Breastfeeding Questions/Support/Learnings Go Here

bellie1223

Since more November moms are starting to have their babies I thought this might be helpful for us to have a centralized thread with questions, concerns, etc. Also I need some support...

bellie1223

Sorry this is a novel. Baby lost a little more weight at her two day check up than she should have, but my doctor didn't seem all that concerned since my milk hadn't come in yet (that was 3 days PP). She said if my milk didn't come in within two more days and baby wasn't having enough wet/dirty diapers to start supplementing with formula through a dropper. Well my milk came in, baby was making plenty of wet and poopy diapers and at my follow up appointment a few days later, she had only gained an additional two ounces, but her pediatrician seemed happy and told me to call if anything changes, then schedule another follow up appointment for three weeks. 

So today I meet with a LC to make sure that baby is latching correctly and that we're both on track. When we weighed her, she had lost almost an ounce since my appointment yesterday (even though I fed her like a million times yesterday) and only ate an ounce while we were there. So she's got me all paranoid that something is wrong and set me up on a schedule of feeding/pumping/bottle feeding. 

I guess I just don't understand why she seemed so freaked out, but my pediatrician seemed totally fine. I'm wondering if the scales are off because I just don't know how she could have lost almost an ounce in one day when she was eating, peeing and pooping seemingly appropriately. 

Pontot31

bellie1223 said:

Sorry this is a novel. Baby lost a little more weight at her two day check up than she should have, but my doctor didn't seem all that concerned since my milk hadn't come in yet (that was 3 days PP). She said if my milk didn't come in within two more days and baby wasn't having enough wet/dirty diapers to start supplementing with formula through a dropper. Well my milk came in, baby was making plenty of wet and poopy diapers and at my follow up appointment a few days later, she had only gained an additional two ounces, but her pediatrician seemed happy and told me to call if anything changes, then schedule another follow up appointment for three weeks. 

So today I meet with a LC to make sure that baby is latching correctly and that we're both on track. When we weighed her, she had lost almost an ounce since my appointment yesterday (even though I fed her like a million times yesterday) and only ate an ounce while we were there. So she's got me all paranoid that something is wrong and set me up on a schedule of feeding/pumping/bottle feeding. 

I guess I just don't understand why she seemed so freaked out, but my pediatrician seemed totally fine. I'm wondering if the scales are off because I just don't know how she could have lost almost an ounce in one day when she was eating, peeing and pooping seemingly appropriately. 

Scales are all going to be different. Sounds like your pedi is following the right BF weight loss guidelines.

I would just watch for wet and dirty diapers and feed on demand. The more skin to skin and time you keep the baby on your boob the better.

chelseaepley

My son went to his ped yesterday and had lost almost a pound!!!! My milk just came in yesterday so she was freaking out and made me really nervous. He's having plenty of wet and dirty diapers but my gosh, a pound?!?!

Cook3133

I agree scales vary. My lil guy was 9# 10oz when born and went down to 9# 2oz, he is a week old now and going back up.(there was a 2oz difference between my midwives scale and my pedis scale) At week 2 they should be back at birth weight. If your worried you LO is not getting enough try pumping and feeding. That way you can track how much they get. Did the LC say he had a good latch? Any tongue issues? If not I would think they would be on the right track. Also track diapers 6-10 in 24 hours. If the pee in the diaper is dark then they probably are not getting enough. Jaundice is another sign of maybe not getting enough.

We had major weight issues with My third and it was no fun. All the things I listed were problems we had. It was to late for us with BF, but when I pumped what little I had left and bottle fed it to him his weight went up and billi number went down. I lost my BM because it never fully got established from day one due to latching issues and we ended up using formula. It was hard knowing I couldn't nurse but was very thankful my baby was getting better and at least I could formula feed him.

ZoeH3

chelseaepley said:

My son went to his ped yesterday and had lost almost a pound!!!! My milk just came in yesterday so she was freaking out and made me really nervous. He's having plenty of wet and dirty diapers but my gosh, a pound?!?!

