MSE Parent Club

Jess_B

Snaggles wrote: »

Oh, I am so glad I've read this thread tonight, I've been getting really stressed out about breatfeeding Natasha, and it's so comforting to know I'm not the only person who struggles sometimes.

She's 5 weeks old, and I really want to breastfeed for at least 6 months, but ideally 12 months. But it seems she wants feeding every time anyone comes to our house, or we venture outside the doorstep, and I'm forever apologising for having to disappear off with her for 20 minutes to feed her.

My Mum and Dad are terrible for giving me guilt trips - my Mum is anti-breastfeeding and constantly tells me horror stories, and my Dad seems to think I'm fibbing about having to feed her every 3 hours or so, because he keeps pointing out that she goes for longer that 3 hours at night, so he can't understand why she wont through the day.

MIL tells me it's unhygenic :rolleyes:, my friend keeps telling me it's disgusting having a baby, in her words, 'sucking on your tit' :mad:......I feel like I'm the only person in the world who has ever breast fed.

Well nuts to all of them, I WILL keep going lol!

Edit - Sorry, that turned into a bit of a rant!

Hi

I just wanted to say that as your baby gets older they do feed less frequently and they don't take as long. I remember the first few weeks and it seemed like all my daughter wanted to do was feed and it was very unsociable especially as everyone was popping in to see us!! Also the longer you do it for the better you get at discising what you are doing, my FIL didn't like to be there when I was feeding which is find, he never said anything I just knew it made him feal uncomftable but as time went on I quiet often feed her with him around and he didn't have a clue!

I feel for you if you are not getting any support, my Mum was invaluable when I was feeding it took me and my daughter a while to get the hang of it. Join a breastfeeding support group and meet other like minded people who can support you.

Breast is always best IMHO, and if you can do it then why give up because of unsupporting people. After all that is why you get breast milk to feed your baby, its free and there is no making up bottles which I would have always worried I would get wrong!

If you need any support PM me, I only fed for 6 months as my daughter went into hospital and was nil by mouth for over a week so my milk went. I wanted to do 12 months and next time I will.

Good luck to you and keep going, you are doing the best thing for you and your baby

Jess xx

jo_b_2

Snaggles wrote: »

She's 5 weeks old, and I really want to breastfeed for at least 6 months, but ideally 12 months. But it seems she wants feeding every time anyone comes to our house, or we venture outside the doorstep, and I'm forever apologising for having to disappear off with her for 20 minutes to feed her.

My Mum and Dad are terrible for giving me guilt trips - my Mum is anti-breastfeeding and constantly tells me horror stories, and my Dad seems to think I'm fibbing about having to feed her every 3 hours or so, because he keeps pointing out that she goes for longer that 3 hours at night, so he can't understand why she wont through the day.

Snaggles - you're doing brilliantly. Don't let anybody else's prejudices and small-mindedness stop you doing what you feel is right for your baby.

Parents may be older but they are not always wiser! :rolleyes: My Mum couldn't understand why I wanted to breastfeed and made offputting comments. A few months later she came round telling me all about the health benefits and how breastfed babies are much cleverer etc. I think she'd read an article in Women's Own! :rolleyes:

It does get easier as baby gets older - just hang on in there.

Snaggles

I think with my Mum particularly it's definitely a justification thing - I was a caesarian baby, which in those days (I'm 32) was pretty much always done under general anaesthetic.

My Mum says when she came round they told her she'd had a baby girl, and she just thought 'I don't care if I've had a baby elephant, I just want to sleep' (Charming! You can see where I get my 'high' self esteem from lol).

So I was bottle fed, and then they tried to encourage her to try breast feeding, but apparently the woman in the bed opposite was exactly the same and decided to try breastfeeding but the baby wouldn't take it. After a couple of tries she went back to bottle feeding, but the baby then refused that too.

So I think my Mum has just got it into her head that breastfeeding is dangerous because of that.

She regales me with this story at least once a week, I might add :rolleyes:

Anyway, must dash....it's feeding time at the zoo....again!!

Snaggles

Sorry, just wanted to ask another question....

Has anyone used reusable nappies? I've bought a very small pack of cotton bottoms to try and am having great difficulty with them - I can get them on, but they are soooo bulky I can't get her clothes on over them! Am I doing something wrong, or are they just very bulky? Anyone got any tips??

Snaggles

Wow, thanks so much for all your replies about the breastfeeding - I really appreciate the support xxx

I'll stop taking over the whole thread with my posts for a bit now!

Js_Other_Half

Snaggles, you are doing what's best for your child - don't let anyone else criticise you for that! I would have really wished to solely breastfeed but it wasn't possible in my case (despite medication,chinese herbs, acupuncture, expressing, and cup feeding every 3 hours for weeks!). I use a supplementary feeding system from medela which has at least enabled me to give DS a little of my milk for the last 6 months.

My mother would have absolutely hated the very idea of breastfeeding, and she was bottle fed during the war too. Is there any way you can print off an article about the benefits and hand it to them the next time they comment?

As for real nappies, we didn't get into them until DS was about 3 months onwards. The vast majority of clothes these days are cut for disposables, so you may have to go up a size and roll sleeves and legs? I can't comment on cotton bottoms, as we use motherease.

Curious_George_2

Snaggles wrote: »

Maybe I should start a 'breast feeding support' thread, for people to come and talk about any problems they are having and get advice or encouragement.

beware if you do!
there is a complete troll about who thinks he is the be all and end all of the anti breastfeeding brigade on this board and he has been interrupting our breastfeeding in public thread for sometime now,

is there a blocking fuction on this board? like an ignore button? or someway that i can flip a switch here and it delivers a shovel to the back of the head?

anyway, I was quite surprised at the comments made to you, if you want to feed, then you do it,
it can be hard, but its so rewarding and you will always feel like you did your best....

SusanCarter

Snaggles wrote: »

Sorry, just wanted to ask another question....

Has anyone used reusable nappies? I've bought a very small pack of cotton bottoms to try and am having great difficulty with them - I can get them on, but they are soooo bulky I can't get her clothes on over them! Am I doing something wrong, or are they just very bulky? Anyone got any tips??

We're using terrys so I don't know what cotton bottoms are like but they are quite large so we found we really had to stretch the vests round an also sometimes don't do up the two poppers at the crotch of babygrows. There's a thread on the Green/Ethical board here which may be of use. We actually went into 3-6 month vests at 5 weeks (Alice is a larger than average baby anyway) but apparently you can get vest extenders to make them fit better.

SusanCarter

Curious_George wrote: »

is there a blocking fuction on this board? like an ignore button? or someway that i can flip a switch here and it delivers a shovel to the back of the head?

Click on complete troll's username and there should be an option of "add complete troll to your ignore list". If you choose it, you will see that he has posted but what he say's will not be displayed to you.

Snaggles

I've just been reading that thread funnily enough....phew, he has some 'issues' hasn't he?!