I'm also supplementing with formula and pumped breastmilk per our pediatricians recommendation due to Elijah losing too much weight. I have mixed feelings on it. I was hoping to exclusively breastfeed. Sometimes it works but most times it does not. The latch is usually okay but he falls asleep pretty quickly. It does make me feel better to know he is fed and gaining weight again since adding the supplement but I've been very emotional about it. Today at the ped office a woman was BFing a baby in the waiting room and I started crying. I know logically it makes sense to feed our babies however they need to be fed but it also feels unfair that BFing is not working. I will be sending positive thoughts your way @Schmooie730
Positive thoughts to you, too @austinjl. Hopefully you'll be able to go back to exclusively BFing. The thing I like about bottle feeding at this moment is that my husband gets a chance to feed Aubrey. For someone who has never wanted kids before, he has done an amazing job with her and even surprised himself.
Breastfeeding is also not going well for E and I as well. We were sent home from the hospital with supplemental formula and I tried to give her my colostrum by breastfeeding. My milk came in today (well Thursday) and now I'm pumping and mixing it with formula because now her latch is horrible from being bottle fed. I'm hoping I can get help from a local support group but if not I might exclusively pump.
@rakel88 hope everything is OK with Ari! Thinking of you guys. @Schmooie730 totally agree, the one nice thing about needing formula is DH can help. We are at the point now where my milk is a bit more established so I have enough pumped for a few feedings so we don't have to use formula all the time.I'm feeling a little better about it, trying really hard to remember I'm not failing as her mom and that all she needs is food, no matter where it comes from. @austinjl
@abpl2014 Pregnancy hormones are no joke!! Im sure magnified by your current situation. I hope you three are able to go home soon!!! I'm sure just being in your own home and establishing a routine will do wonders for everyone's emotions!!
@rakel88 I'm sorry to hear about Ari's temp! The doctor casually mentioned that to us too in the "things to be aware of" when we were being discharged - ant strange variation in temperature is immediate admittance. Hopefully it was just a fluke and you'll be out on your merry way soon!!!
For the breastfeeding peeps - I loved reading all of what you wrote/suggested!! Goes without saying I will be buying black tea bags today. I am willing to try anything for some pain relief!! And we're definitely going to start pumping!! I hate not knowing exactly how much she's gotten from each feed!! And I'd love for my husband to be able to be part of this too. I was tempted to throw in some formula supplementing too but I heard then they can reject BF'ing all together?? Sometimes she seems totally content off about 15 minutes on each side but then wakes up an hour later acting hungry! I keep telling my husband every cry cannot mean she needs to go to the boobie buffet (my husband has kindly named me) but we've yet to be able to quiet her any other way 95% of the time!! Ugh!!
Thanks everyone for your thoughts! It looks like his low temp was a total one off fluke because he's been maintaining a normal temp and all other vitals since we got here. Because they sent out some tests, I think that's pretty much why we're still here... Hopefully going home ASAP, we're done with hospitals! He seems totally happy, super alert when he's awake, deeply asleep when sleeping and VERY hungry and eagerly eating, so I'm pretty sure he's good
I'm coming off the day 10 growth spurt and cluster feed and holy wow. That kid ate every hour for the whole day yesterday and every 1.5/2 hours all night. My nipples are raw. Thankfully he's asleep right now and I hope he stays that way for a while. I need a break. He better get some good chunk out of this!
Ill join everyone on the breastfeeding is hard train! It seems to be going well, he latches good and my nipples are fine but LO will be 2 weeks tomorrow and he is still has a little more than half a pound to go to get back to birth weight. My ped isn't concerned just said he is gaining super slow. Had me show her him latched which was good. He just falls asleep so often when he is on the breast. He only usually feeds for 8-10 mins before falling asleep. I have to really agitate him to wake him up. We go back Tuesday for another weight check!
Ive started pumping and I've already gotten my milk in. I'm producing about 1-1.5 ounces the past few sessions. I have a question though (and I'll do some research as well)...I'm producing a good amount on my left breast but my right isn't keeping up. The breast is fairly hard and a little bit sore (not bad though). Should I pump that side more often? I'm gonna put a warm washcloth over the breast as Aubrey sleeps to help but I'm not quite sure how to get that side's production up or if it will just not give quite as much. Any tips/ideas?
lurking here. This thread is starting to scare me about breastfeeding....I guess I forgot how challenging it really is.
