Breastfeeding Tips, Questions and Advice!!

mockingjay1

AmyG* said:

Why are you using the shield?  Flat or inverted nipples, poor latch or what?

Some LC's and drs really are convinced that baby should never eat longer than 20-ish minutes or they are just comfort sucking--so it could just be that.    The research shows otherwise, that as long as baby nurses your body makes more milk, continues to let down more milk and baby will get more hindmilk which will fill them up and signal their brain that they are full and they'll be happy longer between feeds.  Every baby is different, and I had one who was a 15 minute nurser and then happy for hours and one that nursed for over 30 minutes or more and wanted to eat all the time.  So I'm always very cautious with telling a mom that they should ever limit time at the breast.  Cause sometimes it doesn't really help the situation.

The shield can interfere with milk transfer, and it's often recommended to pump after baby nurses with a shield to ensure that your supply stays high.  Sometimes they recommend supplementing a baby that is nursing with a shield just to be sure they get enough. 

It usually takes several weighted feeds in a row to really see what is going on with baby's milk transfer with a shield.  If they can get enough with the shield then you don't need to pump and supplement.  If they can be weaned from using the shield (should be your goal anyway) then you can get off that merry go round as well.

Which brings us back to why are you using a sheild? And what happens when you try to nurse without the shield (baby can learn to latch to a flat or inverted nipple without a sheild, it takes practice). And why did you start the pump supplement cycle anyway? 

I somehow missed this reply. Sorry about that amyg. I started to supplement because baby still seemed very hungry after feedings. I was pumping after because I was using a shield.

The goal is definitely to get rid of the shield when I can. The LC I talked to thought I should wait till I was a little more healed.

I am going to look into renting a scale today.

akatiegrl

okay so i'm at a bit of a loss... my little girl will be 4 weeks tomorrow. she's been gaining weight good so i do know she's getting enough food.

so i know i have a forceful letdown, but i don't necessarily think i have oversupply. 

so i've started pulling her off during letdown and reclining to nurse and that has helped some... but it was still seeming like a problem so the last 2 days i started only nursing 1 side each feeding... but now i feel like i'm producing less milk and she's getting mad. my boobs are getting a lot softer as she eats and it's like she's not used to it, and maybe has to work harder to get the milk? (i'll squeeze them to check and there is still milk in there), and so she just gets really mad and cries and keeps pulling off and relatching and pulling off and relatching and just getting more and more mad. but she wants to keep eating... but she'll be screaming some too.

i'm just at a loss of how to get back to a place of calm feedings... i'm thinking i'll go back to at least offering the second side at feedings today. and i pumped after feeding her this morning just to see what i would get (about 1 ounce each side) and think i will pump again after the next feeding as well cuz i'm feeling like maybe i need to increase my supply again. and i would also like to begin to have a small stock in the fridge.

any advice you have on how to make feedings a more pleasant experience or thoughts about why she is getting so fussy after she eats a couple minutes would be so appreciated!

oklahomamom09

Is it normal for babies to burp themselves while on the boob? And do I need to burp him again? 4th time LO has done this to me lol

MrsLillyG

My baby makes her latch more shallow after she gets on. I can make her come on wide but as soon as she gets on she closes her mouth more. How can I fix this?? She does have a good weight gain and plenty of dirty diapers.

turtles7

@mrslillyg my LO has the same issue. I just keep unlatching and relatching when she only has the nipple.

turtles7

So we tried frozen milk last night before my stash gets too big and find out she doesn't like it. DH advised that we was only able to use 3 oz out the 4 oz because it was "caked" on the sides. I asked him if it was completely thawed out when he used it, he said yes. I don't understand how a whole oz could be wasted like that so I'm going to thaw out another bag to see for myself but wanted to see if anyone else had experienced this.

FishyMom

@turtles7 I believe that it is normal for it to be caked to the side, however you have to swirl the bag of milk to get all that mixed back in.

I went to see a LC yesterday and she told me that also is biting me at the beginning and that is why it hurts. She gave me a couple other tips and things to do also. Anyone else's kiddo biting? Will she grow out of this? Or will I always have to unlatch scold and relatch?

uncharted01

@turtles7 - Yes, I believe the stuff caked on the sides is the fatty hindmilk and you want to make sure that gets mixed in with the foremilk.

