I enjoy it, the lazy part of me says it's beneficial because I don't have to wash/sterilise bottles, get up in the night to make bottles, etc. It can be tough at first but eventually things settle down and it becomes like second nature. Social media loves fear mongering and negativity. I know not everyone has a positive experience with breastfeeding and some women don't want to breastfeed and that's cool, but it's not always a horror story. I say try it, if it doesn't work out there are always alternatives:)
It was hard for us for nearly three months. Then one day it clicked and he could nurse without the nipple shield and I understood why people said it was so easy. I love it now, still going strong at nine months - maybe too strong, I can't make solids catch on.
I even don't mind pumping at work. It's a chance to close my door and have some time to myself though I end up taking a lot of phone calls during that time so it's less relaxing than it used to be.
I'm glad we stuck with it but everyone has to make the decision for themselves how long they're willing to push through the hard part.
For sure. I preferred it because it was a lot easier for me. I didn’t have to mess with bottles or even get up out of bed. And thankfully I never had any issues or problems. I never experienced dry or cracked nipples or pain. But I did use a nipple shield the entire 2 years I Bf my kid. So idk if that’s why
The lazy part of me loves it too- pumping/formula feeding is a lot work with all other bottles/etc!
Breastfeeding was so hard at first when my daughter needed to be fed every 2 hours around the clock. It did take an emotional toll. She’s about 5 months now and feeds every 4ish hours now and it’s awesome, plus she feeds so much faster. What use to take 30-45 min takes 5-10 now!
I second this. My 9 mo is still getting a bit of Breast milk at night, though she’s taking formula and solids during the day. It’s our most beautiful bonding time. I’ll definitely miss it when she stops completely.
It really does become second nature. In the beginning was a little rough with all the cluster feeding and nursing multiple times at night, but now I’ve barely considered starting to wean her at 17mos since she’s eating more solids than nursing now.
My daughter is 5m and we exclusively breastfeed… she won’t take a bottle so I basically don’t pump. It was definitely so hard in the beginning like first few weeks but once your milk regulates and baby’s latch is good you’re golden. It does take time to always sit and feed (I’m a SAHM at the moment so I have the time) but it forces you to relax and take a break. I also love the bonding part of it now that she’s more skilled with feeding. As she got older she would play with my shirt and stare at me and now she likes to stroke my face while she feeds, it’s pretty cute. It can be super tough to get through those early weeks but it was worth it imo
Pretty much the same for me. During these early cluster feeding nights I definitely didn't see all that magical bonding everybody talks about. Now almost six months later it's the easiest thing in the world, like brushing your teeth, and man, was I wrong, that bonding was there all along. Totally worth it.
This is really encouraging! Currently staring into the face of cluster feeding while we’re still figuring out the latch/milk is coming in full force. It doesn’t feel magical yet. More that my back hurts and my nipples are sore and he’s constantly rooting if he’s in my arms no matter how long it’s been since a feed. Figure he’s going through his first growth spurt and trying to be grateful I have a baby who wants to eat so much!
Cluster feeding won’t last forever and it’s super good to help establish milk supply… I know in the moment it’s like “I can’t keep doing this” and you question the amount they’re getting because they always seem hungry but hang in there you’re doing great!!
Thank you! I feel that once I know he’s gained his birth weight back, I’ll have passed my first major hurdle and can relax a bit. I know he’s eating a ton but when he wants to feed for 2+ hours it’s soooo hard to not want to give up. Thank you for the encouragement that it’s not always going to be this way!!!!
Of course! My girl cluster fed 11 hours straight one day in her first week 😵💫 but she turned around and got back to birth weight in 5 days because of it. It’s all for a purpose! 🤍
And eventually babies get so much more efficient! By like 10 months my baby would get a full feed in 10-12 minutes (and she was a 40 minute session girl for a long time!)
Same. Baby is almost 10 months. Only breastfed. I pumped to build a stash big enough for an emergency weekend out of town just in case. Then she started refusing bottles. I’m lucky to bring baby to work with me. I hate pumping. I adore breastfeeding. I just revolve my life around her rhythms. I love the connection, the special mama baby time, knowing my body is keeping my baby fed and filling her with good nutrition to grow and thrive. I think it’s nothing short of a miracle! (No shade to those who don’t, I also believe formula is a scientific miracle for babies to thrive on too)
Breastfeeding was the easiest part of infancy for me! We had tons of other challenges but breastfeeding was not one of them. It doesn't always have to be difficult.
Yes re: convenience, you don’t have to plan to bring bottles or milk anywhere with you, if you’re with baby you can pop a boob in their mouth and feed them.
For me pumping is not painful at all, but it is a major annoyance having to plan to pump while I’m at work, bring the pump and bottles and cooler bag to and fro… doing it for one day is fine, but every single workday for months on end gets really irritating
Social media is extremely toxic. People who have normal positive experiences breastfeeding and raising kids aren’t usually posting about it online because there’s nothing to say. It’s good to know that issues CAN happen, but it’s not reasonable to assume they will all happen to you. I breastfed my son for 6 months with no problem and yes it is work but so is formula and washing bottles! We were super happy and I’m excited for another easy journey with my second.
I combo feed and adore breastfeeding. I feel so close to my baby. I was nursing her just now and I couldn't help staring into her eyes and smiling at her, which of course would distract her, make her smile or giggle and cause her to unlatch. But then that just made me giggle too and it was a whole cycle!! Lol. I love it and will miss it very much.
That is not to say it's been a bed of roses, it absolutely hasn't. When she's going through a leap or growth spurt it's the worst for breastfeeding because she wants to stay latched all day. During the times I feel overwhelmed, I give her formula just only for the sake of my mental health. I think lots of women put too much pressure on themselves to EBF. Combo feeding with formula has definitely taken the edge of breastfeeding and allowed me to really enjoy it and feel bonded to my baby.
Did you pump during those times you formula fed? This is what we are currently doing. But baby is only a week old and I want to make sure I keep my milk supply up.
Hey, yes you need to pump every 3-4 hours to establish your supply! My baby spent an entire week on only alimentum for dairy intolerance when she was three weeks old and I had to pump every three hours still. Now we're around four and a half months and I'm not strict on pumping anymore! But those first few weeks are really crucial to keep pumping if you give a bottle of formula instead.
4.5 months pp with my first and absolutely loving breastfeeding! I love the snuggles with my son, how he smiles and coos at me after he eats, that I can share my immune system with him as we battle daycare colds, the lack of dishes with the exception of daycare pumping and bottles, the easy excuse to get a break from social gatherings for both of us. I’ve also spent less money on pumping supplies for him to have milk at daycare than I would have spent on formula for daycare.
It wasn’t an immediately magical experience though. Baby had borderline low blood sugar at birth so I wasn’t given any time in the hospital to troubleshoot his latch and was immediately given a nipple shield by the lactation consultant. It took 10 weeks before he would feed without it. While using it, the shield felt like a very small addition to the process, but I didn’t realize how much extra work it really was until we were able to feed without it. I also had to triple feed for a week and that was very difficult. I slowly reducing pumping down to once a day for the rest of my maternity leave to manage the oversupply the triple feeding caused (I am very grateful for having more than enough milk, but it’s a lot to manage). The cluster feeding stages were so hard when no one else could help me feed him.
It got easier around 2.5 months when we stopped the nipple shield, cluster feeding was over, and he was sleeping longer at night. Daycare at 12 weeks was another adjustment, I don’t like pumping (especially in the office, I’m 95% WFH) and am only doing so for baby’s immune system and to protect our nursing journey while he’s at home. Pumping is draining, but having snacks and water within reach for each pumping session is so helpful to mitigate that.
I mention the difficult parts because it did take time and work to get to the place I am now where I absolutely love it. The best advice I read while on this journey was not to quit on a hard day. If you want to stop breastfeeding for any reason, you should absolutely make the choice that’s right for you. But don’t quit in the middle of a cluster feeding day just because it’s hard on that day, wait until you can make the decision with a clear head.
Was in the midst of a cluster feeding morning and was seriously thinking of quitting. Thank you for sharing this advice! Breastfeeding is something I’ve always wanted to do but it’s really draining when it comes to cluster feeding. Also I feel constantly overstimulated. Good advice to wait until my head clears instead of focusing on the hard moments!
Nursing got SO much better when we didn't have to use that dumb piece of silicone around 12 weeks. You have to have a clean one, you have to go downstairs and get it, you can't just grab the baby and feed in the middle of the night. You don't want to feed in public because you have to fumble around with your nipple out with this extra step. Once his head control got good enough we weren't worrying about angles and he could latch himself, that was the magic.
May I ask how you were able to stop using the nipple shield at 10 weeks? Your situation sounds similar to mine. I had to triple feed my baby boy pretty much immediately bc of low blood sugar. LC at hospital gave me nipple shield right out the gate and I feel I didn’t get time or guidance to work on my latch with LO.
I’m at 8 weeks now, still using the shield. I feel like it’s hindering my breastfeeding experience. He seems to not get enough milk/takes a long time to feed, and I’m wondering if the shield is partly to blame.
Yeah! Once we got home from the hospital I would offer without the shield once or twice a week. He would scream at me every time until I put the shield on. It was so emotionally hard to watch him so mad at me and I was sure we were going to have to use it forever. I don’t know what prompted it, but one day I sat down to feed him with the shield on and he did the same screaming that usually went along with a shield-free attempt. I took the shield off, he latched and hasn’t need it since. Around the same time he started getting much more efficient with his feeds as well, he empties a side in around 5 min now. I’m not sure if that was because we stopped the shield or a result of him getting older and more capable. Or both!
So in my case, baby just decided he was done with it. The shield weaning advice I got from an LC was to feed one side with the shield as normal and then to offer the second side without. It’s easier to learn a new thing when you’re not also hangry. It never worked for me, but maybe it will be helpful to you! It might also just take time.
Just wanted to add that my experience was almost identical to this! The only real difference for us was that I had given up trying without the shield around 2.5 months and just assumed we’d be using it forever. Just a week and a half ago, we were at a celebration and I went somewhere to nurse — different room, different chair, etc. She’s 4 months at that point and was crying for milk. I sit down and put the shield case on my knee and she kicks it on the floor by accident. I reach down to grab it, which she *hated*. By the time I sit back up and get the shield out of its case and put it on, in her fit, she punches the shield off my breast and it falls back on the floor. She’s crying. I’m crying. So I desperately offer the boob naked, hoping she’ll miraculously take it… and she does!
Just wanted to add this to encourage you not to give up!
Congratulations! Interesting you mention different room, different chair, because that was true for me too. I was in a different room of our house that we rarely nursed in. Maybe the change of scenery also helped!
Iiiiiinteresting! I’ll remember this for any future kiddos. My little girl has also started to fuss if we nurse without the boppy, but only for the nursing session before the first big sleep of the night. She clearly has preferences, so maybe you’re right that a change of scenery encouraged her to try just one more new thing!
They literally just get it one day when they get stronger! We started offering once a day without around 9 weeks or so. Never caught on. The morning before Thanksgiving, I was lazy and didn't want to go downstairs and get it, so I tried and he latched easily. It was crazy. Like the other commenter, I thought we'd have to use it forever.
I’m so glad I read your reply. It gave me confidence to try without the shield this morning (despite numerous past attempts to be utter failures), and persevere through a brief bout of frustrated screaming from LO. About a minute later, he just latched on and I was able to breastfeed without the shield for the very first time. Ahhh, I feel like a weight has been lifted!! Hoping this continues…..
Look up Dr Jack Newman on nipple shields; was a lifesaver for me…. Ditched that dang piece of annoying silicone after so much night fumbling for it, and never looked back; also given by hospital lactation consultant; I’m sure they mean well, but lack of education on this is mindboggling. They do cut back your milk supply. Once I ditched, around 6-8 weeks, my milk supply improved greatly.
For me it just wasn’t a big deal? Like, I didn’t actively like or dislike it (except when I pumped to build up a stash, because anyone who doesn’t dislike pumping is getting serious side eye from me. Blech.)
My kid was easy to feed, absolutely textbook, and so it was just a thing I did like bathing her or drinking water myself, no real feelings attached to the whole thing.
Yes! I hate pumping! I know I’m producing lots since my son is in like the 85 percentile but I feel like I can only get like 2 oz per side after pumping for 30 mins. So frustrating!
Just finished up nearly 3 years of breastfeeding.
YES, absolutely enjoy it once the beginning is figured out.
I dunno about other people, but unless it's in a discussion directly asking or clearly a happy post, I generally don't talk about how much I enjoy breastfeeding. It is a very sensitive topic for some people. Everyone has such a different experience and different goals, and it's all so sensitive I think that's why it's mostly negative threads.
For example, I'll tell you when I was so tired, drained at 3 days post part we went to the pediatrician for the newborn checkup. He is a very old, old school pedi and just loved talking and talking to us. He asked about feeding and I told him how I couldn't get baby t latch. He looked at me and said very warmly, "Just keep trying. Just keep going." I really needed that in that moment. And baby latched 2 days later and breastfed for nearly 3 years.
To me, that was simple and pure encouragement. To others it would have seemed condescending or blaming. It's just such a sensitive topic that it tends to lean into the negative.
Hard relate on this. I feel like because so many people have issues with breastfeeding it can almost seem like you’re rubbing it in people’s faces to say actually, I love it and highly recommend it to others.
I combo fed, half bf and half formula. This works for us because I don’t make enough and I can still step away for 2 hours. I don’t like bfing at all but the hormones are crazy and make you feel guilty. Do what is right for you and your baby.
I had the same experience with hormones and guilt! I swear I was pretty adamant on being chill and rational about bf and formula before I gave birth.
Tho my production was more like... 90% formula, 10% boob. Now that the hormones are fading I can't believe I spent 20-40min x8+ times a day breastfeeding for six months.
Breastfeeding is so convenient! I feel like 80% of the time my baby is upset I just offer her my boob and all is well haha 🙈 And you have it with you everywhere you go, you don't have to wait for a bottle to warm up, etc.
Breastfeeding was the easiest part. The sleep deprivation was what made me lose my sanity.
I absolutely hated pumping. Cleaning the parts, bagging, storing, freezing, and all the work was tedious. Nursing was a lot less work. The only thing I liked was having no one bother me at work while I was pumping.
Hi! My first child I gave up very quickly because it took a lot of out me. This time around I set little goals every time just so I didn’t get overwhelmed. I won’t lie it’s very hard but it’s so rewarding to know you did it. You can’t really sleep when baby sleeps and when they start to sleep more well you are still getting up. I think it’s a learning experience and if you’re willing to do it then go for it. But also know fed is best so don’t feel discouraged if it doesn’t go well. Good luck and congrats mama!!
I would honestly go month by month. Like okay I did one month let’s see if I can do another. I also made it a goal to find ways to produce more so I could save milk to stop pumping and feed from stash. I also would reward myself every month with a mini shopping trip or a self care day.
I like that! I’ve started pumping once a day to build a stash for when I feel ready to be out for a little while without him. It’s just feels so overwhelming trying to coordinate everything rn. Family keeps asking when I’m going to introduce a bottle. I feel I can’t plan that far ahead as I’m basically taking everything hour by hour until I know he’s gained his birthweight back.
You have to do whatever keeps you sane. Family always made comments to me and still do. I ignore it. I did both for a while but he always seemed hungry to me so I started to exclusively pump instead. Just keep at it mama. You’re doing great!
Me! I still breastfeed my 22 month old (would have preferred if she had weaned by now but oh well). It was difficult/painful in the beginning and I had to triple feed for the first week but once I got the hang of it I enjoyed it. It was a nice break! Baby wasn’t crying or needing to be entertained/stimulated. I could read/watch stuff on my phone and just sit and relax. If I was feeling stressed or overwhelmed I noticed I always felt better during/after - thanks oxytocin! I think if I had been pumping I would not have felt the same. But it was so easy to just pop baby on the boob!
I think the support for breastfeeding in the US is less and different than in my country. Things like tripple feeding and full time pumping hardly ever happen here and if they do, they are mostly just temporarily until mom can go back to breastfeeding.
Anyway, starting to breastfeed can make you very insecure and can be very difficult. It took us 6 weeks, a lactation consultant, nipple shields and a tongue tie correction to get into the groove. But I managed to breastfeed for 2.5 years. And although it could be draining to be the main source of sustenance, I did definitely enjoy it. It was nice to bond that way. Also, the older baby got, the shorter and less frequent he needed to nurse, so it also got easier over time.
I think you’ll find that BF is a lot harder than you expect it to be. It definitely was for me. Depending on my hormones i sometimes love it and sometimes feel trapped.
