@apk4 Will your daycare provider be fine with you bringing three 3oz bottles and three 1oz bottles, feeding him a 3oz bottle and then waiting a bit to see if he's still hungry? She could offer the 4th ounce just if he is truly hungry. That will help prevent him from being overfed (because babies often will finish a bottle even if they're full).
On the long days, you could send four 3oz bottles and three or four 1oz bottles.
@emerald27 Yeah, I can do that. She is just SO insistent on the 4 ounces that I think she may be offended by it. She also mentioned cereal this morning and I was inwardly cringing. He is 12 weeks tomorrow, he doesn't need cereal.
@emerald27 Yeah, I can do that. She is just SO insistent on the 4 ounces that I think she may be offended by it. She also mentioned cereal this morning and I was inwardly cringing. He is 12 weeks tomorrow, he doesn't need cereal.
Wow! Yeah, I'll never understand early solids. It just isn't logical to me to feed solids to a baby who can't sit up or put food into his own mouth. I feel like nature says he's not ready!
Smaller meals given more frequently is better for digestion, health, and growth. Would it help to explain to her that this is your understanding and that you would like your baby to be fed this way? You could even just say that this is more like he would nurse at home, and you would like his feedings at daycare to better mimic the normal routine of breastfeeding.
@emerald27 Yeah, I can do that. She is just SO insistent on the 4 ounces that I think she may be offended by it. She also mentioned cereal this morning and I was inwardly cringing. He is 12 weeks tomorrow, he doesn't need cereal.
Um..I would run from a DCP who wants to feed cereal to a three month old. But that's just me.
As for the bottles, are they willing to keep a backup bag of frozen milk? That way you could send 4, 4 oz bottles and know that baby won't starve if he needs a little bit more one day.
Yeah, I had that thought about the cereal. We were discussing his reflux, so I gave her a pass.
I went back to work today and was gone from 7:30 to 4:30. I left 8oz in four 2oz bottles and he only ate 5oz. He nursed before I left and right when I got home. Does that amount seem normal? We've been EBF this whole time so I've never known how much he eats. I also pumped twice that much at work.
Me: 30 | DH: 4/12/85 - 6/16/14 | Quinn Patrick born 9/28/14
@windwithfingers and @SaraML13 Some babies do prefer to hold off as much as they can and wait to nurse and snuggle with mama. As long as baby is content while mom is away and makes up for it by nursing more at home, that's perfectly fine. Just watch diaper output and weight gain.
Alright this happens every time lo goes through a growth spurt.,. He wants to eat like a starving hyena... And then I worry my supply is tanking... And then it ends up being ok. So here we go again!!! This one is rough. So I have a question that goes along with this same time frame. We are on day #8 of growth spurt. A few days before or maybe the night before lo started sleeping loooooong stretches... Like from 10pm to 6-7 am. I am NOT complaining about that at all and I know that's lucky. I'm wondering if sttn can cause more hunger during the day??? I'm praying that I'm not paying for his sttn with frequent feeding during the day cause lord give me back the motn feed if so!! Also I've lost a few more lbs this past few weeks as my hubby is on a super health kick and were attempting to prep for a beach wedding were attending in May. I've cut out processed food and in turn I think a lot of carbs. I'm hoping My diet changes haven't affect my supply. Tia ladies for reading my rant!!!! Y'all are awesome
@starla487 Tough to decide which direction to go. Did the LC who recommended supplementing with pumped milk suggest how much she would give?
I have a couple ideas to run by your LCs, if they interest you:
What about massage prior to nursing, and offering to nurse frequently? Massaging your breasts will help to reincorporate any cream that has risen to the top of your ducts, evening out the fat content within the milk LO gets. Nursing frequently will give your breasts less time to refill and give the milk stored within them less time to separate.
Block feeding for the purpose of increasing weight makes me a little nervous, but I think I understand the LC's motive. Some LCs believe that nursing just on one breast and not switching sides when LO unlatches/appears ready will make sure that the breast is well-drained so that baby gets lots of high-fat milk. In some sense that's right, but there's also evidence that making baby sit on one breast longer than comes naturally to him doesn't actually have any nutritional benefit. Baby should be allowed to finish the first breast first, of course, but these days most experts seem to say that once baby seems done, go ahead and switch sides.
