breastfeeding

Persevering – Leah’s story

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My mother breastfed each of us for around 2 years and my older sister breastfed her two boys also. It was just natural that I was going to do the same. During my pregnancy I did a lot of research into breastfeeding, and the more I did, the stronger I felt about it. I wanted [...]

The best thing I have done! – Alexia’s story

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My gorgeous wee man was born at 37 weeks exactly. His suck was excellent despite being early and we tried to feed straight away. During the first few days I had a lot of difficulty latching him and blisters and sores started appearing on my nipples. I was sure this wasn’t right and asked for some help, but everyone said I was doing fine and to continue.

It pays to be persistent – Liz’s story

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Meanwhile, I was pumping and trying to build my supply so that I could nurse them when they were strong enough. At first, we were adamant that they not have pacifiers or bottles, but when the nurses said that bottle-fed babies go home sooner, I gave in. It was two days before they even were able to have the first drops of colostrum swabbed on their gums. Slowly, they started to be able to take little bits of my milk from a bottle nipple, once they were off the ventilators. It was five days before we got to hold Jonah, the stronger of the two. I kept asking when I could nurse them, but the nurses told me that it would make their oxygen levels drop, and they had to be on a certain type of ventilator, and all kinds of other excuses.

Six months of mastitis – Maria’s story

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I noticed a hot, red patch on one of my breasts and I felt sick and feverish. I went to the doctor and he diagnosed mastitis, prescribing a course of antibiotics, which cleared up the mastitis beautifully, or so I thought. A few days after I finished the antibiotics I developed mastitis again, this time in a different part of my breast. I went back to the doctor and was prescribed the same antibiotics. The mastitis again cleared up quickly but returned, this time in the other breast, a few days after I finished the antibiotics. This pattern continued until my baby was 11 months old, so for 6 months.