World Breastfeeding Week - Lucy's Story
As part of World Breastfeeding Week 2022 we have asked UHDB colleagues to share their stories and experiences. Here, Lucy, Imaging Tracker at RDH and QHB, tells us her breastfeeding story:
“With my first baby, breastfeeding felt like the most natural thing in the world. Within half an hour of my daughter being born, I put her to my breast, she latched on, and I exclusively breastfed her with no problems, until she was 18 months.
So, when my son was born, I assumed things would be the same, but that wasn't the case.
The first week or so, he wasn't gaining the weight that she should have been.
We had had a bereavement in the family, and the health visitor thought that the stress had affected my milk production. We carried on, and although he then started gaining weight, feeding had started to become very painful. I ended up crying with the pain each time I fed him, and my nipples would bleed.
I was given the number for the Infant Feeding team at Royal Derby Hospital. A lovely lady came out to see me and after examining me and my son, she explained that he had a high palate and that it had been affecting his latch, which caused the pain. She showed me different positions to feed him to ensure that he would latch correctly.
However, a few weeks later I was in pain again. This time my son and I had thrush which kept being passed between my son’s mouth and my nipples, and then spread to my milk ducts. I was in so much pain, but I just didn't want to stop breastfeeding.
I had read the statistics on the benefits of breastfeeding and especially extended breastfeeding and was determined to give my son the same good start to life that I had given to my daughter.
Over the next few weeks, I suffered repeated bouts of Mastitis, and eventually a breast abscess. I couldn’t understand why things were so different this time round.
Friends and family and even my own GP advised me to just give up trying.
I had heard about "nipple confusion" and was worried that if I gave my son a bottle, then he wouldn't go back on the breast. Eventually I agreed to give my son a bottle just for a couple of days to give my breasts a break and my nipples chance to heal.
A few days later I was ready to try feeding him again. Helen from the Infant Feeding team came round to support me, as I was really scared that either he would refuse the breast, or that he would feed, but that the pain would return.
I needn't have worried. He latched straight on, and for the first time, feeding him was completely pain free.
We had cracked it. I carried on feeding him without any further problems, until he self-weaned at about 18 months. From then on, I absolutely loved feeding him, and it really helped us bond after a difficult start.
I was so lucky to have had the support of the feeding team, as I probably would have given up without them.
Breastfeeding shouldn't be painful, and if it is, it's a sign that something isn't right. But that doesn't mean you need to stop. Problems can be overcome with the right support and information. And honestly despite all those troubles, feeding my babies was a wonderful experience. “