r/breastfeedingmumsUK

Hello!

So, my baby girl is now 9 days old, and I think from what I've researched she's now cluster feeding...

It's been relentless today:

03:55 - boob - 11 mins followed by 40ml breast milk in bottle (expressed milk given by husband - just to give me a break!)

07:40 - boob - 11 mins

08:12 - boob - 15 mins

08:39 - boob - 7 mins

12:11 - boob - 15 mins

12:39 - boob - 23 mins

14:02 - boob - 5 mins

15:09 - boob - 15 mins

16:44 - boob - 7 mins

17:09 - boob - 13 mins

19:35 - boob - 12 mins

20:00 - boob - 7 mins

20:49 - boob - 12 mins

21:26 - boob - 7 mins

She's actively swallowing (I can hear her!) - and she's definitely giving the cues of being hungry so I'm definitely feeding on demand.

I think I'm just concerned that she's having too much? Or if her feeding this frequently is even a problem?

Obviously I'm happy to do whatever because she's obviously hungry if she's giving the cues - it's tiring me out but it is what it is!

Just a concerned mummy trying her best.

I’m a FTM, vegetarian and Hindu, and there are quite a few traditional diet restrictions in my culture after childbirth.

I had also read on the NHS website that traces of what you eat/drink can pass into breast milk, and that caffeine from tea, coffee and soft drinks can sometimes make babies unsettled or uncomfortable. So I’m wondering how much attention people actually paid to their diet while breastfeeding.

What did you personally follow after delivery — especially restrictions around certain vegetables, fruits, dairy, spices, etc.? Which restrictions did you feel were genuinely helpful or had a logical/evidence-based reason, and which ones did you feel were mainly cultural?

Also, were there any foods you were specifically encouraged to eat for recovery, breastfeeding, constipation, energy, etc.?

Would love to hear what worked for you, especially from other vegetarian mums. ❤️

Hi,

I went out for a “few drinks” with my partner on Saturday just gone, baby was fed on expressed milk via bottle all night till next day however I did pump nearly 9oz when I got home. I have put it in a sterilised bag just incase I can use it. Baby is 5 weeks old and takes 5oz.

I’ve been told 3 different things about alcohol and breastfeeding -

1. Pump + dump (I did this at the party before coming home and pumping)
2. As long as you can see baby, you can feed baby
3. Wait 2hrs per drink

What is the correct advice so I know whether it’s safe to use or do I need to bin it?

If point 2 is correct, I could see baby fine, I just chosen to give bottles for mixed opinions I’ve seen regarding breastfeeding and alcohol.

TIA!

I've breastfed two kids, still breastfeeding my 2 yo, and my boobs are looking SAD. I appreciate what they have given for them but I would like them to be a bit less saggy. Do any of the non wired bras actually work for lift? They don't need to be nursing bras.

I have a hen do in a couple of weeks and my 5 week old is currently exclusively breastfed. By the time I go on the hen (Friday afternoon - Sunday afternoon), my baby will be 9 weeks old. I’d planned on my husband feeding him bottles of expressed milk in this time and pumping whilst away but do I risk my baby refusing to breastfeed when I get back?

Advice very much needed 🥺

I am a primary school teacher and I go back to work in September. My 9 month old is exclusively breastfed and I haven’t left him no longer than an hour with anyone. He will be with my mum when I go back to work. I have tried to get him used to drinking from a bottle (have tried multiple bottles and teats) but he refuses. He has started solids but is very fussy and refuses to eat most things. I will be pumping whilst at work and leaving him bottles of milk so my mum can feed him and hoping he takes it. I have so much anxiety about leaving him since I’ve been with him pretty much every single day since he was born. I’m worried he won’t drink milk from the bottle and I just don’t know how he’ll adjust with being away from me. He has already started becoming quite fussy when being with other people. Has anyone else been in this situation where their child was only breastfed and had to go to work? How will he cope? Will he adjust? Some advice would be really appreciated! Thank you!

Hi all, a bit of a long vent but advice and experience welcome!

I’m EBF my almost 8mo (as well as the solids she’s getting, BLW) and we’ve really hit a tricky spot. She has 7 teeth, 3 from within the past 10 days. Shes not being all that fussy throughout the day but I will be bitten numerous times which leads to bruises and sort of grazes, those teeth are so sharp. This is on my upper arm usually but wherever she can get a mouthful of flesh she will. I’m seeing this as a sign of teething pain/discomfort for her and giving calpol but only really once a day and not every day. She has constant access to different teethers to bite on.

