today is the first day where I wasn't engorged and I got worried that maybe my supply has dropped. Baby is almost 7 weeks and usually after a few hours I do get harder breasts (no pain unless I bump into something) and all along I thought that's how it's supposed to be and If they are softer then they are empty...
so I check online and apparently I shouldn't have been engorged at all this entire time, only a week after ?!
morning feed I'm still engorged and hard. Is that normal?
@busyzee I remember with DS1 having the feeling of full breasts for a long time. With LO, I haven't had that feeling since my milk came in. I think everybody is different. If the engorgememt is uncomfortable after feeding, you can pump to get some of the milk out and release the pressure.
@BusyZee it's totally normal. Your milk supply has established and your body can now produce what baby needs on demand so you store less between feeds. If you were to go 4-5 hours between feeds you would feel your breasts become firm. Your breasts will always be firm in the morning because you produce the most milk on the morning.
@BusyZee aren't you just pumping? if you're nursing @breast at all, I found the hakaa super helpful! It's a pump silicon gravity thing and I use it on the opposite side when I feed at the breast when not pumping.
OmG yes @mamadcb and I got something like the haaka and it's the best to make a stash without having to pump! @Katie______
I just feel like my baby slept a little less ever since I wasn't firm at night so that's where my concern was coming from! Somehow I feel like I have no milk if I'm not firm! @SquirttheTurtle so basically even if it's been established suppose 6months later I would till feel engorgement after a longer break?
Ladies, tell me more about this haakaa. I hate pumping, even just once a day trying to build up a freezer stash before going back to work in 7 weeks. Would this work for that? Online it talks about using on the breast you're not feeding from, but my LO feeds from both every time.
I got these. they work best on both side or while feeding! I've been able to casually collect around 12 oz this week without really trying or using everyday. It's great while driving or even in the shower !
Okay so I made baby miss his long nap to see what happens..
hes been nursing non stoppppp even after I nurse for half an hour when I take him off and hold him he tried latching on my face and everywhere possible going completely cray. Is he starving or is this some kind of leap ?
So i just got it. You put it on the non nursing boob while you feed. You do need to be careful that it doesn't get kicked by the baby! It works by gravity. Seriously, I had my husband help the first time or two. Once I figured out how to squeeze it right (side to side not front to back) it worked great. It collects milk. I did usually get 1-3 oz last night. However this morning--man I got so much! It was awesome. I had been thinking of how to do something just for before work to grab extra milk- I do it on every night time feed. I have also had a repeated clogged duct on one boob and I am convinced maybe this helped....or maybe it was nursing on all hands+knees over baby but either way, I am keeping it. I would get the smaller size, but I got the bigger one that does more like 6 oz as opposed to four and well, this morning I needed it -- plus when its attached, it doesn't hold the full amount. I pump well it helps as every last drop helps. I did it the last 2 days. I would say today very very tired-- long day---just nursing not using this felt like a relief of one less step-- baby was extra crabby/ fussy, so nit isn't perfect and if anyone knows an easier similar device I am all ears! Also- it doesn't make noise.....so one woman said she uses it like a pump on the train (she was in another country talking about a long trip) AND I could see it not making noise being helpful some random moment too. I did buy a hand pump for my desk for back to work in case I forget part of my pump....and this doesn't replace that, but just maybe think on it as another way.
So I don't leak at all, EVER, not even during feeding when I'm engorged, would this milk saver thing still work? I hate pumping so much, I have no supply saved up and I go back to work October 2.
@jkbrownstein@cynth0104 I don't feel like I leak that much during the day, but have been able to get about an ounce if I use it while LO eats in the morning or if I just hold her while wearing it. I didn't get as much when I used it when she was napping and I was trying to do some computer work, but that was a one time experiment and could have been other factors. I haven't tried it in the evening yet, but I suspect I would get less.
@nktrodden826 It doesn't hurt to tell them, but most of the typical dental stuff shouldn't be an issue. National Institute of Health has an app called LactMed that you can look up research on meds and breastfeeding. Novocane is fine according to them.
@jkbrownstein I don't think I really leak much either, like breast pads don't get wet during the day. But if I use the milksaver I typically will catch somewhere between 1/4 - 1/2 ounce, depending on the time of the day. I'm thinking maybe that when there's pressure from the pad & bra I don't leak but having this on there allows it to happen. Don't really know for sure. Another option is to use the silicone haakaa thing which pulls a bit more because of the suction. I've used that for early morning feeds and gotten 1-2 ounces with it and was still able to nurse DD. I'm hesitant to use that one anytime other than the morning since I feel like my supply isn't great enough to regularly pull off that much and still feed her. The big downside with this one is that if your LO likes to kick around while nursing, then can very easily kick it off if you're not paying attention. Spilled milk in the wee hours = potential tears. I don't use it every day because of this. Most days I'm just too sleepy to deal with playing defense.
