The Great Big Breastfeeding Thread

Emily041285

Is it normal for your breasts to feel soft all the time once your milk has regulated? All of a sudden I never feel full. I read on Kelly mom that it could be my supply regulating.

Emily041285

DD has taken to using me as a pacifier long after she's done drinking so I almost never see milk anymore, but she seems content so I'm assuming she's getting enough.

We had weight issues at the dr on Wednesday so I'm second guessing everything now.

Jennmoak

This is XP in the stupid questions thread too:

I've tried searching to see if this question has been asked but didn't find anything ... I think the new update is screwing with me.

I EBF but am thinking about giving LO a formula bottle once a day so I can add to my freezer stash for when I go back to work in a month. I'm not sure if I should just jump right in and give her a whole bottle of formula or start off at 50/50. Also - do I mix the two together if I do 50/50? I feel so lame - I have no idea!!

:-/

Mrs.Kohalic17

Jennmoak said:

This is XP in the stupid questions thread too:

I've tried searching to see if this question has been asked but didn't find anything ... I think the new update is screwing with me.

I EBF but am thinking about giving LO a formula bottle once a day so I can add to my freezer stash for when I go back to work in a month. I'm not sure if I should just jump right in and give her a whole bottle of formula or start off at 50/50. Also - do I mix the two together if I do 50/50? I feel so lame - I have no idea!!

:-/

I did one whole formula bottle a day & it worked out great! If you wanna do 50/50 you can they just recommend you give the bm separately & first so it doesn't go to waste.

Eta: hit reply too quick

Holljade

I should have asked this earlier in the week bc now I am running out of time buuuut...

I am going to be away from baby over night- from roughly 6pm sat night to noon the next day. How many oz should i leave for him? I keep coming up with numbers 20-24 but don't babies eat about 26oz in a 24 hour period (not that having too much will hurt )

Eta: woops meant to post this earlier- it's already sat! I planned to have 20-23 oz left for DH to use

Dixon813

@Holljade‌ my DS eats between 6-7 (3? oz) bottle before bed between 8-9 (5 oz) eats at 3, 7, 10, noon with maybe an additional feeding and I would guess those feedings are 3-4oz which puts the total at 20-24 oz. as long as your DH knows how to bottle feed/know when to stop to not over feed sounds like you're set. Enjoy your night away.

Dixon813

Mrs.Kohalic17 said:

XP from the RTT:

MIL told me today that she's been feeding LO 6-7oz at a time!!! Wait, what???? @-) he'll be 12wks tmrw & I was under the impression he was eating 5 at a time (which is still a lot!) I almost lost my shit. I told her well I just fed him 4oz & he wasn't hungry again til almost 3hrs later. So what the f&ck do I do about them over feeding him?!!! Not to mention I'm barely pumping enough to keep up with that!

This would piss me off!!! Can you use only smaller (5oz) bottles and keep reminding about pace feeding, more upright, and stopping to burp/switch sides. I would try to use reminders like this but if it doesn't work, maybe you need to be more direct (or maybe your DH does...)

Emily041285

Didn't someone take more milk special blend and have success? Or was it plus?

Dixon813

How did this thread get all the way back to page 3?!

How's it going for everyone? I know there were a few of us on here with concerns of LOs not gaining enough - I hope that's cleared up! (Liam and I got the go ahead to completely stop supplementing after feedings - YAY!!)

MrsZ0811

Here is an uplifting story for all those BFing moms!

julie13101

I am taking the more milk plus special blend with success! I have also tried just the plain more milk plus with some success but feel like the special blend has been more effective. Fenugreek helped me a bit as well.

Mrs.Kohalic17

Any advice or tips on going from EBF to EPing? I don't have much of stash (epic fail on my part) but since DS is 3mo now & being back at work it's making it harder to BF all the time.