MrsDL

lovebuggies1 said:

Has anyone had experience with Fenugreek to keep their supply up? I of course don't know how my supply will be (lo isn't here yet) but I see this stuff everywhere. I just don't know when I can start using it. Some reviews say your skin starts smelling sweet like syrup though lol. But I want to pump and feed a lot so that hopefully won't bother me too much.

Are you planning to pump exclusively?  The best way to try and get your supply established (I'm sure you've read) is to exclusively nurse the first few weeks on demand, even allow comfort nursing.  I started pumping once a day at 3 weeks just to get him used to a bottle, but it's only for practice. 

I did use Fenugreek with DS1 - but it was toward the end of nursing (I nursed for over a year), just shy of his first birthday I caught a horrible cold and took some Theraflu without realizing that ingredients in most cold medication will tank your supply.  I went from producing more than enough to barely anything.  Lactation consultant told me to take it (and some tea - forget what kind) and it had my supply right back up in about four days.  You do smell like maple syrup, but it's not a bad smell.  That said, I'd wait to see how your supply is before you take anything and consult with a lactation expert.  I had over-supply to start with DS and he was getting way more foremilk than hind milk.  This caused a host of other issues with him.  I've read a lot of the things that boost supply affect more of the foremilk (at least first), and that's the last thing you want especially early, but if you have issues it does work.

tigerpawie

I've been researching extensively on milk supply and latching. I'm still working on latching techniques with LO. I really need to force myself to unlatch him to fix the latch. He tends to tug pull and unlatch multiple times during feeding. I cannot figure out what's going on. Part of the day, he has greenish poo so that tells me he's not getting enough hind milk. Research shows that it may be due to overactive letdown but... When he unlatches, I don't see any spraying at all. Some dripping yes but no spray. The entire process is frustrating and because of the tugging, pulling, and unlatching, I'm even less motivated to unlatch him and fix his latch because I just want the session over with. He's 2 weeks 3 days btw.
This is just me rambling on. I don't have a question regarding this because I simply cannot find anything online to fix this. It could be overactive let down or under active. I'm waiting for him to grow more so I can truly fix his latch.

My actual question is... No matter how often I relatch him on the same breast, after perhaps.. 15-20-30 minutes of nursing on one breast, he's still rooting. I switch to the other breast and he does the same process. Sometimes I keep switching until he's satisfied or I give up and give him a bottle of formula. I also fed from both breasts each nursing session for my two older kids too. This LO could go for a hour feeding but late afternoon or evening, he goes for a marathon feeding of couple hours. It has been like that since birth.

Research indicates that it is more common to feed from one breast and switch for next feeding. Am i doing something wrong here? Should I be making sure he feeds from one breast no matter how long it takes?

If I do both breasts, it becomes impossible to find time to pump and I'm way too tired to get up middle of night to pump. We also co-sleep so I'm afraid I'll wake LO up if I get up to pump then I'll end up having to feed him with empty breasts.

I am not sure what to do. Any insight?

kfo22

@chesneybrynn‌ Mine does the same sometimes lol. I burp her anyway.. unless it's motn and she's totally passed out

soulcupcake

WildFlower810 said:

Things are looking up for us since my last post. I saw a certified LC, am using ointment for the nipple pain, and the negative emotions about baby and bfing are greatly improving. However... I'm worried that the pain ointment is only a quick fix and once I stop that in a day we will be right back to where we started. We are working on latching better, but Munchkin is like Mommy and is stubborn about doing things his own way. I think we're improving, but I'm not sure. I'm EPing my right side since it was such a hot mess. I'm hoping to reintroduce it later today after Munchkin gets a chiro ajustment. I tried yesterday and he simply wouldn't latch. Right now we're limited to side-lying, my left side only, and using a shield for my flat nipples. Tips for gaining more flexibility in terms of positions and using my right side again? My oversupply is calming down, but I'm still pretty engorged if it's been much more than 2 hours since he fed, and he's going up to 4 hours at night sometimes. Latching is obviously harder when everything is hard and flat. I hope that all made sense... We have made it a week of ebfing, no bottles, no formula. I'm pretty dang proud of that. TB ate my paragraphs. Sorry!