All haaka users, your not using it properly, it's really very hard to kick it off, you can even sleep with that thing on! Squeeze it tight and flip the suction part backwards, then flip it back on your nipple still squeezing the bottle. That thing wont budge! I've spilled so much milk with the Milkies. I hate them. I wish I had the haaka all along I could've saved tons!
LO is 7wks. Excepting evening cluster feeding, she typically only nurses from one side at each feeding and goes about 2-1/2hrs between. I watch for additional munchy signals and give the other side if she asks, but this is usually 1-2x/day max, and sometimes not at all. If I do give it to her without her asking, she will drink and then spit up quite a bit soon after. I've been able to do two weighted feeds lately and she took about 2-1/2oz in ~8min each time, and she is making expected growth and enough diapers, so I am not particularly worried about this pattern right now. But wondering if it could lead to supply issues in the future, since it means that each side only gets used every 5-6 hours? Should I be pumping the other side? Or stopping her and making her switch sides before she seems finished on the first? I will be going back to work in a few weeks, so I guess I will be doing both for at least a few "feedings" per day then...
@optbaby2017 that is tricky. It seems like your LO is taking all they need from only one breast per feed. You can pump the other one to build a stash, or leave it be. Your body will make more when LO needs it down the line and I don't think it will negatively impact your supply. I'm not a LC but from everything I have heard/read you should be fine!
Edit it to add that I would not stop her and switch to the other side. She will be getting too much foremilk and not enough hindmilk that way. Too much foremilk (and not enough hindmilk) will cause other kinds of problems
@optbaby2017 this method is often used to correct oversupply so it 'could' decrease your supply a little but you would still have enough to feed your baby. So a better regulated supply. I would definitely NOT stop and switch before she's done with the one side. She will end up with foremilk/hindmilk imbalance and it could even mess with her weight gain. At the beginning of a feed a baby gets the more watery/less caloric foremilk and as the feeding goes on the milk gets fattier. The milk towards the end is very rich in fats. Switching too early would deprive her of that fatty hindmilk. I say keep doing what you're doing if it's working for you!
BFP May 2013 - MMC at 8 weeks BFP September 2013 - MMC at 12 weeks BFP February 2014 - early loss/CP at 4.5 weeks BFP May 2014 - MMC/ complete molar pregnancy at 11 weeks BFP December 2015 - DD born 8/18/2015 BFP November 2016 - pending...
We do the same thing. Baby usually eats from one side per feeding; she has done this from the beginning. The last couple of days, I think she has been going through a growth spurt, so she has asked for both sides more often than normal, but I think it is a lot for comfort, too. You might ask your doctor if you are worried, but I haven't noticed any adverse effects on this end.
I feel like my baby doesn't get enough unless I'm engorged, because that the only time he drinks and is knocked out. How can I tell? And by wet diapers do you mean soaked wet or even slightly wet indicates he's getting enough milk?
I'm going to try the Haaka I think then. I get a lot when I pump I just hate doing it and have trouble coordinating when to do so. I've only been doing it when he's gone super long stretches at night and I'm engorged in the morning. I'll pump on one side since he'll usually be done after only one.
@busyzee wet=wet, soaked probably indicated more than 1 'pee'. My hospital has free, weekly Lactation support meetings weekly and offer weighted feeds to see if your LO is getting enough, maybe look into it if you're concerned.
My LO is knocked out sometimes but not always. I feed until he starts using me as a pacifier, burp him to wake him up, do the same on the other side. Is your LO requesting more food immediately after a feed when you're not engorged? If not, you're probably fine.
@BusyZee my LO falls asleep at each feeding no matter what I do and it had me worried about whether he was getting enough. I talked with my LC and since he's gaining weight and having good amounts of wet/poopy diapers, I don't have anything to worry about.
I was was told that a wet diaper you should count is one that feels heavy/has at least 3 tablespoons of liquid. As long as the pee is clear/light yellowish color then you know LO is being hydrated.
my issue is that my LO will fall asleep at suckle at my breast with intermittent swallows. It's hard to tell whether he's still eating or if he's just suckling for comfort at that point. Very rarely does he ever take himself off the breast at that point. If he doesn't, I unlatch him and wake him up and offer the other side and he will often nurse for another 10-15 minutes before falling asleep again. By that point I just unlatch him.
