r/breastfeeding

I don't really think this is cause for concern, as I'm a runner, so typically have a low resting heart rate.

However, this is the lowest it has ever been and I have to think its the combination of training for my upcoming 5k race (speed work/high-ish running mileage at 30 -40km per week) along with exclusively breastfeeding my 4 month old. I EBF from the breast, no pumping (because I'm lazy).

Just thought it was interesting! Anyone else get a super low heart rate from breastfeeding? I hope it means good things for long term cardiovascular health!

I cannot seem to get my baby to latch better on the one side regardless of what I do.

It’s making me dread feeding him on that side because I get so frustrated and upset, I’m trying to fix it and nothing works.

I’ve even seen professionals and it doesn’t help, I don’t know what to do anymore because I’m not going to stop breast feeding but I can’t fix it.

I swear I spend more time adjusting myself than actually feeding my baby.

I start in one position, then my arm goes numb, then my back hurts, then baby slips off the latch, then I need another pillow, then I’m worried he’s too flat or too upright. By the time we finally settle, he’s frustrated and I’m sweating.

I genuinely thought breastfeeding would feel more natural eventually but right now every feed feels like setting up an engineering project.

Please tell me I’m not the only one struggling this much with positioning.

The last few days have been a wreck - I got a horrible stomach bug which caused me to get super dehydrated and since then my baby has been getting so frustrated while trying to breastfeed. The next day I got the flu and my period back at 5.5 months postpartum 😭 I’m guessing all of this is contributing to my milk being so low.

Good news is she still has wet and dirty diapers but I am so worried that she’s not getting enough. The last couple nights she has woken up halfway through the night and tried to nurse but just goes on and off wailing in between and this can go on for up to 2 hours until she gets tired enough and falls asleep.

I tried giving her formula just this last week out of curiosity (before I got sick), and she refused to even take a sip no matter what I tried (offered by different people, positions, temp).

I have been trying to give her a chance to breastfeed every hour or two to keep her from getting hungry and to get my supply up but after 2 days so far it doesn’t seem to be doing much and she is still getting frustrated every time.

Is there a certain kind of formula I could try that is more similar to breastmilk? Or somewhere I can get samples of different kinds to try out? (So far I don’t blame her for not wanting formula, it smells so nasty and completely different from breastmilk!) Or if I continue this for another day or two will my milk supply quickly get back up?

First time mammy, 13.5 weeks...🩶

I keep getting asked if I'm choosing breast or bottle...

I know fed is best, BUT I'd at least like to try breastfeeding.

My whole family (my mam, nanna, sisters, MIL, and SIL included), just look absolutely disgusted, distraught, and so uncomfortable when I tell them I'd like to breastfeed.

I've tried educating them, and explaining that it's natural, literally what boobs are for and all that matters is the baby is nourished... they just seem very outdated in their thinking and I feel like they're almost embarrassed for me ??? bizarre behaviour 🥴

I'm trying not to let this get to me and I'm sure I'll have less fucks to give later on, but I do feel quite shamed and unsupported on this already, and baby isn't even here yet...

Has anyone else dealt with familial judgement and low-key misogyny? How do you deal with it?

I know I should just focus on me, husb and baby, and screw everyone else, but I'd like to know others thoughts/experiences... thank you🩶

I have a crown procedure coming up and the dentist said she is going to use 3% mepivacaine plain anesthetic and topical benzocaine. She recommended pumping and dumping for 24 hours, but my baby refuses a bottle. When I look it up, it seems okay to keep nursing. The anesthetic I am less sure of. Anyone have experience with this? Not sure why she would say 24 hours if it is actually okay to nurse.

I exclusively breast feed at the moment and want to start my baby on bottles so I can give him like one bottle a day.

It’s not urgent that I feed him by bottle but I want to start at some point, he does have few issues with a shallow latch at the moment so I don’t want to worsen his latch, would introducing a bottle now cause more problems?

When you did introduce a bottle how did you introduce it, like giving a smaller amount at first or just a the full amount they eat at the stage they’re at?