If you massaged your breasts and nursed often, and then pumped after a couple morning feedings, you could conceivably supplement with what you pump, or about an ounce, after one or two feedings each day. It might be worth asking if the massage and frequent nursing alone would be good to try before adding pumping and supplementing, but the LC may think it's a good idea to go ahead and supplement.
Sounds like you have several ideas and need to think about what will work best for you. Good luck!!!
I know it would be awkward, but it might help to answer your question of what gear you might need if you go ahead and ask a committee member about the location and a place to pump. Or ask who you might need to contact to find out about it.
If you want to be able to pump in the car as a backup, a car adapter may be a really nice thing to have.
You may need to call and ask the airline if your pump bag or cooler is exempt from the 1-item rule for carry-on luggage. I'm not sure.
I would plan to pump as usual during working hours and then every 3 hours at night. It's a pain, but the pump is less efficient than baby, and it will protect your supply.
Good luck! Hopefully others can chime in with more suggestions!
More pumping questions (can you tell we have all started back to work?!).
1. I had planned on pumping every 3 hours at work. I'm not keeping up with baby which I understand is not uncommon, but would it help to pump more often? Like every 2.5 hours? Will I just get the same amount total but less in each pump? I'm trying to get 3-4 ounces per pump so I get 9-12 for the day but I'm only seeing 2-3 and I pump for 20 minutes each time (milk stops flowing after about 7-8 but I keep going).
2. If I feed LO before I leave for work then pump in the car on the way to work, is that overkill? Like, feed her at 6:00 and then pump in the car at 6:30. I have a long commute (45+ minutes) so I was thinking of doing 20 minutes, rest for 10 then another 10 but if I just nursed her, would this even help?
@MrMrsandBaby Adding extra pumping sessions should increase your yield, especially if you take steps to maximize your output. Gentle massage and shaking your breasts prior to pumping can help. Also, breast compressions, looking at photos or video of baby, thinking about how it feels/sounds/looks for baby to be nursing, can help. Though some moms do find that they need to distract themselves and not think of baby to improve yield - experiment to see what helps you!
@SaraML13 I haven't ever gone away from LO for more than the day, so I don't have suggestions for the plane, etc. but I would definitely take your manual pump. I think I actually like my manual more than my PISA now. I get about the same, or more, using the manual and it's less hassle.
I purchased the car charger on Amazon and am so glad that I did. I definitely think it's worth having the backup option in case you don't have a plug. I don't have the battery pack, so I'm not sure how well it works, but that sounds like a good idea. Good luck!!
Are manual pumps quiet? I'm going to a long movie on Sunday, so I'll be away from baby for a bit over 4 hours. Would it be really weird to pump in the theatre?
Not weird at all. Everyone's watching the movie so no one will even notice. The sound of the movie should drown out any sound the pump makes.
So I finally got dd to latch without the nipple shield! Yeah!! However since we stopped using it yesterday I've noticed she is spitting up more frequently and large quantities. Coincidence or possible correlation?
@MrMrsandBaby - I pump after our first feeding of the day. I've been doing it since DD was 3 weeks old and now get about 5 oz during that pumping session (started with 3 and increased over time). I definitely suggest doing it after your 6 am feeding since that's when you will probably yield the most after a feeding.
Me: 38 DH: 36 Married 8/27/2011 BFP #1 9/28/2011 DS born 5/22/2012 BFP #2 4/24/2013 m/c 4/25/2013 at 4w BFP #3 1/31/2014 DD born 10/14/2014 BFP #4 1/20/2016 m/c 2/12/2014 at 7w2d BFP #5 8/19/2016 DS2 born 4/29/2017 BFP #6 3/7/2018 EDD 11/18/2018
So I finally got dd to latch without the nipple shield! Yeah!! However since we stopped using it yesterday I've noticed she is spitting up more frequently and large quantities. Coincidence or possible correlation?
Possible correlation, but it doesn't really matter either way. Unless she's miserable when she spits up, it's just a social/laundry problem. She will probably adjust to your flow without the shield and spit up less soon, though spitting up often peaks around 4mo.
So I finally got dd to latch without the nipple shield! Yeah!! However since we stopped using it yesterday I've noticed she is spitting up more frequently and large quantities. Coincidence or possible correlation?