Re: free access to lactation specialists, check the hospital you birthed at, any major hospital systems in your area, your pediatrician, and your insurance. Also Google "baby cafe" and your area. Most semi-major metros have some sort of support. This website lists some - https://babycafeusa.org/your-nearest-baby-cafe/us-baby-cafes-2.html
Does anyone else's LO pull/push/tug at the breast after a certain amount of time? My LO does this more so on the left side, which has a smaller yield when I pump. I figure it's to stimulate more milk but I'm wondering if maybe I should be unlatching him and switching sides at this point? The pulling and such doesn't hurt, I just don't want him to be frustrated.
@cielaw89 DD does this a few times per day, too, usually after she's been eating for a while. It's typically accompanied by quite a bit of hip wiggling, so my hypothesis is that she needs burp or toot but doesn't want to stop. If I try to pull her off to help she gets so mad at me, though!
@optbaby2017 my LO gets mad when I pull him off too so I just let him stay on until he pops off himself. He does tend to thrash about when he does tug, so maybe you're right! I'll have to keep an eye out!
Ok..after all this talk about these suction pumps that everybody is using while feeding, I decided to buy one. I bought the naturebons brand. Just used it for the first time. Fed Jameson on my L side for 8 minutes. Got 1.5 oz from my R side during that time. That thing is definitely amazing! I feel I can do that every time I feed him, I will feel better about having a stash when I go back to work in 3.5 weeks!
As much as I like my Haakaa, one of the critiques I read was that it mostly just pulls foremilk, not having enough suction to pull the fattier, more filling hindmilk from most moms. Though some moms are able to get hindmilk if they put it on after baby has munched that side. I can definitely tell the difference when I put a bottle in the fridge of Haakaa milk vs my Spectra. Since I noticed this, I've been adding the Haakaa milk into other bottles to top off one that needs a partial ounce to be big enough. Just something to watch.
Ok..after all this talk about these suction pumps that everybody is using while feeding, I decided to buy one. I bought the naturebons brand. Just used it for the first time. Fed Jameson on my L side for 8 minutes. Got 1.5 oz from my R side during that time. That thing is definitely amazing! I feel I can do that every time I feed him, I will feel better about having a stash when I go back to work in 3.5 weeks!
@ljd2010 I would say better for nursing moms. Like others have mentioned, they don't do a good job of pulling all the milk out. I use one in the MOTN to catch milk on the opposite side since DD doesn't eat from both sides.
Question for our EP's (or others who can chime in!)... how much are your LO's drinking of BM and how old are they? Going to be leaving DD over night in about 3 weeks and I want to start introducing a bottle but am clueless as to how much
@MamaRN13 general rule of thumb is # of feedings divided by 25 oz. So if your LO is feeding 10x a day, start with a 2.5 oz bottle and add .5-1 oz additional as needed. Don't heat up more than you'll need because you only have a short time to use reheated BM.
@MamaRN13 I'm not EP, but doing a few bottles to get ready for daycare. I've been able to do some weighted feeds and know that DD takes about 2-1/2 to 3oz, so I've been prepping bottles at 3oz. Sometimes she doesn't take it all. If it's close to her normal cluster feeding time, she probably does about 2oz and then wants more a bit after (idk how much because I do breast after, but I would prep another 2oz, probably). She's also kinda variable in general, and if we are someplace unfamiliar she won't eat as much, whether bottle or breast, so that might bump it down.
She's 8wks and right at 10lb now, but the volumes have been fairly steady for the past month or so. The LC at the breastfeeding support center told me to expect ~25oz/day from months 1-6, and DD usually eats every 3hrs, so the math works.
@MamaRN13 my DD is 11 weeks old (she was born on the 35th week though so still kinda small). She drinks 18-22 oz BM per day. What she drinks in a bottle varies also. She could have a snack of 1.5 oz or a big meal of a max of 4 oz. Usually though around 3-3.5 oz.
BFP May 2013 - MMC at 8 weeks BFP September 2013 - MMC at 12 weeks BFP February 2014 - early loss/CP at 4.5 weeks BFP May 2014 - MMC/ complete molar pregnancy at 11 weeks BFP December 2015 - DD born 8/18/2015 BFP November 2016 - pending...
Re: Big Thread of Feeding Questions
today is the first day where I wasn't engorged and I got worried that maybe my supply has dropped. Baby is almost 7 weeks and usually after a few hours I do get harder breasts (no pain unless I bump into something) and all along I thought that's how it's supposed to be and If they are softer then they are empty...
so I check online and apparently I shouldn't have been engorged at all this entire time, only a week after ?!
morning feed I'm still engorged and hard. Is that normal?
