All Things Breastfeeding

Megz1902

So, I am getting ahead of myself here, but I'm thinking I want to BF longer than a year if Nora wants to. If I'm still BFing at 12 months, do we need to go to cows milk, or only once we are done BFing?

SandNStarsNJ

Thanks all! He's definitely eating way more than the 30 oz at this point which makes me wonder if it's time to intro food. He went today with 4 5oz bottles. 

ETA: And last night he nursed almost the entire time he was home until he went to bed. Though I think he missed me. 

SandNStarsNJ

So yesterday LO put down 4 5 oz bottles with the slowest nipple there is between 7:30 and 2:30 and I'm honestly struggling to get 20 oz from a pump in that same time. Time like these I wish I had made a hug stash earlier...

Ladybug2821

SandNStarsNJ said:

So yesterday LO put down 4 5 oz bottles with the slowest nipple there is between 7:30 and 2:30 and I'm honestly struggling to get 20 oz from a pump in that same time. Time like these I wish I had made a hug stash earlier...

Oh my!  I've only been taking home 16 oz. I could probably pump longer and get more but who wants to do that. But 20 oz in that time frame does seem difficult. 

rspalding001

@sandnstarsnj with my DD when I wasn't pumping enough I started mixing in formula to make up the difference. Just a suggestion. It seems like it will be way too difficult to pump 20 ozs. Just saying don't kill yourself trying to do it. Good luck mama!

MrsBigTime

Megz1902 said:

So, I am getting ahead of myself here, but I'm thinking I want to BF longer than a year if Nora wants to. If I'm still BFing at 12 months, do we need to go to cows milk, or only once we are done BFing?

We nursed for 2 years and I gave DD1 cows, almond or coconut milk in a cup because I stopped pumping at 13 months. Your doctor will probably tell you she'll need cows milk, but it's more for the Vitamin D than anything. We've never done more than 4 ounces of cows milk a day and my older daughter gets her iron from a multivitamin or an Vit D pill (she loves taking vitamins like mama!). 

IMO, cows milk isn't the nutritional powerhouse it's been always touted to be, but it's not the devil either! We're not a big milk-drinking family, but it's a decent source of calories and it's yummy for my daughter, so we do some when she wants it - which isn't that often. 

tigerfish227

I send 6 3oz bottles with V while I'm at work but he usually only eats 3-4 of those (9-12oz) and I'm gone for usually about 10 hours once you add my commute and lunch. He's only give thru all 6 bottles maybe once or twice since I went back to work. With what I'm sending and what I'm pumping I'm luckily still freezing probably 6-12oz/week. I've only had to thaw some frozen one time.

m6agua

MrsBigTime said:

Megz1902 said:

So, I am getting ahead of myself here, but I'm thinking I want to BF longer than a year if Nora wants to. If I'm still BFing at 12 months, do we need to go to cows milk, or only once we are done BFing?

We nursed for 2 years and I gave DD1 cows, almond or coconut milk in a cup because I stopped pumping at 13 months. Your doctor will probably tell you she'll need cows milk, but it's more for the Vitamin D than anything. We've never done more than 4 ounces of cows milk a day and my older daughter gets her iron from a multivitamin or an Vit D pill (she loves taking vitamins like mama!). 

IMO, cows milk isn't the nutritional powerhouse it's been always touted to be, but it's not the devil either! We're not a big milk-drinking family, but it's a decent source of calories and it's yummy for my daughter, so we do some when she wants it - which isn't that often. 

THIS!!!! You can get your calcium and other nutrients from fruits and veggies. You don't even need milk. I've done a few Whole30 and watched Forks Over Knives (somewhat opposite views on food) and I've learned so much more about food/nutrition from the experience. It's basically just a bunch of marketing.

SandNStarsNJ

I stopped pumping at 11 mo and continued nursing at night to 14 mo and otherwise simply mixed whole organic milk with breastmilk for a bit and then switched over entirely to whole milk when she showed interest. I did give her vitamin D drops as per the doctor's orders though. 

And amen to the better food options! I am now half way through Forks Over Knives. Thanks @m6agua!

DS took 20 oz at daycare again and doesn't really want to eat at all at home now. It makes me kinda sad...

m6agua

@sandnstarsNJ No problem! It was a bit drastic but I liked it. I liked that Forks Over Knives and Whole30 agree on the fact that we need more veggies in our diet. I don't think I could go full plant based, but I do believe here in the US we eat way too much animal protein, mainly just because our portions are huge.

SandNStarsNJ

Where do you guys stand on combining different days of expressed milk? 

lajoliedreamer

SandNStarsNJ said:

Where do you guys stand on combining different days of expressed milk? 

I do it. Never occurred to me not to!

Ladybug2821

@SandNStarsNJ I do it also. Never had an issue.

kvruns

SandNStarsNJ said:

Where do you guys stand on combining different days of expressed milk? 

I also do it. I've even thawed frozen and if it was a little short topped it off with stuff from that day or the day before. 

kristah2

As far as I know it's all good to combine as long as they are the same temp and when feeding or freezing you go by the date of the oldest in the bottle! 

SandNStarsNJ

Thanks! 

ZoeFer

This week, our pediatrician recommended to start solid food (oatmeal cereal and fruits) at her 4 month appointment. L is exclusively breastfed so far and even though her weight gain slowed down, she is doing well I think. I am puzzled because Pediatrician assoc. recommends breastfeeding/formula until 6 months.
 Did your dr s recommend solid food? are you planing to start any food or have you already? She does not have a big apetite, especially from the bottle, I dont want to fill her with oatmeal while I have lots of extra breastmilk. 

jsmai

Mine suggested we wait until 6 months unless I thought that S was acting insatiable, which she isn't. 

