The Breast Feeding Support Thread

scarepanda wrote: »

Thank you! It really is a shame that it is an exception rather than the norm. From my experience there's just too much pressure. Too much pressure to start, to stop, on charts, on how you do it..... And then there's the advice, most of which is bad or out dated and the opinions on how/when/where/why/how often........ honestly it baffles me as to why it matters so much to people who it will never concern.

Congratulations scarepanda,
I know what you mean about people's reactions, thinking it's odd to be doing something that's so natural. I get some very strange looks and comments when I tell people that my 3 year old still breastfeeds once or twice a day. I've mostly stopped telling people cos the reactions upset me a bit.
I know it's unusual in Ireland to breastfeed past 1st few months and very unusual to be still going at 3yo but it works for us. I can't understand why some people are so negative.

catrionanic wrote: »

My baby is only six months, but I'm already thinking about how I'm going to respond to these sorts of comments in the future. Isn't it weird that people in Ireland don't think twice about a toddler drinking coke, but somehow drinking breast milk is considered strange?

Or how it's fine for a 3 year old to still have a bottle hanging out of their mouth, but if a 2-3 year old is still breastfed it's mostly ridiculed.

Jez ladies, they are both such good points, I never thought about it like that before.

My Dad wanted to give my lo 7up when she was 8months old and got into a little huff when I firmly told him no. His response was 'shes thirsty', thankfully I had a beaker of milk to whip out of the bag to give her which she wasn't interested in. All she wanted was to copy the big people drinking out of a glass!

And well done ivytheterrible, 17 months is fantastic!

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

I was home in Ireland this week and of course I got asked "Have you not stopped yet?" and "When are you going to stop?" about me feeding my 17 month old. Ugh. In France, people say it's great I've gotten so far.

I stopped at 15 months because my milk had completely dried up due to pregnancy, I've had quite a few Irish people say I kept going for too long but my midwife was just "That's a pity, but 15 months is still really good" at my last appointment.

Toots wrote: »

My planned retort is that the World Health Organisation recommends it up until age 2 (at least that's what I heard )

Seriously in awe of all you guys who've managed to go so long!

Yep that was my planned retort, but I found most people (aka mil & sil) stopped asking when I was planning on stopping once we passed 12-14 months, they realised it wasn't up to them Although both did feel the need to blame me still breastfeeding for him still not sleeping at 18 months. I kind of went off on one at mil then to make it very clear it had nothing to do with them. As it happens he was night weaned at 22 months and fully weaned at 2yrs 2 months and still wakes allll the time!

They're just all so different! My first boy was a great sleeper. My second was a disaster. He only started sleeping the night recently, and he'll be two in December. Of course, breastfeeding gets the blame, and I caused it all! Everyone seems to forget that his older brother was also breastfed, and he always slept well.
My third boy is also a great sleeper, and I got a little talk from my mother the other day about weaning him sooner rather than later (he's 10 weeks), because I'm making a rod to beat myself. im not sure why people think it's so ok to comment, it's none of their fricking business!!!

scarepanda wrote: »

Haha! Sure if you wean him off boob you will replace it with a bottle and possibly a soother as well..... Are both those not a crutch in the same way for the baby? The notions people have are so silly at times. It all depends on the baby as to whether they are a good sleeper or not, whether they will be hard weaned from boob/bottle/soother etc etc etc.

My middle boy never had a soother, and I fed him until he was 14 mo, and then my milk dried up, because I was expecting. For some crazy reason, I started giving him a bottle of cows milk then, and no one saw a thing wrong with it. I was terrified I'd never get him off the bottle. But one night I gave it to him, and he just handed it back to me, and went to bed without it, and he's never had it since!

It's so sad how there is this whole generation of Irish women who were brainwashed against breastfeeding. And it's still impacting breastfeeding rates because mothers now don't have support from their mothers etc when trying to breastfeed.

It makes me feel very lucky that my mother and aunts all breastfed so it's always been a very normal thing in my family. All my cousins who have had babies have breastfed. I'd definitely be the odd one out if I didn't breastfeed.

bee06 wrote: »

It's so sad how there is this whole generation of Irish women who were brainwashed against breastfeeding. And it's still impacting breastfeeding rates because mothers now don't have support from their mothers etc when trying to breastfeed.

