All Things Breastfeeding

LGW2015

Blonde1817 said:

I am still pretty confused about breastfeeding overall, but I think that the most important message I got from my breastfeeding class was not to overcomplicate things if you don't absolutely have to... initially just focus on trying to breastfeed whenever baby is showing signs of hunger (and/or every 2-3 hrs).  Don't try to pump (unless things aren't working out and you need to) until your milk supply is established in a month or so, and don't introduce bottles or pacifiers in that time either.  

Other strategies might work for other people, but I think trying to look ahead too much initially would just stress me out.  At first I was annoyed that my hospital has two separate classes for breastfeeding basics and for pumping, but I think it's helpful to separate them and cut down on the info overload a little bit.   I'm also super glad our pediatrician has a LC available for free if needed!

Yes! That's exactly what I took from my class as well.

Blonde1817

Update... took the pumping & returning to work class last night and it was super helpful!  Obviously every mom is different and finds different things that work for them, but here are some of the main things I took away from the class...

• Don't worry about pumping and no bottles/pacifiers until breastfeeding is established around 3-5 weeks
• 3-5 weeks is a good time to introduce bottles for one feeding a day or just for practice.  You don't want to wait too long or baby might not want to take a bottle.
• Around this time, start with pumping only once a day (max 2x).  Don't stress out about planning for after maternity leave!

I also learned a lot of good info about how to use the pump, clean it, how to store milk, how much milk needs to be sent to daycare, and sample pumping/breastfeeding schedules.  I feel a lot less clueless now!

NoraAurora

Pumping can be fairly complicated unfortunately! But the good news is that once you get the swing of things, it becomes routine very quickly. 

serenaxo84

So I just ordered a pretty good nursing bra and thought I would share for my large busted ladies! 

My boobs don't look as great as they do in normal bra but it's a vast improvement from anything else I have tried! The site also has 25% off right now. Its pretty full coverage so it might be hard to wear with a low v cut top but the band and straps are very supportive and soft. I feel it runs true to size- pre pregnancy I was a 32G and I ordered this in a 34H and it fits well! It might be a little tight if I get super engorged but that shouldn't last a long time. 

https://www.barenecessities.com/cake-lingerie-croissant-spacer-nursing-bra-24-1016_product.htm?pf_id=CakeLingerie241016

ignoscemihi

I forgot how painful the cervix-shrinking contractions can be while breastfeeding.  Ouch!

mothernorth

ignoscemihi said:

I forgot how painful the cervix-shrinking contractions can be while breastfeeding.  Ouch!

 No kidding, I am still getting those bad boys, the first few days after delivery they definitely rivaled labor contractions  Not as bad now, buy sheesh.

mothernorth

I'm EPing until Johnny finally figures out "suck, swallow, breath" and quits suffocating himself everytime it's time to eat, and I must say I feel like a pump masterling now! It is SO much less intimidating once you do it a few times.

Also, for those of you who are going to be using the Medela Pump in Style, that thing is a beast! I have one as my home pump, and I use a Medela Symphony Hospital grade pump bedside in the NICU and seriously, I think my MPIS is stronger.

NoraAurora

@AllyTheKid- I used the symphony at home for about 8 months with DS until it crapped out, and the rental place replaced it with a lactina. HOLY crap if you want to talk suction, I'm pretty sure the lactina is the reason my nips will never be the same. 

@serenaxo84- great tip, you should cross post in deals & steals! Cake bras are fantastic. I just got the cotton candy and fig mousse, I'm excited to try them. I pumped so much with DS that I was hesitant to stray from my standard pumping/nursing combo bra I used with him, but I know that this time the reality is that I won't have the time to EP if I need to with this baby. So it's going to be nursing, formula, or a combination of the two - will only pump once I return to work. 

ignoscemihi

AllyTheKid said:

ignoscemihi said:

I forgot how painful the cervix-shrinking contractions can be while breastfeeding.  Ouch!

 No kidding, I am still getting those bad boys, the first few days after delivery they definitely rivaled labor contractions  Not as bad now, buy sheesh.