My pediatrician said up to a pound is normal. My daughter lost that within the first week but gained it back quickly.

jdal1206

I'm having a really hard time BF'ing...LO was born on the 4th and since it was a really quick birth he was super congested so he didn't latch that first day, nurses said that was normal since he couldn't breath well enough yet...day 2 in the hospital and he got latched on and seemed to be doing ok, we had the lactation consultants check and they said he was doing good just learning so it would take time, he also was super sleepy and didn't always seem interested in eating...the nurses also told me I should wear the nipple shells since my nipples are not as long as others and that could be causing some issues with the latch...so we get home on Friday and everything seems to be going ok, not totally enough poopy/wet diapers so I started paying more attention to the time between feedings and waking him up to feed, then Saturday night he just refuses to latch, I'm talking full on tantrum, pushing my boob away and throwing his head back, I had some pumped milk so I gave him that in a bottle because I need him to eat...things haven't improved, I had a La Leche League leader come by to help and basically it comes down to my nipples just aren't the right length for him and we aren't in sync...so I've been pumping and bottle feeding while trying to encourage him to get on the boob first...I'm frustrated and upset that this isn't working...any advice on other things I could try or things that have worked for you? Anyone else had issues and had to switch to formula? Sorry for the massive post I'm just at my wits end and worrying that I'm not doing enough for my baby...

dramaphile

chelseaepley said:

My son went to his ped yesterday and had lost almost a pound!!!! My milk just came in yesterday so she was freaking out and made me really nervous. He's having plenty of wet and dirty diapers but my gosh, a pound?!?!

Also, if you got any IV fluids during labor, it would have plumped baby up with water weight. Focus on the wet and dirty diapers and don't worry if your ped doesn't!

Candy_bandit

jdal1206 said:

I'm having a really hard time BF'ing...LO was born on the 4th and since it was a really quick birth he was super congested so he didn't latch that first day, nurses said that was normal since he couldn't breath well enough yet...day 2 in the hospital and he got latched on and seemed to be doing ok, we had the lactation consultants check and they said he was doing good just learning so it would take time, he also was super sleepy and didn't always seem interested in eating...the nurses also told me I should wear the nipple shells since my nipples are not as long as others and that could be causing some issues with the latch...so we get home on Friday and everything seems to be going ok, not totally enough poopy/wet diapers so I started paying more attention to the time between feedings and waking him up to feed, then Saturday night he just refuses to latch, I'm talking full on tantrum, pushing my boob away and throwing his head back, I had some pumped milk so I gave him that in a bottle because I need him to eat...things haven't improved, I had a La Leche League leader come by to help and basically it comes down to my nipples just aren't the right length for him and we aren't in sync...so I've been pumping and bottle feeding while trying to encourage him to get on the boob first...I'm frustrated and upset that this isn't working...any advice on other things I could try or things that have worked for you? Anyone else had issues and had to switch to formula? Sorry for the massive post I'm just at my wits end and worrying that I'm not doing enough for my baby...

I have had to pump and bottle feed since pretty much day one. Our issue is she was early and really struggles latching. She ends up spending all her energy and burning too many calories trying to latch according to the lactation consultant. We had to supplement with formula at the hospital and for a few days after coming home while I pumped pumped away. She will be three weeks (gestational age 39 weeks) on Thursday, I offer her the boob a couple times a day but at this point it is easier just to pump and bottle feed. She is gaining enough weight and we haven't used formula in a couple of weeks. I don't know how you ladies deal with the nipple shield- I don't know if maybe mine is too small but that thing hurts like a bitch.
At the breastfeeding support group I went to yesterday we weighed before and after breast feeding- she was able to latch and stay on about ten minutes each side with some struggle and after weighed only half an ounce more- so we continue to pump!

Pontot31

chelseaepley said:

My son went to his ped yesterday and had lost almost a pound!!!! My milk just came in yesterday so she was freaking out and made me really nervous. He's having plenty of wet and dirty diapers but my gosh, a pound?!?!

A pound is normal. Especially if you had an IV during labor. I would make sure your pedi is using the BF baby guidelines for weight loss. Many rank all babies the same and you can't compare formula to BF babies in the beginning. They don't gain and lose the same.

lraubaugh

I was breastfeeding for 2 weeks and ended up getting double mastitis
Third worse pain of my life besides labor and my appendix...

oliviaann91

lraubaugh said:

I was breastfeeding for 2 weeks and ended up getting double mastitis
Third worse pain of my life besides labor and my appendix...

Ugh. I feel for you. I had it on my right side 2 days after coming home. Worse than the csection recovery by far. 103 fever with the added bonus of feeling like my boob was going to fall off. Dicloxicillin for the win. So far it has stayed gone. I hope yours clears up quickly!

smnewby

FtM here in neednof advice/reassurence.
My milk finally came in 2 days ago (same day as my peds appt) and the wet/poopy diaper numbers are looking on track. However at my pediatricians appt she was agast that I allowed a 5hr break from feeding at one point esp since baby lost 10% of her body weight since birth. Its not like I didnt offer lo my breast, its just that she really wasnt interested in a feed. She latched but no amount of coaching could sway her! Some people swear by demand feeding from nb onward but it seems to be frowned upon by most (and my pediatrician) until baby has regained lost weight. But how can i force my child to do something she has no interest in doing. And more importantly does it even matter since her wets/poops are normal in number?

Edit because im tired and cant spell

gipfish

My LO is 6 days old and breastfeeding just hasn't worked out for me. All the nurses and the lactation consult said she has a perfect latch and her tongue is okay, but boy does it hurt! Like worse than labor! Ouch! And all the bleeding...

I've been doing research on exclusive pumping. It's a little more work, but I think I can do it if it turns out we never get this breastfeeding figured out. I've put myself on a pumping schedule, and now at 6 days, she has finally gone 24 hours without any formula supplementation.

As far as feeding frequency, my pediatrician was apalled when I told her my LO eats every 3-4 hours (I didn't tell her that she has gone 6 hours a couple times!). She said every 2 hours is a must. But she isn't hungry every 2 hours. And I don't want to create a frequent waking habit to try to break in a few months. Her weight and diapers are fine. Personally, I'm not going to make my life and hers harder by waking us both up all the time.

Best of wishes to all you struggling moms. Hang in there! This is hard, but I'm told it only gets better. And formula is not the end of the world. ;-)

NovemberSno

LO born on the 9th. She's doing great feeding but I dread every feeding because it's beginning to hurt so bad. The worst pain is the latch and then with each suck it is so painful. My nipples are all intact and I use lanolin cream after every feed but I want to cry when I know it's getting close to that time. Some other ladies recommended that I let myself breast breath (l ok enjoy without a shirt for awhile during the day or naps ) that has really helped me so so much! I'm already feeling relief from doing that. Unfortunately I can't walk around top less all day...though I may consider it. Lol. Good luck ladies. Keep hanging in there. Being a mama isn't for the weak!

bellie1223

@NovemberSno I had the same problem! Baby was not latching right 100% of the time, and I was nursing so much trying to get my milk to come in and build supply that my nipples were killing me! I actually found that rubbing breast milk on them and letting them air dry after feeding helped the most. Hot showers are also nice, I hold a washcloth over them and let the hot water run down.

Edited for clarity

NovemberSno

bellie1223 said:

@NovemberSno I had the same problem! Baby was not latching right 100% of the time, and I was nursing so much trying to get my milk to come in and build supply that my nipples were killing me! I actually found that rubbing breast milk on them and letting them air dry after feeding helped the most. Hot showers are also nice, I hold a washcloth over them and let the hot water run down.

Edited for clarity

I will try letting my milk help them. I think part of the problem is her latch because her mouth is very small and I have heard it should be very wide while feeding. But the LC said hers is fine as long as her lips are flared out instead of inward. It's still seems small to me though. I have tried to gently pull her lips out during feedings but she's not having it. Hopefully this will get better. Ugh.

chelseaepley

I hand express a little and rub it on after a feeding rhen use coconut oil once the milk I dry. I'm 6 days pp and my nipples don't hurt at all. They did bad at first but they're healed now.

