All Things Breastfeeding

kvruns

I can't decide on freezing vs refrigerating. Right now he takes 2 bottles per night (4 oz each). Occassionally he'll have another random bottle if my parents are visiting or we go somewhere but usual that is formula for conveniene. In the fridge I have 5 bottles worth in pouches. Should I start freezing anything beyond the 2 I need? I feel like I"ll end up just using the newest stuff and never the frozen because it would be silly to freeze and defrost 2 days later. Is freeing only if you have a big stash? 

PrettyPalomino

kvruns said:

@PrettyPalomino formula is not battery acid, it is no big deal. Heck I was formula fed...

This made me laugh! I was also formula fed, as was my mother. You won't believe what my grandmother fed her as "formula"... evaporated milk!! And mom is still alive and thriving. 

Thanks all for for the support. It's amazing how easy it is to get tunnel vision when trying to make EBF work. Today is day 1 of formula, I'm pumping to alleviate the engorgement so she's still getting some BM to ease the transition, which feels like such a happy balance. I managed to tidy and clean up! Yay normalcy! 

rspalding001

@prettypalomino ha ha my Grandma admitted to giving my mom cows milk instead of breast milk or formula from just about birth on. She survived too

SandNStarsNJ

So how many ounces would you say is appropriate for a 6 week old to receive via bottle of BM?

rspalding001

This is is the best guid I could find for breast milk. Formula feed babies will consume more on average. Just FYI.

edited because my original advice was based on formula feeding not breast milk.

MrsMaryK2016

The key for me has been to pump at every opportunity, even if I only get an ounce or two. I keep the smaller amounts in the fridge for a few days and combine them together to freeze in 4 ounce bags.

Oh I didn't realize this was ok! That helps a ton!

kvruns

For the first time I experienced an issue with letdown while breastfeeding. I've had it while pumping due to stress/anxiety but this time when feeding LO tonight I had nothing - he kept sucking but I could tell nothing was coming out  Felt really bad for the baby and it pisses me off since I then had to use stored BM for a bottle to make sure he got enough before being put down for sleep and I know I won't be getting anything when I pump the rest of the night due to said stress.  

SandNStarsNJ

Thanks @rspalding001 - that's a super helpful chart (and maybe a little intimidating).

Sorry @kvruns I wish Incoikd suggest something more helpful, but maybe try relaxing with a book or in the bath for a short while and chug some water to see if that helps. In the long run, I've used lactation cookies (Amazon carries them) pretty successfully when my supply dipped maybe that could help stimulate your production. 

And I'm pretty sure we failed at giving DS a bottle this evening. He was already gassy/screamy so he wasn't really receptive to the offering. Of course, putting him to the boob cured the yelling. I've also chosen sleep and reading over pumping so I'm still failing in that regard. 

PrettyPalomino

@kvruns you could try beer it promotes supply AND does the job of relaxing. If you can drive, you can breastfeed.

kvruns

Thanks for the suggestions. The breast was full but I think it was a letdown issue. My H said some unforgivable things so it is pretty rough here right now but fortunately I got him to nurse this morning ok so I think it was just a onetime thing 

SandNStarsNJ

RhodaMorgenstern

I'm having some serious issues tonight. A is being mainly breastfed, with some formula supplementation. She was on Gentlease but she had terrible gas and colic so we switched her to a dairy free, soy free formula. Physically, she's doing so much better but she hates the taste of it. Now she's refusing all bottles (of course since I'm going back to work in 2 weeks) and has been screaming her head of food for 2 hours. 

We called the pediatrician who recommended a warm bath and just breast milk in a bottle. She screamed through the bath and refused the bottle. We called the pediatrician again and she said A was overtired and to swaddle her and lay her down in the crib.

A stopped screaming after 20 minutes but I feel like the worst mom in the world.

kristah2

@SandNStarsNJ I actually laughed out loud at this. It is so true!! A few days ago I spent forever pumping and as I was getting up I knocked it on the floor. The bottle detached and spilled it ALLL. I cried. DH laughed. I got mad at DH saying he didn't understand between sobs. 
However I did recently read an article recently saying to never be upset over it since it's a "renewable resource".. was probably written by a man but i suppose it's true! Made me feel a bit better that night. 

@RhodaMorgenstern you're not a bad mom! Babies can be hard. M took his first bottle like a champ and has since made a HUGE fuss over every one since. It's super hard to deal with because now I'm afraid to leave him. I hope baby comes around for you. 
Whay I found helped for us is wait until baby is hungry (but not hungry enough they are fussing, usually first signs of hunger) and i would leave the room while DH fed. He then thought the boobies were gone and DH would get a bit of milk in his mouth so he would see that it tasted the same. That was the only way we could get it to work. He also likes his milk realllllyyy warm and if it cools down too much he wants nothing to do with it. 
Good luck! 

rspalding001

Keep in mind that babies will probably take a bottle better from a day care provider than they will from Mom. It's like they know you are there and don't want anything but the boob, but if there is no other option they will drink from a bottle. It took my first a couple days to adjust but she took a bottle for day care even when we struggled to get her to take one at home. It will work itself out. Babies won't let themselves starve.

SandNStarsNJ

@rhodamorgenstern Are you able to put LO to the breast briefly to calm her down in those moments? Some times they really do get so worked up that there's nothing we can do until they calm down. And you are in no way a bad mom!

@kristah2 I was pumping and judging my output per breast when I remembered how often the quality of my day was determined by how many ounces I pumped and when a bottle was dropped or wasted I was miserable. I need to try and not be that woman this time but it's so hard. 

