bubbalicious: the place for young parents

I wanted to breast feed but the baby never attached properly and I was never given any help at the hospital. After being home two days I woke up to swollen breasts got a breast feeding consultant but it was too late for help. I was dyying up and the baby was used to a bottle.

I breastfed for 6 weeks with my Son but then had very bad PND & made the desicion to stop which in fact did help & make me happier due tell less tiredness & more time to be happy. I plan to Breastfeed for at least 4 months with my unborn child although this may change depending on circumstances i may become involved in at certain times after giving birth or if i have PND again? I'm hoping to persavear & get through it this time again without tablets but also whilst feeding myself. I feel that everybody should try it for best interest of their child & regardless of saggy boobs or whatever rubbish you hear the best option for your child should be your main priority! A lot of Girls my age & younger hate the idea but in my honest opinion if you believe you are old enough to bring up a child you should be mature enough to try it & give your child the best start in life! :)

I wasnt going to breastfeed but reading up on it...I've decided I will :D

I tried to breastfeed my son as i wanted to give him the best start in life but i found it all too painful and the fact my son was a hungry baby made it harder i just became too down about it. I wish i persisted more though as i believe breastfeeding is always best it is definatly something i would try again when i have another

I loved breastfeeding Brooke, it was painful at first but i carried out with it until she was 4 months old, I felt it gave us an instant bond, and its always a puls to their health :)

I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I really want to breastfeed but I'm worried i'll feel a failure if I can't do it. I definitely want to breastfeed for the first three days.

Those first few weeks are insaney hard, but I was very lucky as I had a breastfeeding support officer who came round often to check how my latch was and how I was coping - she was a godsend. I also came down with quite painful thrush and for a few weeks I thought I was going to have to give it up but she spotted the signs of thrush and it was soon sorted. Still breastfeeding at 8 weeks old & im rather proud of myself! No intention of stopping any time soon. Those first few weeks are hard, it's tiring, your milk supply is all over the place and it seems they they want feeding constantly - but it soon settles & it's the best bond ever, I'm so glad I did and I believe that other than labour, breastfeeding is the best thing my body has ever done!

Altough breastfeeding seems the best thing for the baby i feel that when my baby is here it wont feel natural to put her to my breast so i have decided to bottle feed, i may change my mind when she is here but at least i am prepared for either situation x

I've always said i would breastfeed, i never realised the first few weeks would be as hard as what they were! But we made it through them and are now 9 weeks on still breastfeeding with the occasional bottle of formula :) I love how im the only one who can feed Riley & we get our own 'special' time together :)

I never breastfed as Summer wouldn't latch striaght away, and I was to tierd to keep trying. When I got home from hospital I then tried again, but she was used to an artificial teat, so I expressed for about a week. Even though I have a healthy and happy baby, I always feel so guilty about not being able to breastfeed her. I wish I had tried harder.

im hoping to breastfeed -hopefully it goes well :] xx

I'm hoping to breastfeed.

I only managed to breastfeed for about three to four days I got really sore and it was unbearable! So I changed to powdered milk. They say anyways all the goodness comes out in the first few days of breastfeeding so hopefully my baby girl got all the decent stuff :) x

i have not breastfed yet because i dont have any children but am pregnant with my first but here are some of my thoughts someone told me once that breastfeeding makes you saggy and thats why i was unsure for while if i wanted to breafeed or not because i hated the thought of my body looking older than i was. i asked my widwife and she said that this is untrue and that they only thing that makes you saggy in life is gravity. other girls in the class had also been told the same thing and were relieved to know that it was just a rumor i have decided to breastfeed because both my boyfriend (father of the baby) and older sister have asthma which means the baby is more likely to have asthma but the chances are reduces if i breastfeed. other benefits are that you get your figure back quicker and loose weight. but i personly think the reason i want to breastfeed the most is the bond that you are surpose to feel when your feeding the baby because your milk is perfect nothing better and everyone who i have spoken to who have said that they have/do breastfeed say that it is very rewarding and the best decission they ever made.

breastfeedings pretty good and also helps with the weightloss rather than having to do sooo much excersize <3

IIm trying to breastfead. Even if its only for the first 6weeks. I want her to get the best start x

I sympathise with all of your hardship stories, I just wish there was more support, there is support available at night times through places like NCT and if you have a Doula she will help. If your realy stuck I'd phone your local maternaty hospital and talk to a midwife. I'm under no illusion about how hard it can be and I'm pleased to see so many of you are supporting each other through this. I hope that all of you will use your skills to support each other next time round