She bit my nip when the first 2 were coming through but thankfully doesn’t really do that now, but it’s almost worse in that the top 2 cause an injury at the base of nip, mainly on the right boob, just for being there, not because she’s biting. This stopped briefly but the arrival of tooth 5, 6 and 7 seems to have started it again.

I’m trying the flipple a bit again, because the nipple tenderness reminds me of the first few weeks when the latch wasn’t great and my nips were raw. I can tell that when her latch is more shallow, I can feel her top teeth more.

Add to this her clawing at me while feeding, pinching boob skin etc which never felt this bad before but her nails are razors now. I’ve just bought the thumble to try and help with filing them. With it being so hot I’ve been topless more when in bed feeding her so more skin access I suppose. And I might be more sensitive due to the teeth as well. It’s definitely feeling like sensory overload when it’s her bedtime. And I’m trying to just ride it out so she stays sleepy and falls asleep but I am screaming inside!

The side lying feeding position helps a bit and the koala one too I think. Think my boobs must be the wrong angle for the cradle hold because the latch wasn’t great in the early days with this position either, but it’s the easiest and most comfy for me 🥲 Last night and I resorted to a scratch mitt on the main scratchy hand which helped a bit but I don’t like not letting her do whatever comforts her.

Any tips re top teeth hurting and how to blunt her nails are welcome 😆

We’re at a loss with sleep for my 10 week old so are looking into trying co-sleeping.

I’ve looked through the lullaby trust guidelines and so on but I can’t find a definitive answer on if it’s safe to fall back to sleep while baby is latched while co-sleeping? Can anyone point me to an answer please?

Thanks!

ETA: thanks all for your responses! Tried co-sleeping the other night and chose to stay awake while LO was feeding as I’d rather stick to UK guidelines and it’s still fuzzy on if it’s recommended or not. Ended up being a non-issue anyway as LO didn’t take to it and still wouldn’t sleep 😂

I have two kids with an age gap of 2.5 years (younger one is 1.5 years old). I breastfed my first until they were 21 months and then I had to stop because I was pregnant with my second. The second one has also been breastfed although I had seriously thought about introducing a bottle this time round so there would be less dependence on me. But PND, and zero support meant I had no time to sterilise and make bottles or pump, so we just carried on breastfeeding. She's now 1.5 years old - has meals and drinks, but does not accept milk in a bottle or cup. She is totally boob obsessed and when I'm around, wants it on demand in the daytime and for sleep. She has a strong sleep association with feeding too. This has meant I have become an oversupplier, with engorged breasts, leakage and pain when Im at work. She attends nursery and manages to sleep there without milk.

I have tried every bottle I could - to no avail. Sippy cups too. But it seems my kids (both) have been extremely difficult to wean from breastfeeding. I am absolutely done, mentally and physically from breast feeding for a grand total of 21 months (first time) + 18 months (this time) =39 months = almost 3 years of my life breastfeeding. I hate that I cannot wear what I want, have certain medication, struggle with finding bras that are supportive and also nursing friendly, feeding in public, feeding in awkward positions in carseat.

I spoke to my GP and was given cabergoline, which dried me up but my child just dry nursed her way back to causing me to lactate again. We are again in this cycle of 8-10 hours without her mean I'm seeing a patient in clinic and my boobs physically ache and are ready to explode. At times I can feel one breast larger than the other which makes me so conscious and uncomfortable. I actually want to cry while writing this.

1. Ive tried putting bandaid - led to lots of crying so had to give up.

2. Tried using some bitter tasting edible balm - she didnt flinch.

3. Tried to distract - no chance.

4. Gave to dad - cried for hours and eventually slept but woke up after an hour demanding feed

I'm done. I'm so damn done. HV have textbook advice which doesnt work - for my first one they just said go cold turkey and stop if nothing else works. I feel so resentful towards everyone who says breastfeeding is the best. As a FTM, I wanted to do everything by the book so stuck to breastfeeding and realized that I have to carry less equipment, no need to sterilize and my baby was happy to feed so continued. Second time, I was in the trenches of PND and breastfeeding saved me the admin required for pumping and also helped manage the guilt of not giving much time to my younger one. But I'm done, overstimulated, mentally and physically exhausted.