Ruby primarily nurses from my left. I nurse her maybe four times from my right over the course of a day, and she really only takes it when it's really full and milk is almost pouring out. My right side has a delayed let down and that nipple is more flat. Football hold is her preferred position for that side.

I may just end up weaning that side completely like I did with my youngest and just boost my supply on my functioning side.

I have little patience for dealing with nipple shields and pumping that side won't work for me.

soulcupcake

@tigerpawie - My older girls took both breasts, but I only fed from one side at each feeding. And feedings for all of my babies last 20+ min, sometimes an hour during growth spurts, which is a combination of feeding and comfort nursing.

oklahomamom09

kfo22 said:

@chesneybrynn‌ Mine does the same sometimes lol. I burp her anyway.. unless it's motn and she's totally passed out

That's what I've been doing too, I just didn't want it to cause him to have issues lol

tigerpawie

metaphysique said:

@tigerpawie - My older girls took both breasts, but I only fed from one side at each feeding. And feedings for all of my babies last 20+ min, sometimes an hour during growth spurts, which is a combination of feeding and comfort nursing.

I feed from both sides at each feeding. The majority seems to be one side each feeding. I'm just wondering if there's something wrong here if my babies aren't satisfied after one side. I'm constantly switching sides until he stops rooting or sleeps and it usually takes an hour. It's not cluster feeding unless he cluster fed for almost three weeks straight?

oklahomamom09

Econosaurus said:

I was really hoping to avoid my pump for another month but little man will start trying out daycare once it twice a week before I go to work so I guess it's time. Boo. Question: this kid eats damn near everything and nurses every 1.5-2 hours around the clock do how sm I supposed to get extra? I don't get how I'm supposed to time this. I saw I should start with pumping once in the am but if I drain whatever might be left after a feeding I'm not sure I'll be full again for his next feeding. And WWIII will ensue.

Your body should produce whatever baby needs. Pumping is actually going to increase your supply. LO won't miss out on anything.

oklahomamom09

runnershan said:

I'm sorry if this question has been answered. I've read through the 7 pages of this thread before but I'm too sleep deprived to remember if this has been answered.

How long does nipple soreness last? My LO is 7 days old and I've started getting nipple soreness the last 2 days. It's super painful for the first 30 seconds once she latches and then it lets up but it's still slightly painful as she pulls milk. After a feeding my nipples are sore to touch for about an hour and then it gets better.

I know it's not supposed to hurt, but her latch looks fine and I'm not sure if the soreness is just my nipples toughening up or that there is a latch issue. I've seen a LC and I can have her come by again to see if LO is latching wrong I was just hoping to fix it before then since she can't come until Monday and I don't know if my nipples will make it that long!

I'm in the same boat. Also some times it feels like he's biting me with his gums but his latch is good. The few times I've broke his latch with my finger my nipple is good and in there. I dunno gotta get me some more nipple cream today.

missymaye

Ok so I thought I was emptying my breasts during feedings (I feed one side a feeding and pump the other). However, I developed mastitis with a terrible plugged duct so obviously I'm not completely emptying. How do you ladies know if you are empty or not? Sometimes I put the pump on the side that he ate off of but I usually don't get much out if I get anything. I don't want to go through this again lol. Thanks!

AshleeDockter

So my Lo is three weeks old today and I have been waking to feed her (ebf) about every three hours but I want to move to feeding on demand espically over night. She eats for about 45 minutes total both sides we are using a sheild do to shallow latch but we are working on getting off of that. last night she went five hours before I woke her up to eat. Is this normal? I feel like she would just sleep if I let her should I stay with the waking to feed? We had a rough time getting back up to birth weight so I'm worried about keeping her weight gain and my supply up.