Especially for my own sanity (just got diagnosed with post partum anxiety) & not getting much support from family anymore. I just need to switch & let him be bottle fed. I'd like him to still get as much breastmilk as possible but idk how to go about just being a pumper.

thejewelster

I've been trying to build a freezer stash for freedom (hubby sitting) but whenever I pump, lo is cranky all day. Like he's not getting enough and he's not satisfied. Is it possible to produce JUST enough milk for lo? And any ideas on what I can do to improve my supply? I have mother's milk tea & obviously pump, but perhaps how I pump is wrong? I pump both after his first feed in the am and yield about 4 oz. Maybe only pump the one side emptied?

hordol

@thejewelster‌ I'm pretty sure I produce JUST enough and not much more. I get but a few drops when I pump between feedings and just 2-3 oz when I miss feedings. I have no stash. I also had the same experience with a cranky babe when I would pump between feedings. I just kinda gave up and rely on formula while I'm away from LO. He's still 90% bf buy in not pumping 8 times to get enough for one bottle anymore, which is good for my sanity.


I imagine that if you continue to pump at the same time everyday that you will signal your body to make more. It seemed to be the opposite for me...I get less when I pump now than I used to. But I'm not the norm I don't think lol.

Holljade

I am the same with vin- he gains between .5-.7 oz a day. I went to see a new doctor a d he said Vin just burns more Cals than most babies. He made sure to make me feel comfortable with the quality of my milk and the choice I made to keep breast feeding, I was really happy about this and felt relieved instead of guilty after the appointment.

The doc wants us to give him a big bottle of BM or formula. DH admitted he'd like to use just one bottle of formula in hopes to get his weight up and that he's been thinking about it fora while, just one bottle, so I gave in and decided to give it a try. The baby refuses all bottles, of course. I honestly don't get it- he has been getting bottles of BM pretty consistently since birth, but starting like two weeks ago he refuses! What the heck??




This is going to be a long road.

Eta: the doctor said we weren't at the pout. Where I "had" to supplement, he just gave us that recommendation

heids4787

@Mrs.Kohalic17 - it seems I'm giving LO more bottles these days and I like it! I started by offering bottles at night. DH would feed DD while I pumped. I sometimes nurse DD before work (vs. bottle), hand her off to DH to do the daycare drop off, then pump from 7-7:30 am while getting ready for work. After getting her from daycare, I have about 15 oz that I can use from earlier pumping during the day. If I offer her a bottle, I just make sure to replace the same amount of ounces in pumping after she goes to bed.

On days off from work, I take advantage of any time she's napping. I sneak in a pumping session and keep one full bottle out until she wakes up. Since BM is ok at room temp for at least 4 hours, I know it will be at good temperature when she's ready for her next feeding. My supply seems okay as long as I pump every 4-5 hours. LO eats every 3 hours (@5 oz ea). I hope this helps!

Oh, and I learned from the EPing thread you can totally keep your pump parts in the fridge between pumps. I do this from 8 pm - 8 am, and then switch for clean parts every 12 hours. I wash the parts daily, and sanitize weekly. It will help keep your sanity by not washing everything 24/7!

rockstarlaw

Also for those of you starting to pump more, I recommend pumping for a full 20 minutes...even if it seems like you were finished before that. The full 20 mins gives you opportunities for multiple let-downs & you can end up with a lot more milk after a few sessions.

hordol

Yeah DS is a double sided feeder and drains both boobs. I don't have really any extra milk to spare. It bums me out because I'm so worried about drying up when the school year starts back up again.

snowbound

We haven't had a baby poop question in awhile so here goes it. Should our LOs still be producing seedy BMs at this point? We haven't really had one in about a week. They've been mostly watery or real mucusy? Normal?

cjpell0

@thejewelster. DS HAS to eat both sites and drains them. What I did before I went back to work was pumped immediately after he ate in the morning while he played/was in his swing, play mat for 20 minutes and then after DH came from work, I'd BF and pump immediately after. One last pumping after DS's last feeding/before I went to bed. Between those 3, I could usually manage to eek out 4oz/day. I went back to work with about 180oz in the freezer. 

Now that I'm back at work, I pump 3x/day, typically getting 4oz/pump. I do one last pump ~2 hours after DS goes to bed and I get about 3 more. I either freeze that extra 3 or keep it for the next day as an "emergency" supply. 

thejewelster

Thanks for the tips ladies! I pumped both last night after I woke him to eat (he'll sleep for 12 hours if I don't and he's gaining slow so I'm trying to get in as much as possible)! I got about 1.5oz. This morning I was not 'full' like I usually am and lo ate from both when he usually is good with one. I am pumping the first side now and getting dribbles . Hopefully after a few days this will help!!

zoopsiedaisy

Foremilk question....

