Love this!!! The Blog is looking great too! I'm sending you a PM about a funny connection we have as well but here are some thoughts on all things boobies!
-Use a hands free bra like Simple Wishes, or make your own by cutting holes in nursing/sports bras
Getting Started:
-Do lots of skin to skin time, don't be afraid to put your baby near your nipple when you do (after pumping!)
-Ask to do non-nutritive breastfeeding as soon as possible (we started 2x daily at 31 weeks), pump right before so baby doesn't get much but can practice latching
-Consider weighed feeds with partial NG supplements to make up the difference once baby is latching/sucking, we didn't do weighed feeds but would only give partial supplements when he nursed well, this left him a litle hungrier for the next session and taught him where the milk came from!
-Nipple shields are controversial, but in our NICU most babies go home at least partially breastfeeding and about 90% of those are using a shield. I hated the thing, but it enabled Henry to have a long enough session and maintain suction throughout so we could go home breastfeeding. We got off of it before 40wks CGA, but every baby is different.
At home:
-Set up a nursing "station" with a comfy seat, snacks, water, and DISTRACTIONS you're going to be there a LOT.
-Have frequent weight checks for reassurance, consider finding a breastfeeding center with a scale or LC's office so you can pop in for weight checks when you want without having to go to a doc's office.
That's all I got for now.... let me know if you want me to elaborate more!
BFP#1 9/14/10 (EDD 5/21/11); no fetal pole 6w6d, 7w4d, d&c 10/8 BFP#2 3/16/11, beta 138; 4/12 Baby/HB DS born 9/10/11 at 29w4d due to partial abruption and PTL BFP#3 8/19/13 Another boy! 17P, modified bedrest and Nifedipine helped us have a termie! DS2 born 4/19/14 at 38w5d.
Oh and another thing I freaked out about: In the beginning with pumping you will get DROPS if that, sometimes too small to collect. As you chase them around the pump parts with your 1ml syringe you will feel like a crazy person. We've ALL been there. Sometimes you will get more, sometimes less... it's not a straight line of increasing amounts each time. With colostrum you make about 5ml per DAY, you can't increase it by pumping more or drinking more water, it just takes time until your milk comes in. (I was obsessing b/c one time I pumped about 2ml of colostrum and the next time got nothing so I thought my milk was going away.)
BFP#1 9/14/10 (EDD 5/21/11); no fetal pole 6w6d, 7w4d, d&c 10/8 BFP#2 3/16/11, beta 138; 4/12 Baby/HB DS born 9/10/11 at 29w4d due to partial abruption and PTL BFP#3 8/19/13 Another boy! 17P, modified bedrest and Nifedipine helped us have a termie! DS2 born 4/19/14 at 38w5d.
I would add that it is important to not give up. My boys got the hang of BF late in the game, after almost 6 weeks of being home and pumping around the clock. I just kept trying and one day it clicked. I was so glad I didn't give up.
Also, for twin mommas...if one baby is a good BF and one isn't, continue with the one that is because it will help your supply, which is key. Eventually, the other should pick it up and if not, that is ok too.
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Regarding nipple shields: My son wasn't strong enough to nurse without one. I'd been doing non-nutritive sucking with him for a long long time, and I'd THOUGHT he was getting milk (first time mom). He wasn't really getting much of anything until we used the nipple shield. Then, I felt letdown and saw how he reacted when he was really actually getting milk. Big gulps. Totally different than what he'd been doing when we did the non-nutritive sucking.
I also highly recommend the Similac slow-flow nipples. Our NICU was in a study where they tested all of the commercially available nipples to see which ones had the slowest flow. These were determined to be the slowest after a lot of testing. They help with suck-swallow-breathe coordination because they help you pace the feedings better, and I think they helped us avoid nipple confusion. You can buy them here:
My LC also recommended a "Special Needs Feeder by Medela." It only allows milk to flow when you baby is sucking correctly. That helped teach him how to suck correctly with breastfeeding. It also is adjustable for different flow rates, depending on what your baby needs. It's kind of expensive, but we only used it for a little while. You can buy it here:
Just keep at it, too! At some point, it just clicked for us. It was really hard to let go of the 3-hour NICU schedule (our son stuck to it like clockwork when we came home), but it was so worth it. Now, my son is nearly 10 months old, and we're still breastfeeding.