MrsG1019

LO has had green poop for about 3 weeks now(poops once a day to once every 2 days, but has been sincere was 3-4 days old, so I think this is his norm). He nurses fine, about 10-15 min from one side, Unlatches and then sometimes will take the other side but usually not. I do have an oversupply/forceful letdown issue so we've worked thru that by laid back feedings but I'm still at a loss over the green poops. We've also tried block feeding with no luck in getting back to the seedy yellow stuff. He's gaining fine (up 4 pounds from birthweight -- he's almost 6 weeks) and we nurse on demand. I've read that the green could indicate an foremilk/hindmilk imblanace which I'm not sure how to fix aside from what we've tried already. Any ideas?

oklahomamom09

AmyG* said:

chesneybrynn said:

runnershan said:

I'm sorry if this question has been answered. I've read through the 7 pages of this thread before but I'm too sleep deprived to remember if this has been answered.

How long does nipple soreness last? My LO is 7 days old and I've started getting nipple soreness the last 2 days. It's super painful for the first 30 seconds once she latches and then it lets up but it's still slightly painful as she pulls milk. After a feeding my nipples are sore to touch for about an hour and then it gets better.

I know it's not supposed to hurt, but her latch looks fine and I'm not sure if the soreness is just my nipples toughening up or that there is a latch issue. I've seen a LC and I can have her come by again to see if LO is latching wrong I was just hoping to fix it before then since she can't come until Monday and I don't know if my nipples will make it that long!

I'm in the same boat. Also some times it feels like he's biting me with his gums but his latch is good. The few times I've broke his latch with my finger my nipple is good and in there. I dunno gotta get me some more nipple cream today.

Latching pain that goes away after less than a minute is normal.  If it continues thru the feeding, it may be improper latch.  Nipples kinda of raw feeling after nursing is also normal.

However, nursing pain that lasts for longer than a few weeks means something is going on.  but those first few weeks you expect a bit of pain from the constant use of nipples that have never been touched 24/7 before.

warm soaks speeds healing.  alternate with cool compresses and motrin for pain and swelling of tissues.  after feeds express a bit of breastmilk onto the tip of the nipples, rub it in and let it air dry or dry with a hairdryer on low.  Then use a nipple creme.  Lanolin or a non-lanolin creme like Earth mama nipple butter or Kerry's herbals miracle salve covering the nipple until the next feeding.

If you feel like baby is clamping down, that means they are probably sliding out more toward tip of nipple and clamping down to slow the flow of milk.  try laid back nursing so gravity pulls them into a deeper latch or football hold so you can see what they are doing.

 

 

Thank you!

turtles7

AmyG* said:

turtles7 said:

So we tried frozen milk last night before my stash gets too big and find out she doesn't like it. DH advised that we was only able to use 3 oz out the 4 oz because it was "caked" on the sides. I asked him if it was completely thawed out when he used it, he said yes. I don't understand how a whole oz could be wasted like that so I'm going to thaw out another bag to see for myself but wanted to see if anyone else had experienced this.

4 oz is kind of a large meal for a little one.  usual is 1 oz per hour since last feed, or 2.5-3 oz every 2.5-3 hours.

why didn't she like it? was it first bottle? too fast of flow?

----------------
I totally agree that 4 oz is too much and DH and I about this daily but because the peds advised that it was ok, he wants to give her more. Last night he gave her 4.5 oz. He doesn't get that she can overfeed with a bottle and won't listen to me. At least she gets a bottle only once a day.

But my question was about the fatty milk sticking to the side of the bag. I read someone's recommendation on the O14 board (or maybe the BF board) to run it under hot water, which I did and it worked. She drank the frozen milk with no issue. Thank goodness!

Thanks AmyG!

Curlyfries851

I've been block feeding for a couple days bc LO was choking on my gallons of milk and started having getting really gassy and fussy and having green poops.

Gassiness and fussiness are getting better. Poop is still green but more light green than dark green like it was.

My question is: how long should I be block feeding before my body regulates and starts producing normal amounts of milk? What signs am I looking for that things are back to "normal"?

FishyMom

AmyG* said:

Ashris13 said:

@turtles7 I believe that it is normal for it to be caked to the side, however you have to swirl the bag of milk to get all that mixed back in.

