Breastfeeding: 5th time lucky
Introducing our first Parent Panel post by mum of 5 Amy Sheridan, author of and 1 more means four…and 1 more
Breastfeeding is always something that I wanted to do. Whilst pregnant with all my children I would day dream of sitting down breastfeeding my little one with everything going well, a picture perfect scene with a beautiful rainbow suddenly appearing over my house as my perfect mummy moment is achieved.
Unfortunately the reality wasn’t quite like that, I was 19 when I had my eldest daughter and my first taste of breastfeeding was of a midwife grabbing my boob and shoving it into my baby’s mouth. Not ideal, but I gave it my best shot, she got a few days feeds but I moved over to formula feeding soon after. I followed the same pattern with my other 3 daughters and when I found out I was expecting little F I knew I still wanted to give breastfeeding a go.
As soon as he was born we cuddled together and he started searching for a feed, I didn’t wait for the midwives I just latched him on and he fed for a long time looking content and happy. I continued to feed him on the ward and finally after feeding continuously since he was born he had a lovely long sleep which helped my milk come in.
When we came home I took it a day at a time, if he seemed hungry and I had nothing to give him I gave him some formula (I know this isn’t the best thing to do but it worked for ME). Feeding him formula would allow him to feel full and sleep, which once again gave my boobs a break and helped my milk supply to catch up.
By day 5 he had lost 7oz at his first weigh in but by his second weigh in he gained a whopping 11oz!!! By the end of the 1st week I was so excited that I was still feeding him, I took everyday as a gift and I kept plodding along topping him up with formula if he needed it. By the second week I was exclusively breastfeeding him and I was on top of the world.
I did have my worries about whether I could breastfeed and look after my other 4 children but everything fell into place. I didn’t need to spend ages washing and sterilising and when we all went out I could travel light as all I needed was my boobs (and they always travel with me).
It hasn’t been all plain sailing. I ended up with a couple of cracks on each nipple, little F had thrush and I had times of worry about whether he was getting enough, but I pushed through because it just felt so right and it is something that I have always wanted to experience.
If I could offer any advice it would be:
- To keep trying, even if you’ve had no luck breastfeeding one of your other children just give it a go, you never know it may just click like it has done for me and little F.
- Don’t be afraid to top up with formula, it helped me to prolong my breastfeeding by letting my supply catch up.
- It is possible to breastfeed when you have other children, i have found it much more convenient than formula feeding and I haven’t lost any of my bonds with my other children, in fact they all sit with me whilst I feed little F so we all share the time together.
- Ask other breastfeeding mums for advice, you cannot get any better advice than from a mum who has or is currently breastfeeding. They know what it is like and if you even have a small question or you feel confused always ask someone. I spent many nights picking the brains of all the breastfeeding mums on Twitter and it made me feel so much more confident knowing that there was always someone to listen and help.
Currently I have been breastfeeding F for 18weeks and it is still wonderful. I love the closeness we have and the satisfaction of knowing that I alone am giving him all that he needs. I’m so pleased that I have got to experience breastfeeding, it has made my final pregnancy, labour, birth and baby days even more special. I feel like i’ve done everything as a parent now and inside that makes me feel all warm and very satisfied, breastfeeding is a gift and one that I’m so glad I have been able to experience.
Never lose heart, just keep trying, sometimes things just work themselves out and the rewards you get at the end are unforgettable.
Contest! Leave a comment telling us about your experience of breastfeeding and we’ll select one person to win a Twist N’Pop Cup on Monday 11th Oct.
UPDATE 14/10:Congratulations to our winner Zoe! Thanks for leaving your comments.
I tried and tried to give BF a good go – I struggled and gave up. If we decide to go for another I will be doing the same as you, giving it my best shot and taking each day as it comes.
Well done on getting to 18 weeks
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by BabyBornFree UK, BabyBornFree UK, BabyBornFree UK, BabyBornFree UK, BabyBornFree UK and others. BabyBornFree UK said: Come and read our first Parent Panel post by @and1moremeans5 about how she found her #breastfeeding mojo with baby no5 http://ow.ly/2QtVa [...]
I love that you are promoting breastfeeding! Thanks for that. However the advice to “top off” with formula can be very harmful to a breastfeeding relationship. That very attitude can create milk supply problems. You have enough milk and that is what is best for your baby. There is no need to “top off”. In addition I would like to say that the support of other breastfeeding moms is AMAZING but they aren’t always the most knowledgeable. If you are having real issues BF then please seen an IBCLC. That is a higher experienced class of lactation consultant and most areas have one for free. If not then call your local LLL leader for some free hands-on (or off) help.
Congratulations to the author for managing to breastfeed her son. Whilst I think it’s really great that she ‘kept at it’ and she has absolutely given great encouragement to other mothers – I am concerned that SOME of the advice being given here is potentially damaging.
As I think the author is aware, supplementing with formula leads to a reduction in a mother’s milk supply (unless she expresses the feed). Developing of a good supply of milk relies on the baby feeding frequently and on demand. There are other problems with introducing formula too early also – potential health risks for the baby (http://www.iwantmymum.com/site/site/research-over-101-reasons-to-breastfeed/171).
Without banging on about it too much – readers of this article should also be aware that the gut of a very young baby is sterile, and introducing formula can cause problems for them if given prior to ‘gut closure’. This link has more information: http://www.health-e-learning.com/articles/JustOneBottle.pdf This happened to my own daughter.
Exclusive breastfeeding up until 6 months of age, and then continued breastfeeding alongside complimentary food until at least 2 years of age has been proven to be healthiest and safest method of feeding young children.