I started pumping a few hours after DD was born. I had a lot going on so I didn't consult with the LC right away, and I wish I did. It wasn't until a few days later when I wasn't really producing anything at all that I got nervous and got ahold of the NICU LC. She came to my rescue and told me to power pump (pumping every hour for 10 mins) until my milk came in. Well, it didn't take long, and I was flowing like crazy! After that I pumped about every 2-4 hrs for 15-20 mins around the clock. I made sure to reach 32 oz by 2 wks so that I could always produce a large amount. I made sure I was getting good nutrition, sleep and water to keep my production going. I also did kangaroo care with DD twice a day for 3-4 hrs each time. I think that really helped both of us get connected. I think it helped me to keep producing milk and her to get used to my scent and want my milk. At 33 weeks we started non-nutritive BFing (letting DD explore at the breast after I had pumped.) She was a natural, she started smacking her lips and trying to suck at my breast! It was an amazing thing to watch. After a few days of that teasing, we decided to try the real thing. I had to use a nipple shield to make my nipple smaller for teeny tiny DD. It was hard for me because I was so used to pumping, that I could not trigger a let down for DD. So after trying deep breathing and relaxing, which usually worked for pumping, we had to turn on the pump to trick my brain/boobs, and I let down! I was sad that I couldn't let down for my baby, but for the stupid pump. It felt very different as well. We practiced nursing once a day every day for a week. She got a little bit each time, but it really pooped her out, so we could only do it for 20 mins. I usually had to pump after. We worked our way up to 4 BFing sessions a day and 4 bottle sessions a day by 36 weeks gestation.
When she went home at 37 weeks gestation, she was on 4 BFing and 4 bottles, but when we actually got home, I let her BF whenever she wanted and we still did a few bottle sessions. I was still pumping at most of the nursing sessions. It depended on if I felt full or not. After we ditched all the bottles, we nursed whenever DD wanted to, which was actually quite frequently. I started to wean myself from the pump. I started pumping only when I felt full after a feeding, then weaned to every other, and then gradually decreased until I was not pumping anymore. It took probably about a month to a month and a half. It was such a relief to be off the pump and only be nursing my baby! As the pumping sessions slowed, the milk decreased. I had such an overabundance of milk, it made me nervous to not see so much, but I knew it was more normal. I was happy that my body was making as much milk as my baby needed. After we tackled that, we switched to a larger nipple shield. And about a month after that we started trying to wean from that. I would do skin to skin, bathe with my baby, and try to nurse her at every nursing session without the shield. And one day, she ditched it and we never looked back. That was another huge relief! I was so happy to be nursing my baby without anything! It was so nice and much more relaxing. I happily EBF'd until DD was 15 months old! I'm so happy it worked out the way it did for us. It wasn't easy, it was a lot of work and took a lot of determination and perseverance but is my favorite memories with her
I would add that it is important to not give up. My boys got the hang of BF late in the game, after almost 6 weeks of being home and pumping around the clock. I just kept trying and one day it clicked. I was so glad I didn't give up.
Also, for twin mommas...if one baby is a good BF and one isn't, continue with the one that is because it will help your supply, which is key. Eventually, the other should pick it up and if not, that is ok too.
WOW - you're all amazing! I've been working on it - then came back to see what else and there's so much more! Interesting re: twins! TY! Glad you didn't give up either - it took us almost four months to the day to get it. Sushi, I thought that sucking was real, too and my LC's just said "he's got it - he'll suck harder when he's bigger" I still don't know why they didn't catch that it wasn't a real latch. I could lift him right off of me! Star, I'll go check it!
I would add that it is important to not give up. My boys got the hang of BF late in the game, after almost 6 weeks of being home and pumping around the clock. I just kept trying and one day it clicked. I was so glad I didn't give up.
Also, for twin mommas...if one baby is a good BF and one isn't, continue with the one that is because it will help your supply, which is key. Eventually, the other should pick it up and if not, that is ok too.
WOW - you're all amazing! I've been working on it - then came back to see what else and there's so much more! Interesting re: twins! TY! Glad you didn't give up either - it took us almost four months to the day to get it. Sushi, I thought that sucking was real, too and my LC's just said "he's got it - he'll suck harder when he's bigger" I still don't know why they didn't catch that it wasn't a real latch. I could lift him right off of me! Star, I'll go check it!
Yeah...he always seemed hungry so soon after our breastfeeding, and it didn't make sense to me! The hospital LCs didn't understand that, as a first-time mom, you had no idea what you were doing, and no idea what nursing felt like. Luckily, one of the LCs gave me the nipple shield, and that saved the day. We didn't have too much trouble weaning from it, but I know lots of others have.
