*Breastfeeding Uncovered - Channel 4*

[Chase]

Is stopped with Aaron after a year as I was exclusively expressing and still waking every 3 hours to pump.

With Scott he self weaned around 16 months when I started working nightshifts again,

With this one I will let them self wean when they choose

 

[IVW]

With this one I will let them self wean when they choose

So some babies almost 'go off' breast milk?

 

[Niknaknoo]

I did 14 months andstopped due to an infection. The beginning was tough as ds had tongue tie. My aim was a year but when we got there i didn’t feel either of us we’re ready to stop! I went back to work when he was 8 months and packed him off to the Childminder with bottles of expressed milk, it was still touch and go if he’d take the bottle.
My advice is do what feels right at the time, go with the flow. Don’t be disappointed if you only manage 2 weeks, or 6 weeks or whatever. The main thing is that you want to and are going to try, I was lucky it came fairly naturally (once the tongue tie issue was sorted!)

 

[Chase]

With this one I will let them self wean when they choose

So some babies almost 'go off' breast milk?

Yes lots of babies just stop having the boob when they feel ready. Most babies who do extended feeding (which most people seem to find hard to understand) are only having 1 or 2 feeds a day so it's not like they are attached to the boob like a newborn. Most people wouldn't even know that the kid is still breastfed. So if I'm stl bf at 4 years old I'm OK with that

 

[IVW]

With this one I will let them self wean when they choose

So some babies almost 'go off' breast milk?

Yes lots of babies just stop having the boob when they feel ready. Most babies who do extended feeding (which most people seem to find hard to understand) are only having 1 or 2 feeds a day so it's not like they are attached to the boob like a newborn. Most people wouldn't even know that the kid is still breastfed. So if I'm stl bf at 4 years old I'm OK with that

Words from a woman who hasnt had a baby 'saves money with the boob'

 

[EmmaN27]

I chose to formula feed my daughter because i didn't feel comfortable with the idea of breastfeeding, I spoke to my midwife about it and she said if I don't feel comfortable doing it then it won't work, so that made my decision final. My best friend breast fed her son and I spent a lot of time with them, so I had a good idea of how it worked etc. My daughter's dad (now ex), had no opinion on the matter. However, this time round my new oh would really like me to breastfeed, I've told him I still don't feel comfortable about the idea of it, but would consider it. His daughters' mum never did it and he said he wishes she had, as he thinks it's a really natural and amazing thing to see the mother of your child doing. He has a good way with words and it is making me think more about it when the time comes. x

 

[IVW]

I chose to formula feed my daughter because i didn't feel comfortable with the idea of breastfeeding, I spoke to my midwife about it and she said if I don't feel comfortable doing it then it won't work, so that made my decision final. My best friend breast fed her son and I spent a lot of time with them, so I had a good idea of how it worked etc. My daughter's dad (now ex), had no opinion on the matter. However, this time round my new oh would really like me to breastfeed, I've told him I still don't feel comfortable about the idea of it, but would consider it. His daughters' mum never did it and he said he wishes she had, as he thinks it's a really natural and amazing thing to see the mother of your child doing. He has a good way with words and it is making me think more about it when the time comes. x

ahhh bless him - I do think most men do feel quite strongly about their partners breast feeding their children, which surprises me, as, lets face it, most men are quite laid back when it comes to these sorts of things.

saying that, i have never actually asked my partner what he thinks. I can imagine he will also want me to breast feed, but if i dont want to, i know he will support me none the less.

You can only try this time round Emma and see what happens.

 

[MoominGirl]

My feeling is that I want to give breastfeeding a damn good go so that I can walk away knowing that I've done my best if it doesn't worked. I won't allow myself to feel pressured or judged over my feeding choices as ultimately the happiest baby is the one that's fed!! My husband totally supports that. I am actively looking for breastfeeding support groups etc in my area as I do think a lot of mums who give up because they're struggling actually don't get the right support in the first place.

 

[IVW]

My feeling is that I want to give breastfeeding a damn good go so that I can walk away knowing that I've done my best if it doesn't worked. I won't allow myself to feel pressured or judged over my feeding choices as ultimately the happiest baby is the one that's fed!! My husband totally supports that. I am actively looking for breastfeeding support groups etc in my area as I do think a lot of mums who give up because they're struggling actually don't get the right support in the first place.

Exactly this Fx there are bf sessions near you.

 

[Kitana]

I was all for breastfeeding my daughter when she was born, and I thought it was all natural for a mother and as easy as breathing. Nope. Wrong! I struggled so badly! My DD was born 4 weeks early didn't have a good suction reflex and wouldn't latch on. The midwives at the hospital were so pushy and made me feel like a failure. One even made me cry because I had to call them EVERY TIME I wanted to breastfeed and I forgot one time. My god, it was horrible! I hated every minute I spent in the hospital. I had to wake my DD every 3 hours even when she was fast asleep. I had to stay 5 days but pushed the pediatrician and gynecologist to dismiss me after 4 days. I was exhausted and had only slept 8 hours in 5 days time.
She never really learned to latch on and 8 weeks later, having only 2 or 3 hours of sleep inconsecutively, pumping every 3 hours. I was broken and tired. I had no support from my oh on that level so I was all alone in taking care of the baby's feedings. I even begged him to take over 1 night. Only 1 f#@&ing night, and he said no. I stayed strong for my DD but no human being can sleep 1 hour at a time and function like said human being.
I drove in my car doing 200km on some days because my family wanted to see her. I can honestly said that I never fell asleep but have blanks and sometimes didn't remember that I had driven this or that way.

