Our Breastfeeding Stories

Warning - loooong story!

Ben was born by c-section on 28th June, 2005. It was a planned cesarean due to him being breech. He was born at 11.25am and I started trying to feed shortly after. Breastfeeding was something I really wanted to do and I don't think I'd even comtemplated struggling with it! I just thought it would be easy I think!
I remember on the first night I kept trying to feed him, he'd fall asleep. then I'd put him in his crib and he'd cry. We kept doin this until about 6am, then one of the midwives came in and said she's give him a bottle of formula - the night midwives seemed very keen on formula! He had a bottle, then he went to sleep.
The second night, we went through the same process as the first night. A midwife came in to me at about 5am, I said 'whats wrong with him??' she replied 'he's starving!' I was devestated. I felt like a failure. Again, she took him and gave him formula.
The next day, a midwife came in to me who had been encouraging me, I told her what the night midwife said, she said she should not have said that to me, and gave me some more encouragement.
I was starting to get sore and chapped at this point. Over the next couple of days I carried on trying to breastfeed in the day and he'd have a bottle at night. I came out of hospital.
On day 5, I was sore and bleeding. I already had a breast pump and I decided to see how much milk I was making by expressing - I now know this has no resemblence on my supply! I sat for about 45 minutes trying to express and got a drop out which seemed to be moslty blood. Shane had been bathing Ben and when he came downstairs we discussed it and reluctantly decided to move him to formula. I was absolutley gutted. The next day the midwife came, she asked if he was being bottle or breast fed, I burst out crying and said 'bottle'. She said if hes happier thats all that matters, but didn't offer any help or try to discuss what we could do to make things better.
That is the end of my breastfeeding story with Ben.

Daisy was born on 15th April, 2008 at 12.50pm.
I was 90% sure I wouldn't be able to breastfeed (especially as I'd had a breast enlargement since having Ben :iconredface: ) I'd even bought a bottle warmer for the bedroom. And I'd bought formula.
Just after DAisy was born we tried breastfeeding, which seemed to start well.
THe first night she slept from 10.30pm - 4.45am, which we weren't expecting! Because of my previous experience and because I had no-one to talk to (I have no friends who breastfeed) I told Shane he could do one of the night feeds and I told him he could give her formula :iconredface:
When Daisy was about 3 days old I was in alot of pain when feeding, I was sore and chapped. I decided to try and get some help before it was too late. I rang the breastfeeding network and spoke to a woman called Sarah, who I owe everything to. It was a help just to talk to someone about it. She suggested different positions I could try and said she'd ring me the next day. I tried different positions but because I was already sore, it was hard to tell if it was helping. Sarah rang again the next day (a Saturday!) and was on the phone for about 30 minutes, just talking about different things I could try, which was a great help. About an hour later, she phoned again to say she'd got in touch with someone who lived near me who could come and watch me feed, she gave me her number. (Sarah had already given me her home number incase I needed to talk!)
The woman she gave me the phone number of, Angela, runs the breastfeeding group in a nearby town. I phoned Angela and 20 minutes later she was here (with her knitted boob ) She showed me a poster of a mother and baby feeding. The mother was leaning back with baby face down feeding, lying across her diagonally. Angela said this position encourages baby to latch on correctly. This is still the postition we normally feed in. Just by changing this, things improved vastly. Within a few days the soreness had calmed down and I was no longer chapped. Sarah phoned me again the next day to see how I was doing.
I wish I had looked for this support when I had Ben.
But she was still having a bottle of formula at night, she carried on having this until she was a couple of weeks old, when I decided to stop giving it to her. I just wish she'd never had formula at all, and if I had the support then that I have got know, and if I'd known more about breastfeeding then, I'm sure she'd never have had any.
The support I have now is amazing and its great to see that the support IS there. I have support from my breastfeeding group, my breast buddies (of course) and I know if I needed them, I could ring the breastfeeding network. I have put my name down to do a breastfeeding peer supporter course in September, I'd love to be able to help other moms who experience problems - even though I know I've got alot to learn before then.
Daisy is now nearly 8 weeks old. She is feeding well and gaining weight well. I still get sore sometimes when we're both lazy - because she might not latch on so well and I don't reposition her.

I feel like breastfeeding has changed me in some ways, I don't feel like I need to do the same as everyone else around me - I trust myself and know I'm giving her the best I can. It annoys me when I talk to friends and family about breastfeeding and they say 'I didn't like the idea of it' ???!!! They don't know what they're missing. There is no feeling that compares to the feeling I get when me and Daisy look into eachothers eyes while she feeds, especially when she pulls away and smiles! And words cannot describe it! Just to think, we'd talked about not having any more children, thank God we changed our minds!!