NovemberSno

chelseaepley said:

I hand express a little and rub it on after a feeding rhen use coconut oil once the milk I dry. I'm 6 days pp and my nipples don't hurt at all. They did bad at first but they're healed now.

I'm so jealous! Mine hurt so bad while she's feeding. Sharp shooting pains with each suck. Ugh. Idk how much longer I can do this.

brianna91chavez

My little man was born on the 10th and he had like 5 poop diapers the 10th and 5 yesterday..... It's 9am and he hasn't had a poop diaper since 7pm last night.
My milk hasn't come in yet, it's still colostrum so it's hard to tell what he's getting. He is latching fine and feeding at least 20 minutes each side .... But no diapers? Anyone else have this happen? Could it be normal?
We're going to the newborn clinic at the hospital today at 1 so I will be asking them of course, just wanted to see if anyone has any advice until we get there.

NovemberSno

brianna91chavez said:

My little man was born on the 10th and he had like 5 poop diapers the 10th and 5 yesterday..... It's 9am and he hasn't had a poop diaper since 7pm last night.
My milk hasn't come in yet, it's still colostrum so it's hard to tell what he's getting. He is latching fine and feeding at least 20 minutes each side .... But no diapers? Anyone else have this happen? Could it be normal?
We're going to the newborn clinic at the hospital today at 1 so I will be asking them of course, just wanted to see if anyone has any advice until we get there.

I think it's fine as long as it doesn't continue that way. Just make sure to bring it up at the appt. My LO hasn't pooped since yesterday about 5 so I'm waiting. I know she's getting milk because I can see it and hear her swallowing and she spit up a tiny bit this AM. But just continue to monitor it and make sure to bring it up at the appt.

Pontot31

brianna91chavez said:

My little man was born on the 10th and he had like 5 poop diapers the 10th and 5 yesterday..... It's 9am and he hasn't had a poop diaper since 7pm last night.
My milk hasn't come in yet, it's still colostrum so it's hard to tell what he's getting. He is latching fine and feeding at least 20 minutes each side .... But no diapers? Anyone else have this happen? Could it be normal?
We're going to the newborn clinic at the hospital today at 1 so I will be asking them of course, just wanted to see if anyone has any advice until we get there.

That's fairly normal. Some BF babies only poop once a week once all the gross stuff is out after birth. Make sure there are lots of wet diapers and you should be ok.

NovemberSno

Ok, so I just did the weirdest thing ever. Lol. I took my most comfortable but supportive bra and cut the nipples out! Hahaha. It looks so freaky but feels so nice. I'm not going anywhere and I don't feel comfortable without a bra so I needed something to support me but not touch my nipples because they hurt soooo bad. I look like a freak show but I'm one happy freak show! Lol.

Pontot31

NovemberSno said:

Ok, so I just did the weirdest thing ever. Lol. I took my most comfortable but supportive bra and cut the nipples out! Hahaha. It looks so freaky but feels so nice. I'm not going anywhere and I don't feel comfortable without a bra so I needed something to support me but not touch my nipples because they hurt soooo bad. I look like a freak show but I'm one happy freak show! Lol.

They also make shells that you can put in your bra to keep everything off your nipples. And I highly recommend getting some gel pads that you put in the freezer and then on your nipples. They feel amazing. Lansinoh and Medela both make some. I bought some at target. I had 2 pairs at all times so one was always cold.

Barker2+1

@jdal1206 try nipple shields. I have flat nipples and can't get a proper latch without them. I had done the shells trying to elongate but they didn't work the shields work great kinda annoying but I was able to nurse my first two with them and this little one as well. You can get them at target Walmart babies r us medela makes them

rubirubi89

Barker2+1 said:

@jdal1206 try nipple shields. I have flat nipples and can't get a proper latch without them. I had done the shells trying to elongate but they didn't work the shields work great kinda annoying but I was able to nurse my first two with them and this little one as well. You can get them at target Walmart babies r us medela makes them

I have been using the shield too for two days to help with the latching. Little one did so good the day he was born that he brought my milk right away. Ironically the fuller my breast gets, the nipple seems to retract. What kind of crap is that? Baby steps everyone, baby steps. Keep trying!

cdepperschmidt

@gipfish My Ped said every 2-3 hours, but some say from start nod last feeding and others say from end. Son would worry unless your kid is loosing weight.

