https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 09 May 2026 05:42:00 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-successful-breastfeeding-journey/page/2#post-1420941 Thu, 13 Feb 2014 14:49:04 +0000 ShootingStar 1420941@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@locavore_mama: It was a relief to hear it from her. I had her come to the house the day after he refused to BF from me the entire day. Yet he was screaming and hungry, so we fed him ready-to-feed formula we'd gotten at the hospital. I told her about the formula and expected a negative response. Instead she made this new mommy feel so much better. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-successful-breastfeeding-journey/page/2#post-1420919 Thu, 13 Feb 2014 14:44:15 +0000 regberadaisy 1420919@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ShootingStar: that's wonderful! You should've seen the face my LC had on when she suggested supplementing via SNS to us. You would've thought she was in excruciating pain. Long story, but I am considering refusing to see her if she's on duty when I deliver #2. She's more concerned about BFing than the welfare of my newborn. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-successful-breastfeeding-journey/page/2#post-1420906 Thu, 13 Feb 2014 14:40:44 +0000 ShootingStar 1420906@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LovelyPlum: Just remember to do what feels best to you. I had a consultation with an LC and I brought up the formula she said the most important thing is to feed the baby. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-successful-breastfeeding-journey/page/2#post-1420898 Thu, 13 Feb 2014 14:37:47 +0000 lizzywiz 1420898@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>we are at 21 months now, but down to 2x a day.<br /> It was all luck. She was a good feeder and I had a good supply. I had an office with a door I could lock so pumping at work was do-able.<br /> I don't know if I would have stuck with it otherwise. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-successful-breastfeeding-journey/page/2#post-1420824 Thu, 13 Feb 2014 14:22:03 +0000 LovelyPlum 1420824@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks for all of these-this is a great thread!</p> <p>@locavore_mama: @ShootingStar: thanks for the reminder that formula can also be a tool towards achieving a successful BF journey. This nervous mama-to-be is glad to hear that there are lots of ways to have a successful breastfeeding relationship :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-successful-breastfeeding-journey/page/2#post-1420355 Thu, 13 Feb 2014 12:22:52 +0000 jetsa 1420355@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are at 5 months.<br /> The biggest thing for me was stubbornness/determination. The first 3 months were sooo hard, I was in so much pain but we got through it and its easy now. We were checked for lip ties and latch issues (3 times) and everyone said it was fine but I was hurting and bleeding, I really think he was just too little to latch correctly. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-successful-breastfeeding-journey/page/2#post-1420225 Thu, 13 Feb 2014 11:40:57 +0000 MusicaV 1420225@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO is 16.5 months and still nursing.</p> <p>For me, I don't think it has anything to do with luck. It is because of dedication, determination, and education.</p> <p>I took a three-part BFing class while I was pregnant. At the end, they gave us a booklet that reiterated everything we learned in the class. that booklet was very helpful in the first few months. LO only latched once while we were in the hospital, and with the booklet I had a reference for things to try when we got home.</p> <p>I started going to BFing support groups (sponsored by the hospital and led by an LC) when LO was two weeks old. We still go almost every week. It's really great to see moms with kids of all ages BFing and supporting each other. About a year ago, LO started gnawing on my nipples to the point that there were bleeding gashes. I thought I would have to give up, but with support and suggestions I was able to continue and eventually heal.</p> <p>The other big help is that DH is very supportive. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-successful-breastfeeding-journey/page/2#post-1419893 Thu, 13 Feb 2014 09:57:24 +0000 sorrycharlie 1419893@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>we nursed til 15.5 months.</p> <p>I think that it helped that I SAH, co-bedded til 5.5 months, nursed on demand (til she was older anyway) and had a great friend that helped since my ins didnt cover a LC!</p> <p>also, support from my husband made a huge help. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-successful-breastfeeding-journey/page/2#post-1419889 Thu, 13 Feb 2014 09:55:49 +0000 ShootingStar 1419889@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm only about 3 months in, but at this point I consider myself successful because we made it past the difficult newborn period and are EBF now.</p> <p>But the secrets to our success so far? Formula and luck. So many people push the "don't supplement" logic, but like @locavore_mama: we had a screaming and starving baby that needed to be fed. My milk didn't come in for over a week after delivery and at 3 days old DS needed more than I could provide at that point. Then we had a 6 week bout of thrush that coincided with the worst of his cluster feeding. Being able to opt out of a feeding because I was hurting too much gave the ability to keep going. We're now EBF and I am completely happy that I supplemented. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-successful-breastfeeding-journey/page/2#post-1419796 Thu, 13 Feb 2014 09:28:36 +0000 regberadaisy 1419796@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Honestly? </p> <p>Supplementing. I don't think there's any way I could have BF without supplementing. I have done everything with the exception of domperidone to increase my supply to no avail. Without supplementing I would not have been able to BF.