Babies: 0 - 3 Months
does breastfeeding .....?
whenever i nurse my lo it hurts like CRAZY! she will be 3 weeks tomorrow and i just cant handle the pain anymore. So the past 2 days i just have been pumping and giving her the bm in a bottle, but im not sure if my supply has came in yet?
i can feel when my boobs are full, they get super hard to point were it hurts and then they leak. but when i pump i can only get a total of 2oz from each boob. Do you ladies think my supply hasnt fully came in yet? Please i need advice/opinions !
TIA 
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Re: does breastfeeding .....?
I'm not sure about your supply but nursing is the best thing to get your supply to what it needs to be for baby. Even if you are only getting 2oz from each breast, are they still engorged when you are done pumping? Also, I pump for about 10 min after the last drop of milk and I usually get another let down.
The pain in breastfeeding I have read is normal. BUT it could also be a sign of something else. It depends on the pain. Other ladies prob have better advice/experience on that.
DS #1- Ares Christopher
DS #2- Taj Lee
DD #1 Alba Gray
Baby #4- coming in May
Your LO could be latching on incorrectly, that could explain the pain. Are you applying nipple cream after each feeding? Why do pump during the day and not nurse too? Like pp said, your LO is the best pump there is. You can nurse LO and then pump right after to increase your supply. Also make sure to drink lots of water and eat. Fenugreek, I believe, is a natural ingredient that helps stimulate milk production. You can find that in mother's milk tea. Also try eating oatmeal (not the instant kind) and I've heard dark beer can help. Have you checked out kellymom.com? That has been a great resource for me in the past.
If your breasts are engorged, then you are making plenty of milk. Two ounces from each breast is more than enough for a three week-old. DS was still taking 4 ounces per feeding when I pumped up until very recently. Babies are also more effective pumpers than actual pumps.
Are you using Lanolin on your nipples? I would not have made it through the first month without that stuff. I was applying it after every single feeding and cursing myself if I forgot.
Your supply is in by now. Your breasts are hard because they're full of milk. Pumping 2 oz is a normal amount to pump and pumps do NOT work as well as a baby's mouth, so you'll get less out than your baby will.
To get your breasts to empty, massage your breasts while your baby nurses. The engorgement should go down. This has worked for me.
If your nipples are hurting any longer than a few seconds after latch, then your baby isn't latched on correctly. You need to gently pull on the corner of baby's mouth to delatch and then try to relatch with a better latch. To get a better latch, tease baby's mouth until he opens wide and pull down gently on his chin, then push your nipple into his mouth, getting as much as you can in. This should decrease pain. If all else fails, visit the Lactation Consultant at the hospital you gave birth in. If one isn't available, check out as many online videos as you can. Many are on YouTube.
Good luck to you!
Married since 06/19/2004|Anna born 11/19/2006|Charles born 11/1/11
Double undergrad graduation May 2011| Me: Psychology, DH: Communication| A long journey!
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How much you pump is NOT a good judge of how much milk your baby is getting as pumps are not as effective as a baby's mouth for nursing.
If your baby is gaining weight and wetting/pooping diapers, then your baby is just fine.
Note: babies who are breastfed may go several days between poops.
Married since 06/19/2004|Anna born 11/19/2006|Charles born 11/1/11
Double undergrad graduation May 2011| Me: Psychology, DH: Communication| A long journey!
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Pumping is not a good way to see how much BM you have. Babies sucks way more efficiently than pumps. I think 2 oz per breast is great. My LO is little over a month and I usually only get 1oz per breast when I pump for 15 mins. I did have issues with Bfing earlier so my supply is low, but I mostly bf and only have to supplement with formula once or twice in 24hrs. I had major issues earlier with bfing. I recommend that you talk to a LC because there could be lots of reasons why you are in pain. Meeting someone in person makes a huge difference.
After meeting a LC, I found out that my LO's tongue was tied and needed to get that fixed so he could suck efficiently. Things got better after 2wks but than I had pain again and it turned out that I had a clog in my nipple. This showed me that pain can be due to many reasons and not just cause of bad latch. GL, I do have to say that things do get better. Keep it up.
I just came across your post and I was in your same boat with my son a week ago. (My little one just hit 4 weeks yesterday) I never had a problem when I breastfed my first son, but this one has been a challenge!
The latch is key, I've seen that in a couple of the responses. Try holding your breast the whole time she feeds, close to your nipple, to make sure she's keeping enough of it in her mouth. My breasts are rather large, and I found that although he was latching on just fine in the beginning, towards the end of the feeding he would have just the nipple itself in his mouth, none of the areola, and I was beyond sore, which led to pain at the beginning of the next feeding. Then because it's feeding frenzy time between 3-4 weeks, that means I was dealing with even more pain.
I've been making sure a good amount of my breast stays in his mouth for a little over a week now, my nipples are feeling A LOT better, and I've also found that his feedings are more spread out, so I'm thinking the deeper latch not only helped my nipples, but with releasing more milk when he feeds.
Stick with the breastfeeding as long as you can, trust your instincts, and good luck!!
my lo wont nurse at all for some reason she doesn't want to latch. so i've been giving her a bottle with my milk. at first i was having the same problem as you. I started pumping every 2 hours to get more to come in then i drank alot more. my dr said how much you drink will deff. affect how much milk you produce. and once i upped my drinking and pumped more frequently i've been getting around 10 oz. each time i pump.
so if i were you, i'd pump more frequently and drink alot more. good luck!
Don't Give Up!!!!
At 3 weeks I was crying every time he latched and was convinced I was giving up. Someone told me to just wait it out one more week - I did and like magic, the pain became less and less until now it doesn't hurt at all!
I read that your supply comes in at 6-8 weeks, but you're making what your baby needs.
Have you tried different positions for nursing? Check the Le Leche League website
GL
THANK YOU LADIES FOR ALL THE EXCELLENT ADVICE !!!!!
i would be so dang upset if it wasnt for all of you ! I've been trying to get her to open her mouth wider and try for a better latch and that seems to be less painful. You ladies give great advice. I think the reason why i became so upset is becasue i did see a LC ! lol But i cant thank you all enough !