Comments on: Breastfeeding Linkiness

by: selzach

Thu, 29 Jun 2006 16:11:46 +0000

My inability to breastfeed Peanut is still a sore spot. He was a preemie and was given bottles in the NICU. I tried breastfeeding from the beginning, but at first he was too sleepy and had a weak suck, then got used to the fast flow of the bottle. I tried for 2 months, met with various LCs, went to LLL meetings, tried a nipple shield and a supplemental nursing system. Nothing worked. The nurses and LCs kept telling me I was doing everything right, keep trying, Peanut will catch on. He never did.

It got to the point where he would scream and arch his back as soon as he got near the boob. One LC recommended taking a couple day break from nursing, then try again. We were both so much happier during that break, that I decided to stick with the bottle and pumped until he was a year old.

Luckily I never got any judgmental comments, but anyone who did would’ve gotten an earful.

by: Bad Alice

Tue, 20 Jun 2006 15:51:30 +0000

I nursed my first child for what seemed like forever (she ended up weaning at age 4). I was trying to wean when I got pregnant with second child and decided not to bother. Second child was so premature she was tube fed at first because she couldn’t suckle, so I pumped and they gave her milk that way. She never took to nursing, though I drove myself crazy and made myself quite ill trying.

by: twoboysmom

Fri, 16 Jun 2006 02:41:14 +0000

When biggest was born I had trouble nursing him. He just didn’t give a rip. By 10 weeks I was using herbs to stimulate milk production and by 6 months he was dehydrated (probably sooner if I had to admit it). I probably should have started with formula by 4 months but I was not emotionally “ready”. By 6 months I was so relieved to not have a constipated baby who was happy and being nourished I embraced the bottle and realized that holding a baby while giving it a bottle is exactly as “bonding” and fulfilling as feeding with the breast. You still get to snuggle, smell him, look into his sweet face and love the few moments with your baby.

Littlest nursed like a champ though I had recurrent problems with Mastitis had to pump and use herbs but after 4 months that subsided and he nursed for 13 months. I don’t feel any less connected to Biggest and Littlest has probably had more colds than his brother. Mothering should alwasy be the focus not the breast.

by: Alison

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 22:02:22 +0000

Thanks…just, thanks.

by: Mama-Feminista

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 17:57:39 +0000

Seem like this topic is hot that last couple of days. Really anti-mother if you ask me…..see my blog!!!

by: Larc

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 16:25:02 +0000

My cousin didn’t BF because after going through over a year of trying to get pregnant she just couldn’t stand anything else going on with her body. She’d just been poked and prodded to much. Another old friend of mine didn’t produce milk and had to send her son back to the hospital because the poor thing was dehydrated. Why they sent her home without checking to see if she was lactating is beyond me. I managed to bf until Coral was 4 months old, but couldn’t pump enough for her to make it through til I got home from work. So, we supplemented.

thanks for sharing this site!