How long did it take you to get the gist of breastfeeding?

[UmmInayah]

I don't mean when did you learn to attach correctly, I mean when did you REALLY know you were breastfeeding right and it was working without you even needing to think twice about it?

I think finally I am getting to that point with DD and she is almost 6 months old!

How long do you think it took you?

[punkbaby]

With my first it took around 4 months, this is when i could comfortably feed, let bubs latch on, not wince in pain etc and also when bubs was well adapted to bf as well.

With ds i never got used to it, he hated it and sadly it didnt work for us but i gave him a good start (4mths)

DD2 i felt like a natural LOL i dont know why but after hmm 5 weeks it just felt right no fumbling no latching on problems etc it all went pretty smoothly but she was an awesome feeder and i guess as i had done it before it seemed like hmm whats the word..it seemed like a simple task of brushing my hair i guess

This bubs i am still feeling a bit "unco" my boobs are chockers and each time she latches on it hurts like hell but its getting better, shes going awesome its just me that has to get used to it so far so good though! Thankfully this time round i havent had cracked nipples which is a first so i am pretty happy about that

Each person and baby is different though sometimes its so quick sometimes it takes alot longer it really depends on how mum is and how bubs goes i think :)

[Mum&bubs]

I think it was around the 3 month mark. After all the cracked nipples and attachment problems, things started going smoothly and I thought I was doing things right for once :D

[UmmInayah]

Unfortunately I have a fast flow :( DD is only now managing to keep up with it without getting a fright when the let down happens.

It's quite cute actually, she'll be sucking away, and then all of a sudden she opens her eyes wide and she stops sucking.. waits a while, swallows.. swallows.. sucks swallows.. and then she's okay again when it subsides.

Poor bubby..

[ikis84]

Have you tried posture feeding Marna?

It took about 6 weeks before I stopped second guessing myself.

[Oblena]

I would say about 4 months. After getting over all the physical difficulties I would say that this is when I started to psychologically accept the breastfeeding. I didn't find it so hard after then - I also started to look at the books etc for what to do a lot less at this stage

[punkbaby]

Have you tried posture feeding Marna?

It took about 6 weeks before I stopped second guessing myself.
whats posture feedng?

[forbetoel]

I was lucky in that I found it really natural from the beginning. I was a very calm, relaxed new mum, and I think that made a difference, because my babies all just fed well from day dot.

[UmmInayah]

Have you tried posture feeding Marna?

It took about 6 weeks before I stopped second guessing myself.

I did a while ago when bub was younger. I started taking her off when the first let down happened and put her back on when it subsided. I did that for a few months and now she seems to be coping alright :)

[nayasmum]

i never really got the hang of it thats another reason why i quit

[UmmInayah]

whats posture feedng?

It's like lying down when feeding.. bub rests on top of you

[*babygirl*]

me and DD weren't a great BF couple.... she has a tiny little mouth and she would NEVER do the special K lips and still cant... so intially i had cracked and bleeding nipples that were squashed and chunks taken out... then we fumbled around for quite a while... i think i got 'comfortable' about two weeks before i had surgery when she was 3.5 months old and then my supply dried up:thumbsdown:

so i'll say 3.5 months but i cant say for sure as we had our chance taken away. oh well. poo happens as they say.

[Milliner]

I was lucky in that I found it really natural from the beginning. I was a very calm, relaxed new mum, and I think that made a difference, because my babies all just fed well from day dot.

Same here. I never thought twice about it, it was just so natural for me.

[mollymoosmum]

I was very lucky when it came to BFeeding, my dd was a natural. We had her first feed less than 5mins after birth, she latched on perfectly and never had any problems. I never had any pain or discomfort from it, so i know I was very lucky.

Molly would latch on fine by herself so for me as soon as I got used to this little thing hanging off my boob all day, I was very comfortable and confident about it all. That probably took me the first 2 weeks.

But all good things must come to an end and when she was about 4mths old, my milk dried up from a stressful event and I tried to re-establish my supply, but it was a no go.

[~Emmylou~]

I never really got to that point with DD and so only fed her for a couple of months.

With DS though it was just so different, and so easy from the first feed. After a week or two I felt really confident and never really worried about it since....I've been so lucky with him :o

[Areca]

DD1 about two weeks before I knew I was doing it right, then everything just had to heal.

DD2 - Went to a bf'ing class while pregnant and it was just right from the first feed! Much more comfortable, confident, and relaxed with the whole thing.

[♥Heaven Sent♥]

With dd i never felt comfortable feeding her,she was always crying like she was in pain and i felt that i couldn't satisfy her hunger and make her feel better(but now that im more knowledgeable i know that it was other things that gave her so much pain not actually my milk).

With ds it wasn't till he was about 2-3 months old until i felt comfortable feeding him,i had a few probs with him where he would bop on and off the boob and it left me very frustrated but now i know that it was totally normal and one of the journeys they go thought to learn how it is done :D

[cheezelkat]

5 months, when we finally weaned off the nipple shields.

[Toes]

Im really only just getting the gist of it now at nearly 6 months too! Its weird tho, i thought i had it down pat at about 3 months, then by 4 months it got better, then 5 etc so i suppose it is just becoming a lot more natural/comfortable/instinctive over time...
I wish it came naturally alot sooner tho.

[JE's Mum]

With the first we had lots of attachment difficulties so I would say 6 months. We fed with a nipple shield for the first 5.5 months so it wasn't until we got rid of it that I felt like I could feed without thinking about it.

With the second I would say 2 weeks, tops. Those second time bubs seem to know what they're doing - so do your boobs!

[the_queen]

About the 4 week mark, I think, once the cracks healed and the attachment was easier. One day it all just dropped into place!!

[UmmInayah]

See I never had cracked nipples or a problem with attaching.. It was just the idea of getting to know when to feed her, if she was getting enough, when to change breasts etc that got to me.

Now I just feed her on one breast and she comes off.. I offer the same breast (because most of the time I can still express a fair bit from it and because I don't want her to have to deal with the fast flow again :()

[Tam-I-Am]

Honestly? She was 9 weeks old before it stopped hurting at every feed. Probably at around 5 - 6 months is when it actually got COMFORTABLE and easy....


I think it was around the 3 month mark. After all the cracked nipples and attachment problems, things started going smoothly and I thought I was doing things right for once :D

Can I ask, did that happen with your 2nd, or your first? Did tandem feeding help any with those issues?

[QTB]

it was all very natural to me too, but i guess it was around 3-4 weeks that i was comfortable to just feed and not worry that he wasnt on right etc

[Noah_and_Elijah]

It took about 3 weeks until I was completely comfortable with it and then I gave up at 6 weeks! :p

[jamb]

dd is 11 weeeks old and i am still getting there, ive battled with TT, cracks/blisters, mastitis and recurrent nipple thrush. So i have had 2 weeks all up where it was easy, but the nip thrush takes me back to square one- very frustrating. sheer determination keeps me going, i envy those who it all just happens for

[Beany]

The worst was over at 8 weeks: I wasn't dreading every feed by then.

At around 12 weeks, it was becoming normal.

By 16 weeks, it was easy.

[Beany]

Jamb: when the thrush goes away, it'll be easy. Honest :)

In the meantime, I hope you aren't using Lansinoh or any other creams as they just encourage fungal growth. And take Inner Health Plus tablets and Yakult, if you can stomach the ghastly stuff.

[Jeclipse]

I think I was comfortable breastfeeding when Heath was 3 days old, never had any problems luckily.

[AM]

2 or 3 weeks for me. Before that it was like cigarette burns on my torn and bleeding nipples.

[ziggie]

Mitch & I never made it to that stage, even after 4 months of trying.

I still have to really think about position etc. with Linc, and he's nearly 5 weeks... but it's getting heaps easier every day.

[pookiesossige]

It took three months with Ariene, before I really thought feeding was going the way it 'should' and I was begining to forget the pain by this stage.

It never got better with Ronan, it just got worse and worse despite professional help (LC's) and I weaned at 5 months:gloomy:

[0BleSseD0]

I got it right from the get go.. It just came instinctively I guess.
With DS the first 3 or 4 days hurt a lot. I knew I was doing it right, but my nipples still took a little time to adjust.
With DD again the first 3 or 4 days hurt a lot and then settled down. We have been through oral thrush and I got it on my nipples. It is really uncomfortable. Daktarin cleared it right up for us. I put it on my nipples, in her mouth and on her nappy region.

Apart from that, I was one of the lucky ones. :rolleyes:

[~Alicia]

In the meantime, I hope you aren't using Lansinoh or any other creams as they just encourage fungal growth. And take Inner Health Plus tablets and Yakult, if you can stomach the ghastly stuff.

It what!!??

That was why we gave up ultimately, my nipples were always on fire. Why didn't the doctor tell me that? He gave me a cream for my nipples, I asked him if I should be giving anything to DD, he said no. :gloomy:

[Pixie]

I am one of the lucky ones I think it was easy for me. I went to some ABA classes before she was born and then for a week had great LC support at the hospital if I had any questions.