June '14 BFing/Pumping Questions Thread

katekat8721

AmyG, are you a lactation consultant? I used to frequent the BF board and for some reason I remember a post with drama surrounding you. I forget what it was but I'm pretty sure it was because you gave a lot of BFing advice but didn't BF yourself.

I'm not trying to be rude, and I very much appreciate reading your responses. I am just protective over our J14 mamas.

katekat8721

AmyG* said:

I am not a licensed LC.

I am a breastfeeding mom, I nursed for 50 mos combined with my kids.

I give bfing advice online at the bump for about 3 ish years

I used to give bfing advice at Breastfeeding.com for over 10 years until the bump/knot/nest conglomerate bought it out and shut down the forums.

The controversy is whether someone who is not a current bfing mom should give advice to other bfing moms--especially when they are not a member of that birth month board. and some people find it weird that I do this to help other moms without getting anything back. 

Some get weird vibes thinking I'm gonna ask for bfing pictures or something like that, but I never have.  I left the bump for a couple months because of that controversy, but I feel very passionate about helping moms and if that means I get some rude comments and some people don't want my advice, that's ok, I can deal. 

If people want advice, and ask for it, I will do my best to answer them honestly and truthfully with all the years of experience I have regardless of where they post their questions.  Most brand new moms don't venture over to the bfing board.  Ncbelle has her own little one to take care of, and can't be here to answer all the questions all the time so I answered a question.

My apologies for not introducing myself.

 

 

Thanks mama! I'm sorry I misunderstood the controversy. I think it's pretty awesome you care and are passionate about BFing.

As long as you like gifs and velociraptors I think you'll fit in just fine here

tbmadeamistake

7‌ @AmyG*‌ thank you! O had looked into block feeding and was heading that on my own I think. I really appreciate all of the advice and wish I had known half this stuff when trying to nurse C! We will try block feeding this weekend and next week, andi will do more side lying as that seems to calm him down a bunch. You are awesome!

fsumom

Okay I rented a baby scale. DS's weight is increasing but we have been supplementing with formula very little. I'm worried he's not getting enough milk nursing. He nursed for like an hour with a few breaks in between and only got approximately 1.3oz based on the weighed feeding. Keep in mind he hadn't had formula anytime near the weighed feeding because I've been trying to nurse a lot. He does not always nurse so long, so I'm assuming he's probably getting less than that in a typical nursing session? I believe my supply is fine. How can I get him to nurse or suck better?

Carriebear22

I was wondering if I would be better off buying the lansinoh gel soothies or the therapearl 3 in 1 pads. I haven't delivered yet, just want to be prepared. 

Thanks!

MrsRahl

Forgive me if this has been asked but how long do you ladies nurse on each side and do you always give the second boob? I've given up on that because dd never wants it after the first. If you are only nursing on one side how long does your LO take?

roadspeckle

MrsRahl said:

Forgive me if this has been asked but how long do you ladies nurse on each side and do you always give the second boob? I've given up on that because dd never wants it after the first. If you are only nursing on one side how long does your LO take?

@MrsRahl‌ - i let LO nurse as long as he needs to. He will either take himself off when he is full, or I will take him off because he is sleeping and is using me to suck and he stays sleeping.
I never have to give him a second boob. I alternate boobs each feeding. Feedings vary between 10-30 min for us.

JujuB22

Lilygrace48 said:

@fsumom‌ nurse, pump immediately after for the next feeding, and supplement as needed would be my guess. I used to pump while feeding C with her propped in the boppy, but that doesn't make for the most intimate of bondings. You are right, a happy and healthy mom is very important. With C I had over supply. I pumped exclusively because she had latch issues. After one month of nursing and four of pumping, I quit because being a slave to the pump was driving me insane. No other reason than that. We switched to formula full time and I never looked back. I was happy and she was fed and that what mattered to me. We each have to make the choice that is right for us. No one else.

Eta because I keep typing pimp and not pump.

Reading this makes me feel so much better! One month in and mostly pumping and I'm sick of being a slave to the pump and ready to quit. LO can nurse, but he doesn't fill up. He'll nurse for 10-20 min, then sleep for 30, then want to eat again, and repeat. Basically we would be nursing all day. Whereas if I pump and give him the bottle I can get 2 hrs of sleep between feedings.

Pepper6

rachelnjacob said:

MrsRahl said:

Forgive me if this has been asked but how long do you ladies nurse on each side and do you always give the second boob? I've given up on that because dd never wants it after the first. If you are only nursing on one side how long does your LO take?

@MrsRahl‌ - i let LO nurse as long as he needs to. He will either take himself off when he is full, or I will take him off because he is sleeping and is using me to suck and he stays sleeping.
I never have to give him a second boob. I alternate boobs each feeding. Feedings vary between 10-30 min for us.

This. I'm producing a lot of milk (I pumped for a little less than 10 min and got almost 2.5 oz per side), so DD only nurses one side at a time. When she's pretty alert, it only takes her about 10-15 min to eat. When she's drowsy, it can take up to 30 min.

MrsAMB07

@‌emotionlotion

I have an app called Total Baby. You keep track of her feedings, naps, pumping, diapers, etc.

I use it for doctor visits to to track her growth, keep track of vaccines, questions/notes, etc. you can use it for multiple kids, so I still have my other kids' information in there too.

I also love the summaries and charts so you can see trends and patterns as they grow.

jshrop

@emotionlotion‌ you'll be fine LB! One of the greatest pieces of advice that I got was from my delivery nurse. I was so stressed about breast feeding and making sure it went well, was I doing it right, etc. This was her advice; "honey, it's like sex. If you think about it too much you'll F it up. Just do what feels natural."

Now obviously there are things that need assistance with, correcting latch, increasing supply, etc. I trusted that my baby knew what she needed to do. (I just didn't realize that I gave a birth to a piranha)

BMaidPlanner

Did lanolin make things worse for anyone?

sumochik

emotionlotion said:

I still have an inside baby, and I've read this whole thread but I feel like everyday this baby stays inside I get dumber and forget all the advice! So stressed about breastfeeding (so much mixed advice, it seems like a lot of it depends on the little one's style), but so excited to do it.

Can't remember if this has been asked, but do you guys write down and keep track of time/sides/changes etc with every feeding? It seems like it will be so hard to do with all the sleep deprivation!

You all sound like supermoms to me, thank glob for this thread!

@emotionlotion‌
I wrote it down while in the hospital BC they track it but I use the baby feed app. It takes the stress out of recording it and tells me on average how long bet feedings, which boob LO prefers and keeps track of diapers. It's worth the $2.99.

sumochik

jshrop said:

@emotionlotion‌ you'll be fine LB! One of the greatest pieces of advice that I got was from my delivery nurse. I was so stressed about breast feeding and making sure it went well, was I doing it right, etc. This was her advice; "honey, it's like sex. If you think about it too much you'll F it up. Just do what feels natural."

Now obviously there are things that need assistance with, correcting latch, increasing supply, etc. I trusted that my baby knew what she needed to do. (I just didn't realize that I gave a birth to a piranha)

@jshrop‌

katekat8721

BMaidPlanner said:

Did lanolin make things worse for anyone?

Not worse, but it's painful to put on because it's so freaking sticky. You can try coconut oil or calendula cream.

BMaidPlanner

Sorry if this has been asked, I didn't see it when going through.

Anyone using nipple shields? I just got some thin silicone ones with cutouts and my cracked bleeding nipples and I are excited to try them. Baby girl has a decent suck (I think, although she falls asleep a lot and I tickle her ears to remind her she is eating) my breasts feel soft and empty after feedings and hospital LC's and trained nurses said latch was ok, but alas, still getting the blisters.

I want to just try these, but I don't have immediate plans to have an LC come as KellyMom suggests, anyone else just go for it? I would love to use while nipples heal.

I am also wearing breast shells for the first time, preventing chafing from my sleep bra. Have just had them on about an hour but I think they will help air out my nips after feedings and prevent the rubbing of bras/keep earth mama cream on my skin.

Let me know your thoughts with nippled shields for bf'ing and shells if you've tried them. 

elsa1688

I have nipple pain after feeding how do I minimize it?

Mom&nurse

We use a nipple shield and no problems here. Latch is still a bit toe curling at times but it goes away.


Just want to AW real quick

WE DID IT!!! We have gone 24 hrs with no pumped milk, only straight booby!!! Almost 6 weeks old. It gets better ladies.

Cherylwang

I feel like my milk supply is going down. I feel like I had a over supply and now my baby is trying to nurse and I don't have as much milk as I did before and she's getting frustrated. Or maybe I'm just getting to the point that I'm producing just what she needs and nothing extra? She is 3 weeks and I think we are at that 3 week growth spurt bc she was awake half the night when she usually sleeps good....
Also I've read so many mixed things on alcohol. Just curious what other peoples plans are on having any drinks while breastfeeding. I've read one glass of water per one glass of alcohol. Or waiting 2 hours to nurse the baby. If you feel drunk then you shouldn't breastfeed. I am not a big drinker but do enjoy a few drinks on a Saturday. When I had my first baby. I would just pump and dump and not feed him until morning. Probably didn't have any drinks until he was sleeping through the night. (This is my third)

elsa1688

@Cherylwang‌ I will have a drink after baby finishes a session. That gives it enough time to clear my system before he eats again.

Cherylwang

@AmyG*‌ thanks. I never really knew what to do about having drinks so I just don't. But it makes EBF even harder when you are so restricted. Like I said I don't drink a lot but knowing you can't makes you want to more. Haha!

JujuB22

So I have been talking fenugreek and eating lactation cookies for awhile now, and my supply has finally gone up! If I stop taking the fenugreek and eating the lactation cookies, will my supply go down now? Or can I skip all that now?

ChristineBaker23

@Cherylwang‌
Uggggg we did that non stop feeding business yesterday from 4 pm till 10:30 pm. I thought my nipples would shrivel up and fall off. I also felt like my boobs were completely drained it was stressful. She is back to her usual business today though and my milk supply is back up. And I am in a much better mood. She was exactly 3 weeks old yesterday. Growth spurts are no joke. They sell alcohol test strips at target if you are nervous you can pump and test. But alcohol is not stored in breast milk so once it's out of your system you're good to go. I like this chart I found online, I am not a professional so I cannot speak to the accuracy but it seemed legit to me!

https://www.beststart.org/resources/alc_reduction/pdf/brstfd_alc_deskref_eng.pdf

fsumom

DS seemed to nurse efficiently today. I gave him an ounce of formula earlier but he spit it all up. So I simply nursed him on demand/every 2 hours. He seems satisfied but I'm paranoid he might not be getting enough still.

elsa1688

Does anyone get naseous when nursing? I can't feel my letdown so idk if they are related. I might just be dehydrated but I keep getting naseous and have headaches while bf'ing.

jshrop

elsa1688 said:

Does anyone get naseous when nursing? I can't feel my letdown so idk if they are related. I might just be dehydrated but I keep getting naseous and have headaches while bf'ing.

Sounds like dehydration! Pedialyte works on adults too! (It was my favorite hangover cure before I got pregnant) also, coconut water, Gatorade, and good old fashioned h2o. Chug-a-lug lady!

otter1103

elsa1688 said:

Does anyone get naseous when nursing? I can't feel my letdown so idk if they are related. I might just be dehydrated but I keep getting naseous and have headaches while bf'ing.

I do at least a couple times a day- Nursing or pumping. And I'm not dehydrated. I asked Dr. Google and read the oxytocin that is released by these can make some women feel this way. My headaches I figured are from exhaustion.

elsa1688

Thanks ladies! I will hydrate and fx it goes away

ChristineBaker23

Is it ok to boil my Milkies milk saver? It didn't come with any cleaning instructions...?

ChristineBaker23

KrystaJ said:

ChristineBaker23 said:

Is it ok to boil my Milkies milk saver? It didn't come with any cleaning instructions...?

@ChristineBaker23‌ - Do these really work? I've debated getting some as I seem to leak a lot at night.

Yes! I love mine! I'm one of those lucky ones with a baby that sleeps 6-8 hours at night so when I wake up to feed her there's some serious leakage in that first feed. Sometimes I catch half an ounce. I just don't know how to sterilize it because it didn't have wash instructions...
Check it out, this is what I just saved this morning

Edit: I just measured how much milk that was and it was almost a full ounce!! That's the most I have ever caught!

sjn00

I am having so many problems im not even sure where to begin...

I have inverted nipples, been using the nipple shealds but the only one she will latch onto is the one too small for my nipples.. She is eating about 20-30min on each boob and STILL hungry and could eat another 15ml of formula after. I just feel like for 3 days old is she eating too much? Not getting enough? Should I just switch to formula because it is satiating her better? My nipples cant handle all of these feedings.. What about pumping? Can I do that with colostrum?

Help me please =[ =[ =[

jshrop

SaraJoy00 said:

I am having so many problems im not even sure where to begin...

I have inverted nipples, been using the nipple shealds but the only one she will latch onto is the one too small for my nipples.. She is eating about 20-30min on each boob and STILL hungry and could eat another 15ml of formula after. I just feel like for 3 days old is she eating too much? Not getting enough? Should I just switch to formula because it is satiating her better? My nipples cant handle all of these feedings.. What about pumping? Can I do that with colostrum?