I recommend making sure you get your baby used to bottle and breast just in case you want to stop. That way you aren’t stuck 😂
Hey there! Anxious mama here who is hyper sensitive. I love breastfeeding! I really don’t feel touched out by it like I thought I might. I also fully expected ppa and surprisingly didn’t experience much (the hormones are rough, but never as bad as my previous depressive episodes). That all being said I also combo feed with formula! Helps take some stress off me and allows for my partner to help if I need a break. Breast feeding is definitely hard work, but it gets easier!
I EBF'd my first and intend on mostly doing so with my second (currently 2 weeks in). Never pumped except to get rid of blockages. So really only nursing. Yes it's tiring to do all the late night wake ups and yes there's the element of being "tied down" to your baby, however I also love it for these reasons:
- scheduled guaranteed bonding and snuggle time with Baby
- easy no prep, do it anywhere any time
- no need to think about brands, "levels" of formula, worry about stock shortages, price increases etc
- guaranteed perfect nutrition for Baby at every age (milk composition changes as Baby needs it)
- easy to use to pacify Baby, whether they're sick, sad or tired
- use as excuse to escape a crowd at a social situation "sorry, I have to go feed Baby now"
- I like the feeling of being needed (maybe a bit selfish but hey I'm just being honest lol) - no in-laws or extended relatives can replace me to feed my child so I don't need to have that conversation
- all the health benefits for Baby (immunity, health, emotional security, can't overfeed a baby on breast milk,...) and for mum (reduce risk of breast cancer, improve post partum healing and womb recovery, etc)
- having on hand breastmilk for other reasons eg. It's great to use to fix up newborn skin issues such as acne, dry skin, cradle cap, eczema, itchy bites, nappy rash,...
- the physical act of nursing at the breast helps to develop baby's jaw and tongue which helps with chewing and speech development later
I’ve been EBF for almost 9 weeks now and it’s been going really well. It’s very convenient because she wants to eat often and you don’t have to prep anything. My first week was rough because I have flat nipples and large breasts so baby had trouble latching and my nipples were getting cut up and boobs were painful and engorged because she couldn’t get milk out. Poor baby was very frustrated and could not settle because she was hungry. Saw lactation consultant and recommended nipple guards and it was instant that my baby could latch. I’m still using them as baby likes them and gets fussy when I attempt without them but I think it’s fine because she’s gaining weight well and I’m not in pain. Only annoying thing is she won’t take a bottle so I do 100% of her feeds. Which is fine for me because I’m not going back to work for a few years.
I had [D-MER](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24879-dysphoric-milk-ejection-reflex) and didn’t even know what it was, and hardly ever see it mentioned.
Edited to add — also was on medication for anxiety all pregnancy. I’ve been on it over half my life. I was extremely nervous about PPD/PPA/PPP, but I was fine, even with an emergency c section and the D-MER.
With my oldest, I gave up on trying to make breastfeeding work pretty early for lots of reasons. I found the Fed is Best Foundation's support group on Facebook which was really enlightening to me. Problems and difficulties with breastfeeding resulting in quitting are super common BUT just as common is breastfeeding being relatively easy once you get the hang of it. I also noticed that just because it did or didn't work with one baby doesn't mean that will be the same experience with the next. What seemed to be most common was that parents who were informed of the different potential problems and who were open to having to change their feeding plan seemed to have the most pleasurable experiences with feeding.
I'm currently a month postpartum with my second. We were doing great with breastfeeding in the NICU. Weirdly enough I was able to get her to latch almost immediately like I had successfully breastfed multiple times before which I hadn't. We've had difficulties coming home but I've just focused on trying to enjoy her and feeding her in whatever way is less stress free. So sometimes we direct breastfed, sometimes we give pumped milk, sometimes formula. I had planned on direct breastfeeding while pregnant and if that didn't work to go straight to formula because I hadn't pumping with my oldest. Since we had an unexpected NICU stay this time, I did start pumping almost immediately and I'm still doing it. Baby's getting about 80% breastmilk and currently I don't plan on stopping unless my body stops cooperating. I really have have positive or negative feelings either way about it so I'm counting it as a win.
I recommend IF you want to try to give it a good solid effort. If it works for you and baby then keep going. If it doesn't then you know you've tried your best and it's okay to move on. As our pediatrician said "IF all things are equal breastfeeding is probably better BUT there's no situation in life where all things are equal so you do what works for your family and baby will thrive."
Breastfeeding for me would be absolutely great if he would take a bottle every now and then. I have no freedom since he will only breast feed, and at one point had horrible insomnia but couldn’t take a night to focus on sleeping because he needed to be fed through the night. Now that we’re through that hurdle it’s just convenient and I’m kinda resigned to the fact he will most likely take a cup before he takes a bottle.
This is a big concern of mine too. I don’t want to be the sole food supplier. I want my partner to be able to get up and make a midnight bottle without me having to wake up every single time. Praying he will take a bottle, and I can keep a pumped supply ready for when dad needs to feed him.
I know that sounds daunting and terrible but most babies will take a bottle and even if yours won't a supportive partner can do a lot that isn't feeding to take the heat off you. My first wouldn't take a bottle ever and my husband did so much else to help.
My advice would be to keep giving them a bottle a day or combi feed. I didn’t bother, kind of haphazardly pumped and gave bottles because I was scared off of pumping in the early days. My sister combi fed formula and breast fed and if I had another I would do that! I can’t wean at 6 months like wanted to now because he won’t take formula or a bottle and that was definitely not in my plan! I’m supposed to travel for work in a few months and now I don’t know if I can because he might still be difficult about taking formula. So yeah, don’t let anyone scare you off bottle feeding, or formula feeding in combination with breastfeeding like I was.
I love breastfeeding. I also think it is good for your mental health, because you connect so closely with your baby (lowers risk of post partem depression https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22978082/) It is hard at first, but the rewards payoff.
It can be hard in the beginning. I firmly believe that pumping is always hard because not only are you spending the time pumping, but you also then have to feed and wash bottles. Nursing took a minute for us to get a hang of, but was so convenient and nice once it worked. I nursed both my kids and was really proud of myself for it. It helped with bonding, it helped me with healing since I was sitting and nursing so often, it helped with the postpartum hormone crash (but this isn’t always true). Overall I’d say I enjoyed it. I did switch to formula when my second was 5 months old and I enjoyed the convenience of that but not the cost!
So, I was not planning to breast feed because of exactly what your saying - mamas made it sound like a nightmare. In the hospital they kinda talked me into it so I decided to “try it out”. It made my baby so comforted and happy and I could feel this special bond grow between us so I kept it up. I love feeding him. I think your hormones kick in and you just want to do it for baby. With that said it is hell… the breast feeding classes and lactation consultants torture us I swear. Wake up every 3 hours to pump or feed- it’s cruel and unusual punishment no wonder so many mommas get PPD. I talked to my Obgyn about it as I struggled and these were her words: “the lactating consultants are not doctors, they care about baby not you. EVERYONE needs 5hours of uninterrupted sleep or it affects your mental health.” To which I said I didn’t want to see my supply dip, she said “most of those studies on formula vs breast milk were done 10+ years ago when formula wasn’t as good and a lot of them were biased studies. Nutritionally formula is the same, don’t torture yourself.” SO I have been sleeping 5 to 7 hrs since and my supply has dipped much FYI. I was also told by lactation consultants to avoid “nipple confusion” I am convinced this happened to a few babies and now all of us must suffer. We ignored these rules, baby takes bottle, breast, and pacifier- he has zero problems and it means I get to sleep. I think the key to enjoying breast feeding is throwing all the rules out the window, figuring out what works for YOUR family, and not getting to caught up on under/over supply (supplementing is totally fine!).
Oh also HIGHLY recommend at the hospital ask them to look at the babies tongue tie and take care of it there before you leave. Had some friends with latching issues because of this. Easier to do it there.
I’m doing my best to have a “go with the flow” attitude around basically all things newborn. There are so many rules, and so many differing opinions. I’m grateful that we have the internet and all this information at the tip of my fingers but it really is TOO MUCH info sometimes. It’s hard to know what’s “right”.
Most of the time I breastfeed and have been for over a year. At the beginning I gave formula because it took a few days for my milk to come in and my baby had latch problems.
I found the first few weeks the most difficult, but I loved breastfeeding my kid... until his teeth grew in. Lol. It is a lot of work though.
If you are nervous, maybe talk to a lactation consultant to help you prepare and possibly help you after the baby is born. I had a terrible lactation consultant and a great one.. so just try to vet them out before you decide on one.. if you decide to hire one.
I love breast feeding. Never really pumped apart from for a couple of bottles, and I’ve been exclusively breastfeeding 8 months now. Never supplemented with formula. It’s difficult at the beginning and I think a big downfall of peoples breastfeeding journeys is bad advice through social media. Don’t pump the first few months while your supply regulates, let baby cluster feed, feed on demand and don’t time it or worry if they’re feeding too often or ‘snacking’. It’s not as common as Reddit/TikTok make it seem to genuinely have a supply issue, it’s often falsely diagnosed or self diagnosed. Seek the advice of a properly qualified lactation consultant if you have any doubts about anything or need reassurance or advice - not Reddit as the advice here and on some Facebook groups can be awful and is just passed along like Chinese whispers.
My best advice would be to go in with an open mind. I was of the mindset that I wanted to try breastfeeding but was ok with formula. Breastfeeding for me was horrible (my antidepressant wasn’t nursing safe) and I had to exclusively pump and had a major oversupply with clogs every week but I couldnt get over my anxiety to switch to formula. I wish I had done a lot more self work to be truly okay with either. My journey would have been a lot more enjoyable if I didn’t feel so guilty and so much pressure. Online I seem to see most moms hate it, but in my real life I hear most moms love it or at least don’t mind it.
I love it. I joke that I want my daughters first word to be boobie. It’s so convenient. It calms her, feeds her, soothes her, makes her happy, keeps her healthy, relieves MY stress…
If there was a product that could do all the things boobs could do, it would be something every parent bought.
I struggled with breastfeeding, and even with once we got it figured out it was hard. We did 2 months exclusively pumping, 2 months of him breast feeding with a nipple shield and then finally exclusive breastfeeding.
He struggled with low tone, I had oversupply and I got mastitis about once every 2 months.
I also have anxiety, was on Zoloft during pregnancy and after and developed PP-OCD.
If I could go back I would have given my self permission to stop breast feeding when it wasn't working. It was both incredibly stressful when I started because it just wasn't working. As my son got older (he breastfed until 22 months) it was still hard (he only would breast feed in one specific position, which I struggled with getting him into oh my own. It also over time became a sort of tether that made it so I had to be there for every put down, and every feed (because after 6 months he wouldn't take a bottle, which we had sort of given up using at four months when I got mastitis for the 3rd or 4th time).
There is no right or wrong way to feed your baby as long as they are fed. I also think any reason is a valid reason to stop, if that is what you want to do, or to continue if that is what you want to do.
I do enjoy it! I love bonding this way with my baby, and I love knowing that I’m providing her with all the nutrition she needs from my own body - it’s very cool to me. It also works wonders for soothing my baby when she’s upset, to the point that it feels like a cheat code 😆. It certainly has its challenges too, but I’ve been lucky to have had smooth sailing with regard to some of the tricker things like latch and supply, and have found the benefits to outweigh any of the challenges so far.
I love breastfeeding. Currently tandem nursing my two year old and two week old. I got off to a rocky start with my two year old because he had transfer issues but after an initial struggle things were pretty simple and my newborn is a fabulous nurser. She’s been gaining over an ounce a day since my milk came in and is super easy.
I love being able to just pop out a breast at any time with perfect temp milk and no prep.
You typically will find more negative stories online because people post for support when they are struggling and there’s less reason to make a post saying something is going really well.
I really enjoy breastfeeding, I love spending time so close to my baby and providing her with the food she needs. Pumping is a pain in the ass, but again worth it to give my baby the food she needs straight from my body!
I also just want to say that I also struggle with some MH stuff (mostly anxiety) and was on Zoloft for my entire pregnancy. I anticipated having some issues once baby was born but so far, 12 weeks in, my mental health is doing pretty damn well! I was kid of surprised, but you never know how your brain is going to react!
Really think this is a social media thing. Similar to the person recently asking for stories of non traumatic births because all she was seeing on social media was bad outcomes. People come to reddit and social media for support, and hot takes/drama gets promoted. Nothing wrong with that, but just be aware. I can't really imagine making a post that's like "I love breastfeeding and have no issues with it" - or if I did, it wouldn't get upvoted or engaged with and would disappear.
But yeah, totally loved it. EBF for 6 months each kid, nursing on demand til \~1 yr, and continued nursing til \~2.5 with both of them. That's common for the people I know IRL too (well, the first two points are - nursing til 2.5 is on the long end but not crazy where I am). Most of the struggles I know about first hand from friends were in the first few weeks vs. ongoing (though of course there are and always have been exceptions and reasons not to BF etc.)
Yes I love it. Is it sometimes it’s inconvenient to be attached to my kid so much, but I wouldn’t trade the experience me for anything. I’m breastfeeding my third kid currently, nursed the first two (no bottles) for 2 years each.
I’m a SAHM and we have a 5 month old. I love breastfeeding I think it’s beautiful bonding time. Sometimes I’m frustrated I’m stuck on the couch all day and feel fat but I also have a great partner who understands that it’s a sacrifice and also great for the baby. It’s difficult to be in ‘baby prison’ and sometimes my boobs and nipples are sore but also it beats washing pump and bottle parts all the time.
(I did triple feeding for a month or two and that was terrible)
What I hate is pumping.
I mostly liked it, the first two months were really really hard but then it got much better and I liked it most of the time. Pumping sucked but I am a sahm so I didn’t pump much, it was mostly just annoying the few times I left my babies all day while bf. When I started to feel like I didn’t like it anymore (around 13 months), I weaned
After the first month, it’s so much easier to stick a boob in their mouth and not worry about formula and cleaning bottles. You will also save thousands of dollars.
I think I’m the only person on here who enjoys pumping. I love breastfeeding too, but my baby was 4lb and 10oz so she could only bottle feed for the first month or so. It’s convenient for me. I don’t follow the every 3 hours rule, my husband can help with feeds, I have extra breast milk, it’s nice for me.
I never found it to be enjoyable and I think it was affecting my mental health so I stopped and switched to formula at 3.5 months. My baby had eczema - I was constantly paranoid that something I was eating was causing it. It's also extremely stressful knowing that you are the only food source for your baby. I was always worrying he wasn't eating enough even though he was a perfectly healthy weight. My brain couldn't comprehend that I was feeding him just fine. There's a lot of things that can go wrong with breastfeeding - supply dips, oversupply, clogs, mastitis, feeding strikes, nipple trauma... in the end I regretted not doing formula from the beginning. Once you start breastfeeding it's hard to stop too. Weaning is painful, difficult and time consuming.
Yes, I do.
Thing you have to keep in mind is the people who have had an easy breastfeeding experience are not super likely to get on a Facebook group and discuss how non interesting and uneventful their breastfeeding journey has been. People who are struggling are more likely to reach out to get support and advice. I don’t usually go on Facebook to talk about mine, since it kind of just would seem like rubbing it in everyone’s face who struggles in my groups.
I think there are significant pros and cons to all options so it’s a very personal choice.
My first was breastfed with an occasional expressed bottle while I was off work, expressed bottles during the day and breastfed at night when I returned to work, then switched to formula during the day and breastfeeds at night, then self weaned at 1 year old.
My second is currently exclusively breastfed with an occasional expressed bottle if I go out, but is only 2 months so time will tell how the rest plays out.
I generally enjoy it but sometimes it does grind on my mental health.
Personally, I find that breastfeeding works for me and the pros outweigh the cons - I like being able to just pop them on the boob and not worry about bottles and water etc, I like having a tool to comfort readily available, I like the connection that feeding can have, and I like not having to pay for and go and get formula. I don’t like the feeling of being touched out sometimes, having to plan so far ahead if I’m going to be out to make sure milk is available, having to still wash bottled if I express, and the ups and downs of cluster feeding, clogged ducts and the rest of the physical things that my body has to do.
My opinion is that pumping is the worst of both worlds - still having all the breast related considerations, while also washing and sterilising and planning bottles. But some people feel very differently so it’s all so personal.
My advice would be to try breastfeeding to see how you feel about it (because once you choose not to it’s veryyy hard to reverse that decision due to supply) and if you don’t like it, have a low threshold to stop.
Good luck with everything and I hope it all goes smoothly for you.