</p> <p>I also WOHM and pumped for 13 months until I was barely getting 1-2 oz per sessions. </p> <p>Supplementing was suggested to me on day 2 of LO's life by the resident LC Nazi who begrudgingly did so. After a 3am trip to the ER when my baby was only four days old because she would not stop crying for 6 hours we started supplementing a bottle a day as necessary and I Feel no shame or regret for it AT ALL. Supplementing or starving my child because believe you me she was starving. I choose supplement.</p> <p>LO is 22 months and shows no sign of stopping (sob) and I'm damn proud of it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-successful-breastfeeding-journey/page/2#post-1419786 Thu, 13 Feb 2014 09:26:16 +0000 Bluebonnet 1419786@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm a WOHM and was able to EBF for 12 months (my long term goal). </p> <p>Lots of things helped me achieve this:<br /> - I was incredibly determined to EBF so I was well prepared before birth (DH and I took BF class, I read a lot, we discussed a plan for the hospital and early weeks, I had an LC that I consulted with, I read books, I talked to friends, etc).<br /> - When I checked in at the hospital I immediately told them I wanted to EBF, I wanted to nurse immediately after birth, I did not want formula offered to LO, and I wanted to see the LC first thing in the morning (LO was born in the middle of the night).<br /> - I saw the LC every day I was in the hospital to ensure LO had a good latch and I was feeding frequently enough and for long enough.<br /> - I fed LO on demand for the first 4 months (and was very blessed she cluster fed in the day and slept in long stretches at night).<br /> - DH was incredibly helpful and supportive<br /> - I took care of myself as much as possible to protect my supply (I made sure I was drinking tons of water, sleeping when possible, and eating enough calories).<br /> - I had short term goals and focused on that - 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, a year.<br /> - My employer is very supportive of nursing moms. I reserved the mother's room for the same time every day and planned meetings around my pump times. </p> <p>I'm sure a little luck also played into it too. I'm about to have LO#2 and I hope to have the same successful experience. </p> <p>Despite having a successful experience, EBF was one of the hardest things I've ever done (especially the early days). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-successful-breastfeeding-journey/page/2#post-1419549 Thu, 13 Feb 2014 02:48:58 +0000 Kemma 1419549@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@heartonastring: @QBbride: My milk took almost a week to come home and although I had formula in the cupboard, my midwives never once suggested giving LO a bottle. What we did do was hand express and cup feed A from a shot glass! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-successful-breastfeeding-journey/page/2#post-1419432 Wed, 12 Feb 2014 23:20:09 +0000 QBbride 1419432@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@heartonastring: my milk came in the day my midwife weighed my son, and like you said he was super alert so she wasn't worried. Out of all the people I know who supplemented, only 2 went on to have an EBF relationship, all the others ended up formula feeding (which of course is fine, but not what they wanted). It makes total sense - how is your body supposed to get the messages make more milk if there is no stimulation? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-successful-breastfeeding-journey/page/2#post-1419390 Wed, 12 Feb 2014 22:45:08 +0000 heartonastring 1419390@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@QBbride: My midwife was the same way and I think that played a huge role in our success too. DD lost 10% of her birth weight by the time we were discharged from hospital! but she was nursing regularly (my milk wasn't in yet) and alert, so my midwife never said a word about supplementation. Because she never mentioned it, it never even occurred to me to consider it ago that point in time. I am so grateful for her support and her belief in my body and my baby!</p> <p>Things did get hard for awhile after that and I totally lived by the same motto of never quitting on your worst day...and there were weeks and weeks when I spent hours every day thinking about quitting! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-successful-breastfeeding-journey/page/2#post-1417157 Wed, 12 Feb 2014 09:32:16 +0000 Greentea 1417157@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Silva: yes. I considered myself her pacifier in those early days! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-successful-breastfeeding-journey#post-1417114 Wed, 12 Feb 2014 09:20:21 +0000 Greentea 1417114@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are 8 mos. and still feeding on demand frequently. What happened was that an awful nurse made me feel insecure like the baby wasn't getting enough and so I went wild pumping and bfing and ended up with milk out the wazoo. I also ate 5000 calories a day at first... now I eat 3000. I was also tenacious!</p> <p>Other things include:<br /> Support from DH<br /> Not caring if anyone saw me nurse (took a little while and never thought I would public nurse but this was huge to my success... so we could go places and not be so stressed and feeling confident has really helped. DH's support on public nursing really helped too and I hope more women do it and I think that will up bfing success and also help PPD because women won't feel they have to hide or be trapped at home...)<br /> Healthy diet! No "dieting..." honestly not trying to lose weight helped my supply, I think.<br /> Not going more than 2 hours at first without nursing and pumping.<br /> DH getting up with me for support and WASHING PUMP PARTS!