Aniva’s breastfeeding journey through 4 C-Sections

Hi everyone my name is Aniva, I’m 22 and thought I should share my story.

I’ve got four beautiful kids; two girls and two boys. I just got of the hospital on Saturday. I had my boy on Wednesday last week. I had all four of my children by C-section.

I breastfed all four of them and I stopped breastfeeding my two older girls when they turned one, but I’m still breastfeeding my other son who is 15 months old, as well as my 5 day old baby boy. I am so proud of myself for breastfeeding all of my kids because now they are all growing up strong, healthy and happy. One happy Mamma here!

After having C-sections it was hard at first, I didn’t think that I could do it from the start because every time it’s been hard for me. But after all the advice and support from my family, partner, especially reading stories on the Facebook page it has helped to make me happy to breastfeed them until now. I’m so happy that none of my kids went on formula straight after I gave birth and that they are such strong kids – naughty but healthy and happy.

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK MUMMAS!!

I get a lot of support from my partner, he helps me at nights when I’m up to breastfeed my kids. I’ve been reading posts on the Breastfeeding NZ Facebook page about how all the Mother’s breastfeed their babies and that has kept me strong and enabled me to breastfeed my kids until they want to stop.

Well done to all the Mammas out there and keep up the good job, keep breastfeeding your bubba until they want to stop!
Enjoy every moment breastfeeding your bubba. Thank you to the Breastfeeding NZ team for pushing us and giving us all the love and support to breastfeed our babies! Thanks guys appreciate all your lovely work on Facebook Page.

Have a blessed week to you all xxo

Aniva

Inger’s story of breastfeeding pre-term babies

I have three beautiful boys who I failed to carry to term – but I did get better at doing that with each! They were 32, 34 and 36 weeks.

My first was emergency C section with me ending up in ICU while he was shuttled off to NICU. I didn’t see him for three days and breastfeeding was not discussed or promoted despite me asking what I should do. When I did get to see my baby he had tubes everywhere and looked too sick to pick up. The shift changed and I had a great nurse come on who brought my little man to me in my bed as I was too weak to get up to him, she put him against my breast and explained the benefits of kangaroo care for the baby and the mum and how it’s the best thing to get breast feeding started. He nuzzled and I “blissed out” having my baby in my arms finally.

We tube fed him my expressed breast milk and he finally had all breathing support removed. We then tried putting him on the breast but he couldn’t coordinate breathing and feeding and desaturated (oxygen levels dropped dramatically, and he would go blue). I continued to express every 2-3 hours and gave the little milk I had to my precious baby. The nursing staff recommended I bottle feed to see if it assisted in stopping the desaturation, which I did. It did help but I continued to pump and give him expressed breast milk.

 During our time in NICU my Mum went home and I received a call from her saying she had gone home to see specialist and she had Breast Cancer! My world was once again rocked. After 6 weeks we left hospital and the next week we flew down to Mum (little man had his first plane trip 2 weeks before he should have been born) so we could be there when she had her mastectomy.

My Mum made me promise to go and see an old Karitane nurse as she was worried about me pumping every 2-3 hours 24 hours a day. While very supportive the old nurse suggested gently that I had given baby a great start and that it was very important that I was mentally and physically strong for my mum and my baby. I decided I wasn’t going to beat myself up and went and brought formula. I sat down to enjoy my last attempt at breast feeding feeling quite sad and something obviously clicked with him and he started feeding – and didn’t stop for 20 months!

We were under specialist care for some time, as he couldn’t coordinate drinking/swallowing and breathing for sometime. He was prone to chest and ear infections and bouts of pneumonia and I have no doubt being breastfed kept him out of hospital on many occasions as we kept him hydrated breastfeeding.

Second little guy was 36 weeks and keen as mustard to breastfeed. He took to it after a few hours while in NICU. Despite me visiting to breastfeed him every three hours and expressing in between he was labeled a “fail to thrive” baby. I was made to feel I wasn’t doing a good job with specialists and lactation consultants looking at me to see what I was doing wrong.

Against medical advice I took my little guy home after a week and the midwife picked up undiagnosed tongue-tie on her first visit. We had it snipped 4 days later and never looked back. He self weaned just before his first birthday.

My last little guy was 36 weeks and was diagnosed with RDS at birth. He was in NICU on a ventilator. I insisted he was allowed to be taken out for kangaroo care and I let him have a smell and a nuzzle. He was definitely interested. The next day I begged the nurse to let me try feeding him and she reluctantly agreed (she thought he was too weak). He had a good try and we tubed him while he was having little licks and a cuddle.

The next day he had a proper feed. Two minutes with breathing assistance and feeding tubes in tact. We came home after 11 days and he’s now a strapping 21 month old who still has expressed breast milk and loves boobies!

I know breastfeeding can be tough but long term, providing you are supported and it’s the right thing for you, it really does make life easier!

Big ups to all the Mums who tried and all those who are feeding.

For some women, breastfeeding is problem-free

Here Marama tell us about hers and others’ experiences of problem-free breastfeeding! Sometimes it just comes easily…

“It took me right up to our sixth baby to really say I had a problem-free time of it! By then I had a handle on a correct latch and had the faith to listen to my instincts about knowing what baby needed. It was absolute bliss.

There are many factors that might support a problem free experience of establishing breastfeeding.

Common issues caused by an incorrect latch and overcoming them

Here’s Marama’s advice on latching issues and where to get help:

“Many of us have been there – cracked nipples, infection or mastitis, engorged full breasts that are uncomfortable. These are some of the common issues that can arise when the baby isn’t correctly latched.

Basically – a correct latch will protect the nipples and when baby is correctly latched on, then they will suckle efficiently, meaning your breasts are emptied well.