My daughter is sleeping 6-7 hours a night. When I wake up my breasts are bordering on engorged. Her poop is getting more green since this started which I understand to be a foremilk issue. So...should I just hand pump or express some of that off in the morning? I know that is important too, but I think she's getting too much. She's also started spitting up. Thanks!

smushi

@hbell12 I asked the same thing last week.  He had gone from bright seedy poops to mucousy darker poops with no seeds.  I stopped having a bowl of cereal every morning, and they've returned to normal.  I had a huge slice of cheesecake a few nights ago, and it got mucousy again.  I'm thinking it's a milk issue for us but not a bad one. 

ETA, confounding factor, it also coincided with the time he received his vaccinations. 

littlesocks

Has anyone asked their doctor/pediatrician if it's ok to use proactive while breastfeeding?
Kellymom says its ok but I'm thinking I should verify this with my doctor.

Mrs.Kohalic17

Those of you who take Fenugreek capsules how much/often are you taking it? How quickly did you see results? 

Dixon813

Mrs.Kohalic17 said:

Those of you who take Fenugreek capsules how much/often are you taking it? How quickly did you see results? 

I was taking 1 capsule 3 times a day until someone on this board said it wasn't enough, so I started taking 2 capsules three times a day. I feel like I noticed an improvement within a few days to a week... But I was also drinking mothers milk tea and pumping extra times...

mamahann

@mamrotu73 I was sore for a few days after. I didn't have one clogged duct per say but more of a "caked breast" where the whole thing felt hard-ish and uncomfortable. It was such a relief when that went away! 

Ladies who are back to work - have any of you gone throw a growth spurt with LO yet? DD is 14 weeks and for the past few days has been sleeping more. Yesterday she ate 3 oz more than I pumped even after I added in an extra pumping session last night. Today she's already had 4oz and I typically get 9-10oz during my 3 pump sessions at work. I'm worried my supply won't be able to keep up with her. I have a small freezer stash that I can dip in to but I don't want to wipe it out completely. 

dmosquera4

@mamrotu73‌ yes definitely but just keep an eye on it and drink lots of water because if it get clogged again you might get mastitis like me. I cought the mastitis early so it wasn't that painfull.

but it will definitely be sore like if you just worked out your boob, nurse on that side more so it's not prone to get clogged again

dmosquera4

Can anybody explain to me what are cluster feedings? My LO has been eating like every hour but only eats about 2 or 3 oz instead of the regular 4 or 5 is that it? I mean he won't even take 5 even if I try to wait the regular 3 hrs he used to do I know he is in a growth spurt now but didn't know if this was normal or why he was regressing

hordol

@Ashleyahann‌ the pump will never pull as much milk from the breast as your baby, so unless your body responds better than most to the pump or you have a slight oversupply, pumping the amazing amounts that lots of people mention (like 4-5+ ounces) isn't as likely. I have never been able to pump enough at work for LO. I really wanted to keep him ebf but he does have to have a bottle of formula while I'm at work, and anytime I'm away from him for an appointment or something he has to have formula then too. I only have about 6-8 oz in my stash so when I need to use it I only pull 2 oz and mix it with 2 oz formula. Slowly, slowly, slowly building it back up after I completely depleted it my first week back at work.

Sorry to be a Debbie downer about that. Pumping at work is the bane of my existence so I'm not super positive about it, heh. Have you tried heat, massage, and compression? Running the let down feature (or simulating your own letdown) every time the flow seems to stop? Looking at pictures of your LO, smelling an article of clothing, covering up the bottles so you can't stress about what you are/aren't making? Also, make sure that anytime you are able to nurse that you do so to keep supply up. That is crucial for me.

Emily041285

@Ashleyahann‌ if dd takes more than I expect I add in a bunch of sessions at night to make up for it.

mamahann

@hordol You're not a debbie downer at all! I appreciate the perspective of someone else in the same boat. I posted on the breastfeeding board and while I got a lot of tips on increasing my supply there was no one that said they had the same issue and how to deal with it if I can't increase my pump output. 

I don't have a let down feature on my pump (Medela Personal Double - free from my insurance company) but I spend the first 5-10 minutes of every session looking at photos/videos of LO. I pumped about 2 hours after she went to bed last night and got 1.75oz. I also pumped this morning after she woke up and ate because I still felt full and only got .75oz so I think it's an issue responding to the pump. 