I've Got My Self Set As I Really Want To Breast Feed But Worried That Baby Will Not Take To It... Or That Baby Will Not Have Enough And Will Be Hungry!!

i breast fed for lyk 3 days to my lil soldier but he neva ate from my nipple properly so i just gave up in the end even though i tried :S xxx

i never wanted to breastfeed because i wanted my boyfriend to help with the feeds xx

Not all the goodness comes in the first few days; breastmilk continues to provide nutrients and anti-bodies for as long as it is produced. But you are right in that the colostrum (first milk) is superconcentrated and has tonnes of antibodies and stuff in it, so 3-4days was an amazing gift and a brilliant start for your little one

I only managed to breastfeed for about three to four days I got really sore and it was unbearable! So I changed to powdered milk. They say anyways all the goodness comes out in the first few days of breastfeeding so hopefully my baby girl got all the decent stuff :) x

i was adamant that i wanted to breastfeed, and it was hard aat first, as i wasn't doing it properly but i had a lovely midwife who told me to prop her on a cusion. made all the difference and at 2 months she is still breastfeeding :)

When I was pregnant I knew I wanted to breast feed and I did start of breast feeding when my daughter was born but my daughter sucked to hard and I ended up in a quite a bit of pain so I couldn't breast feed no longer, but they do say the first lot is the best soo, hopefully that did the trick :) xxx

I was soo adamant i was going to breast feed, untill Emma came tiny, I tried it exclusivly for the first 3 days but she just wasnt latching, and went from 4lb14 to 4lb6 so i tried breastfeeding and topping up with milk, but then she wouldnt even try to latch on and would scream for the bottle, so after 1-2 weeks i stopped. =[

xFNKx - i disagree that most teen mothers seem to choose bottle over breast milk, nearly every mum of a young age i know has tried breast feeding (including my self). but there needs to be more support i think for everyone and more areas around towns, shops etcc too breastfeed. i breast fed my little boy (well expressed) he was on the neontal unit for 7weeks and he put to the breast 2/3times and looved it took like a dream! but cause he had problems with his intestines, he couldn't diegest all the fats, and wasn't gaining weight etcc - so they put him on lacto free milk, i was devostated! i loved breast feeding him! but i loads of spare milk for him the freezer at the hospital so i donated it the 'milk bank' .. soo another poorly baby could benifit from my mummy milk :) .. atleast someone would :) - but i am definatly breast feeding when i have other children xx

I have breast fed my son and want to continue to do so, he is currently 8 months. I think the majority of teen mums decide to bottle feed, i am really not sure why! Breast feeding was difficult at first but it gets so much easier and it is certainly a lot easier than having to sterilise bottles and make up the feeds! I have had it difficult as my son has allergies to dairy so I've had to change my diet completely and cut all dairy out! But its all worth it to know that it's good for my little man!

I have breast fed my son and want to continue to do so, he is currently 8 months. I think the majority of teen mums decide to bottle feed, i am really not sure why! Breast feeding was difficult at first but it gets so much easier and it is certainly a lot easier than having to sterilise bottles and make up the feeds! I have had it difficult as my son has allergies to dairy so I've had to change my diet completely and cut all dairy out! But its all worth it to know that it's good for my little man!

I iwhs i ddi breast feed my daughter, i said a definate no before she was born but as soon as she was here i wanted to, instinct i guess. But i decided not to from all the storys i heard from family and even friends that a breast fed baby is a cryer and a clingy baby and i really didnt want that, but with my next i think ill defonatly breast feed

I really wish I could have stuck to breastfeeding :( I did it for a week but it was so hard and painful! Noah was 8lb 11oz and he just was attached to me ALL the time because he wasn't getting enough from me :( I tried and tried but it was really hard.

i breast fed the longest with my first she was breastfed for 6 months and she seems fine but cutting her off before two. in canada and if your a young mom they seem to hassle you alot if you don't breast feed. my one son had colic and i bottle fed him so that i could get a break here and there

i reeeeally wanted to breastfeed - but Roxanne just never ever took to it. she didnt even eat anything for the first five days despite trying & trying to get her to feed! eventually she took hand expressed milk from a bottle..but wanted more and i couldnt do it. so she was just put on to formula - if i have another baby though, i really want to breastfeed! its so healthy, & made esp for your baby..good stuff! Grace,xox

I breastfeed for the first 6weeks but then my supply ran out so i had to start my daughter on formula! About 2months ago i started to produce milk again which was quite worrying because i wasnt even pregnant and i checked to see if i was and the result came back negative!

i breastfed with my daughter for only a month cause it hurt so much :( i'm pregnant with a little boy and hope to stick to it this time round!

I am breastfeeding, found it quite difficult at first and it was so so painful... persevered with it and 4 months later I'm still going and intend to for at least another 2 months :) I appreciate that breastfeeding isn't suitable for everyone but I'm so glad I'm doing it, I can't imagine having to heat bottles in the middle of the night with a crying baby!! :)

I wanted to breast feed my son but i had a very long labour an wen he came out i was sooo tired i literally couldnt hold him i was soo weak an he was hungry straight away so he had to be bottle fed!

i breastfed for 3 weeks and then gave up coz for a whole week my daughter was constantly on the breast and was using me as a dummy but wouldnt take a proper one!! she was also very hard to feed as she has reflux and she was being sick as she was taking to much milk but still wanted to feed - i recieved no support wat so eva and was even told to bottle feed in hospital wen i was finding it difficult!!!

i had my heart set on breast feeding my son but my milk didnt come in properly and with breast feeding like me your baby could latch on and suck really well so to you , you think they are getting wat they need but you can tell like you can with a bottle you no how many oz they are drinking, after 5 days of breastfeeding my son went from 6lb to 5lb and was admitted to hosp were they told me my milk haddent come in properly and i had to put him on the bottle i still did try and breat feed as well as giving him the bottle as it was a comfort for me and for him but eventually it fizzled out and my son prefered the bottle and his dummie sadly for me but great for him he is now 4 months and is 13lb8oz so is doing really well, i would recomend breast feeding thou as it give u a great bond and its nice knowing you are doing something great for your baby :) xx

i breast fed my son for about a week or so i was all for breast feeding when i was pregnanti got mastitis in both boobs and got really ill with it aswell i couldnt hold him for like a day or2 because my boobs were so soree! he is 5 months now and i still sit here thinking i want to breastfeed i feel so down that i cant now.

but it was really uncomfortable lol

i had 2 express when my daughter was in special care and they said that the little milk she actually had did her a thousand times better than formula would have done

i breast fed for 12 hours and couldnt do it anymore. i found it painful and hard but im hoping to try again with the next one :)....X

I hope to breastfeed,,, but i am really worried it wont work for me... :/ :) x

@Shelleymarie - www.beastar.org.uk is a brilliant link & will definitely be showing it to the young mums & older mums I look after. Thank you.

I think every1 as a choice in breastfeeding or bottle every1 as a choice, i choose to breastfeed my son becos of cost and to give it ago and he loved it could only do it for 10 months tho cos of his teeth plus he kinda took himself of it, but u after feed ur baby no matter wot u choose x

i breast feed my little boy for the first three months and i loved it. I found it really hard at first in the hospital but then when i got home it was so much easier as i felt more relaxed and comfortable. Then i changed him on to formula as i was starting a training program and i tried to express but i found it didnt work that well.

Iam very unsure i know it gives my baby the best start but its alot to think about

I'm 20 weeks pregnant and I definately plan on breastfeeding my little girl Nevaeh for at least the 1st 6 months of her life!

i tryed it i breast fed for 3 weeks but coiuldnt do it anymore i wasnt making as much as she needed!

Just a little bit lol. My son is 2 and a half and has never had formula (I know that's not possible for everyone but it's still something to be proud of), and is still nursing atleast 4 times a day and a couple of times a night. Breast Milk fixes everything - cuts, bumps, eye infections, ear infections, tantrums and broken hearts :) And I think it's very sad that a lot of girls have difficulty breastfeeding because of inadequate support or innaccurate information, which is why I trained as a breastfeeding supporter, and kind of jump on every breastfeeding question or concern. Because I want EVERY pregnant woman to know that if she CAN do it if she wants to :)

Im glad you like it Earthmummy. So by looks of it your definatly a BIG follower of breastfeedin?? x

shelleymarie - I saw that website a while ago - my teen mum group leader sent me the link when I started up my natural parents group. It's fab :D

