June '14 BFing/Pumping Questions Thread

katekat8721

rachel8078 said:

Anyone else have tingling in legs when nursing? It's only whichever side she is on's corresponding leg and only when she is actively sucking. Also, it happens whether I'm laying, sitting, or standing/ walking.

I think someone mentioned this is another thread. I can't remember who though. Or what thread. I'm just a ball of helpfulness today! Lol

ChristineBaker23

May be the wrong place to post this but maybe someone will know. Do you think an occasional protein shake (for me) with whey protein would have an effect on baby(via breastmilk)? It is my understanding that the nutritional values of breastmilk are very difficult to alter because out bodies are so good at making good milk but was afraid maybe it was dangerous? I'm probably over thinking this. This is what I bought:

It's mostly for the hubs but I planned to use it in my after workout smoothies for a protein boost. What do y'all think?

ChristineBaker23

kaysa2 said:

shannonliggett said:

I apologize for this dumb question - if someone was to hypothetically not chill expressed milk to combine with previously chilled milk, would that spoil it?

I'm not as consistent with this as I need to be. I found that two of the bags of milk I thawed to feed LO smelled spoiled. Is this the culprit, or is it something else? I collect milk in 4 oz portions over a few pumping sessions and then freeze it.

No, that won't spoil the milk. It will bring down the avg temp of the chilled milk, so it won't keep as long, but it won't spoil it.




Shouldn't spoil it. But when the temp is brought up it can be more likely to grow bacteria or something. I add warm to cold all the time with no problems. Someone mentioned somewhere (possibly on this thread) that there is a part if breastmilk that helps break down the breastmilk for digestive purposes and some women just have more and it can cause milk to spoil faster. That is not a direct quote or guaranteed accurate, I just remember reading it on here. Maybe look into that via dr.google?

JulieSmiles

rachel8078 said:

Anyone else have tingling in legs when nursing? It's only whichever side she is on's corresponding leg and only when she is actively sucking. Also, it happens whether I'm laying, sitting, or standing/ walking.

I get this almost every time. I just thought I was weird. I figure it has something to do with letdown.

BMaidPlanner

H&H2014 said:

BMaidPlanner said:

Anyone have guesses as to why she spits up a ton on nights she has a bottle and later breastfeeds?

How much in the bottle and over what period of time? I find if the flow on the bottle is too fast and coupled with my overactive letdown that she's prone to spit up.

3 oz bottle (medela slow flow nipples) and me like 1 to 1.5 hours later. 5.5 week old baby and she only weighs 8.3 lbs. I don't know if my letdown is overactive or if 3 ounces is too much but DH said she was falling asleep while taking the bottle (like when at the boob.)

otter1103

@ChristineBaker23‌ , my LC was going over good snacks and nutrition with me and mentioned Ensure shakes or protein drinks. I said we had protein powders like what you have pictured and she said she couldn't see why not but to just be mindful of any changes in LO with fussiness or gas from too much of it. I do an 8oz shaker bottle a couple times a week when I can't get breakfast eaten and haven't had any problems so far

elsa1688

shannonliggett said:

elsa1688 said:

J went from feeding for about 18-22 minutes each session to 10-14 minutes each session (like overnight). Anyone else? I'm still using the shield. Maybe he's more efficient?

I'm still using the shield too. (How important is it for you to wean? Can we commiserate?) LO did that last week, he seemed more efficient. A few days later, he ate for longer periods and more often. Not sure if it correlates with a growth spurt or if it just fluctuates.

I would love to wean because he is SUCH a messy eater with it and I'm sick of being covered in breast milk constantly. That said, I have small nipples and he has a hard time latching so idk if it's possible. ( I really don't want this to be a permanent thing.

texasmama2014

shannonliggett said:

elsa1688 said:

J went from feeding for about 18-22 minutes each session to 10-14 minutes each session (like overnight). Anyone else? I'm still using the shield. Maybe he's more efficient?

I'm still using the shield too. (How important is it for you to wean? Can we commiserate?) LO did that last week, he seemed more efficient. A few days later, he ate for longer periods and more often. Not sure if it correlates with a growth spurt or if it just fluctuates.