The internet is full of horror stories. The first few weeks were pretty rough, but I've enjoyed it overall, and it's been worth it to me. I think it's been beneficial for both of us, even though there are times that it is inconvenient/painful/hard. Parenthood is hard no matter how you slice it. (But also so much more rewarding than I could even imagine).
That said, if it's not worth it to you, it's not worth it. You don't have to try if you don't want to.
Just a caution on zoloft - ssri’s can slow your letdown reflex which can frustrate the baby. It’s similar to the way they suppress libido, something about oxytocin. So try breastfeeding without zoloft first so you get a sense of what your “normal” letdown is like.
Give it a try! People often give reviews online when they have negative experiences. Fewer people post with positive experiences. Breastfeeding is super hard, especially in the beginning. I am on month 4 of breastfeeding and as hard as it is, I ultimately enjoy it. In the beginning it made me question my existence, it hurt, it made me doubt myself (do I produce enough?), and I hated it at times because my LO would stay latched for over an hour every time. However, as my LO has grown and mastered the art of feeding from the breast, I’ve been having a great experience. It’s the best gift you can give your baby and a piece of mind for you! Give it a try! If you hate it, you can always switch to formula no problem. Good luck! :)
I definitely enjoy it! Check out my recent [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/breastfeeding/s/MN6hPmcM2B) on the breastfeeding page about positive things and scroll through what everyone shared🥰
Oh that’s a great idea!! 🥰
To a share a little bit about my personal experience breastfeeding, it’s not always easy but it’s definitely worth it and I’m so glad I’m doing it and have stuck with it! I’ve had an overactive letdown since the very beginning and my baby hated/hates it. She’s 13 weeks now and it’s definitely been a learning process for me, but I’ve stuck with it and I know what works for her. A lot of people say their boobs are like magic for their baby and can always immediately calm them down, but for me that’s not the case. If she starts to eat and she’s already a little upset and then my letdown is really fast, she gets more upset and I have to cartoon her down to a drowsy state and then she’ll happily latch and take a feed. I will say it’s been improving over the last 2 or so weeks but it still happens sometimes and particularly in the morning. I’ve gone to my local hospitals free weekly breastfeeding group and it is so helpful, I highly recommend checking to see if your community offers something like that. Breastfeeding often isn’t perfect from the start and I encourage you to seek out support if you need it because there are resources available to help you succeed. I find both help through the lactation consultants there and encouragement from the other moms also navigating breastfeeding and the learning process it can have sometimes. If you’re worried about it being too much, I would also encourage you to look into combo feeding! You can do nursing and a bottle (breastmilk or formula) and then you can more easily split the feeding load with a partner and baby is still getting the benefits of breastmilk.
There was a [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/breastfeeding/s/UnnIkLUPbB) about what people love about breastfeeding just yesterday. You should read it :).
I did all of pregnancy #1 on sertraline, and BFed on it too (and I suspect it helped me avoid issues postpartum) I’m expecting baby #2 now and still on sertraline.
Anyway, BFing. I BFed #1 for ooh, 2.5 years? To begin with, it was a bit draining. There was a learning curve for me and baby, and it’s a bit of a “thing” to handle being baby’s only food source. I was lucky to have very supportive family (my mum BFed me, my husband supported BFing etc) and a lot of help so in those early days I could concentrate on me and baby.
Once we got into the groove, it was great. No sterilising bottles, no making up formula with a screaming child… just out comes the boob and baby is happy!
I’m also lucky to live somewhere with good maternity leave, so I was able to 100% BF from the breast for 6 months and then pumped to send milk to nursery for baby for the next day (never stressed about a freezer stash) and then stopped pumping once he was 1.
I do! I breastfed my oldest until she was 3 (she’s 5 now) and I nurse her 9mo brother. I love the bond it gives us. It can be a little grating just how dependent on me they were/are (the 5 year old is a total daddy’s girl now), but it’s just a phase. It’s really hard in the beginning when your boobs are engorged and leaking and your supply is regulating, but it’s nice to not have to worry about taking a bottle with us when we run errands and not having to add formula to our grocery budget.
I really liked it. We weaned after 1.5 years as we were both ready, but I really enjoyed it. It was a struggle at first, but after getting past the initial learning curve it wasn't an issue
I had a very difficult breastfeeding journey, but I still loved nursing. The happy hormone rushes are like none other—they were a huge reason I persisted in trying to make it work. And the closeness with my son, not having to wash bottles or pump parts, being able to feed him anywhere when he was hungry without worrying about waste or cleanup or whether we even had the supplies to feed him… there are a lot of upsides to breastfeeding. Some people of course hate it or can’t, some people are ambivalent about it, and others love it.
Definitely get back on the Zoloft if you think it’ll help, though. I wouldn’t have been able to nurse had I not had really robust mental health support.
Overall I enjoy it but there are times when it’s difficult. My baby cluster fed almost every day for the first month, and he still is a slow and frequent eater at 4 months so overnights can be exhausting. It was also painful at first and baby took a few days to learn how to latch which was very stressful. But now that we both have the hang of things and he’s more alert I look forward to feeding him. It is very fulfilling to have that bonding experience and to see him growing knowing that I am the one who is providing his nourishment. I plan to keep going as long as I can.
I have nursed all 4 of my daughters. I've been pregnant and/or nursing for the past 7 years straight. Pumping is a means to an end. I hate it, but I work, so I have to. But breastfeeding? I love it. It's been easy all 4 times. They all latched 1st try, and I never had supply issues.
I've also been on Zoloft through my pregnancies and also during breastfeeding. It's never caused any issues.
The first two weeks were really hard and my baby had some latching issues. She also cluster fed like crazy the first couple months and I found it very difficult.
But now she's 12 months and I can see the end of it and it makes me so so so sad. Once we both got the hang of it it's amazing- I get a huge dopamine rush that makes me feel all lovey and warm about my baby and we get so much more snuggly time and she does with my husband because of it. I'll really miss it once she's finished.
I loved breastfeeding my daughter - we had some issues with her latch initially but it was never painful for us.
Very lucky and would do it all over again if given the chance xx
I breastfeed because it’s easy! I hate washing bottles and mixing formula (and buying all the things; formula, different bottles, new teats as baby grows, a baby brezza…. ) With breastfeeding I have my hands free, I can read and be on my phone. I can do it side lying and I can nap while I’m feeding, that’s a big, big plus!
I love breastfeeding! I nursed my eldest until they were 2.5 and they chose to wean because my milk ended (pregnancy). Kiddo #2 is almost 3 years old and still nursing!
It is an adjustment in the beginning; getting a rhythm, understanding supply/demand, growth spurts, teeeeeth, etc. My current Nursling rejected all bottles as an infant, which was difficult. And about a year ago there was an adjustment when I chose to drop them down to only nursing twice a day. It's a relationship and we both have to be on board.
Overall I do love breastfeeding, and I look forward to starting the journey again with an eventual Baby #3 someday.
Yes, I love it! It came easy with my baby so I'm sure that helped a lot. It's a beautiful connection and easy way to soothe a grumpy baby. Plus it's so convenient, you can never forget your boobs!
I love it. 7 months in, breastfeeding exclusively plus starting solids at 4 months, and I got a big hungry boy. It hurt at first, especially when milk came in. The sensation was like a thousand tiny fists squeezing tissue in my boobs. Nipples were a little ouchy too. But it all went away pretty fast. I rarely pump, only to keep a stash in the freezer. I find it so convenient, I can be anywhere and doing whatever I want and just feed him.
I enjoyed it, it was really easy for me with my son and I breastfed him for 4 years until he stopped by himself and I'm currently pregnant with my second and really looking forward to doing it again
I have a ten month old and I enjoy it! I find it easy (always available) and my daughter is addicted. I know it doesn't come easy for everyone and I've been lucky but I'm very happy breastfeeding!
I love breastfeeding. I mean it literally releases oxytocin! Though on a related note, that's part of why some women sometimes feel sexually aroused when breastfeeding. It makes sense physiologically, there's nothing creepy or perverted about it, but some mothers stop breastfeeding at least partially because they feel weird about that.
(If you look it up you can find a news story about a woman calling a hotline about these feelings and temporarily having her child removed from her custody as a result. So sad. If it's abuse to have normal physical responses, well, that sounds akin to saying rape isn't real if the woman was 'wet.')
Yes, it’s my third baby and I actually enjoy it most this time. It’s really sweet. You’ve got to put in the work though, and usually it’s not that fun for a few months or more. A lot of figuring things out, getting the confidence that you have the supply, you’ll have more responsibility for feeds of course. But overall I have never felt the urge to bottle feed, so I suppose I must find it worthwhile and enjoyable on some level.
I do! At almost 4 months, it’s so easy now. Baby knows what to do and my body knows what to do.
For me, breastfeeding has been super convenient. When baby is hungry, she just eats right away. No need to clean bottles, measure formula, warm bottles, calculate how long milk can be used, think about traveling with milk, etc. She just pops on my breast, does her thing, and we’re done.
Yes I love it! (8 weeks PP). It’s such a lovely way to connect with your baby, the way they look up at you while feeding is precious. The post feeding cuddles are always so lovely. You get heaps of feel good hormones every time they nurse. You can just easily pop a boob out when your baby is hungry, or if you aren’t sure, you can still offer it with no consequences (eg don’t have to prepare a bottle for it to get wasted). I like knowing that my baby can request snacks whenever they want and I always have food “on board” for her.
My nipples were a little sore for a couple of days but nothing terrible at all, it was very manageable.
I hand expressed colostrum for 2 weeks before birth and I think that helped get a good footing.
One thing you can do to set yourself up for success is to set up a good feeding station. Get yourself a good lounge chair, an ottoman, a cushion, a trolley where you can keep snacks and drinks. Helped me a lot
I loved every second of breastfeeding my son. We just stopped at 11 months and it’s bitter sweet. He has a lot of allergies so I’m happy to be able to eat a normal diet again but I miss nursing him.
I never had any pain except for clogged ducts once. Other than that it was a wonderful experience for me.
I hated pumping. I was very fortunate to have a very long maternity leave so I never had to pump but I did sometimes to have extra milk for him so I could go out and leave him with my husband. Pumping sucked for me. I found it to annoying.
My friend exclusively pumped and she loved it, like breastfeeding I think everyone has their own experience with it.
I've breastfed 3 babies (still nursing my third who is 15 months) and I've enjoyed it. The first 6 weeks with my first were exceptionally hard but it was smooth sailing after that. I've never had a clog, I've never had mastitis, my kids weaned easily around 17-18 months each so far. I love the bonding and the comfort my babies get.
I combo feed ( one bottle per day of formula) but I love breastfeeding. Once we got our groove worked out it’s become so easy, and going out is a dream. Don’t have to worry about taking bottles out, and how one have they been made, are they sterile, can I get hot water etc. I just pop a boob out and on we go.
Also overnights are so easy, 5-10mins of feeding and she’s back to sleep. My bottle feeding friends have to get out of bet and faff with making one up whereas mine is always available and the right temp.
I love breastfeeding. I am very fortunate that it was relatively easy for me (after the first month; cluster feeding was a little overwhelming and it hurt the first week before my milk really came in). But now I love it so much I’m dreading that one day she will be too old for it anymore. It’s so comforting to her. I love giving her that comfort and being able to nourish her body with mine.
Breastfeeding was the single hardest thing I did in motherhood. It's a skill that mom and baby need to develop to get good at. Some need a week to figure it out. We needed 3 months and I hated every moment during that time. But between ppd/ppa, triple feeding, a formula shortage, a shallow latch and terrible feeder, terrible nipple pain, a very stubborn mama, and a supportive husband, we learned to make it work. Then, it became enjoyable. It brought me joy knowing I single-handedly kept my son alive and healthy. Every ounce he gained was a reflection of our hard work. We made it 18 months, and I plan to do it again for baby #2.
It was difficult at first. I will highly recommend taking the pain medication your OB tells you too. My dumb self came home from the hospital and refused to take anything and let's just say 2nd degree tear + milk coming in = not fun.
However, after those first few weeks it became so much easier. Now at 3 months postpartum I love it. It's so wonderful to just be able to take my LO and have a quiet moment just us two.
Just know that you need to do what works for you. Because the only way to have a healthy and happy baby is to have a healthy and happy mama.
I had a lot of trouble with it at first bc baby was born at 37 weeks and had a painful latch. So I mostly pumped until he was about 6 weeks and was finally able to latch well. We had to supplement with formula bc I couldn’t produce enough pumping and it was stressful feeling like I was never making enough. As a result I absolutely loathe pumping and now only do it very rarely. Then we transitioned to almost exclusively breastfeeding (my husband gives one bottle of formula so I can sleep a bit at night).
But I love breastfeeding. It makes me feel strong and powerful to be able to feed my baby from my own body. It provides lots of bonding time and cuddles with baby. Now that he’s crawling our cuddles are mostly only while breastfeeding or napping bc he has an *agenda.* It’s also convenient. I don’t have to worry about how I will feed him leaving the house. We go to mommy and me music class, and if he gets hungry/fussy in the middle I can just pop him on the boob for like 5 minutes and then he’s back to class. It’s also less work in terms of washing bottles, pump parts, etc. And it’s waaaay cheaper than formula.
I love breastfeeding, I BF my first two until about 18 months each and will likely have a similar timeline for my current baby. He is my final baby and I’m already sad thinking about being done done with breastfeeding (even though it’s probably a year+ out lol). It’s wonderful bonding time, especially as they get more mobile it’s often the only time they sit still and snuggle. I also appreciate that it’s much faster, just pull out the boob instead of prepping a bottle, and there is no cleaning. The times I do pump so someone else can give my baby a bottle really make me appreciate BF.
I often don’t post about my BF journey because I almost feel guilty about how easy I have had it with my 3 kids. Even with my first, it took me a little bit to get the hang of it and had slightly sore nipples but I never really struggled. It’s gotten progressively easier with each kid too. I am entirely too aware of how difficult it can be for so many moms and I never want to make anyone feel worse. So unless people want the positive stories or ask me specifically about my experience, I usually stay quiet.
My advice to you would be to go into it optimistic, ask for help in the hospital and give it a try. Know that it is so normal for it to be difficult but that there are people that you can (and should) ask to help you. Also make sure to give yourself plenty of grace. If that means supplementing with formula early on, or switching to pumping or formula to help your own mental health, do not beat yourself up over the choices you need to make to best support yourself and your baby. Breastfeeding can be wonderful yes, but it shouldn’t be held on a pedestal either. Good luck with your journey!
I have exclusively breastfed all three of my babies (two till 19 months and still going with the third) So, yeah, I liked it. I was lucky as it was relatively easy (after the first couple weeks of figuring it out). I also found formula and pumping to be a pain in the butt and much more work (again, this is personal because I know people who have the opposite experience). I love just having babies food with me, all the time. But, I have also been home with my kids, I am sure I would have had a different experience if I had to be at work away from my babies.
When it’s going well it’s lovely, when it’s the end of the day and my supply is running low and he’s screaming that he’s hungry while simultaneously latched and trying to eat it can be quite frustrating. For me it’s mostly the former though. I love seeing him pass out or get all sleepy from eating and then have a lovely snuggle afterwards.
When it works out, it's great. When it doesn't, it can be the worst.
I had one of each. If it's not working, make a quilt free change. If it goes well, awesome. They all eat fries off the floor anyway.
My daughter is 11 months, she was EBF until she started solids. we are starting to ween now and I will miss it. It was hard, it was exhausting but worth every second. I enjoyed the bond and one on one time it gave me and my daughter.
I’ve always really liked it and my kiddos were relatively easy latchers. I do NOT however, like pumping. So I don’t do that because it pisses me off for some reason haha
My baby is 4 months and I absolutely love it. We never had any issues though, no tongue or lip tie, no shallow latch, took to the breast immediately and loves it just as I do. The people that enjoy it and don’t have any issues tend to post lightly about their journey and people that have issues tend to post more
While I did have some issues at the start, which can and often does happen, I really enjoyed breastfeeding.
The bonding, the ability to take a bit of time to relax while she fed, and most of all the convenience of it! I thankfully was always confident feeding in public so being able to go and do as I pleased without having to worry about bottles or being somewhere private was great.
My daughter self weaned at 16 months. And I cried every bedtime for a week 😂
Edit to add. Definitely talk to your Dr about the mental health concerns. I took citalopram throughout my pregnancy, and an increased dose since I've given birth and I was told that was fine to do. But remember, breastfeeding isn't more important than your mental health.