I told my husband it's like being in labor.  They should give me an epidural to go home.  And apparently the reason i don't remember it from last time is that it's mild with your first and much worse with each subsequent pregnancy.

mothernorth

@ignoscemihi My OB has a joke about PP contractions, he says "1st pregnancy Ibuprofen, 2nd pregnancy Tylenol 3, 3rd pregnancy NARCOTIC"
He wasn't kidding, if I weren't terrified of getting constipated I would have gladly accepted something stronger than Motrin!

NoraAurora

Oh. Boo I was going to say that it really wasn't that bad with DS. Sigh, one more recovery thing to look forward to!

mothernorth

I thought my boobs were already sore, well my milk REALLY came in around 3:40 this morning and woke me up to let me know... I went from pumping roughly 3.5 oz per sitting to over 6oz overnight, OUCH. Full boobies...

mrszoess

@allythekid i am jealous. i get like 1-1.5 combined 

mothernorth

mrszoess said:

@allythekid i am jealous. i get like 1-1.5 combined 

It will come. Oh, it will come.

OrangeEv

My breasts were only engorged for a couple days but that was the most miserable pain ever! I would have taken double the crotch soreness to avoid that. 
Tip: warmth, not cold to make them feel better! 

mrszoess

GUYS DO THE THING WHERE YOU CUT HOLES IN THE OLD BRA TO MAKE A PUMPING BRA. it works fantastic!!!!

ibabyloveb87

mrszoess said:

GUYS DO THE THING WHERE YOU CUT HOLES IN THE OLD BRA TO MAKE A PUMPING BRA. it works fantastic!!!!

This is my plan until I go back to work I think. I don't want to have to spend more money right now ha

mkc3888

@ibabyloveb87 almost 5wpp EPing and its all I use. I also plan to bring it to work to change in and out of to pump. 

mrsman2018

My babe seems to want to feed all night and will not get any sleep. So no sleep for me. I am breast feeding her throughout the night when she wants, but she does not seem to settle like she does with a day feed. My question is, does my milk production decrease at night? Is it possible she isn't getting anything? She does throw up at night so I am assuming she does get something. They are short feeds. I have a blocked milk duct under my right armpit I found this afternoon and also am wondering if it is becasue of the short feeds? This evening I used a warm compress, massaged and pumped that breast, but the lump under my armpit is still golf-ball sized and sensitive to touch. So discouraged. 

mkc3888

@littlewillie2016 you produce more between the hours of 1-5am. Maybe it's too fast of a flow making baby spit up?

NoraAurora

mkc3888 said:

@ibabyloveb87 almost 5wpp EPing and its all I use. I also plan to bring it to work to change in and out of to pump. 

Girlfriend. Take it from an ex-EP mom, please get yourself a good pumping bra before you go back to work! Changing bras, juggling pumping and working and storing milk, cleaning parts.... all while sleep deprived from a newborn. Just get a bra for pumping that you can wear to work. You will thank me. 

ETA: @littlewillie2016 - @mkc3888 is right, milk volume production actually picks up overnight. However it will have less fat content than your evening milk. As for your clogged duct, DO NOT let it sit. You need to get that gone asap, or it can quickly turn into mastitis. Take a hot shower, use a compress, nurse, get on the pump and turn that bad boy WAY up (comfortably of course) and massage that breast like it's your job til it's gone. Especially if it's as large as you say, and tender. You'd be amazed how quickly that situation can go bad. Hopefully this is a fluke due to your milk not being regulated yet, but if you discover it's a recurring situation, look into buying some lecithin, it does wonders. 

mommathoner

@littlewillie2016 Are your night feeds short because baby is falling back asleep? She may be too sleepy to nurse long enough. She's probably getting milk, just not as much as should could because she's too tired to work at it. When she wakes, undress her completely and do a diaper change to wake her up a little more. Then keep her naked while you nurse so she'll stay awake longer. 

mothernorth

mommathoner said:

@littlewillie2016 Are your night feeds short because baby is falling back asleep? She may be too sleepy to nurse long enough. She's probably getting milk, just not as much as should could because she's too tired to work at it. When she wakes, undress her completely and do a diaper change to wake her up a little more. Then keep her naked while you nurse so she'll stay awake longer. 

