| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| HorseyNut |
Posted - Mar 23 2006 : 10:24:00 AM
I read the thread yesterday on Childbirth and someone thought breast feeding would be good. I have number 4 coming and I have bf all the others. I have never had trouble in public, although I am discrete, I don't feed baby in the bathroom UCK filthy.
I did have trouble with food allergies with all three of the others. Each baby taught me a little more. I finally whipped colic with number three by not eating any milk, eggs or peanuts. It was hard but worth it my baby was HAPPY all day and night with no crying spells.
Share your stories girls of all those beautiful moments if you did bf and why maybe you didn't or couldn't.
Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do...but how much love we put in that action. - Mother Teresa |
| 17 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| dargaonfly1054 |
Posted - Jun 04 2006 : 08:54:06 AM
Hi all, I'll add my two cents worth here. I have had three children. I wanted them all, but had never been around babies before, so when my first was born, she just did NOT want to bf.....she probably was sensing how uncomfortable I was, and scared of her.... pathetic, huh? Then when my second was born, what an experience!! Wonderful, the birth was wonderful and bf my first son until he was a little over a year was a most beautiful experience. I loved it. Then when my third was born, I was definitely more comfortable with babies, but he only bf for about three months. But on the whole, a very lovely experience. I agree with Kay, enjoy it while you have it, in the blink of an eye, they are turning almost thirty!!! My oldest will be 27 in a few days!!
Georgette
"We need the tonic of wildness, to wade sometimes in marshes where the bittern and the meadow-hen lurk..." Thoreau |
| Aunt George |
Posted - May 22 2006 : 9:16:45 PM
Hi I am 48 and have three children ages 6, 8 and 26. My 26 was a complicated delivery...triple dosed with Pitocin leading to uterine tetany. Wasn't able to BF with my 26 year old son....my milk dried up from separation (ICU's) and stress and lack of hospital pumping facilities and lack of educated nursing staff (and young new mommy.) I chose to breast feed my two younger daughters. My 8 year old was BF exclusively for 13 months and then she weaned herself. I wanted to keep going, but she had other ideas. Training my nipples was very painful, but eventually we both learned how to do it right. My youngest took to it like a fish to water. She was gaining weight before we left the hospital. She could empty a breast lickity split and half empty the other. I did this for her first ten months, then she moved on to solid table foods at her demand! I also worked nights and pumped when working. I was able to pump about 12 ounces from each breast at work...coulda, shoulda, woulda fed the whole newborn nursery with my mammery skills! But my hubby froze it and used it when I was at work. Had so much in storage I was able to donate to a breast milk bank! LOL.....anyway, I've done both and loved both. Each has advantages and disadvantages. Both are portable and convenient nowadays, one comes preheated, the other comes in single serve bottles! LOL
Good luck and remember, the most important part of feeding that baby is the cuddling and bonding for both of you!!
Georgann |
| therusticcottage |
Posted - May 22 2006 : 8:56:30 PM
I admire all of you for your dedication to breastfeeding your babies! When I had my first in 1970 hardly anyone breastfed. I also had a MIL who told me that I wouldn't be able to since I would be going to work when my little one was 6 to 8 weeks old -- had a husband to put through college. I didn't know any better so I bottle fed Missy.
With my 2nd I was 42 and had absolutely no desire to breastfeed her. I just didn't want to be that tied down. And the times had sure changed because I caught as much flack for not wanting to breastfeed her as I did for wanting to with the first one!
But I still enjoyed rocking and feeding my girls. That bedtime feeding was my favorite with Stephanie. She would be all sweet smelling from her bath and we'd rock, I'd sing, and we'd snuggle while she had her bottle. I have the sweetest picture of us in the rocking chair together during one of our evening snuggles. I will cherish it always.
Enjoy every moment that you get to snuggle and love on your little one while nursing them -- the time passes so quickly and soon they are grown.