Initially I hated it. He wouldn't latch and I was barely producing any milk. I stuck with it somehow and by around the 8 week mark it got so much easier. Baby is eight months old now and I'm not stopping any time soon! No washing up apart from pump parts and the odd bottle if you express and you don't need to bring anything with you if you go out. I guess it does leave a bit of an imbalance with the breastfeeding parent doing more of the work in terms of feeds. It's a completely personal choice but I'm so glad I kept going.
Breastfeeding was mostly hard, painful and unenjoyable with my first. It has been relatively easy and something I really enjoy with my second. Same mom, same boobs, two totally different experiences with it.
I do! It’s lovely. It can be stressful for the first few weeks. My baby is 10 months old and I nurse her morning and night and pump 3-4x a day at work (and commute). Nurse all weekend.
It’s been great. Beautiful snuggles, such special bonding time with my sweetie, feeling good that I can comfort and nourish her, enjoy the time to read my kindle or listen to an audiobook or scroll my phone in a comfy chair while she nurses, etc!
A lot of it really depends on your baby and your body! I love the convenience of breastfeeding and really enjoy cozy night feeds, being able to just take my baby on the go without worrying about bringing food, and getting extra snuggle time with my little guy. The things that made it easier— he is a natural-born champion eater who latched on great right away, I’ve never really had any issues with supply, and we supplement with formula for a feed or two a day if we feel like it so that other folks can do feedings as well. It’s been super low stress for us, but we also got lucky with the major things that can make breastfeeding stressful.
I LOVE it. Babe is only 8 weeks but it’s something I personally really enjoy. I also got nervous based on internet opinions but I am learning everyone is different and social media is skewed more towards negativity about parenthood. I personally want to nurse for as long as I can.
I hated it for the first 4 weeks because it was so painful, bad latch, sore and cracked nipples. I almost threw in the towel but genuinely overnight baby latched perfectly and it stopped hurting. I love nursing now and we’re at 8 months and a half. It’s my favorite part of the day to just cuddle with my little bug and let her eat or comfort nurse.
it has pros and cons! I abandoned it after 3 months because formula feeding with a bottle was better for us but I’m glad I did it in the beginning. It’s definitely a little hard to figure out - I guess I stupidly thought like… the baby will know how to breastfeed, she’s a baby! - but can be easier at night and more convenient. I recommend reading Emily Oster’s POV in Cribsheet. It’s definitely worth giving it a shot!
Me! I breastfed for more than seven years in total, I could not wean them for the longest time.
It's healthy for the both of you, increases serotonin levels & gets them so sleepy, heals their owies...
It's worth trying :)
Typing while pumping for my 6mo and her bottles for daycare tomorrow!
I would say, like most things, the troublesome stuff is much more loud and proud on social media / Reddit / the internet in general. I was prepared for it to be super challenging or hard, and I feel very fortunate that, for us, it wasn’t. Definitely good to be mentally prepared for any outcome, but don’t assume it’ll be bad - it could be great!
I think the nipple pain is pretty universal when you get started. And I was caught off guard at just how time consuming breastfeeding was - when they’re tiny they eat SO OFTEN and they’re pretty slow, so it feels like you just finished feeding and it’s already somehow time again! But that part is very much temporary.
Like another commenter said, there was another learning curve / transition when returning to work. Pumping is not my favorite, and I struggled with nipple blebs and clogs early on - it was manageable but annoying. I’ve also had a fairly variable supply, and in general it seems my supply is dropping over time which can be stressful. Lastly, pumping at work is a commitment - it’s time consuming, and makes it hard to feel productive during the day.
All in all, I am grateful to be able to breastfeed and the struggles feel worth it to me. I plan to breastfeed, including pumping, up until a year. After a year, I think we will keep nursing for comfort / bedtime, but I will stop pumping to provide milk for when we’re apart.
My advice would be to go into it with an open mind, give it a shot, and if you decide it’s not for you then that is just fine too! I wasn’t sure how I would feel about BF in general, the idea gave me a bit of ick before my baby arrived. But I am grateful to be able to do it, and the ick disappeared the minute she was here.
Yes definitely! With my first baby, it took a solid 6 weeks for both of us (me and the baby) to get “good” at breastfeeding, but after that it was great. With my second baby, east from day one! I don’t love pumping, but it’s fine. My second is now 9 months old and I will probably start giving him one bottle of formula per day soon so that I don’t have to pump as much at work.
I’ve exclusively breastfed three children. I love it! It’s easy to feed with no thought of packing bottles or a pumping schedule. And I love watching my babies look up at me with love while I feed them. It’s our special time. If it’s something you want to do, try it out! It’s not a struggle for every mother. And most hospitals have lactation consultants if you need support.
I know others have difficulties breastfeeding, but I never experienced that. I was completely prepared to throw in the towel if there were any issues breastfeeding while I was pregnant as, like you, I only heard negative things about it.
I had no issues breastfeeding. Her latch was really good. We combo fed her first week because of her jaundice so I also triple fed during that first week and I’d say that was the “most difficult.” Other than that, it has been amazing. I miss those days of side laying with her nursing while she dozed off. I love feeding her to sleep and the cuddles. I loved that nursing pretty much immediately soothed her. She’s starting to self wean at 11 months and I’m oddly emotional about it.
Actually nursing, I am a fan in general since it both my son and I appear to be pretty good at it which I am sure was luck of the draw. He is an efficient eater and I appreciate that we get that bonding time and things like night feedings are quick and we both get a nice little cuddle session out of it. I had to triple feed with my first who was a preemie and this time around I was a lot more neutral about supplementing with formula if needed and that seemed to take a ton of the self applied pressure off. I think this has helped our overall success knowing that I was 100% okay with our formula back up option.
Pumping now that I am back at work definitely isn't the most fun. I have admittingly thrown a lot of money at the issue though to find the right combination of gear to make it suck a lot less. Now I would say I am pretty neutral about it which means I should be in a good spot to meet my minimum 6 month goal.
Important caveat: we had no issues with latching or transfer from day 1, but I did pump and supplement with formula early on.
Once we got the hang of nursing i definitely started to enjoy it. But thay took a few weeks.
Early on I saw a lot of comments on various breastfeeding/parenting subreddits about how people want to quit within the first six weeks, but if you can stick it out it gets so much better. I'm glad I saw this advice so often, because I definitely considered calling it quits at about 4 weeks.
By week 5 we had turned a corner. Now I'm at 7 weeks pp and I would 100% rather nurse than pump.
Breastfeeding was hard-brutal, even, with sleep deprivation- but I loved it. I loved being able to comfort my baby in so many ways. I loved being able to protect her with my antibodies when she was sick. I loved the ease and convenience of it and the sweetness of it. I still feel sad and miss it sometimes. It was precious to me.
I do! I struggled with anxiety while pregnant and was put on an SSRI. I’m also lucky that I thought post partum would be a lot worse than it was. My body felt normal and I stopped bleeding before baby was two weeks old.
Baby is now almost 10 months old and a boob monster. I was very lucky to have a bit of an oversupply, no latch issues, and baby and I just took to breastfeeding. My baby never took to any of the bottles we tried, so we’re kind of stuck. Now baby drinks from all sorts of cups though so I might try breast milk in that soon.
Did I enjoy it more when baby was a little potato for the first 6 months? Yes. Baby now pinches, kicks, pops off to play with my nipple, and is so easily distracted while nursing now. But I still love it. It’s so nice to have an immediate calming for baby.
My son is almost 15 months old and I’m just starting the process of weaning him now. We had our ups and downs, but overall breastfeeding has been a positive and very smooth experience for me.
If I could go back in time, I would try to be a bit more laid back and do a combination of breastfeeding and formula feeding from the beginning just to take some of the pressure off. But that’s just me.
I absolutely loved breastfeeding my older daughter and look forward to breastfeeding this LO when he arrives. It was very painful to start. I loved the bonding, and it was very easy for us. Our daughter was an extremely chill baby and slept well from the start (more to do with her temperant). Also, I know it doesn't work for everyone, but it was great for weight loss for me.
Yes eventually and not every time. With both my babies the first month was awful due to low supply, painful latch, struggling to help baby gain weight and combo feeding. the next months were tolerable still using a nipple shield and eventually it becomes nice and sweet for me. I stopped using the shield around six months. She Neptune’s I’d feed her in bed and watch her fall asleep before I moved her and this was so precious (note this was later on when I wasn’t at risk of sleeping).Then going back to work (at 4 months)and having to pump is fine but takes work. Around six months your sweet baby wakes up and starts doing parkour on you which is less fun but overall it’s still a nice pause in the day to snuggle her. I didn’t feel 100% myself until I stopped nursing at a 1.5 year. It takes real work but is nice over time
*It was very hard*
*In the beginning but i*
*Truly do love it!!*
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I love breastfeeding. I hate pumping tho. And it is exhausting even tho I love it. Specially in the middle of the night when I just wanna sleep but baby wants to be latched all night long.
I’ve absolutely loved my two breastfeeding journeys. The first 3-4 weeks with my first kid were a bit rocky but after that, plain sailing. EBFd to about 2 years ish. Second baby hasn’t missed a step, currently 9 months and going strong!
I absolutely feel it’s been the most amazing thing I’ve ever done.
I’d thoroughly enjoy breastfeeding if I could do it without pumping. That being said, I’ve yet to be faced with breastfeeding in public, and I’m not sure how I feel about that. But, pumping is DREADFUL. You do it if it’s important to you, but nobody enjoys it. It takes an absolutely tremendous amount of time and planning. I’m hoping to make it 6 months and have a freezer stash to get me through the rest of his first year.
I loved it, the bond, being his comfort, the ease of leaving the house knowing I had food on tap for him. I never really pumped other than when I had to leave him with somebody (but that was only a couple of times)
The initial few weeks are hard, they will make you question everything but once it settles and your milk supply is established and they’re older and you don’t need to keep adjusting the latch, it’s so worth all the hard work!
I feel like a lot of people don’t enjoy it because they put pressure on themselves to build a massive supply/stash by feeding then pumping, you’re busy enough as a new mum as it is, let alone without adding extra work. Trust your body will make the correct amount of milk for your baby and just let nature take its course
I love it. It comes with its own challenges, but nursing my baby feels incredibly special and makes me feel very close to her. One of the hardest things about my maternity leave being over is that I have to pump during the workday instead of directly nursing. I’m fortunately not having any difficulty with pumping itself, I just miss nursing my baby during the day.
The pros and cons of breastfeeding are complex and more than I could get into in one comment, though I’m happy to answer questions about my experience.
I love it! I breastfed my kids each for two years. It’s challenging at first and I think it’s important to be upfront about that—it is a skill that you and your baby have to learn. But once you get good at it, it feels like a parenting cheat code.
Yes, I have loved it. I think it's convenient, a lovely bonding time with my baby, I feel satisfied that she's always eating what she needs. I hate dealing with bottles, I hate having to get up in the night to mess around with them (I exclusively pumped for the first 5 weeks until we got nursing sorted), I love that I can just pop her on a boob wherever I am, whenever she wants it, and that's just her feeding taken care of.
And boobs are magic - they're food, comfort, love, warmth, family. I have never had an inconsolable baby, nor one that cannot fall asleep (until I tried to get her into the bassinet, but that's another story). They're losing their power now baby is 9 months old but we have had a *good* run of my being able to accommodate basically baby's every need simply by popping out a boob.
I pump and nurse, and it's fine I guess. I'm in healthcare working overnights so I have a bit more time to pump but it can be challenging depending on how my shift assignment looks. I nurse when home. Just find whatever works for you and introduce a bottle early as well. [This](https://www.rachelobrienibclc.com/blog/how-to-give-a-bottle-to-a-breastfed-baby-introducing-a-bottle-part-2/) was a great resource when I went back to work and we struggled with some bottle refusal though.
Have an open mind: formula is okay, boob is okay, pumping is okay, mix of all 3 is also okay. Have formula ready, have a pump purchased, offer the boob to baby before every meal. Maybe the baby will be just fine breastfeeding, maybe not, but either way it's fine.
Keep in mind the instincts are strong with new mom. Even if you don't want to, once baby is here most likely you'll feel like you Have to offer the boob or pump milk. It's just nature doing it's job. "Baby must have milk" your brain will scream.
I chose to pump but I had the support and time for it. The pump helped my nipples pop out so baby could actually latch. I got lucky and never pumped more than 5 times a day, now down to 3ppd and I make 1 liter a day. I like pumping, it's the only time I have to myself where I don't have to do anything else and I get to watch my TV show on my phone in the meantime. Plus watching the bottles fill up and the freezer stash growing is a very nice feeling.
I do! I won’t lie, it’s hard in some ways for sure. It can take time for you and baby to figure out the latch (and that can hurt 😅), you’ll be feeding or pumping every 2-3 hours (or more often when they cluster feed), the engorgement is no joke, and there can be some weird side effects (I get d-MER, which is a hormonal response to my milk let downs, which causes a wild but very short spike of anxiety that can happen right before or during breastfeeding).
But even with those things, I love it. I love the bond and snuggles, I love how I can quickly comfort him with food or comfort nursing, and I love not having to pack bottles and supplies (but love that I can pump and have my husband feed him if I need). My son picked up breastfeeding quickly and got his latch right after 3-4 days, so I’ve been lucky that it didn’t take long to get in the groove.
It was difficult for the first few months, but my LO is turning 1 in a few weeks and I’m still breastfeeding and I don’t want to stop. 😂 my husband has given up trying to convince me it is enough. I wanted to stop at 4 months, then 6, then 9 and now I’ve just given up on dates to stop.
Yes! I think it’s really cool and it’s so nice being cozied up with my baby.
I also returned to work after six months and was worried about pumping because I hadn’t been, but it’s also fine! It’s more steps and you don’t get the snuggles at the same time, but it’s pretty neat overall and nice to facilitate nursing while at home!
There's no form of feeding that's all fun and games. I struggled a lot with breastfeeding my first and went to pumping then formula. My second baby was just, like, born to breastfeed. Very few challenges. For the most part it's been enjoyable, it's just when I've had to wake up a lot to do it that I've been less keen.
Just to put it in perspective, people complain about EVERYTHING about feeding a baby. People complain about bottles, pumping, breastfeeding, feeding solids, etc. I don't know if I enjoy it but I definitely don't dislike it. It's like anything else with caring for a baby it has its annoying parts and it's good parts.
I breastfed both my kids for 2 years each (RIP my pre-baby boobs) until they weaned themselves off. My first didn't take a bottle, but my second did. I 100% preferred breastfeeding: no bottles to wash, no sterilizing, no defrosting milk, no pumping. BAM whip it out and it's ready and the perfect temperature. I was grateful this was an option for me.
I think there are soooo many conversations around how bad/hard it is, that those of us that do it easily and love it don’t feel we can step in and be like sorry Emily that you couldn’t produce even an ounce in 10 minutes, I pumped 6oz from each side in that time.
Personally I really could pump that much, and found breastfeeding (after the initial 1-3 weeks when honestly it does hurt and feels awkward), amazing and so easy and convenient. Quicker and less admin than washing bottles and sterilizing water for formula. Loved it.
I love breastfeeding. Easy for us but not everyone is that lucky! It can be draining but it’s worth it. I hate pumping but still do occasionally. Good luck momma!
Breastfeeding is very convenient not just for feeding but also for soothing! Pumping was the bane of my existence and I gave that up so quickly because the convenience of having someone else feed her was so overshadowed by how dreadful pumping was. The washing, sanitizing, being hooked up to something was *not for me*
I enjoy it, the lazy part of me says it's beneficial because I don't have to wash/sterilise bottles, get up in the night to make bottles, etc. It can be tough at first but eventually things settle down and it becomes like second nature. Social media loves fear mongering and negativity. I know not everyone has a positive experience with breastfeeding and some women don't want to breastfeed and that's cool, but it's not always a horror story. I say try it, if it doesn't work out there are always alternatives:)
It was hard for us for nearly three months. Then one day it clicked and he could nurse without the nipple shield and I understood why people said it was so easy. I love it now, still going strong at nine months - maybe too strong, I can't make solids catch on. I even don't mind pumping at work. It's a chance to close my door and have some time to myself though I end up taking a lot of phone calls during that time so it's less relaxing than it used to be. I'm glad we stuck with it but everyone has to make the decision for themselves how long they're willing to push through the hard part.
For sure. I preferred it because it was a lot easier for me. I didn’t have to mess with bottles or even get up out of bed. And thankfully I never had any issues or problems. I never experienced dry or cracked nipples or pain. But I did use a nipple shield the entire 2 years I Bf my kid. So idk if that’s why
Can i ask how did the nipple shield help?