It makes me feel very lucky that my mother and aunts all breastfed so it's always been a very normal thing in my family. All my cousins who have had babies have breastfed. I'd definitely be the odd one out if I didn't breastfeed.

You're so right. My mother is great, and so good to me, but she didn't breastfeed us, and sometimes it's an extra challenge. Her solution to everything is "you should give him a bottle", and it drives me nuts. It's almost like I'm depriving him of something in her eyes by not. Because this one is my third, other people seem to have stopped dishing out unwanted advice (the other two seem to be doing ok, so I must know what I'm at, is what they think, I assume), but my mother still likes to assume I need a bit of "guidance". I jokingly said the other day, that the PHN will have me put him on a diet the next day she weighs him (he's a real buster, but I was really joking, and my PHN is the biggest breastfeeding advocate going), and she said "no, but you should put him on a bottle". Don't mind all that science that says breast fed babies are less likely to be obese. Just give him a bottle coz I said so.
Rant over!!!

Hi girls,

Looking for a little advice. Our baby arrived last Saturday 10 days early weighing 3.88kgs, on Monday he weighed 3.62kg leaving the hospital. Today Friday he is up to 3.7kgs. Does this seem ok? Loads of wet nappies and poos!! Feeds lots but we are both still learning I am going to go to a breastfeeding clinic on Monday to get him weighed and check jaundice. Phn was here today.

Looking at pumps.....no intention of starting yet but it will take me a while to look up prices etc.
I pumped last time with a rented hospital one. I wouldn't mind doing the odd pump in a few weeks while feeding? Any recommendations? Saw an ameda lactline (I think) £70 from uk? A bit clueless.....don't think I need a double pump. Could of sworn I had manual one in house but can't find it!
Thanks a million.

shortstuff! wrote: »

Congrats Millem!! Delighted to here of the safe arrival:) Haven't used it yet but the haaka pump has amazing reviews, its passive as in you don't have to actively manually pump but not attached to plug, relying on batteries. It's based on suction and women seem to get a nice bit while feeding from the other side.

I used a medela swing double on my last bit it's an open system so should only be used for 1baby, regret not researching closed systems more.

Gonna send you a pm about a group you might be interested in.

I'm useless with weight gain as in how much is normal but if phn has no concerns and you've plenty of wet and dirty nappies try not to watch the scales too much!

Thanks a million short stuff! I have a plugged or clogged duct at the mo (if that's what they are called??)
Got Nurse to check it for me......she said put on a warm facecloth and massage and try to hand express? Currently have a facecloth on it at the mo! I suppose the pump would come in handy for this!!!

Getting loads of wet/dirty nappies
With the haaka pump do you squeeze it?

Millem wrote:

Girls am thrilled....baby got weighed today and is up to 3.82 kg and 10 days old. Birth weight was 3.88kg! Baby unblocked duct on Friday night! Feed constantly on me for 11 hours taking maybe 10 minute breaks every hour!! Every day seems to be getting easier (touch wood). Now I just need to master feeding in public !!!

Aw, congratulations! That's brilliant! It can take up to 3 weeks for a breastfeed baby to regain its birth rate, so your doing brilliantly!

Feeding in public is so daunting the first couple of times, but so easy to do when you gain the confidence! I'd suggest going into town with your OH or one of the girls that will have your back, find somewhere comfy but semi private, get a tea or coffee and start feeding! Nothing will be said to you ( nothing has ever been said to be me and we're nearly 13 months in and using a shield so not as smooth getting set up and latched on), but if someone is ballsy enough the person with you can be your buffer. They will also be a distraction for you by having a chat. For a bit of privacy and comfort for myself I hook a Muslim cloth into my bra to cover baby's head/side boob so even if she pops off no one is going to get an eye full.

Yes, it's all in the clothing! I like to do one-up-one-down (so like a jumper with a vest top underneath - pull the jumper up and the vest down; you end up showing hardly anything at all). Or a shirt with a scarf or something.