched on that other side and we returned the rental pump and haven't looked back

 

[staralfur]

Bad latch: I overcame this the long and hard (and kind of stupid) way; by doing nothing. I just pushed through it. Every feed was excruciating for three months. Every time I tried to pump, blood came out. It was miserable. I would never, ever try to just ignore a bad latch again. I should have called my public health nurse, or a lactation consultant, or anyone that could've helped me. Around three months my LO's latch just naturally improved, probably because she was a bit bigger and didn't struggle as much taking more breast in with her latch. I think I got lucky that it did sort itself out eventually, as opposed to (presumably) giving up before she was ready. I highly doubt we'd be going on 2 years if she had a bad latch the whole time!

Mastitis: I had it 3 times in the first two months. I think I was just susceptible to it. I got it again when LO was 18 months; I didn't even know that was possible after breastfeeding had been established for so long. I overcame it by recognizing when I had it and getting to the doctor ASAP.

Constant feeding: This is the part of that 'high needs' checklist that really rang truest for us. She just wanted to nurse all day long, and she did.... for many months. I got through it thanks to a nursing pillow, bedsharing, and the acceptance that shit was just not going to get done because I had a baby that needed to be attached to me 24/7.

Bad advice from medical professionals: I was told by a doctor when LO was 5 days old that I wasn't making enough milk. He came to this conclusion because I said that she was feeding all the time. That's all I said. And he told me to supplement with formula. So, I had to work really hard increasing my supply again once I realized that the formula wasn't actually necessary. Nursing and pumping took up literally 95% of my days for weeks.

Looking back, it was such a struggle and our success is attributed mostly to the fact that I KNEW how much she loved nursing and how badly she needed it. I just knew. And a little bit can also be attributed to me being incredibly stubborn... I wouldn't have blamed anyone for giving up in the state that I was in some of those days. The first time I had mastitis at 2 weeks was the absolute lowest of lows. I remember sitting on my inlaws' couch in the middle of the night with bloody nipples, a fever due to the infection, and having had 2 hours of sleep the night before and none so far that night... I look back and really can't believe I made it past that.

The most important thing that I learned was that you need to seek help if you're having problems. Don't mess around with mastitis or wait for it to get better on its own. And know what newborn feeding behaviour is normal, because some doctors don't.

 

[Jayneypops]

LATCHING!

LO wouldn't open her mouth wide enough so was constantly on the tip of my nipple which meant I was cracked, sore and bleeding
I was determined not to give up so accepted all the help I could get and my BF supports worker was a god send. She gave me nipple ahields to use for a couple of days while my nipples healed and showed me some great positions to help LO latch. Now I can get her on the boob painfree 99% of the time.
The big thing ive learnt is to admit when I need help and not try to be "the perfect mother".

 

[babicyntaf]

I struggled getting lo to latch onto my left side. I had to have a forceps delivery which left lo with bruising on her head giving her pain when she tried to feed that way round. The nurse just suggested letting her feed on the other side and to keep trying. She's 9 months old now and still doesn't really like that side but she will tolerate it when the boob's full!!

We also had issues with colic and reflux which seems to have been better since she was about 5 months old. She would literally scream and arch her back when I was trying to feed her and it felt like i was trying to torture her. Dentinox, raised cot, keeping her up after feeding and going dairy free helped out a lot.

I really love breast feeding and enjoy the closeness it gives. I've been back at work for 5 months but still feed her through the night ( a lot!! as she wakes for food constantly!) I'm glad that I kept going and I'm thankful that I didn't let the early issues turn me off!

 

[staralfur]

Oh, I forgot about D-MER. That was a tough one. It never really pushed me to wanting to quit, but it was definitely a struggle. It went away on its own, thankfully. I didn't even know what it was until my LO was about 7 moths old and someone had posted about it on here. It was an "aha!" moment and I think knowing that I wasn't just insane helped me cope.