Visit my online shop at http://therusticcottage.etsy.com
http://www.homesteadblogger.com/therusticcottage/
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| julia hayes |
Posted - May 22 2006 : 8:15:13 PM
Urbanchick, I am so glad that you stuck to your guns with your little one. I think Mother Nature is so wise and often when we start meddling with her process we lose sight of what's been tried and true. I love nursing and have been doing so for almost 5 years straight. I nursed my son for 3 1/2 years (he self weaned) and my daughter at 2 1/2 is still nursing. She nurses primarily for comfort; first thing in the a.m. and at bed time along with any time during the day when she needs a little 'down' time and security, which winds up being maybe once or twice. It offers me a great sense of pause and I enjoy that aspect a great deal. Nursing in public has never been an issue for me, if it has been for others (meaning those watching or trying to avoid looking) I've been blissfully oblivious. I'm not often very discreet either, ie using a cloth to cover me and my babe. I think it is so healthy for people to witness that breasts are not the sexual play-things that popular culture wants us to believe. I think that aspect for women has been a true detriment in so many ways. I can think of no other thing other than pregnancy and childbirth that is more natural! With #3 on the way and due in December, I bet I'll be nursing another 3 years. I'll add that my 2 children have never been to the doctor other than for well baby checks. They have never had ear infections and seem to deal with the bugs that circulate around preschool without too much distress. We have been extremely fortunate and I'm convinced that a great deal of it has to do with nursing. Good luck to all of you nursing or about to nurse. AND for those of you who have decided to do formula, you will have so much enjoyment feeding your babies too! Babies and all that comes along....its all good!
Blessings, Julia Hayes
being simple to simply be |
| Vanessa |
Posted - May 19 2006 : 6:46:43 PM
I adore nursing. I nursed my 1st ds until he was 21 months, and one of the things that I am most looking forward with for my next ds (due next week) is nursing. I always nurse in public. I've had a few strange looks, but more than enough nice smiles or comments.
There is just nothing sweeter than looking into your baby's eyes while you are feeding them. |
| UrbanChick |
Posted - May 12 2006 : 07:18:40 AM
I'm still breastfeeding my 3 1/2 yr old once or twice per day. We are in the process of weaning her. She has severe feeding issues...she has Autism and her doctor says feeding issues come part and parcel with Autism. When she was 3 she had lost so much weight due to her lack of appetite her pediatrician said breastfeeding her may not be enough to sustain her medically so we relented and had her GI doctor put in a feeding tube as a last resort to get nutrition in her. She has severe food allergies to milk, eggs, and peanuts. On the brightside her GI doctor did state that she still looked to be in good form but that was only because she was being breastfed. I am glad and feel blessed that I was able to sustain her for three years on my milk but she was just getting so big and active that breastmilk alone wasn't enough. I got tons of advice from people that said I should just go away on a vacation and dry up so she couldn't have milk anymore or that she was getting too old to be breastfeeding even though she wouldn't eat anything else. I'm glad I just stuck to my guns and continued to breastfeed her otherwise she would have gotten very sick and had her feeding tube placed when she was in real bad shape.
"Fix it up, wear it out, make it do or do without." |
| Fabulous Farm Femmes |
Posted - May 10 2006 : 11:31:33 PM
28 years ago when I had my first daughter at 19,I knew no one who breastfed,except me. I took all sorts of crap for it too, from my family and strangers. I could have cared less. To me,that was THE best part of having a baby.I knew nothing about it and sucessfully fed all three of my daughters, on instinct alone.No infections, no problems.
I still have dreams where I am nursing and get that sensation in my chest like the milk is letting down...anyone else? I miss having a small child! |
| sonflowergurl |
Posted - May 10 2006 : 1:14:57 PM
I BF #1 until he was 8 months old, and #2 until 1 year old. It was the best part of "mommyhood" in my opinion. #2 was colicky and had acid reflux really bad, so we had to prop her at a 45 degree angle for 30 minutes after every feeding (on her belly) or she'd projectile vomit all over the place.
I'm not sure how accurate the "immune build-up" part is "all" of the time (but it does help with colds and viruses). #2 had tubes in her ears/adenoids out at 3 years old (had ear problems for a long time before that) and #1 has had allergies since he was 5 (now 11 and taking allergy shots 2x a week, along with 4 medications a day) and had his tonsils/adenoids out at 8. My brother had MAJOR allergies too (allergic to wheat dust and we lived on a wheat farm) and he was BF until he was almost 3 years old (and colicky and sick a lot).
I do think it's the best thing for most people, but not everyone can do it. My best friend had to quit BFing her daughter because she would get jaundiced after a few days and be in the hospital, go home, get jaundice again....that went on for about 6 weeks and they decided to take her off the breast milk and she was 100% okay (after changing moms diet a few times too).
It's definitely a high priority on my list though, and I'm so glad I did it...the bond can't be described. #2 would sleep with me and fall asleep nursing (never slept through the night until she got her ear tubes), and it was such a good feeling to snuggle with her at night. (Did that some with my son too, but not as much.)
I got mastitis only once, and it was when #2 was about 10 months old. My GP almost admitted me to the hospital at my post-ER visit because the infection was so bad. Funny thing was that the breast didn't hurt so much, but I had a HIGH fever (104+) and couldn't keep ANYTHING down at all.
I used to BF in public, sometimes used a blanket, but not always. I agree, button-up shirts are the easiest. But if you're not comfortable with it, you can usually go into a dressing room somewhere to nurse. (I'd always take in something to "try on" and then just sit there and feed them.)
Good luck and enjoy, it's a great experience once you get past the first difficult days of figuring out schedules and some initial soreness.
Katee
The end will justify the pain it took to get us here.
"Looking Toward the Son"---- http://sonflowergirl731.blogspot.com
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| ladybugsmom6 |
Posted - May 10 2006 : 09:49:39 AM
wow 40 yrs and no bfing....that is so sad, and in a place as big as NY!!
-Tami
now ladybugsmom7, the newest farm girl was born March23, Danielle Elizabeth |
| rabbithorns |
Posted - May 10 2006 : 09:46:47 AM
I bf two, about 2 1/4 years and 2 3/4 years. Had some plugged ducts but nothing serious. I remember nursing on a NY city street and this old woman came by and was eyeing me. Then she came back and finally came up and asked if I was feeding my child (nice to know I was fairly discreet although I could have cared less). I said yes, and she was so happy! She said she had never seen an American nurse a child before. She had been in the country at least 40 years...Kudos to all of you nursing your children. It's a rarity. |
| blueroses |
Posted - May 09 2006 : 1:50:40 PM
I got those infections too, Rebecca. Yikes. I loved nursing my babies. Like someone else said, it's cheap and convenient. I know my daughter's baby (he's 2 now) was in ICU for a week and a half and it's so hard to get them used to bf once they've had those hospital nipples. She pumped and pumped to supplement, but in the end she gave up. I supported her no matter what she decided but I did encourage her to try to get him to nurse until she went back to work, which she did.
I nursed in public and was discreet about it. It's easy to do. It was such a joy and a wonderful bonding experience for me and the babies. My family (parents & siblings) were shocked that I was doing this. It was in the late seventies and early eighties and my brother & sister and I had all had bottles. I wasn't about to go through all that time and expense. I had read up and realized why not do the natural thing. So glad that I did.
"You cannot find peace...by avoiding life."
Virginia Woolfe |
| _Rebecca_ |
Posted - May 09 2006 : 11:42:33 AM
1. Nursed to 13 mo
2. Nursed to 25 mo
3. Nursed to 12 mo
I get a breast infection EACH TIME. They might as well hand me an antibiotic on my way out the door of the hospital/birth center.
Breast infections are about like having the flu, fever, headache, chills, aches AND having the most painful breat & nipple pain of all time. I ALWAYS crack and bleed. I'm like the anti-breast-feeding campain all by myself. But, after I get through the breast infections, it's fine.
My first two were horrible sleepers. I didn't have ANY clue as to what I was doing.
The third child I did the feed/awake/sleep pattern and that worked SO much better, but I didn't get her to sleep completely through the night until she was 10 mo old. But, she was at least GOING TO BED regularly and she would only wake once to be fed. My first two thought that I was the all-you-can-eat buffet at night and I had no idea how to regulate their feedings or my milk supply. With the third one I was very much waking her at the same time every day to nurse and keeping myself also on a better schedule so that I could provide milk more consistently. I also figured out that I had to nurse twice on my left and once on my right in order to have an even milk supply.
My first one didn't want baby food at all. The second one ate some cereal. The third one wanted milk, baby food & table food and then acted like, "HEY! Where's the beef!" She has always been an excellent eater. All three LOVE old-fashioned oatmeal. None of them liked juice until they were toddlers. My son would not have anything to do with cow's milk until he was about 3. My first daughter kind of sort of would drink it. My third had it from about 9 months on. 
My son nursed the most. I burned the most calories with him, my weight fell off too fast and I was always tired (from him not sleeping at night) and cranky because I was basically burning my body fat too quickly. I was skinny by the time he was 7 mo old. It was like, yes, my jeans are baggy! But, I was so irritable!
My two daughters didn't nurse as much and my calorie burning wasn't as great. I actually got back into my jeans after my second child, but after my third I had to buy larger sizes!
I am hoping that number 4 burns lots of calories for me. I have much storage of fat to get rid of! 
I could nurse in public until they were about 5 months old. After that, forget it! They were too easily distracted by every single noise. So, I would just bring a sippy cup with me.
My favorite place to nurse is in my lazy boy chair that my husband bought for me. I broke my tail-bone giving birth to my first child, so I had to have a comfortable seat. It's not a huge lazy boy, it's the smallest they make. It's ONLY for me and the baby, that way I can nurse without interruption from the other munchkins.
