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I don't feel like I've hit any "milestones" per se. I'm very very lucky (and grateful!) that we've had such an easy time of it. DS had a wonderful, immediate latch, my milk came in within 36 hours, I've never had a supply issue, cracked, bleeding or even sore nipples. I BF in public within a few days of birth, and I use a Boppy (during the day at least), so I usually have at least one hand, if not both, free.

My only issue is a really fast let-down...he sometimes chokes a little at first (when I pump I can be done in 5 minutes, 7 if I'm patient enough to wait for a second letdown. And he won't take a paci and prefers to use me as a pacifier instead. I feel like he's always on the boob, lol.

The first week home with LO, I could only nurse her topless in one particular chair with three pillows and an extra set of hands. I had giant blisters on both nipples and baby hickies around them from bad latches. Yesterday at her one month checkup, I could nurse her discreetly in the waiting room with one hand! And she'd gained 1lb 12 oz!

I just love actually breast feeding the only problem I have has is with supply. I feel so blessed! He was able to latch immediately from right after he was born and has always been a true boob baby! I seriously wish I didn't have to put him in daycare because I love breast feeding so much.

I'm still preggo, so I have nothing to add here. I just wanted to say thank you for starting this thread! It's nice to read the encouraging stories, and the light at the end of the tunnel, and not just the frustrations and difficulties!

I struggled in the beginning with a bad latch and also having to supplement with formula due to jaundice. But now it's going great with EBF and he was 2 lbs over his birth weight at his 2 1/2 week appointment!

I had a preemie and was told that he probably we wouldn't be bfing until his due date, so the first six weeks were really hard with trying to bf, following with a bottle and then pumping, but then he got it and on his first birthday earlier this week, we are still nursing twice a day. I NEVER would have thought I would still be bfing after 1 year.

I consider mself a success because despite being seperated after my c section, despite my supply issues, despite his nipple confusion i did not give up. Sure, he's also getting some formula but so happy hes getting the breast milk. Its only getting better as we go on. Yay for Making it to 1 month.

My LO had a pretty good latch from the start and I never experienced any nipple pain. I absolutely hated it though because I lost control of my schedule which was so hard for a control freak like me. I also found it very stressful. Once I accepted that I couldn't control my schedule anymore, I became neutral towards it and now I even like it. She has such a good latch now, she makes her mouth a gaping wide open O and then just happily sucks away. Its really so enjoyable now and I never thought I would say that. My LO is 10 weeks.

Also I really applaud you ladies who had a tough time in the beginning with it and stuck with it. I don't think I would have been so strong to continue!

@MamaMoose: I'm pretty proud of myself being able to nurse one handed now too!

We had hard beginnings. My milk came is exactly 36 hours after birth (which i am so so so grateful for!) but it came with such force that lo couldnt latch. Undortunately i didnt realise how bad his latch was. Until day 5 when the nips were so ripped up I couldn't latch him. I cried just thinking about latching. So we bought a pump and he was bottle fed for 3.5 ish weeks. Luckily I'm blessed with good supply, and respond really well to the pump.

I had an open wound on one nip that got infected and wouldn't heal, so I took antibiotics... And got thrush. While we were treating for thrush I was starting to try actual BFing again. I still couldn't do it. The first latch after his weeks of bottles needed 6 hands. Mine, my Mum's, and the LC's. me holding boob in the U hold, and holding both arms down (he broke out of swaddles in 0.02 seconds flat), the LC supporting LOs body, and Mum actually holding LOs head in the right place.

He had gotten so strong I still couldn't latch him myself for weeks more after that. Luckily mum was still staying with us, she literally put him on my boob for me. I was too scared, it hurt too badly, he was too strong for me. He'd been holding his head up since day one! It would take 5-10 minutes of red faced shrieking every time.

Eventually LO figured out latching. He wouldn't fight against me every feeding. Now at 5 months I just put his head near the boob and he does everything else himself. It's so easy, there's no pain, and I love it.

@MamaMoose: I almost didn't! If it hadn't been for my ah-may-zing LC (and my mama, of course) I probably would have given up early on. I'm SO exceptionally glad I kept trying though!

Eta: dh was also an amazing support, even though to this day I don't think he understands why I was so set on breast feeding, he still never pushed me to give up and made a good shoulder to cry on

Good initiative! DS will be 6 months on Sunday and I'm proud of myself for exclusively breastfeeding this long. It was so painful at times but I stuck it out and made it to 6 months.

We had a really rough go for the first month. Although my supply came in after 5 days of pumping like crazy, my LO wasn't latching properly and my supply vanished after 24 hours of not pumping. After that he refused to latch so we spent the next 3 weeks tube feeding, supplementing, taking 35 pills a day to boost my supply, and pumping 8 times a day. My LO would get so frustrated on the boob because of my low supply.

It wasn't until the day he was circumcised at 4.5 weeks that he decided to latch and be on the boob all. day. long. I was ecstatic that he was latching but then I got milk blisters, blocked ducts and an almost-case of mastitis. Then at 6/7 weeks my LO started spitting up like a fountain and I found out I was in oversupply!!

Things eventually sorted themselves out and at 10 months we are still going strong. We have never had a nursing strike and nursing is easy and natural. I considered weaning right at 12 months but now I'd like to maintain at least one nursing session a day until at least 18 months.

Another future Mom just popping in to say thank you!! Please keep them coming.