@Schmooie730 with DS1 I had a "stud" and a "dud" when it came to milk production. In my case the stud was my right breast but the left side was a dud. I kept feeding/pumping out of both though. After the initial engorgement they were mostly about even in size too. I read that you could try to pump and/or feed more out of the dud to stimulate more production (or try always starting a feeding with the dud first), but between the two, I seemed to produce an adequate amount so I didn't really try either of those things.
Lurking.... @schmoodle Definitely possible to have one breast produce more than the other. But just to make sure that you don't get clogged ducts, try and massage that breast under a warm shower. My LC would also recommend putting something slippery like conditioner on a wide tooth comb and kind of "combing" toward the nipple all the way around with gentle pressure. And like you said, warm compresses are great.
"The cleaning, the scrubbing will wait til tomorrow,
For children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.
@schmoodle like pp said I also had a stud and a dud with ds. I did tend to feed more often from the stud bc it was easier and I knew ds was getting an adequate amt. This time I'm really trying to get my dud boob to be better so I am feeding on that side first as that is when baby sucks the hardest and most efficiently. Instead of a washcloth use a diaper as a hot compress. Lc told me about that with ds. Keeps it hotter for longer!
Thanks ladies! I'm pumping from both breasts at the same time and in total getting a good amount, but I was just curious. I'll definitely do warm compresses between pumping sessions.
@rakel88 I wondered the same thing! My boobs are pretty soft and squishy again now that engorgement has done down and my supply has evened out. I cluster fed nonstop the last couple days and never ran out of milk... But I have no clue how to tell if your baby "drains" your boob or not.
You shouldn't actually run out, but it can be much slower. If baby's really hungry and keeps nursing, it will signal your body to produce more milk. If baby's getting frustrated, pumping more may help up your production too. You might not pump anything though because it doesn't do as a good a job as baby typically.
ETA: Eventually, your breasts should feel soft and and not hard more regularly. Your body just needs to learn how to regulate how much milk baby needs. First thing in the morning was the only time I felt engorged or really full after the first few weeks/months (not sure how long anymore).
The point of cluster feeding is to signal your body to make more milk, and milk is constantly being made so while the breasts may empty a bit they'll never empty totally.
Let's talk about this engorgement period. The struggle is REAL! I think I had my first (of what I'm sure will be many) meltdowns on whether or not I'm doing the right thing. She basically rejected both sides after many attempts. I had tried pumping earlier and had some stored so I gave her that. But then when she wouldn't latch I panicked and gave her some newborn formula we had just so she had a meal!! Is this typical?!? I read online it can be tough for them to latch during this time. I of course will try each time! Any other advice during this period?
I feel like breastfeeding would be so much more successful for me if I could get him in the right positions! It's really hard for me for some reason, I can never get him right by myself.
@mrsllove Oh man this is the worst!! And I thought we were doing enough feeding but geez maybe not! Or maybe this can happen regardless. Yes my meltdown also ended with tears! It started to make me worry that she wasn't getting enough earlier in the day...now I'm starving her. Her next doctor appointment's going to be terrible, etc, etc. my online research said what @theshannondee said about trying cold cabbage leaves and also cold compresses to reduce swelling. I'll let you know how that goes!!
So baby Maggie is still in the NICU so I still haven't been able to hold her. The hospital has me pumping though and I've been able to collect almost 2 CCs of colostrum for her. She is currently on IV nutrition until this afternoon but then hopefully she gets to eat what I have pumped. I feel helpless in here while she's down the hall but at least I feel a bit better about being able to give her some colostrum.
Me: 31 DH:35 Started TTC in June 2014 Started seeing RE in June 2015 HSG in July 2015 = normal, started Clomid/Ovidrel/IUI cycle in August 2015 Cycle #3 in October afforded 1st month of mature follicles - underwent IUI BFP on 10/27/15 - EDD 7/8/16 DD#1 born on 7/1/16
TTC #2 in September 2018 BFP on 12/2/18 - EDD 8/16/19
Team Green!