One thing we started this past week after our OT suggested it was to put the nipple shield over Owen's bottle nipple when he is bottle feeding so he gets used to the shape of it so when he is eventually able to non-thickened milk he'll be used to the feel of it in his mouth and that this is where the milk comes from.
BPF May 12, 2013 :: EDD Janaury 22, 2013 :: MC Began On July 14, 2013 at 12W4D
We tried and tried, but she was never able to. We had latch issues, poor muscle tone in her lips, major reflux problems etc. and I had a poor supply - and eventually dried up no matter what I did to stop it. I never gave up though, perhaps it would be nice to remind moms at the end of your article that if for whatever reason they cannot BF thats ok too - I was devastated when my milk supply tanked. emotionally it was really hard for me. We still have some freezer stash, not much, but we give DD BM for her first bottle a day and the rest if formula now. I've only just come to terms with it. I feel good about EPing for 7 months - and DD is happy with her "baba" as we call it - so im happy too.
Re: Did you teach LO to BF? Come in...
There is some good stuff here. Let me know what you end up doing and I'll work on another BFing post tonight.
https://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/57950223.aspx
Our precious girl, born at 27 weeks.
Love this!!! The Blog is looking great too! I'm sending you a PM about a funny connection we have as well but here are some thoughts on all things boobies!
Pumping:
-Learn hand expression, I liked this video: https://newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/HandExpression.html
-Do hands on pumping as often as possible to establish and maintain a good supply https://newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/MaxProduction.html
-Use a hands free bra like Simple Wishes, or make your own by cutting holes in nursing/sports bras
Getting Started:
-Do lots of skin to skin time, don't be afraid to put your baby near your nipple when you do (after pumping!)
-Ask to do non-nutritive breastfeeding as soon as possible (we started 2x daily at 31 weeks), pump right before so baby doesn't get much but can practice latching
-Consider weighed feeds with partial NG supplements to make up the difference once baby is latching/sucking, we didn't do weighed feeds but would only give partial supplements when he nursed well, this left him a litle hungrier for the next session and taught him where the milk came from!
-Nipple shields are controversial, but in our NICU most babies go home at least partially breastfeeding and about 90% of those are using a shield. I hated the thing, but it enabled Henry to have a long enough session and maintain suction throughout so we could go home breastfeeding. We got off of it before 40wks CGA, but every baby is different.
At home:
-Set up a nursing "station" with a comfy seat, snacks, water, and DISTRACTIONS you're going to be there a LOT.
-Have frequent weight checks for reassurance, consider finding a breastfeeding center with a scale or LC's office so you can pop in for weight checks when you want without having to go to a doc's office.
That's all I got for now.... let me know if you want me to elaborate more!
BFP#2 3/16/11, beta 138; 4/12 Baby/HB DS born 9/10/11 at 29w4d due to partial abruption and PTL
BFP#3 8/19/13 Another boy! 17P, modified bedrest and Nifedipine helped us have a termie! DS2 born 4/19/14 at 38w5d.
BFP#2 3/16/11, beta 138; 4/12 Baby/HB DS born 9/10/11 at 29w4d due to partial abruption and PTL
BFP#3 8/19/13 Another boy! 17P, modified bedrest and Nifedipine helped us have a termie! DS2 born 4/19/14 at 38w5d.
Haziedaze gave a great overview.
I would add that it is important to not give up. My boys got the hang of BF late in the game, after almost 6 weeks of being home and pumping around the clock. I just kept trying and one day it clicked. I was so glad I didn't give up.
Also, for twin mommas...if one baby is a good BF and one isn't, continue with the one that is because it will help your supply, which is key. Eventually, the other should pick it up and if not, that is ok too.
Haziedaze had great suggestions!
Regarding nipple shields: My son wasn't strong enough to nurse without one. I'd been doing non-nutritive sucking with him for a long long time, and I'd THOUGHT he was getting milk (first time mom). He wasn't really getting much of anything until we used the nipple shield. Then, I felt letdown and saw how he reacted when he was really actually getting milk. Big gulps. Totally different than what he'd been doing when we did the non-nutritive sucking.
I also highly recommend the Similac slow-flow nipples. Our NICU was in a study where they tested all of the commercially available nipples to see which ones had the slowest flow. These were determined to be the slowest after a lot of testing. They help with suck-swallow-breathe coordination because they help you pace the feedings better, and I think they helped us avoid nipple confusion. You can buy them here:
https://www.amazon.com/Similac-Ready-Disposable-Nipples-Rings/dp/B005MH1OLU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1321753496&sr=8-2
My LC also recommended a "Special Needs Feeder by Medela." It only allows milk to flow when you baby is sucking correctly. That helped teach him how to suck correctly with breastfeeding. It also is adjustable for different flow rates, depending on what your baby needs. It's kind of expensive, but we only used it for a little while. You can buy it here:
https://www.amazon.com/Medela-Mini-Specialneeds?-Feeder-Sterile-6100093S/dp/B001M2D76O/ref=sr_1_4?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1321753641&sr=1-4
Just keep at it, too! At some point, it just clicked for us. It was really hard to let go of the 3-hour NICU schedule (our son stuck to it like clockwork when we came home), but it was so worth it. Now, my son is nearly 10 months old, and we're still breastfeeding.
I started pumping a few hours after DD was born. I had a lot going on so I didn't consult with the LC right away, and I wish I did. It wasn't until a few days later when I wasn't really producing anything at all that I got nervous and got ahold of the NICU LC. She came to my rescue and told me to power pump (pumping every hour for 10 mins) until my milk came in. Well, it didn't take long, and I was flowing like crazy! After that I pumped about every 2-4 hrs for 15-20 mins around the clock. I made sure to reach 32 oz by 2 wks so that I could always produce a large amount. I made sure I was getting good nutrition, sleep and water to keep my production going. I also did kangaroo care with DD twice a day for 3-4 hrs each time. I think that really helped both of us get connected. I think it helped me to keep producing milk and her to get used to my scent and want my milk. At 33 weeks we started non-nutritive BFing (letting DD explore at the breast after I had pumped.) She was a natural, she started smacking her lips and trying to suck at my breast! It was an amazing thing to watch. After a few days of that teasing, we decided to try the real thing. I had to use a nipple shield to make my nipple smaller for teeny tiny DD. It was hard for me because I was so used to pumping, that I could not trigger a let down for DD. So after trying deep breathing and relaxing, which usually worked for pumping, we had to turn on the pump to trick my brain/boobs, and I let down! I was sad that I couldn't let down for my baby, but for the stupid pump. It felt very different as well. We practiced nursing once a day every day for a week. She got a little bit each time, but it really pooped her out, so we could only do it for 20 mins. I usually had to pump after. We worked our way up to 4 BFing sessions a day and 4 bottle sessions a day by 36 weeks gestation.
When she went home at 37 weeks gestation, she was on 4 BFing and 4 bottles, but when we actually got home, I let her BF whenever she wanted and we still did a few bottle sessions. I was still pumping at most of the nursing sessions. It depended on if I felt full or not. After we ditched all the bottles, we nursed whenever DD wanted to, which was actually quite frequently. I started to wean myself from the pump. I started pumping only when I felt full after a feeding, then weaned to every other, and then gradually decreased until I was not pumping anymore. It took probably about a month to a month and a half. It was such a relief to be off the pump and only be nursing my baby! As the pumping sessions slowed, the milk decreased. I had such an overabundance of milk, it made me nervous to not see so much, but I knew it was more normal. I was happy that my body was making as much milk as my baby needed. After we tackled that, we switched to a larger nipple shield. And about a month after that we started trying to wean from that. I would do skin to skin, bathe with my baby, and try to nurse her at every nursing session without the shield. And one day, she ditched it and we never looked back. That was another huge relief! I was so happy to be nursing my baby without anything! It was so nice and much more relaxing. I happily EBF'd until DD was 15 months old! I'm so happy it worked out the way it did for us. It wasn't easy, it was a lot of work and took a lot of determination and perseverance but is my favorite memories with her
WOW - you're all amazing! I've been working on it - then came back to see what else and there's so much more! Interesting re: twins! TY! Glad you didn't give up either - it took us almost four months to the day to get it. Sushi, I thought that sucking was real, too
and my LC's just said "he's got it - he'll suck harder when he's bigger" I still don't know why they didn't catch that it wasn't a real latch. I could lift him right off of me! 
Star, I'll go check it!
Yeah...he always seemed hungry so soon after our breastfeeding, and it didn't make sense to me! The hospital LCs didn't understand that, as a first-time mom, you had no idea what you were doing, and no idea what nursing felt like. Luckily, one of the LCs gave me the nipple shield, and that saved the day. We didn't have too much trouble weaning from it, but I know lots of others have.
BPF May 12, 2013 :: EDD Janaury 22, 2013 :: MC Began On July 14, 2013 at 12W4D
Born at 34w2d: