More worried about breatfeeding than labour!

[ElizaDoLittle]

I had fully intended to breastfeed my DS, was not to be. He had reflux due to a milk-protein allergy, I tried so hard to get help and was written off as an over anxious first time mother. I was onlt taken seriously when he bled from his esophgus into his stomach and stopped breathing. By this stage I had tried everything and already weaned him. We got him settled with medication and prescription formula eventually. I am Preg with number 2 and desperatley want to breastfeed, I'm so anxious about it though, remembering feeding for 4 hours one day just to stop DS screaming! Any tips pn how to approach this I would really appreciate. any good books or no-pressure advice lines?
Beth

[punkbaby]

I would be joining your ABA and also chatting to a lactaton consultant before you have bubs then you have a good support network around you and they can give you some advice on what problems you had last time so you know how you can get through them with this bubs :)

That would be my first step, they will support you either way and have loads of info too! As for the no pressure, i dont think they would really pressure you, i cant see them going in that direction, they will give you the confidence and support that you need though if you need it :) and fully support you as best they can

Good luck

[QTB]

I just wanted you to know your not alone...

i got told i had no supply, yet DS had 10-12 nappy changes a day (1s & 2S!) and my was always always leaking! he just wasnt gaining weight due to reflux and his milk protein allergy... we ended up bottle feeding... the not breastfeeding is what i think is the reason i got postnatal depression...

and now that #2 is on the way (any day now!) im stressing that i wont be able to feed and will get PND again. the stupid thing on my part is that i now KNOW that i had the supply there i still cant get it out of the back of my mind that i dont have the supply!


anyway, just wanted to let you know your not alone, im looking forward to the birth, not looking forward to the breastfeeding!

[ElizaDoLittle]

Thanks Guys, I have looked up my local ABA and reports are that the lactation consultant at my hosp knows what she's talking about which is a big relief!

It's funny we are all so different, I say bring on labour no worries but freak about breastfeeding! I just so want to get it right :)

[the_queen]

:hugs: It's good to acknowledge these feelings and start dealing with them now.

Think about why you're not freaking out about labour. It just has to be done, right? There's no getting around it. If you run into problems during labour and birth, there are ways to deal with it and there's help to be had.

Same with breastfeeding :yes: Great advice so far in this thread. Start going to ABA meetings now - I promise you will not be looked down on or rejected because you formula-fed your son. The ABA is a wonderful mothers group where you learn things about breastfeeding. If you start going to weekly meetings now, by the time you give birth you will have learnt lots and lots about breastfeeding, and you will have made friends with other breastfeeders - I think this is a very important point, because you need to have an LC's phone number and the ABA helpline number but also you need a friend who is a breastfeeder, who you can call - I know I felt a bit funny calling the ABA once because I felt like the problem I had wasn't "bad" enough to ask for help - but I spoke to a friend who gave me some brilliant advice.
And that's what bubhub is too, please read through old threads in the breastfeeding section and ask as many questions as you like here - there's a lot of passionate and supportive breastfeeders here who will be able to give you great suggestions and advice.

Most importantly - I would be getting some very good medical advice about your son's condition (I assume you already have - so speak to his specialist I mean) in regards to: is it genetic and what is the likelihood that the new baby will also have it? If the new baby does have it, how can I make sure he stays healthy on breastmilk? It may be as simple as sticking to a special diet - which will be easier and cheaper in the longrun than prescription medication and formula :yes: Also look into causes of milk-protein allergy, whether there's any precautions you can take to try to prevent it this time around (I don't know anything about milk allergies so I could be talking out my ar$e here :p)


:hugs: Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy, just remember that breastfeeding is going to be difficult in those first weeks, even if bubs doesn't have the milk-protein allergy, and it is worth pushing through because when it all clicks into place (which it always does) (except if there are underlying medical conditions, I mean) it will be so worth it, you will be so glad you perservered. My first child had a facial deformity which made breastfeeding very difficult, we only managed it for 4 months, the whole time was a struggle. My second child has been a champion breastfeeder, still going at least 5 times a day at 23 months, and this time around it all clicked into place in the third week. Every baby is different, every breastfeeding relationship is unique, :fingerscrossed: it all goes wonderfully this time around.

[ElizaDoLittle]

Think about why you're not freaking out about labour. It just has to be done, right? There's no getting around it. If you run into problems during labour and birth, there are ways to deal with it and there's help to be had.

....Every baby is different, every breastfeeding relationship is unique, :fingerscrossed: it all goes wonderfully this time around.[/quote]

Thankyou so much for your encouragement! There is no reason to suspect that this baby will have the same allergy, not genetic just poor luck! Think my confidence getting rocked is the main problem, how glad I am to have found support like you! I have found a new lac consultant (the only one in my area with my son suggested I have a lavender bath, that's all the help she had!!!) I will definately go back through and read the old threads... and congrats to you! 4 months is a champion effort with struggles.