I went to see a LC yesterday and she told me that also is biting me at the beginning and that is why it hurts. She gave me a couple other tips and things to do also. Anyone else's kiddo biting? Will she grow out of this? Or will I always have to unlatch scold and relatch?

you shouldn't be scolding.  What's up with that?  They don't know what they are doing, so calmly taking care of it, unlatching and try again, no need to scold.

if you are too harsh or loud sounding it may put them off nursing completely for a nursing strike. 

Biting down is usually done because baby has a shallow latch,

or they are clamping down to slow the flow of milk

or because they have a tongue tie, so they get into position and then can't hold their mouth open and tongue in the right place and their mouth closes up some. 

With work all of these are fixable, and they should not continue.

So did LC say why they think baby is clamping down?

*** quote fail ***

I'm not sure where scold came from! Lol no scolding here. The LC said she could see the fast tight movements in her jaw and that was the bite. She said it was the latch also, but anytime I feel like I get a good deep latch she pulls back and fights and does not eat until she gets the latch she wants. I just keep trying and in hoping she will grow into a deeper latch.

Thanks!

mockingjay1

AmyG* said:

dmo1371 said:

Why are you using the shield?  Flat or inverted nipples, poor latch or what?

Some LC's and drs really are convinced that baby should never eat longer than 20-ish minutes or they are just comfort sucking--so it could just be that.    The research shows otherwise, that as long as baby nurses your body makes more milk, continues to let down more milk and baby will get more hindmilk which will fill them up and signal their brain that they are full and they'll be happy longer between feeds.  Every baby is different, and I had one who was a 15 minute nurser and then happy for hours and one that nursed for over 30 minutes or more and wanted to eat all the time.  So I'm always very cautious with telling a mom that they should ever limit time at the breast.  Cause sometimes it doesn't really help the situation.

The shield can interfere with milk transfer, and it's often recommended to pump after baby nurses with a shield to ensure that your supply stays high.  Sometimes they recommend supplementing a baby that is nursing with a shield just to be sure they get enough. 

It usually takes several weighted feeds in a row to really see what is going on with baby's milk transfer with a shield.  If they can get enough with the shield then you don't need to pump and supplement.  If they can be weaned from using the shield (should be your goal anyway) then you can get off that merry go round as well.

Which brings us back to why are you using a sheild? And what happens when you try to nurse without the shield (baby can learn to latch to a flat or inverted nipple without a sheild, it takes practice). And why did you start the pump supplement cycle anyway? 

I somehow missed this reply. Sorry about that amyg. I started to supplement because baby still seemed very hungry after feedings. I was pumping after because I was using a shield. The goal is definitely to get rid of the shield when I can. The LC I talked to thought I should wait till I was a little more healed. I am going to look into renting a scale today

@dmo1371

Regarding the bold-- supplementing with a bottle because baby still seemed hungry after feedings can really screw things up.  Because baby might seem hungry after feedings for a lot of reasons--they want to suck longer, they got a lot of milk but want to suck without getting milk (comfort suck), they are going thru a growth spurt, they are cranky from needing to burp or poop (and their immature brains think any tummy pains means I need to eat), etc.

Supplementing may be necessary, but really should be determined from weighted feedings, weight gain monitoring and check of baby's latch and milk transferring ability.  Lots of newborns act like they are starved all the time just because they have an inborn instinct to suck for survival--they may be geting plenty of food, but it's digested fast and they need to gain weight fast, so they eat all.the.time.

Did you go to see an LC? What did you figure out?

amyg* - 

Re: supplementing after feedings - I had a hard time knowing what to do because using the nipple shield you are recommended to pump after feedings, so if I just pumped and he was acting hungry I couldn't just put him to the breast because I didn't think he'd really be getting anything. Unfortunately there isn't much I can do about that now (I feel like the damage is done and now I'm trying to fix it). 

We are doing weighted feedings now (I rented a scale). He breastfed for 25-30 min and got 76ml and actually fell asleep afterwards. I am meeting with a LC tomorrow to do a pre and post weight, have her watch his latch (which is usually good), talk about when to wean off the nipple shield and pump less, and to have her watch me pump. I want to make sure i have the correct flange size. Also, when I pump my nipples turn purple (and it's uncomfortable toward the end, especially after I breastfeed first). I'm not sure if that's new or something I haven't noticed before. The LC I spoke with on the phone said I could have Raynauds (which may explain my super sensitive nipples). Hopefully we will have a better plan after tomorrow.

My supply is also so much better than it was initially (30-40ml a session to now 90-120ml+). My doctor also prescribed me reglan a week or so ago in case I want to take that. The side effects scare me a little, and I feel much better about my supply now (doing fenugreek, oatmeal, lactation cookies), so I don't think I will end up taking that. I'm hoping we are heading in the right direction and getting much close to exclusively breastfeeding without having to supplement and pump every single time. 

mamaluzi

So I just have to say, I am SO SICK of the varying opinions on EBFing I've been hearing. Between nurses at the hospitals, and lactation consult there vs at my pedi, etc...I've gotten all different opinions on how often to feed her (one person said 4 hrs at night, someone else said no more than 2, etc), whether or not to use the nipple shield (I've been told it's fine and there's no med reason not to so long as supply doesn't become an issue, but then I've been told she HAS to wean off of it from someone else), she needs at least 1 poop diaper a day wait no 3 wait no 4, she has to eat from both sides wait no just one, etc. So. Effing. Annoying. I have no idea if what I'm doing is right. I can see why people give up.

howin23

@aluzitano I'm just going with, "If baby is gaining weight and I'm not in too much pain, then I'm breastfeeding right." Everything else is icing.

MrsG1019

Ok.. Someone talk me off the ledge cuz I'm at the end of the rope with BF. I've gotten help from this post twice now but we are still having major problems & I'm feeling like changing to formula would be the best option somehow.. At least temporarily to see of things improve, if nothing else-- sorry for such a long post.

Here's a recap:

-Baby has been EBF, on demand & He's 6 weeks today.
- weighed 7.13 at birth & weighs 12.4 at 6 weeks -- so he's gaining like a champ.
-He's been beyond fussy and miserable for the last 5 weeks. Not a happy baby at all. We were told it is likeIy colic.
- he is gassy ALL. THE. TIME. He's in pain.. Curling up, straining to release the gas, turning purple sometimes from crying thru it, and if he's at the breast when these moments happen he screams and clenches his fist and jaw, arches back and there's no soothing him...I've never seen anything like it. He becomes such an angry little guy.
- he spits up ALL. THE. TIME. Throughout the day, but especially after eating and it's usualy curdled cottage cheese looking stuff, although we also get the milk fountain. We literaly change him 5-6 times a day cuz he makes a mess of his clothes.
- we've had green poop for the last 4 weeks. He usualy poops every 1-3 days & is ultra miserable right before this happens(but consistency doesn't indicate any constipation issue) it's just green. Not seedy at all. (Pedi said this could just be his normal, and they're not concerned cuz he's gaining great.)
-I do have an over active letdown/over supply issue and do block feeding and laid back feeding with no sign of it helping at all. He still chokes on his milk, and we still have green poop.
- I've kept a food diary thinking something I was eating was the cause of his issues but not seeing any patterns or relief even with cutting out the "typical" irritants.

I'm at my wits end. Today he has screamed at the top of his lungs since 8am.. It's 3:30 now, and we are both MISERABLE. I'm calling his pedi again in the morning, but one idea I had is switching to formula and seeing if it helps his issues at all-- it should right? Maybe? Thoughts? Help!

pixie523

Tonight my LO has taken to screaming while on my breast. She'll take two to three sucks, pull off and scream. She's feeding like crazy and turns 3 weeks tomorrow.

Is it possible I don't have enough milk since she's feeding so frequently? I offered a pumped bottle and she drank an ounce and a half, but quickly spit it up.

MrsG1019

@AmyG*‌ thank you for your help again -- you're incredible! If I block feed for an even longer period on one side what do I do about the engorgement on the other side?

I did dairy free (removed the obvious dairy)for a week .. Didn't see any change so I went back.. Didn't realize it takes that long for the dairy traces to leave my system. Dang it. Back to the drawing board there and I'll make sure to check out the Kelly mom list.