My third baby is 6 weeks old, my other two I successfully breastfed for 16 months and 9 months. This time around, we’re having a hard time. He’s breastfeeding, but he’s so fussy at the breast. He acts hungry, I put him on and he’s constantly unlatching and crying. We go between breastfeeding and giving him bottles of pumped milk and when he gets a bottle he seems so full and satisfied after. I don’t remember struggling with this with my other two. I’ve been debating just exclusively pumping but I really don’t want to do that, I want to nurse him. I have always had a harsh let down so maybe that’s why, but does this mean we won’t be able to nurse? Is this gonna get better? I don’t know why I’m struggling this much when I’ve done this twice already.

My 7-week-old falls asleep nursing after about 10-20 minutes, making it really hard to know if she’s actually full. It’s manageable in the morning when my supply is high, but gets tricky as the day goes on.

When did things click for you. Did your baby naturally become a more alert, efficient feeder at some point? When did it generally improve?

When my 6 month old was born we had to supplement with formula for about 5 days before my milk came in, and since then he has been EBF. He cluster fed like normal, but it never really stopped- most nights he had a 2-3 hour long session before he would settle in the crib. For 2 random days in a row he slept 6 hours straight, but now for about a month we've been back to walking up every 1-2 hours and feeding every 2ish hours during the day. He's always been chunky- 8 lbs 10 oz at birth and 21 lbs 5 oz now- but even so I feel like my body should be making enough to satisfy him for longer stretches and shorter feedings. At the same time though he has been gaining well sp maybe this is normal?

When did your breasts stop feeling very full in the newborn weeks? For my first it wasn’t until about 12 weeks but my baby is 6 weeks and I’m noticing they don’t feel as full. I am hoping my supply isn’t dipping. I have bit of an oversupply and need to keep it for when I go back to work and am mostly pumping 😔

Edit: *Breast but I can’t change the title

I am ready to wean. We gradually reduced feeds and also changed the location so my son knows he only nurses in our bed. This helped a lot. He started sleeping through the night two months ago and stopped night feeds on his own. We stopped nursing to sleep about a month ago for night time and naps. He nurses for a bit and then we stop, snuggle, and he goes to sleep. He still nurses and 2-3 times a day (first thing in the AM, before bed, and occasionally before nap time).

I have decided I am ready because the mornings have become a huge source of frustration for me. If my husband is with him and I am working a nighy shift or away for a night, he sleeps GREAT. But for me, he wake up at 5am. Ill let him nurse and then he freaks and wants to keep nursing all morning long. I write this as he just spent the last hour crying on and off because I wouldn't let him have a free for all with the milk. I am just ready to get sleep again.

Basically my question is, should I just do the bandaid trick and say it's all gone? Or does anyone have any other tips? I don't really want to use sucker buster or similar products.

I woke up with a stye and without really thinking I put colloidal silver on it and a little in my eye. Obviously everything on Google says not to use while breastfeeding. I also read it could stay in your body for months.

Do I have to stop breastfeeding entirely now?

Has anyone used colloidal silver in their past while BF?

Im very nervous about this.

Edit: typo changed “all” to “eye”

I’m wondering if anyone else has had this experience.

I’ve had quite a few bumps in the road with breastfeeding (undersupply, pumping issues, oversupply, poor weight gain, etc). Breastfeeding is something I’ve wanted since day one, so going through these challenges is worth it to me. I currently primarily pump and hoping to return to more nursing at some point.

But EVERY TIME anyone asks how it’s going, and I mention that it’s challenging or we’re trying some new tools, they automatically just tell me to quit! I’m not even complaining or bringing it up, just vaguely answering how I’m doing. I think they genuinely think they’re being supportive, but it’s so frustrating.

“Fed is best!” I totally agree. However, I WANT to breastfeed.

“You’re allowed to stop. There’s no prize for breastfeeding.” I know…. But like I said, I want to breastfeed, that’s why I’m doing it.

“Pumping is awful. You don’t have to do that.” Yeah, I don’t love it, but pumping is currently the form of breastfeeding that’s possible for us. It also retains the possibility of nursing if we can figure that out.

“There’s nothing wrong with formula.” I KNOW!! The reason I’m trying so hard to breastfeed is not because I have some problem with formula. It’s because I want to breastfeed! Like I said the last hundred times!!

No one ever wants to offer breastfeeding support, or tell me all the hard work and time is worth anything. It’s just a constant stream of “if it’s hard then stop ❤️”. At this point I’m starting to wonder if I’m stupid for trying so hard, because apparently everyone in the world thinks the nicest possible feedback is to tell me to give up!

I am producing about 4oz extra on top of what she eats daily I usually pump once before bed and give her a bottle when I pump to be able to give her the vitamin d so I'm not pumping a bunch extra that would increase my supply but sometimes I leak, like a lot, through a pad and my bra and my shirt. And then when I do nurse her the milk just POURS out into her mouth and if she pulls away its like a freaking river and it gets everywhere, all over me and her and wherever I'm sitting. Does it ever stop? Please tell me it'll stop 😭 I'm three weeks pp

I am EBF my 11 week old. She’s a bit on the smaller side in the 30-40 percentile range. I breastfed in public for the first time over the weekend and it was a STRUGGLE. I didn’t have a pillow and I thought the nursing cover was awkward. It was so hard to position her correctly and hold her in position. I felt bad at it? Like I was just so uncoordinated and she was getting so frustrated with me. I don’t have excessively large boobs, but I do have 36Ds and feel like I usually have to hold my breast while she’s latched.

Is it easier from a purely logistical perspective to breastfeed once the baby is larger? Like because they can hold themselves up better or because it’s easier to bring them to boob? Or is that a pipe dream? I’m nervous about lasting if I can’t figure out how to breastfeed well when I leave the house.

Its not necessary, I make enough milk, I exclusively breastfeed because pumping was making me depressed. Formula is great for those who need it. But for those who don't, its so frustrating having it thrown in your face as the "obvious solution". Just because it works for you doesn't mean it works for me. I wish people would just respect my choice to exclusively breastfeed and the lifestyle ive chosen to accommodate that choice...

Hey mommies.

I’m a mom to an 18 month old baby girl. Been breastfeeding her since birth obviously.

I feel bad for saying this but… I am tired of breastfeeding her. It’s demanding and my nipples get really sore because she stays on the breast for long. And she prefers to suck on both at the same time.
Whether I’m out in public or w family and friend.

I’m starting not to like offering her breast milk and as much as I know it’s great for her health, my mental health and taking a toll and I’m ready to have a relationship w her without being the cow 😅

Has anyone experienced this ? Is it normal ? Am I being selfish ?
Please help

My baby is 7 weeks old and we have 6 sessions most days. Today, he slept a lot more and only had 4 sessions. He will have one more soon overnight, so that’ll be 5 in 24 hours? He does sound a little snotty. My husband got sick at work and gave it to me, so I’m sure baby has it too. His attitude seems fine. During his wake times, he was smiling and cooing at me. I took his temp earlier today and it was normal.
Baby also sleeps through the night. I put him down around 10:30-10:45 to sleep and he sleeps until I end up waking him up around 5AM.
Normal wet diapers, normal poops, was back at birth weight by 1 week old and gains 5-7oz a week.
I keep seeing people saying their babies feed 8-14 or more times in a day and I’m starting to wonder if I should be waking him up to eat. I do wake him if I think he’s been sleeping too long without a feeding; 3-4 hours during the day or 5-6 hours at night. He did seem to have his first day of cluster feeding 2 days ago. He actually reached 9 sessions that day, which is the most he’s ever done. Lol.
Does this sound normal? We have our 2 month appointment next week.

I’m really struggling with breastfeeding my 11 month old at the moment.

Up until now, we havent had any issues but for the last two/three weeks he has been biting me so bad. I have what look like puncture marks in my nipples and open wounds. My nipples constantly feel so sore and like they are bleeding. I had mastitis because of this too. I just can’t seem to get him to stop as he does it at the end to come off so taking him away from the breast has absolutely no impact. Its so frustrating.

I really didnt want to stop feeding him yet and wanted to go longer but I’m in so much pain. I’m shaking whilst feeding him from the pain. It feels like knives are slicing my nipples.

The issue is he completely rejects milk in a bottle/sippy cup/any sort of cup! He drinks water and eats solids well (including weetabix and rusk etc with cows milk) but I’m worried he wont be having any milk other than this.

Has anyone got any advice/been in a similar situation? Id love any tips on how to get the biting to stop, and if not then how to just stop feeding asap and rip the band aid off because i can’t take it anymore!