:lovey: Thank you for sharing!

Well i'll apologise now as this will be along read.

My daughter Kaite was born on the 21st November 1998, and i had already decided that i wanted to breastfeed. However she was born at 8.33am and no body showed me how to latch her on at all until gone 8pm when all the visitors had left.

By which point she didnt want to latch on. Just about every midwife had a go at trying to get her to latch on, but she was having none of it.

At one point the midwife expressed some milk from me using an electric pump. Which she gave to Katie in a little plastic cup (the kind they give you your tablets in when you are in hospital) this they said was to avoid nipple confusion.

They then tried in vain to get her to latch on but once again she wasn't interested. I was then advised to try nipple shields and sent home with no additional support.

I persevered with nipple shields for approx 2 weeks but feeding time was horrendous so in the end i decided it would be far less stressful if i expressed (so bought a pump) and then bottle fed it to her. Which i did for about 3 months.

I found this hard work because it was like doing both breast and bottle feeding at the same time.

Then on the 5th december 2002 i gave birth to my first son Byron. He was born at 8.10am, i told the midwife i wanted help to latch him on asap after he was born. She said when i'd got washed and dressed she would be in to help me, but she never did, however i was that determined to :boob: that i managed to get him to latch on myself. i continued to feed him for only 2 weeks once again due to lack of support,knowledge and understanding.

Then on december 23rd the following year my 2nd son aaron was born and was very much a similar story. i managed about three weeks this time before moving to formula.

However in 2008 i gave birth to Mollie (15th April 2.10am) i was adamant things this time would be different. This time my new husband was totally supportive and couldn't do enough to help and encourage me (and still does). i put her to my breast before i even got showered after giving birth and it just seemed to come so natural.

i think support is the key, so thanks to you all and my hubby. cos i'm still sucessfully :boob: and i'm so pleased for me and Mollie. i love the closeness and that special feeling only me and others who bf will understand it truly is a gift.

Wow gem... that was a great story Really inspiring.. Mines kinda long too...:iconredface:

I had Tia nearly 9 years ago...there were no cafés or breast feeding groups or HVs/MW's that were specifically trained... I just got the Breast is best and everyone can do it, its natural chant...I had no idea how hard it would be until Tia popped out...I had a rough time after I had Tia and had to have an emergency transfusion afterwards as well as surgery due to me haemorrhaging and retaining my placenta... so it took a long time for my milk to come in.. :tear: After day 3 there was still no milk...Tia had been crying constantly for 3 hours, when eventually the night MW came in to see what was happening... she grabbed my boob, squeezed it... the mw on the ward that night gave Tia some formula, which she guzzled down, promptly threw up most of it then fell asleep... after that it was really easy to give top ups because I didn't realise that newborns feed constantly...and my HV and MW and everyone else was saying that she should be feeding every 2 hours.. and the only way I could achieve that was to feed her then top her up... She was a big girl 8lb9oz and I weaned at 3 months..after that I managed to completely drop the formula. When she got to 8 months she contracted meningitis... then a rota virus while in hospital and she became intolerant to lactose...even bm would make tia vomit and have diarrhoea and cry in pain. So we had to move over to lactose free formula.... I managed to justify it by remembering that if it had been the days before formula, Tia would have died anyway from the virus' so this was just keeping her alive but I missed it terribly

With Serena I anxiously awaited bfing :boob: and she latched on immediately, no probs and bf'd well....after being in hospital for 2 days Serena got Jaundice at first doc wouldn't listen to me but by day 3 after her bloods were done they rushed her to SCBU... It was the day my milk came in, they refused to let me hold her before she went and I was just an emotional wreck.... at this time my doc came in handed me some tablets and told me to take them... I refused till she told me what they were and she told me very aggressively that they were to dry up my milk... as lil miss had to go to SCBU and lost weight and formula would be better for her I refused, threw my wobbly, DH made a formal complaint and I was discharged...leaving lil miss in hospital... it was heart wrenching leaving her behind... I was told to be on bed rest for two days but as I had refused to switch to formula, I had to travel to the hospital at 9am, 12, 3, 6, 9 and 12pm to feed her... but through the night they locked the ward and lil miss had no choice but formula. At each feed I had just 30 mins to feed her, from both breasts and then she was force fed formula... she was often so full she just wanted to sleep but she was forced awake and given more formula... after 2 days I'd had enough so we took her home...and while she had some formula I slowly cut it out as we found it made her colic terrible... and finally she was 100% bf'd but I had to do it all myself and was made to feel terrible by the docs and SCBU for refusing to switch to formula...

