@rmarie13 I just went through something similar with my little one, but with both breasts. The LC consultant recommended the laid back or side lying feeding, and it has made a big difference for us. No more baby screaming at my boob!
So I pumped some milk Friday at work but I had run out of storage bags. I put it in the fridge and it's still in their today (almost 48 hours later) because I just got some bags. Is it ok to freeze now? Or am I going to have to throw it away? It's about 15 ounces!
@calbin00 from what I gather the answer is no. Apparently you have to instantly freeze it. But on the upside, the milk is good for a week in the fridge. So I wouldn't dump it.
@calbin00 Here is a link I found listed in the references for the kellymom article on breastmilk storage and handling. It indicates that you can still freeze the milk.
So I pumped some milk Friday at work but I had run out of storage bags. I put it in the fridge and it's still in their today (almost 48 hours later) because I just got some bags. Is it ok to freeze now? Or am I going to have to throw it away? It's about 15 ounces!
My LC said to refrigerate breast milk first before freezing, and that it could stay in the fridge 3-4 days before freezing. Everything I've read suggests you can do the storage methods in succession. So room temp for a few hours, fridge for a few days and the freezer.
@calbin00 I've never read anything that says you can't freeze expressed milk once it's been refrigerated. I have about 7 liters of milk in my freezer and I didn't freeze it all fresh. From what I gather it's still good to give the baby up until 8 days later therefore it should be good enough to freeze within that same length of time. @mizuiro007 and @mltarrioI'll give side lying another shot. We tried it a few times but she didn't seem to like it. I'm wondering if it would help if I nursed from both sides each feeding, even if it's only 2-3mins per side. I just don't want to mess up my supply! *edited bc stupid autocorrect
So about 36 hours ago my supply dropped SUBSTANTIALLY... It seems to mostly be back on the left but I'm getting less than 10mL when I pump on the right... My LO is 10 weeks, I feed on both sides every time I BF, and I EBF. I'm still having her try the right, and I try that side first every time I feed her to try to signal to that breast that there is still demand... But has anyone dealt with a significant drop on one side only? I also take fenugreek, eat lactation cookies, drink mother's milk tea and drink a TON of water every day. HELP!
As far as pumping goes I really think it does not measure what you actually put out, for example when I pump I get about1- 2 ounces a breast, and I don't pump a lot, every couple days, however my baby is obviously satisfied after eating, is 7 weeks old and has gained 5 lbs since birth, so it's safe to say my supply is good! @BethP321
Did anyone/are you planning on BF during immunizations?? I've read some articles on the benefits...just looking for some first hand experiences if you thought it helped/decreased the stress or pain?
I've read to do it right afterwards to help, but not during because they could associate the 2 together. I plan on nursing right afterwards. We go in for her 2 month shots on Wednesday!
Did anyone/are you planning on BF during immunizations?? I've read some articles on the benefits...just looking for some first hand experiences if you thought it helped/decreased the stress or pain?
DD has hers tomorrow morning I feel so bad for her already! I'll ask the nurse and if she thinks it's a good idea I'll do it and report back.
We haven't tried to nurse following shots but DS is older and we've given him a cookie a couple times. The beat we found is just snuggling and soft shush in like we do to soothe anyway.
I would add, if you feel yourself getting emotional don't let baby see your face until you're back to noreal and can show then a happy face. They look to us to see how to react so if we're upset they'll always have a harder time. If we can show them calm and upbeat they can handle it so much better.
That said, it took me a few times with DS to keep from crying. Now with DD my reaction is so much better as I know she'll be fine. Five minutes after her shots she was perfectly content to go back in the Boba wrap and go to sleep.
Lucky. My DS screamed when he got his 2 month shots. Not to scare you but that sound haunts me. They wouldn't let me nurse him since they had him laying down and I had to hold his arms down. I tried to nurse after but he was so stressed out he wouldn't latch. He just buried his face in my neck after and would randomly cry out for about 10 minutes.
Did anyone/are you planning on BF during immunizations?? I've read some articles on the benefits...just looking for some first hand experiences if you thought it helped/decreased the stress or pain?
DD has hers tomorrow morning I feel so bad for her already! I'll ask the nurse and if she thinks it's a good idea I'll do it and report back.
Ours are tomorrow too I am planning to bfeed immediately after hopefully she'll take it
Did anyone/are you planning on BF during immunizations?? I've read some articles on the benefits...just looking for some first hand experiences if you thought it helped/decreased the stress or pain?