<br /> Having my ob and gp tell me that my clogs were a good problem to have!<br /> Feeding on demand throughout the night. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-successful-breastfeeding-journey#post-1417078 Wed, 12 Feb 2014 09:10:11 +0000 Revel 1417078@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>8.5 months in and still at it, with a goal of a year. Once I got past the early challenges, I think enjoying nursing has really been key to me continuing. That especially helps with managing pumping at work. Being willing to pump outside of work to make enough. Viewing pumping as a link to my baby when I'm away, not just as a grind (though it is). </p> <p>For the early days, what really got me through was not viewing quitting as an option. I don't necessarily think that tactic works if you're dealing with supply/weight gain issues, but it worked for me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-successful-breastfeeding-journey#post-1417062 Wed, 12 Feb 2014 09:02:11 +0000 Alivoo01 1417062@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: Ditto on luck here also! I'm the first in my family to BF, and DS was an IUGR baby so he was immediately put on formula from the moment he was born until I made enough milk for him. Even then, he was bottle fed until 6 weeks when all of the sudden, he latched on like he had been since birth and has been nursing ever since! We're at 7 months and going strong!!</p> <p>I think pumping every 3 hours helped maintain my milk supply, but when we started nursing, my milk supply increased! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-successful-breastfeeding-journey#post-1416974 Wed, 12 Feb 2014 08:22:11 +0000 bushelandapeck 1416974@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsMccarthy: I agree with some of it being luck. </p> <p>We nursed for 16.5 mos until he self-weaned. I feel like it just clicked for us and was never really a struggle, which I am so grateful for. I was also a SAHM for the first 9 mos so we nursed on demand, did lots of skin to skin, and had a lot of support from a LC at a breastfeeding group we attended weekly for the first 7 months. I was also fiercely committed to EBF for the first year which caused some tension between DH and I but it all worked out in the end. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-successful-breastfeeding-journey#post-1416963 Wed, 12 Feb 2014 08:15:39 +0000 Maysprout 1416963@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>26 months.<br /> Nursing often from the start, before colostrum comes in. I started at every 2-3 hours with 10-30 min a side. But for both of them they started asking for more the second day so we did even more often, which feels like a ton, but it's just to get a good supply established, which will decrease headaches in the future.</p> <p>Having a good nursing book, I had Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, to go to when problems come up. But also not over-analyzing feeding too much if there's enough wet and poopy diapers.</p> <p>Having baby next to the bed. I would have collapsed trying to get up and down to feed at night and been a lot more likely to give up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-successful-breastfeeding-journey#post-1416895 Wed, 12 Feb 2014 07:42:50 +0000 Silva 1416895@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>this is a great thread- i would have loved to find this when I was pregnant, because I was very nervous about it!</p> <p>We are going strong at almost 10 months, and don't plan to wean before 18 months (and may let her self wean- going to see how I'm feeling then).</p> <p>-Luck. Honestly, who knows why some babies latch well right away and some don't. Mine did. I never had any pain, even in the beginning.<br /> -Being a SAHM (obviously you can still BF if you have to pump-I'm just being honest about what made it easier for us). Pumping is hard work. Its pretty easy to just whip out a boob whenever she wants it, and not have to deal with pumping.<br /> -Kellymom and Hellobee. I freaked out a little in the beginning when she was cluster feeding. I"m glad I had those resources to reassure me that everything was normal.<br /> -Feeding on demanding, and co-sleeping early on.<br /> -In the early weeks I just let her sleep on my boob/do whatever. She was attached to me almost constantly. It was exhausting, but I think it helped us both adjust. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-successful-breastfeeding-journey#post-1416861 Wed, 12 Feb 2014 07:22:03 +0000 Adira 1416861@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>11+ months (still nursing)</p> <p>- LUCK!<br /> - Determination<br /> - Nursing every 2 hours the first couple weeks, on demand after<br /> - Visiting LCs a couple times<br /> - Pumping after nursing sessions (still do to this day)<br /> - Dreamfeeds longer than were necessary<br /> - Good pumping options at work (work full-time out of home since 12 weeks) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-successful-breastfeeding-journey#post-1416815 Wed, 12 Feb 2014 06:02:17 +0000 Beyond2 1416815@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>17 months and still going. I think my natural birth, my midwives help with latching in the weeks following and staying home with my son are the most important parts in our journey. I also gave myself no other option. I never had formula in the house and we don't live near a store so it was either breastfeed or leave the baby hungry for at least an hour to buy formula which I would never do. Not giving myself another option helped motivate me during the hard times. Also feeding on demand for the first 9 months or so was really important to maintaining a good supply. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-successful-breastfeeding-journey#post-1416785 Wed, 12 Feb 2014 03:04:33 +0000 Kemma 1416785@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm still feeding my wee booby addict at sixteen months and she shows no signs of weaning anytime soon.