Still have the shield too... LO also fluctuates between long and super short feedings. She's growing like a weed so I assume she eats enough... I hope to wean from the shield, it's just hard!!

Hollyselby

I was able to wean from the shield when LO was 4 weeks. It took 2 weeks of trying. At first J acted like she couldn't find my nipple. It was a very frustrating process. Now she latches good, but it still takes two hands to keep her situated.

Hollyselby

shannonliggett said:

Hollyselby said:

I was able to wean from the shield when LO was 4 weeks. It took 2 weeks of trying. At first J acted like she couldn't find my nipple. It was a very frustrating process. Now she latches good, but it still takes two hands to keep her situated.

That is encouraging, thanks! Any tips?

To wean from the shield I sat up straight or bent forward slightly when sitting. J had to be on pillows propped up to breast level. If I leaned back at all, my nipple was flatter making it harder.
The cross-cradle position worked best for us. If offering my left breast, I would pull on my nipple a couple times and then I would cup my breast with my left hand underneath and compress. I would put my right hand on the back of J's head to keep it in place. Once she opened wide I would guide her quickly in place and hold her there. If she sucked at all, I would calmly tell her what a good job she was doing. It helped me relax to talk to her. When J got frustrated I would put on the shield and try again mid feeding.
I had a lot of ups and downs, but I continued to try and eventually we both figured out what worked.

katekat8721

@shannonliggett‌ @elsa1688 my fellow shield girls! I was able to wean from the shield last week for both girls. I saw my LC and she showed me how to pop them right on. I wanted to cry because my other LC was a douche and basically said "eh get used to the shield you'll just have to use it!"

Nestle the baby in the crook of your elbow. Turn them on their side with their mouth facing the nip. With your opposite hand, hold their head with your fingers on either side near their ears. Squeeze your nip to bring a little milk out and bring it right under their nose. Your nip touches their nose while their chin touches your breast. Once they smell the milk they'll reflexively open. Once they open wide, lead their head to the nipple and bring them in. Don't bring the boob to them, bring them to the boob (that was always my mistake). And if all else fails, see always LC and have her help!

Good luck guys. I hated the shield too!!

H&H2014

If I try to go sans shield my LO slobbers all over the nipple making it a slip-n-slide that she then slides off of repeatedly and then cries in frustration. Latches just fine with shield.

AbbySeiden

So when I feed my LO in the MOTN he usually doesn't empty both breasts (although he is fully satisfied). Sometimes (depending how long he's slept) by breasts are still slightly engorged and a little uncomfortable. I know the solution is to pump however I really don't want to start pumping in the middle of the night and I figure once I start pumping in the MOTN I'll have to do it every night because my supply won't be adjusting to LOs actual needs. Does that make sense or am I just justifying being lazy and trying to get back to sleep?

whoberry

AbbySeiden said:

So when I feed my LO in the MOTN he usually doesn't empty both breasts (although he is fully satisfied). Sometimes (depending how long he's slept) by breasts are still slightly engorged and a little uncomfortable. I know the solution is to pump however I really don't want to start pumping in the middle of the night and I figure once I start pumping in the MOTN I'll have to do it every night because my supply won't be adjusting to LOs actual needs. Does that make sense or am I just justifying being lazy and trying to get back to sleep?

Makes sense to me. Sometimes lo only wants one side in the motn so I have the same problem on the other. I either ignore and go back to sleep or try to get him interested in it, depends on how sacked out he is.

TunieBee

AbbySeiden said:

So when I feed my LO in the MOTN he usually doesn't empty both breasts (although he is fully satisfied). Sometimes (depending how long he's slept) by breasts are still slightly engorged and a little uncomfortable. I know the solution is to pump however I really don't want to start pumping in the middle of the night and I figure once I start pumping in the MOTN I'll have to do it every night because my supply won't be adjusting to LOs actual needs. Does that make sense or am I just justifying being lazy and trying to get back to sleep?

You can always hand express just a little but for comfort. It shouldn't increase your supply but will help with engorgement and prevent clogged ducts. Plus it only takes a minute.

roadspeckle

Pumping always takes so long for me. Any tips or tricks to expedite the process? I don't know how I'm going to
pump enough during a 15 minute break when I go back to work to keep my supply up.

katekat8721

rachelnjacob said:

Pumping always takes so long for me. Any tips or tricks to expedite the process? I don't know how I'm going to
pump enough during a 15 minute break when I go back to work to keep my supply up.

Massage and squeeze your breasts while pumping.

katekat8721

ktcort13 said:

rachelnjacob said:

Pumping always takes so long for me. Any tips or tricks to expedite the process? I don't know how I'm going to
pump enough during a 15 minute break when I go back to work to keep my supply up.

At least in California (and I think federally), your employer must give you adequate time to pump. So if you need 30 minutes they have to let you take 30 minutes.

This is good to know! Do you know if it counts towards break/lunches? I would just use it as a break but I'm wondering if I need to pump every 2 hours for 20 mins if it would be an issue. Not sure how to word that to HR lol.

katekat8721

ktcort13 said:

katekat8721 said:

ktcort13 said:

rachelnjacob said:

Pumping always takes so long for me. Any tips or tricks to expedite the process? I don't know how I'm going to
pump enough during a 15 minute break when I go back to work to keep my supply up.

At least in California (and I think federally), your employer must give you adequate time to pump. So if you need 30 minutes they have to let you take 30 minutes.

This is good to know! Do you know if it counts towards break/lunches? I would just use it as a break but I'm wondering if I need to pump every 2 hours for 20 mins if it would be an issue. Not sure how to word that to HR lol.

They can require you to use your breaks but have to give you additional time if you need it. So if you need to pump 3 times but only have 2 breaks they still gave to give you the additional time to pump.

Thanks girl!

sm623

They have to provide adequate time to pump, but don't have to pay you during time over regular breaks. The federal law only applies to hourly employees, but some states also have laws regarding pumping. I'm from New Mexico and all employees, not just hourly, are covered by state law. I used the link below to find out about NM's law.

https://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/employed-moms/your-rights-as-a-breastfeeding-employee/

H&H2014

Help!

My LO is 7 wks. She has started rejecting all things silicone.. It started two wks ago with refusing to take bottle which we had been doing once a day. 

Now she's refusing to latch with the nipple shield on.  Unfortunately she's never able to stay latched for long without it (tmi - flat nipples). As a result we have had a few grueling hours tonight of her screaming in frustration. When she comes off I instantly switch her.. Which works but I have to keep doing it every few minutes. 

I'm not sure what to do. This happened for a few hours yesterday (Friday) and now tonight. She finally fell asleep and I'm hoping she feels differently about the shield when she awakes.  Any advice is appreciated. Diapers (wet and poops) are ok for now but we are keeping a close eye to make sure she's getting enough to eat.

Thoughts? We're at our whits end and the night has just begun.

thx

Abenedict2011

@h&h2014 no suggestions but I'm sorry for the frustration.

H&H2014

Thanks, follow up with LC is on the calendar. I think I know the issue but not entirely sure how to fix. I'm sure she'll have a plan!

jclester614

Anyone have experience with thrush? I searched the board and came up empty.

We are on medication but I was curious how vigilant I need to be with cleaning things like clothes and blankets. My doc didn't mention ANY of this and there's a lot of different advice online. Help?

ETA typo

PressLove

@jclester614- I don't have any experience with thrush, but there was an extensive conversation in out BFing group last week.  The LC warned about bras and nursing pads.  These are great breeding grounds for yeast that many people overlook.  I don't know about clothes and blankets.  I probably would wash them to be on the safe side.

Bozzy2

Any advice for dealing with mastitis? Should I call my dr to confirm I already have an appointment on Tuesday can I just wait?

puttyeast

@jclester614‌ I have thrush right now too and I'm going braless to help. Also washing everything after one use (tank tops, bath towels, etc). Hoping it clears up soon!

Rei2metse

@jclester614‌ and @puttyeast‌ - who diagnosed the thrush infection? Pediatrician or your PCP? I think LO might have it but no evidence on my breasts yet…

puttyeast

@Rei2metse‌ My PCP did. I was actually showing more symptoms than my LO.