DD has hers tomorrow morning I feel so bad for her already! I'll ask the nurse and if she thinks it's a good idea I'll do it and report back.
Ours are tomorrow too I am planning to bfeed immediately after hopefully she'll take it
DD had hers this week and I BF right after and it helped calm her down. She definitely let out a scream I'd never heard before, but she had been crying since the moment I removed her clothes to get weighed. She had no bad side effects from the shots and I even got some smiles when I got her home. I think the shots are worse on us than on them.
DS gets his first round today, I'm trying to give myself a pep talk to not cry when he cries. Good advice to try to bf right afterwards, we shall see how it goes. If he gets super sleepy as I've heard they do, and I need to wake him up for feedings, how often? Like on his normal feeding schedule? Or let him sleep a little longer and see if he wakes up on his own?
So about 72 hours ago my supply dropped SUBSTANTIALLY... It seems to mostly be back on the left but I'm getting less than 10mL when I pump on the right. I know pumping isn't always an indicator of how your supply is, but the fact that I've dropped to less than 1/3 of what I was getting just a few days ago is concerning to me.
My LO is 10 weeks, I feed on both sides every time I BF, and I EBF. I'm still having her try the right, and I try that side first every time I feed her to try to signal to that breast that there is still demand... But has anyone dealt with a significant drop on one side only? I also take fenugreek, eat lactation cookies, drink mother's milk tea and drink a TON of water every day. HELP!
@sardavbak I've been looking for more information since your previous post. I'm so sorry it's taken me this long to put to respond. There are a ton of reasons supply can suddenly decrease or appear to decrease, especially if you're ebf. Changes in medications, hormonal fluctuations from birth control or menstrual cycle, feeding pattern changes such as cluster feeding and growth spurts, blockages- can all be factors.
Try to remember that not only does pumping not accurately represent supply but since you're ebf it's actually oversupply that it represents. You're simply pumping what's left over after baby feeds and if she's taking in more there won't be as much left over. You're right at a prime time for this to occur.
It's common for supply to vary through the day, day by day, and between sides. If you're trying to feed and pump more on the one side it may just be that you're keeping it emptied more and aren't seeing the volume in a single sesion that you're used to while the other side is slightly neglected and allowed to build up more volume.
When you nurse, can you still hear her swallowing? Does she act at all disatisfied feeding on that side or is it only showing with pumping?
Thank you for all this information! She seems content when she's eating on that side, so I see that as a positive because when she wants to eat or is hungry EVERYONE knows lol. I used to pump once before bed and once around 5am, and get about 8-10oz between those two sessions. We give her bottles of breast milk 2x at night (11pm/6am) but my main concern is that I'm no longer pumping enough to get 2 bottles... I'm considering using formula mixed with breast milk for those bottles at least until I can figure out what is going on with my milk!
My daughter is still under 10lbs, and although her pediatrician isn't concerned about her size, I feel like it's really important to continue the nighttime feedings even though she sleeps through the night... I'm so conflicted about using formula though
Thank you for all this information! She seems content when she's eating on that side, so I see that as a positive because when she wants to eat or is hungry EVERYONE knows lol. I used to pump once before bed and once around 5am, and get about 8-10oz between those two sessions. We give her bottles of breast milk 2x at night (11pm/6am) but my main concern is that I'm no longer pumping enough to get 2 bottles... I'm considering using formula mixed with breast milk for those bottles at least until I can figure out what is going on with my milk!
My daughter is still under 10lbs, and although her pediatrician isn't concerned about her size, I feel like it's really important to continue the nighttime feedings even though she sleeps through the night... I'm so conflicted about using formula though
Is it possible that because she's sleeping through the night that A) she's eating more before bed so you have less milk left over and B ) your body has adjusted to her schedule so you aren't over producing/getting engorged?
@sardavbak Has the pediatrician given the Okay for her to sleep through the night? The other possibility is to try dream feeding.
Mostly likely, it sounds like what you'll have to do if you don't want to supplement is to pump more often. Since there isn't the oversupply it will take more sessions to get enough and it will be frustrating. When I've pumped I find it hugely beneficial to use warm, moist compresses. I use a large rice bag warmed in the microwave, and lay it across both breasts for roughly 5-10 mins before pumping and then continuing while pumping. It helps stimulate production and let down.