Possible correlation, but it doesn't really matter either way. Unless she's miserable when she spits up, it's just a social/laundry problem. She will probably adjust to your flow without the shield and spit up less soon, though spitting up often peaks around 4mo.
Thank you she doesn't seem to be uncomfortable but she has gotten some good distance on the spits up today so hoping she'll adjust to the new flow soon.
I know getting different amounts from each breast is normal, but what about it taking drastically different amounts of time? My right boob is done in a little over 10 minutes. I can get the same amount from lefty, but today took almost 25 minutes and milk was still flowing, but I had to stop and get work done.
I'm doing massage/compressions on the left the whole time (and not even touching the right much). I'm just worried that I'm not emptying and I'll end up with rather plugged ducts or a decrease in supply, but I can't keep taking 30 minutes for a pump session... Ideas?
@katedann when you stop pumping, does your breast still feel full? Does it till up uncomfortably before you pump again? It may be ok to proceed as usual and just watch for engorgement.
@Emerald27 , it definitely feels like it still has more milk left in it than the other side (and my yield is much less if I don't pump for a long time), but I'm not getting uncomfortable between pumps. When I BF, she only takes one side, so when I pump, I'm really only going half as long between emptying, so engorgement hadn't been an issue. I would like to keep pumping the same amount of milk, I guess I'm wondering if there are there things other than what I'm already doing to speed the flow?
So after 3 months, and trying every suggestion I could find, only 1 of my breasts is producing milk. This means I am EBF from only 1 breast. I am constantly terrified that the breast that is producing will quit on me. I guess what I'm looking for here is success stories bf from one side exclusively. She's gaining and growing beautifully, and has plenty of wet and dirty diapers, but this anxiety building up inside of me is just so intense.
Also, I'm a sahm, so while we're on a quasi-schedule, she can eat on demand. I don't pump anymore, as my body has regulated my supply to her needs. So while I have a stash in the freezer in case of emergency, I'm not able to pump more to add to it. I want so badly to continue to produce, and I don't know where all this anxiety and doubt is coming from, but I would like to here anyone else's experiences bf with 1 "working" breast.
@lvcpatt84 So I can't speak from personal experience but this happened to my best friend with her last baby. One of her breasts dried up so she nursed her son from the other side exclusively. It wasn't a problem for her, except that she had to stuff her bra on the non-working side so her boobs looked the same size in shirts. She successfully breastfed for 6 months, then she weaned him for her own unrelated reasons.
@lvcpatt84 So I can't speak from personal experience but this happened to my best friend with her last baby. One of her breasts dried up so she nursed her son from the other side exclusively. It wasn't a problem for her, except that she had to stuff her bra on the non-working side so her boobs looked the same size in shirts. She successfully breastfed for 6 months, then she weaned him for her own unrelated reasons.
Thanks @deezidee04! My goal is 1 year, but I'll be so happy if I'm still going at 6 months! I'm a bit self conscious about the lopsidedness, luckily since it's winter I can cover it with a sweater, but come summertime I'll be stuffing 'ole righty!
It's probably been a month since my last plugged duct but I'm still terrified to wear a bra with underwire. I feel like a big boob blob in my underwire-free nursing bras though. Are we all in the same boat here or do y'all wear the wire?
It's probably been a month since my last plugged duct but I'm still terrified to wear a bra with underwire. I feel like a big boob blob in my underwire-free nursing bras though. Are we all in the same boat here or do y'all wear the wire?
Pretty much all I wear are sports bras, either normal ones or spaghetti strap ones. But I wear scrubs to work so it's easy for me to hide less support. I'm scared of the underwire too! Plus I don't think underwire is comfortable now that my boobs have their own zip code.
I just wanted to come back and thank @emerald27 and @amyg for all the advice back in November when I first started feeding. Those weeks were awful. But it got way better, just like they say. Now it's all about no sleep but I'm told that gets better too....maybe....
So after 3 months, and trying every suggestion I could find, only 1 of my breasts is producing milk. This means I am EBF from only 1 breast. I am constantly terrified that the breast that is producing will quit on me. I guess what I'm looking for here is success stories bf from one side exclusively. She's gaining and growing beautifully, and has plenty of wet and dirty diapers, but this anxiety building up inside of me is just so intense.
