My Breastfeeding Story So Far

Okay, so I know this is a personal topic, but it is so important to talk about. Let me start off by saying breastfeeding is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. When Noah was born I had no idea how to breastfeed. I haven’t been around breastfeeding often, I wasn’t breastfed as a child so my mom didn’t have any advice, and all my friends who breastfeed their babies live in other states.

bfeeding

Right after Noah was born I got to hold him to my chest for a couple of minutes and then he had to be taken to the NICU . My fever went up during labor so they had to give him antibiotics in the NICU to make sure everything was good with him and make sure he didn’t get a fever. Obviously everything was fine with him, but he was technically a NICU patient during our hospital stay. He was only in the NICU for about 3 hours after he was born, but during those 3 hours I would have liked to try breastfeeding. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to and as soon as I did get him back into the room I had zero help in getting him to breastfeed. It felt so difficult to me for some reason and I always thought the baby would just know what to do. Well let me tell you something they don’t know what to do. They are so little and have no control over their body. You practically have to shove your boob in their mouth at that point.

I won’t go into all of the details, but I had a rough start with breastfeeding. I was stressed to the max, running on no sleep, and felt like I wasn’t doing anything right. There were so many days that I almost gave up. I remember trying to feed him, crying at the same time, and telling Dylan through tears that “this is my last day”. Well I’m here to tell you that I didn’t give up and I haven’t had my last day. I dealt with mastitis, engorgement, using a nipple shield (trust me don’t use one of these unless you have to, and wean them off it as soon as you can), sore nipples, stress, a screaming baby when trying to feed, the whole enchilada. It was seriously crazy in the beginning, but I’m here to tell you IT GETS BETTER. You and your baby will work it out. And hey if you don’t you don’t. It’s all up to you. You’re the mom. You make the choices about what’s best for you and your baby.

How was breastfeeding for you? Did you have a hard time? Feel free to share in the comments!

32 Comments

  1. Logan Can on May 14, 2015 at 10:07 am

    Breastfeeding can be so tough. It was very hard with my first baby, but it has been easier this second time around. Probably because I knew what to expect. I am glad it has gotten easier for you.

    • leeannefoltz@gmail.com on May 14, 2015 at 10:40 am

      Yes, I’m already thinking I’ll be a pro when the next baby comes haha!

  2. Bethany on May 14, 2015 at 10:21 am

    Yay! I’m so glad you stuck it out! Breastfeeding is SO HARD! We are on month four, but it took a lot of tearful nights to get here. I remember my boyfriend holding my head down as I arched my back every time my daughter latched. He would kiss me all over my face as she sucked on my super painful nipples, just to keep me from running away screaming. Yes this is dramatic, but it’s that intense! My babe was a lot better at it than I was, I honestly think all the issue we had with breastfeedig came from me not holding her right! She seemed to know exactly what to do and latched almost on her own after birth. Every baby is so different, it’s interesting to hear someone else’s journey with breastfeeding! Good for you girl!!!

    • leeannefoltz@gmail.com on May 14, 2015 at 10:39 am

      Awe how sweet of your boyfriend! Keep going girl! 🙂

  3. Kerry on May 14, 2015 at 10:30 am

    This sounds a lot like my breastfeeding journey. Except throw in a c-section! I finally got help from a lactation consultant on our 2 day in the hospital. The only thing the nurses would do is push her on and walk away! Not helpful. Thanks for sharing 🙂

    • leeannefoltz@gmail.com on May 14, 2015 at 10:38 am

      Ugh Kerry I feel your pain. The lactation consultants were even terrible at my hospital!

  4. Melissa on May 14, 2015 at 10:33 am

    You are amazing! Breastfeeding is super difficult but so worth it. Wish we were closer, keep up the great work and don’t be scared to feed in public, I usually still use a hooter hider but will always feed if lucca is hungry, Noah is gorgeous xoxo

    • leeannefoltz@gmail.com on May 14, 2015 at 10:37 am

      Thanks love. You’re my breastfeeding inspiration!

  5. carly on May 14, 2015 at 10:40 am

    Sorry to hear of your struggles. My situation was completely opposite. I hadn’t planned to breast feed because I was a busy medical resident, but my son naturally nursed every time he got a chance. I wish it was that easy for everyone.
    Good for you for sticking with it and you are so right….it does get easier. I nursed for 14 months and I remember thinking at the end that it was so easy, but at the beginning it takes so much time and seems like such an ordeal. Hang in there. By 1 year it literally takes like 10 minutes and you will be able to do it anywhere
    Dresses & Denim

  6. Mansi on May 14, 2015 at 10:49 am

    My baby was taken from me and sent to the nicu after she was born. I wasn’t able to see her for twenty four hrs after I delivered as I was on iv medications that you weren’t allowed in the nicu. I asked the nurses and practically begged for a breast pump for thirty six hours before I finally got one. Having a premie baby who was going to rely exclusively on breast milk (she was born at thirty weeks) I knew it was imperative to start early. I was so disappointed that I was forced to wait so long. Two weeks later my supply is slowly improving but I agree with you stick with it and don’t give up.

