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| Breastfeeding Mommies |
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| My son is 4 and a half weeks old, and I have been breastfeeding successfully since his birth. It has been a struggle for me, since he has been eating every 2 hours almost around the clock. It is exhausting and I am wondering how long I can keep it up. I know it is best for my baby, but I am finding it very hard. I rented an electric breast pump & have started pumping some milk so my husband can help with some bottles. Will it get easier & more enjoyable as time goes on? Has anyone had experiences like mine? |
| Posted by Katie on 07/09/2008 03:17 PM
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| i have 2 daughters one is 3 and one its 8 months...im still nursing my 8 month old... i had the same issue with my 2nd baby... she wanted to nurse ever 2 hours and my nipples were very sore and raw... yes i had my moments were i wanted to stop but my husband who is deployed would tell me every day that i could do it and that i had done it before. he told me to hang in there... yes i promise it will get easier..you have to remeber that they are new at this to. you guys are learning together. it takes time...my daughter had almost sucked one of my nipples off so i got a nipple guard. i pumped also... what i did was pump in between feedings.. every chance i got i pumped and nursed. i felt like a dang milk cow. i also lost all my baby weight and more so keep that in the back of your mind when you think about stopping..you just have to hang in there...the first time they look up at you and smile while their nursing is so special!! let me know how it goes!! jessica |
| posted by jessica on 07/09/2008 07:25 PM
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| i have 2 daughters one is 3 and one its 8 months...im still nursing my 8 month old... i had the same issue with my 2nd baby... she wanted to nurse ever 2 hours and my nipples were very sore and raw... yes i had my moments were i wanted to stop but my husband who is deployed would tell me every day that i could do it and that i had done it before. he told me to hang in there... yes i promise it will get easier..you have to remeber that they are new at this to. you guys are learning together. it takes time...my daughter had almost sucked one of my nipples off so i got a nipple guard. i pumped also... what i did was pump in between feedings.. every chance i got i pumped and nursed. i felt like a dang milk cow. i also lost all my baby weight and more so keep that in the back of your mind when you think about stopping..you just have to hang in there...the first time they look up at you and smile while their nursing is so special!! let me know how it goes!! jessica |
| posted by jessica on 07/09/2008 07:25 PM
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| well, i can't give you advice on if it'll get easier or more enjoyable.. but i can tell you that i can relate 100% with what you're experiencing. my daughter is a little over 2 weeks old...and sometimes, she wants to eat every 45 minutes. sometimes i feel like my nipples are going to fall off from her wanting to eat so much! i supplement with formula at bedtime though, so she'll sleep for more than an hour.. haha. the doctor told me i'd probably have to, she was born weighing 9 1/2lbs. so i'm having trouble keeping her full :) hopefully, for both of us...it'll get a LOT easier! i agree that it's exhausting and I feel like all I do is breastfeed her, but i also enjoy the one-on-one time that it gives both of us... i don't think anything can replace it when she's eating and she looks up at me and just stares. that is one benefit to breastfeeding that i don't think formula feeding has. keep up the good work, i plan on it! |
| posted by Kristen on 07/09/2008 08:28 PM
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| It does get better! I have a 7 month old daughter and she was the same way. I felt like that was all I was doing! Pretty soon the time between feedings should increase. I am sure you are doing a GREAT job, I remember being sooo overwhelmed at first and the lack of sleep didn't help. It really does get better. The pumping should help you get a break and help your husband feel more useful to you and your son. Good Luck and keep up the good work... |
| posted by on 07/09/2008 10:18 PM
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| Hi Katie. I completely understand what you are going through. You are doing all the right things. Keep it up and yes it will get easier and more enjoyable. When my daughter was born, I did not look forward to feeding her. Like every new born, they ate every one to two hours. I was so tired that pretty soon, I just didn't want anything to do with her. It became such an unpleasant time for me. But, I stuck through it and now she's 6 months and I love our feeding times. I love looking down and watching her eat and knowing that I am giving her the best thing that she needs right now. It's so rewarding now. I'm glad that I didn't give up, because there were many times that I wanted too. Remember, breastfeeding is not for everyone. Those who choose too, bless their children with so much more than just milk. I breastfed my son for one year and I'm planning to do so with my daughter. So, don't give up. It will get easier around 4 months. I know that seems like forever now, but it will come fast. Please let me know how your doing with it and congratulations. LOL. |
| posted by Hoa on 07/10/2008 12:24 PM
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| I agree with the other comments; it does get easier as you go. Regarding pumping, for me it helped a lot in the long run. I absolutely hated to pump. It took so long to do with so little to show (in the beginning), the feeling of being a cow,etc. However, I made it a normal part of our daily routine after dd started sleeping a little better and going longer between nursings. I would pump (almost) every morning before dd woke. This way I was able to keep a decent supply on hand. I chose not to use it regularly (like dh giving her a bottle when I was there too). Instead we used them occasionally when we were out in public, but mostly for my mom or mil to give her so dh and I could get a night out. It was just a good feeling to have the milk ready. It gave me a sense of freedom to know that if something came up and I could not nurse my baby for whatever reason, the milk was there for her. |
| posted by Lauren on 07/21/2008 04:47 PM
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YES, it will get easier. The first six weeks are brutal, then gets a tiny bit easier. Then a little easier at 3 mos., then a lot easier at 6 mos. Sounds like a really long time? Believe me, it's not. My 3rd just turned 6 mos and I really don't know where the time went. When I weaned my 2nd at 13 mos. I cried because I knew I would miss the closeness. Try to relax and find a position that is comfortable enough to doze while you nurse, and you and your baby will both be really happy. You are doing a great job!
Others might find this controversial, but I found the pumping tedious and time-consuming, and during growth spurts it was just too exhausting to try to meet the babies' needs (sometimes nursing every hour during growth spurts) -- during those times we did supplement with formula, just for a day or two till my supply could catch up, and that helped enormously. Remember to trust yourself and be kind to yourself for all the work you are doing to care for your sweet baby.
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| posted by Cindy on 07/23/2008 08:21 PM
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| Thank you everyone for your responses to my concerns. It has been very helpful to hear that most other breastfeeding mothers feel this way. My baby is now 6 and a half weeks old, and the breastfeeding is much better now. We have established a routine & some good positions, and I am finding it much better now. It helps that he can now sleep 4 to 6 hours in the evening, giving me a better night's sleep. My pumped milk has allowed my husband to feed the baby occasionally so I can get out a little bit without the baby & spend some time with my 5 year old by myself. I am really happy to be able to provide for my baby this way and only wish I would have done so with my older son. Thanks again everyone! |
| posted by Katie on 07/23/2008 11:45 PM
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| Katie, I'm happy to hear that it's getting alot easier. Don't worry about not being able to nurse your first one. Just be happy that you decided to do so for your second one. I hope you have fun with it. |
| posted by Hoa on 07/24/2008 05:00 PM
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