Thanks to the posters who suggested the expressed milk on the boob, my nipple on my right boob (which is WAY bigger than the left) hurts so bad! The left boob is like a pinch when he latches, but the right makes me cringe!!! I'm going to try this instead of lanolin later.

jdal1206

@baker2+1 thanks for the advice...I will go grab some shields and give that a shot!

Thanks everyone for the support, it's nice to know that there are other people going through similar things especially because I feel like all my friends who have breastfed all had a pretty easy time with it!

Went to LO's 1st ped appt and he is almost back to his birth weight which has made me feel better, even though I'd love him to be latching and not eating from a bottle I have to remember that the important thing is that he is eating and we can continue working on the latch!

NovemberSno

Pontot31 said:

NovemberSno said:

Ok, so I just did the weirdest thing ever. Lol. I took my most comfortable but supportive bra and cut the nipples out! Hahaha. It looks so freaky but feels so nice. I'm not going anywhere and I don't feel comfortable without a bra so I needed something to support me but not touch my nipples because they hurt soooo bad. I look like a freak show but I'm one happy freak show! Lol.

They also make shells that you can put in your bra to keep everything off your nipples. And I highly recommend getting some gel pads that you put in the freezer and then on your nipples. They feel amazing. Lansinoh and Medela both make some. I bought some at target. I had 2 pairs at all times so one was always cold.

Oh that's good news...DH is off to the store today then!! Lol

jpierre91

Baby girl was born yesterday morning, her latch is fine but she refuses to suck and idk what to do. She sucks on her fingers but not my breast she has even push my breast out the way so she can suck on her fingers.

dramaphile

jpierre91 said:

Baby girl was born yesterday morning, her latch is fine but she refuses to suck and idk what to do. She sucks on her fingers but not my breast she has even push my breast out the way so she can suck on her fingers.

Have you tried swaddling her while feeding? In my class, the LC said you may have to have your SO help hold baby's hands out of the way if they interfere with feeding. And try stroking under her chin, it can start sucking reflex.

shellperry

jdal1206 said:

I'm having a really hard time BF'ing...LO was born on the 4th and since it was a really quick birth he was super congested so he didn't latch that first day, nurses said that was normal since he couldn't breath well enough yet...day 2 in the hospital and he got latched on and seemed to be doing ok, we had the lactation consultants check and they said he was doing good just learning so it would take time, he also was super sleepy and didn't always seem interested in eating...the nurses also told me I should wear the nipple shells since my nipples are not as long as others and that could be causing some issues with the latch...so we get home on Friday and everything seems to be going ok, not totally enough poopy/wet diapers so I started paying more attention to the time between feedings and waking him up to feed, then Saturday night he just refuses to latch, I'm talking full on tantrum, pushing my boob away and throwing his head back, I had some pumped milk so I gave him that in a bottle because I need him to eat...things haven't improved, I had a La Leche League leader come by to help and basically it comes down to my nipples just aren't the right length for him and we aren't in sync...so I've been pumping and bottle feeding while trying to encourage him to get on the boob first...I'm frustrated and upset that this isn't working...any advice on other things I could try or things that have worked for you? Anyone else had issues and had to switch to formula? Sorry for the massive post I'm just at my wits end and worrying that I'm not doing enough for my baby...

I had this problem with my first it took almost a month to latch but he did in the end. The nipple shield did help. Just keep pumping and doing skin to skin

ShianeNicole

I keep hearing that if you have large breasts, it's harder to breastfeed. Is this true? I have a E cup and I'm only 37+5. I'm nervous to see how big I get when my milk comes in.

jpierre91

dramaphile said:

jpierre91 said:

Baby girl was born yesterday morning, her latch is fine but she refuses to suck and idk what to do. She sucks on her fingers but not my breast she has even push my breast out the way so she can suck on her fingers.

