I'm so glad it's better. NikkiZ was so much better for me as well and it changed my entire outlook on nursing. LilZ only got it for 6 months or so. NikkiZ? I would have gone longer than 14 if she would have let me.

Here's to second chances...

There is so much about breastfeeding that is a surprise, no matter how prepared you think you are. My son is 12.5 months and we are down to once at bedtime so after time and SO MUCH PAIN and clogged ducts and hell got good at it and it turned into what I hoped it would. But, I wanted to quit no less than a frillion times.
Im glad that it is going well and that his tounge is no longer an issue.
He is beautiful, Amy. Congrats again.

Yay! I am so happy for you. Breastfeeding was (is) so important to me, and I hated that I struggled with it at first (even though I didn't have the supply issues you had to deal with). Good for you for being willing to put in so much effort this time after having such a discouraging experience last time. You deserve for things to be going well.

Also: Ezra is adorable.

Maybe Noah will be more of a legs kinda guy.

So glad it's working out!!

Oh My GAWD he is so cute!!!! I want one too!!!! :-) Congrats

Mighty Ez. Love it. Glad things are working out in boobland.

hooray! he's beautiful

Your story sounds almost exactly like mine! I nursed Payton (born 2 weeks before than Noah) for about 4 months with very little success and many bottles of formula. With my daughter, I was determined to make it work, but also gave myself a time line - if it didn't work after a month I was going to stop. I couldn't put myself through another 4 months of that misery in addition to having a toddler to care for as well.

But it turned out great. The first two weeks were torturesome. She was losing weight, I tried pumping 10+ times a day every two hours round the clock, I was drinking my weight in mother's milk tea and popping fenugreek pills like crazy. But after the first couple of weeks everything just started to work. She nursed exclusively for 8 months, then about 4-5 times a day until 12 months, then once or twice a day until 18 months.

I know that breastfeeding is highly advocated and I know that we shouldn't try to scare new mothers off, but damnit if someone had sat me down before the baby was born and said, "Look. This could be the hardest thing you've ever had to do in your entire life for the first 2-6 weeks, but it will get better." then I might have been a lot better off the first go-round.

Oh my God, I vividly recall the breastfeeding struggles with Noah and how hard you worked. Amy, it was really amazing.

And now, to see it working for real, the way that it is? How wonderful.

This makes me so happy to read. My (4 month old) daughter is currently getting somewhere around 50% breastmilk / 50% formula. I never could quite get my supply up as much as I needed it. She got supplemented from about week 3 or 4. It makes me so happy to hear that it can work better the second time around.

Dammit. I haven't cried. Until that last paragraph. So, so happy for you guys. (and we have TOTALLY called it clusterfuckfeeding too.)

As someone who struggled with breastfeeding I SO get your story. Breastfeeding those first few months was HARD and only sheer stubbornness kept me from quitting completely. I'm glad I didn't because for us things clicked around the 5th month (and that 6-8 oz. of formula a day helped her pack on the weight, made the freaking doctors happy, and took the pressure off me) and suddenly we had that awesome, blissful nursing thing going on, and kept it going for over a year.

I am SO glad that Ezra's tongue-tie was an easy fix and that he's a champion nurser!

I am so glad things are going better this time around! And OH MY GRACIOUS! He is adorable!!

Congrats again. He's so beautiful.

You give me so much hope. I'm expecting our second baby soon...as in hopefully any day now. Heh. And after a failed first breastfeeding relationship, I'm a little doubtful it'll be any better the second time around. Am giving it a shot, but no guilt if it doesn't work out.

So happy Ezra nurses like a champ.

*thud* Am dead from cuteness kthanxbai.

:)

I just loved this. You must be doing something so wonderfully right and well to be able to post with such energey at this stage in the 2-child game! And (again) he is beautiful -- amazingly it seems like he has changed so much since those first pictures.

That's such wonderful news. I'm so happy for you.

I'm pretty far from baby-making goals with my bf (I'd like a ring on my finger, first, thank-you-very-much), but that picture of Ezra just about made my ovaries cry.

He and Noah are such beautiful little boys - you and Jason are so lucky to have such a wonderful family.

Yippee! I'm so happy that things are going well this time around. And what a darling baby he is!

