Breastfeeding Check-In

kns1988

BabyMC517, 100 ml is great! The first two days of pumping, I was also only getting about 25 ml at a time. Fast forward to now, and I get 4-5 oz. I wish I could be more help with how much he should be eating, but my baby was really small at first so I don't think it would be the same guidelines. He started with only a tiny amount - about 25 ml. He was at 40 within a few days, 60 at 2 weeks, and he's at 90 now at 4 weeks. We had a lot of guidance from doctors until that 2 weeks, and then we've been taking our cues from him on when to increase it. 

Kateriee

My baby is not latching to my right breast at the moment. I do have a large crack from nursing poorly at the hospital that is healing. She is latching fine on the left. Could the scab just be irritating for her to nurse from? I wish she would take that breast since my milk just leaks down my side when I'm feeding her. I haven't started pumping since I just started getting my milk in. (6 days old) Any advice would be great. We see her pediatrician on Tuesday and I have a mountain of questions that need to be asked.

lnds32

@Kateriee have you tried multiple ways to hold her? My DS can latch no problem in the cradle hold on the left but has an easier time latching with football hold on right side. From what I can tell it's just a difference in the angle. 

I definiteky think the scab could potentially be an issue but it's hard to say for sure. If it were me I would 1) experiment with different holds, 2) try a nipple shield on the right side until the scab heals, 3) nurse on left and pump right side at the same time or afterwards. Good luck! 

Edite due to spelling error

nda_roxybabe

Kateriee said:

My baby is not latching to my right breast at the moment. I do have a large crack from nursing poorly at the hospital that is healing. She is latching fine on the left. Could the scab just be irritating for her to nurse from? I wish she would take that breast since my milk just leaks down my side when I'm feeding her. I haven't started pumping since I just started getting my milk in. (6 days old) Any advice would be great. We see her pediatrician on Tuesday and I have a mountain of questions that need to be asked.

I could've written this. Seriously, exact same issue. I have a nipple shield and that's helped! He just seems to hate that side and I hate that side and it's awkward and uncomfortable. I need to make an appointment with a LC for this week

pshaortao

@Kateriee ditto on a nipple shield, and trying different holds.

Another thing to try is to hand express til some comes out then rub on the lips beforr attempting to latch. I had to do this with LO. He wouldn't latch until I did that, like oh I didnt realize there was something all along!

Yiggle09

@BabyMC517 I'm mad for you those nurses should have given you a pump 6 hrs after birth if bf wasn't going well. For your health and your child's nutrition. I always got a sense of relief and satisfaction from pumping. With bottle feeding just feed till satisfied. This photo helped me alot even this baby who does latch.

kns1988

@Yiggle09, that's a really good graphic! That was the progression that we followed, but I didn't have a nifty graphic to go with it

MollyandD

I've been breastfeeding Tommy exclusively, but the lactation consultant from the hospital suggested introducing bottles at 3 weeks. He will be 3 weeks on Friday, so I'm planning to start pumping this week. Nursing has been going well. Tommy passed his birth weight by his 2 week appointment.

 I had been worried, because he was just one percent above dropping too much weight in the hospital. A pediatrician resident came by and scared me. She was horrible and got reprimanded for bedside manner. All the other doctors and nurses were amazing and helped me get my little man on track with weight gain. 

SKZW

@MollyandD: At our hospital, they told us they prefer to see babies not lose more than 10 percent of birth weight. My little guy lost 10.3% by Day 2 and we caught hell for it! I'm so sorry that she scared you like that. I understand the importance of what they're saying, but the manner in which they speak makes all the difference, right?!

We had to stay an extra day for his weight and have had extra weight checks at the ped office, but like you said, I think we're getting on track too. 

pscohen86

@BabyMC517 totally get your situation. With my first daughter breastfeeding didn't go well at all and we ended up in the NICU for 5 days because she got dehidrated because I didn't have any milk until Day 5. So I started pumping exclusively, started doing it every 2 hours until I had a lot of milk for her, she used to drink about 24 oz a day and I was pumping about 28-32oz by the time she was 1 month. So then I started to cut back on the amount of pumping sessions, and still got the same amount. With dd#2 I'm doing the same, she is 14 days and I am already pumping 22-24oz a day. I always fed her the breast milk separate than the formula. At the beginning g you won't get much but it will be thick, yellow and with a lot of fat, that is the best baby can get. You will get more milk, the more you pump. A friend recommended the Mother Earth tea and another friend recomenede to make Sesame Milk, I just started with the Sesame milk today, supposedly give you a lot o f milk plus it has a lot more benefit. You can google to find how to make it. My friend that recommended Sesame milk, breastfed her dd for 3 years. I know the pumping hurts at the beginning ( at least in my case) but it gets easier. Hope it helps

RedInLove

I had to change up my hold with my first baby mostly on my right side for a few weeks when she was a couple months old. Out of nowhere, after successful BF up until then, she could only latch on the right in a football hold. On occasion, it happened on the left as well. Give it a try!