@ali-bond - It is possible to breastfeed with bigger boobs, you just have to be careful to make sure baby is latched on right, and maybe support your breast with your hand. If the baby is positioned right, he should definately be able to breathe. I went up to a K cup when my milk came in, settling at a GG when my supply settled, and after a bit of practise it was actually ok.

i had my heart set on breastfeeding my son, bet he was born premature an his suckling reflex wasnt fully developed :( i was gutted as i had to feed him on the little bottles of milk for premature babies for the remainder of my hospital stay, i felt rejected as daft as it sounds!!!anyway when we got home an was in my comfort zone we had another go,an was sort of sussesful,although we did have to alternate with breast an formular,we did this untill liam being about 7/8 week, but on the other hand i am a f-cup which i didnt think helped as i was petrified that he couldnt breath,i am 15 week into this pregnancy an im not sure howim going to go about breastfeeding our new baby as my boobs r growing again :/ will prob have to express xx

I loved breastfeedin! I would recommend it too anyone! Its hard but its the best thing ever you could do for your child when they come into this world. I breastfed for 7 months and wish i didnt stop now but had to because of circumstances. I even did a breastfeeding campagin for Doncaster - South yorkshire for young mums to encourage them to breastfeed and to show that its brill! Take a look... www.beastar.org.uk

...Buys collestrum... Erw wierd Though Lol. But Its true... thats how precious it is. x

Breast Is Definatley Besttt........ For the people who thinks thats not true... did you know that Footballers

I was devastated that I was unable to breast-feed my son for as long as i would have liked to. The midwives in the hospital were absolutely appalling and gave me no support what so ever. Also, my little one was incredibly hungry, and liked the sensation so was latched onto me most of the time, and i ended up in tears! In my view even the antibodies he received in the first few days of his life were enough, but next time i will really try to go for the breast. far cheaper option too!

I wanted to breast feed my 1st daughter but my other half didnt want me to as he wanted to play a part in the feeds ect.. im planning my 2nd and am defo going to breast feed!

@MissAspey that's not strictly true as some women who cannot breast feed their child, for whatever reason, actually have, wet nurses i think they're called, who can feed their child for them. Or for another example if they send their baby to a child minder and she is able to produce milk, she may feed them while the mother is at work. Also people who have adopted are sometimes able to produce breastmilk and they're not the biological mother. I'm not meaning to make you sound wrong, just making sure the right info is there!

Yes, Formula milk does give them something to eat, but breast milk is so much more than that; it's a living fluid that adapts to each child's individual needs at any given time. I'm not saying formula is innately bad; yes is does have it's place when mum cant breastfeed, and it has saved lives in the past, but saying that it's the same as breastmilk is completely untrue. It has a completely different chemical make up. Even the formula milk companies say their product is NOT the same as breastmilk, so I can't understand where this information is coming from???

yes i agree that breast feeding is best for baby but formula is just as good, if like me you find that you feel you can't breastfeed or your milk never came in. formula milk does the exact same job as breast milk, it give baby something to eat.

People Do Say "Breast Is Best" This Is Because It Reduced Cot Death By 50%, It Reduce The Mother Of The Baby Of Getting Breast Cancer Later On In Life By 50%, The Milk Stored In Your Breast Is Especially For Your Baby, No Other Baby Could Have Your Milk, Its Made Just For Your Baby, It Has The Right Amount If Nutrients Needed To Give Your Child, It's Unique & No-one Has The Same Breast Milk. Some People Are Conscious About Their Figure, Breast Feeding Helps You Re-gain Your Figure Quicker. Breast Feeding Isn't Easy, But People Will Help You Learn. If You Don't Feel Like Breast Feeding You Can Always Express Your Milk :)

@Kittyboo - your baby gains immunity from breastmilk for as long as he continues to recieve it. The colostrum (first milk your boobs produce while you're pregnant) does have higher concentrations of anti-bodies in it, and breastfeeding after that keeps building on that. My DS is still nursing at 2.5years, and is still getting anti-bodies through :)

Erm, not wanting to start a fight or anything (and I completely agree that every mother has the right to choose how to feed her baby) but "Formula milk does not harm what so ever" is not true. World wide, 1.3million babies a year will die because they werent breastfed, which is one every 30seconds (UNICEF 2007). Risks associated with not breastfeeding include increased risks of diabetes, obesity and childhood cancer. FF babies are significantly more likely to be admitted to hospital within the first year of life, and to develop an illness requiring anti-biotics within the first year of life. FF babies are more likely to get chest infections and stomach infections. I dont have my BFN book to hand right now, but i cant check in later with the exact statistics if anyone wants them. Again, i havent done this to make anyone feel guilty, but this information NEEDS to be out there in order for mums to make their own educated decision.