As always, your poignant bits make me teary-eyed. My 1st son was a cluster of nursing attempt hell, and while it worked out in the end, there were many MANY days of tears, and much "why didn't anyone tell me this SUCKED so much?!" My second latched immediately, and has happily ever since... Anyone who hasn't struggled to nurse while desperately wanting to should shut the f up... my angst with my first led to shades of PPD, and many months of guilt-ridden anxiety, to the point of resisting formula when he so obviously needed it for better weight gain... Bask in this time around with your well-deserved joyful beautiful baby!!!

I'm so glad for you that breastfeeding is going so much better this time!

I'm also glad that little Ezra got his tongue fixed right away. I have a little nephew who had that problem but it was less pronounced, so it was months before it was realized that THIS was the problem with feeding (and spitting up a LOT from too much air getting in) and it was fixed- my poor sister-in-law was at her wit's end and breastfeeding always hurt.
So! I'm really glad you and Ezra avoided all that :)

P.S. He is SO CUUUUUTE!! :)

I am just so happy for you and your boobs and your tongue untied baby!

I am so pleased for you! I really liked nursing Jack and now Emmie. I think it's an awesome experience for any mom. But I also think bottlefeeding is great too! Whatever anyone wants to do, fine by me.

I just nursed my own baby for the very last time last night, no more babies for me, boo hoo, manda has juice no longer... But, Amy! This is SUCH AWESOME NEWS! It totally cheered me up! Congratulations!

Yay! So glad it is going well. Also, I am now wondering if the reason I hated nursing so much had to do with my own son's tongue-tie? No one ever said anything to us about having it fixed and we never really got the hang of nursing...and his tongue still looks like the top of a heart when he sticks it out. Hmm.

I'm fairly new to reading you, Amy and I actually just finished reading through your archives from Noah's birth through now and the difference (regarding BFing) is amazing. I have thoroughly enjoyed the peeks into your life you've offered readers and am so happy things are going so well for you guys. I had the opposite experience with my two. I had NO expectations for bfing my daughter, I went with the try it and see approach and holy hell it was beautiful. The first two weeks blew but it was roses after that. My 2nd threw me for a loop as I swear to God he had 4 rows of teeth that popped out every time he nursed. Ummm, I didn't realize I ordered a shark baby. I had to go in and get surgical binding goo to close the open wounds that were broken open every time he nursed. After 4 months things got better and we're still going strong at 10 months but it sincerely sucked ass.
PS- This is already too fricken long but ditto for me on the 2nd baby= no bfing support. I was at a loss for treatment of 2nd time moms in general. Just because I did this once 3 years ago does not make me an expert. A-holios.

I'm so glad it's working for you this time! Lucky girl! I'll never forget that special time. xoxo

It got better with each kid. I am so so glad you are have a good experience this time. That is one mighty cute kid.

I've only been ready your blog for a few months and I really like your style.
I have 3 sons and have breastfed all for 15, 17, 20 months. It gets easier each time. I also had c-sections for all three I had big babies biggest 11lb2oz, smalled and last was 9lb15oz. Congratulations on your beautiful son. I really love his name and I hope you have continued breastfeeding success, sounds like your little man is a champ nurser.

I was unable to breastfeed at all. I often wondered if I had another if I'd try again. Thanks for telling me it's possible.

Oh, I'm so happy for you! I was lucky enough to have an awesome breastfeeding experience with my daughter and it broke my heart to read your struggles last time. You tried SO HARD (so much harder than I did even though our experience was so good, really) and had so many strikes against you: Noah's size, your late milk, your scarred breast tissue, etc.

I've been praying that it would go more easily for you this time and I'm so glad that it actually is! Sometimes things just don't work out but sometimes, thanks be, they do.

I am crying, a little, I'm so happy it's going so well. It's so bad when it goes badly and so great when it goes great. He's beautiful!

Three cheers for your amazing boobs! :)

He's beautiful and SO ALERT. Is he looking at Noah? Congratulations!

So perfectly different they are.

Happy everything's so happy for all of you.

My breastfeeding experience has been surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, similar to yours. It sucked ass the first time and just... clicked the second time.
And yes, it is blissful, and like a dream come true. So glad you get to enjoy it.