Married: 6/2016
TTC:6/2016
BFP: 11/22/2016 | EDD: 7/29/2017
aren't you just pumping? if you're nursing @breast at all, I found the hakaa super helpful! It's a pump silicon gravity thing and I use it on the opposite side when I feed at the breast when not pumping.
I just feel like my baby slept a little less ever since I wasn't firm at night so that's where my concern was coming from! Somehow I feel like I have no milk if I'm not firm!
@SquirttheTurtle so basically even if it's been established suppose 6months later I would till feel engorgement after a longer break?
I got these. they work best on both side or while feeding! I've been able to casually collect around 12 oz this week without really trying or using everyday. It's great while driving or even in the shower !
hes been nursing non stoppppp even after I nurse for half an hour when I take him off and hold him he tried latching on my face and everywhere possible going completely cray. Is he starving or is this some kind of leap ?
@nktrodden826 It doesn't hurt to tell them, but most of the typical dental stuff shouldn't be an issue. National Institute of Health has an app called LactMed that you can look up research on meds and breastfeeding. Novocane is fine according to them.
Another option is to use the silicone haakaa thing which pulls a bit more because of the suction. I've used that for early morning feeds and gotten 1-2 ounces with it and was still able to nurse DD. I'm hesitant to use that one anytime other than the morning since I feel like my supply isn't great enough to regularly pull off that much and still feed her. The big downside with this one is that if your LO likes to kick around while nursing, then can very easily kick it off if you're not paying attention. Spilled milk in the wee hours = potential tears. I don't use it every day because of this. Most days I'm just too sleepy to deal with playing defense.
I've spilled so much milk with the Milkies. I hate them. I wish I had the haaka all along I could've saved tons!
edited: tons of typos !
Edit it to add that I would not stop her and switch to the other side. She will be getting too much foremilk and not enough hindmilk that way. Too much foremilk (and not enough hindmilk) will cause other kinds of problems
I would definitely NOT stop and switch before she's done with the one side. She will end up with foremilk/hindmilk imbalance and it could even mess with her weight gain. At the beginning of a feed a baby gets the more watery/less caloric foremilk and as the feeding goes on the milk gets fattier. The milk towards the end is very rich in fats. Switching too early would deprive her of that fatty hindmilk.
I say keep doing what you're doing if it's working for you!
BFP September 2013 - MMC at 12 weeks
BFP February 2014 - early loss/CP at 4.5 weeks
BFP May 2014 - MMC/ complete molar pregnancy at 11 weeks
BFP December 2015 - DD born 8/18/2015
BFP November 2016 - pending...
@busyzee wet=wet, soaked probably indicated more than 1 'pee'. My hospital has free, weekly Lactation support meetings weekly and offer weighted feeds to see if your LO is getting enough, maybe look into it if you're concerned.
My LO is knocked out sometimes but not always. I feed until he starts using me as a pacifier, burp him to wake him up, do the same on the other side. Is your LO requesting more food immediately after a feed when you're not engorged? If not, you're probably fine.
I was was told that a wet diaper you should count is one that feels heavy/has at least 3 tablespoons of liquid. As long as the pee is clear/light yellowish color then you know LO is being hydrated.
my issue is that my LO will fall asleep at suckle at my breast with intermittent swallows. It's hard to tell whether he's still eating or if he's just suckling for comfort at that point. Very rarely does he ever take himself off the breast at that point. If he doesn't, I unlatch him and wake him up and offer the other side and he will often nurse for another 10-15 minutes before falling asleep again. By that point I just unlatch him.
Question for our EP's (or others who can chime in!)... how much are your LO's drinking of BM and how old are they? Going to be leaving DD over night in about 3 weeks and I want to start introducing a bottle but am clueless as to how much
Married: 6/2016
TTC:6/2016
BFP: 11/22/2016 | EDD: 7/29/2017
She's 8wks and right at 10lb now, but the volumes have been fairly steady for the past month or so. The LC at the breastfeeding support center told me to expect ~25oz/day from months 1-6, and DD usually eats every 3hrs, so the math works.
BFP September 2013 - MMC at 12 weeks
BFP February 2014 - early loss/CP at 4.5 weeks
BFP May 2014 - MMC/ complete molar pregnancy at 11 weeks
BFP December 2015 - DD born 8/18/2015
BFP November 2016 - pending...