Id really appreciate any tips and reassurance. :-(

Thanks

An extremely depleted mum

Hello, I'm yet to post in this sub. I guess I'm just looking for some support, maybe advice.

My 5.5mo is exclusively breastfed, doesn't take bottles or dummies, feeds to sleep, contact naps only during the day. Husband can get her down for a nap during the day but overnight she really struggles to be soothed by anything other than breast.

She was up every hour last night, she's teething, and my husband got up with me and tried so hard to get her to sleep but she was crying to the point of throwing up when with him. At that point, it just made sense to put her back on the boob. Husband kept watch over me to make sure I didn't fall asleep nursing her.

Logically I know it won't always be like this but I am struggling a lot with PPA, PPD and PP-OCD (getting support). I just need to know from others at what point it got better with things like contact naps? When were you able to transition away from nursing to sleep without baby becoming hysterical? I'm so tired, I just want some time for myself beyond the hour or two my husband can offer before my baby needs me again.

Unfortunately I have to return to work as I’m self employed and can’t afford to be off any longer, my baby is 12 weeks and currently on 2 formula feeds and 4 breastfeeds per day. I would love to keep breastfeeding twice a day. Before work and the last feed of the day, so each morning and night.

I’m worried that my supply will drop as I reduce feeding and I’ll lose my milk. I would be upset to stop feeding entirely as we both enjoy it. Does anyone currently feed like this and if so do you have any tips for dropping feeds but maintaining enough supply for two feeds ?

my little one turned 1 last month and I’m still breastfeeding on demand as it works for us and he is a bit of a boob monster (I tracked feeds yesterday just to see and I think it was 10 across the day, I never track at night).

I think I‘d like to continue feeding until he’s 2, I wasn’t imagining this frequency and he’ll be at nursery 3 days a week but I find it hard to say no to his demands (I might delay to get myself a drink but my day is easier if I just feed and then we move on, whether than was hunger/thirst/comfort/pain relief/connection as the reason).

My partner thinks I should cut the feeds to support solids/stop feeding for comfort and try to comfort in other ways . he feels he can no longer comfort our little one as he just wants boob. Equally, I think we haven’t had many opportunities where I am out the house to see how my partner will comfort little one when it comes to it.

Im curious to hear from people - what did your weaning journeys look like if you weaned after your little one was a year old? How did you reduce feeds?

Part of me feels it will be easier to reduce feeds etc once things have settled with nursery and I can assess if that’s what I/we want but also I’ll be dealing with a more strong willed toddler. So for now I’m genuinely curious about other people’s experiences - I appreciate in advance if you take the time to share.

I'm at a complete loss on what to do with my 5.5 month old rn and I just feel like I'm loosing the plot. She literally will not feed properly and I'm literally writing this whilst having what feels like my 100th breakdown this weekend.

Every feed she is on/off constantly and will not settle on the boob. She arches and pulls away or tries to sit up but when I sit her up thinking she needs to burp she's trying to twist back towards me and feed. I take her off the boob and she's screaming and going rigid arching her back but then she is also fussing on the boob. Even at night it's no better, we used to co sleep happily but now she does the same fussy feeding/ screaming all night to the point I haven't slept in days and I'm completely on the edge. She's gone from being a really happy baby to just screaming and crying all the time. She won't feed, she won't play, she doesn't want to be held or put down I just don't know what to do. I feel like such a failure rn I gave up bf early with my first and I'm determined not to do the same again but I can't go on like this. I've considered moving to exclusively pumping but my body just doesn't respond to the pumps at all even with correct flanges I can pump for 20 mins and not even get a drop. I've tried formula but that doesn't seem to be any better because she settles on the bottle but then as soon as she finishes it (5oz) she's searching again and being a pain on the boob.

On top of all of that I just get so angry when I'm feeding and I don't know how to stop. The way she acts puts me in such sensory overload I'm just getting so angry I'm genuinely worried about being left on my own with her rn. Every feed I'm just left in fight or flight mode and feeling completely overwhelmed

Hi, by all means if this breaks any rules or is the incorrect flair please let me know! New to the sub!

I have found my breastfeeding journey so lonely. None of my family nor friends have breastfed or want to breast feed.

