Hi, I am a student midwife currently studying in Birmingham UK and would love to hear any young mum's experiences/views or anything regarding breastfeeding, even if your chosen method of infant feeding was to bottle feed. This is to help me with an assignment at uni and i would really appreciate any responses.
Many thanks

Nikki x

Can't comment too much...but lately I've become almost OBSESSED with breast feeding (in a non-weird way!).

I had a really awful birth...lost way too much blood, needed ops and transfusions etc. Meant I was unable to even attempt to get LO to latch for the first 2 days (ish), by the time I could, he wouldn't! Tried for hours but it was really distressing. Tried pumping in hosp - no milk. Got home a week later and pumped constantly for around 2 months...there was some milk, my boobs seemed full...but could only ever make at most 2oz a day (that amount was rare!) no matter how much pumping I did.

Today, it still bothers me A LOT that I wasn't 'able' to breastfeed. Feel as though my son hasn't had a good start (although I know this isn't nescesarily true..and would never feel that about another ff mum, it's just how I feel....like I failed, it's so natural...yet I couldn't do it!)

PArt of me feels worse about ff because I'm young. It seems like every group I go to etc, everyone bf...although sure that's not true, and think people always assume young mums wouldn't bf, just don't want to be judged. Also, know it's not true but feel I wasn't encouraged or told about ways to increase milk supply etc, which would have been really useful, only just found out about it! HV told me about a bf group but said I probably wouldn't want to go because I'm young...doesn't make sense! Can't help but think if i'd been older then there maybe would've been more encouragment,or info about pumps etc.

I know lots of people say ff is the easy way out, but honestly I think it's far from the truth, I would give anything to just be able to breastfeed my son.

Sorry this is pretty long, and probably not what you wanted! Good luck with the assignment

i love bf Finn, although he hasnt always made it easy, i cant help but feel proud that he lives purely off me. I love it when hes put on loads at the weigh ins and i feel very proud. I love that its giving him the best start in life!

I feel exactly the same as fantastica.

i was 18 when i had my daughter, i breastfed her only until she was nearly 3 months and then just at night and here and there until she was just over 5 months, then she kinda rejected it, was not enough for her liking lol, i now know i probably could have increased my milk supply, but at the time was not aware how to do this and was never shown, the only thing i was shown was how to latch her on properly. im pleased that i was able to do it for the time i did though, and took to it with no problems, i didnt like the way the alot of health visitors, doctors ect. would judge me for being young and assume i was bottle feeding, 'your bottle feeding, yes?' was something i heard alot, but all in all it was something that felt totally natural to me and i would defiately do again in the future .

I loved BF. I recently stopped BFing my daughter but managed until 8.5 months. I'm so glad i did and really proud of myself for sticking with it. I had a bit of a shaky start but i found a local breastfeeding support group (bibs cafe) and i would not have carried on without it i dont think. I dont feel i was treated any different as a breastfeeding mama cos of my age but i did get asked sometimes if it felt different cos i am younger... To me its the most natural thing in the world i only wish i could have carried on longer and i fully intend to with my next LO, when ever that might be.

Sorry for the ramble hope that helps!!

I'm 18 and I love BF my LO, I always wanted to and my OH felt strongly that I did too. Our LO is almost 3 months now and it's ideal for me, I love the bonding and ease of being able to feed her so simply and quickly.