 

[pcsoph2890]

I just had a painful latch, causing cracked and toe curlingly painful feeds.
J sought help with a bf support worker 3 times 're making sure the latch was correct.
Then a bf support group with mentors then go ally a lactation consultant to get her checked for tongue tie (she didn't have it) latch and position tweaked slightly, ie holding the nipple area until she was established in her latch, introducing the bf pillow I have after latch as sometimes it can be too high for her. When delatches return her to the breast to get more hind milk, as I may have been swapping her over onto the other boob without giving her the hind milk to fulfilling her for longer....

It's so complicated this bf malarkey!!!!

 

[MoldyVoldy]

For the first month my main worry was jaundice. DS got a bit stuck in my pelvis and his head had been resting in a silly position for a few minutes, so he was born with a hematoma on his head (basically a big bruise/lump). Everyone said that would heighten his chances of having jaundice. So I had him on my breasts literally 24/7. And at his 6 week checkup he was FINE. Thank you, breastmilk. I also was constantly checking his diapers to make sure they were wet and I kept tabs on his bowel movements. (MAN, I was really neurotic!)

After that for a few months it was about exhaustion and sore nipples. I got worried that he was having a hard time latching. HE WAS, but it wasn't tongue tie or lip tie or even technically a bad latch because he was getting plenty of milk. It was because his mouth was small. I endured bleeding, cracked, nipples for 11 months. 11 LONG months of crying, screaming out in excruciating pain. I pushed on with nursing DS with clenched teeth and tears because I KNEW I was doing the right thing for him and I KNEW that one day his mouth would be big enough to take more of my nipple in. And I was right. On his first birthday, he latched on, and while there was a bit of soreness, for the first time ever, I was nursing my son without having to tense my body in response.

When DS was 2 years old, he was still nursing very often but I hadn't had pain or any issues at all.

Then, DH left to go overseas for 8 months. A few months before he got home, I was staying at my parents/sister's house, and I woke up one morning feeling awful. My right breast was also quite sore and hot to the touch. Over the next 2 hours I got worse. My entire body ached like I had a bad flu...and then my painful breast started getting red streaks on it. I could barely nurse from that side. I called my older sister who lives next door to my mom (who has 4 children of her own) and asked for advice. She urged me to be seen IMMEDIATELY because she thought I had Mastitis. I told my mom, who called in a favor to get me seen RIGHT THEN and lo and behold, I DID have Mastitis. I was told that if I had waited even an hour more that I would have been in the hospital getting a tube in my breast to drain it. It was awful. I couldn't even drive myself back to my parents house. My sister had to drive me while I laid miserably in the backseat.

Still, I kept breastfeeding. I endured the stares in public. I endured the questions from family members, and I still kept nursing my son.

And today, at 4 1/2 years old, I have a well-adjusted, HEALTHY, happy, strong, sweet, little man. Who still nurses (extremely) occasionally. Our nursing relationship is nearing it's end, and it was SO, SO, SO worth it.

 

[Marythefairy]

Great thread. I was very fortunate with my first lo and fed for 18 months without any problems really. This time my lo is 9 day's old and has jaundice and lost over 10% of her weight but she was born at 36 week's. So I've been expressing after feeding and trying to wake a very sleepy baby regularly to try and make her feed. I'm very determined to make it Work again although it's exhausting and a bit stressful at the moment I know it can work so well.

 

[hayz_baby]

With ds1 I really struggled with mymental health and bf. I had pnd as I hated bf and it was a really low time for me and really made lo first yr a struggle. To the point where I would have to stop myself from walking out in front of a car as I thought that if I was ill and in hospital I wouldn't have to feed him. Then there was the guilt when it just got too much and I stopped bf.
So here I am bf again.. I've learned a lot more about how babies feed so I have realistic expectations on hat to expectand I'm trying really hard to not fall into the same thought patterns that I did. Oh is very supportive as well. He doesn't want a repeat of last time either.
I have good days and bad but I'm ok so far. Going out has certainly helped. I feel tired but that is expected too. Just going day by day and hoping to beat 8 weeks which is how long I went last time. If I can fb upto 3-6 months is b happy. I work ft so that would b taken into account. Unless I can keep my supply up for at least one night feed x