What's your worst and best moments of breastfeeding?

This is a topic that I can go on about for days! Breastfeeding is not for everyone, some love it and some hate it, some just goes through the motions and others savor every moment. My worst breastfeeding moments were when my second baby girl was born, she struggled to latch, I got really bad cracked and bleeding nipples and almost gave up, this was after my first baby girl latched and breastfed really easily, absolutely no trouble with her, not even the initial painful nipples. My best breastfeeding moments, after the initial struggle with my second baby, and pushing through, I love every single moment. For me, there's nothing like the snuggling moment of my baby girl at the breast. So, what was your best and/ or worst moments?

I have a post here about the awful part of my breastfeeding.. Most awful part of breastfeesing would be cracking and bloody nipples.. The most awesome part is when your breasts are so full that only your young one can take away the heavy rocks.

I have three daughters all breastfed. Another great thing is when they wake up in the middle of the night you dont have to go get the bottle but just whip out the boob. Besides the painful part breastfeeding worked out well for me.

Akiram13 said:
I have a post here about the awful part of my breastfeeding.. Most awful part of breastfeesing would be cracking and bloody nipples.. The most awesome part is when your breasts are so full that only your young one can take away the heavy rocks.

I have three daughters all breastfed. Another great thing is when they wake up in the middle of the night you dont have to go get the bottle but just whip out the boob. Besides the painful part breastfeeding worked out well for me.

I love the part where you can just whip out the boob! In the beginning when my nipples were cracked and bleeding I took 24 hours to "rest" then and apply cream to heal them, in that time I gave breast milk via bottle and hated every second of it, waiting for the milk to warm up while baby is screaming because she's hungry is no joke. Needless to say, I did not last the full 24 hours...I eventually just whipped out the painful boob and bit my lip.

When I had mastitis was the absolute worst...it was like having a hardcore flu (hot and cold flashes, body aches and pains, complete lethargy) but with so much breast pain...and having to feed through the pain was tough! For anyone that has gone through mastitis I'm sure you'll understand where I'm coming from with that - it's excruciating!

Nothing felt better then whipping out the boob and going back to sleep. No hassle or standing ovations to get the little one to sleep. I felt like a cow most of the time. For myy first daughter I had so much milk my viens in my breast would bulge and literally felt like rocks. It was either face the pain of the cracked nipple or face the pain of overloaded boobs. I lost amd just faced the nipple. Took a few weeks than everything was alright.

I really struggle too - cracked nipples, mastitis, painful pumping. And then at 8 weeks something magical happened. It all started working. The NHS midwives weren't super helpful. For anyone suffering I'd strongly recommend put consultants or mummy support groups like LLL. There's now a database of these guys. I'm new here so can't add links. But you can search for EncycloKidia and find them.

It's really rewarding if one is able to breastfeed. Some of my best hours during maternity were the times it was just my LO and me in a room as she bfed.

Breastfeeding helps bring you L.O closer to you. Its a connection from mother to daughter /son. It really is special and I guess you have to experience it know how that connection feels. I cant remember how many time I was thankful that I breastfeed. Going out without milk ready in a bottle or having to hold them on a long ride. Breastfeeding saved me from alot of frustrations.

Quote:
When I had mastitis was the absolute worst...it was like having a hardcore flu (hot and cold flashes, body aches and pains, complete lethargy) but with so much breast pain...and having to feed through the pain was tough! For anyone that has gone through mastitis I'm sure you'll understand where I'm coming from with that - it's excruciating!

I have never had mastitis but I have heard many horror stories about it. I am thankful that I didn't have to go through that. And you have all my sympathy regarding this. I heard it's the worst thing ever! What did you use to help relieve the pain etc?

I can't say I really enjoyed it, but I did for one year, in addition to pumping in the mornings and at work. It was absolutely one of the hardest things I've ever done in my whole life. I am happy I did it, and it does create a special bond, in addition to being good for their intellectual development. But it was hard work.

