I'm really struggling :(

Hi girls I'm hoping you can give me some encouragement just now As the title says I'm really struggling with breast feeding right now I ave to say it is by far the lowest and hardest time I've had in the last 14 and a half months

I was struck down with a cold what feels like an age ago it's about 5 days. Kacie has been caught by it too, either that or she's fighting chicken pox only time will tell on that one though. She's been poorly since Sunday, snotty nose, I think headaches, probably a sore throat going from how I felt. She must feel completely awful, I certainly did Consequently she has upped her BF's from 3 or 4 a day plus one at night to, well I'm just losing count. She's also waking 3 or 4 times in the night and she's so sorry for herself I've got no choice to give her some milk, poor little babe can't breath properly

I just don't know how long I can keep this up for. I know she won't be poorly forever, but I just can't keep my energy levels up at all. I'm completely exhausted, starving hungry, but then get heartburn after I've eaten, and TBH having moments where I just don't want her near my boob for one more second There's no way I could stop feeding her now while she's poorly, but it's seriously making me consider weaning, which I really don't want to do and more than anyt hing deep down I want to tandem feed. I just don't know how many more days of feeding her like a newborn and growing a baby I can take

It's so hard and my boobies are getting so sore Sorry I'm waffling abit now, just needed to come and say all that somewhere I'll get the support I need

I'm so sorry that things are not going well.. If it's any consolation and I know it's not, this is just a phase and it will pass. You are at a cross roads. A point where in a few weeks you may stop producing milk altogether and that your child has reached an age where many children self wean before the 18 month spurt where they latch on again more than a newborn.

There is no harm with going with the flow and weaning her now, if its a good time. However, if you want to keep feeding heres something you can do...

Drink more fluids
Take some of those dextrose tablets from the chemist to boost your energy
Oats, bananas, nuts are all good low GI foods

As for the sore boobies, I've had them a while with lil miss. I use the lanolin when it's really bad but a lot of the time I just grit and bear it

And hugs, this is a really, REALLY hard thing you are doing and anyone who doesn't appreciate that or feels that just because it is difficult you should just give it up, really doesn't understand the importance of this, to you, to your children, to both your healths....x.x.x.

Thanks hun that's exactly the sort of thing I needed to hear

You see either of those options are fine by me. I know she may stop in just a few weeks due to changes in my milk and while I'll be sad I'll know it was her choice due to this, or should she increase again in a few months I'll be fine with that too, as things are if I wasn't pregnant I don't think there's any way she'd give up, she is such a boob monster I would just feel so guilty if I was the one to actively stop her now at this time, we both still have so much to gain from our BFing relationship. We've had such a great journey, as I say this is the only time I've been unhappy and considered an end.

The supply tips are already actively in place. I've eaten porridge pretty much every day since she was born, with a banana on I realised myself when I was away over Christmas and drinking very little water and a fair bit of coffee just how important that one is. The warm weather is encouraging that one too, I just can't drink enough. I think I'll get some dextrose though as I think this will help with those moments where I need a quick fix and maybe slightly better for my weight gain than the whole chocolate cake I consumed on Monday (to be fair I did share a small amount with DH and Kacie )

As for the sore boobies, up until now I have been gritting my teeth and baring it, I think it's just all the extra feeds over the last few days has made it more noticeable and the fact prising my nipple out of her mouth has been proving difficult on occasion means they have got even more sensitive. I probably should get some more lanolin though.

Anyhoo, waffling again, this is exactly why I've come to have a cry about it on here, I know I'll get the advice and support I need Thanks again

Hugs to you.

I can't add anymore other than I always find when I don't want to make a choice on something I just go with the flow.

From what I have heard from lots of pregnant breastfeeding mums are that it does settle, lots of children do wean during pregnancy but some booby monsters don't mind the change!

So just see how it goes

Heres a really helpful thread on cold remedies from breastfeeding.com

http://www.breastfeeding.com/forums/showthread.php?t=336

aww hun hugs, i can't add anything more than what everyone else has said so sending loads of

Well today has been much better, I think yesterday was definitely the worst day. Missy has a had a much more manageable 4 feeds so far and with a probably 2 more to go, plus bedtime, that has to be half of what she was wanting yesterday.

Last night was the worse night though with her waking every hour from 10 and by 2 me falling apart and telling her I just couldn't cope with that anymore. She actually went back off OK then, but woke again an hour later and would not settle, though she dozed on and off for about half an hour. We both got quite upset in the end. By half 4 I did feed her, but then she didn't want to sleep, but decided it was time to play instead Fortunately DH had been asleep early last night so he took her for a bit, but he's not very good at realising when she's tired again and so she and I ended up falling asleep on the sofa at about half 6 watching a DVD, but without booby.

Tonight as her cold is much better I will try to discourage any booby at the first waking as she then tends to sleep longer till the next one and it's easier to encourage her back to sleep without at midnight thane it is at 2 or 3am.

Thanks again girls for your fab advice

I also found that getting my DH to take over a lot more in terms of putting lil miss to bed help reduced her dependency on booby for bed. She has the problem of really just booby feeding for comfort and bordem. My breasts are always full atm.