If I can give you one advice, don't feel pushed into doing something that doesn't work out for you. The breast milk is only as healthy as the mother herself. If you can barely feed yourself because you always have to pump or try to latch on the baby who doesn't cooperate, if you can barely get any sleep, the production diminishes amd then you have to pump even longer to get the production going, it doesn't pay for the mental hell you put yourself through.

Now the reason why my daughter didn't sleep for more than 2 hours in a row is because she had a cows milk protein allergy, so when I gave her my breastmilk, she would get tummy troubles and have diarrhea. I went to see an osteopath who diagnosed her and gave her formula instead.
After giving her the first bottle of rice based formula, she slept 4 hours consecutively. Then she started sleeping 5 hours a night, then more and more until I started to get some colour back in my life. I started to love being a mother. My hair started to grow back, the bags under my eyes started to lessen. I was happy.

Sorry for the suuuuper long post but it's an example of how some breastfeeding supporters can push you into oblivion and sleep soundly at night while their judgement has you up all night. Don't do what I did.x

 

[Vintageling]

I'm pro breast feeding and will be hopefully breast feeding once we do have a baby and but I do support people who decide to formula feed as breast feeding isn't for everyone. I think breast feeding in public shouldn't be an issue end of the day no one is flaunting their boobs around when they are trying to feed their child and you can't even see the majority of the breast once baby is latched. I have sat and spoken to a few women who have been sat in public breast feeding because they were getting stared at and even at my step mum's funeral her neice was trying to breast feed but felt uncomfortable as there were alot of men in the house and my dad but her little one wasn't feeding because she was trying to cover her so no one could see anything so I ended up holding the cloth up infront of them so baby wasn't uncomfortable with the cloth over it's head but mum was comfortable because no one could see

 

[IVW]

I was all for breastfeeding my daughter when she was born, and I thought it was all natural for a mother and as easy as breathing. Nope. Wrong! I struggled so badly! My DD was born 4 weeks early didn't have a good suction reflex and wouldn't latch on. The midwives at the hospital were so pushy and made me feel like a failure. One even made me cry because I had to call them EVERY TIME I wanted to breastfeed and I forgot one time. My god, it was horrible! I hated every minute I spent in the hospital. I had to wake my DD every 3 hours even when she was fast asleep. I had to stay 5 days but pushed the pediatrician and gynecologist to dismiss me after 4 days. I was exhausted and had only slept 8 hours in 5 days time.
She never really learned to latch on and 8 weeks later, having only 2 or 3 hours of sleep inconsecutively, pumping every 3 hours. I was broken and tired. I had no support from my oh on that level so I was all alone in taking care of the baby's feedings. I even begged him to take over 1 night. Only 1 f#@&ing night, and he said no. I stayed strong for my DD but no human being can sleep 1 hour at a time and function like said human being.
I drove in my car doing 200km on some days because my family wanted to see her. I can honestly said that I never fell asleep but have blanks and sometimes didn't remember that I had driven this or that way.

If I can give you one advice, don't feel pushed into doing something that doesn't work out for you. The breast milk is only as healthy as the mother herself. If you can barely feed yourself because you always have to pump or try to latch on the baby who doesn't cooperate, if you can barely get any sleep, the production diminishes amd then you have to pump even longer to get the production going, it doesn't pay for the mental hell you put yourself through.

Now the reason why my daughter didn't sleep for more than 2 hours in a row is because she had a cows milk protein allergy, so when I gave her my breastmilk, she would get tummy troubles and have diarrhea. I went to see an osteopath who diagnosed her and gave her formula instead.
After giving her the first bottle of rice based formula, she slept 4 hours consecutively. Then she started sleeping 5 hours a night, then more and more until I started to get some colour back in my life. I started to love being a mother. My hair started to grow back, the bags under my eyes started to lessen. I was happy.

Sorry for the suuuuper long post but it's an example of how some breastfeeding supporters can push you into oblivion and sleep soundly at night while their judgement has you up all night. Don't do what I did.x

Thanks for sharing that Kitana - i find it really intriguing reading about other womans stories around bf.