It's so frustrating because she nurses great at the breast and I know I have milk because we have no issues/fussiness nursing full time on the weekends. I'm scared to start giving her formula because as she grows I'm afraid she'll end up getting more formula than breast milk. I guess I need to suck it up if I can't increase my supply because she needs to eat. 

I keep telling myself that 3.5 months of only breastmilk is awesome and adding in a few ounces of formula a day now isn't a failure but it feels like it  

Emily041285

Don't give up yet! Your body needs time to respond to the pump. It took me a week before I could produce what I needed.

hordol

@Ashleyahann‌ I had the exact same feelings about giving DS formula. I really didn't want to do it. I was pumping three times a day at work plus twice outside of work and that still only gave me enough for 7-8 oz. Pumping five times a day for 7-8 ounces was way too much for me so I just dropped down to just the three pump sessions at work and I make do with what I got and formula for the other feeding.

I went to an overnight bachelorette party where I had to be away from LO. While I was gone he had to have formula since I have no stash and I pumped every three hours round-the-clock, except at night. By the time I came home my boobs hurt so bad because the pump just could not drain them no matter what I did. I don't know why my body responds so poorly to the pump and I've seriously tried everything but some of us I just unlucky I guess.

meetmow

@Ashleyahann‌ I know that with my last struggled with my pump until I tried different size cones and I have a friend who also had issues until she went up a size.

mamahann

@hordol it's such a bummer! I was getting 10.5-11 oz from 3 pumps for the last 2 weeks and now it's a struggle to get 8. What kind of formula are you using to supplement? DD hasn't had formula at all so I don't know where to start if I end up needing it. 

@Emily041285 I'm not giving up yet! I'm hoping it's just a temporary dip in supply. 

hordol

Ashleyahann said:

@hordol it's such a bummer! I was getting 10.5-11 oz from 3 pumps for the last 2 weeks and now it's a struggle to get 8. What kind of formula are you using to supplement? DD hasn't had formula at all so I don't know where to start if I end up needing it. 

@Emily041285 I'm not giving up yet! I'm hoping it's just a temporary dip in supply. 

I use Similac For Supplementation. He hasn't had any issues with it!

Hopefully this is just a temporary dip in supply for you and it gets back to normal soon. But if not, you're not alone and giving formula is not the end of the world. Any breastmilk is beneficial!

rlallen13

I did the same thing and now I am getting at least 30 oz in three pumping sessions. Alsi I took fen free for two weeks n my son was fussy, and developed a horrible rash. The doctor requested that i stop taking it n in ine week I developed a huge stash of milk in the freezer.

Cecilbear

celticlullaby said:

@mamrotu73‌ - My little guy usually only bites when he's gassy, just before farting or pooping. He's been a chompy little monster the past day or two. I don't think he's feeling well, so I'm hoping it's just a temporary fussy thing.

They say to pull them away and make them wait a few seconds, and they learn biting means the food goes away and stops. Idk, I'm a sucker because he's usually already upset, so I'm not consistent with pulling him off. I did yelp and pull him off once today, and it seemed to startle him. He got right to business and ate well after that...maybe I need to scream more?

I think you were probably joking about needing to yelp more , but I was literally just reading about screaming/yelping leading to a nursing strike. So be careful! I know it's super hard not to react (ouch!!).

Cecilbear

celticlullaby said:

Cecilbear said:

celticlullaby said:

@mamrotu73‌ - My little guy usually only bites when he's gassy, just before farting or pooping. He's been a chompy little monster the past day or two. I don't think he's feeling well, so I'm hoping it's just a temporary fussy thing.

They say to pull them away and make them wait a few seconds, and they learn biting means the food goes away and stops. Idk, I'm a sucker because he's usually already upset, so I'm not consistent with pulling him off. I did yelp and pull him off once today, and it seemed to startle him. He got right to business and ate well after that...maybe I need to scream more?

I think you were probably joking about needing to yelp more , but I was literally just reading about screaming/yelping leading to a nursing strike. So be careful! I know it's super hard not to react (ouch!!).

I was joking, but I didn't realize it could scare them into refusing to eat!

Isn't that the saddest thing? Poor babes!