MrsMaryK2016

My mom tells the story of how I refused the bottle as a baby too and to get me to take one she had to leave me screaming with my grandmother. She said I lasted two hours before caving. I'm sure it's stressful and I'm dreading trying it out myself but PP is correct, your little one will take it eventually just maybe not from you. Good luck!

hoosiermama-2

@SandNStarsNJ Me one of our first few days home!! DH told me not to cry over spilled milk and I laughed way too hard. Hilarious.

kvruns

LOnisnt latching well today. He just keeps making small sucking movements when I try to put him on so he isn't getting a wide latch. I can't tell if he is readjusting once he's on. The breast felt emptier so I know he got some but it seemed like he was gnawing more than eating well. I took him off and tried several times to attach Better but he would always have the same small latch. Hope it is just a weird occurrence today 

RhodaMorgenstern

Thanks for the support everyone. It helped a lot last night. I ended up going into her nursery, tried to nurse but she was too hysterical. The only thing that calmed her down was bringing her into our bedroom and nursing her in our bed.
A slept 6 hours last night and my husband has successfully given her 2 bottles today. Although anything less than 2/3 breast milk and she freaks and refuses the bottle. Guess I'll be pumping nonstop until I go back to work...

MrsMaryK2016

Any tricks for making our feedings faster? It takes M forever to eat, each feeding takes approximately 30-40 minutes. Part of that is serious eating but part of it is latching, unlatching, latching, unlatching over and over. And heaven forbid you close the kitchen before he decides he's done. If he was really eating the whole time then fine but it's the last 10-15 minutes of goofing off that are making me crazy!  

erniebernie1

@MrsMaryK2016 I'm right there with u. My first would take 45 min and luckily this Lo is a little faster at 30 min, but I think we just have to wait it out until they get older and faster

anne11716

@MrsMaryK2016 I'm with you too! At least 45 min and by the time I burp him I feel like he's hungry again because it's been two hours!

SandNStarsNJ

@mrsmaryk2016 my first would nurse for hours. When she wasn't swallowing as actively we used to sneak a pacifier into her mouth. Sure enough if she wasn't actually still hungry, she just kept sucking on that until she fell asleep 

SandNStarsNJ

I had to go about 6.5 hours without pumping or nursing yesterday and now, no matter how much pumping or nursing I do, my boobs return to rock solid in record time. Suggestions to help this?

And in venting, after those 6.5 hours, the right breast dropped 5oz. in 10 minutes, but in those same 10 minutes, the left dropped 1 oz. So is it really that much of a disparity or does one breast not like the pump?

kvruns

Anyone's LO have a sucking blister? Mine has it on the top off and on but I now just realized what I thought were chapped lips are likely the same blister all over. Makes sense since I felt he wasn't lastching well so I bet that's been causing it off and on 

SandNStarsNJ

@kvruns DS has one, dead center, upper lip. It hasn't gone away since the first week. 

kvruns

@SandNStarsNJ does he get them anywhere else? 

MrsBigTime

Have you girls heard of the Haakaa?

Haakaa Silicone Breastfeeding Manual Breast Pump Milk Pump 100% Food Grade Silicone BPA PVC and Phthalate Free https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F8W7CF0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_LuNCybTHSNCV8

I ordered a very cheap knock off and it works great! I got it yesterday and was able to collect an ounce off one breast (that wasn't even super full!) as I nursed off the other. If you're a leaker, I highly recommend! 

SandNStarsNJ

He doesn't, @kvruns

kristah2

@SandNStarsNJ I have one boob that pumps a lot better than the other too I can get 2ish oz from one in a reasonable time. The other I get dribbles. But baby can eat there and be happy so just a boob/pump relationship thing 

hoosiermama-2

Is anyone else still cluster feeding? We havent seen it since weeks 1-2 (we'll be 7 on Wednesday) but yesterday and today she's been off and on all day. Assuming she's going through a growth spurt but wondered if anyone else is still cluster feeding too.

SandNStarsNJ

@hoosiermama Yup! Every time we hit a growth spurt the feeding never ends. 

MrsBigTime

@hoosiermama Yep! 9 weeks here and I'm sure we're going through a growth spurt because she's been on the boob nearly all day for the last few days!

brownylover

Anyone else been dealing with forceful letdown? Any tips for dealing with it? 

kvruns

I learned some better hand expression technique and got more that way than my pump. Ugh. Getting pissy at a junky pump and the stress that then makes let down difficult so it is hard to know if it is pump or me. Just hate to spend $$$ on another kind if I'm really the problem 

SandNStarsNJ

What about a hand pump @kvruns? They're like $30 a pop and might be a compromise. Can you describe the hand expression technique? I for sure stink at hand expression and so I'm always worried I don't have any milk to give when I go to check and determine which breast to lead off with.

kvruns

I am going to buy a hand pump too in addition to seeing if I can get a new electric sent bc this one is unreliable. 

The hand tecknique is massage and then grab just above Areola and squeeze while pushing back toward your chest. So not out toward the nipple but toward your body. Took a few tries to get a grip that worked. The video I saw that had it I'll try to link, the lady doing it grips different but she seems to have no expression problems where I have to work at it 
https://med.stanford.edu/newborns/professional-education/breastfeeding/maximizing-milk-production.html

rspalding001

@brownylover when I have a forceful letdown I'll let the excess spray into a burp cloth nearby until it's something DS can manage.

kristah2

How would you even know if you have a forceful letdown? 
A couple times I've went to take my boob out of my bra and my touch causes it to shoot across the room. Super awkward but I usually have a good laugh about it. but that's only happened a couple times. 

rspalding001

@kristah2 as long as LO can nurse I'd say you are fine. Forceful let down to me is any time DS can't nurse because he chokes on the stream of milk during let down. Usually when I'm engorged but not always.