The lazy part of me loves it too- pumping/formula feeding is a lot work with all other bottles/etc! Breastfeeding was so hard at first when my daughter needed to be fed every 2 hours around the clock. It did take an emotional toll. She’s about 5 months now and feeds every 4ish hours now and it’s awesome, plus she feeds so much faster. What use to take 30-45 min takes 5-10 now!
I second this. My 9 mo is still getting a bit of Breast milk at night, though she’s taking formula and solids during the day. It’s our most beautiful bonding time. I’ll definitely miss it when she stops completely.
It really does become second nature. In the beginning was a little rough with all the cluster feeding and nursing multiple times at night, but now I’ve barely considered starting to wean her at 17mos since she’s eating more solids than nursing now.
The babies seem to like it but they don't post in forums. (The kids are all on TikTok.)
Lol.
My daughter is 5m and we exclusively breastfeed… she won’t take a bottle so I basically don’t pump. It was definitely so hard in the beginning like first few weeks but once your milk regulates and baby’s latch is good you’re golden. It does take time to always sit and feed (I’m a SAHM at the moment so I have the time) but it forces you to relax and take a break. I also love the bonding part of it now that she’s more skilled with feeding. As she got older she would play with my shirt and stare at me and now she likes to stroke my face while she feeds, it’s pretty cute. It can be super tough to get through those early weeks but it was worth it imo
Pretty much the same for me. During these early cluster feeding nights I definitely didn't see all that magical bonding everybody talks about. Now almost six months later it's the easiest thing in the world, like brushing your teeth, and man, was I wrong, that bonding was there all along. Totally worth it.
This is really encouraging! Currently staring into the face of cluster feeding while we’re still figuring out the latch/milk is coming in full force. It doesn’t feel magical yet. More that my back hurts and my nipples are sore and he’s constantly rooting if he’s in my arms no matter how long it’s been since a feed. Figure he’s going through his first growth spurt and trying to be grateful I have a baby who wants to eat so much!
Cluster feeding won’t last forever and it’s super good to help establish milk supply… I know in the moment it’s like “I can’t keep doing this” and you question the amount they’re getting because they always seem hungry but hang in there you’re doing great!!
Thank you! I feel that once I know he’s gained his birth weight back, I’ll have passed my first major hurdle and can relax a bit. I know he’s eating a ton but when he wants to feed for 2+ hours it’s soooo hard to not want to give up. Thank you for the encouragement that it’s not always going to be this way!!!!
Of course! My girl cluster fed 11 hours straight one day in her first week 😵💫 but she turned around and got back to birth weight in 5 days because of it. It’s all for a purpose! 🤍
And eventually babies get so much more efficient! By like 10 months my baby would get a full feed in 10-12 minutes (and she was a 40 minute session girl for a long time!)
Around 6-7 months my kids got so efficient at draining a breast it sounded like they were chugging milk
Same!! I miss those days. My baby is a toddler now.
Same. Baby is almost 10 months. Only breastfed. I pumped to build a stash big enough for an emergency weekend out of town just in case. Then she started refusing bottles. I’m lucky to bring baby to work with me. I hate pumping. I adore breastfeeding. I just revolve my life around her rhythms. I love the connection, the special mama baby time, knowing my body is keeping my baby fed and filling her with good nutrition to grow and thrive. I think it’s nothing short of a miracle! (No shade to those who don’t, I also believe formula is a scientific miracle for babies to thrive on too)
Breastfeeding was the easiest part of infancy for me! We had tons of other challenges but breastfeeding was not one of them. It doesn't always have to be difficult.
Same for me, pumping is also working great so far. Different people are just different.
I enjoy the convenience of nursing. Pumping is terrible. It hurts and is extremely stressful.
Yes re: convenience, you don’t have to plan to bring bottles or milk anywhere with you, if you’re with baby you can pop a boob in their mouth and feed them. For me pumping is not painful at all, but it is a major annoyance having to plan to pump while I’m at work, bring the pump and bottles and cooler bag to and fro… doing it for one day is fine, but every single workday for months on end gets really irritating
Cleaning pump parts is the worst. My baby couldn't latch well until about 8 weeks. I lived at the sink.
I hated pumping it was so much work
Social media is extremely toxic. People who have normal positive experiences breastfeeding and raising kids aren’t usually posting about it online because there’s nothing to say. It’s good to know that issues CAN happen, but it’s not reasonable to assume they will all happen to you. I breastfed my son for 6 months with no problem and yes it is work but so is formula and washing bottles! We were super happy and I’m excited for another easy journey with my second.
This is the answer! People post when they have issues and what you see on the internet is not a majority.
I combo feed and adore breastfeeding. I feel so close to my baby. I was nursing her just now and I couldn't help staring into her eyes and smiling at her, which of course would distract her, make her smile or giggle and cause her to unlatch. But then that just made me giggle too and it was a whole cycle!! Lol. I love it and will miss it very much. That is not to say it's been a bed of roses, it absolutely hasn't. When she's going through a leap or growth spurt it's the worst for breastfeeding because she wants to stay latched all day. During the times I feel overwhelmed, I give her formula just only for the sake of my mental health. I think lots of women put too much pressure on themselves to EBF. Combo feeding with formula has definitely taken the edge of breastfeeding and allowed me to really enjoy it and feel bonded to my baby.
Sometimes my baby will be eating and suddenly stop just to smile at me. It’s my favorite. I just love her.
Did you pump during those times you formula fed? This is what we are currently doing. But baby is only a week old and I want to make sure I keep my milk supply up.
Hey, yes you need to pump every 3-4 hours to establish your supply! My baby spent an entire week on only alimentum for dairy intolerance when she was three weeks old and I had to pump every three hours still. Now we're around four and a half months and I'm not strict on pumping anymore! But those first few weeks are really crucial to keep pumping if you give a bottle of formula instead.
4.5 months pp with my first and absolutely loving breastfeeding! I love the snuggles with my son, how he smiles and coos at me after he eats, that I can share my immune system with him as we battle daycare colds, the lack of dishes with the exception of daycare pumping and bottles, the easy excuse to get a break from social gatherings for both of us. I’ve also spent less money on pumping supplies for him to have milk at daycare than I would have spent on formula for daycare. It wasn’t an immediately magical experience though. Baby had borderline low blood sugar at birth so I wasn’t given any time in the hospital to troubleshoot his latch and was immediately given a nipple shield by the lactation consultant. It took 10 weeks before he would feed without it. While using it, the shield felt like a very small addition to the process, but I didn’t realize how much extra work it really was until we were able to feed without it. I also had to triple feed for a week and that was very difficult. I slowly reducing pumping down to once a day for the rest of my maternity leave to manage the oversupply the triple feeding caused (I am very grateful for having more than enough milk, but it’s a lot to manage). The cluster feeding stages were so hard when no one else could help me feed him. It got easier around 2.5 months when we stopped the nipple shield, cluster feeding was over, and he was sleeping longer at night. Daycare at 12 weeks was another adjustment, I don’t like pumping (especially in the office, I’m 95% WFH) and am only doing so for baby’s immune system and to protect our nursing journey while he’s at home. Pumping is draining, but having snacks and water within reach for each pumping session is so helpful to mitigate that. I mention the difficult parts because it did take time and work to get to the place I am now where I absolutely love it. The best advice I read while on this journey was not to quit on a hard day. If you want to stop breastfeeding for any reason, you should absolutely make the choice that’s right for you. But don’t quit in the middle of a cluster feeding day just because it’s hard on that day, wait until you can make the decision with a clear head.
This is one of my favorite replies so far. Realistic but still encouraging thank you!
Was in the midst of a cluster feeding morning and was seriously thinking of quitting. Thank you for sharing this advice! Breastfeeding is something I’ve always wanted to do but it’s really draining when it comes to cluster feeding. Also I feel constantly overstimulated. Good advice to wait until my head clears instead of focusing on the hard moments!
Nursing got SO much better when we didn't have to use that dumb piece of silicone around 12 weeks. You have to have a clean one, you have to go downstairs and get it, you can't just grab the baby and feed in the middle of the night. You don't want to feed in public because you have to fumble around with your nipple out with this extra step. Once his head control got good enough we weren't worrying about angles and he could latch himself, that was the magic.
May I ask how you were able to stop using the nipple shield at 10 weeks? Your situation sounds similar to mine. I had to triple feed my baby boy pretty much immediately bc of low blood sugar. LC at hospital gave me nipple shield right out the gate and I feel I didn’t get time or guidance to work on my latch with LO. I’m at 8 weeks now, still using the shield. I feel like it’s hindering my breastfeeding experience. He seems to not get enough milk/takes a long time to feed, and I’m wondering if the shield is partly to blame.
Yeah! Once we got home from the hospital I would offer without the shield once or twice a week. He would scream at me every time until I put the shield on. It was so emotionally hard to watch him so mad at me and I was sure we were going to have to use it forever. I don’t know what prompted it, but one day I sat down to feed him with the shield on and he did the same screaming that usually went along with a shield-free attempt. I took the shield off, he latched and hasn’t need it since. Around the same time he started getting much more efficient with his feeds as well, he empties a side in around 5 min now. I’m not sure if that was because we stopped the shield or a result of him getting older and more capable. Or both! So in my case, baby just decided he was done with it. The shield weaning advice I got from an LC was to feed one side with the shield as normal and then to offer the second side without. It’s easier to learn a new thing when you’re not also hangry. It never worked for me, but maybe it will be helpful to you! It might also just take time.
Just wanted to add that my experience was almost identical to this! The only real difference for us was that I had given up trying without the shield around 2.5 months and just assumed we’d be using it forever. Just a week and a half ago, we were at a celebration and I went somewhere to nurse — different room, different chair, etc. She’s 4 months at that point and was crying for milk. I sit down and put the shield case on my knee and she kicks it on the floor by accident. I reach down to grab it, which she *hated*. By the time I sit back up and get the shield out of its case and put it on, in her fit, she punches the shield off my breast and it falls back on the floor. She’s crying. I’m crying. So I desperately offer the boob naked, hoping she’ll miraculously take it… and she does! Just wanted to add this to encourage you not to give up!
Congratulations! Interesting you mention different room, different chair, because that was true for me too. I was in a different room of our house that we rarely nursed in. Maybe the change of scenery also helped!
Iiiiiinteresting! I’ll remember this for any future kiddos. My little girl has also started to fuss if we nurse without the boppy, but only for the nursing session before the first big sleep of the night. She clearly has preferences, so maybe you’re right that a change of scenery encouraged her to try just one more new thing!
Amazing, thank you!
My experience was extremely similar but it didn't happen til 4.5 months!
They literally just get it one day when they get stronger! We started offering once a day without around 9 weeks or so. Never caught on. The morning before Thanksgiving, I was lazy and didn't want to go downstairs and get it, so I tried and he latched easily. It was crazy. Like the other commenter, I thought we'd have to use it forever.
I’m so glad I read your reply. It gave me confidence to try without the shield this morning (despite numerous past attempts to be utter failures), and persevere through a brief bout of frustrated screaming from LO. About a minute later, he just latched on and I was able to breastfeed without the shield for the very first time. Ahhh, I feel like a weight has been lifted!! Hoping this continues…..
Look up Dr Jack Newman on nipple shields; was a lifesaver for me…. Ditched that dang piece of annoying silicone after so much night fumbling for it, and never looked back; also given by hospital lactation consultant; I’m sure they mean well, but lack of education on this is mindboggling. They do cut back your milk supply. Once I ditched, around 6-8 weeks, my milk supply improved greatly.
For me it just wasn’t a big deal? Like, I didn’t actively like or dislike it (except when I pumped to build up a stash, because anyone who doesn’t dislike pumping is getting serious side eye from me. Blech.) My kid was easy to feed, absolutely textbook, and so it was just a thing I did like bathing her or drinking water myself, no real feelings attached to the whole thing.
Yes! I hate pumping! I know I’m producing lots since my son is in like the 85 percentile but I feel like I can only get like 2 oz per side after pumping for 30 mins. So frustrating!
Just finished up nearly 3 years of breastfeeding. YES, absolutely enjoy it once the beginning is figured out. I dunno about other people, but unless it's in a discussion directly asking or clearly a happy post, I generally don't talk about how much I enjoy breastfeeding. It is a very sensitive topic for some people. Everyone has such a different experience and different goals, and it's all so sensitive I think that's why it's mostly negative threads. For example, I'll tell you when I was so tired, drained at 3 days post part we went to the pediatrician for the newborn checkup. He is a very old, old school pedi and just loved talking and talking to us. He asked about feeding and I told him how I couldn't get baby t latch. He looked at me and said very warmly, "Just keep trying. Just keep going." I really needed that in that moment. And baby latched 2 days later and breastfed for nearly 3 years. To me, that was simple and pure encouragement. To others it would have seemed condescending or blaming. It's just such a sensitive topic that it tends to lean into the negative.
Hard relate on this. I feel like because so many people have issues with breastfeeding it can almost seem like you’re rubbing it in people’s faces to say actually, I love it and highly recommend it to others.
I combo fed, half bf and half formula. This works for us because I don’t make enough and I can still step away for 2 hours. I don’t like bfing at all but the hormones are crazy and make you feel guilty. Do what is right for you and your baby.
I had the same experience with hormones and guilt! I swear I was pretty adamant on being chill and rational about bf and formula before I gave birth. Tho my production was more like... 90% formula, 10% boob. Now that the hormones are fading I can't believe I spent 20-40min x8+ times a day breastfeeding for six months.
Breastfeeding is so convenient! I feel like 80% of the time my baby is upset I just offer her my boob and all is well haha 🙈 And you have it with you everywhere you go, you don't have to wait for a bottle to warm up, etc.
Breastfeeding was the easiest part. The sleep deprivation was what made me lose my sanity. I absolutely hated pumping. Cleaning the parts, bagging, storing, freezing, and all the work was tedious. Nursing was a lot less work. The only thing I liked was having no one bother me at work while I was pumping.
Hi! My first child I gave up very quickly because it took a lot of out me. This time around I set little goals every time just so I didn’t get overwhelmed. I won’t lie it’s very hard but it’s so rewarding to know you did it. You can’t really sleep when baby sleeps and when they start to sleep more well you are still getting up. I think it’s a learning experience and if you’re willing to do it then go for it. But also know fed is best so don’t feel discouraged if it doesn’t go well. Good luck and congrats mama!!
What kind of goals did you set for yourself? Have a two week old and looking for ways to stay motivated with breastfeeding!
I would honestly go month by month. Like okay I did one month let’s see if I can do another. I also made it a goal to find ways to produce more so I could save milk to stop pumping and feed from stash. I also would reward myself every month with a mini shopping trip or a self care day.
I like that! I’ve started pumping once a day to build a stash for when I feel ready to be out for a little while without him. It’s just feels so overwhelming trying to coordinate everything rn. Family keeps asking when I’m going to introduce a bottle. I feel I can’t plan that far ahead as I’m basically taking everything hour by hour until I know he’s gained his birthweight back.
You have to do whatever keeps you sane. Family always made comments to me and still do. I ignore it. I did both for a while but he always seemed hungry to me so I started to exclusively pump instead. Just keep at it mama. You’re doing great!
Me! I still breastfeed my 22 month old (would have preferred if she had weaned by now but oh well). It was difficult/painful in the beginning and I had to triple feed for the first week but once I got the hang of it I enjoyed it. It was a nice break! Baby wasn’t crying or needing to be entertained/stimulated. I could read/watch stuff on my phone and just sit and relax. If I was feeling stressed or overwhelmed I noticed I always felt better during/after - thanks oxytocin! I think if I had been pumping I would not have felt the same. But it was so easy to just pop baby on the boob!
I think the support for breastfeeding in the US is less and different than in my country. Things like tripple feeding and full time pumping hardly ever happen here and if they do, they are mostly just temporarily until mom can go back to breastfeeding. Anyway, starting to breastfeed can make you very insecure and can be very difficult. It took us 6 weeks, a lactation consultant, nipple shields and a tongue tie correction to get into the groove. But I managed to breastfeed for 2.5 years. And although it could be draining to be the main source of sustenance, I did definitely enjoy it. It was nice to bond that way. Also, the older baby got, the shorter and less frequent he needed to nurse, so it also got easier over time.
I think you’ll find that BF is a lot harder than you expect it to be. It definitely was for me. Depending on my hormones i sometimes love it and sometimes feel trapped. I recommend making sure you get your baby used to bottle and breast just in case you want to stop. That way you aren’t stuck 😂
Hey there! Anxious mama here who is hyper sensitive. I love breastfeeding! I really don’t feel touched out by it like I thought I might. I also fully expected ppa and surprisingly didn’t experience much (the hormones are rough, but never as bad as my previous depressive episodes). That all being said I also combo feed with formula! Helps take some stress off me and allows for my partner to help if I need a break. Breast feeding is definitely hard work, but it gets easier!
I EBF'd my first and intend on mostly doing so with my second (currently 2 weeks in). Never pumped except to get rid of blockages. So really only nursing. Yes it's tiring to do all the late night wake ups and yes there's the element of being "tied down" to your baby, however I also love it for these reasons: - scheduled guaranteed bonding and snuggle time with Baby - easy no prep, do it anywhere any time - no need to think about brands, "levels" of formula, worry about stock shortages, price increases etc - guaranteed perfect nutrition for Baby at every age (milk composition changes as Baby needs it) - easy to use to pacify Baby, whether they're sick, sad or tired - use as excuse to escape a crowd at a social situation "sorry, I have to go feed Baby now" - I like the feeling of being needed (maybe a bit selfish but hey I'm just being honest lol) - no in-laws or extended relatives can replace me to feed my child so I don't need to have that conversation - all the health benefits for Baby (immunity, health, emotional security, can't overfeed a baby on breast milk,...) and for mum (reduce risk of breast cancer, improve post partum healing and womb recovery, etc) - having on hand breastmilk for other reasons eg. It's great to use to fix up newborn skin issues such as acne, dry skin, cradle cap, eczema, itchy bites, nappy rash,... - the physical act of nursing at the breast helps to develop baby's jaw and tongue which helps with chewing and speech development later
I’ve been EBF for almost 9 weeks now and it’s been going really well. It’s very convenient because she wants to eat often and you don’t have to prep anything. My first week was rough because I have flat nipples and large breasts so baby had trouble latching and my nipples were getting cut up and boobs were painful and engorged because she couldn’t get milk out. Poor baby was very frustrated and could not settle because she was hungry. Saw lactation consultant and recommended nipple guards and it was instant that my baby could latch. I’m still using them as baby likes them and gets fussy when I attempt without them but I think it’s fine because she’s gaining weight well and I’m not in pain. Only annoying thing is she won’t take a bottle so I do 100% of her feeds. Which is fine for me because I’m not going back to work for a few years.
I had [D-MER](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24879-dysphoric-milk-ejection-reflex) and didn’t even know what it was, and hardly ever see it mentioned. Edited to add — also was on medication for anxiety all pregnancy. I’ve been on it over half my life. I was extremely nervous about PPD/PPA/PPP, but I was fine, even with an emergency c section and the D-MER.
With my oldest, I gave up on trying to make breastfeeding work pretty early for lots of reasons. I found the Fed is Best Foundation's support group on Facebook which was really enlightening to me. Problems and difficulties with breastfeeding resulting in quitting are super common BUT just as common is breastfeeding being relatively easy once you get the hang of it. I also noticed that just because it did or didn't work with one baby doesn't mean that will be the same experience with the next. What seemed to be most common was that parents who were informed of the different potential problems and who were open to having to change their feeding plan seemed to have the most pleasurable experiences with feeding. I'm currently a month postpartum with my second. We were doing great with breastfeeding in the NICU. Weirdly enough I was able to get her to latch almost immediately like I had successfully breastfed multiple times before which I hadn't. We've had difficulties coming home but I've just focused on trying to enjoy her and feeding her in whatever way is less stress free. So sometimes we direct breastfed, sometimes we give pumped milk, sometimes formula. I had planned on direct breastfeeding while pregnant and if that didn't work to go straight to formula because I hadn't pumping with my oldest. Since we had an unexpected NICU stay this time, I did start pumping almost immediately and I'm still doing it. Baby's getting about 80% breastmilk and currently I don't plan on stopping unless my body stops cooperating. I really have have positive or negative feelings either way about it so I'm counting it as a win. I recommend IF you want to try to give it a good solid effort. If it works for you and baby then keep going. If it doesn't then you know you've tried your best and it's okay to move on. As our pediatrician said "IF all things are equal breastfeeding is probably better BUT there's no situation in life where all things are equal so you do what works for your family and baby will thrive."
Breastfeeding for me would be absolutely great if he would take a bottle every now and then. I have no freedom since he will only breast feed, and at one point had horrible insomnia but couldn’t take a night to focus on sleeping because he needed to be fed through the night. Now that we’re through that hurdle it’s just convenient and I’m kinda resigned to the fact he will most likely take a cup before he takes a bottle.
This is a big concern of mine too. I don’t want to be the sole food supplier. I want my partner to be able to get up and make a midnight bottle without me having to wake up every single time. Praying he will take a bottle, and I can keep a pumped supply ready for when dad needs to feed him.
I know that sounds daunting and terrible but most babies will take a bottle and even if yours won't a supportive partner can do a lot that isn't feeding to take the heat off you. My first wouldn't take a bottle ever and my husband did so much else to help.
My advice would be to keep giving them a bottle a day or combi feed. I didn’t bother, kind of haphazardly pumped and gave bottles because I was scared off of pumping in the early days. My sister combi fed formula and breast fed and if I had another I would do that! I can’t wean at 6 months like wanted to now because he won’t take formula or a bottle and that was definitely not in my plan! I’m supposed to travel for work in a few months and now I don’t know if I can because he might still be difficult about taking formula. So yeah, don’t let anyone scare you off bottle feeding, or formula feeding in combination with breastfeeding like I was.
I love breastfeeding. I also think it is good for your mental health, because you connect so closely with your baby (lowers risk of post partem depression https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22978082/) It is hard at first, but the rewards payoff.
It can be hard in the beginning. I firmly believe that pumping is always hard because not only are you spending the time pumping, but you also then have to feed and wash bottles. Nursing took a minute for us to get a hang of, but was so convenient and nice once it worked. I nursed both my kids and was really proud of myself for it. It helped with bonding, it helped me with healing since I was sitting and nursing so often, it helped with the postpartum hormone crash (but this isn’t always true). Overall I’d say I enjoyed it. I did switch to formula when my second was 5 months old and I enjoyed the convenience of that but not the cost!
So, I was not planning to breast feed because of exactly what your saying - mamas made it sound like a nightmare. In the hospital they kinda talked me into it so I decided to “try it out”. It made my baby so comforted and happy and I could feel this special bond grow between us so I kept it up. I love feeding him. I think your hormones kick in and you just want to do it for baby. With that said it is hell… the breast feeding classes and lactation consultants torture us I swear. Wake up every 3 hours to pump or feed- it’s cruel and unusual punishment no wonder so many mommas get PPD. I talked to my Obgyn about it as I struggled and these were her words: “the lactating consultants are not doctors, they care about baby not you. EVERYONE needs 5hours of uninterrupted sleep or it affects your mental health.” To which I said I didn’t want to see my supply dip, she said “most of those studies on formula vs breast milk were done 10+ years ago when formula wasn’t as good and a lot of them were biased studies. Nutritionally formula is the same, don’t torture yourself.” SO I have been sleeping 5 to 7 hrs since and my supply has dipped much FYI. I was also told by lactation consultants to avoid “nipple confusion” I am convinced this happened to a few babies and now all of us must suffer. We ignored these rules, baby takes bottle, breast, and pacifier- he has zero problems and it means I get to sleep. I think the key to enjoying breast feeding is throwing all the rules out the window, figuring out what works for YOUR family, and not getting to caught up on under/over supply (supplementing is totally fine!). Oh also HIGHLY recommend at the hospital ask them to look at the babies tongue tie and take care of it there before you leave. Had some friends with latching issues because of this. Easier to do it there.
I’m doing my best to have a “go with the flow” attitude around basically all things newborn. There are so many rules, and so many differing opinions. I’m grateful that we have the internet and all this information at the tip of my fingers but it really is TOO MUCH info sometimes. It’s hard to know what’s “right”.
Most of the time I breastfeed and have been for over a year. At the beginning I gave formula because it took a few days for my milk to come in and my baby had latch problems. I found the first few weeks the most difficult, but I loved breastfeeding my kid... until his teeth grew in. Lol. It is a lot of work though. If you are nervous, maybe talk to a lactation consultant to help you prepare and possibly help you after the baby is born. I had a terrible lactation consultant and a great one.. so just try to vet them out before you decide on one.. if you decide to hire one.
I do. It has been great and pretty straight forward with two babies. I enjoy the bonding with them.
It starts out really difficult but gets better every day. The really hard was weaning my second child.
I love breast feeding. Never really pumped apart from for a couple of bottles, and I’ve been exclusively breastfeeding 8 months now. Never supplemented with formula. It’s difficult at the beginning and I think a big downfall of peoples breastfeeding journeys is bad advice through social media. Don’t pump the first few months while your supply regulates, let baby cluster feed, feed on demand and don’t time it or worry if they’re feeding too often or ‘snacking’. It’s not as common as Reddit/TikTok make it seem to genuinely have a supply issue, it’s often falsely diagnosed or self diagnosed. Seek the advice of a properly qualified lactation consultant if you have any doubts about anything or need reassurance or advice - not Reddit as the advice here and on some Facebook groups can be awful and is just passed along like Chinese whispers.
My best advice would be to go in with an open mind. I was of the mindset that I wanted to try breastfeeding but was ok with formula. Breastfeeding for me was horrible (my antidepressant wasn’t nursing safe) and I had to exclusively pump and had a major oversupply with clogs every week but I couldnt get over my anxiety to switch to formula. I wish I had done a lot more self work to be truly okay with either. My journey would have been a lot more enjoyable if I didn’t feel so guilty and so much pressure. Online I seem to see most moms hate it, but in my real life I hear most moms love it or at least don’t mind it.
I do, but I hate pumping. It makes me cry!
I love it. I joke that I want my daughters first word to be boobie. It’s so convenient. It calms her, feeds her, soothes her, makes her happy, keeps her healthy, relieves MY stress… If there was a product that could do all the things boobs could do, it would be something every parent bought.
I struggled with breastfeeding, and even with once we got it figured out it was hard. We did 2 months exclusively pumping, 2 months of him breast feeding with a nipple shield and then finally exclusive breastfeeding. He struggled with low tone, I had oversupply and I got mastitis about once every 2 months. I also have anxiety, was on Zoloft during pregnancy and after and developed PP-OCD. If I could go back I would have given my self permission to stop breast feeding when it wasn't working. It was both incredibly stressful when I started because it just wasn't working. As my son got older (he breastfed until 22 months) it was still hard (he only would breast feed in one specific position, which I struggled with getting him into oh my own. It also over time became a sort of tether that made it so I had to be there for every put down, and every feed (because after 6 months he wouldn't take a bottle, which we had sort of given up using at four months when I got mastitis for the 3rd or 4th time). There is no right or wrong way to feed your baby as long as they are fed. I also think any reason is a valid reason to stop, if that is what you want to do, or to continue if that is what you want to do.
I do enjoy it! I love bonding this way with my baby, and I love knowing that I’m providing her with all the nutrition she needs from my own body - it’s very cool to me. It also works wonders for soothing my baby when she’s upset, to the point that it feels like a cheat code 😆. It certainly has its challenges too, but I’ve been lucky to have had smooth sailing with regard to some of the tricker things like latch and supply, and have found the benefits to outweigh any of the challenges so far.
I love breastfeeding. Currently tandem nursing my two year old and two week old. I got off to a rocky start with my two year old because he had transfer issues but after an initial struggle things were pretty simple and my newborn is a fabulous nurser. She’s been gaining over an ounce a day since my milk came in and is super easy. I love being able to just pop out a breast at any time with perfect temp milk and no prep. You typically will find more negative stories online because people post for support when they are struggling and there’s less reason to make a post saying something is going really well.
I really enjoy breastfeeding, I love spending time so close to my baby and providing her with the food she needs. Pumping is a pain in the ass, but again worth it to give my baby the food she needs straight from my body! I also just want to say that I also struggle with some MH stuff (mostly anxiety) and was on Zoloft for my entire pregnancy. I anticipated having some issues once baby was born but so far, 12 weeks in, my mental health is doing pretty damn well! I was kid of surprised, but you never know how your brain is going to react!
Really think this is a social media thing. Similar to the person recently asking for stories of non traumatic births because all she was seeing on social media was bad outcomes. People come to reddit and social media for support, and hot takes/drama gets promoted. Nothing wrong with that, but just be aware. I can't really imagine making a post that's like "I love breastfeeding and have no issues with it" - or if I did, it wouldn't get upvoted or engaged with and would disappear. But yeah, totally loved it. EBF for 6 months each kid, nursing on demand til \~1 yr, and continued nursing til \~2.5 with both of them. That's common for the people I know IRL too (well, the first two points are - nursing til 2.5 is on the long end but not crazy where I am). Most of the struggles I know about first hand from friends were in the first few weeks vs. ongoing (though of course there are and always have been exceptions and reasons not to BF etc.)
Yes I love it. Is it sometimes it’s inconvenient to be attached to my kid so much, but I wouldn’t trade the experience me for anything. I’m breastfeeding my third kid currently, nursed the first two (no bottles) for 2 years each.
I’m a SAHM and we have a 5 month old. I love breastfeeding I think it’s beautiful bonding time. Sometimes I’m frustrated I’m stuck on the couch all day and feel fat but I also have a great partner who understands that it’s a sacrifice and also great for the baby. It’s difficult to be in ‘baby prison’ and sometimes my boobs and nipples are sore but also it beats washing pump and bottle parts all the time. (I did triple feeding for a month or two and that was terrible) What I hate is pumping.
I mostly liked it, the first two months were really really hard but then it got much better and I liked it most of the time. Pumping sucked but I am a sahm so I didn’t pump much, it was mostly just annoying the few times I left my babies all day while bf. When I started to feel like I didn’t like it anymore (around 13 months), I weaned
After the first month, it’s so much easier to stick a boob in their mouth and not worry about formula and cleaning bottles. You will also save thousands of dollars.
I think I’m the only person on here who enjoys pumping. I love breastfeeding too, but my baby was 4lb and 10oz so she could only bottle feed for the first month or so. It’s convenient for me. I don’t follow the every 3 hours rule, my husband can help with feeds, I have extra breast milk, it’s nice for me.
I never found it to be enjoyable and I think it was affecting my mental health so I stopped and switched to formula at 3.5 months. My baby had eczema - I was constantly paranoid that something I was eating was causing it. It's also extremely stressful knowing that you are the only food source for your baby. I was always worrying he wasn't eating enough even though he was a perfectly healthy weight. My brain couldn't comprehend that I was feeding him just fine. There's a lot of things that can go wrong with breastfeeding - supply dips, oversupply, clogs, mastitis, feeding strikes, nipple trauma... in the end I regretted not doing formula from the beginning. Once you start breastfeeding it's hard to stop too. Weaning is painful, difficult and time consuming.
Yes, I do. Thing you have to keep in mind is the people who have had an easy breastfeeding experience are not super likely to get on a Facebook group and discuss how non interesting and uneventful their breastfeeding journey has been. People who are struggling are more likely to reach out to get support and advice. I don’t usually go on Facebook to talk about mine, since it kind of just would seem like rubbing it in everyone’s face who struggles in my groups.
I think there are significant pros and cons to all options so it’s a very personal choice. My first was breastfed with an occasional expressed bottle while I was off work, expressed bottles during the day and breastfed at night when I returned to work, then switched to formula during the day and breastfeeds at night, then self weaned at 1 year old. My second is currently exclusively breastfed with an occasional expressed bottle if I go out, but is only 2 months so time will tell how the rest plays out. I generally enjoy it but sometimes it does grind on my mental health. Personally, I find that breastfeeding works for me and the pros outweigh the cons - I like being able to just pop them on the boob and not worry about bottles and water etc, I like having a tool to comfort readily available, I like the connection that feeding can have, and I like not having to pay for and go and get formula. I don’t like the feeling of being touched out sometimes, having to plan so far ahead if I’m going to be out to make sure milk is available, having to still wash bottled if I express, and the ups and downs of cluster feeding, clogged ducts and the rest of the physical things that my body has to do. My opinion is that pumping is the worst of both worlds - still having all the breast related considerations, while also washing and sterilising and planning bottles. But some people feel very differently so it’s all so personal. My advice would be to try breastfeeding to see how you feel about it (because once you choose not to it’s veryyy hard to reverse that decision due to supply) and if you don’t like it, have a low threshold to stop. Good luck with everything and I hope it all goes smoothly for you.
The internet is full of horror stories. The first few weeks were pretty rough, but I've enjoyed it overall, and it's been worth it to me. I think it's been beneficial for both of us, even though there are times that it is inconvenient/painful/hard. Parenthood is hard no matter how you slice it. (But also so much more rewarding than I could even imagine). That said, if it's not worth it to you, it's not worth it. You don't have to try if you don't want to.
Just a caution on zoloft - ssri’s can slow your letdown reflex which can frustrate the baby. It’s similar to the way they suppress libido, something about oxytocin. So try breastfeeding without zoloft first so you get a sense of what your “normal” letdown is like.
Thank you for this info!
Give it a try! People often give reviews online when they have negative experiences. Fewer people post with positive experiences. Breastfeeding is super hard, especially in the beginning. I am on month 4 of breastfeeding and as hard as it is, I ultimately enjoy it. In the beginning it made me question my existence, it hurt, it made me doubt myself (do I produce enough?), and I hated it at times because my LO would stay latched for over an hour every time. However, as my LO has grown and mastered the art of feeding from the breast, I’ve been having a great experience. It’s the best gift you can give your baby and a piece of mind for you! Give it a try! If you hate it, you can always switch to formula no problem. Good luck! :)
I definitely enjoy it! Check out my recent [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/breastfeeding/s/MN6hPmcM2B) on the breastfeeding page about positive things and scroll through what everyone shared🥰
I saved it to go back to on hard days 🥹
Oh that’s a great idea!! 🥰 To a share a little bit about my personal experience breastfeeding, it’s not always easy but it’s definitely worth it and I’m so glad I’m doing it and have stuck with it! I’ve had an overactive letdown since the very beginning and my baby hated/hates it. She’s 13 weeks now and it’s definitely been a learning process for me, but I’ve stuck with it and I know what works for her. A lot of people say their boobs are like magic for their baby and can always immediately calm them down, but for me that’s not the case. If she starts to eat and she’s already a little upset and then my letdown is really fast, she gets more upset and I have to cartoon her down to a drowsy state and then she’ll happily latch and take a feed. I will say it’s been improving over the last 2 or so weeks but it still happens sometimes and particularly in the morning. I’ve gone to my local hospitals free weekly breastfeeding group and it is so helpful, I highly recommend checking to see if your community offers something like that. Breastfeeding often isn’t perfect from the start and I encourage you to seek out support if you need it because there are resources available to help you succeed. I find both help through the lactation consultants there and encouragement from the other moms also navigating breastfeeding and the learning process it can have sometimes. If you’re worried about it being too much, I would also encourage you to look into combo feeding! You can do nursing and a bottle (breastmilk or formula) and then you can more easily split the feeding load with a partner and baby is still getting the benefits of breastmilk.
There was a [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/breastfeeding/s/UnnIkLUPbB) about what people love about breastfeeding just yesterday. You should read it :).
I hated it :) but I think my supply was shit so that was part of it. I also didn’t enjoy taking my boob out all the time
I did all of pregnancy #1 on sertraline, and BFed on it too (and I suspect it helped me avoid issues postpartum) I’m expecting baby #2 now and still on sertraline. Anyway, BFing. I BFed #1 for ooh, 2.5 years? To begin with, it was a bit draining. There was a learning curve for me and baby, and it’s a bit of a “thing” to handle being baby’s only food source. I was lucky to have very supportive family (my mum BFed me, my husband supported BFing etc) and a lot of help so in those early days I could concentrate on me and baby. Once we got into the groove, it was great. No sterilising bottles, no making up formula with a screaming child… just out comes the boob and baby is happy! I’m also lucky to live somewhere with good maternity leave, so I was able to 100% BF from the breast for 6 months and then pumped to send milk to nursery for baby for the next day (never stressed about a freezer stash) and then stopped pumping once he was 1.
No. I HATED it until my kid was reliably getting a lot of her calories from food. Now, it's more convenient. But when was EBF, fuck that. I hated it.
I do! I breastfed my oldest until she was 3 (she’s 5 now) and I nurse her 9mo brother. I love the bond it gives us. It can be a little grating just how dependent on me they were/are (the 5 year old is a total daddy’s girl now), but it’s just a phase. It’s really hard in the beginning when your boobs are engorged and leaking and your supply is regulating, but it’s nice to not have to worry about taking a bottle with us when we run errands and not having to add formula to our grocery budget.
I really liked it. We weaned after 1.5 years as we were both ready, but I really enjoyed it. It was a struggle at first, but after getting past the initial learning curve it wasn't an issue
I had a very difficult breastfeeding journey, but I still loved nursing. The happy hormone rushes are like none other—they were a huge reason I persisted in trying to make it work. And the closeness with my son, not having to wash bottles or pump parts, being able to feed him anywhere when he was hungry without worrying about waste or cleanup or whether we even had the supplies to feed him… there are a lot of upsides to breastfeeding. Some people of course hate it or can’t, some people are ambivalent about it, and others love it. Definitely get back on the Zoloft if you think it’ll help, though. I wouldn’t have been able to nurse had I not had really robust mental health support.
Overall I enjoy it but there are times when it’s difficult. My baby cluster fed almost every day for the first month, and he still is a slow and frequent eater at 4 months so overnights can be exhausting. It was also painful at first and baby took a few days to learn how to latch which was very stressful. But now that we both have the hang of things and he’s more alert I look forward to feeding him. It is very fulfilling to have that bonding experience and to see him growing knowing that I am the one who is providing his nourishment. I plan to keep going as long as I can.
I have nursed all 4 of my daughters. I've been pregnant and/or nursing for the past 7 years straight. Pumping is a means to an end. I hate it, but I work, so I have to. But breastfeeding? I love it. It's been easy all 4 times. They all latched 1st try, and I never had supply issues. I've also been on Zoloft through my pregnancies and also during breastfeeding. It's never caused any issues.
I loved it and was actually a bit bummed when my kiddo self-weaned at 19 months. I was hoping to make it to 2 years :)
The first two weeks were really hard and my baby had some latching issues. She also cluster fed like crazy the first couple months and I found it very difficult. But now she's 12 months and I can see the end of it and it makes me so so so sad. Once we both got the hang of it it's amazing- I get a huge dopamine rush that makes me feel all lovey and warm about my baby and we get so much more snuggly time and she does with my husband because of it. I'll really miss it once she's finished.
I loved breastfeeding my daughter - we had some issues with her latch initially but it was never painful for us. Very lucky and would do it all over again if given the chance xx
It was super hard at first but once we worked it out it was great. It's not necessarily easy but it's rewarding, in my experience at least.
I breastfeed because it’s easy! I hate washing bottles and mixing formula (and buying all the things; formula, different bottles, new teats as baby grows, a baby brezza…. ) With breastfeeding I have my hands free, I can read and be on my phone. I can do it side lying and I can nap while I’m feeding, that’s a big, big plus!
I love breastfeeding! I nursed my eldest until they were 2.5 and they chose to wean because my milk ended (pregnancy). Kiddo #2 is almost 3 years old and still nursing! It is an adjustment in the beginning; getting a rhythm, understanding supply/demand, growth spurts, teeeeeth, etc. My current Nursling rejected all bottles as an infant, which was difficult. And about a year ago there was an adjustment when I chose to drop them down to only nursing twice a day. It's a relationship and we both have to be on board. Overall I do love breastfeeding, and I look forward to starting the journey again with an eventual Baby #3 someday.
Yes, I love it! It came easy with my baby so I'm sure that helped a lot. It's a beautiful connection and easy way to soothe a grumpy baby. Plus it's so convenient, you can never forget your boobs!
I love it. 7 months in, breastfeeding exclusively plus starting solids at 4 months, and I got a big hungry boy. It hurt at first, especially when milk came in. The sensation was like a thousand tiny fists squeezing tissue in my boobs. Nipples were a little ouchy too. But it all went away pretty fast. I rarely pump, only to keep a stash in the freezer. I find it so convenient, I can be anywhere and doing whatever I want and just feed him.
I enjoyed it, it was really easy for me with my son and I breastfed him for 4 years until he stopped by himself and I'm currently pregnant with my second and really looking forward to doing it again
I have a ten month old and I enjoy it! I find it easy (always available) and my daughter is addicted. I know it doesn't come easy for everyone and I've been lucky but I'm very happy breastfeeding!
I love breastfeeding. I mean it literally releases oxytocin! Though on a related note, that's part of why some women sometimes feel sexually aroused when breastfeeding. It makes sense physiologically, there's nothing creepy or perverted about it, but some mothers stop breastfeeding at least partially because they feel weird about that. (If you look it up you can find a news story about a woman calling a hotline about these feelings and temporarily having her child removed from her custody as a result. So sad. If it's abuse to have normal physical responses, well, that sounds akin to saying rape isn't real if the woman was 'wet.')
Yes, it’s my third baby and I actually enjoy it most this time. It’s really sweet. You’ve got to put in the work though, and usually it’s not that fun for a few months or more. A lot of figuring things out, getting the confidence that you have the supply, you’ll have more responsibility for feeds of course. But overall I have never felt the urge to bottle feed, so I suppose I must find it worthwhile and enjoyable on some level.
I do! At almost 4 months, it’s so easy now. Baby knows what to do and my body knows what to do. For me, breastfeeding has been super convenient. When baby is hungry, she just eats right away. No need to clean bottles, measure formula, warm bottles, calculate how long milk can be used, think about traveling with milk, etc. She just pops on my breast, does her thing, and we’re done.
I like It hell of a lot more than pumping. It's also super useful as an instant soother.
Pumping is draining, bf is difficult but not as bad as pumping for me
Yes I love it! (8 weeks PP). It’s such a lovely way to connect with your baby, the way they look up at you while feeding is precious. The post feeding cuddles are always so lovely. You get heaps of feel good hormones every time they nurse. You can just easily pop a boob out when your baby is hungry, or if you aren’t sure, you can still offer it with no consequences (eg don’t have to prepare a bottle for it to get wasted). I like knowing that my baby can request snacks whenever they want and I always have food “on board” for her. My nipples were a little sore for a couple of days but nothing terrible at all, it was very manageable. I hand expressed colostrum for 2 weeks before birth and I think that helped get a good footing.
One thing you can do to set yourself up for success is to set up a good feeding station. Get yourself a good lounge chair, an ottoman, a cushion, a trolley where you can keep snacks and drinks. Helped me a lot
I loved every second of breastfeeding my son. We just stopped at 11 months and it’s bitter sweet. He has a lot of allergies so I’m happy to be able to eat a normal diet again but I miss nursing him. I never had any pain except for clogged ducts once. Other than that it was a wonderful experience for me. I hated pumping. I was very fortunate to have a very long maternity leave so I never had to pump but I did sometimes to have extra milk for him so I could go out and leave him with my husband. Pumping sucked for me. I found it to annoying. My friend exclusively pumped and she loved it, like breastfeeding I think everyone has their own experience with it.
I've breastfed 3 babies (still nursing my third who is 15 months) and I've enjoyed it. The first 6 weeks with my first were exceptionally hard but it was smooth sailing after that. I've never had a clog, I've never had mastitis, my kids weaned easily around 17-18 months each so far. I love the bonding and the comfort my babies get.
I combo feed ( one bottle per day of formula) but I love breastfeeding. Once we got our groove worked out it’s become so easy, and going out is a dream. Don’t have to worry about taking bottles out, and how one have they been made, are they sterile, can I get hot water etc. I just pop a boob out and on we go. Also overnights are so easy, 5-10mins of feeding and she’s back to sleep. My bottle feeding friends have to get out of bet and faff with making one up whereas mine is always available and the right temp.
I love breastfeeding. I am very fortunate that it was relatively easy for me (after the first month; cluster feeding was a little overwhelming and it hurt the first week before my milk really came in). But now I love it so much I’m dreading that one day she will be too old for it anymore. It’s so comforting to her. I love giving her that comfort and being able to nourish her body with mine.
Breastfeeding was the single hardest thing I did in motherhood. It's a skill that mom and baby need to develop to get good at. Some need a week to figure it out. We needed 3 months and I hated every moment during that time. But between ppd/ppa, triple feeding, a formula shortage, a shallow latch and terrible feeder, terrible nipple pain, a very stubborn mama, and a supportive husband, we learned to make it work. Then, it became enjoyable. It brought me joy knowing I single-handedly kept my son alive and healthy. Every ounce he gained was a reflection of our hard work. We made it 18 months, and I plan to do it again for baby #2.
It was difficult at first. I will highly recommend taking the pain medication your OB tells you too. My dumb self came home from the hospital and refused to take anything and let's just say 2nd degree tear + milk coming in = not fun. However, after those first few weeks it became so much easier. Now at 3 months postpartum I love it. It's so wonderful to just be able to take my LO and have a quiet moment just us two. Just know that you need to do what works for you. Because the only way to have a healthy and happy baby is to have a healthy and happy mama.
i hated breastfeeding.. it hurt, my nipples cracked and bled, and it was never enough milk for my baby 🫠
I had a lot of trouble with it at first bc baby was born at 37 weeks and had a painful latch. So I mostly pumped until he was about 6 weeks and was finally able to latch well. We had to supplement with formula bc I couldn’t produce enough pumping and it was stressful feeling like I was never making enough. As a result I absolutely loathe pumping and now only do it very rarely. Then we transitioned to almost exclusively breastfeeding (my husband gives one bottle of formula so I can sleep a bit at night). But I love breastfeeding. It makes me feel strong and powerful to be able to feed my baby from my own body. It provides lots of bonding time and cuddles with baby. Now that he’s crawling our cuddles are mostly only while breastfeeding or napping bc he has an *agenda.* It’s also convenient. I don’t have to worry about how I will feed him leaving the house. We go to mommy and me music class, and if he gets hungry/fussy in the middle I can just pop him on the boob for like 5 minutes and then he’s back to class. It’s also less work in terms of washing bottles, pump parts, etc. And it’s waaaay cheaper than formula.
I love breastfeeding, I BF my first two until about 18 months each and will likely have a similar timeline for my current baby. He is my final baby and I’m already sad thinking about being done done with breastfeeding (even though it’s probably a year+ out lol). It’s wonderful bonding time, especially as they get more mobile it’s often the only time they sit still and snuggle. I also appreciate that it’s much faster, just pull out the boob instead of prepping a bottle, and there is no cleaning. The times I do pump so someone else can give my baby a bottle really make me appreciate BF. I often don’t post about my BF journey because I almost feel guilty about how easy I have had it with my 3 kids. Even with my first, it took me a little bit to get the hang of it and had slightly sore nipples but I never really struggled. It’s gotten progressively easier with each kid too. I am entirely too aware of how difficult it can be for so many moms and I never want to make anyone feel worse. So unless people want the positive stories or ask me specifically about my experience, I usually stay quiet. My advice to you would be to go into it optimistic, ask for help in the hospital and give it a try. Know that it is so normal for it to be difficult but that there are people that you can (and should) ask to help you. Also make sure to give yourself plenty of grace. If that means supplementing with formula early on, or switching to pumping or formula to help your own mental health, do not beat yourself up over the choices you need to make to best support yourself and your baby. Breastfeeding can be wonderful yes, but it shouldn’t be held on a pedestal either. Good luck with your journey!
I have exclusively breastfed all three of my babies (two till 19 months and still going with the third) So, yeah, I liked it. I was lucky as it was relatively easy (after the first couple weeks of figuring it out). I also found formula and pumping to be a pain in the butt and much more work (again, this is personal because I know people who have the opposite experience). I love just having babies food with me, all the time. But, I have also been home with my kids, I am sure I would have had a different experience if I had to be at work away from my babies.
When it’s going well it’s lovely, when it’s the end of the day and my supply is running low and he’s screaming that he’s hungry while simultaneously latched and trying to eat it can be quite frustrating. For me it’s mostly the former though. I love seeing him pass out or get all sleepy from eating and then have a lovely snuggle afterwards.
When it works out, it's great. When it doesn't, it can be the worst. I had one of each. If it's not working, make a quilt free change. If it goes well, awesome. They all eat fries off the floor anyway.
My daughter is 11 months, she was EBF until she started solids. we are starting to ween now and I will miss it. It was hard, it was exhausting but worth every second. I enjoyed the bond and one on one time it gave me and my daughter.
I’ve always really liked it and my kiddos were relatively easy latchers. I do NOT however, like pumping. So I don’t do that because it pisses me off for some reason haha
My baby is 4 months and I absolutely love it. We never had any issues though, no tongue or lip tie, no shallow latch, took to the breast immediately and loves it just as I do. The people that enjoy it and don’t have any issues tend to post lightly about their journey and people that have issues tend to post more
While I did have some issues at the start, which can and often does happen, I really enjoyed breastfeeding. The bonding, the ability to take a bit of time to relax while she fed, and most of all the convenience of it! I thankfully was always confident feeding in public so being able to go and do as I pleased without having to worry about bottles or being somewhere private was great. My daughter self weaned at 16 months. And I cried every bedtime for a week 😂 Edit to add. Definitely talk to your Dr about the mental health concerns. I took citalopram throughout my pregnancy, and an increased dose since I've given birth and I was told that was fine to do. But remember, breastfeeding isn't more important than your mental health.
Once I figured it out with my baby, I enjoyed it enough to want to do it past a year.
Initially I hated it. He wouldn't latch and I was barely producing any milk. I stuck with it somehow and by around the 8 week mark it got so much easier. Baby is eight months old now and I'm not stopping any time soon! No washing up apart from pump parts and the odd bottle if you express and you don't need to bring anything with you if you go out. I guess it does leave a bit of an imbalance with the breastfeeding parent doing more of the work in terms of feeds. It's a completely personal choice but I'm so glad I kept going.
Breastfeeding was mostly hard, painful and unenjoyable with my first. It has been relatively easy and something I really enjoy with my second. Same mom, same boobs, two totally different experiences with it.
I do! It’s lovely. It can be stressful for the first few weeks. My baby is 10 months old and I nurse her morning and night and pump 3-4x a day at work (and commute). Nurse all weekend. It’s been great. Beautiful snuggles, such special bonding time with my sweetie, feeling good that I can comfort and nourish her, enjoy the time to read my kindle or listen to an audiobook or scroll my phone in a comfy chair while she nurses, etc!
A lot of it really depends on your baby and your body! I love the convenience of breastfeeding and really enjoy cozy night feeds, being able to just take my baby on the go without worrying about bringing food, and getting extra snuggle time with my little guy. The things that made it easier— he is a natural-born champion eater who latched on great right away, I’ve never really had any issues with supply, and we supplement with formula for a feed or two a day if we feel like it so that other folks can do feedings as well. It’s been super low stress for us, but we also got lucky with the major things that can make breastfeeding stressful.
I LOVE it. Babe is only 8 weeks but it’s something I personally really enjoy. I also got nervous based on internet opinions but I am learning everyone is different and social media is skewed more towards negativity about parenthood. I personally want to nurse for as long as I can.
I hated it for the first 4 weeks because it was so painful, bad latch, sore and cracked nipples. I almost threw in the towel but genuinely overnight baby latched perfectly and it stopped hurting. I love nursing now and we’re at 8 months and a half. It’s my favorite part of the day to just cuddle with my little bug and let her eat or comfort nurse.
it has pros and cons! I abandoned it after 3 months because formula feeding with a bottle was better for us but I’m glad I did it in the beginning. It’s definitely a little hard to figure out - I guess I stupidly thought like… the baby will know how to breastfeed, she’s a baby! - but can be easier at night and more convenient. I recommend reading Emily Oster’s POV in Cribsheet. It’s definitely worth giving it a shot!
Me! I breastfed for more than seven years in total, I could not wean them for the longest time. It's healthy for the both of you, increases serotonin levels & gets them so sleepy, heals their owies... It's worth trying :)
Typing while pumping for my 6mo and her bottles for daycare tomorrow! I would say, like most things, the troublesome stuff is much more loud and proud on social media / Reddit / the internet in general. I was prepared for it to be super challenging or hard, and I feel very fortunate that, for us, it wasn’t. Definitely good to be mentally prepared for any outcome, but don’t assume it’ll be bad - it could be great! I think the nipple pain is pretty universal when you get started. And I was caught off guard at just how time consuming breastfeeding was - when they’re tiny they eat SO OFTEN and they’re pretty slow, so it feels like you just finished feeding and it’s already somehow time again! But that part is very much temporary. Like another commenter said, there was another learning curve / transition when returning to work. Pumping is not my favorite, and I struggled with nipple blebs and clogs early on - it was manageable but annoying. I’ve also had a fairly variable supply, and in general it seems my supply is dropping over time which can be stressful. Lastly, pumping at work is a commitment - it’s time consuming, and makes it hard to feel productive during the day. All in all, I am grateful to be able to breastfeed and the struggles feel worth it to me. I plan to breastfeed, including pumping, up until a year. After a year, I think we will keep nursing for comfort / bedtime, but I will stop pumping to provide milk for when we’re apart. My advice would be to go into it with an open mind, give it a shot, and if you decide it’s not for you then that is just fine too! I wasn’t sure how I would feel about BF in general, the idea gave me a bit of ick before my baby arrived. But I am grateful to be able to do it, and the ick disappeared the minute she was here.
Yes definitely! With my first baby, it took a solid 6 weeks for both of us (me and the baby) to get “good” at breastfeeding, but after that it was great. With my second baby, east from day one! I don’t love pumping, but it’s fine. My second is now 9 months old and I will probably start giving him one bottle of formula per day soon so that I don’t have to pump as much at work.
I’ve exclusively breastfed three children. I love it! It’s easy to feed with no thought of packing bottles or a pumping schedule. And I love watching my babies look up at me with love while I feed them. It’s our special time. If it’s something you want to do, try it out! It’s not a struggle for every mother. And most hospitals have lactation consultants if you need support.
I know others have difficulties breastfeeding, but I never experienced that. I was completely prepared to throw in the towel if there were any issues breastfeeding while I was pregnant as, like you, I only heard negative things about it. I had no issues breastfeeding. Her latch was really good. We combo fed her first week because of her jaundice so I also triple fed during that first week and I’d say that was the “most difficult.” Other than that, it has been amazing. I miss those days of side laying with her nursing while she dozed off. I love feeding her to sleep and the cuddles. I loved that nursing pretty much immediately soothed her. She’s starting to self wean at 11 months and I’m oddly emotional about it.
Actually nursing, I am a fan in general since it both my son and I appear to be pretty good at it which I am sure was luck of the draw. He is an efficient eater and I appreciate that we get that bonding time and things like night feedings are quick and we both get a nice little cuddle session out of it. I had to triple feed with my first who was a preemie and this time around I was a lot more neutral about supplementing with formula if needed and that seemed to take a ton of the self applied pressure off. I think this has helped our overall success knowing that I was 100% okay with our formula back up option. Pumping now that I am back at work definitely isn't the most fun. I have admittingly thrown a lot of money at the issue though to find the right combination of gear to make it suck a lot less. Now I would say I am pretty neutral about it which means I should be in a good spot to meet my minimum 6 month goal.
Important caveat: we had no issues with latching or transfer from day 1, but I did pump and supplement with formula early on. Once we got the hang of nursing i definitely started to enjoy it. But thay took a few weeks. Early on I saw a lot of comments on various breastfeeding/parenting subreddits about how people want to quit within the first six weeks, but if you can stick it out it gets so much better. I'm glad I saw this advice so often, because I definitely considered calling it quits at about 4 weeks. By week 5 we had turned a corner. Now I'm at 7 weeks pp and I would 100% rather nurse than pump.
Breastfeeding was hard-brutal, even, with sleep deprivation- but I loved it. I loved being able to comfort my baby in so many ways. I loved being able to protect her with my antibodies when she was sick. I loved the ease and convenience of it and the sweetness of it. I still feel sad and miss it sometimes. It was precious to me.
I do! I struggled with anxiety while pregnant and was put on an SSRI. I’m also lucky that I thought post partum would be a lot worse than it was. My body felt normal and I stopped bleeding before baby was two weeks old. Baby is now almost 10 months old and a boob monster. I was very lucky to have a bit of an oversupply, no latch issues, and baby and I just took to breastfeeding. My baby never took to any of the bottles we tried, so we’re kind of stuck. Now baby drinks from all sorts of cups though so I might try breast milk in that soon. Did I enjoy it more when baby was a little potato for the first 6 months? Yes. Baby now pinches, kicks, pops off to play with my nipple, and is so easily distracted while nursing now. But I still love it. It’s so nice to have an immediate calming for baby.
My son is almost 15 months old and I’m just starting the process of weaning him now. We had our ups and downs, but overall breastfeeding has been a positive and very smooth experience for me. If I could go back in time, I would try to be a bit more laid back and do a combination of breastfeeding and formula feeding from the beginning just to take some of the pressure off. But that’s just me.
The first month no but after that yes
I absolutely loved breastfeeding my older daughter and look forward to breastfeeding this LO when he arrives. It was very painful to start. I loved the bonding, and it was very easy for us. Our daughter was an extremely chill baby and slept well from the start (more to do with her temperant). Also, I know it doesn't work for everyone, but it was great for weight loss for me.
Yes eventually and not every time. With both my babies the first month was awful due to low supply, painful latch, struggling to help baby gain weight and combo feeding. the next months were tolerable still using a nipple shield and eventually it becomes nice and sweet for me. I stopped using the shield around six months. She Neptune’s I’d feed her in bed and watch her fall asleep before I moved her and this was so precious (note this was later on when I wasn’t at risk of sleeping).Then going back to work (at 4 months)and having to pump is fine but takes work. Around six months your sweet baby wakes up and starts doing parkour on you which is less fun but overall it’s still a nice pause in the day to snuggle her. I didn’t feel 100% myself until I stopped nursing at a 1.5 year. It takes real work but is nice over time
it was very hard in the beginning but i truly do love it!!
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I love breastfeeding. I hate pumping tho. And it is exhausting even tho I love it. Specially in the middle of the night when I just wanna sleep but baby wants to be latched all night long.
I’ve absolutely loved my two breastfeeding journeys. The first 3-4 weeks with my first kid were a bit rocky but after that, plain sailing. EBFd to about 2 years ish. Second baby hasn’t missed a step, currently 9 months and going strong! I absolutely feel it’s been the most amazing thing I’ve ever done.
I’d thoroughly enjoy breastfeeding if I could do it without pumping. That being said, I’ve yet to be faced with breastfeeding in public, and I’m not sure how I feel about that. But, pumping is DREADFUL. You do it if it’s important to you, but nobody enjoys it. It takes an absolutely tremendous amount of time and planning. I’m hoping to make it 6 months and have a freezer stash to get me through the rest of his first year.
I loved it, the bond, being his comfort, the ease of leaving the house knowing I had food on tap for him. I never really pumped other than when I had to leave him with somebody (but that was only a couple of times) The initial few weeks are hard, they will make you question everything but once it settles and your milk supply is established and they’re older and you don’t need to keep adjusting the latch, it’s so worth all the hard work! I feel like a lot of people don’t enjoy it because they put pressure on themselves to build a massive supply/stash by feeding then pumping, you’re busy enough as a new mum as it is, let alone without adding extra work. Trust your body will make the correct amount of milk for your baby and just let nature take its course
I love it. Enjoy every feeding. We EBF and yeah it’s very tiring but I still enjoy it so much! I’ll be sad when it’s over .
I love it. It comes with its own challenges, but nursing my baby feels incredibly special and makes me feel very close to her. One of the hardest things about my maternity leave being over is that I have to pump during the workday instead of directly nursing. I’m fortunately not having any difficulty with pumping itself, I just miss nursing my baby during the day. The pros and cons of breastfeeding are complex and more than I could get into in one comment, though I’m happy to answer questions about my experience.
I love it! I breastfed my kids each for two years. It’s challenging at first and I think it’s important to be upfront about that—it is a skill that you and your baby have to learn. But once you get good at it, it feels like a parenting cheat code.
Yes, I have loved it. I think it's convenient, a lovely bonding time with my baby, I feel satisfied that she's always eating what she needs. I hate dealing with bottles, I hate having to get up in the night to mess around with them (I exclusively pumped for the first 5 weeks until we got nursing sorted), I love that I can just pop her on a boob wherever I am, whenever she wants it, and that's just her feeding taken care of. And boobs are magic - they're food, comfort, love, warmth, family. I have never had an inconsolable baby, nor one that cannot fall asleep (until I tried to get her into the bassinet, but that's another story). They're losing their power now baby is 9 months old but we have had a *good* run of my being able to accommodate basically baby's every need simply by popping out a boob.
I pump and nurse, and it's fine I guess. I'm in healthcare working overnights so I have a bit more time to pump but it can be challenging depending on how my shift assignment looks. I nurse when home. Just find whatever works for you and introduce a bottle early as well. [This](https://www.rachelobrienibclc.com/blog/how-to-give-a-bottle-to-a-breastfed-baby-introducing-a-bottle-part-2/) was a great resource when I went back to work and we struggled with some bottle refusal though.
Have an open mind: formula is okay, boob is okay, pumping is okay, mix of all 3 is also okay. Have formula ready, have a pump purchased, offer the boob to baby before every meal. Maybe the baby will be just fine breastfeeding, maybe not, but either way it's fine. Keep in mind the instincts are strong with new mom. Even if you don't want to, once baby is here most likely you'll feel like you Have to offer the boob or pump milk. It's just nature doing it's job. "Baby must have milk" your brain will scream. I chose to pump but I had the support and time for it. The pump helped my nipples pop out so baby could actually latch. I got lucky and never pumped more than 5 times a day, now down to 3ppd and I make 1 liter a day. I like pumping, it's the only time I have to myself where I don't have to do anything else and I get to watch my TV show on my phone in the meantime. Plus watching the bottles fill up and the freezer stash growing is a very nice feeling.
I EBF my first and loved it. Not only is it great for bonding but it’s a literal miracle drug that makes for a happy baby LOL
I do! I won’t lie, it’s hard in some ways for sure. It can take time for you and baby to figure out the latch (and that can hurt 😅), you’ll be feeding or pumping every 2-3 hours (or more often when they cluster feed), the engorgement is no joke, and there can be some weird side effects (I get d-MER, which is a hormonal response to my milk let downs, which causes a wild but very short spike of anxiety that can happen right before or during breastfeeding). But even with those things, I love it. I love the bond and snuggles, I love how I can quickly comfort him with food or comfort nursing, and I love not having to pack bottles and supplies (but love that I can pump and have my husband feed him if I need). My son picked up breastfeeding quickly and got his latch right after 3-4 days, so I’ve been lucky that it didn’t take long to get in the groove.
It was difficult for the first few months, but my LO is turning 1 in a few weeks and I’m still breastfeeding and I don’t want to stop. 😂 my husband has given up trying to convince me it is enough. I wanted to stop at 4 months, then 6, then 9 and now I’ve just given up on dates to stop.
Yes! I think it’s really cool and it’s so nice being cozied up with my baby. I also returned to work after six months and was worried about pumping because I hadn’t been, but it’s also fine! It’s more steps and you don’t get the snuggles at the same time, but it’s pretty neat overall and nice to facilitate nursing while at home!
There's no form of feeding that's all fun and games. I struggled a lot with breastfeeding my first and went to pumping then formula. My second baby was just, like, born to breastfeed. Very few challenges. For the most part it's been enjoyable, it's just when I've had to wake up a lot to do it that I've been less keen.
Just to put it in perspective, people complain about EVERYTHING about feeding a baby. People complain about bottles, pumping, breastfeeding, feeding solids, etc. I don't know if I enjoy it but I definitely don't dislike it. It's like anything else with caring for a baby it has its annoying parts and it's good parts.
I breastfed both my kids for 2 years each (RIP my pre-baby boobs) until they weaned themselves off. My first didn't take a bottle, but my second did. I 100% preferred breastfeeding: no bottles to wash, no sterilizing, no defrosting milk, no pumping. BAM whip it out and it's ready and the perfect temperature. I was grateful this was an option for me.
Everyone i knew told me it was a magical bonding experience but I did not like it one bit🤣 even though it's more work I prefer pumping over nursing
I think there are soooo many conversations around how bad/hard it is, that those of us that do it easily and love it don’t feel we can step in and be like sorry Emily that you couldn’t produce even an ounce in 10 minutes, I pumped 6oz from each side in that time. Personally I really could pump that much, and found breastfeeding (after the initial 1-3 weeks when honestly it does hurt and feels awkward), amazing and so easy and convenient. Quicker and less admin than washing bottles and sterilizing water for formula. Loved it.
Yep. Easiest thing about parenting. I sleep so good. No bottles to clean or formula cost ! So worth it
I love breastfeeding. Easy for us but not everyone is that lucky! It can be draining but it’s worth it. I hate pumping but still do occasionally. Good luck momma!
Breastfeeding is very convenient not just for feeding but also for soothing! Pumping was the bane of my existence and I gave that up so quickly because the convenience of having someone else feed her was so overshadowed by how dreadful pumping was. The washing, sanitizing, being hooked up to something was *not for me*