so i decided to breastfeed my little one. we started almost 12 days after his birth as he was in an incubator prior to that. it has now been 20 days that i am breastfeeding him but i still struggle.
His has refused to take the left breast from the start so i had given up on offering it. he can latch on the right one but it is very painful. My neck , my shoulder, my back are extremely swollen and stiff. Plus i have bodybuilders arms with massive muscles because of the constant holding him for 40-50 mins every 2-3 hours. I look so bulky for my petite frame. And my hunch back is even more hunched now. I am just so much in pain from these areas.
I went to doc and she said the neck swelling is due to the breastfeeding. she gave me antibiotics but it doesnt work anymore.
I have now started to cheat and i give my baby formula milk at night as i cannot bear the back and neck pain.
has anyone experience this while breastfeeding. Every day i think of giving up and starting formula. Plus i really need a cure to relax my arms muscle. it is so ugly. i dont fit in my clothes just because of my manly arms.
Also, i was told breastfeeding help you loose weight. I have been loosing the first 3 weeks and now i am gaining back.
You are definately breastfeeding him wrong. Your body should not be in any kinda pain... i think you are bringing yourself to baby rather than baby to breast.
I would highly reccommend contacting La Leche League.. they help immensely with breastfeeding issues..
Secondly, Breastfeeding should be done for the ure sake of feeding your baby... not for weight loss.
Thirdly.... if it just isnt working out, it is ok. Breastfeeding is good but not the end.if the world.if ut doesnt work out... formula fed babies are just as healthy and happy. So.dont.fret.... if it comes down to your mental health... formula is the way to go.
Khawateen is totally right on al points. Your position is wrong. Breastfeeding should not be anywhere near what you're describing. Don't lean down to baby, bring baby up to your breast. You need to contact a qualified lactation consultant ASAP or the La Leche League.
If your body position is correct and you're doing all thing right and you're still in that much pain, then don't nurse. It's not going to make you any less of a mother if you have to formula/bottle feed.
I haven't started breastfeeding yet but I also think that your positioning is wrong. You're hunching because you're bringing your chest down to the baby. Do you use any pillows to support your baby or do you just use your arm? I bought a boppy pillow off of amazon (it was the cheapest compared to all stores). It has really good reviews so I hope it'll work for me.
Another thing is that instead of weighing yourself you should measure inches. You said that you're building muscle in your arm. Muscle is heavy but lean, so you might be heavier yet slimmer.
When I used to weight train I ended up gaining weight but lost several inches. So don't weigh yourself if you think you're building muscle.
I do bring the baby up to the breast hence the strong arms. I use pillows but its never high enough so i have ordered a nursing pillow.lets see if it works.
However i constantly look down at the baby in the first few minutes when he tries to latch on.when he is on, i relax back.
I will surely contact la leche . Do they come home?
I had a bitter struggle with breastfeeding too, and can totally sympathize.
I found the “My Brest Friend” nursing pillow immensely helpful. I was using a regular pillow before and felt instant relief in my back, neck, and shoulders after using the nursing pillow. Maybe you could also try pumping and feeding baby from a bottle till your back feels better?
Also - please don’t beat yourself up about feeding your baby formula. You have been through a lot during labour and childbirth, and it is ok put your own health first sometimes. Formula is NOT poison as some websites would have you believe. You can go back to exclusive breastfeeding if you wish to, even if you’re giving the baby occasional formula. Get help from a lactation consultant as suggested above.
Good luck mama, and take care of yourself too as you’re caring for your baby
I had horrible back pain until I invested in a nursing chair. I was bringing baby to me but I slouched when sitting in bed or anywhere else to feed. My husband had back aches from bottle feeding too until we got the chair.
Work on your positioning, contact your local breastfeeding support group and YouTube as well to find a position that works best for you and baby.
You could also take fenugreek supplements to increase your supply, they start to work within 3 days. Ideally you should breastfeed from both sides so maybe pump from the side that the baby isn't feeding from to avoid getting engorged.
And formula isn't 'cheating' so don't worry if yiu end up having to give formula top ups.
what everyone else said plus: at night try the side-lying position to breast feed. It made breastfeeding soo easy for me I even started doing it in day time! Plus I think babies like it cuz the have more control over their own position. No need for pillows or slouching.