BarbieDoll said:
I can't say I really enjoyed it, but I did for one year, in addition to pumping in the mornings and at work. It was absolutely one of the hardest things I've ever done in my whole life. I am happy I did it, and it does create a special bond, in addition to being good for their intellectual development. But it was hard work.

I can imagine where you are coming from. My one friend actually breastfed her baby now until she went back to work, she tried to do the whole pumping and feeding while working thing, but she just couldn't cope. I felt so sorry for her. She desperately wanted to continue breastfeeding, but couldn't. Sometimes I find that moms that stay at home, or work from home, being able to continue to BF without pumping (like me), don't really understand what the other moms go through. Some are just plain rude to those moms that can't continue and then you have others that actually try to understand and sympathizes with them. I just go by: Don't judge other people...

My best moment while breast feeding was the closeness I felt with my baby; it made me realize how much he depended on the milk for survival.

But i hated the part where he would suck for hours without being satisfied and my stomach felt a pull constantly which weighed me down a lot. No matter how much I ate, I always felt weak from breastfeeding.

I would do it again and I hope I do not get scarred but it really is a tedious task.

darkchild said:
My best moment while breast feeding was the closeness I felt with my baby; it made me realize how much he depended on the milk for survival.

But i hated the part where he would suck for hours without being satisfied and my stomach felt a pull constantly which weighed me down a lot. No matter how much I ate, I always felt weak from breastfeeding.

I would do it again and I hope I do not get scarred but it really is a tedious task.

I've actually read a research article about the strains that breastfeeding puts on the mother's body. In it, it actually says that it is normal to feel drained and tired during and after breastfeeding. It's because of some hormone your body gives off while breastfeeding. I tried to find the exact article I read, but no luck. I found this one instead http://www.babycenter.com/0_5-things-you-didnt-...eding_10357141.bc
And here's one to help you cope next time http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/energy-back-breastfeeding-3249.html

I mostly watch TV or work on the computer while I breastfeed, but sometimes I just give in and take a nap with baby.

And there's a reason breastfeeding moms say that pregnancy cravings have got nothing on breastfeeding cravings. My husband hates these cravings more than the pregnancy cravings.
Goodluck to you next time! And kudos for wanting to do it again even after you have had a baddish experience!

My ex and I had living hell when our daughter was just born. Her breasts were always full of milk to the point of squirting. It was terribly painful. Then our baby wasn't all that interested. We forced her to take it eventually but then her breasts were so sensitive it made matters worse. Things finally calmed down after about three weeks of my mom helping to massage the breasts and get the flow going. Things went well for about 3 more weeks and my daughter decisively never liked the taste of milk and out-rightly rejected breast milk from then on. We still shake our heads when we get time to talk about it.

Arthnel said:
My ex and I had living hell when our daughter was just born. Her breasts were always full of milk to the point of squirting. It was terribly painful. Then our baby wasn't all that interested. We forced her to take it eventually but then her breasts were so sensitive it made matters worse. Things finally calmed down after about three weeks of my mom helping to massage the breasts and get the flow going. Things went well for about 3 more weeks and my daughter decisively never liked the taste of milk and out-rightly rejected breast milk from then on. We still shake our heads when we get time to talk about it.

That sounds like a really bad experience. I'm so pro-breastfeeding, I don't know what I would have done if my LO rejected the breastmilk! Luckily both of my girls loved the milk and I didn't have to deal with the milk rejection. I'm sorry to hear you guys had such a bad experience.

My worst breastfeeding moment:


Just like you, the beginning of breastfeeding my son was painful. I had cracked nipples and they were hurting so much I wanted to cry. But after a week or so, it became better. I didn't know still that we can breastfeed while laying in bed though so for a few months, my back ached because I can't even position myself correctly.

I might also add the comments I get that I'm not producing enough milk and that I should supplement. I'm glad though that I sticked through breastfeeding my baby boy despite all these challenges.