@MollyH1987 I'm sorry, that must be so hard but good for you for pumping and collecting anything you can, I'm sure she'll be happy to have what you give her!
@MollyH1987 I hope you get to hold Maggie soon! Pumping is what has kept me sane during our NICU stay, it's the one thing that has helped me feel like I'm actually helping my baby. Keep it up you are already an amazing mom for Maggie by doing that for her! Hoping things go well for you and Maggie!
Thanks @rakel88 and @abpl2014. I wasn't expecting the NICU stay but they say she's doing well. It's tough but staying strong! Everyone on the board is having some beautiful babies and they're all lucky to have each of you as their mommies.
Me: 31 DH:35 Started TTC in June 2014 Started seeing RE in June 2015 HSG in July 2015 = normal, started Clomid/Ovidrel/IUI cycle in August 2015 Cycle #3 in October afforded 1st month of mature follicles - underwent IUI BFP on 10/27/15 - EDD 7/8/16 DD#1 born on 7/1/16
TTC #2 in September 2018 BFP on 12/2/18 - EDD 8/16/19
Team Green!
Since I'm on magnesium for pre-eclampsia, I don't get to see my babies in the NICU until after I complete 24 hours on it post birth. It's killing me inside. DH has been up there constantly and sending me pictures and videos but it's not the same. I just want to hold my babies.
Hi everyone, I just realized I haven't posted in forever, sorry for writing a bit of a novel here... I've mostly been checking/reading threads on my phone (easier in the middle of the night!) and somehow the bump doesn't log me in properly and I find it harder to post on my phone, hence the delay. It's so exciting that so many more mommies are joining us in the newborn thread!!
@WVUPetunia@abpl2014 I’m also getting preventive treatment
to make sure I stay happy and healthy in the PP period… So far it seems to
work, sometimes I still get hit by anxiety when I realize I’ve produced a human
being, but I think that’s pretty normal since it doesn’t last too long… I will
say that prioritizing sleep and naps has been helpful for my mood/anxiety. I still try (*try* is the key word here, hahaha) to get 7-8hrs/day. This means that I spend a lot of time in bed in between
feedings etc., and that DH does half of the feedings at night, but
when I’m up I feel like my mood is easier to manage. We definitely notice it when I don’t
get as much!
@abpl2014 it’s great that you are getting extra help, you
deserve it! You’re working so hard and Henry is so lucky to have you taking
care of him, I hope it gets somewhat easier soon! Oh and the plugged milk ducts are the
worst… I’ve been dealing with that and did end up starting to take antibiotics
because it was starting to look like mastitis… I’ve been feeling better since,
but that didn’t help my well-being, it's really painful/stressful...
@rakel88 Glad to hear Ari's been doing good after that initial scare, I hope you guys will be on your way home soon!
@TiffRox81 Sore nipples are part of the reason why it's been tough for us to breastfeed. After starting to treat my mastitis symptoms, I noticed that something might be wrong with my nipples because I had a crusty white layer on it (sorry I know that's gross to even describe, but just in case someone else has it and doesn't realize it...) I called my OB to discuss whether it could be thrush (because my boobs decided I should have ALL of the problems one can have during breastfeeding, hahaha). Anyway I did start using a special ointment for thrush and lo and behold the crusty layer is almost gone and my nipples are somewhat less painful. My doc didn't want to have me taking meds for both mastitis and thrush at the same time, which is why we went with the ointment.
@schaze@austinjl@Schmooie730 I’ve also been supplementing
with formula and I first I did have feelings of guilt/worthlessness about it, but she
seems happy and healthy, she put on some weight (we checked yesterday, what a relief!), and she’s also getting breastmilk that
I express (though I totally respect moms who only formula feed, we all need to
do what’s best for us and our LOs!).
@Schmooie730 I’ve also mostly been pumping at this point... The feedings end up being more productive (when I nurse at the breast she’s
hungry again right away so my guess is that her latch still isn’t quite where
it should be…). I’ll be curious to hear what your doc says. I think it’s mostly
up to us and what we prefer (pumping does also take a lot of time, it’s really
hard to motivate myself to pump at night!!)