My milk has come in. DS is mostly taking just one side at a time, so I'm a bit uneven looking. I'm also worried how this will affect my supply. DD took both all the time. Also, being so full more often is making my nursing bras uncomfortable. 

luckywife10

For moms who are small chested, any tips on getting baby to latch well? DS finally latched today after a visit from the LC. However, I'm small chester and my nipples aren't the "normal" shape. I have to sandwich the nipple and tissue around it to get DS to latch but he sometimes latches poorly causing me lots of pain. I've ended up holding the sandwich pose for the entire nursing time, each time, but then my hand starts to cramp.

WombThereItIs

@luckywife10 my first was a super crappy latcher and I had to do the boob sandwich too even though I am moderately well endowed. I found it got easier over time as his mouth got bigger and he could take more and hang onto it better on his own. For a while there I definitely felt like I was on permanent smooshing duty though. 

psherman42wwsa

Anyone else with sore arm pits? I'm reading this is normal but it never happened with my first. 

SKZW

@lrwardrop: yeah, breast tissue goes all the way up into the arm pits, which explains your soreness, and even though it's normal here's hoping it'll subside once your production stabilizes. Hang in there!

hp_momma

lrwardrop said:

Anyone else with sore arm pits? I'm reading this is normal but it never happened with my first. 

I had a clogged duct up in my right arm pit. Hot shower and massage helped relieve it. If your milk is just coming in and your engorged, it will be sore up in your arm pit too as your milk glands extend upwards. 

ChristinaWild

luckywife10 said:

For moms who are small chested, any tips on getting baby to latch well? DS finally latched today after a visit from the LC. However, I'm small chester and my nipples aren't the "normal" shape. I have to sandwich the nipple and tissue around it to get DS to latch but he sometimes latches poorly causing me lots of pain. I've ended up holding the sandwich pose for the entire nursing time, each time, but then my hand starts to cramp.

I do the sandwich trick and then lean back a little until I know she's on well. Then I slowly manually correct her latch with my fingers (help top lip flare, encourage bottom lip to open more). Hoping it gets better as she gets bigger

pscohen86

Hello all, I mentioned that a friend recommended Sesame Seed Milk, I started drinking it since yesterday and have seen an increase today in my supply (I exclusively pump) I don't know if it works or if it's just cohincidencr but I got today like 4 more ounces than yesterday in total, here is the link https://www.thehealthydish.com/sesame-milk/

vrj0522

@luckywife10 - I have to do the sandwich hold with all of my babies during the first 1-2 weeks until their mouth gets bigger and they learn to latch better. Hang in there. Even now I usually start with the sandwich hold and once he is latched well and hold it, I am able to let go and put my arm around him. 

@RedInLove - I am in the same situation, which wasn't the case the first two times. Baby takes only one breast most of the time while my other two would take both. I worry sometimes about my milk supply being affected because I stay full on one side longer. However, I read that breast tissue develops in every pregnancy so total production capacity can actually change with every baby which means that if there is an oversupply, it will eventually adjust to baby's actual needs. 

chailife34

@pscohen86 wow 28-30 oz?! I'm pumping 8-10oz on a good day and baby is a month old. We nurse a lot to but I'd be shocked if he's taking that much by breast. He's gaining steady and our midwife said so long as he has 8-10 wet and poopy diapers that we are good.

Other pumping mamas, are you tracking output? How much are you yielding a day?

maybe this should go in the pumping thread but since pscohen mentioned it..?

mrsrep123

@chailife34 I'm an EPer and my output is ~26-27 oz these last few days.

mrsrep123

DS2 is 2 weeks 3 days old now. Are you still waking up your LOs by the third hour mark to feed them, even MOTN?

NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot

mrsrep123 said:

DS2 is 2 weeks 3 days old now. Are you still waking up your LOs by the third hour mark to feed them, even MOTN?

No. Once DS hit birth weight, we didn't have to. Of course he's still not sleeping more than 3 hrs very often. And he's gaining very well. 

kns1988

@mrsrep123, yes, we're still feeding him on a schedule. He wakes up for most of them. He's a month old, and I plan to keep doing it this way until our 2 month checkup.

@chailife34, EPer and my output is around 34-38 oz per day. DS just started eating 4 oz at a time, so I have a nice freezer stash building.

chailife34

Well clearly I've got work to do! I'm going to bump up the pumping thread as I have other questions

BabyMC517

Sorry about being MIA! Thank you @Yiggle09 @kns1988 and @pscohen86 for answering my questions and the tips! Trying to keep track of how much I pump each time and it ranges from 30-70ml. I'd like to try the different teas st some point, just haven't made it to the store yet. Maybe tomorrow when H is off we can take our first outing that's not to a doctors office!   

mspacman34

I got the Milkies milk saver and have been leaking between 15-30 ml each time I nurse! 