While I was taking care of my third baby, I would watch dvds while I nursed her, I rented Shogun (yeah, only while nursing a baby could I watch that LOL!), and I watched The Darling Buds of May (the British series with Catherine Zeta Jones) and that was really cute.
I don't nurse in bathrooms either if I can help it! I would rather go nurse in the car!
.·:*¨¨* :·.Rebecca.·:*¨¨* :·.
Wife of Jonathan, Mother of Joel, Caitlyn, Elia |
| ladybugsmom6 |
Posted - May 09 2006 : 10:27:25 AM
Beautiful moment....I cuddle baby in my favorite rocker, A warm quilt around us both. my 2 yr old pulls up her little rocker, her favorite blankie and her little baby doll get all comfy and rocks ad starts singing her ABCs and all af a sudden dolly get hungry, so up goes my little one's shirt!
funny moment...i serve my kids supper, and tiny mite demands her supper. they can do that even at 3-4 weeks you know! my 2yo son walks in after finishing his and wants to hold his baby, but she needs her super too. Baby Dani bite you mommy? Discresion goes out the window at home with several curious siblings!
Wow, typing and spelling skills go out the window while nursing too!
-Tami
now ladybugsmom7, the newest farm girl was born March23, Danielle Elizabeth |
| ladybugsmom6 |
Posted - May 09 2006 : 10:15:50 AM
I am in the midst of BFing my seventh babe. I remember my mom feeding my little brother and sisters this way and new it was the natural convienient and cheap way to go! Why spend big bucks on what God alredy gave us at such a bargain price, Custom formulated even. My MIL was not so suportive, she questions everything, but once the benifits were briefly summarized she is OK with it. I remember taking my first to church at just a few days old and one little lady just had to see our new one so she lifted my blanket and about fell over! She was more embarassed than I was. "How could I relax out in public like that??" Nursing my little ones is so calming and hen you think of all the good it does for Mom and Baby you just know it is worth teaching little one to nurse. My girls were all so eager to nurse from the moment of birth, that my son amazed me. He had to be retaught each feeding! Hey,he forgot how to chew real food every day, he was so hungry he would just gulp and swallow.
I only had trouble nursing with my sixth when the doc had suggested using the brest pump to stimulate contractions. Ohhh that hurt so bad that I quit after ten minutes, but the damage was done and when my dear son was born it hurt me to nurse for a few days, I hungin there though, and he nursed until he was 14 mo. he looked at me as we were atempting to latch on and grinned at me like what are you tring to do to me. that was it.he went to bed without me lulling him to slumber, and went to bed with the big kids from then on. All but my first were good "go to Sleep"ers too they gave me their signals and I put them in bed, they went to sleep without me. I think it had alot to do with me not rocking them completely to sleep after nursing. I was given pure lanolin for my breasts at the hospital and that helped, it also helped to prepare them at the end of my last pregnancy.
I too have had 7 little ones and have never bought baby food. Whenthe time comes to wean, you know the time when the little one just has to be at the table on your lap with everyone else, and they grow extender arms, your plate is on the other side of the table and babe wants to put your food in her mouth. THats the time! I just took my forkand squished up my veggies added a little water and made baby happy. I usually start with rice or oatmeal cereal, but mealtime was always veggies. I like to have my kids eat every veggie I can think of before starting with fruit-the sweet stuff. And the only one of the bunch thatis at all picky just wont eat fish! I have loved everyu minute of nursing, and promote it to every new mom i meet. " you are planning to nurse, Right??" I think more babes would be off to a healthier start if moms had more support from the culture around them. The best attire...a short t shirt or tank shirt layered under a buttons down denim shirt.
-Tami
now ladybugsmom7, the newest farm girl was born March23, Danielle Elizabeth |
| HorseyNut |
Posted - Mar 25 2006 : 2:46:16 PM
What a great topic. I had trouble with all three of my last ones being hungry at birth. They tell you "Oh they aren't hungry" BS! I actually gave the last two some formula in a suringe because they wouldn't sleep for more than a few minutes. Poor little babies, and the nurses wouldn't give me any sugar water for them (which is better. Obviously me who has nursed babies and gets milk like a holstien can only dream of...They said my milk wouldn't come in properly. Well I gave them each a few cc's and they were content and happy.
About the nursing in public, I found button up shirts to be the BEST. I could undo a button somewhere around my belly button and then just hitch the shirt up a bit to expose the breast, once baby was on you couldn't see anything even with no blanket. I always just help my hand there over the babies head so that it was discrete.