It makes me sick to think that I could have taken thise tablets and then wondered why my milk dried up... how much PND I would had suffered .... Which is why my bfing accomplishments mean so much this time and why I plan to feed as long as possible... We have started weaning early, but lil miss has the most terrible reflux and can vomit over 12 times a day 3 or 4 oz each time and feeds constantly so it was discussed with a nice doctor we have and she agreed to give it a go to see if it helped. It hasn't much... although she feeds a little less and only throws up her boob milk... time will tell...

wow youre stories are really inspiring its amazing what strong women you are to keep on through so much, im proud to be associated with you. i will post my bf stories on here soon but when ive more time! :boob:

Look forward to reading it Ang :aww: Its really nice reading everyones stories and seeing how far we've all come :group hug:

:welldone: All you mummies are amazing!!!
Thank you so much for sharing your stories, I will post mine when I can :aww:

Heres mine.


Before Olivia was born I was asked by my OHs mum about breastfeeding, I wasn't too sure about it, as my mum never breastfed and I always saw bottlefeeding as the norm.

I think outsiders probably presummed I was bottlefeeding because of my age as I got caught with Olivia at the age of 19 ( just before 20th birthday) and I assumed I would too I suppose

Well I went to the parentcraft class and the woman really scared me about breastfeeding, she said it would be every 10 mins and I would be feeding all the time I would be sore and it will be hard and I will never get a break etc..

I got home and I was not happy about breastfeeding but for some strange reason I still wanted to try it

Well I gave birth to Oli and I tried to latch her on, didn't get much help at all, and as I had pethidine she wasn't interested.

I got up to the ward, and she slept for hours and I just layed there and watched her and I was just so happy

The nurse came round and asked how I was feeding and I said breast, and she said has she had any yet ( about 5 hours after birth) I said no as she was still sleepy, so the nurse tried to help me but Oli was having none of it!

So she said she has to has something, and went and got some formula, She started giving it to Olivia and I just felt like it was happening in slow motion, I was watching her and felt pure anger! I felt so inediquate.

Olivia didnt take any (thank god!) and I just kept trying and trying and then she did latch on and have some


I went home that day ( hate hospitals!! ) and we went home and went to bed that night was the worst night ever!

But anyway the feeding went well upto about 8weeks or more and she was crying all the time and never seemed satisfied, I caved in and tried to give her formula but she wouldnt have any ( thank god again!)
We worked out what it was in the end and then got over it.

Faced many milestones, but we got through them all and I managed to feed her for just over a year when she weaned, I am very pleased with myself and cannot wait to do it again!!

Thats lovely Tasha, Well done you for overcoming so much!! Thanks for sharing :aww:

:aww: Thank you Gem

Thanks ladies for your stories i've enjoyed reading them we have all over come so much to give our babies the best start. A big well done to one and all who breast feed

:aww:

They are lovely stories! Thankyou for sharing! :aww:

I'll tell you the story so far...........its far from over yet though!

I had Jamie 4 years ago, and the support was absolute zero. I told MWs i wanted to BF, but was anxious because of the size of my boobs and flat nipples, and they didnt even help latch him on!
On day 3, with screaming pain and blood at each feed, i gave up :tear:

I had Tyler 3 years ago. In a way, not breastfeeding Jamie gave me the gift of Tyler.
Repeat the above experience, with the added bonus of a 12 month old. :tear:

1 year ago i got pregnant with Corey. I joined here as i was determined to BF. I got the help and info on how to deal with big boobs and flat nipples. I had a fab birth MW, who put him straight onto my breast the moment he was born and left us for about 4 hours to get feeding established, before weighing him or anything.
And 16 weeks later, here we still are

:cheer: Good on you Kay, you sound like you were very determined!! :cheer:

Its so shocking how the people who are supposed to be helping us as new mums are so dismisive, it makes me realy angry, but your stories all made me cry too, dont know whats come over me.
My labour started at 1am when I felt a trickle and thought I'd wet myself. My contractions started an hour later and by 9am the midwife turned up did an exam and said I was 8cms dilated and having contractions regularly and long, so she thought it wouldn't be too long, I was having a home birth.
12 hours later nothing had changed so they said I should go to hosp and be induced, and for that I had an epidural. 2 drugs didn't work so they used a 3rd which apparently was one that affected the baby, so when she was finaly born she was extra sleepy.
She woudn't latch on and then slept for 20 hours, no one suggested I wake her or try to feed her, so she woke up starving. I had the best student midwife who tried for hours to get her to latch and eventualy we decided I'd express, got a few drops which I gave with a syringe. I had nipple shields so I used them a bit too.
The next morning I had the most horrible midwife and she told me if I didn't give a bottle of formula I'd make my baby so ill she'd be taken away from me and kept in hosp. I stood my ground, thanks to the SMW I knew what I was talking about and refused to give formula. I kept expressing and demanded to see the lactation consultant, all the time in tears.
We went home 2 days later but she became jaundiced so went back in where she made a great recovery, even though the nurses there told me to feed her for 10 mins one side then switch 10 mins the other. This I had no knowledge of, but it just seemed wrong so I hid behind the curtain and fed longer. It was a complete mess actualy because I was feeding with nipple shileds, but also had to express every 3 hours, which they fed her with a tube.
Anyway we got home on her weeks birthday and I carried on feeding with nipple shileds. I think they lasted for about 3 or 4 months, I tried to wean her off them, but I still had issues with her not feeding enough from the jaundiced which in my mind was caused by the drugs she got and made her not feed for such a long time. Anyway she stopped one day when I was lying in bed, I reached over her to grab a shield looked down and she was latched on sucking away hapily.
Sarah said it all realy 'i love the closeness and that special feeling only me and others who bf will understand it truly is a gift.'
As Natasha said, I cant wait to do it again. Am I strange in loving the thought of tandem feeding?

Squiglet, sorry dont know your real name, unless thats it, I cant believe they locked you out at night! We must have been lucky because we had a small room to ourselves with a pull down bed so I could stay with her. Breast milk is so much more important for sick babies how can they not have provisions for breast feeding mums?
I really wish I'd complained about our nasty midwife, but we were more worried about Rhianna at the time, more of us should complian though.

Thank for sharing Kay and what a story Mary :aww:

You have all done so well and like Ang has said, I am so proud to be accociated with you all, I am very lucky to have you all as members :bighug:

I'm not going to write mine as I'm not done yet

You all should know i'm superstitious and believe in jinx'ing things out, lol.

rhi'smummy wrote:Squiglet, sorry dont know your real name, unless thats it, I cant believe they locked you out at night! We must have been lucky because we had a small room to ourselves with a pull down bed so I could stay with her. Breast milk is so much more important for sick babies how can they not have provisions for breast feeding mums?
I really wish I'd complained about our nasty midwife, but we were more worried about Rhianna at the time, more of us should complian though.

Morag... my parents hated me.... :pml: :pml:

I live in Spain and they have some strange views about feeding babies here... as long as you're baby is healthy its bm... if your baby is sick its formula... :icondoh: Formula is pretty much prescribed by paediatricians here....I couldn't believe it when they said the ward was closed at night... I just burst into tears and begged...

I have a friend in the UK in the same position and they let the baby stay in her room with the uv light

Its so sad that something so natural is treated so lightly... I can't imagine not bfing my daughters... and while things are slowly changing they aren't changing fast enough imo.... :tear:

ok heres my story, my mother bf both me and my bro so ive aways thought it was something i would do.
i was 20 when i fell pg with my first, half way through my nurse trainin, id just done the midwifery section and had done a seminar on bf so was even more determind!
i had a stupidly long and complicated labour +24hrs, oz was upside down and stuck so after having only gas for the entire labour at the very last min i was given diamorphine which made him very sleepy and diffult to latch, we were both exhausted, i was put on a huge milking machine which made me feel like a cow in a pen and the night nurse was a horror who bruised my boob trying to force him on, but we persevered and after all the hurdles i managed to feed for about 8mths

with milly i was more prepared and knew what to expect, the latch was alot easier but for some reason my nipples were extra sensitive so i used shields for a while, milly was a chub like willow! when she was 6mths i found out i was pg with my 3rd, i was going through a rough time cos my mam had just died and my nan about 2mnth after so i only managed 8mths again,

when marianne was born i opted for meptid at the last min for pain relief- horrific! i had skin to skin contact then felt like i wasnt safe to hold her, my head was all over the place, when she did eventually feed though it was second nature to her, she fed until she was 2 and a half

aeryn was a little more diicult to latch on she has a tiny mouth and my boobs seemed to be like cannon balls for the first 2 wks but once established there was no stopping her, she stopped herself about a mnth before willow was born. again 2and a half

willow is built for breastfeeding! she fed for ages and ages as soon as she was born! i intend to feed her until she is ready to stop too!

oh and if i do have another i will bf again!

sorry its long i tried to condense it !

WTG Ange!

And never say never is my motto too!

Well done Ange!! And I'm very very sorry to hear about your mom and your nan xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx