Ok all of you BREAST FEEDING MOMS,

Is only been 12 days and I feel like a prisoner!!!! What am I doing wrong?? I do not pump just exclusively bfdg.. Does this get better? How do you live your life? PLEASE give me some hope here!!!!! I am getting the pump probably this week but I still have to do that all the time too!!! W T H???

Re: Ok all of you BREAST FEEDING MOMS,

I didn't BF and this is one of the reasons why to be honest. I was afraid of feeling too overwhelmed and like a prisoner. So no advice, just

Re: Ok all of you BREAST FEEDING MOMS,

It does get easier. It is all so overwhelming in the beginning (and exhausting.) Hang in there!

Re: Ok all of you BREAST FEEDING MOMS,

Posted by Goobster

I didn't BF and this is one of the reasons why to be honest. I was afraid of feeling too overwhelmed and like a prisoner. So no advice, just

Re: Ok all of you BREAST FEEDING MOMS,

please dont let this get to you..i know its easier said then done..my first 3 weeks of BFing were hard, and exhausting, and depressing and anything else negative..i KNEW i wanted to do it, for more reasons then the obvious benefits it has..i promise you, by the time you hit day 21, you will know exactly what youre doing, it will be second nature to you by that first months end..and you will be so proud of yourself for sticking through it..
please dont let anyone elses bad experiences, or anything like that deter you from taking this on, and continuing it..
im no BFing natzi, i was miserable in the beggining too..please look up the "breastfeeding support thread" on this board..i started it when things were hardest for me, and a ton of ladies came to my aid..
FM me, or ANY of the girls on that thread if you have any questions or just want to vent..
keep on trecking, youre GOING to get through this, and be very happy you did..and so is your baby good luck!!

btw..days 12-15 were the HARDEST most depressing days for me...i swaer on that 21st day, and there after, it got easier and easier, and we finally learned how to dance with each other..youll get it!!

Message edited 6/27/2009 8:42:01 PM.

Re: Ok all of you BREAST FEEDING MOMS,

Posted by MommyAgain

please dont let this get to you..i know its easier said then done..my first 3 weeks of BFing were hard, and exhausting, and depressing and anything else negative..i KNEW i wanted to do it, for more reasons then the obvious benefits it has..i promise you, by the time you hit day 21, you will know exactly what youre doing, it will be second nature to you by that first months end..and you will be so proud of yourself for sticking through it..
please dont let anyone elses bad experiences, or anything like that deter you from taking this on, and continuing it..
im no BFing natzi, i was miserable in the beggining too..please look up
the "breastfeeding support thread" on this board..i started it when things were hardest for me, and a ton of ladies came to my aid..
FM me, or ANY of the girls on that thread if you have any questions or just want to vent..
keep on trecking, youre GOING to get through this, and be very happy you did..and so is your baby good luck!!

Re: Ok all of you BREAST FEEDING MOMS,

I am almost at the 21 day point (Monday it will be for me). I think it is getting easier everyday. Today I actually went out and BF my DS (used a cover up of course) and I felt ok with it. That was a big fear of mine.

Re: Ok all of you BREAST FEEDING MOMS,

Posted by ziamaria

Posted by MommyAgain

please dont let this get to you..i know its easier said then done..my first 3 weeks of BFing were hard, and exhausting, and depressing and anything else negative..i KNEW i wanted to do it, for more reasons then the obvious benefits it has..i promise you, by the time you hit day 21, you will know exactly what youre doing, it will be second nature to you by that first months end..and you will be so proud of yourself for sticking through it..
please dont let anyone elses bad experiences, or anything like that deter you from taking this on, and continuing it..
im no BFing natzi, i was miserable in the beggining too..please look up
the "breastfeeding support thread" on this board..i started it when things were hardest for me, and a ton of ladies came to my aid..
FM me, or ANY of the girls on that thread if you have any questions or just want to vent..
keep on trecking, youre GOING to get through this, and be very happy you did..and so is your baby good luck!!

ITA!!

Re: Ok all of you BREAST FEEDING MOMS,

Sorry, in the beginning you are a prisoner The first few weeks - I'd say 6 wks or so, it's hard, very very hard.

But, it gets SOOOOO much easier with time.

Baby steps. Give yourself small goals. Hang in there and know you have our support

Re: Ok all of you BREAST FEEDING MOMS,

Im with you...Im going a little crazy being chained to baby and being stuck in the house with a newborn and almost 4 yr old...

This week I bought a wrap and said I cant do this anymore...We haven't gone in any "closed" public places... but we have hit the park 2x's and have gone to visit family/friends...and I feel like a HUMAN again..

What Im finding hard is I really cant run anywhere w/o baby- Friday I had errands to run and I had my mom watch the baby...

I nursed before I left (which took a half an hour) and I was left with 1.5hrs to get to target, shop and come home to feed baby....I was so flustered and focused on the time- I forgot so much stuff...

(I mean I could pump and leave a bottle- but Id still need to pump that feeding- so its easier to just come home and nurse

Re: Ok all of you BREAST FEEDING MOMS,

It's so hard in the beginning on top of the exhaustion and sleep deprivation, the sore nipples etc.

I NEVER Thought it would get better and I didn't start BFing until my daughter was 7 W 5D old!!!!

I thought people were CRAZY when I heard them say they LOVED BFING!!! What the H*LL were they talking about It SU*KED at the begining..... but slowly day by day it got better and better and easier and easier and completely second nature.

I fell in love with BFing... it so easy now and quick and less crap to clean up and cheaper and I lOVE the time I spend with Alexa when she is nursing.

Another HUGE benefit that a lot of people don't talk about is the instant comfort that babies get from nursing. My husband calls it the tranquilizer... in a few weeks when the high fussy time begins and it seems like all your baby want to do is eat or scream and won't sleep and you are about to completely loose your mind, watch how when you put your baby to the breast she INSTANTLY calms down, relaxes and many ties falls asleep.

I PRAYED the first few weeks that ALexa would JUST LATCH on because she was so unhappy and miserable and I couldn't console her.

WHen she finally latched she was a completely different baby, she rarely cried and when she did I had a guaranteed method to soothe her. IT WAS AMAZING...............

Any WHo... I just wanted to give you some words of encouragement. Feel free to FM me if you need to vent or need advice. I'm going to BUMP you the BFing support thread!!!!


MANY MANY


ANd CONGRATS on your new little one, she is GORGEOUS!!!

Re: Ok all of you BREAST FEEDING MOMS,

I felt the same way in the begining. The first two weeks were so hard,but it definitely has improved with time. My son is 3 months now and BF is so much easier. I find it easier than giving a bottle.

Re: Ok all of you BREAST FEEDING MOMS,

You know the saying "the first days are the hardest days"- well that is beyond TRUE with BFing! it is hard but i think it's hard b/c it is worth doing in the long run. right now it seems like this will be a forever point in your life but once you look back you will see that these few hard weeks are a tiny drop in the bucket in your child's life and your life. i felt this way too when i started with my DD. i remember panicking about being a prisoner etc....but now my DD is over 2 yrs old and it feel like a million years ago. BFing became the best decision i ever made with her. it was the easiest thing after those initial tough weeks. i PROMISE you your life will not be like this forever! hang in there-before you know it, it will be a memory! you're doing a great thing!

Re: Ok all of you BREAST FEEDING MOMS,

Posted by NewlyMrs

Posted by ziamaria

Posted by MommyAgain

please dont let this get to you..i know its easier said then done..my first 3 weeks of BFing were hard, and exhausting, and depressing and anything else negative..i KNEW i wanted to do it, for more reasons then the obvious benefits it has..i promise you, by the time you hit day 21, you will know exactly what youre doing, it will be second nature to you by that first months end..and you will be so proud of yourself for sticking through it..
please dont let anyone elses bad experiences, or anything like that deter you from taking this on, and continuing it..
im no BFing natzi, i was miserable in the beggining too..please look up
the "breastfeeding support thread" on this board..i started it when things were hardest for me, and a ton of ladies came to my aid..
FM me, or ANY of the girls on that thread if you have any questions or just want to vent..
keep on trecking, youre GOING to get through this, and be very happy you did..and so is your baby good luck!!

ITA!!

ITA as well!
I WAS MISSERABLE in the beginning, but is totally gets easier! I made it to 13 months and was so proud I stuck with it; for my good of my DD!!

Re: Ok all of you BREAST FEEDING MOMS,

It will get so much better. The first 3-4 weeks I felt like I was chained to my couch & nursing 24/7. When people asked me how long he went between feedings my anwer was always "Wait, he's supposed to STOP eating at some point?" because honestly, he nursed so often I didn't know where one session ended & the next began. All of a sudden out of the blue DS started taking 10-15 minutes per feeding & then not nursing again for 2 hours. I was finally able to get up off my couch & have time in between feedings. As they get more efficient at extracting milk they will nurse more quickly & take in enough to sustain themselves longer. Just hang in there!

Re: Ok all of you BREAST FEEDING MOMS,

To be honest, i am a prisoner of sorts, but I am a happy prisoner! I love BFing my DD and would rather have her attached to me all day than have my old free life back. She is now just about 4 months, is EBF, and still eats every 2 hours during the day, but she does sleep through the night. It gets better. I do go out both with and without her, i just do it around her schedule, or if this isn't possible, I BF where I go, or bring pumped milk in a bottle if it is in a place where I have no privacy. Good luck!

Re: Ok all of you BREAST FEEDING MOMS,

I posted this exact post just 2 weeks ago. Its already getting a little easier (my dd is 4 weeks) I think being able to pump and leave the baby knowing other people can feed her made a big difference. The past 3 days or so I have left her with my dh, parents, or mil for different reasons and actually find myself missing feeding her which I never would have thought 2 weeks ago!!
Good luck!!

Re: Ok all of you BREAST FEEDING MOMS,

Not to worry. Evenutally their stomachs get bigger, can hold more & they go longer in between meals. For now, you're on a 2-3 hour feeding schedule.

I found pumping harder because then I was pumping, then feeding, then getting them to sleep, then cleaning the bottles, then pumping again - so it was less time with the extra step.

Re: Ok all of you BREAST FEEDING MOMS,

I remember that. I was scared to take him out ANYWHERE for fear he would be hungry again. I felt like a prisoner. Someone suggested to me to go to Babies R Us. They have the mommy room there. It was my first official time out. He got hungry and I brought him onto the couch and fed him. I felt like I could take on the world at that point!

I began to venture to the mall and other stores. Did you know that fitting rooms work real well to BF? Never even thought about it til I needed it. Good luck!!!!

Re: Ok all of you BREAST FEEDING MOMS,

THe beginning is harda nd sometimes painful. But it will get better. Hang in there if you can.

Re: Ok all of you BREAST FEEDING MOMS,

I just wanted to co-sign on all the PP's that said that it DOES get easier. There is no time table for when it will get easier for YOU - but at some point it really does just kind of 'click' and you go from overwhelmed, frustrated and feeling like you have no control over your own body to being a veritable pro!

I hope you hang in there - I think it was worth it and you might too!

Re: Ok all of you BREAST FEEDING MOMS,

The beginninig is so hard. For the first few weeks I felt like all I was doing was feeding babies. One baby would take 45min-1hr to eat and then I would have to feed the other who would also take 45min-1hr. By the time both of them ate it was time to feed the first one again.
I can't even tell you how many times I cried and said I wanted to give up. But I stuck to it and now I am glad I did. It is SO easy now. It takes them 5-10 min to eat, thats it. I don't have to worry about making or cleaning bottles. I can go out without worrying if I brought enough formula.

It WILL get easier, and you will no longer feel like you live to feed your baby. You can get through these few weeks!!

Re: Ok all of you BREAST FEEDING MOMS,

I knew I had to become a public nurser...I am not one to stay at home.

Practice in the mirror...I started out at a Barnes and Nobles in a hidden section...one I started doing it I got my life back.

No one even cared, no one looked.

I felt like I was missing out on this huge benefit of always having milk on me, perfect temp, always fresh.

At the mall, I would nurse in dressing rooms.

At the park I would go to the car, change him and nurse.

To date, my biggest accomplishment yet was nursing.

Re: Ok all of you BREAST FEEDING MOMS,

I agree with all of the PP. The first 2 weeks were torture...and it got SO much easier! I've been EBF my baby for 4 months now, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I started pumping around 3 weeks, and it made me feel like I wasn't a prisoner anymore. It gets easier...I promise!

Re: Ok all of you BREAST FEEDING MOMS,

The beginning can be so hard for many Hang in there it will get easier! You are doing a Wonderful for your child