Since most are likely to post problems, I thought I would share

[flagger]

There are tons of posts and stories about women and babies that have issues with breastfeeding in the early days and beyond. I thought I would share a positive experience. I don't want or mean to brag but when doing the research it was hard to find the positive stories. I think it is human nature to share the complaints more often than the successes. After all a plane landing safely at an airport never makes the "news".

We followed the advice of the BF'ing class and put Cocoa to breast within an hour of birth. She took a few tentative sucks and then fell into that quiet alert sleepy state for the next few hours.

It took Laura a few tries to find the position (football hold) that worked best for her and Cocoa and it would seem that Cocoa had a breast preference as far as the right or the left. After we had successfully stimulated her by rubbing and tickling her feet she began to vigorously suck. The LC did her rounds on Wednesday morning and said "don't do that feet thing, rub her hands." We took one of our first grains of salt after she left and continued to rub her feet as that was what worked for us. ;)

We did have another nurse later that day tell us a trick to rub circles around the top of Cocoa's head and it was AMAZING how well that worked as far as jump-starting her back to sucking. Now Laura and baby are in a good rhythm with zero latching problems on either breast. There is an initial pain when the vaccuum is first attached but after that it just tickles. Laura said it just feels so natural to her.

We have yet to start with the Whittlestone pump (with which I know that Tammy and others have had issues), but we are trying to think positively that this will work for us. She plans to start attempting to pump later this weekend.

Again thank you all so much for the tip on the Lansinoh. She has been applying it to her areola (sp?) and nipples for about six weeks now and can really tell the difference. I went out and purchased four more tubes and have it placed next to wherever Laura might be nursing.

I hope that this post helps someone else to know that positive experiences with BF'ng can happen. Our PEDI is so supportive and will wait for Laura and Cocoa to tell him there are any issues before suggesting a different approach. The biggest person that I feel will have a problem with Laura doing it is her mother of all people.

[Denyse]

I'm so glad you are having such a positive experience. I, too, was blessed with an infant who was very eager to latch on!

I suspect the reason the LC discouraged the feet thing is b/c most babies get a foot poked after birth and their feet can be really sensitive. (Brett was a bear about his feet) But if it works for you, that's all the matters. :)

[COElizabeth]

Glad it's going well! I too found the football hold easiest at first, but after several weeks it became easier to use a cradle or cross-cradle hold (I always get those mixed up).

Elizabeth
Mom to James
9-20-02

[zen_bliss]

so glad to hear that all is going well! good point about never hearing the non-complications stories... you're right, we should put the positive ones on here so nervous soon-to-be-moms will know that it can go relatively easily!

we too had a great experience. BF right away, several holds work well, no engorgement. i think that reading "so that's what they're for" was the best preparation for what's within the realm of normal and not to wig out and having an LC to show me how to correct the lip position. (the only wig out so far i've had is due to the whittlestone.) i will have to try the circles on the head technique. stroking her ear works to get her back to business when she gets distracted.

the first few days were kind of sore as an acclimation period, and i had a bit of pain in one side the other day -- but i am amazed at how quickly they bounce back, especially given the relentless road miles they get :). though i scored a few tubes of lansinoh at the hospital, i haven't had to use it (only if necessary... the idea of sheep sebum is groady to me even in lotion, much less on the nippies). i do tend to walk around with my boobs out a lot since she eats so often... i am just waiting for the day i forget and open the front door with one side exposed.

come on ladies, weigh in so there's a positive 'first days of BFing' thread!

[flagger]

After five days everything continues to go quite well. Zero latch problems and Cocoa and mom have got quite the routine going. The Lansinoh is working for Laura so I did place extra tubes around the house.

Currently she is feeding either on the couch down stairs on the left or right side of the sectional depending on which side, the loveseat in our home office or in bed.

She also used the Whittlestone for the first time today and got out 2 ozs in 20 minutes. Nothing extraordinary, but other than the weird sensation we got it to work. We are going to build up a stockpile from the beginning.

That's the latest from here.