Also, I'm a sahm, so while we're on a quasi-schedule, she can eat on demand. I don't pump anymore, as my body has regulated my supply to her needs. So while I have a stash in the freezer in case of emergency, I'm not able to pump more to add to it. I want so badly to continue to produce, and I don't know where all this anxiety and doubt is coming from, but I would like to here anyone else's experiences bf with 1 "working" breast.
Why can't you pump more? Your supply is constantly adjusting...if you want more in the freezer, pump after a feeding consistently. Your supply will gradually increase at that time.
Thanks @theresat858! I was pumping after a few nursing sessions, but I was only getting about 1oz after 15 or 20 minutes of pumping, so I figured she had drained that breast completely. It's been a couple weeks since I pumped last, but I'll start pumping after each nursing session again and see how that goes.
@lvcpatt84
Here is one success story:
https://www.llli.org/nb/nbmayjun08p15.html
You can absolutely EBF a baby with just one breast. Many mothers have done this successfully.
May I ask what you've tried to increase your supply in the other breast?
@emerald27 Mainly just putting her on it and pumping it as often as possible. Also drinking a ton of water and eating more healthy than I've ever ate in my life (Someone told me a certain diet would promote milk supply). At one point I was starting her on the "non working" breast, then moving her to the "working" breast and pumping the "non working" one simultaneously. I've pulled her off the "non working" breast to see if any milk dribbles from her mouth, but I never see any, and I can no longer hand express even a drop. It's bizarre. Both breasts started off producing just fine, and I don't feel like it went through the "drying up" process, it just kind of... quit.
Thank you for sharing that success story with me. I know she's getting enough from the 1 breast, and it's supply is perfect, I just get panicky sometimes.
Speak of the devil!!! As soon as I said I hadn't had a plug in awhile, I got one!
No!!! Boo! Massage, massage, massage!
I'm still dealing with angry boob (aspiration #5 scheduled for Monday), and found a little handheld massager on clearance at target for $6. I've been stuffing that thing turned on down my bra for a few minutes at a time a couple times a day in hopes of finally kicking this thing.
That is hilarious and clever. I can't believe what a trial this has been for you. Angry boob can suck it.
@lvcpatt84 I EBF with mainly just one breast. Due to PCOS, one of my breasts never fully developed and barely produces despite regular feedings and now pumping at work (a good pumping session produces maybe 1/2 an ounce on that side). While I can never produce extra to freeze, I have been successful in both BF and pumping at work to meet her needs (especially with waking up in the middle of the night and pumping a few ounces to make sure I get enough for day care). Lopsided - yep, but I am used to it.
Married 10/06
Baby Girl "C" arrived on 10/07/14 (39 weeks, 6 days)
You can absolutely EBF a baby with just one breast. Many mothers have done this successfully.
May I ask what you've tried to increase your supply in the other breast?
@emerald27 Mainly just putting her on it and pumping it as often as possible. Also drinking a ton of water and eating more healthy than I've ever ate in my life (Someone told me a certain diet would promote milk supply). At one point I was starting her on the "non working" breast, then moving her to the "working" breast and pumping the "non working" one simultaneously. I've pulled her off the "non working" breast to see if any milk dribbles from her mouth, but I never see any, and I can no longer hand express even a drop. It's bizarre. Both breasts started off producing just fine, and I don't feel like it went through the "drying up" process, it just kind of... quit.
Thank you for sharing that success story with me. I know she's getting enough from the 1 breast, and it's supply is perfect, I just get panicky sometimes.
------------------------------ Does she act frustrated or finish quickly on your underachiever breast?
Not being able to express much and not seeing milk in baby's mouth when you unlatch aren't the best indicators of supply. You can continue to nurse LO on that breast as much as she's interested, and pump it while she nurses on the other, and maybe your supply in that breast will increase. Good luck!
Hi wise ladies. I have a question. I'm going back to work tomorrow (:() and I'm trying to prepare myself for pumping at work. How do you fully transfer the creamy part of the refrigerated breast milk since you're not supposed to shake it?
I usually pump 6-7 times a day during the work week. This past weekend I didn't pump at all, because I just nursed DS on demand- about every 1.5 to 2 hours.
This morning on my first two pumps I only got 5 ounces. I usually get 7-9. Is my supply dwindling because I didn't pump over the weekend? Do I need to pump over the weekend?