</p> <p>In the early days, we had a tonne of support from my midwife and her colleague who delivered Miss A and cared for me post partum. These two wonderful ladies talked me down from the ledge on many an occasion and really helped me to push through all our early difficulties.</p> <p>I also had my Mum and my aunt who both breastfed their children and have continued to support me as A got older. Just the other day my Mum told me that she thinks A is the luckiest baby in the world :-)</p> <p>I found some great online resources (Kellymom, the LLL support forums, Nurshable and the WIO "tribe") and chose to stay away from websites / books / places that didn't jive with my aims and parenting philosophies.</p> <p>I had free access to two excellent IBCLC's (yay publicly funded healthcare!) who helped diagnose and correct A's tongue and lip ties.</p> <p>I have continued to do night feedings and bedshare on a part-time basis.</p> <p>I have a very strong streak of stubbornness and pigheaded-ness! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-successful-breastfeeding-journey#post-1416768 Wed, 12 Feb 2014 02:21:56 +0000 sarac 1416768@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>28 months, we just weaned. My success depended on a ton of support, and a really positive attitude about it. I just assumed it was going to work. We had some struggles while she was in the nicu, but with help, we got through it. Total nursing on demand was also crucial. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-successful-breastfeeding-journey#post-1416741 Wed, 12 Feb 2014 01:17:03 +0000 lemondrop 1416741@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>18 months, but we got off to a rough start due to jaundice and a lazy latch. </p> <p>From ~36 hours old I started pumping since he got sent to the NICU. I was able to nurse for 15 minutes each side, then pumped for 15 minutes after while he was supplemented with a bottle of either formula or pumped milk. We continued to do at least one bottle feeding a day, which reinforced the habit and gave me a break. </p> <p>We started off using a shield, but then weaned off of it (first during the day, eventually at night). Using the shield and profuse amounts of nipple cream helped a lot, I only had some soreness. </p> <p>I met with a lactation consultant every couple days for the first 3 weeks, and then weekly until 7 weeks when things got better. She was worth her weight in gold, I always felt better after meeting with her. </p> <p>All things I hope to repeat with #2, I really wouldn't change much about our experience (other than hopefully avoiding NICU time). I am glad it happened, as stressful as it was, it opened my mind and set me on a path that I have no doubt helped our success. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-successful-breastfeeding-journey#post-1416731 Wed, 12 Feb 2014 00:54:00 +0000 Corduroy 1416731@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're just a few days shy of a year and I attribute our success to Kellymom and HB. It was amazing to always have someone around for encouragement when there were newborn issues, bottle strikes, pumping issues, demands for more milk from daycare etc. </p> <p>HB saved three very stressed moms at my daycare. We were all being told that we needed to send more milk than we could produce. Ladies here helped me work out a schedule and everyone adopted it!</p> <p>I also have to attribute some success to an early LC visit. I had trouble with one side and the LC told me it was possible to feed on just one side. I quit one side at 10 weeks since it still hurt so bad. I've been feeding LO for 41 weeks with just one side with FT WOH.</p> <p>And yeah, LO is a freakin boob monster. I'm pretty sure she's never going to let me wean. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-successful-breastfeeding-journey#post-1416698 Wed, 12 Feb 2014 00:19:54 +0000 dojo 1416698@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son is nearly 1 year and I think a lot has to do with determination and stubbornness on my behalf - pumping while working full time stinks and when my supply has tanked I've spent many nights staying up extra late just to pump enough for his bottles the next day. Nursing often on the weekends and during the night has probably helped too. But mostly it probably was just that he took well to nursing after a briefly rocky start and that my supply had been maintained without too much work. I'm very happy that we've made it as far as we have. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-successful-breastfeeding-journey#post-1416696 Wed, 12 Feb 2014 00:18:46 +0000 red_seattle 1416696@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We made it to 12.5 months. I think we were successful for a few reasons:</p> <p>- My determination to make it happen, at least for 1 year. That meant a willingness to endure a certain level of pain/discomfort if necessary, as well as fend off any opinions that I should quit because it was gross/unnecessary/too much work/impossible to keep up with a busy schedule or longer times away from baby.<br /> -- My husband's support<br /> - Nipple shield for the first 9 weeks, and a pretty easy wean off of it<br /> - Trusting my gut when problems came up.<br /> - Kellymom<br /> - Feeding on demand-- no schedule.<br /> - Support from LCs<br /> - Luck </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-successful-breastfeeding-journey#post-1416695 Wed, 12 Feb 2014 00:18:19 +0000 brownie 1416695@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>2 years and I had a terrible control issue. I did mother's milk tea (which I actually liked) and I nursed on demand whenever I could. And he reverse cycled so we co-slept and he could snack all night long so I didn't have to worry as much about daytime feeds when I was working. But mostly since he was MSPI I knew what I ate and could control that food for him. </p>