Would love to know stats for those moms who consider their breastfeeding journey "very difficult".
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I'm still having latch and other issues at almost six months so whilst I wouldn't say my journey has been overly difficult I wouldn't say it's been easy.
Feeding is my main parenting anxiety and with teething and other developmental "stuff" I've been dealing with partial nursing strikes, an aversion to some positions (which makes for acrobatic nursing!) and now biting. In the early days we conquered a delay in my milk coming in, lip and tongue tie, two months of thrush and a plain ol' lazy latch.
With all that being said, I still heart breastfeeding and hope to continue until LO self weans.
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Breast feeding was difficult for me, and were still going strong at 5.5 months. Hoping to make it to a year! Seems crazy, considering when he was born I wasn't sure we'd make it til 1 month.
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Our first 7 weeks were rough, but by 8 weeks we found a groove- and am still nursing 2-3x a day at almost 15 months. I'm thinking about weaning, but finding it hard to let go after all that hard work. I enjoy it now, but didn't think I would until I hit the 6 month mark.
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2 days (gave up FAR too easily, although the end result would have been the same) the first time and 2.5 weeks the second. She hadn't even made a move towards gaining back to her birth weight, so supplementation was begun. I went a full 6 weeks of pumping, nursing, and supplementing before giving up entirely.
I'm hopeful to make it to a year this time, but realistic as well.
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I think I had a fairly similar situation as you from the start @highwire. I finally gave up trying last week at 3.5 months. It was too stressful, couldn't get a full feed from the breast or pump.
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Breastfeeding was tough for me at the beginning because I had to use a nipple shield because of my flat nips. I was ok with it because breastfeeding was really important to me even if I needed some help to do it. But I always kind of felt like I wasn't doing it for real. Then a couple weeks ago LO decided all on her own to wean from the nipple shield. Yay... So happy!!! Then... My supply tanked from going back to work. Boo... So sad. Then I started MMP and MMT and now supply is great, baby is nursing really well without the shield and I am one happy mama. Planning to go at least until a year!
ETA... I didn't even mention the fact that in order to stick with it I can't eat dairy, soy, wheat, fish, eggs or nuts. I'm pretty used to it now so I'm fine with the restrictions if it means continuing breastfeeding.
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I don't think I'd quite class my journey as "very" difficult, but it was haaaaaaard. I wrote a bit of my story on this post
http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/breastfeeding-success-stories#post-480067
And we're still BFing strong at 7.5 months
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7 weeks. Life got so much better for the both of us once I weaned!
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3 months. We had issues from the get-go, and I decided to exclusively pump. I got mastitis when LO was 6 weeks and had to deal with a drastic supply decrease. Long story short, I transitioned him to formula at 3 months.
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about 5 days. then pumped for 2 weeks.
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I'm still breastfeeding at 11.5 months. We supplemented with formula for the first week of her life and then bottles of breastmilk because her latch was all wrong. I had an LC and my doula come help and she started latching but that crap hurt like hell. It hurt so much sometimes I wanted to throw her and most times I'd be screaming Fuckfuckfuck while feeding her. I wanted to give up but I was so upset I didn't get my natural birth that I was determined to nurse her. The LC sent me a technique that really helped and things started looking up between 6-8 weeks.
I dealt with recurring clogged ducts...never thought I would be poking myself with a needle in my damn nipple but I've done that way too many times. And every time she gets a new tooth I get a new bite!
But I still love breastfeeding. I don't know if this means that I'm a glutton for punishment.
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Thought I would answer my own post!
We are 4 months into our journey so far. My milk didn't come in right away, and LO had a hard time latching with her mouth shape and my flat nipples. Even with constant nursing, pumping after every single feeding, and lots of supplements, my supply never came on enough to totally meet her needs. so we have always supplemented. It is the best of both worlds in some ways (can decide in the moment whether to breast or formula feed, can get extra sleep without having over engorged boobs, others can feed her) but it is also the worst (so many bottles!! Expensive hospital pump rental, pumping at work, having her be frustrated at the breast and feeling us be uncoordinated sometimes, mental struggles that I don't make enough for her). I also don't know of many other combinations feeders like us, so it has been hard to find support for our exact situation.