I find going out in public when baby is due a feed anxiety inducing because he struggles with taking a bottle even with my breast milk in. (We worked the bottle issue out but that’s another subject)

I just want someone to share this journey with. Like I’m so proud of myself to have almost 3.5L pumped and frozen, 5 weeks PP and have BF the whole time 🥺 like IM proud of me, why can’t my village be proud of me 🥺

Edited to add

Thank you to all your kind comments people!! You’ve all made my cry with your encouragement 💙

I went out today and baby needed a feed, and I had no blanket or anything big enough to cover so I just whipped it out and just sat there feeding baby.
The best thing… an old MAN came up and said, such a natural thing well done you. And commented how it looked like my son was growing well with what I’m doing for him 🥺💙

Hi everyone, I really need some advice.

My 14-week-old son has suddenly started refusing the breast and seems to be on a nursing strike. Since his birth, he has been breastfeeding with no issues but right now getting him to latch or stay on the breast is a major struggle and this has been going on for 10 days. He is otherwise a happy baby and having plenty of wet diapers because I have been feeding him breastmilk through bottles. But this sudden refusal is stressful. The bottles have a super slow / slow nipple and I have tried some skin to skin and feeding him when he is drowsy But none of this seems to work.

Has anyone gone through this? What worked to get your baby back to the breast? Thank you!

I've been EBF for 5 months, baby has CMPA and is really sensitive to even small amounts of milk soya or beef (potentially some other foods). She is very refluxy, we are on omeprazole aswell and have seen a lactation consultant. It is really hard to pump enough milk at a good time when she isn't having a flare up so it's not contaminated, and so I haven't left her with Dad in the house for any time over 30 mimutes yet.

I'm conscious that hydrolysed formula will be allergen free, and that I need to start having some of my own space back for even an hour or two a week.

The odd bottle of formula absolutely makes sense, but I feel so sad and resistant about it and I can't put my finger on why and put it into words.

Anyone that can speak on this feeling and give my sleep deprived baby brain some context I'd be really grateful. Also any experiences about giving formula. Thanks x

13 days postpartum, exclusively breastfeeding nearly 1 week now. Things are going well with it, baby is clusterfeeding over the past 2 days. I have a migraine tonight, probably due to lack of sleep as she is only falling asleep on us and won't go to her crib or moses basket during the night.

I'm wondering if I go to bed now, would it be ok for my husband to give a formula bottle for her next feed to allow me to get a decent stretch of sleep, maybe 5- 6 hours? Or will this cause problems with supply or anything?

I’m looking for some reassurance or success stories because I’m honestly feeling really anxious…
My little boy is 15 months old and has basically been with me 24/7 since he was born. I’m a stay-at-home mum and we’ve never really been apart for more than an hour or two.

He’s still breastfed on demand, nurses to sleep for every nap and bedtime, and almost all of his naps are contact naps. He has never taken a bottle, and we’ve never sleep trained. It’s what has worked for us and I absolutely love our breastfeeding relationship.
In September he’ll be starting full-time nursery (5 days a week) because I’m going back to work, and I’m heartbroken thinking about it.

What worries me most is sleep. I honestly cannot imagine him falling asleep without breastfeeding, especially in a completely new environment with people he barely knows.
To make matters worse, when I met with the nursery they suggested that I should wean him before he starts. They said that breastfed babies can sometimes find it harder to settle and integrate into nursery because they’re used to feeding to sleep and looking for mum. That comment has really stayed with me and now I’m worrying that I’ve somehow made things harder for him by continuing to breastfeed.

Has anyone else sent a toddler to nursery who:
- was still breastfeeding,
- fed to sleep,
- mostly contact napped,
- had never really been away from mum,
…and everything turned out OK?

Did they eventually learn to nap at nursery without breastfeeding? How long did it take? Did you continue breastfeeding at home or did you have to wean?
I’m trying to remind myself that babies can learn different routines with different caregivers, but my anxiety is definitely getting the better of me.

I’d really love to hear your experiences, whether they were easy or difficult. I just need to know that this transition is actually possible.

Hi guys! My 8 month baby has stopped breast feeding since this morning and is also refusing solids. I have a feeling he is teething, but I could be wrong because this is my first baby and idk what's happening.
I was able to pump and give it to him in his sippy cup. It's his fourth day without having any solids and day 1 of not BF. Any advice? Anything I can do so that he breast feeds? Do I keep offering milk in the sippy cup? I'm just so worried.