Tried and true. +1

mkc3888

@NoraAurora would you mind recommending a pumping bra. I'm a bigger girl and have such a hard time finding a good bra. That why I just planned to wear my regular bra and change to pump. 

NoraAurora

mkc3888 said:

@NoraAurora would you mind recommending a pumping bra. I'm a bigger girl and have such a hard time finding a good bra. That why I just planned to wear my regular bra and change to pump. 

Totally. I'm going to link this article from Lucie's List too- she includes pumping bras with just nursing bras but the Rumina, Belibea and Arden are all for pumping:
https://www.lucieslist.com/best-nursing-bras/

If you're over DD I would recommend the Arden- of the options I've seen, it goes up to the largest size at 44H. This is the bra I used personally with DS for nearly a year, and I can testify that while the straps got looser (after a hundred or so washes) it held up beautifully, and got the job done with basically 24 hour/day wear (I did end up buying two so that I would have it ready). It is spendy but worth it. 

mkc3888

@NoraAurora I'd like the DN but I've never been able to get her to latch. Maybe one day

ETA. thanks for the recommendations. 

mothernorth

So, I have an over abundance of pumped milk that accumulated while Johnny was in the NICU. Would it be weird to give Jimmy some in his sippy cup? He's 14-months-old and would never know the difference... I have this awkward reservation I can't put my finger on about it, but I don't see any actual cons either.

mkc3888

@AllyTheKid I would freeze it since I'm going to work soon, but I think it's fine to give it to jimmy. The who actually recommends that babies be breast fed until 24 months. 

mothernorth

@mkc3888 I have a bunch in the freezer already is why I ask, more than I could ever catch Johnny up on at this point. I think I'll give him one tube a day to help lighten up the load.

mkc3888

@AllyTheKid in that case go for it. It's good for him and hopefully he'll enjoy it

NoraAurora

@ allythekid if I had it I would totally give it to DS, he's under 2 still. Maybe get rid of the oldest stuff first?

@mkc3888 - what is the DN? I'm not familiar with that, unless I'm spacing.

mothernorth

@NoraAurora That's the plan, Stan. FI thinks it's creepy though. 

NoraAurora

AllyTheKid said:

@NoraAurora That's the plan, Stan. FI thinks it's creepy though. 

lol - but in seriousness, it's funny how we are all totally cool with eating cow milk made for baby cows but we all find it weird to give kids over age 1 breast milk made specifically for them. Humans. 

ignoscemihi

@AllyTheKid totally not creepy.  If he'll drink it, go for it.  If he won't take it, you could look into donating your extra to a milk bank.

mkc3888

 @NoraAurora I thought you meant DN instead of DD.  DN is direct nursing.  I'm trying to get back in with the LC before I go back to work.  

NoraAurora

mkc3888 said:

 @NoraAurora I thought you meant DN instead of DD.  DN is direct nursing.  I'm trying to get back in with the LC before I go back to work.  

sorry, my post wasn't very clear - you prob figured it out but I meant breast size DD or more here's hoping that you can get back to direct nursing though! But if you do find yourself EPing, it is do-able. 

LauraPCOS

AllyTheKid said:

mommathoner said:

@littlewillie2016 Are your night feeds short because baby is falling back asleep? She may be too sleepy to nurse long enough. She's probably getting milk, just not as much as should could because she's too tired to work at it. When she wakes, undress her completely and do a diaper change to wake her up a little more. Then keep her naked while you nurse so she'll stay awake longer. 

Tried and true. +1

Actually this helped me too

mothernorth

@ignoscemihi During our stay in the NICU, I informed FI that if we had any left over once the babe is done, I want to donate it. He had no idea you can donate breastmilk, and after being around all the tiny and sick babies for a over a week, he thought that was the best idea ever.
(Yet he still thinks it's creepy to want to give extra to LO. He's an odd bird.)

mothernorth

@NoraAurora Right?? And its not like this kid hasn't had my milk before.

mrsman2018

@mommathoner I'll try that tonight.