Although I know it can be really tough initally for some mums, the key to successful breastfeeding is NOT formula. It’s getting yourself THE RIGHT SUPPORT – ask your midwife if there is a peer support scheme in your area, attend a support group, or make contact with a breastfeeding professional (lactation consultant) if you’re having problems. In the vast majority of cases your problems can be overcome without ‘top-ups’.
I disagree with ‘don’t be afraid to top up with formula’ – and prefer:
‘Don’t be afraid to shout loudly for help if you need it!
I’m very glad your breastfeeding experience is working out how you want it however I would like to make a couple of points about some of the things you say. Some of the physiological benefits of breastfeeding are undermined by even one formula feed. Formula is so different to breastmilk that the gut has to alter quite sgnificantly in order to be able to digest it. Also there is the fact that introducing formula so early on can very seriously undermine milk supply. It has been categorically proven that formula feeding doesn’t improve supply by giving your boobs a rest. Breastmilk is produced on a supply and demand basis. You take away the demand by introducing top ups of formula, which takes much longer to be absorbed than breastmilk and the baby will miss the feeds it needs to be fully nourished by breastmilk alone and your supply will adjust to a reduced demand. This can be particularly damaging when you are establishing your supply in the first month to three months. Also if you are feeding formula using artificial teats you risk nipple confusion and giving the baby a poorer quality latch, and therefore reducing the effectiveness of feeding when you return to the breast. To give yourself the best chance at successful breastfeeding it is very important not to top up or mix feed with formula during this settling in period. Also very few babies need formula top ups – only ones which are seriously failing to thrive and cannot be topped up with expressed milk or milk from another mother as WHO recommends. I don’t mean to try to knock you down but I feel it is important to correct these pieces of misinformation as they could seriously undermine another woman’s success at breastfeeding. Best wishes for the future.
Hey, lovely post hun.
I would just like to say that you are obviously not advocating using top up’s but I don’t see the problem in being honest about what worked for you. I did the same with my daughter after a 3 hour screaming fit…she was obviously hungry and my milk was slow to come in … I used one bottle just to calm her, she still BF afterwards. I’m not saying that this is the right thing to do, I didn’t look on a website and think ‘gosh, she’s done it so it must be the right thing to do’ I think some people are underestimating the intelligence of others by suggesting that we are all going to follow what is said online by the letter. Mothers intuition at the end of the day is what you follow, it might not always be right, but you only learn from doing it.
Exclusive breastfeeding is wonderful and something that I am sure all women wish they could do… I BF my daughter along with bottles from 2 weeks old as I just wasn’t producing enough milk and was very Ill after giving birth. Does that make me wrong to say that?
I also think that being honest about how hard it is in the beginning gives hope to other mothers, many of whom are made to feel like failures if they dare to use a bottle and they may be comforted to know that there are many situations where BF is totally possible after the brief introduction of the bottle. Again, its mothers intuition, if you can see that bottle feeding is interferring with your BF then maybe stop.
As for BF advice, well, sometimes you feel a bit of a failure if you have to go to the doc or other professionals about it. Most of my care providers were very ‘pro’ BF but had little or no experience of it themselves and no ‘real’ practical advice to offer me. Other mums were so much easier to talk to, you know that they have been there, and the say things that you are thinking before you say them, your concerns don’t seem petty or silly, they seem shared.
I really wish that the situation around BF and bottle feeding wasn’t so fiercely fought. Those that BF should be congratulated, it is hard work and not always easy. But those who can’t, well, are they bad because of their decision? There is a lovely lady i know who has religiously expressed milk for over 13 weeks for her baby, she has struggled to get her to latch on, but still powered on. That is dedication my friends, not something I think many of us would be able to do. I agree that Breast is Best, but not everyone can, and in the end, if one bottle means, like in Amy’s case, she was able to then keep up spirits and carry on BF, then surely that was a better decision than giving up.
Muchos love xx
i must say this because I would hate for anyone to take your advice about formula and have it ruin their breastfeeding attempt: you suffered in spite if formula, not be cause of it.
It was the suckling, not the sleeping, which brought your milk in.
Topping up does NOT give your supply a “chance to catch up”. That is not how breasts work. They do not empty and refill again. They are never empty. They continuously produce milk. The emptier they are, the slower the flow of milk. The more often baby suckles, the more milk you produce. Every time baby feeds from a bottle, your body misses a “make more” signal.
You also dont mention that gut closure does not happen until 6-8 months. Babies should not receive food other than breastmilk until gut closure has occurred, because it has been proven that this is detrimental to health.
I can appreciate some women are failed by the system and breastfeeding does not work out. In a few rare cases it’s not physically possible. It’s good that formula is available for babies who would otherwise go hungry, however it is not the only option.
Typo, suffered should read SUCEED, sorry. Auto correct!
Hello
I just wanted to say that your blog has inspired me to write my own and I also ‘top up’ with 2 formular bottles in the evening, it has helped me to enjoy all the other feeds so much more.
I havent posted my blog yet but I will let you know when I do..
Thanks for sharing =)
[...] breastfeeding experience to Baby BornFree’s blog (you can read the full post and comments here). The post was picked up by a Facebook group called Dispelling Breastfeeding Myths and they [...]
Thank you to everyone who has left a comment, breastfeeding isn’t always easy and it’s great to hear encouraging words for a mum who is succeeding.
We are grateful to those of you who have taken the time to offer advice on topping up, milk supply and formula.
If you would like to read more about the issues raised in the comments you could have a look at these websites
World Health Organisation
http://www.who.int/child_adolescent_health/topics/prevention_care/child/nutrition/breastfeeding/en/index.html
La Leche League
http://www.laleche.org.uk/index.htm
Amy has written from the heart about the joy of being able to breastfeed 5th time lucky despite all the problems she had previously. All the opinions expressed in there are her own and we feel very proud to have published this beautiful post on her behalf.
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