I'm hoping I'm just prematurely worrying and all will be okay. I have a big mug of milkmaid tea in front of me right now.
ETA: He nursed before daycare and seemed to be pulling and tugging to get a letdown. He usually doesn't have an issue. Another reason I'm worried.
I usually pump 6-7 times a day during the work week. This past weekend I didn't pump at all, because I just nursed DS on demand- about every 1.5 to 2 hours.
This morning on my first two pumps I only got 5 ounces. I usually get 7-9. Is my supply dwindling because I didn't pump over the weekend? Do I need to pump over the weekend?
I'm hoping I'm just prematurely worrying and all will be okay. I have a big mug of milkmaid tea in front of me right now.
ETA: He nursed before daycare and seemed to be pulling and tugging to get a letdown. He usually doesn't have an issue. Another reason I'm worried.
You don't need to be pumping over the weekend. Try not to stress. It's probably not your supply, but even if it is, you can always bring it back up. Try some breast compressions during pumping, and massage your breasts before you start. How frequently do you pump at work?
I usually pump 6-7 times a day during the work week. This past weekend I didn't pump at all, because I just nursed DS on demand- about every 1.5 to 2 hours.
This morning on my first two pumps I only got 5 ounces. I usually get 7-9. Is my supply dwindling because I didn't pump over the weekend? Do I need to pump over the weekend?
I'm hoping I'm just prematurely worrying and all will be okay. I have a big mug of milkmaid tea in front of me right now.
ETA: He nursed before daycare and seemed to be pulling and tugging to get a letdown. He usually doesn't have an issue. Another reason I'm worried.
You don't need to be pumping over the weekend. Try not to stress. It's probably not your supply, but even if it is, you can always bring it back up. Try some breast compressions during pumping, and massage your breasts before you start. How frequently do you pump at work?
I usually pump at 4:30, nurse at 6, pump again at 7:00 or 7:30 depending on when I get to work, 9:00, 11:30, 2:00, 5:00, and once again when I'm home. I have just been using my manual pump and I massage my breasts as I pump.
Re: Breastfeeding Support and Information
On the long days, you could send four 3oz bottles and three or four 1oz bottles.
Smaller meals given more frequently is better for digestion, health, and growth. Would it help to explain to her that this is your understanding and that you would like your baby to be fed this way? You could even just say that this is more like he would nurse at home, and you would like his feedings at daycare to better mimic the normal routine of breastfeeding.
I have a couple ideas to run by your LCs, if they interest you:
What about massage prior to nursing, and offering to nurse frequently? Massaging your breasts will help to reincorporate any cream that has risen to the top of your ducts, evening out the fat content within the milk LO gets. Nursing frequently will give your breasts less time to refill and give the milk stored within them less time to separate.
Block feeding for the purpose of increasing weight makes me a little nervous, but I think I understand the LC's motive. Some LCs believe that nursing just on one breast and not switching sides when LO unlatches/appears ready will make sure that the breast is well-drained so that baby gets lots of high-fat milk. In some sense that's right, but there's also evidence that making baby sit on one breast longer than comes naturally to him doesn't actually have any nutritional benefit. Baby should be allowed to finish the first breast first, of course, but these days most experts seem to say that once baby seems done, go ahead and switch sides.
If you massaged your breasts and nursed often, and then pumped after a couple morning feedings, you could conceivably supplement with what you pump, or about an ounce, after one or two feedings each day. It might be worth asking if the massage and frequent nursing alone would be good to try before adding pumping and supplementing, but the LC may think it's a good idea to go ahead and supplement.
Sounds like you have several ideas and need to think about what will work best for you. Good luck!!!
I know it would be awkward, but it might help to answer your question of what gear you might need if you go ahead and ask a committee member about the location and a place to pump. Or ask who you might need to contact to find out about it.
If you want to be able to pump in the car as a backup, a car adapter may be a really nice thing to have.
You may need to call and ask the airline if your pump bag or cooler is exempt from the 1-item rule for carry-on luggage. I'm not sure.
I would plan to pump as usual during working hours and then every 3 hours at night. It's a pain, but the pump is less efficient than baby, and it will protect your supply.
Good luck! Hopefully others can chime in with more suggestions!