My best breastfeeding moment:


It has to be just the feeling of attachment that I feel whenever my son breastfeeds. It's as if we are connected still and I love that feeling. All the pain and hurt I felt was all worth it knowing that my son is getting the best milk he can. He's two years old now and seems to not want to wean off just yet.

missiemouse said:
My worst breastfeeding moment:


Just like you, the beginning of breastfeeding my son was painful. I had cracked nipples and they were hurting so much I wanted to cry. But after a week or so, it became better. I didn't know still that we can breastfeed while laying in bed though so for a few months, my back ached because I can't even position myself correctly.

I might also add the comments I get that I'm not producing enough milk and that I should supplement. I'm glad though that I sticked through breastfeeding my baby boy despite all these challenges.

My best breastfeeding moment:


It has to be just the feeling of attachment that I feel whenever my son breastfeeds. It's as if we are connected still and I love that feeling. All the pain and hurt I felt was all worth it knowing that my son is getting the best milk he can. He's two years old now and seems to not want to wean off just yet.

Those "not producing enough milk" comments are the worst! I remember with my first baby, I wanted to breastfeed desperately and I was continuously worried about the amount of milk my baby gets, then people would tell me "she is still hungry and she just fed, your milk is not sufficient enough for her or she's not getting enough milk", all the while she was just cluster feeding because of a growth spurt! Unfortunately, at 8 months I listened to the comments and started weaning and my milk dried up. I was so sad when that happened. With my second baby, I was determined not to listen to other people, just to my body and my baby. And as fate would have it, baby girl nr 2, cluster fed from the word go! And the comments started rolling in! But instead of listening to them, I've actually researched breastfeeding quite extensively and had the proper answers for those comments (funny thing, the comments came from the same person every time, and every time I would explain cluster feeding and growth spurts to that same person). I'm not giving in this time around.

Kudos for still breastfeeding! I love to hear about people still breastfeeding at around 2 years etc. He will decide when to wean, so keep on doing what you're doing! Love it!

MelissavdW27 said:

BarbieDoll said:
I can't say I really enjoyed it, but I did for one year, in addition to pumping in the mornings and at work. It was absolutely one of the hardest things I've ever done in my whole life. I am happy I did it, and it does create a special bond, in addition to being good for their intellectual development. But it was hard work.

I can imagine where you are coming from. My one friend actually breastfed her baby now until she went back to work, she tried to do the whole pumping and feeding while working thing, but she just couldn't cope. I felt so sorry for her. She desperately wanted to continue breastfeeding, but couldn't. Sometimes I find that moms that stay at home, or work from home, being able to continue to BF without pumping (like me), don't really understand what the other moms go through. Some are just plain rude to those moms that can't continue and then you have others that actually try to understand and sympathizes with them. I just go by: Don't judge other people...

I agree with you saying "don't judge other people". Even some stay-at-home moms find it hard to breastfeed the babies. Though I fully support breastfeeding, when my friends told me they were struggling with breastfeeding, besides giving them my advice and sharing my experiences, I always ask them to do whatever they feel comfortable with. If they are so struggling with breastfeeding, it will not be good for the mother and the baby, and other family members as well.

My worst breastfeeding moment was when my babies were teething and bit my nipples. Both my children started to grow their teeth when they were quite young, before 6 month old, glad that they understood when I told them not to bite, and I just suffered for some time. And of course, cracked nipples.

I was still a working mother when I breastfed my first child, so I had to really pump hard in order to supply enough milk for my son. I am glad we had a new mom's room, so there was a space for the breastfeeding moms to express milk there.

I really enjoyed the breastfeeding journeys together with both my children, besides some pains and tiring. I am grateful for them loving being breastfed as well. I think the bonding and their health worth so much, of course it saves lots of hassle and money as well.

kaka135 said:

MelissavdW27 said:

BarbieDoll said:
I can't say I really enjoyed it, but I did for one year, in addition to pumping in the mornings and at work. It was absolutely one of the hardest things I've ever done in my whole life. I am happy I did it, and it does create a special bond, in addition to being good for their intellectual development. But it was hard work.

I can imagine where you are coming from. My one friend actually breastfed her baby now until she went back to work, she tried to do the whole pumping and feeding while working thing, but she just couldn't cope. I felt so sorry for her. She desperately wanted to continue breastfeeding, but couldn't. Sometimes I find that moms that stay at home, or work from home, being able to continue to BF without pumping (like me), don't really understand what the other moms go through. Some are just plain rude to those moms that can't continue and then you have others that actually try to understand and sympathizes with them. I just go by: Don't judge other people...

I agree with you saying "don't judge other people". Even some stay-at-home moms find it hard to breastfeed the babies. Though I fully support breastfeeding, when my friends told me they were struggling with breastfeeding, besides giving them my advice and sharing my experiences, I always ask them to do whatever they feel comfortable with. If they are so struggling with breastfeeding, it will not be good for the mother and the baby, and other family members as well.

My worst breastfeeding moment was when my babies were teething and bit my nipples. Both my children started to grow their teeth when they were quite young, before 6 month old, glad that they understood when I told them not to bite, and I just suffered for some time. And of course, cracked nipples.

I was still a working mother when I breastfed my first child, so I had to really pump hard in order to supply enough milk for my son. I am glad we had a new mom's room, so there was a space for the breastfeeding moms to express milk there.

I really enjoyed the breastfeeding journeys together with both my children, besides some pains and tiring. I am grateful for them loving being breastfed as well. I think the bonding and their health worth so much, of course it saves lots of hassle and money as well.

For some unknown reason, my 4-month-old started biting my nipples now! It is so painful! I can't feel any teeth coming through tough...and isn't 4 months too early to start teething? How old were your babies when the first teeth came through?

MelissavdW27 said:

kaka135 said:

MelissavdW27 said:

BarbieDoll said:
I can't say I really enjoyed it, but I did for one year, in addition to pumping in the mornings and at work. It was absolutely one of the hardest things I've ever done in my whole life. I am happy I did it, and it does create a special bond, in addition to being good for their intellectual development. But it was hard work.

I can imagine where you are coming from. My one friend actually breastfed her baby now until she went back to work, she tried to do the whole pumping and feeding while working thing, but she just couldn't cope. I felt so sorry for her. She desperately wanted to continue breastfeeding, but couldn't. Sometimes I find that moms that stay at home, or work from home, being able to continue to BF without pumping (like me), don't really understand what the other moms go through. Some are just plain rude to those moms that can't continue and then you have others that actually try to understand and sympathizes with them. I just go by: Don't judge other people...

I agree with you saying "don't judge other people". Even some stay-at-home moms find it hard to breastfeed the babies. Though I fully support breastfeeding, when my friends told me they were struggling with breastfeeding, besides giving them my advice and sharing my experiences, I always ask them to do whatever they feel comfortable with. If they are so struggling with breastfeeding, it will not be good for the mother and the baby, and other family members as well.

My worst breastfeeding moment was when my babies were teething and bit my nipples. Both my children started to grow their teeth when they were quite young, before 6 month old, glad that they understood when I told them not to bite, and I just suffered for some time. And of course, cracked nipples.

I was still a working mother when I breastfed my first child, so I had to really pump hard in order to supply enough milk for my son. I am glad we had a new mom's room, so there was a space for the breastfeeding moms to express milk there.

I really enjoyed the breastfeeding journeys together with both my children, besides some pains and tiring. I am grateful for them loving being breastfed as well. I think the bonding and their health worth so much, of course it saves lots of hassle and money as well.

For some unknown reason, my 4-month-old started biting my nipples now! It is so painful! I can't feel any teeth coming through tough...and isn't 4 months too early to start teething? How old were your babies when the first teeth came through?

Both of them started teething around 4-5 months old as well, but the first tooth only came out a month later, so I think that's quite common for your 4-month-old starting to bite your nipples. My eldest did that.

I remember I just kept telling him not to bite my nipples as it's painful, and after some times, he seemed to understand it, and not bite me anymore. Good luck to you, I can imagine how painful it is.