For those moms out there who breast-fed or is now, was it easy or hard at first?

Kandace - posted on 02/04/2010

thank you so much girls for all of the great stories! My daughter had a hard time at first and i think it was just because my milk had a hard time coming in and she had to try really hard, but now she eats like a champ and I cant keep up! haha

Gwen - posted on 02/03/2010

With my first baby, I didn't know what I was doing so I had to pump out the milk. I kept producing less and less until I stopped when he was 5 months. With my second baby, I am producing more than enough milk. He nurses every other hour or so, and I am storing the extra milk in the freezer. Breastfeeding is not painful to me, but it is messy because I leak almost all the time.

Da'Mesha - posted on 02/03/2010

I chose to breastfeed my son...Once we got past the first 2 weeks it was great. It's more convenient than bottles and formula and its good quiet time fr you and baby...Getting baby to stop breastfeeding is a challenge but you gotta figure out what works best for both of you...

Good Day! - posted on 02/03/2010

The very first day my daughter latched well. The second day, she didn't latch for 12 hours and I was devistated. The third day, she latched again. After that we were good. The first few weeks I was very full of milk and leaked often. My body eventually regulated itself so I didn't leak as badly. I found it to be a very satisfying experience and I can't wait to do it again.

Trayc - posted on 02/03/2010

My baby is three weeks and four days old and im still finding it hard to breastfeed her, ive just managed to get her on the right side football style, but she screams and makes a fuss when it comes to my left, ive started expressing but that is sooo time consuming but i got nothing else to do lol...i also top her up with formula which she takes with no worries, so yup i am finding breastfeeding hard

Kiriko - posted on 02/03/2010

Hi, well i think its more about ur state of mind.......wat i mean is befor i was determined to do it no matter wat....and wen u think like that ur gonna get it done...yes it was a lil hard at first just because i wasnt doing it right...i want making sure the baby latched on right wich caused it to be painful. i asked the nurses in the hospital for help and once i got the hang of it it was easy. i loved not having to pack bottles or make them in the middle of the night.......my only problem now is getting him off : (

Debbie - posted on 02/03/2010

Breastfeeding was a scary concept for me. I was more nervous about trying it then I was about the labour. My daughter latched on no problem but it took me a few days to figure out how to keep her mouth nice and wide and get her on. My husband had to help. My nipples did get sore for a few days shortly after she was born, but they healed pretty quickly and never had a problem since. Babies do eat alot for the first few months and it will probably be a while before the baby sleeps through the night. But breastfeeding is amazing for both mom and baby. My daughter will be 1 on the 13th and she shows no signs of giving it up yet :)

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 02/03/2010

It's a little hard in the beginning. Like Sarah said, newborns need to eat very frequently. For the first several weeks I felt like my daughter was eating constantly. My daughter is now 9 months and I love breastfeeding. Take a breasfeeding class, talk to a lactation consultant (should be one at the hospital) and educate yourself. The more you know about breastfeeding before your baby is born, the easier it will be. http://www.kellymom.com and http://www.llli.org are both great sites with tons of info. There is also a breastfeeding moms group here on Circle of Moms. Good luck!

Sarah - posted on 02/03/2010

I would say hard in a lot of ways and easy in some. My daughter did not have a problem latching on, so that went smoothly. What was hard was how often she ate. For the first 2 months she would eat about every hour around the clock!! (that is with giving her a pacifire between nursing) This was VERY HARD!!! I would sometimes hate feeding times because of how often she ate. I was also really tired because I could not get much sleep. Once she turned 3 months old then she went to eating about every 3 hrs. This was much better!! My goal was to nurse for 3 months, I ended up nursing until she was 6 months old. I enjoyed nursing more from the 3-6 mos. age. 0-3 mos. I did not really enjoy and I am not sure I would make the same choice again if I had to do it again.

Natisse - posted on 02/03/2010

I just finished BF for 10 months, I thought it was a little difficult at first. Didn't hurt though. I like cradle hold, never figured out the football hold. When they are small the pillows really help. The babies know what to do. I support the decision and it was a great way to bond and great for his health. I never used pacifiers because I thought it would be confussing. Now I regret that. But some babies like pacifiers and some don't. Good luck to you and enjoy the moments when you can hold them in your arms easily.

Tasha - posted on 02/03/2010

i found it easy. both baby and i caught on really fast. i only breastfed for 2 weeks though because i didnt have enough milk supply...your milk should come in in 3-4 days postpartum but mine took 6 days and there wasnt much of it. :( it was a good experience while it lasted