Rei2metse

Thanks @puttyeast‌. I have an appointment for LO in a week but if I start to show symptoms I'll make an appt for myself sooner. Good luck with your treatment.

jclester614

@PressLove‌ - Thanks. Did they say why bras are an issue? My nursing bras are the lightweight sleep kind, and I don't see much of a difference between those and a tank top w a shelf bra (like a nursing tank). Unless you intend to say wear regular shirts, braless.

In that case, like @puttyeast‌ I would imagine vigilance in washing after one wear would be crucial.

@Rei2metse‌ - LO's pediatrician diagnosed us, I went in for cracked and bleeding nipple, which she said is usually an indicator of a bad latch. Our latch is fine, but she checked for tongue tie and saw the yeast in LO's mouth.

Gross. : /

Jenn111211

Does anyone have experience traveling to another time zone while breastfeeding? We are traveling from NY to AZ when DD is 2 months old to meet her grandma who is in assisted living. The trip sounded like a great idea until I remembered the three hour time difference. She normally takes pumped milk at 9 p.m. And then I nurse her around 4 a.m. and again 2-3 hours later. Will my milk adjust to the new bedtime or should I keep her on NY time? We'll be there for two weeks. I'd appreciate any insight you ladies might have

PressLove

@jclester614‌- The point was that you can leak in bras and pads (any item really). These dark, moist, areas become breeding grounds for yeast and bacteria. Therefore, the caution was more that you may need to wash these items more frequently than usual.

I finally got LO to stay awake for her feedings. However, she still stops feeding after a short period. She just refuses to take anymore. Her poops are nice and yellow (mostly), but she only sleeps for 1.5-2 hours. I would like her to feed longer to sleep longer. What do I do?

BMaidPlanner

@PressLove‌ how did you get LO to stay awake?

AbbySeiden

Which positions for breast feeding are best for your back? For some reason no matter what position I pick my back is always killing me

PressLove

BMaidPlanner said:

@PressLove‌ how did you get LO to stay awake?

I wish I cod say that I did something. All the tricks of keeping her awake (removing clothes, jiggling, etc. ) never worked. Sometimes a cold wipe would do it, but that felt mean. Now she stays awake, but pushes away after three minutes. So, I end up with the same result, feeding every 2 hours.

Rei2metse

@AbbySeiden‌ - I prefer the cross cradle with lots of pillows to support my lower back (enough to support proper posture) AND under LO. When I nurse w/o the extra support I found myself leaning or slouching instead of bringing LO to the boob. I'd imagine I was having breakfast in bed and mimic that position. Baby rests on pillows and the boppy for added height. Hope this makes sense.

@ktcort13‌ good luck power pumping! I'm not familiar with this concept but low supply sucks and is a stressor (like new moms need more stress). I've started drinking EMAB milkmaid tea and significantly increased my water intake and skin to skin to help my supply. So far, it's helping.

BMaidPlanner

PressLove said:

BMaidPlanner said:

@PressLove‌ how did you get LO to stay awake?

I wish I cod say that I did something. All the tricks of keeping her awake (removing clothes, jiggling, etc. ) never worked. Sometimes a cold wipe would do it, but that felt mean. Now she stays awake, but pushes away after three minutes. So, I end up with the same result, feeding every 2 hours.

Got it. I hope we both figure this out eventually.

BMaidPlanner

7 weeks today and she is draining my boobs this morning. I don't think I've gotten off the couch since H left for work at 9:30am except for a short break. (It's almost noon!)

I don't know what is going on, but I wanted to pump. I NEVER know when to pump because shit like this happens and I feel like I will get nothing if I try whenever she is finished. I barely get 1 ounce a boob in 10 minutes as is...

WWYD?

flojo973

@BMaidPlanner - is she truly eating or just comfort sucking?  I never know when to pump either - my LC said to wait at least 30 minutes after a feed and then wait an hour after pumping to nurse LO.  But its so hard because DD isn't consistent with when she wants to eat!  I've been waiting 30 minutes, pumping and then if she's hungry before the hour is up, I nurse her and she seems to be fine.