@ckmb_knottie the only long intervals are at night about 4-6 hours. During the day we are still ranging 1-3 hrs. With DS i remember doing every 4-5 hrs during the day for a couple months and longer intervals closer to a year or when we started solids.
@noideawhatshesdoing hopIng that getting his lip tie checked out helps! @zande2016 that is a good idea, thanks! Today the twins didn’t show any of the choking or frustration while nursing, they’re eating so frequently that I think they’re draining milk better maybe. I gave in and bought some more nursing bralettes! I’m so excited. Nursing bras are just way too hot right now, and I don’t mind washing bralettes after one wear whereas I need my nicer padded nursing bras for work and hate using them during the week when I’m just home. Motherhood maternity has free shipping and 30% off right now. Jessica Simpson stuff is so cute from their site! I’m telling myself I can still wear the stuff that isn’t clip down even after I’m done nursing
Took DS to the specialist yesterday and he did not have a lip tie like the LC thought. He did however have a posterior tongue tie. So we opted to have the procedure on that and the doctor gave us some stretches for us to do with DS everyday for the next month, 6 times a day to make sure everything heals properly and make sure the tongue stays free. The stretches make sense but the amount of time daily seems crazy, but the doc is the best in the region for this so I'm trying to trust. Of course since DS was uncomfortable later in the day, naturally I felt terrible and cried every time he did. The doc assures us it's more discomfort than pain, and I really hope that's true. We did give nursing another go last night, I didn't expect much, but holy cow DS nursed like I hadn't fed him at all since he was born. He emptied both breasts since I don't produce a ton, and thankfully I had a bottle for him otherwise we could have been in meltdown city. We have a private LC that we're going to work with at our home as well just to make sure this all goes smoothly.
DH wasn't able to BF as a baby, they had told his mom at the time it was because her milk was too thin and not nutritious enough, DH's parents were super poor (way below poverty line) when he was born and its likely his mom was malnourished so this reasoning always made sense. However, the doc yesterday looked at both my and DH's mouths to see if either of us are tied and sure enough, DH is. The doc suspects this is actually why DH couldn't BF and that makes me kinda angry for my MIL because she was always made to feel like it was her fault. 35 years later and she still feels guilty that she couldn't do it. So DH told her what this doc suspects, we're hoping it helps her let go of her guilt regardless of if it is true or not.
@noideawhatshesdoing I’m so glad the revision helped so far! I know the stretches seem excessive but they’re really important. My older sons tongue reattached and we had to gave the dentist who did the procedure pop the wound back open...not fun! For the pain I plan to give Tylenol. We have our appointment tomorrow and will probably have the revision done, I’m nervous but excited at the prospect of pain free nursing. That’s crazy about your MIL too...I hope it makes her feel better. It’s funny, I know these Things are very genetic but neither my mom or Hs mom has issues breastfeeding and I can’t figure out if either of us is tied. I always figured it was me based on photos I saw of me as a baby where I looked like I had a lip tie, but H has more symptoms than me: suspected sleep apnea, and speech issues as a kid.
@noideawhatshesdoing My DH’s mom struggled to breastfeed him and was told it must be because her supply wasn’t sufficient, but when we went to get my daughter’s tongue tie fixed we had the same experience as you - sound out that DH has a tongue tie! Seems like doctors have leaned more about all of this since our childhoods...
Anyone have tips on how to get a baby to open wide more / break bad latch habits with the nipple shield? I think I got too lax in letting her hang on the nipple with the nipple shield when she was losing weight and I was willing to suffer to get food in her, but I have gotten increasingly sore the past few days and something needs to change! We had a LC visit a few weeks back, but she was not helpful...
@adventuresawait1 I had to sandwich the nipple and sort of tickle LO’s nose from nose to chin. Then when she opens her mouth, shove as much in there as I could. It helps to hold her head with my other hand too to guide it if she’s being difficult or too bobbly.
@adventuresawait1 I have a sheet my LC gave me with exercises to help baby open wider and also lots of suck training exercises (to help tongue tied babies). Next time I can put baby down I’ll snap a photo for you.
@adventuresawait1 look up the "flipple" technique on YouTube. I used it early on when DD was struggling to get a deep latch. There's lots of videos and they're super helpful.
I agree with y'all - it's crazy and amazing how much we have learned about BF since we were babies! My mom was told I was lactose intolerant because I had green poop, so she switched me to soy formula. Although babies can have a dairy protien allergy, it's impossible for a baby to truly be lactose intolerant, plus she likely just had an oversupply! I've also read that even malnourished women in third world countries can successfully breastfeed.
Speaking of innovation, I'm off to have LO's ear looked at for a possible Earwell...
@MichelleAG05 and plus also, most babies who are sensitive to dairy, are also sensitive to soy!
@adventuresawait1 here’s the sheet I have. The top one really makes my baby open his mouth, it’s crazy. Hope this helps a little. I also agree with the flipple technique
@MichelleAG05 green poop can happen if baby isn’t getting a good balance of foremilk and hindmilk. I was told to massage my breast to “mix” it better or make sure baby is staying on long enough to get some of both.
@MichelleAG05 agree with @wildtot. I'm dealing with an imbalance and we figured it out after DD was having green poop that was slightly mucusy. I cut all dairy out for 3-4- weeks and it didnt help at all which means no intolerance. The dr suggested block feeding which has helped get her back to the yellow poops
@adventuresawait1 I’ve struggled with this exact problem as well with my LO. I’ll second what @acunamatada said that sandwiching the nipple and then shoving as much breast in as possible has been really helpful. I often realize when I get a shallow latch that I didn’t really draw LO’s head in closely enough to start off. I’ll break the latch in that case and try again drawing him in firmly. I find if I do it fast enough, it can even turn a shallow latch into a deeper one.
@noideawhatshesdoing wow, what a story, I'm glad you now have some answers and that you are hopefully on your way to a better nursing journey! @zande2016 thanks for that list! LO has a good latch but just like everyone especially at night I night let a bad latch slide if he readjusts and if I'm not in crazy pain.
I started keeping track of how often lo nurses and it’s starting to seem abnormal. Most of the time I can barely get an hour in between feedings. But did get a couple hour breaks when she slept. If I plan to go anywhere I have to pump and give her a bottle to hold her over and because it’s quicker. Like tomorrow I want to take the girls to this free petting zoo and don’t want to have to nurse when it’s just me with them.
I’m worried my milk isn’t nutritious enough or something. I tend to overthink a bunch of worries about breastfeeding, it’s really stressful to me. Her next pedi appt is next week so we’ll find out if she’s gaining weight, which I think she is, just maybe not a ton.
@julianne0 DD nurses every 1-2h during they day and goes 3-4h overnight. The app I was tracking with had her nursing 15-20x a day. She often only nurses in short bursts though, like 8-15min at 2w old.
@julianne0 hang in there! I feel the same way on days when Milo only wants to eat. Like I cannot go anywhere and I am hesitant about giving him more than 2 bottles a day (DH has his routine of morning and night). Is she like that every day? How old is she now? If she is wetting diapers normally and pooping then I would not worry. Pedi had told me to be a 24 hr buffet for LO so he could grow and he did put on a pound in 2 weeks.
AFM I figured out the pumping bra yay!!!! Life changing indeed.
Is anyone using a hand pump? I was thinking it may be a good thing to have for MOTN as LO (hopefully) starts sleeping more. To relieve some pressure without busting out the Spectra and making a bunch of noise. Anyone doing that?
@julianne0 I feel the same way but our pediatrician says it’s normal. I rarely even get an hour break during the day unless it’s a miracle and he has s longer nap. At night I may get a 2-3 hour break but our windows are so short. He is gaining weight and having lots of wet/dirty diapers so I’m not concerned just wish I got to have some time for myself.
I haven’t been able to even pump yet bc I’m his 24/7 buffet and I yearn for the day that I can so I can get out of the house.
@comealongponds@kissableviv glad it’s not just me! She’s 4 weeks now and I’m pretty sure it’s like this every day. I just started keeping track today. I also don’t want to give her bottles and if anything have DH do it because I’ve been told the Mom shouldn’t so that when Mom goes to bf the baby won’t refuse for the bottle. But I realize I have to give her at least one if I want/need to get out of the house. she does go 3-4 hours during the night though so that’s good. I was hoping by her first month I wouldn’t be so locked down! I want to enjoy summer with my other lo.
I’ve never used a hand pump but that sounds like a good idea!
@krystlerr ugh being that it’s been 4 weeks it’s really starting to get to me. I can only pump a few minutes usually before she wakes up or before she starts crying for food again. Luckily i can get a few ounces without needing to pump a while. Also if I can tell she’s in a deep sleep then I’ll pump then.
@julianne0 I wouldn’t worry about your milk not being nutritious enough. If anything were off, it’s more likely that it has to do with how fast she transfers milk or how much work it takes her To transfer milk. But like others said, it could be totally normal and she just eats often. Do you always hear swallowing? Is it possible some of it is just comfort nursing?
@krystlerr I feel you! Many days I have not been able to leave! do you have any friends who could come over and keep you company even if they know you would be breastfeeding mostly the whole time? this may help to at least give you some time with an adult and then while baby boy takes a break you could pump and have someone watch him.
@zande2016 I definitely think it ends up becoming comfort nursing some of the time. Today I started to take her off if I felt like that was happening. I hesitated doing it before just in case she was actually eating. She also tends to fall asleep while eating so that can also drag things out. @krystlerr you could also try pumping if you have someone helping out or your H is home- that way if the baby is upset and wants to nurse someone can at least rock him while you get a quick pump session in.
@julianne0 my little guy is comfort nursing right now but I tend to let him because the alternative is listening to him cry. I figure it won’t last forever....hopefully!
@kissableviv I used a hand pump with DS, so much less hassle if you’re only doing one side or a quick session. Great for travel too, I hated lugging around my whole pump.
@kissableviv i used a hand pump with DS. Eventually it was all i used because being plugged in gave me anxiety. It was super easy to travel with and easier to carry for work.
@kissableviv I tried starting with a hand pump at night, but for some reason I found it more uncomfortable than my electric pump. The hand pump is a Medela and my electric is a Spectra — not sure if that had anything to do with it, but I gave up on the hand pump pretty quickly. It also felt less convenient in the end because it actually had more parts to wash. I would be interested in trying the haakaa, though, for those reasons.
@MrsMiller8588 i got the medela from Target about $40 bucks. I actually have two and kept one in the car (clean and ziplocked) in the car because i occasionally forgot to pack it.
@julianne0 my little guy is comfort nursing right now but I tend to let him because the alternative is listening to him cry. I figure it won’t last forever....hopefully!
I tend to allow comfort nursing too. We jokingly refer to BFing as my superpower because I can calm down the crying babe just by popping them on.
@julianne0 I have been having the same concerns about super frequent feedings. I went to an LC and LO was taking about 2.5oz from 1 side during a feeding, and is gaining about 12 oz a week which is “double what they’d expect”. The last week her cries in between feedings have seemed like she’s in pain, so I’m thinking it may be reflux? But I’m always unsure of whether to try to comfort her in other ways before offering to feed. Today I’ve been trying to get close to 2 hrs between feedings, but I feel horrible about it. Nothing else ever seems to calm her down, but she has never once refused to nurse ( are there babies who refuse to nurse if they’re not hungry?) anyway, I don’t have any answers yet but def dealing with something similar.
@ckmb_knottie is your baby showing hunger cues like rooting, sucking her fist, bobbing her head around, or is she just fussing? I always feed/offer the boob is my baby is showing any hunger cues, but if he isn’t showing any cues and is just crying or fussing, I try to comfort him in other ways - burping, rubbing his back, bouncing/rocking etc. If he still won’t settle I’ll check to see if he’ll take the boob, but I find he will refuse if he’s not hungry. Babies are very smart about knowing what they need. When he comfort nurses he does these tiny little sucks that don’t really make much milk come out, and he doesn’t really swallow. If baby isn’t hungry but is wanting to comfort nurse, you could try the pacifier.
@zande2016 she does showhunger cues in between screaming/crying but I’ve been told babies with reflux want to nurse because swallowing helps relieve symptoms, and thus gain weight really quickly. So I worry about over filling her stomach and making reflux worse, if that’s truly what it is.
@ckmb_knottie I was telling myself I needed to focus on that more like if she’s really showing the hunger cues or just fussing. It always seemed like she was only the type to cry when she was hungry so that’s what I automatically think when she starts to cry. I wish she liked the pack more, my first loved it and honestly it made things easier
Just wanted to share this nursing shirt I got on amazon. It’s super comfy and I like that it’s a little baggy to hide the post baby tummy. Also, I just discovered you can use your amazon account to pay for clothes from latched mama (cute nursing tops and dresses), which I’m excited about since we have some amazon GC money.
Re: Breastfeeding/pumping support 7/6
Today the twins didn’t show any of the choking or frustration while nursing, they’re eating so frequently that I think they’re draining milk better maybe. I gave in and bought some more nursing bralettes! I’m so excited. Nursing bras are just way too hot right now, and I don’t mind washing bralettes after one wear whereas I need my nicer padded nursing bras for work and hate using them during the week when I’m just home. Motherhood maternity has free shipping and 30% off right now. Jessica Simpson stuff is so cute from their site! I’m telling myself I can still wear the stuff that isn’t clip down even after I’m done nursing
DH wasn't able to BF as a baby, they had told his mom at the time it was because her milk was too thin and not nutritious enough, DH's parents were super poor (way below poverty line) when he was born and its likely his mom was malnourished so this reasoning always made sense. However, the doc yesterday looked at both my and DH's mouths to see if either of us are tied and sure enough, DH is. The doc suspects this is actually why DH couldn't BF and that makes me kinda angry for my MIL because she was always made to feel like it was her fault. 35 years later and she still feels guilty that she couldn't do it. So DH told her what this doc suspects, we're hoping it helps her let go of her guilt regardless of if it is true or not.
Anyone have tips on how to get a baby to open wide more / break bad latch habits with the nipple shield? I think I got too lax in letting her hang on the nipple with the nipple shield when she was losing weight and I was willing to suffer to get food in her, but I have gotten increasingly sore the past few days and something needs to change! We had a LC visit a few weeks back, but she was not helpful...
nose to chin. Then when she opens her mouth, shove as much in there as I could. It helps to hold her head with my other hand too to guide it if she’s being difficult or too bobbly.
Speaking of innovation, I'm off to have LO's ear looked at for a possible Earwell...
@adventuresawait1 here’s the sheet I have. The top one really makes my baby open his mouth, it’s crazy. Hope this helps a little. I also agree with the flipple technique
@zande2016 thanks for that list! LO has a good latch but just like everyone especially at night I night let a bad latch slide if he readjusts and if I'm not in crazy pain.
I’m worried my milk isn’t nutritious enough or something. I tend to overthink a bunch of worries about breastfeeding, it’s really stressful to me. Her next pedi appt is next week so we’ll find out if she’s gaining weight, which I think she is, just maybe not a ton.
AFM I figured out the pumping bra yay!!!! Life changing indeed.
Is anyone using a hand pump? I was thinking it may be a good thing to have for MOTN as LO (hopefully) starts sleeping more. To relieve some pressure without busting out the Spectra and making a bunch of noise. Anyone doing that?
I haven’t been able to even pump yet bc I’m his 24/7 buffet and I yearn for the day that I can so I can get out of the house.
she does go 3-4 hours during the night though so that’s good. I was hoping by her first month I wouldn’t be so locked down! I want to enjoy summer with my other lo.
I’ve never used a hand pump but that sounds like a good idea!
@krystlerr you could also try pumping if you have someone helping out or your H is home- that way if the baby is upset and wants to nurse someone can at least rock him while you get a quick pump session in.
TTC December 2016
BFP 2/28/17 // CP 3/1/17
MFI Diagnosis: Aug 2017
BFP 11/1/17 // DS born 6/18
TTC January 2019
BFP 3/21/19 // D&C (MMC) 5/8/19
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