RhodaMorgenstern

Our pediatrician recommended we start fruits and puréed veggies at A's 4 month appointment. She doesn't recommend cereals or oatmeal since they have little nutritional value and she said that you're basically just getting them used to swallowing and the texture/taste of solid foods. We tried avocado with A last weekend and she seemed fine with it. We're trying banana this weekend so it's not still an everyday thing but the closer she gets to 6 months and the more foods she tries, the more we're going to try to make it a daily thing.

kvruns

I believe 4 months is the new start time. I'm waiting until our 4 month appointment next week. To be honest I don't want to start any, mostly because I'm lazy and it is easier to nurse or give a bottle than to deal with getting out the highchair, trying to feed him, etc. 

ZoeFer

Thanks ladies, i keep reading how we should wait until 6months so i was surprised but good to know our dr is not the only one but i will skip oatmeal and start with some veggies or banana just to introduce her eating. 

SandNStarsNJ

We were told to intro for taste at 4 mo so after a feeding I mash some banana and BM together and he has a few spoonfuls.

lajoliedreamer

At our four month appt last month our dr said we could start introducing solids if we wanted, but said that we might want to wait until she started showing interest in our food. E's five months now and we still haven't introduced anything. She is just starting to pay attention to what we're eating so I'm guessing we'll start with avocado or bananas by the time she's six months. The dr said the general recommendation now is by around 6 months, but as early as 4 months if baby is ready.

rspalding001

For solids I look to see a couple things: can the baby sit unassisted or supported by a high chair at least? Are they showing an interest in food that you are eating?
also food before one is just for fun meaning give baby full breast or bottle feeding and follow with food choice. Don't do solids first. It's just to expose them to flavor and give them an opportunity to try chewing/swallowing but not ment to be a main source of calories.

kristah2

In Canada guidelines have changed to 6 months. I'm doing baby led weaning I think. Reading the book now to prepare! 

kvruns

My daycare said they start at 4 months because it participates in some federal food program and that is the guideline so if I don't want him having it I will need a Dr note. He was 4 months last week and no one said anything but getting a dr note If they tell me to hold off starting him 

SandNStarsNJ

kvruns said:

My daycare said they start at 4 months because it participates in some federal food program and that is the guideline so if I don't want him having it I will need a Dr note. He was 4 months last week and no one said anything but getting a dr note If they tell me to hold off starting him 

We had the exact opposite! I needed to bring a doctor's note saying he could start before 6 months. How crazy...

anne11716

Ah!! Clogged duct!! I'm freaking out it's going to turn into mastitis. Help!

anne11716

Ps I've only had it since this afternoon and I have taken a hit shower and have pumped more than I normally do. 

SandNStarsNJ

@anne11716 What about just lightly massaging it in semi-circles and some hand expression? The more you pump, the more you're going to produce. When I get super engorged i express a bit to take the edge off. Good luck to you!

lajoliedreamer

@anne11716 - I had the same thing a couple weeks ago and worried too. I massaged it in the shower (starting at the top of the ducts which is a bit below the shoulder), fed E from an above angle so gravity could help her work it out, and pumped after feedings to make sure I emptied as much as possible (with a little massage before feeding and/or pumping). It was completely gone in a few days. You've got this!

hoosiermama-2

@SandNStarsNJ Late to the party, but I've combined milk from different sessions in the past. BUT my donor paperwork says not to.

kvruns

@hoosiermama are you donating to the Milk Bank?

hoosiermama-2

@kvruns soon enough, I hope! Gotta go get blood drawn. Stuffs been crazy with being back in the office and job interviews 

kvruns

Cool! I've thought about donating trough Human Milk for Human Babies. My freezer is stuffed so it might be good to clear out some space.

RhodaMorgenstern

This is going to sound nuts but Inthink A is clamping down on my nipple on purpose. I was nursing her last night before she went to bed and she clamped down on my nipple. I wasn't looking at her and screamed. When I looked down, she was smiling and giggling. My husband gave her a bottle and then I tried nursing to calm her down. She clamped down 3 more times. She was smiling each time. Is this normal or is my baby a sadist?

kvruns

RhodaMorgenstern said:

This is going to sound nuts but Inthink A is clamping down on my nipple on purpose. I was nursing her last night before she went to bed and she clamped down on my nipple. I wasn't looking at her and screamed. When I looked down, she was smiling and giggling. My husband gave her a bottle and then I tried nursing to calm her down. She clamped down 3 more times. She was smiling each time. Is this normal or is my baby a sadist?

I haven't experienced this (yet) but I've heard of it and I'd call it normal over baby sadist  She discovered that when she did A, she got reaction B, so she did it again...and again...and again

SandNStarsNJ

RhodaMorgenstern said:

This is going to sound nuts but Inthink A is clamping down on my nipple on purpose. I was nursing her last night before she went to bed and she clamped down on my nipple. I wasn't looking at her and screamed. When I looked down, she was smiling and giggling. My husband gave her a bottle and then I tried nursing to calm her down. She clamped down 3 more times. She was smiling each time. Is this normal or is my baby a sadist?

It sounds like a combination of teething and not really hungry. Maybe she's ready to drop a feeding?

RhodaMorgenstern

She was definitely hungry the first time she clamped down, I passed her over to my husband and she downed 4.5 oz from the bottle. I took her back in order to soothe her, she was hyper all afternoon, and that's when she kept clamping down. Maybe it was a reaction but my reaction was to scream so I don't see how she could have enjoyed that. Unless she's a baby sadist.

lajoliedreamer

@RhodaMorgenstern - E does this and has been for weeks. She basically gnaws on my nipple. Not every feeding, but most days at least once. I think it's to soothe sore gums because she has been showing signs of teething or it's just a phase. I doubt she understands that the noises I make mean pain, but she is intrigued by the new noises and can find them funny.