I only nursed baby one for 6 months, he had the allergy but I didn't know to take myself off of foods, so his doc said,"put him on soy" me being dumb did it. There was no internet then to look everything up on. Baby two nursed until she was 18 months and baby 3 until 1 year. They get that old and I just lose interest. I think it's good to go longer, I just get sick of it somehow, wierd. Natures way of weening?
I love breastfeeding, it feels so good and natural plus I always feel so important and loved. I really respect you Libbie for hanging in there, nobody could have blamed you if you hadn't, but you stuck with it and look how it paid off.
Mine also didn't eat solids until around 5 months, really when they started demanding it and grabbing steaks off the plate LOL. I always cook up a small batch of veggies in the steamer, and process in the food processor then I pour it into ice cube trays and freeze. It's a perfect serving size and you don't waste any plus you just store all the cubes in a freezer bag. You can also just take your leftover veggies and use them up this way.
Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do...but how much love we put in that action. - Mother Teresa |
| Libbie |
Posted - Mar 24 2006 : 10:40:43 AM
I struggled breastfeeding my babe - he's now 2-1/2. He was in the newborn ICU for a while after he was born, and I pumped breastmilk and fed him with a syringe and bottle for 12 weeks. Pumping every 2 hours is a real pain in the, well...it's just a real pain! I now have a really good idea of what it feels like to be a cow hooked up to a mechanical milker! Anyhoo, after those 3 months, he got the hang of nursing "for real" and we were successful at it and I continued to nurse him until he was almost a year old. I LOVED it and plan on it with the next one, but I am hoping not to have such a struggle in the beginning. We were both just so worn out.
There is nothing like that nursing bond, I don't think. That being said, I also know plenty of healthy, well-adjusted people who were not nursed. It's so personal, but for me, I really liked it. I never had trouble with Will's digestive system or allergies while nursing - I just ate and drank what I wanted, within reason, and he seemed to develop a taste for it. For example, he has "always" liked garlic and lemons....
XOXO, Libbie
"Nothing is worth more than this day." - Goethe |
| mdotterer |
Posted - Mar 23 2006 : 4:59:44 PM
Oh, how I loved breastfeeding my babies! They all nursed until they were 4 or 5, which meant I was nursing 2 or 3 kids at a time! Of coure, the older ones only nursed once a day or even less often. My babies got only breast milk until they were about 5 months old, then we would start them on soft food, like mashed bananas or applesauce. As they got older and had teeth, we'd introduce chunkier food and gradually increase the variety. They ate what we ate, for the most part. I raised 5 kids and never bought a jar of baby food!
When my first was born, the nurses gave me careful instruction about nursing just a few minutes on each side to begin with, so I wouldn't get too sore. I think La Leche League said the same thing, so I that's what I did. I took my baby home when she was 12 hours old (natural childbirth makes that possible!) and that first night, she cried and cried! I'd nurse her a few minutes, she'd go to sleep, then wake up again. We were frantic. She cried so hard, she stopped breathing for a minute, although by the time we got the doctor on the phone, she was going strong again. The doctor said, "It sounds like she's breathing, now!" Such a joker! Finally, I crawled into bed and told my husband to hand her over. I put her down next to me, hooked her up and let her nurse...she and I both fell asleep and stayed that way until morning! The poor kid was just hungry!
The soreness was never a huge issue for me, I dealt with it and got over it. I can't remember what I did for it, though. It seems like there was an ointment I used. Anyway, after my inauspicious beginning, I never had any trouble breastfeeding. There's nothing like sitting in a rocker with your baby falling asleep in utter contentment.
My first had colic, too. I stopped eating chocolate, beans, things like that. She finally outgrew it and it wasn't too much of a problem with the others. It's so good for kids to start life with breastmilk! If they can have just that for the first 4-6 months of life, they'll have fewer infections, better general health, and maybe even less of a problem with weight gain when they're adults. Formula can't even come close!
Allena, like you, I also nursed in public. Just throw a blanket over your shoulder! You learn to wear loose shirts that can be lifted up easily, but still drape enough to cover you. I never had any trouble and I would have thrown a fit if anyone tried to get me to stop or to leave a public place. It makes my blood boil when I hear about things like that!
I know some women have a really hard time with breastfeeding and it must be nearly impossible when you work outside the home. I never did get very good at pumping milk, but I think a lot of women are successful at it. It will be wonderful when our society is set up to accomodate mothers and babies, so they can do the natural thing!
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