I don't have much to add yet at 2 days PP except: coffee is good, I wish my milk would hurry and come in, and I thought pregnancy hormones were wacky but I had no idea what I was in for.
@Serpica we actually had our first dr appointment this morning. He really wants me to see a lactation consultant again and get back to putting Aubrey at my breast. I really don't want to see another consultant mainly bc the two I did see, while helpful, still could t help resolve the issues when it was just the way her mouth muscles were working. I will try again but I'm not concerned if she doesn't take to it. She weighs the same she did when we were discharged and I am going back in a week for another weight check, but she only ever lost 5 oz so I'm not too concerned.
for those pumping/ff, how many ounces are you giving your little ones? My doc said anything she can handle in a half hour is normal. I had been giving one ounce but we are upping it to 2 today to see how she does. I don't want to over feed her lol
for those pumping/ff, how many ounces are you giving your little ones? My doc said anything she can handle in a half hour is normal. I had been giving one ounce but we are upping it to 2 today to see how she does. I don't want to over feed her lol
I'm bfing mainly but pumping for one bottle a day for DH to give in the mornings so I get caught up on a bit of rest. He says she takes about 2oz happily. She's 12 days old and started at 5.8lb so other aged and sized babies could take different amounts
Re: Newborn/Postpartum Thread
@Schmooie730 totally agree, the one nice thing about needing formula is DH can help. We are at the point now where my milk is a bit more established so I have enough pumped for a few feedings so we don't have to use formula all the time.I'm feeling a little better about it, trying really hard to remember I'm not failing as her mom and that all she needs is food, no matter where it comes from. @austinjl
July16 JULY siggy challenge
@rakel88 I'm sorry to hear about Ari's temp! The doctor casually mentioned that to us too in the "things to be aware of" when we were being discharged - ant strange variation in temperature is immediate admittance. Hopefully it was just a fluke and you'll be out on your merry way soon!!!
For the breastfeeding peeps - I loved reading all of what you wrote/suggested!! Goes without saying I will be buying black tea bags today. I am willing to try anything for some pain relief!! And we're definitely going to start pumping!! I hate not knowing exactly how much she's gotten from each feed!! And I'd love for my husband to be able to be part of this too. I was tempted to throw in some formula supplementing too but I heard then they can reject BF'ing all together?? Sometimes she seems totally content off about 15 minutes on each side but then wakes up an hour later acting hungry! I keep telling my husband every cry cannot mean she needs to go to the boobie buffet (my husband has kindly named me) but we've yet to be able to quiet her any other way 95% of the time!! Ugh!!
It looks like his low temp was a total one off fluke because he's been maintaining a normal temp and all other vitals since we got here. Because they sent out some tests, I think that's pretty much why we're still here... Hopefully going home ASAP, we're done with hospitals!
He seems totally happy, super alert when he's awake, deeply asleep when sleeping and VERY hungry and eagerly eating, so I'm pretty sure he's good
I'm coming off the day 10 growth spurt and cluster feed and holy wow. That kid ate every hour for the whole day yesterday and every 1.5/2 hours all night. My nipples are raw. Thankfully he's asleep right now and I hope he stays that way for a while. I need a break. He better get some good chunk out of this!
Ill join everyone on the breastfeeding is hard train! It seems to be going well, he latches good and my nipples are fine but LO will be 2 weeks tomorrow and he is still has a little more than half a pound to go to get back to birth weight. My ped isn't concerned just said he is gaining super slow. Had me show her him latched which was good. He just falls asleep so often when he is on the breast. He only usually feeds for 8-10 mins before falling asleep. I have to really agitate him to wake him up. We go back Tuesday for another weight check!
Got newborn pics back! Heres my favorite!
Ive started pumping and I've already gotten my milk in. I'm producing about 1-1.5 ounces the past few sessions. I have a question though (and I'll do some research as well)...I'm producing a good amount on my left breast but my right isn't keeping up. The breast is fairly hard and a little bit sore (not bad though). Should I pump that side more often? I'm gonna put a warm washcloth over the breast as Aubrey sleeps to help but I'm not quite sure how to get that side's production up or if it will just not give quite as much. Any tips/ideas?
lurking here. This thread is starting to scare me about breastfeeding....I guess I forgot how challenging it really is.