Question: What is your routine for nursing? Mine is change diaper, nurse, then put back to bed if nap time, but I have seen a lot of people change after nursing. Is there a right way to do this?

kns1988

@mspacman34, pooping is a reflex of sucking, and my DS poops almost every time he eats. That's the only reason why I change the diaper last. It stinks sometimes because it wakes him back up, but he'll also get fussy if he has a dirty diaper for too long. 

Cubslove12

FTM here and this may be a stupid question. My baby is 12 days old, my milk came in about day 3, we have seen a lactation consultant and she has been doing a great job eating. At the consultant she we did awesome that I was producing well, her latch was good, and she sucked well. My breasts have always seemed pretty full, not hurting, but not soft. Today when my baby was eating she seemed to have a hard time, she's been congested so I thought it was that. After she finished I went to get a few drops out to put on my nipples and I found it really hard to get anything out and realized how soft my breasts are... She was also acting still hungry, she ate for 45/50 min!! Could I have stopped producing? Or is this normal for them to feel soft after? I'm worried she's not getting enough. 

mcvgal

@CubsLove12 I think it's normal for them to feel softer as your production starts to stabilize to your baby's needs.

vrj0522

@mspacman34 - it's whatever works for you. I usually burp and change diaper before offering the other breast. 

@Cubslove12 - there is a good chance she could be going through a growth spurt and that's why she is emptying your breasts. Don't worry about them feeling empty, just keep feeding and she will take what she needs. And don't be surprised if this goes on for a few days as it can take several days for your body to increase supply. Also, during a growth spurt it's normal for baby to latch and unlatch or even pull on your breast as if there's not enough milk there. Just keep switching breasts until they are done, it's normal and nothing to worry about. 

redheeler

vrj0522 said:

@mspacman34 - it's whatever works for you. I usually burp and change diaper before offering the other breast. 

DS has a tongue and lip tie so falls asleep at the breast, so I've been doing this as well, but I offer the same breast again first. He usually only feeds from one side each time though, I pumped 5oz from one side today though so I do understand why

Cubslove12

Question: my baby girl @2 weeks is starting to cluster feed. I fed her today, left her with my hubs to run a few errands. She was crying and lip smacking while I was gone, so my husband tried to give her some pumped milk. She took the bottle but spit up everything as she was drinking. It's a dr browns wide/slow nipple. She did this a few times before when the doc had us supplementing. Not sure what to do. Is it the bottle? Is this normal? Any suggestions?

SKZW

@Cubslove12: I've dealt with wicked spitup too. Might be the bottle. I'd try a diff brand, with the slowest nipple available. When you turn it over, it should not spray out. Baby should work for it somewhat. Pace the bottle feeding, too, and I mean like literally slow it down. Feed a half ounce then stop and burp. Or do One minute on, 30 seconds off. Or less, or more, whatever works best. Another idea: think about how she nurses, what's her style? My little one sucks like a dozen times then takes a break, that's kind of his pattern. Try to imitate that during a bottle feeding. Lastly, be sure to keep her upright after a feeding. Don't lay her down for 20-30 mins. And during a feeding, too, have her be less horizontal. Good luck, I know it's hard to see it all come back up. A small amount at a time should help!

BabyMC517

@skzw and @Cubslove12 that's what we do! Our little guy eat so fast! We've been doing pace feedings, burping when he pauses or after so many sucks, and keeping him upright as much as possible after. We feed him at about a 45 degree angle too. Seems to have been helping we also use a variety of bottles, but I really like the avent and nam I think it's called. We'll use the skinny Medela ones that came with the storage kit and they work pretty good too. All have the slow flow nipples. We have the Dr. Browns but haven't used them yet. Our ped kind of implied that they are just ok and that they are marketed really well lol but whatever works for baby! Out LO seems to take any bottle so that's been nice, but is like to get more of the avent and nam at some point. Hang in there! It seems to be a lot of trial and error! 

lnds32

@Cubslove12 I would definitely try a different bottle! Last time we had a similar problem with DS. I bought the Como Tomo bottles and they worked great for him! Also the paced feeding suggestion would be a good idea too! 

kns1988

@PartiallyDomesticated, wow, 5 oz from just one side is huge!

kns1988

@Cubslove12, we tried Avent bottles first, and the milk came out way too fast for DS. He was sputtering and couldn't drink it. We switched right away to NUK Simply Natural with the slow flow nipple (available at Walmart), and they've been working amazingly. 

jlonie614

@kns1988 with the Avent bottles, were you using the slow flow nipple or the ones that came with the bottle? We had the same problem with the milk coming out too fast. I am hoping switching up the nipple will help.

kns1988

rosemarylaff said:

@kns1988 with the Avent bottles, were you using the slow flow nipple or the ones that came with the bottle? We had the same problem with the milk coming out too fast. I am hoping switching up the nipple will help.

It was the one that came with the bottle, and I'm sure they weren't slow flow. We had gotten bottles for free from shopping at Motherhood.