In terms of reflux we have done literally every single one of your suggestions, and continue to use them all daily. Colic calm is the only one that helps for about an hour and then that wears off. Definitely asking the doctor about some sort of trial Meds tomorrow ... This little guy needs a break from all the throwing up he does -- he is SO bothered by it and it's heartbreaking.

I suspected the 6 week growth spurt is amplifying our issues ..what awful timing. Hooping something changes fast. I don't want to switch to formula if we can avoid it, but at this point I'm separate to find him relief & myself some sanity.

CarrieAnne09

flutterbuggie said:

p.

aragosta said:

I went from massive over supply like pumping 7 oz after he ate to I feel like my breasts are empty now. I worked hard for several days to ignore engorgment and not pump. Then I wake up today expecting full breasts and they feel empty. I've googled and it says my breasts aren't empty just regulating but I've fed every 2 hours just in case. Am I freaking myself out for no reason? Anyone? Halp.

My boobs have felt SO empty lately but LO is still gaining weight. I mentioned in my post above how empty they had felt. Like, convinced there was not a drop left in there they were so soft, I could almost completely flatten them I felt like yet I still pumped like 2 oz from one boob! Where they are hiding the milk I have no idea but I know now that just because it feels empty doesn't mean it is!

I'm in the same boat. My boobs are so soft but I can hear LO swallowing a ton when she's eating so I know she's getting milk. I'm trying not to stress about it. BF is stressful.

howin23

My Dequervains tendonitis has gotten so bad that I can't separate my right thumb from my hand and can barely use that hand at all. It's getting worse, mainly from squeezing and holding up my boob while nursing, and I'm now wearing a brace 24/7 except when nursing. How are you all holding your boob up? And squeezing to make the "sandwich?" I need a solution that will save my right hand. I'm considering just pumping on that side but hope there's another solution. =(

mockingjay1

Just to update you all if you've been following (and AmyG since she's been so helpful)... The LC I met with yesterday wasn't super helpful which was frustrating. She seemed a little rushed.

LO was gassy and fussy so that didn't help things. He finally latched and stayed on and got 45ml from one side. She then said well he seems happy (even though he still seemed hungry) so we didn't even try the other side. She had me do the feeding without the nipple shield which was pretty painful because he wouldn't stay latched deep (there was a crease on my nipple). She did at least tell me I don't need to pump if I don't use the shield unless I supplement and if I do use the shield pumping twice a day should be plenty. She also said it looks like I have raynauds so I am picking up a prescription to help that today.

I left feeling only half satisfied. I didn't supplement him that feeding because he seemed content enough once he was in his carseat. I'm not sure if that's what helped us or what is going on but the next feeding LO took 88ml at the breast and for the rest of the night took 90-140ml from the breast. I was so freaking happy!

The last couple feeds he's only taken 84ml and 76ml. After the 84ml I pumped and got 65ml so I know there was more there for him he just didn't seem interested. I guess I just want reassurance that him taking less than his last few feeds is normal... I am so worried he's going to keep taking less and less from the breast (which I know I'll just have to wait and see) after I've got my hopes up that we can maybe finally just breastfeed!

staugustinewedding

CarrieAnne09 said:

flutterbuggie said:

p.

aragosta said:

I went from massive over supply like pumping 7 oz after he ate to I feel like my breasts are empty now. I worked hard for several days to ignore engorgment and not pump. Then I wake up today expecting full breasts and they feel empty. I've googled and it says my breasts aren't empty just regulating but I've fed every 2 hours just in case. Am I freaking myself out for no reason? Anyone? Halp.

My boobs have felt SO empty lately but LO is still gaining weight. I mentioned in my post above how empty they had felt. Like, convinced there was not a drop left in there they were so soft, I could almost completely flatten them I felt like yet I still pumped like 2 oz from one boob! Where they are hiding the milk I have no idea but I know now that just because it feels empty doesn't mean it is!

I'm in the same boat. My boobs are so soft but I can hear LO swallowing a ton when she's eating so I know she's getting milk. I'm trying not to stress about it. BF is stressful.

