Breastfeeding being downplayed

Anina I loved breastfeeding yet at 9 months the breastfeeding hormones were causing extreme havoc with my body. I have joint problems and they were so bad I couldn't hold Dylan properly or walk properly.

I stopped breastfeeding (Dylan was already on formula during the day) and I felt so much better.

It was a very emotional decision to make and it broke my heart, but it was the right thing to do.

As important and good as breastfeeding is, sometimes you need to do what is best for you too.

I suggest you see a homeopath who can possibly give you something for your skin. I use great products that help mine, but ecsema is more often than not stress related.

As soon as I go through major stress I get ecsema on my face etc. Horrid.

@ Anina, I'm sorry you are having such a hard time:( I think you should def see a doc to get the ecsema under control, but have you considered changing multivites or taking a cocktail?
Maybe read Patrick Holfords optimum nutrition bible - ts fantastic!

Can you feed your baby in a sling/mei tei? If you can master that knack it will free up your hands to deal with your 21 month old (who is still very much a baby) Carrying her all the time will help with milk supply too. Do you cosleep? Its maybe something you could consider in the short term if not?


Anyway I'm sure you all know about the breastfeeding doll, well its a bit weird to me, because any doll can be pretend put to the breast, bt does it annoy anyone else how many dolls are sold with bottles? From young we are teaching our chikdren that bottles are normal. One of the things my child will NEVER own is a toy gun or a bottle for a doll:)

I've had a very successful breatsffeding relationship. 1 year and goign strong. I've had oversupply issues, blocked ducts, overactive letdowns etc, but worked through them all. I'm now working to be a leleche league leader, because I really hope that I can help other moms fight through their issues:)

Just to add to what EmsMom said about a birth plan. I had an emergency C-section but my gynae did his best to do everything that I wanted that was possible. Another trick is if they keep wanting to do unneccessary tests etc just hold baby at your breast and say 'sorry, I'm nursing / baby's sleeping could you come back later" and they will eventually forget or get the msg. My little girl was only measured when we were leaving and they totally forgot to ask me about bathing her till day 3 by when I'd already bathed her - in the basin that morning

Anina I really would suggest you go to a Dr and see what they say.

Ladies who are going to have babies I would advise that you draft up a birth plan - doesn't matter if you are having a c-section or natural. In that put what you will NOT allow at all.

We put in ours that we will not allow formula, and if it was medically nessecary (they would have to prove this first) that she be fed with a cup or syringe. Also that they were not to remove my child from my room unless medically needed.

They listened to ALL our "demands" even though we had a c-section, they didn't cut the cord till it stopped pulsing, they didn't bath her till we were ready (we did this on day 3) Even though she was in ICU they never gave her formula - they nurses came and helped me express and fed her with a syringe. The nurses would call me when she woke up for her feeds, instead of waking her every "3 hours"
I was just advised not to let her go more than 6 hours between a feed. They never tested hersugar levels, and once she was back in our room they only took her out once for 10min to weigh her.

You need to stand up for yourself and the nurses soon will realise that its easier to let you do it your way than fight you on it.

With Em I also flat out refused to let them take her away from me for more than 10min. It did help that Dh stayed with us the entire time, cause I knew that he would also make sure that our demands were followed if I was too tired.

Patty, thanks for reviving this thread!! I really needed it right now.

I have a 5 month old little girl, Claudia, she has been BF since birth. But like in straight after birth... she was born with a natural hypno birth (some of you followed my birthstory) I put her on my chest after birth and she crawled to my breast, latched on and started suckling. Only after her first feed, which took about half an hour, did I let them weigh her and do the other things they had to do.

The first night, they woke me up at 2am to check her blood glucose. I told them to F - off!!! They replied that my baby was starving and could die, and I told them again to F-off. Apparently they measured her blood glucose at 6 pm and it was a bit low (she BF at about 6:20 pm...) and they HAD to now check it at 2am. I told them that her blood glucose was fine now as she had been feeding every 2 hours since 6:20. I can't remember the exact number they quoted, but it was like 0,2 below normal. Eventually I got really rude and they left me alone. When they checked it the next morning, her blood glucose was tripple what it was the previous evening and I said: I told you so, now don't you dare wake me up again at 2am!!!

So since then, I've been breastfeeding without any problems on her side. No broken nipples, no serious cramps, picking up weight nicely etc etc. But I have a huge problem.

My body is not coping. I have enough milk to feed her, but work, two babies (the older one is 21 months) and all the other things in my life is just starting to take its toll. I have developed extremely bad exzema (spelling??) on my hand, arms and even my eyelids. I look like something from a horror movie. I can fit into clothes that I wore when I was 16 years old. My hair is falling out and I just can't seem to stay awake after 8pm.

I take a hand full of vitamins and stuff every morning, drown myself in jungle juice and eat lots, but its just not enough. I'm considering stopping the breastfeeding to try and sort out my own health. But I can't bring myself to do it. And especially after reading this thread, I propably won't stop breastfeeding until there is either no more milk, or she weans herself.

Any advice??

Thanks Patty

I'm still breastfeeding my almost 11 month old lg, and loving it
Breast is the best(unless of cos there are serious reasons why you cannot)

Thought I'll revive this threat, Im sure there are some new mommies who might benefit from the info

Im glad Im still BF my 8months old LG, besides Im lazy to wake up and mix bottles in the middle of the night