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April 2014 Moms
The Great Big Breastfeeding Thread
This discussion has been closed.
Re: The Great Big Breastfeeding Thread
My nursing experience with DS has thus far been night and day different than with DD. With her, we struggled with weight gain, poor latch, jaundice, and low supply for weeks before we got out act together. Bc of her low weight and big initial loss, we were waking to feed every 3 hours + pumping and supplementing. Eventually things got straightened out and we nursed for 19 mo, but it was tough there at first.
DS is soooooo mellow and easy going and came right out of the womb with a great latch! My milk came in on Day 3 and we are doing great nursing! He was a big guy a birth (9lb3oz) but some of that was water retention from the fluids they pumped into me before surgery (LC thinks he would have been more like 8lb13oz naturally). He was down to 8lb 3oz when we were discharged but the pediatrician wasn't concerned. And he is peeling and pooping like a champ so we know he is getting enough to eat.
ANYHOO, apologies for the back story... This guy cluster feeds like nobody's business from about 10pm-2am. It's basically eat / poop / eat / poop / eat / poop for hours on end with no real break for sleeping (and he's generally fussy at this time as well -- during the day, he's 100% mellow)...then he just conks out. For hours...today, he slept from 2am-7am (with me on the couch; unlike DD, he hates the PNP).
He has done this for the last 3 nights and it kind of freaks me out how long he'll sleep without eating, especially after our experience with DD. But he's also getting the recommended amount of feedings over 24 hours (10-12). Would y'all wake to feed during that time period if he's wanting to sleep 4 or 5 hours? Obviously it's great to get that chunk of sleep (basically the only sleep I'm getting), but I don't want him to go too long without milk, at the same time! I have a pediatrician appt on Monday and can talk with an LC there as well.
since he's such a big guy, I'd say it's fine to let him sleep. His stomach is probably bigger too, and he could already be on more of the 2-3month old schedule. DD1 was much larger and similarly ate/slept well at first. Plus, they'll tell you Monday if there are any weight gain concerns- until then I'd run with it.
glad you're loving them. Are yours always steamed up?
glad you're loving them. Are yours always steamed up?
Lol! That's funny, sorry im immature!
Not steamed up but covered in milk from my let down. The little pad on the inside is soaked!
(1) I pump for comfort in the first couple weeks if I'm super engorged and uncomfortable - as in I don't do a 20 minute session but I pump a few minutes after a feeding to get the rock hard feeling to go away for some relief. I don't *think* that's recommended but it's what works for me. After a couple weeks I start pumping maybe once a day to build a stash and have DH introduce bottle. DS took a bottle from the get-go, DD1 refused with all her might until she was 6 months old, and it looks like DD2 will take one but she doesn't love it or hate it. I've always been a decent pumper though. I don't know how much pumping it would take someone else to really build a stash. I can pump 4-6 ounces now in 10 min.
(2) I do have a fast letdown and I've always done like @Swerb said and had baby latch tummy to tummy and I lean back as much as I comfortably can. It also helps if I'm super engorged to either pump or hand express a little first.
(3) I don't wake baby to feed at all during the night (though I've never had to because my babies like to eat) in "normal" circumstance situations. But I did try to wake DD1 and feed her more during the day so she wouldn't cluster as much during the night.
One little suggestion- have you tried side lie nursing in bed instead of sleeping together on a couch? DS1 was a terrible sleeper and bed sharing was the only way we survived. Overall you can make your bed much safer than the couch though. Totally did couch sleeping too, so no judgement.
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.
When pumping is it ok if I fill the same bag with 1/2-1oz each day until I have about 4oz and then freeze it as long as it isn't sitting in the fridge for longer than 8 days? Or should I fill a new bag each day?
Also, do the pump parts need to be sanitized in one of those microwaveable bags after each use or can I wash the parts with soap and water? How about the tubes-- do they need to be washed after every use?
In the NICU they just had us wash the parts (not including tubing) after each use with hot water and dish soap (they provided Palmolive). They never sanitized. I figure if that's okay in the NICU, that's okay for home. Maybe a once a week sanitization to make sure everything stays super clean and in good shape, but I'm not going to worry about it too much.
I could be dead wrong, though, and if I am I'd love for someone to please correct me! I forget where I learned this info but I'm not confident enough in it to say you should take my advice blindly.
We had a weight check yesterday and she has gained 4 oz in two days since her hospital discharge. The pediatrician said it was fine to discontinue bottles and pumping, but now what do I do about all this milk and my poor boobs?
I've read up on some oversupply strategies on Kelly Mom and LLL websites, but was wondering if anyone had some firsthand advice about weaning from pumping and moving to exclusive breastfeeding? I know @haziedaze said block feeding worked, but I'm unsure how to determine how long to be feeding from one side? Any other tips and tricks?
I cannot wait until baby and mama milk equilibrium has been achieved. Oversupply is no joke! Ouch!
Yeah, pumping 2oz after doing a complete feeding and STILL feeling engorged definitely sounds familiar!
I started by basically skipping one feed on a side, so I'd feed single sided for 2 feeds in a row. For the side I wasn't feeding from I did tons of cold compresses and hand expressed like 15-30ml MAX 1-2 times. You WANT that side to stay engorged because it slows down milk production. After 3-4 days I was still have crazy let down and the side I was feeding from was still engorged itself (other side felt like it was going to explode) so I went to 3 feedings per side. I think I'm pretty rare that I had to get that extreme with it, but after 2-3 days of that it was clear things we settling down, DS starting seeming more content after feeds and his poops went from slimy green to nice and yellow. I was totally scared about "wrecking" my supply, but in the end if you're nursing whenever baby seems hungry and baby is clearly sucking and swallowing milk at the breast, your body is getting plenty of signals to make milk.
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.
Ummm no! We are already knew she was around and how to find her. There are enough moms here with previous experience that can give just as good, if not better advice than her.
You can leave now.
I love this thread and I haven't given birth as yet. Very helpful.
for LLL, I've heard it really varies by group.
2 things: is there a way to get the shield to stay on the boob better than a little water, and any suggestions on stopping the bite and rip? (When he rips the shield off, it doesn't hurt)
It's back to taking him a good 15 minutes just to latch and again... It's a sucky latch.
for how much to give him, they really don't take much at a time so young, probably only 1-2 oz. every 2-3 hrs, otherwise just on demand.
I'm not sure the difference between flat vs short nipples, but this might help to draw them out: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000BUTD3E?pc_redir=1396502097&robot_redir=1