Really cute baby, and congrats on the successful breastfeeding! I'm so jealous - my first attempt was nothing short of disastrous (milk never came in, pumped endlessly, nursed and supplemented my 4-week premature shrimplet round the clock but she never gained weight, tried herbal teas, hops, lentils, beer... everything) and ended, after one month, with me sobbing virtually 24h a day and Carla still under 5lbs. Her paediatrician told me to give up for my sake and hers. I was heartbroken, but gave up, and all was well after that. With Lydie, I didn't try as hard, it was just as much a failure, and I gave up even quicker. Both my angels are great (nearly 7, and 4.5 years) but I'm still upset that I failed so badly.
I'm really proud of you and Ezra, and hope it all keeps going so well.
And he really is adorably cute!

how awesome! my first refused to nurse too. he is tongue tied but i was assured he wasn't tied enough for it to make a difference. heh. regardless, he only wanted the bottle, so i pumped forEVER. i was also glad to be done when i dried up.

my second, like yours, has been totally completely different. wants nothing to do with a bottle and is a crazy nursing champ. he just turned 7mo last week and i'm having major anxiety that i'm leaving him on sunday for a WHOLE DAY. because i think he will panic and lose his mind without a boob for a WHOLE DAY.

so, wish us luck.

and dreams DO come true.

I'm so glad it's better this time around! I had the same experience with my first -- eating for 45 minutes, sleeping for 45 all night long for three months. Gnawing my tender bits in ways I could hardly imagine were human. But with #2, bliss really was the only word. She was GOOD at it, and so was I, and so we were, and it lasted a whole year. I wish you many days (and nights) of happiness with now, especially now that the tongue-tie is fixed!

Like my momma always says... some men are boob men :)

He's so beautiful, and I am so happy for you...

Yay for the boobies!
That orderly bit? HILARIOUS. Made me laugh out loud. I can just picture some gawky teenager sharpening his keys.

Will you tell us the name you would have done for a girl?

When it works, its incredible but when it doesn't it sucks (pun intended). I'm so glad nursing is going so well this time around.

What a beautiful entry, a beautiful baby and an absolutely beautiful mom. Amy, I don't know you personally but if I did, I would give you a big hug with a solo tear coming down my cheek. You are AWESOME!!

Yay! I've so glad for you that the nursing thing is working out so well! Go Amy and Ez!

I'm also glad that you were able to get his tounge tie taken care of. My husband, who is 32 years old, is tounge-tied. He wishes beyond wishing that his parents would have taken care of it when he was a newborn (just add it to the list, ya know what I'm sayin'). He's too scared to do anything about it now, but apparently it's easier as a little boy when you can stick your tongue out at another little kid who's being a jerk.

Hi...I'm a long time reader, but first time commenter. I started reading after my miscarriage this time last year and have found such encouragement in your writing. Encouragement AND laughter! Thanks for being so open and for giving me something good to read while on 25 weeks of bedrest with my third baby. She is now three months old and while our breastfeedinf relationship never really got off the ground (preemie) I love hearing that yours is going so well! You made me less likely to beat myself up over the fact that I have tried to breastfeed three children and each of them has their own struggles and I was never very successful at it. Ezra is beautiful and I can't wait to "watch" him grow up. Thank you for your writing Amy...you rock!

duuuuude. Ezra is cuuuute. Yay boobies!

Did the EXACT thing with my 2nd child - I thought razors were driving into my nipples when she nursed.

Frenectomy ended all that pain immediately (okay, after my nips healed).

Third child?

He was tongue-tied and there was NO WAY I was paying $400.00 and waiting 2 weeks for the same procedure I HAD WATCHED before.

I did exactly what the doctor did - using sterilized surgical scissors, Jeff lifted and I clipped my son's myself.

Brought him to my breast, and problem was solved.

I love saving $400.00 and relieving pain that fast.

Believe me, I could share in your pain.

i remember what a hard time you had with noah, i wanted to e-hug you every time you posted. im happy for you that its going so well this time :o)

Super happy for you. Same story with me, first time not so good. Second time? Had to stop when he started biting me (and then smiling) around 11 months. The best part was when he decided he only wanted the right side. If I tried the left, he was all "Eff this sh*t, woman." So we settled on the right side, I suspect because the flow was so much better. I fondly remember many occasions in which he would be blinking breast milk out of his eyelashes and gasping to keep up with the flow. And days when I was away from him for more than 6 hours. Lopsided hilariousness.