You are definately breastfeeding him wrong. Your body should not be in any kinda pain... i think you are bringing yourself to baby rather than baby to breast.
I would highly reccommend contacting La Leche League.. they help immensely with breastfeeding issues..
Secondly, Breastfeeding should be done for the ure sake of feeding your baby... not for weight loss.
Thirdly.... if it just isnt working out, it is ok. Breastfeeding is good but not the end.if the world.if ut doesnt work out... formula fed babies are just as healthy and happy. So.dont.fret.... if it comes down to your mental health... formula is the way to go.
But i would first get help from La Leche.
Best of luck
thanks , i have contacted the lactation consultant
my decision to breastfeed instead of formula feeding was for few reasons and that is why i dont want to give up just as yet. My main reason were for natural weight loss and certain extend of natural birth control. the feeding of baby can be done healthily in either options.
You are definately breastfeeding him wrong. Your body should not be in any kinda pain... i think you are bringing yourself to baby rather than baby to breast.
I would highly reccommend contacting La Leche League.. they help immensely with breastfeeding issues..
Secondly, Breastfeeding should be done for the ure sake of feeding your baby... not for weight loss.
Thirdly.... if it just isnt working out, it is ok. Breastfeeding is good but not the end.if the world.if ut doesnt work out... formula fed babies are just as healthy and happy. So.dont.fret.... if it comes down to your mental health... formula is the way to go.
But i would first get help from La Leche.
Best of luck
thanks , i have contacted the lactation consultant
my decision to breastfeed instead of formula feeding was for few reasons and that is why i dont want to give up just as yet. My main reason were for natural weight loss and certain extend of natural birth control. the feeding of baby can be done healthily in either options.
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Breast feeding as a form of natural birth control?
MANY women had their surprise babies this way... breastfeeding will NOT stop you from conceiving... :d
Breast feeding as a form of natural birth control?
MANY women had their surprise babies this way... breastfeeding will NOT stop you from conceiving... :d
breastfeeding plus the natural family planning ... ie / barrier contraception and cycle check
I cannot have any other forms of birth control unfortunately so i'll have to depend on the natural ways. and hope for the best.
Breastfeeding will do nothing for birth control. It's still very, very much possible to get pregnant while nursing even if you haven't had a period. If you're going the charting/natural planning route, just know that it's not fool proof and every month you can still conceive/get pregnant again.
I think you should invest in a nursing pillow and breast pump, those may help with your posture and supply. As for the weight loss and birth control I've heard the opposite but your body will bounce back soon as you get the hang of things yourself.
breastfeeding plus the natural family planning ... ie / barrier contraception and cycle check
I cannot have any other forms of birth control unfortunately so i'll have to depend on the natural ways. and hope for the best.
Barrier contraception is not natural family planning. It can be quite effective if used correctly especially with the cycle check method (if your cycles are regular).
Barrier contraception is not natural family planning. It can be quite effective if used correctly especially with the cycle check method (if your cycles are regular).
How many months should you observe your cycle before depending on it?
You can NEVER rely 100% on cycle charting Alone. There are numerous factors that affect menstrual cycles including stress, nutrition, hydration status etc...
Personal anecdote: I have been charting religiously for 5 years and my calander is still off by one or two days occasionally. May not seem like much ... but one or two days off is all you need for an unplanned pregnancy.
Strongly recommend addition of barrier method for additional efficacy if you are not willing /able to use chemical means.
Two additional thoughts ...
Non hormonal IUD
Reversible Vasectomy
I depended on barrier methods from the get go and had a 4 year gap between my pregnancies ( it was planned when it happened). My cycles were always regular even when nursing a baby. Two other friends relied on barrier methods alone and were successful!
how long are you supposed to breastfeed a child anyway? I have seen some women only do it for a few months, while others go on uptil 2 years.. to me, 2 years is a bit much, considering they talk by then and no longer a "baby" per se, especially since they should be eating more solids and lay off the milk a little by then, but I am not quite sure ... any elaborations?