Help me please =[ =[ =[

This sounds like cluster feeding. You're going to have many days and nights of this. She's signaling to your boobs to make your milk. It's totally normal. I ended up giving my LO a pacifier because I couldn't take anymore chomping on the nip. It was just fine. However, my understanding is the more you let her nurse, the quicker the milk will come in. Mine started day 4 I think? She will keep having periods where she does this so your body produces more milk. It will drive you crazy. I highly recommend the bf support/check in thread.

jshrop

wareagle1220 said:

This has probably been addressed somewhere in this thread but does anyone's LO have problems latching when your boobs are really full? She (and I) get really frustrated when she can't latch because my boob is too full. Then I end up leaking all over both of us. And I sprayed her in the face the other day while trying to get her to latch I have to use the c hold to compress my areola enough to get it in her mouth usually. But even that isn't working lately.

Can you pump a little bit first? I don't normally have this problem but was so engirged this morning not only did she have trouble latching, but then I nearly drown her! She took three big gulps and then her eyes got big and she seriously looked like she was choking. I ended up pumping and giving it in a bottle

ChristineBaker23

SaraJoy00 said:

I am having so many problems im not even sure where to begin...

I have inverted nipples, been using the nipple shealds but the only one she will latch onto is the one too small for my nipples.. She is eating about 20-30min on each boob and STILL hungry and could eat another 15ml of formula after. I just feel like for 3 days old is she eating too much? Not getting enough? Should I just switch to formula because it is satiating her better? My nipples cant handle all of these feedings.. What about pumping? Can I do that with colostrum?

Help me please =[ =[ =[

I have no experience with inverted nipples or pumping colostrum personally but it is my understanding that you can pump colostrum. And as pp said, the more you stimulate by nursing (or even pumping) the faster your milk will come in. The formula probably has her all riled up that your boobs aren't giving her milk yet, my LO got all worked up like that when we had to supplement before my milk came in (we were trying to get her to pee). Stick with it! You're doing a great job and the milk will be here in no time!

fsumom

DS hasn't nursed well at all today. Well he did this morning but he's been way too sleepy ever since. I can wake him up only for him to fall asleep within a minute. Ugh!

ChristineBaker23

wareagle1220 said:

@ChristineBaker23‌, I have a partially inverted nipple and have been using an exverter to pull the nipple out. I pumped colostrum in the hospital because LO sleep through two feedings. You can pump and supplement a feeding later using a little syringe. They gave me one in the hospital. The baby does a better job of stimulating your milk to come in though, so keep that in mind.

Also, your nipples will adjust to all the feedings. Just take it a feeding at a time. My nipples were super sore for about a week and they just started feeling a little better. The initial latch is still painful but we are both learning how to breastfeed.

Quoting this for @SaraJoy00‌ . I think this was tagged for me by mistake!

ChristineBaker23

AmyG* said:

ChristineBaker23 said:

Is it ok to boil my Milkies milk saver? It didn't come with any cleaning instructions...?

Breastmilk is sterile, so you don't have to go nutso with the sterilizing.  I would use the micro steamer bags to nuke them every few days.  Watch out for signs of thrush, cause trapping the milk right at the nipple can feed the yeasty beasties!

Thanks! I washed it with soap and water of course but I like to sterilize my stuff every week or so and didn't want to ruin my $30 milk saver. I have a microwave bag so I'll do that. Haven't had any signs of thrush so I should be good, I mostly only use it at night when I'm a little engorged so my nipple is not all mashed up to it 24/7.

BMaidPlanner

How long should you pump the first time you pump on one side? 

(Liv is 12 days old, I'm just trying to start a small stash before introducing a bottle around 4 weeks)

 If you only pump one ounce, how are you storing it?

@kaysa2 @amyg* Any thoughts?

ElTrain5

I'm sure this question has been asked befor so please forgive me, but how long did it take you ladies for your milk to come in if you had a c section? I'm on day 5 and starting to get worried. LO is nursing great (killing my nipples with his crazy strong latch), and I know in making colostrum....but worried about getting my milk in? (We are supplementing due to jaundice but only about 10ml and only after a full nursing session). Thanks!!

sjn00

Its game over with me breast feeding.. I have inverted nipples.. We used the shields in the hospital but also using sweet toot suracuse... Well she got addicted to the sugar water and wont even begin to suck without it.. Well what they didnt tell us is that its a sedative used to calm babies down for shots and ivs.. Ughhh... So now without it she refuses to latch on we tried putting breast milk in it as well as formula to see if she will latch on with those and doesnt so I have been pumping and formula.. Hella sucks.