This is the frustrating thing with a new baby and any baby, its trial and error with most things, which can be exhausting on any mother

 

[IVW]

I'm pro breast feeding and will be hopefully breast feeding once we do have a baby and but I do support people who decide to formula feed as breast feeding isn't for everyone. I think breast feeding in public shouldn't be an issue end of the day no one is flaunting their boobs around when they are trying to feed their child and you can't even see the majority of the breast once baby is latched. I have sat and spoken to a few women who have been sat in public breast feeding because they were getting stared at and even at my step mum's funeral her neice was trying to breast feed but felt uncomfortable as there were alot of men in the house and my dad but her little one wasn't feeding because she was trying to cover her so no one could see anything so I ended up holding the cloth up infront of them so baby wasn't uncomfortable with the cloth over it's head but mum was comfortable because no one could see

ahhhh thats lovely

 

[KatD]

I'd love to give breastfeeding a chance, but if it doesn't work out I won't think twice about switching to formula. I don't care what anyone else says.

My mum couldn't breastfeed me or my brother as her milk was no good. So I don't know if there is some kind of hereditary thing when it comes to breastfeeding or if it's just the roll of the dice whether you can or can't.
Either way, as long as my baby is fed, happy and healthy I don't care what method I use.

I get SO angry when people push their opinions on others and make them feel bad. Breast is best yes, but not everyone can breastfeed so I think that should be taken into consideration before people run their mouths. My best friend was on the brink of depression because she couldn't breastfeed - she received so much flack from people about it that she struggled to bond with the baby because she was terrified of feeding (because she felt like a failure). Thank God she received support from her family and her DH, they encouraged her to switch to formula and made her feel good about herself again.

 

[Vintageling]

I'd love to give breastfeeding a chance, but if it doesn't work out I won't think twice about switching to formula. I don't care what anyone else says.

My mum couldn't breastfeed me or my brother as her milk was no good. So I don't know if there is some kind of hereditary thing when it comes to breastfeeding or if it's just the roll of the dice whether you can or can't.
Either way, as long as my baby is fed, happy and healthy I don't care what method I use.

I get SO angry when people push their opinions on others and make them feel bad. Breast is best yes, but not everyone can breastfeed so I think that should be taken into consideration before people run their mouths. My best friend was on the brink of depression because she couldn't breastfeed - she received so much flack from people about it that she struggled to bond with the baby because she was terrified of feeding (because she felt like a failure). Thank God she received support from her family and her DH, they encouraged her to switch to formula and made her feel good about herself again.

My mum managed for a little bit but it was hard as I'm a premie twin so I know we were formula fed after a certain point not sure if troubles are hereditary but end of the day you and your brother are here and healthy and so are me and my twin well not so much me but my twin is lol

 

[IVW]

Absolutely love this!

 

[Kholl]

IVW haha that's classic!

Kitana that sounds SO difficult! I am sorry that was your experience What I take away most from your post is that breastfeeding wasn't actually the issue; support was. And I hear you on the dairy issue, it's awful! I had to cut out dairy for almost a year for the same reason and it is hard, but so common with babies to have that intolerance. I hope yours outgrew it like mine did!

 

[Kitana]

Thanks for your reply Kholl. No I didn't have someone to catch me.. but now my oh does take good care of her. I think men only start enjoying it when the LOs started to interact, babble, play...
As for the allergy, she had outgrown it around 11 months. She downs cows milk like a trooper now! For my second I would try breastfeeding again but as soon as she has diarrhea or heavy cramps, I will gladly switch to formula.
Guilt free.

 

[Kholl]

That’s fantastic he’s supportive now Kitana! Those early days are so hard and we need a lot of arms to hold us up.

After my boy had his dairy allergy, I quit dairy and soy (to be safe) at 36ish weeks with my subsequent pregnancy (and will again this time) just to make sure it was out of my system so none would be in my milk. It’s annoying at first but you get used to it really fast. Then I just avoided dairy/soy for the first 10-12 months of baby’s life. Would that be an option for you? I’m asking purely for the sake of conversation, I know that’s not realistic for lots of moms but just wanted to mention it since it wasn’t as bad as I thought and it was an option that worked SUCH a relief when they outgrow that allergy, right??

 

[Kitana]

That’s fantastic he’s supportive now Kitana! Those early days are so hard and we need a lot of arms to hold us up.

After my boy had his dairy allergy, I quit dairy and soy (to be safe) at 36ish weeks with my subsequent pregnancy (and will again this time) just to make sure it was out of my system so none would be in my milk. It’s annoying at first but you get used to it really fast. Then I just avoided dairy/soy for the first 10-12 months of baby’s life. Would that be an option for you? I’m asking purely for the sake of conversation, I know that’s not realistic for lots of moms but just wanted to mention it since it wasn’t as bad as I thought and it was an option that worked SUCH a relief when they outgrow that allergy, right??

I looooove milk! I love cream! Yogurt, cheese, butter, you name it, I eat it! I wanted to cut down on cows milk and tried soy milk instead but I missed the creamy taste in my coffee in the morning, and made everything so much sweeter. Then tried almond milk, but found it too watery, then hazelnut, rice.... Eventually, I just switched back to milk. I felt so unhappy about not being able to eat dairy anymore.

If my second one doesn't have an allergy, I'll try breastfeeding, otherwise just formula. No biggie..x