[wendmatt]

Good for you guys. I was lucky too and had no problems with latch on and not a sore nipple in sight!! I too had my boobs out alot and hadn't got the hang of lifting shirts up to be discreet and would only wear buttoned shirts and undo them all the way down the front!! I was expecting it to hurt like crazy but it went so well I was delighted. 6 months later and still going great! I don't think it's that people only share the negatives it's just that they want advice and if everything's going well, no advice is needeed!
Now the scary solid thing is what I'm obsessing on!!
Congratulations to you on your new family.

[bnme]

Congrats Flaggers!
:)

I too had a very easy BF experience. I was so worried it would be extremely difficult, becuase as you said you tend to hear about the negative.

No latching problems, no sore nipples, no engorgement when milk came in (sometimes I thought there was actually nothing there, baby just sucking away!).

MY MIL wasn't that supportive, but youjust have to ignore the weird comments. I think it is more a naive or not-used-to it thing.

Your of to a wonderful start! Yea!

[stillplayswithbarbies]

With a button down shirt, unbutton it from the bottom up and you will show less flesh while nursing. :) You only have to unbutton it far enough to get to the nipple.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel 2/27/91
Logan Elizabeth 3/25/03

[BeverlyJ]

What a great idea to post POSITIVE stories!!

I echo the idea that too many use the boards as a place to vent and possibly scare away the casual browser into using formula because it has GOT to be easier than BF.

My positive BF short story is that both my DD and DS took to nursing quite easily within hours of their birth. Both times, the staff LC did come by to check positioning, but overall everything was much easier than I expected!!

Hugs to ALL,

BeverlyJ

[parkersmama]

It's great that everything is going so well!!

It's also nice to hear all the good experiences. I do think that encourages others to try it out. I had a rough go getting started with Parker but Wesley and Amy Grace both took to nursing like nobody's business! As a matter of fact, when I nursed Amy Grace in the delivery room, the nurses all commented on how they'd never seen a baby suck so hard and so well right off the bat! We even joked about naming her "Regina" or "Hoover". LOL! Things are still going swimmingly well at 4 weeks today. I haven't been pumping any yet but have introduced the pacifier (she doesn't really care for it) and some bottles will be the next step.

For those of you who did have a rough time the first time around, let me assure you that it's much easier with subsequent babies for the most part. Sort of the riding-a-bike thing...you never forget. Also, just having had the experience the first time makes you feel like you know what you're doing. After having such a rough start with Parker I was honestly terrified that it would be the same way with Wesley but it wasn't hard at all and with him I didn't even have any engorgement or soreness. Also, you can have a great nursing relationship even after a rocky start if you are proactive about solving the problems. Following our rocky first week I ended up nursing Parker for 21 months!

[stillplayswithbarbies]

I want to agree with you that it gets easier and that problems can be solved. It is wonderful that some women have no trouble at all, and I think that everyone should try it or at least think about it. But if anyone is reading this and IS having trouble, know that it is normal and the problems can be solved. Don't read through this and think "gee I must just not be doing it right" and get discouraged and quit.

I had a great experience my first time. My nipple split and it was painful, but that was not so bad and I nursed him until he weaned at 13 months. I felt wonderful about the whole experience and I was proud and would think to myself that I am good at breastfeeding, and pumping. I was proud about that.

Fast forward to baby #2. She doesn't suck very hard. She doesn't latch on well, and her mouth is too small in comparison to my nipple so we just have to wait for her to grow a little and in the meantime, it hurts. She falls asleep eating and I have to try to keep her awake. I was so worried that she wasn't getting enough because I could hardly feel her sucking, but at her first checkup, she had gained weight. I was so relieved!

It was a very humbling experience. It wasn't that I was a pro at breastfeeding the first time, it's that ~my son~ was a pro at breastfeeding. It wasn't anything I did or any special skill I had. It was all about him being a champion nurser, and my daughter was not so good at it. Knocked my ego down a bit. :)

I do have to say that at 8 weeks or so, it suddenly all gets much easier, so anyone who is having trouble please just hang on and keep at it and it will suddenly change when baby is a little older.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel 2/27/91
Logan Elizabeth 3/25/03

[cinrein]

Glad to hear Cocoa is doing so well.