    • leeannefoltz@gmail.com on May 14, 2015 at 11:04 am

      Awe that must have been so tough! You’re doing an amazing job! Keep it up 🙂

  7. Chelcei on May 14, 2015 at 10:54 am

    Thank you so much for sharing this!! I’m right in the middle of my group of friends as far as having babies and most of them caught on RIGHT away and didn’t have a ton of trouble. My LO was really jaundice so it was suggested I supplement with formula in the hospital – and it went downhill from there. He had a lip tie and tongue tie and those problems paired with my need to supplement right away = low supply for me and I’ve been battling it ever since. The ties caused SERIOUS nipple trauma, and I dealt with bruised and bleeding nipples for weeks. All my friends were 100% supportive, and we’re slowly needing less and less 🙂 I’m not giving up yet !!

    • leeannefoltz@gmail.com on May 14, 2015 at 11:04 am

      Great work mama! It’s so hard and you’re doing everything you can for your baby!

    • talia on May 14, 2015 at 12:12 pm

      Yes! Tongue and lip ties are such an obstacle! I had no idea that I have lip ties, my husband was not aware of his tongue tie, we were both successfully breastfed as babies with supposedly no issues so to find out those “genetic ties” were the cause of my pain 3 months in was really surprising. And it took seeing multiple experts to get some kind of answer. Unfortunately, even with an answer, we still haven’t been able to get it resolved yet. But we keep going. Some days I have to use a shield, I pump one bottle a day to my nipples a break, and life goes on. It takes a special kind of determination, I know that much. Great job, ladies!!

      • leeannefoltz@gmail.com on May 14, 2015 at 2:21 pm

        Wow Talia! You’re a supermom! 🙂 Thanks so much for your comment!

  8. Elizabeth on May 14, 2015 at 11:33 am

    Breastfeeding is rough. And you are right, they have no clue what to do. I felt like a lot of people made bf sound so easy but after my two experiences with it, I dibt candy coat it with other new moms. I try to be encouraging but real. With my 1st I had a rough start and we ended up using the shield for 4 months, I was able to bf him for 14 mo. Different story with my 2nd, after trying everything I am now exclusively pumping for him. Good for you for sticking it out though! If you still need any support, I can recommend an amazing lactation consultant.

    • leeannefoltz@gmail.com on May 14, 2015 at 2:22 pm

      Thanks so much Elizabeth! Luckily we are doing good with it now, but I appreciate the offer!

  9. Becca on May 14, 2015 at 11:51 am

    I had no idea it would be so rough. My little girl spent 4 days in the NICU for the same reason. She was bottle fed and over fed the whole time. Even after 5 lactation consultants, we never got completely off of bottles, but we worked SO hard and she is breastfeeding and bottle feeding at 7 months now. Most people told me to give up but I’m so glad I didnt. Between horrible acid reflux and teething, breastfeeding has been a life saver. Good job on pushing through!!!!!

    • leeannefoltz@gmail.com on May 14, 2015 at 2:22 pm

      No one tells you how hard it is! I always tell new moms my story so they go in prepared!

  10. alexandra robertson on May 14, 2015 at 12:55 pm

    I follow you on Instagram and just want to say how I admire you for not giving up. I feel like I had the exact same experience almost to not being breastfed as a child so my mom could not offer advice,to crying while trying to get my baby to latch. I had mastitis twice, plugged ducts, and we got maybe 2 months of feeding in finally after, but it was always a fight for him to eat well so my little one is almost 10 months and I pump milk now for him 🙂 while I still wish breastfeeding had worked out for us I am so happy I am able to provide breastmilk for him even though it is a huge commitment of work and time. Keep going mama and thank you so much for sharing.

    • leeannefoltz@gmail.com on May 14, 2015 at 2:20 pm

      Thanks so much for the sweet comments Alexandra! It’s nice to know others are in the same boat 🙂

  11. Jaime on May 14, 2015 at 3:01 pm

    I’m so glad to hear it’s going well! I thought I knew enough about breastfeeding, but for whatever reason she wasn’t getting what she needed and we had to start her on formula within a week of her being born. I cried every day and got depressed for awhile, but she’s now 18 months old and happy and healthy, and I know she’ll never be mad at me for not breastfeeding so what does it matter now? =)

    • leeannefoltz@gmail.com on May 14, 2015 at 4:10 pm

      Awe of course she won’t be mad. You are doing your best and what works for you, your baby, and your family. Nice work mama!