I recently went through a similar issue when DD went through a massive growth spurt. She was feeding 1-1.5 hrs for 30-40 mins day and night for several days and I worried I'd be able to keep up. Now my milk has regulated again and I can pump a little easier. During that period I started keeping warm compresses on whenever I wasn't nursing or doing skin to skin and noticed a difference.
If you do decide to supplement, there's nothing wrong with that at all. She'd still be benefitting from being primarily breastfed.
Do you give bottles at night because of scheduling issues? If not, you could try nursing at night for a few nights. It may help you get an idea if you're really underproducing at that time.
Did anyone/are you planning on BF during immunizations?? I've read some articles on the benefits...just looking for some first hand experiences if you thought it helped/decreased the stress or pain?
DD has hers tomorrow morning I feel so bad for her already! I'll ask the nurse and if she thinks it's a good idea I'll do it and report back.
Ours are tomorrow too I am planning to bfeed immediately after hopefully she'll take it
The nurse didn't think it was a good idea for me to bf while she gave the shots. She was worried that DD would associate the pain with breastfeeding. I did bf directly after and the poor thing ate until she fell asleep. She woke up like half an hour later smiling and laughing!
@taylovesbrad@mizuiro007 she has been sleeping through the night for a while. The pediatrician was fine with it, and said to just keep up the 11pm/6am feedings - she barely wakes up, and falls right back asleep after. That's why we had been doing bottles, because it kept her from waking up and made it easier to get her back to sleep, and it's also a lot faster than breast feeding. Selfishly, I enjoy doing bottles at night because my husband can help and I get a bit of a break from doing the feedings.
I started pumping 3-4x/day instead of just 2 on Saturday, so I'm hoping that helps to get the milk back up. I'll try using a heating pad or warm compress as well. I'm just so perplexed as to why the left has mostly gone back to how it was prior but the right it almost nothing... Like maybe 10mL over a 30-minute pumping session. I don't feel pain or engorged or anything to indicate a clogged duct or anything... It's just so odd! (And frustrating!)
Did anyone/are you planning on BF during immunizations?? I've read some articles on the benefits...just looking for some first hand experiences if you thought it helped/decreased the stress or pain?
DD has hers tomorrow morning I feel so bad for her already! I'll ask the nurse and if she thinks it's a good idea I'll do it and report back.
Ours are tomorrow too I am planning to bfeed immediately after hopefully she'll take it
The nurse didn't think it was a good idea for me to bf while she gave the shots. She was worried that DD would associate the pain with breastfeeding. I did bf directly after and the poor thing ate until she fell asleep. She woke up like half an hour later smiling and laughing!
When DS had blood drawn a while ago I wanted to BF during it and the lab tech wouldn't let me saying its a choking hazard. When he got his shots last week I BF right after and he fell asleep within 5 minutes. He was fine until that night when he ran a low grade fever and screamed for 2 hrs since his legs hurt. We ended up giving him Tylenol which helped some.
Has anyone seen a decrease in their supply once they went back to work and started pumping more? I'm hoping I'll be able to pump enough to keep up with the amount he's taking in bottles each day.
Breast milk storage question here. I return to work next week and plan to pump during the day for the next day's meals. My Medela cooler bag says milked stored in it is good for 12 hours, which is not long enough for me. If I store it in the bag and transfer it to the refrigerator when I return home for the day (before the 12 hours is up), does that extend the time the milk is good to "refrigerator time" 3-5 days??
Breast milk storage question here. I return to work next week and plan to pump during the day for the next day's meals. My Medela cooler bag says milked stored in it is good for 12 hours, which is not long enough for me. If I store it in the bag and transfer it to the refrigerator when I return home for the day (before the 12 hours is up), does that extend the time the milk is good to "refrigerator time" 3-5 days??
As I understand you can store milk using each method consecutively. This comes from a variety of sources including my LC. So when I was exclusively pumping I would keep my milk at room temp for the appropriate amount of time then if it didn't get used it would go in the fridge for 3-5 days and if still unused it would go in the freezer. Now since I pump for a stash it goes straight to the fridge then the freezer.
Breast milk storage question here. I return to work next week and plan to pump during the day for the next day's meals. My Medela cooler bag says milked stored in it is good for 12 hours, which is not long enough for me. If I store it in the bag and transfer it to the refrigerator when I return home for the day (before the 12 hours is up), does that extend the time the milk is good to "refrigerator time" 3-5 days??