I too have had a good experience. Anna is one of those babies who was born knowing what to do. She came into this world at 9lbs and was 14lbs 11oz at her 2 month check up. I can't wait to see how much she weights at her 4-month next week. Obviously, the girl likes to eat!

I did have some nipple soreness, but the Lansinoh really helped. BTW, after a few weeks I stopped using it all together. If you haven't opened all of the tubes you got, I would return the unopened tubes. You could squeeze some into a small Tupperware container or even a Ziploc bag to keep a supply at every nursing station. You use so little of it at each application that I still have most of the 1 tube I bought.


Cindy
Mama to Anna 2/11/03

[spu]

Posting positive experiences is a great uplifter for all!

I've been nursing my babies for 10 mos now and I'm soooo glad I stuck it out. It was a rocky start for a good 4 months! but with lots of support and determination, we're still going strong. (and did you know that breastfeeding does wonders for clearing a baby's stuffy nose? just remember to keep lots of tissues handy! LOL)

I just read an article on breastfeeding in ePregnancy magazine and how negative it was! I was kind of surprised - but there might be some relationship between the magazine and other companies... who knows... but all it did was emphasize the negative issues.

Sure there is a learning curve these days since we're raising our children in our private enclosed boxes (our homes!) rather than an informed village of other moms, aunts, families... (like in the past billion years or so...) but nursing is a wonderful thing for so many reasons.

keep up the great work ladies! (and gentlemen!)

susan

twin girls 7.20.02
charlotte & else

[megsmom]

Well, congrats to everyone, that is great! I'm so glad it is working out well for everyone. I did have some issues with my first, but am confident that with learning from a lot of mistakes and getting some more support will make a difference for us. I look forward to posting our positive story this fall. I do agree some babies have more of an instinctive knack with it all and it sounds like Cocoa is one of them. It also looks like her parents have been doing good following their gut instincts too :)

Jen
mom to Meghan 7/13/01
and #2 EDD 11/12/03

[egoldber]

I think that's an important point. Before I had DD, I thought nursing would be so easy and had never heard anything about breastfeeding problems. When I had so many troubles, I felt very isolated and alone. For me, it was very comforting to know that it was not uncommon to have issues.

But I think it's terrific that so many have also had such great experiences from the get go. When the next time comes around, I hope I have learned enough that it will be easier.

[houseof3boys]

Well you guys have defintely given me hope! I am looking forward to the experience (good or bad) and feel pretty prepared through all of the books and the class we took at the hospital but this post just gives me more encouragement!

[ginalc]

Reading all these posts brings warmth to my heart. We've got some terrific Moms sharing inspiring success stories here. YEAH!!!

With my first 2 babies, I had no problems. Baby #3 came along and I was exhausted and couldn't get baby to open his mouth wide the first 24 hours after delivery. I asked to see a LC at the hospital and she didn't come the day I requested help. The next day she stopped in and said "Well since it was your 3rd baby I figured you didn't need much help." My response was.......Never assume anything!

BTW, I discoverd through experience to take any redness or discomfort seriously. Mastitis happens very quickly and can make one sicker than imagineable. I had my 1st mastitis problem when at 10 months of age, DD started sleeping through the night. She stopped nursing while lying down and those ducts didn't get emptied. Redness quickly led to full-blown mastitis. Didn't know what to look for before!

gina, mom to 3
BFing for 4 yrs

[Melanie]

Good for you susan! I can't imagine BFing twins!

I didn't even think it would be hard. I figured those who don't are just lazy or prissy or something. I took a class which was totally unhelpful as far as technique.

Nurses at hospital were at a loss, none were even trained in lactation consultation until the very last one we got was just starting her training!

We stuck with it, it definitely made the newborn-thing much harder. We finally saw an LC at 4-5 weeks and then it got easier.