I agree that breastfeeding is good for babies but formula does no harm what so ever, my cousin breast fed her son and he always seems to be full of a cold whereas i bottle fed my son and hes always happy and healthy, i think its wrong to put pressure on people who dont wont to breastfeed, its the mothers choice x

My baby is due in May and I am sure I want to breastfeed as they say "breast is best" and all that - however I have read that some people find it hard and as @Earthmummy said the help can be hard to get hold of. I suppose one of the benefits is that the Baby will gain immunity in the first few days of breastfeeding which it can't gain from formula milk. It also seems a lot quicker than having to sterilise, make and heat up a bottle.

I am really lucky. I managed to feed my daughter who is now 6 (7 in Feb) and my son who is 8months. Both of them took to the breast like a duck to water and when ever I tried to express so that someone else could do a feed they refused bottles point blank. My daughter weaned herself off the breast at just over a year old, I then got mastitis because she was no longer feeding. I have had the beginnings of imastitis (very hard, painful boobs) twice with my son but have managed to stop it getting worse by feeding and expressing like mad. I am so pleased that I managed to breastfeed as just sterilising his cup is a pain in the bum!! I shocked alot of people by deciding to breastfeed as I had my daughter when I was 16 so they all assumed I would just shove a bottle in her mouth!! My health visitor was amazed as she said I was a better and more natural mum than some mums in late 20, early 30's that she had at the time and some of them were 2nd or 3rd time mothers!! I was asked to help out at a local breastfeeding clinic which I did a few times but got a few nasty comments from other mothers so stopped going. They were all older than me and I was later told they were having real trouble with breastfeeding so were incredibly jealous of a 16 year old managing to breastfeed so easily!!! Ah well!!! I agree with earthmummy, there isn't enough support for breastfeeding at all, especially in the hospitals. Several of my friends gave up on breastfeeding as they had no help in hospital and one was actually told she wasn't producing enough milk so had to bottle feed!! They didn't even try to get her expressing or breastfeeding followed by a top up of bottle. That really irritated me as I had my son 8months later in the same hospital and if a midwife or nurse had spoken to me like that I would have gone nuts!!!

The breastfeeding support system in the UK can be difficult to access. In a lot of developed countries, there are phone lines etc you can call 24/7 for help with breastfeeding. In the less economically developed countries, new mums are surrounded by more experienced mums who can help them out. I think it's a disgrace that so many mums who want to breastfeed have to stop because they cant get anyone to help them. At hospital I was taught to breastfeed by the cleaner who came in to empty my bin! There are a lot of organisations out there who want to help. The breastfeeding network and la leche league both have phone lines which are open most of the time; not 24/7 because they are manned by mums with kids of their own, who have had special training. There are also breastfeeding specialists who can come to your home and help you one to one. Your midwife/HV should be able to give you the numbers.

I also tried to breastfeed but your made to feel as though ur doing it wrong cause it hurts, when infact it hurts full stop. And although there is support, it isnt there at 3am when lil one wont sleep and breastfeeding doesnt seem to be settling them! I did breastfeed for 3 days, then decided to try him on a bottle. However, my boobs hurt so much from being full of milk I decided to express a bit and discovered I could do it!!! Was so chuffed. So I expressed for 3 weeks until I caught mastitis (AGONY). I also realised it was taking me 20 mins per bottle, plus sterilising inbetween, and I was unable to sleep or do anything whilst my son was asleep apart from express. I was sad to stop, but it was the best thing for us, and I was pleased that at least my son got those important first few weeks of antibodies :) Dont think anyone should be made to feel bad though if they choose to bottle feed, sometimes its just for the best! xxx

With my first daughter I didn't even get the choice to breastfeed as i have hyperthyroidism and i had been taking the medication during the first 5 months of pregnancy - not realising i was pregnant (long story!) And the medicine would probably still have been in my system and harmful to my baby. Luckily she was born without side effects. With my 2nd i tried to breastfeed her but the only thing was she would literally stay on my breast all day and not really feed much. And after a few days she just refused it no matter how much i tried! :(