  12. Elena on May 14, 2015 at 3:53 pm

    Lee Anne,
    thanks a lot for posting this. What I see around me is that women are not educated about breastfeeding, they don’t acknowledge its benefits, and give up too early. Well, I didn’t know about it too much before either, though when I was pregnant I knew I would definitely breastfeed.

    The worst part is that even women from my boyfriend’s family mention that I have to introduce formula, because my breast milk is not enough, the baby is starving and not getting necessary nutrients. The fact that Ethan is gaining whole three pounds and becoming 2.5 inches taller each month does not matter to them too much I guess.

    As for my breastfeeding story… Ethan was born via C-section but was next to my breast for a few hours after that. He got colostrum but was sleeping most of the time. The next day the problem came. He just couldn’t latch on supposedly because of my flat nipples, so the nurse and the lactation consultant gave me a breast shield.

    He was eating well and gaining good weight but I didn’t like that shield. He was making a slurping sound and much air was getting into his mouth. So I tried to wean him, sometimes he would eat well without it, sometimes no. So I still have to use it half of the time. Then at his two months a miracle happened, I have no other explanation for that (or maybe his mouth got bigger :)), but he just started latching very well completely without it.

    When I was at the local WIC office the nutritionist and the lactation consultant looked at me as though I am an almost extinct species and said I’m doing a really good job. When I mentioned that sometimes it happens that I throw away milk because I have too much of it, they said I should immediately stop doing that and freeze it because its like throwing away diamonds.

    Sorry for the long post. I just want new mom to be strong and not pay any attention to what people are saying, even if they are a family.

    • leeannefoltz@gmail.com on May 14, 2015 at 4:10 pm

      SOOO true! Everything about your story is great and I went through a lot of the same stuff. Keep up the awesome work mama!

  13. Mary Helen on May 14, 2015 at 8:15 pm

    mu son and I are about to hit one year of breastfeeding and I’m honestly amazed to have made it. There were so any times I came close to giving up but I’m glad that I hung in there. Even after all of the hard times I still love nursing my baby. I’m so grateful that I could work out the issues we had. Congratulations on sticking to it. I know how hard it can be!

    • leeannefoltz@gmail.com on May 15, 2015 at 9:24 am

      Awe thanks Mary Helen! It sure is a challenge, but it’s worth it!

  14. Claire on May 15, 2015 at 12:35 am

    I love breastfeeding and think it’s great that you stuck through all the hard parts of it! I also love your blog and am so glad I found it!

    • leeannefoltz@gmail.com on May 15, 2015 at 9:23 am

      You’re the best Claire! Thanks for your kind words!

  15. Nyssa on May 15, 2015 at 10:31 am

    Good for you for sticking with it! Like Kerry, I had a similar experience with a c-section thrown in. I attribute my daughter’s resolve to breastfeeding even though she was tiny due to my Doula helping her latch on before I woke up (it was an emergency c-section after a 17 hr natural labor so they had to put me all the way out). It makes me so sad that I missed the first time I nursed my daughter. She has been a champ but it has been a painful journey for me. I chose to let her lead breastfeeding because she grew frustrated if I tried to adjust her. She had a very hard time latching with her tiny mouth and I now believe she had a lip tie. Because we didn’t know it at first and she is now five months I have decided not to address it because we have figured out how to carry on. Now she is bigger I don’t have to help hold the breast in her mouth, but it was a long few months! No extra hand to hold a phone or a book! The bonding experience has become something beautiful despite the struggle though. It was so worth it. I’m glad you stuck with it! ❤

  16. Kate on May 16, 2015 at 3:38 pm

    my third baby is one week old today. I breastfed the other two for 8 months and for 4 months and loved it. For some reason I’m having a harder time than before with this one. she latched on immediately after birth for two hours but starting with the second feeding, my nipples became so sore and bled for the next few days until I stopped and pumped and supplemented with formula. She has now latched back on after the nipple have healed but I can’t get her to latch on all the time. She gets upset and Will only stay on for a few seconds I think because the milk does not come as easy or fast as it does from a bottle. Getting her to open wide and not just on the nipple is also challenging. Thanks for your post. I’m going to try a lactation group session next week to get more help.

  17. BT on September 28, 2015 at 3:08 pm

    I would also like to point out that it REALLY is okay if you cannot or don’t breastfeed. We all know breast is best for nutrition. But you know what is truly the most important thing – a healthy, happy momma! I can tell you after two babies and two very different breastfeeding experiences (one was, one wasn’t), the stress of not being able to breastfeed or the undue pressure to breastfeed can completely ruin a new mom’s happiness during the first few weeks and it is not worth it. So ladies, support the mommas who opt out of breastfeeding. It probably wasn’t an easy choice and we are all doing the best for our kiddos.

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