Breastfeeding Forum

Posted: 20 November 2005 at 12:09pm | IP Logged

I went to see my friend and her week old baby yesterday. They are really stuggling with feeding and its getting Fay down. I watched her stuggle to get Evie to feed and her technique is fine but Evie is taking ages to get going and keeps coming off until shes really settled. I told her how well she is doing and to make sure she calls a bfing councellor if she needs to. She said the other day she spent 6 hours trying to position her!!!

I felt so lucky. Edward was a natural at bfing and taught me how to do it. I hardly had to get any help from the midwifes and they all complimented me on how fantastic my baby was feeding and that I'd done it all on my own. Watching Fay yesterday I realised how lucky I really was!

I think part of the problem was that because she had a home birth she didnt have as much of the initial help. I was fine but I know other women in my bay at hospital were asking for help at every feed to get baby to latch on.

I fed Ed while I was their and she said she thought it was great I was still feeding  but to be honest I have found it so easy I dont know what I'd do if I stopped and had to start making up bottles etc.

So thank you Edward for making mummys life so easy!!!

Posted: 20 November 2005 at 12:45pm | IP Logged

Aww Madz sorry 2 hear ur friend is having such a tough time

Hope she gets some help with feeding but its great that ur there 2 support her 2 & if lo doesnt take 2 bf im sure u'll b there for her

Well done 2 her for having a home birth 2, iv heard that it can sometimes make bfing easier cause ur more relaxed but i guess u need 2 hav good mws who will help out2

Posted: 20 November 2005 at 1:02pm | IP Logged

Aww Im sure she'll get the hang of it too soon.  I didnt have a breastfeeding counceller or anything.  The MWs were fine,  its crucial to get one you like though.  My HV basically was a cow!  Your friend shouldn't feel defeated!  Just keep encouraging and persevering!

When Travis was born, I did skin to skin for an hour, then went for a bath came back and just latched him on fine!  He must have fed for about 2 hours!!!  HUNGRY BUBS!!!  ... thing was he was too hungry!

Im glad I stopped before he got teeth & I fed in public, but people would stare like I had a baby alien!!!!

Posted: 20 November 2005 at 2:10pm | IP Logged

Both of mine were like that. I tried for a week to bf Harrison but we both couldnt take to it a with no support from any mw's i eventually put him on a bottle.

Louis i tried and gave up on the 4th day as he wouldnt take, he went on a bottle and was fine ever since.

well done to your friend for sticking to it, i think i did the right thing stopping with both mine as i knew it'd make me miserable to try and continue.

Posted: 20 November 2005 at 3:37pm | IP Logged

i can relate to how your poor mate is feeling - bless her heart

max was difficult to latch on but i refused to give it up

he lost more weight than he should cos i was adamant he wasnt to have formula and my breasts became painfully engorged

it was horrible but we got there after a week and i fed him until he was 7 months

tom was a natural - i was much more relaxed n knew what i was doing

however he was and is a big boy n was always looking for me so i made the conscious decision to wean him off the breast to the bottle at 3 months old and were both better for it!!

Posted: 20 November 2005 at 5:07pm | IP Logged

when i had probs bf max i phoned the mws and asked them to come round and show me how to position him on

i did this everyday for about 8 days even calling them out twice in a day

is your friend getting the same support?

if she cant bf theres no shame in it-im actually happier in myself now toms on formula-i was physically tired and hormonal so bf isnt necessarily the best option for the mother always

Posted: 12 January 2006 at 12:37pm | IP Logged

Just an update.

Fay has just been round and is still breatfeeding Evie. She still doesnt latch on straight away but they both seem much happier.

She will take bottles too and is on formula at night for a dreamfeed.