1. I had planned on pumping every 3 hours at work. I'm not keeping up with baby which I understand is not uncommon, but would it help to pump more often? Like every 2.5 hours? Will I just get the same amount total but less in each pump? I'm trying to get 3-4 ounces per pump so I get 9-12 for the day but I'm only seeing 2-3 and I pump for 20 minutes each time (milk stops flowing after about 7-8 but I keep going).
2. If I feed LO before I leave for work then pump in the car on the way to work, is that overkill? Like, feed her at 6:00 and then pump in the car at 6:30. I have a long commute (45+ minutes) so I was thinking of doing 20 minutes, rest for 10 then another 10 but if I just nursed her, would this even help?
Do those make sense?
These might have some tips you find helpful too:
https://newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/MaxProduction.html
https://forums.llli.org/showthread.php?99198-Maximizing-Production-When-Pumping
https://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/pumping_decrease/
I purchased the car charger on Amazon and am so glad that I did. I definitely think it's worth having the backup option in case you don't have a plug. I don't have the battery pack, so I'm not sure how well it works, but that sounds like a good idea. Good luck!!
Married 8/27/2011
BFP #1 9/28/2011 DS born 5/22/2012
BFP #2 4/24/2013 m/c 4/25/2013 at 4w
BFP #3 1/31/2014 DD born 10/14/2014
BFP #4 1/20/2016 m/c 2/12/2014 at 7w2d
BFP #5 8/19/2016 DS2 born 4/29/2017
BFP #6 3/7/2018 EDD 11/18/2018
I know getting different amounts from each breast is normal, but what about it taking drastically different amounts of time? My right boob is done in a little over 10 minutes. I can get the same amount from lefty, but today took almost 25 minutes and milk was still flowing, but I had to stop and get work done.
I'm doing massage/compressions on the left the whole time (and not even touching the right much). I'm just worried that I'm not emptying and I'll end up with rather plugged ducts or a decrease in supply, but I can't keep taking 30 minutes for a pump session... Ideas?
Also, I'm a sahm, so while we're on a quasi-schedule, she can eat on demand. I don't pump anymore, as my body has regulated my supply to her needs. So while I have a stash in the freezer in case of emergency, I'm not able to pump more to add to it. I want so badly to continue to produce, and I don't know where all this anxiety and doubt is coming from, but I would like to here anyone else's experiences bf with 1 "working" breast.
Here is one success story:
https://www.llli.org/nb/nbmayjun08p15.html
You can absolutely EBF a baby with just one breast. Many mothers have done this successfully.
May I ask what you've tried to increase your supply in the other breast?
@emerald27 Mainly just putting her on it and pumping it as often as possible. Also drinking a ton of water and eating more healthy than I've ever ate in my life (Someone told me a certain diet would promote milk supply). At one point I was starting her on the "non working" breast, then moving her to the "working" breast and pumping the "non working" one simultaneously. I've pulled her off the "non working" breast to see if any milk dribbles from her mouth, but I never see any, and I can no longer hand express even a drop. It's bizarre. Both breasts started off producing just fine, and I don't feel like it went through the "drying up" process, it just kind of... quit.
Thank you for sharing that success story with me. I know she's getting enough from the 1 breast, and it's supply is perfect, I just get panicky sometimes.
Married 10/06
Baby Girl "C" arrived on 10/07/14 (39 weeks, 6 days)
@emerald27 Mainly just putting her on it and pumping it as often as possible. Also drinking a ton of water and eating more healthy than I've ever ate in my life (Someone told me a certain diet would promote milk supply). At one point I was starting her on the "non working" breast, then moving her to the "working" breast and pumping the "non working" one simultaneously. I've pulled her off the "non working" breast to see if any milk dribbles from her mouth, but I never see any, and I can no longer hand express even a drop. It's bizarre. Both breasts started off producing just fine, and I don't feel like it went through the "drying up" process, it just kind of... quit.
Thank you for sharing that success story with me. I know she's getting enough from the 1 breast, and it's supply is perfect, I just get panicky sometimes.
------------------------------Does she act frustrated or finish quickly on your underachiever breast?
Not being able to express much and not seeing milk in baby's mouth when you unlatch aren't the best indicators of supply. You can continue to nurse LO on that breast as much as she's interested, and pump it while she nurses on the other, and maybe your supply in that breast will increase. Good luck!