Me three! My boobs actually look like they did pre-pregnancy but now they just have milk in them..I thought they would be super big, but that's not the case. After my milk came in and I had HUGE boobs, I would take smaller ones ANY day.

AnnieRoo13

howin23 said:

My Dequervains tendonitis has gotten so bad that I can't separate my right thumb from my hand and can barely use that hand at all. It's getting worse, mainly from squeezing and holding up my boob while nursing, and I'm now wearing a brace 24/7 except when nursing. How are you all holding your boob up? And squeezing to make the "sandwich?" I need a solution that will save my right hand. I'm considering just pumping on that side but hope there's another solution. =(

I only make the "sandwich" when LO latches on, then I let go. I do it again if I have to re-latch. Are you holding it the entire time?

AnnieRoo13

Is there any correlation between how much you pump to how much the baby receives when nursing? For example, if I pump 4 oz in 10 minutes from one breast would the baby receive a similar amount if they were nursing? I realize that the baby takes breaks and the pump is continuous, but I'm curious about how much LO is getting as his feeds are becoming shorter. I know a weighed feed would answer this, but there's no concern for weight gain etc. I'm just curious!

mockingjay1

BF is so frustrating! LO sometimes nurses well, other times he's super sleepy and I still feel quite full afterwards (ie this feeding he took 80ml total eating off both sides). It seems like now more often than that after the initial let down and getting that milk he is done with that side. He either just sleeps or gets very frustrated and won't stay latched. Sometimes he only gets 30ml or so from each side and is still starving (ie last night he got 52ml and wouldn't stay latched on either side because he was frustrated so I pumped and got 65ml more). The starving but won't latch seems to happen toward the end of the day where my breasts don't seem near as full, whereas the sleepiness is earlier in the day where I have plenty of milk he just won't take it. I'm at a loss of what to do. Last night I just ended up pumping and giving him a bottle for 2-3 feedings. 

I know at the beginning of the day there is plenty of milk he is just too sleepy to eat a lot... then at the end of the day he is so frustrated he won't eat if it's not easy... What the heck do I do to fix this? Right now I am sitting here in mild pain because my breasts are so full and nothing I did would wake him up after he took his 80ml. I plan on waking him up at the 2 hour mark to feed him... I assume I shouldn't pump? I just want to make sure he isn't going to hurt my supply if he only takes 50-80 instead of the 90-100+ he was taking a few days ago at the breast. He definitely would not have got in his 25-30oz yesterday without the 2 bottles he had unless he somehow nursed significantly better than he has been the last couple days. 

The problem now seems to be with baby and not my supply... Any advice would be very appreciated. 

I feel like I've almost taken over this thread... sorry for that! 

carafern

Is it possible that a fast let down can subside after a while? Or maybe my baby just got good at dealing with it? She doesn't seem to struggle with it as much anymore, even when I don't do laid back nursing. 

This is not a concern but I'm curious because now she's nursing for longer…so I wonder if this is the growth spurt (Lucy is 3 weeks old today) or if the milk is coming less quickly (she used to nurse for 5-12 minutes, and now 15-20 minutes).

staugustinewedding

Hi! I'm 3.5 weeks pp and EBF. So far so good! Weight gain is good and latch has been good, but for the last week LO has been causing some pain on the initial latch.

When she starts to latch, she puckers her lips and only gets the tip of the nipple and it causes a lot of pain. I quickly put my pinky in the corner of her mouth to release her from it, then tickle the bottom of her lip with the nipple so she will open up nice and wide..and she does..but then she will just suck the tip. After a few times she finally latches on correctly, but it's causing pain on my nipples! They aren't cracked or blistered or bleeding, but I'm not sure how to correct her. I will go see a LC on Monday if we can't fix it over the weekend..but any advice? TIA!

CarrieAnne09

So Brooke is 3 weeks old on Sunday and for the last 4 days during the day she eats every hour. Unless she naps then it's 2-3 hours. Is this our new normal or is this just a longggg growth spurt? Last night she actually gave me some 3 hour stretches but in the day not so much. My poor poor nipples!