@Schmooie730 with DS1 I had a "stud" and a "dud" when it came to milk production. In my case the stud was my right breast but the left side was a dud. I kept feeding/pumping out of both though. After the initial engorgement they were mostly about even in size too. I read that you could try to pump and/or feed more out of the dud to stimulate more production (or try always starting a feeding with the dud first), but between the two, I seemed to produce an adequate amount so I didn't really try either of those things.
ETA: Eventually, your breasts should feel soft and and not hard more regularly. Your body just needs to learn how to regulate how much milk baby needs. First thing in the morning was the only time I felt engorged or really full after the first few weeks/months (not sure how long anymore).
Started TTC in June 2014
Started seeing RE in June 2015
HSG in July 2015 = normal, started Clomid/Ovidrel/IUI cycle in August 2015
Cycle #3 in October afforded 1st month of mature follicles - underwent IUI
BFP on 10/27/15 - EDD 7/8/16
DD#1 born on 7/1/16
TTC #2 in September 2018
BFP on 12/2/18 - EDD 8/16/19
Team Green!
Started TTC in June 2014
Started seeing RE in June 2015
HSG in July 2015 = normal, started Clomid/Ovidrel/IUI cycle in August 2015
Cycle #3 in October afforded 1st month of mature follicles - underwent IUI
BFP on 10/27/15 - EDD 7/8/16
DD#1 born on 7/1/16
TTC #2 in September 2018
BFP on 12/2/18 - EDD 8/16/19
Team Green!
, 💙💙💙💙💙💙
@WVUPetunia @abpl2014 I’m also getting preventive treatment to make sure I stay happy and healthy in the PP period… So far it seems to work, sometimes I still get hit by anxiety when I realize I’ve produced a human being, but I think that’s pretty normal since it doesn’t last too long… I will say that prioritizing sleep and naps has been helpful for my mood/anxiety. I still try (*try* is the key word here, hahaha) to get 7-8hrs/day. This means that I spend a lot of time in bed in between feedings etc., and that DH does half of the feedings at night, but when I’m up I feel like my mood is easier to manage. We definitely notice it when I don’t get as much!
@abpl2014 it’s great that you are getting extra help, you deserve it! You’re working so hard and Henry is so lucky to have you taking care of him, I hope it gets somewhat easier soon! Oh and the plugged milk ducts are the worst… I’ve been dealing with that and did end up starting to take antibiotics because it was starting to look like mastitis… I’ve been feeling better since, but that didn’t help my well-being, it's really painful/stressful...
@rakel88 Glad to hear Ari's been doing good after that initial scare, I hope you guys will be on your way home soon!
@TiffRox81 Sore nipples are part of the reason why it's been tough for us to breastfeed. After starting to treat my mastitis symptoms, I noticed that something might be wrong with my nipples because I had a crusty white layer on it (sorry I know that's gross to even describe, but just in case someone else has it and doesn't realize it...) I called my OB to discuss whether it could be thrush (because my boobs decided I should have ALL of the problems one can have during breastfeeding, hahaha). Anyway I did start using a special ointment for thrush and lo and behold the crusty layer is almost gone and my nipples are somewhat less painful. My doc didn't want to have me taking meds for both mastitis and thrush at the same time, which is why we went with the ointment.
@schaze @austinjl @Schmooie730 I’ve also been supplementing with formula and I first I did have feelings of guilt/worthlessness about it, but she seems happy and healthy, she put on some weight (we checked yesterday, what a relief!), and she’s also getting breastmilk that I express (though I totally respect moms who only formula feed, we all need to do what’s best for us and our LOs!).
@Schmooie730 I’ve also mostly been pumping at this point... The feedings end up being more productive (when I nurse at the breast she’s hungry again right away so my guess is that her latch still isn’t quite where it should be…). I’ll be curious to hear what your doc says. I think it’s mostly up to us and what we prefer (pumping does also take a lot of time, it’s really hard to motivate myself to pump at night!!)
Hope everybody gets to snuggle their babies soon!
for those pumping/ff, how many ounces are you giving your little ones? My doc said anything she can handle in a half hour is normal. I had been giving one ounce but we are upping it to 2 today to see how she does. I don't want to over feed her lol