As I understand you can store milk using each method consecutively. This comes from a variety of sources including my LC. So when I was exclusively pumping I would keep my milk at room temp for the appropriate amount of time then if it didn't get used it would go in the fridge for 3-5 days and if still unused it would go in the freezer. Now since I pump for a stash it goes straight to the fridge then the freezer.
I did the same when I was pumping. It should be fine.
Feeling discouraged. Has anyone experienced significant supply drop later in the day? Based on what I noticed today at a lactation group and the similarities of what happens for DD's evening feeds, she's getting frustrated bc I'm producing less at that time. It goes better when I pump a bottle and give it at that time, but I'm trying to make my freezer stash. Just pumped now, about an hour after she finished eating, and got 1 oz combined. I bought Fenugreek and am chugging water.
Unrelated vent: Insurance won't over Prilosec or Prevacid.
Feeling discouraged. Has anyone experienced significant supply drop later in the day? Based on what I noticed today at a lactation group and the similarities of what happens for DD's evening feeds, she's getting frustrated bc I'm producing less at that time. It goes better when I pump a bottle and give it at that time, but I'm trying to make my freezer stash. Just pumped now, about an hour after she finished eating, and got 1 oz combined. I bought Fenugreek and am chugging water.
Unrelated vent: Insurance won't over Prilosec or Prevacid.
I think I'm having this issue and it's making our evening feeds a nightmare. I'm not sure if it's supply drop or just really slow letdown, but she gets frustrated and screams while latching and unlatching until she goes to sleep. I'm not sure what to do about it so I'm just enduring it right now.
@breezypip I'm currently force feeding myself oatmeal right now, hah.
The LC said that I could try pumping afterward but that I shouldn't expect my supply to change at this point. DD will be 11 weeks tomorrow.
@mhuber223 DD is 11 weeks today. I'm also eating oatmeal like crazy. I've tried pumping after she goes to sleep for the night and I don't get much at that time at all. Once I got NOTHING from the right side so no wonder she's annoyed. She's gaining fine and her output is good, but otherwise I'd be convinced my supply was inadequate. It's really frustrating! By the time she's up for her morning feed everything is all good again.
Rrom.everything I've read, it's really common at this point for supply to drop at night. DD gers frustrated the same way but when she unlatches I hand express enough to see there's stil milk, it's just much slower than she's used to. I usually hand express to get the flow going or use counterpressure to up flow. My other observation with her is she has nightly meltdowns. She has one the same time every afternoon and evening, before her longest nap and before bed. Occasionally she'll just want to comfort nurse during these times and gets angry when she does get milk.
DD got her shots last Tuesday and she did way better than expected and so did I. I did not breastfeed right away I held her paci in her mouth during and then scooped her up and bounced her and we gave Tylenol immediately afterward and 4 hours later (right before bed) which I highly recommend. She had no fever, and slept like she normally does. I couldn't even tell she had em.
One thing I have done to try to make the feeding in the evening go better is to feed a bit, then change, read and feed a bit more. My supply feels low too. Baby is a mess by 8pm so it's a battle. I have a bottle of expressed milk on hand in case she needs more to sleep... But that freezer stash is on my mind. I'll be trying to heat the boobs to encourage let down with a heating pad... See if that changes things....
Also, a note on pumping, sometimes my nipples are askew in the flanges and I won't get anything out of one of my breasts. I often readjust after the first minute or two if nothing is coming out.
Does anyone know how much breast milk is sufficient for a baby to get the immunological benefits? I pump once a day and get less than one ounce in spite of supplements etc. I also breastfeed throughout the day before naps but my DS gets about 3 swallows and then just suckles himself to sleep. He takes 28+ ounces of formula a day so I am not fooling myself into thinking he is getting any real calories from breast milk.
Right now I'm happy with what we are doing. He and I get to bond through breastfeeding and he gets his nutrition from formula. But I am going back to work full time next week so I'll only be able to let him nurse in the evenings if he wants to, and I don't want to bother pumping if 15ml isn't enough to pass on immunity against colds and flu.
@Mizuiro007@caketimes Thanks for the replies. The lactation group was just kind of a bummer. With DD's eating issues getting worse, I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything before throwing more meds at the problem. The LCs made me feel kind of silly and said I could supplement at night if I was worried. You guys are much more helpful.
Hoping you girls can offer some advice (sorry kind of long). I've recently been having problems with DD constantly unlatching. She feeds 15-20 mins per side and unlatches about 10-15 times per side yanking my nipple each time OUCH! I figured out that she does this for two reasons.
