Hi, I just wanted to offer a few words of comfort and re-assurance... BF seems like it should be the easiest thing in the world, but it really isn't to start with! Those smug mummies who at 2 weeks just pop the baby on and feed for 15 minutes every 4 hours are just showing off... It was nothing like it for me!

I went through the exact same thing with my DD. It would take ages for her to latch on, no hope of doing it discreetly, then she would pop on and off for ages, then when she was finally latched on she continued for anything up to 1.5 hrs! Only to be hungry again after 2 hrs...I had cracked, bleeding, blistered nipples, mastitis twice, badly engorged boobs and to top it off a let down reflex that could take someones eye out lol! It was just me being really bloody stubborn that stopped me reaching for the bottle!

 It's a lot of hard work for the first weeks, but I promise you it gets easier very very quickly! At around 7 weeks, after the dreaded 6 week growthspurt, DD just suddenly got the hang of it! She would still want feeding every 2 hrs during the day, but the feeds would only take around 20 minutes. Then eventually she started increasing the time between feeds to around 3 hours. Now she is 8 months and on three meals a day, she has 4 BF during the day and 1-2 at night. The night ones are probably just for comfort but as she's teething I don't want to wean her off yet.

Anyway, anyone who says that BF is the easiest thing in the world is telling fibs. But once your milk supply has settled it will get sooo much easier, and by the time your LO is 10 weeks it'll be like a dream! At the moment your LO is very very young, it is normal for newborns to want to suckle for ages, as well as satisfying their need to suck he is also regulating your milk supply. So once your milksupply has settled and LO becomes more efficient the feeds will get shorter and more than likely more spaced out too.

After a while it wont be as painful and your nipples will heal. If you are in a lot of pain you can give them a helping hand by using something like Lansinoh nipple cream or nippleshells to give your nipple a rest. At this stage expressing is probably not a good idea as your boobs are still working out how much milk is needed! I know the HV's say 4 weeks but TBH I'd wait a bit longer, the LaLeche league for example say 6 weeks.

I know the MW's can be very helpful, but now your're on your own so to speak it would be worth speaking to a properly qualified BF counsellor. Your HV may be able to put you in touch with one or you could contact the NCT or LaLeche League. Also find out if there is a BF support group near you, they are normally run by BF counsellors and for me it was soo helpful just to meet other mums who were also having the same problems. Coz trust me, most women do experience these problems whether they own up to it or not!
BF is a skill that both you and your baby have to learn, it's not something that "just happens". It does sound like you are doing amazingly, well done for keeping going this long and not giving in at the first hurdle!!!!

(((((((((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))))))) xxx

I have found bf slightly easier this time round, ds 1 was just too hungry and I couldnt mange feeding him constantly, so i expressed every 2 1/2hrs and fed him my milk as often as I could and topped up with ff.. this time round I have exclusivly bf until about a week ago when i have started to give 1 ff feed last thing at night to help lo go longer but doesnt always help tbh....

I have not found it easy though! I think i am just a bit more confident this time round! to be honest..baby wasnt as big as first so didnt eat as much, but now at 5 weeks he seems hungry all the time and doesnt go more that 2 hrs between feeds so i am thinking of ff and expressing my milk so I can see how much he is getting!!

i think bf is a lot easier when you have support around you, the first few weeks bf are the hardest. ( i was lucky, everyone in my family bf there lo, my mum stayed with me for a week after my lo was born and gave me all the help/support/advice i needed). once your past this, it will be so easy.

you shoud contact your mw for some advice or find out if there are any bf support groups in your area.  that is what i done when i was havng difficulty at the beginning. it is reassuring to know that other mums will be having/have had the same problem you have.

remember that at this stage both of you are learning to bf and it wll get easier once your lo knows what it is doing.  hang in there, it is worth it!

hi hun it doesnt for me and my sons 5 weeks!! in hos he latched on himself i was just holdin him and away he went. But he never seemed contented so i started mix feeding. He was on me for hours at a time but then when he come off he would scream or sleepfor a few mins then scream. I carried on though bought myslef a medela pump so i could trick body into producing more and also started the fenugreek capsules and they have worked a bit. In the mornings im soaked in milk but after that there seems to be next to nothing. He will go on me but has to have a bottle after.

My hv said this is fine the first time she sawhim she knew he was a hungry bby as hed put about 12oz in a week and was extremely long so she said he is going to eat eat eat but wont show it as long. but siad hes getting the goodness from my bm and calories from ff.

he will drink 6 oz bottles in like 10 mins and then want more sometimes so dont think there will eveer be a chance i can exclusivly bf.

I wont gve up as the thought makes me cry even though i do get fed up.

sorry to ramble xxgood luckxxx

Oh hun, you sound really down. *hugs*

Ultimately, you need to ask yourself if BF is something that makes you and your LO happy? If the answer is no, you should switch to FF without feeling bad/guilty/etc. There is too much pressure on mums to BF even if it makes them unhappy.

If yes, your MWs, by law, are still there for you for 4 weeks after birth. Ring them and get someone out to you who can help 1on1. Tell them exactly what is going on and that you need more support.

I hth, keep me posted xXx

Hi

I ff fed my first daughter who is now 21 months but I am trying to bf my 4 week old - at the start she was not latching on properly so my nipples were really sore and cracked but the midwives were great and showed me how to latch her on properly - they have now stopped coming and I am finding it really hard to continue - my daughter takes ages to latch on - it is as though she is over hungry and crys - which makes it hard then for me to get her mouth open enough to get the nipple in - then when I finally get her on - and she is latched on properly - after about 2 -3 sucks she comes off and I have to start again - then she will finally go on  but stays on for over an hour - at which point my poor boob is killing me - then 20 mins later she is starving and I have to give her some expressed milk.  I am at my wits end and have for the past few days just been expressing and giving her this through a bottle - how comes every one else seems to give their baby 15 mins on one, then 15 mins on the other and their baby is content - she takes approx 4oz of expressed milk and then is hungry again in 2 hrs - is this normal