But we are still at it. I make about 40-50% of her intake. If we can make it to a year, I'll have no guilt whatsoever when weaning. But another 8 months of this is really overwhelming. So, I'm going to get to 6 months and then reassess.
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I struggled at first (tongue tie, supply, etc) but after 1-2 months it became pretty easy. Now we are nearing 8 months and I give 1 bottle of 6 as formula, which I started doing at 5 mo. Can't imagine keeping it up if it was a struggle all along. Hats off to you ladies who have!
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We made it 3.5 months. I was exclusively pumping after 3 weeks due to latch issues, condescending lactation consultants and just feeling like a total failure. At 3.5 months, I went back to work and have an hour and 15 minute commute that would have been too much.
Good for you for getting as far as you have already!
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After seeing 3 LC's I started pumping in the hospital before we were even discharged so my LO could get the milk she needed. She was unable to latch no matter what they tried. I pumped exclusively for 2 months and then switched to formula. It was a nightmare.
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We made it to just over 3 months. For the last month and a half I was almost exclusively pumping. We had ongoing thrush, latch issues, vasospasms but in the end we quit because E's gas wasn't as bad when he was on the sensitive formula.
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3 months... but we were supplementing heavily that entire time, so by the end she was getting almost everything from formula anyways. I never really produced almost any milk.
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We had to supplement from the beginning also. With nursing two babies constantly and pumping like 8 times a day and night, my supply still only peaked around 20 oz/24 hrs, probably around 4-6 weeks. When DH went back to work at 6 weeks, I couldn't really pump other than after he came home and over night, so my supply took a little hit then, even though the kids were still on the boob a ton. At 4 months I stopped pumping overnight, and took another little hit. At 4.5 months, DD lost interest in nursing when she got her first teeth, and DS got his at 5.5 and the same thing happened. After that, I pumped and they nursed a few times a day, but I was pretty much dried up. I stopped at 7 months when I was getting less than an oz/day. I'm proud they got a good amount of breastmilk for the first few months, and some quantity past 6 months, despite probable IGT on my end.
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@highwire: I think my problems stemmed from going back to work so early. I went back at 7 weeks and right when I should've been nursing more for growth, I was only allowed two pump breaks. DS has always been slow to gain weight, so we supplemented and I took domperidone, got my supply back up. I pumped like a maniac between feedings at home. I felt like a slave. I stressed.
DS loved to nurse throughout the night. Hated drinking from bottles but fussed to nurse during the day. He started refusing to nurse mornings before work. Then evenings and eventually nights. Finally at 11 months he was totally done. I always offered and he refused. We were both cool with it.
Looking back. I would tell myself to relax. It's not worth the stress. I think I would've even been more efficient breastfeeding if I had just relaxed and rolled with it.
Don't feel guilty about anything. You are the best mom for your daughter and know what's best for the both of you. -
I got about a week into it with my milk never coming in and her screaming at the breast before I couldn't take it. I quit for a about 3-4 weeks and then started exclusively pumping. That lasted about 6 weeks and then I was done.
I was angry and bitter but it was consuming my life and I was glad to be done.
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@Running Elley: I swear that E and S have the same issues! His gas wasn't as bad when he went on the sensitive formula either! It was like having a completely different baby.
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@zippylef: exactly this. I think back of all the pressure I put on myself and how completely consumed I was drinking gallons of water till I had to pee every 5 seconds, paying for and taking a $180/month prescription, pumping 24/7, scheduling everything around pumping, pumping while driving in my car when I was stuck in traffic. feeling so ashamed if I *gasp* gave him a bottle in public.
seriously.
seriously?
why?
there is no need to feel this way, to do this to yourself, ever.I also feel like motherhood is a big test of how well you can adapt to your grand 'plans' of how it's going to be, going straight out the window, haha
The more I embrace the wild ride, the better off I am -
I have been pumping since day one in the hospital because DS had a severe tongue tie and minor lip tie that caused him to be unable to latch correctly. After we got it all repaired (5 months old) he was already so used to the bottle that we never looked back.
My goal is exclusively pump until he is 6 months old. (Which I am a week from) I just recently dropped a pump session and Monday I will be dropping another.
I felt guilty about it in the beginning but not anymore. I am proud that I got this far with EP. (Pumping also gave me a great stash so he will continue to get breast milk for some time.)
I'm hopeful to make it to a year this time, but realistic as well.
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