The first is I have a strong let down so she gags and gasps for air. I'm going to try different positions and pumping before nursing as you all have recommended.
Second reason is I have a few minutes pause between let downs (DD usually goes through 3 let downs per side). When this happens she unlatches and screams. So I've been wondering if there is any reason why I couldn't/shouldn't bounce back and forth between sides during the let downs. It's a real inconvenience but these feedings are getting out of control and my nipples are starting to get sore again. Also, if I pump first to help with the first issue wouldn't that mean she'd reach end of let down sooner so scream quicker?
Re: Breastfeeding advice, questions, ect
https://www.mother-2-mother.com/storemilk.htm
From what I gather it's still good to give the baby up until 8 days later therefore it should be good enough to freeze within that same length of time.
@mizuiro007 and @mltarrioI'll give side lying another shot. We tried it a few times but she didn't seem to like it. I'm wondering if it would help if I nursed from both sides each feeding, even if it's only 2-3mins per side. I just don't want to mess up my supply!
*edited bc stupid autocorrect
I would add, if you feel yourself getting emotional don't let baby see your face until you're back to noreal and can show then a happy face. They look to us to see how to react so if we're upset they'll always have a harder time. If we can show them calm and upbeat they can handle it so much better.
That said, it took me a few times with DS to keep from crying. Now with DD my reaction is so much better as I know she'll be fine. Five minutes after her shots she was perfectly content to go back in the Boba wrap and go to sleep.
My LO is 10 weeks, I feed on both sides every time I BF, and I EBF. I'm still having her try the right, and I try that side first every time I feed her to try to signal to that breast that there is still demand... But has anyone dealt with a significant drop on one side only? I also take fenugreek, eat lactation cookies, drink mother's milk tea and drink a TON of water every day. HELP!
Try to remember that not only does pumping not accurately represent supply but since you're ebf it's actually oversupply that it represents. You're simply pumping what's left over after baby feeds and if she's taking in more there won't be as much left over. You're right at a prime time for this to occur.
It's common for supply to vary through the day, day by day, and between sides. If you're trying to feed and pump more on the one side it may just be that you're keeping it emptied more and aren't seeing the volume in a single sesion that you're used to while the other side is slightly neglected and allowed to build up more volume.
When you nurse, can you still hear her swallowing? Does she act at all disatisfied feeding on that side or is it only showing with pumping?
My daughter is still under 10lbs, and although her pediatrician isn't concerned about her size, I feel like it's really important to continue the nighttime feedings even though she sleeps through the night... I'm so conflicted about using formula though
Mostly likely, it sounds like what you'll have to do if you don't want to supplement is to pump more often. Since there isn't the oversupply it will take more sessions to get enough and it will be frustrating. When I've pumped I find it hugely beneficial to use warm, moist compresses. I use a large rice bag warmed in the microwave, and lay it across both breasts for roughly 5-10 mins before pumping and then continuing while pumping. It helps stimulate production and let down.
I recently went through a similar issue when DD went through a massive growth spurt. She was feeding 1-1.5 hrs for 30-40 mins day and night for several days and I worried I'd be able to keep up. Now my milk has regulated again and I can pump a little easier. During that period I started keeping warm compresses on whenever I wasn't nursing or doing skin to skin and noticed a difference.
If you do decide to supplement, there's nothing wrong with that at all. She'd still be benefitting from being primarily breastfed.
I started pumping 3-4x/day instead of just 2 on Saturday, so I'm hoping that helps to get the milk back up. I'll try using a heating pad or warm compress as well. I'm just so perplexed as to why the left has mostly gone back to how it was prior but the right it almost nothing... Like maybe 10mL over a 30-minute pumping session. I don't feel pain or engorged or anything to indicate a clogged duct or anything... It's just so odd! (And frustrating!)
Unrelated vent: Insurance won't over Prilosec or Prevacid.
The LC said that I could try pumping afterward but that I shouldn't expect my supply to change at this point. DD will be 11 weeks tomorrow.
Also, a note on pumping, sometimes my nipples are askew in the flanges and I won't get anything out of one of my breasts. I often readjust after the first minute or two if nothing is coming out.
Right now I'm happy with what we are doing. He and I get to bond through breastfeeding and he gets his nutrition from formula. But I am going back to work full time next week so I'll only be able to let him nurse in the evenings if he wants to, and I don't want to bother pumping if 15ml isn't enough to pass on immunity against colds and flu.
Edited bc post got cut off.