Have you tried swaddling her while feeding? In my class, the LC said you may have to have your SO help hold baby's hands out of the way if they interfere with feeding. And try stroking under her chin, it can start sucking reflex.

Tried swaddled and naked she will just sit there with the breast in her mouth all day and not suck. The LC said she might have swallowed some AF and that's probably why she not eating and we have to give her time

JamieA322

jpierre91 said:

Baby girl was born yesterday morning, her latch is fine but she refuses to suck and idk what to do. She sucks on her fingers but not my breast she has even push my breast out the way so she can suck on her fingers.

My nurses also suggested lightly blowing on her face. It worked for my little girl. She was falling asleep like a minute after latching.

jpierre91

JamieA322 said:

jpierre91 said:

Baby girl was born yesterday morning, her latch is fine but she refuses to suck and idk what to do. She sucks on her fingers but not my breast she has even push my breast out the way so she can suck on her fingers.

My nurses also suggested lightly blowing on her face. It worked for my little girl. She was falling asleep like a minute after latching.

Haven't heard of this. I will try it next time we try to feed.

Cook3133

For the momas that are having pain during the entire nursing time it may be because your LO doesn't have the whole nipple in their mouth. One of my nipples is bigger/longer than the other and when my Breast were engourged I would get this. After doing 3 days of pumping at least once a day my milk has settled and my Breast aren't as full with engourgment and he can get a better latch. I use my lanolin after every feeding to help with chaped nipples, I did get a small scab on the large nipple that has healed after using the lanolin.

If your having latching issues go get the shields!! I had nursing issues with my 3rd and I wish I would of tried them before I gave him the bottle. By the time I got the shields my LO had pretty much given up on trying to nurse because he didn't have to work to get milk out of a bottle

It's so hard when some of our LOs have tiny mouths and don't want to open big but it's worth it!! (IMO)

Pontot31

ShianeNicole said:

I keep hearing that if you have large breasts, it's harder to breastfeed. Is this true? I have a E cup and I'm only 37+5. I'm nervous to see how big I get when my milk comes in.

I'm an E cup when pregnant. Grew to an F when my milk came in last time I never had an issue. I would hold my boob in the beginning so it didn't squish her whole face. But babies' noses are designed so they can breathe while nursing.
You might have to play around with positions but it shouldn't be an issue.

jessilee15

Question for BTDT moms: I'm a STM, but with my second I now am not having any engorgement at all. Baby is only 4 days old, but weight loss was minimal and he's peeing/pooping fine and my milk is in. But last time I had to sleep on a towel since I soaked the bed and I had to wear breast pads constantly for months. It's like my supply is already regulated...any one else have a similar experience? Maybe it's because I just stopped BF my son 13 months ago?

coffeymg

Pontot31 said:

ShianeNicole said:

I keep hearing that if you have large breasts, it's harder to breastfeed. Is this true? I have a E cup and I'm only 37+5. I'm nervous to see how big I get when my milk comes in.

I'm an E cup when pregnant. Grew to an F when my milk came in last time I never had an issue. I would hold my boob in the beginning so it didn't squish her whole face. But babies' noses are designed so they can breathe while nursing.
You might have to play around with positions but it shouldn't be an issue.

This! I do find that sometimes it's easier to do the football hold than cradle her because her nose is totally clear and she just looks at me the whole time - but I'll also do cradle and hold my breast out of the way so it's a little easier for her to breathe. I think as she gets bigger we won't have that issue though....

MargaretC5

jessilee15 said:

Question for BTDT moms: I'm a STM, but with my second I now am not having any engorgement at all. Baby is only 4 days old, but weight loss was minimal and he's peeing/pooping fine and my milk is in. But last time I had to sleep on a towel since I soaked the bed and I had to wear breast pads constantly for months. It's like my supply is already regulated...any one else have a similar experience? Maybe it's because I just stopped BF my son 13 months ago?

Engorgement has been a lot less for me this time also. I still need to wear breast pads, but I am not soaking thru them and I don't have to change them multiple times overnight. My breasts also have not gotten any bigger this time. I am 14 days PP. I stopped BF DS about 10 months ago. Guess our bodies just remember this.