@kbernal2021 DD was a unicorn baby. She slept through the night super early (I think I got an 8 hour stretch when she was only a week old). As a result she clustered all 10-12 feedings during the day so feeding on demand with her was every 1-2 hours. 100% worth it when she slept through the night though. Admittedly, STTN didn't help my oversupply issue either.
@lindsayleigh1989 I wish this LO was! We joked early on that DD wanted a sibling so badly that she was a unicorn. So of course, we expect hell from this guy!
Baby's back to birth weight! However he is at the bottom of the scale for weight so pedi said "24 hr buffet" lol basically keep feeding feeding feeding. We missed an alarm again last night and he slept 4.5 hours! So we'll just be more diligent with that even though he is such a good sleeper.
Pedi also said hiccups are a good sign they mean a full belly which presses up to the diaphragm that's why they get them.
Not super excited about upping the feedings since that means more afternoon confinement at the house but of course anything for the babe!
@kissableviv how long did it take your LO to get back up to his birth weight? At the 2 week check up LO still isn’t up to her birth weight and only gained .5oz in the past week
Exactly 2 weeks but he only had 4 oz to gain and that's how much he gained. How much does your lo need to put back on? Milo only lost 4% of his weight after birth so if she lost more it may take her a little bit longer
Girls, I have mastitis and it's basically the worst I have ever felt in my life. The flu x10 with sort boobs and an excruciating latch on the left. Went to the doc and got a 10 day z pack. Omg. I've been sleeping all day, and my poor big kids have been fending for themselves. Luckily LO has been basically sleeping with me all day. Hoping it doesnt mean he will be a monster tonight. I waited two days to go to the doc- DO NOT WAIT!!!!!
Ugh sorry about the mastitis @WorkinWeezel that’s my biggest fear.
Had my lactation consultant over today since my nipples are totally destroyed. The hospital LC diagnosed tongue tie but my LC today actually wasn’t convinced. She thinks we might just need to work on keeping the latch nice and deep, and prescribed an ointment to heal my nipples. I’m really hoping things improve soon because I’m really in agony. I’d be thrilled to avoid the whole tongue tie procedure if we can so l’ll see how we do this week. Meanwhile my milk is starting to come in and I’m already a little engorged but I’m expecting it to get worse. But baby gained an ounce since yesterday and his billi Rubin is normal now so the doctor isn’t concerned.
@kissableviv she lost 8oz by the time we went to her first appt. And that’s exactly what her pedi said- that it might take her a little longer. I’m just nervous about needing to now give her a pumped bottle because I worry that my supply will be effected. I had issues with that last time so I get really nervous. The pedi said as long as I pump daily what I give her then my body will think that’s how much she needs. But if she gets a bottle after a feeding I wonder if that will prolong when she needs to eat next? I didn’t think of that question when we were with her pedi.
@WorkinWeezel oh how awful I am so sorry. Praying it clears up super fast and LO is easy for you tonight!!
@kissableviv you just gave me so much reassurance! Bella gets the hiccups a lot after feeding and i was afraid it was because she was getting too much air but to hear a full tummy can cause it just gave me so much relief!
My nipples are killing me and I had a lactation consultant visit my home yesterday for some help. She recommended coconut oil and vitamin e capsules punctured and rubbed on to help heal the skin. I also have short nipples and bc the hospital had me pumping since day 1, I’m getting really full which also makes latching more painful since my skin is so tight. Breastfeeding is tough! I knew it would be but I’m just feeling so drained and I think my appetite loss isn’t helping either. Kudos to all the mamas!
My lactation consultant told me to stop pumping so I don’t have an oversupply and I just ordered the haaka so I hope this helps. I’d love to pump soon to give the little guy a bottle here and there so I can get more than 2 hours of sleep sometimes.
@WorkinWeezel I’m also currently taking antibiotics for mastitis. My Ob on the hospital: “most ppl don’t get mastitis in the first two weeks”. My body: ”challenge accepted”. I had it by day 11 but I had no idea that’s what was wrong. I was super sick all day and finally called my OB after dinner and luckily she was able to call antibiotics in to the pharmacy that night. It was sooo bad but I started feeling better the next day after starting antibiotics. Hopefully you feel better soon!
@krystlerr same with the sore nips. I’m being so diligent about making sure the latch is good but I guess since the damage is already done every nursing session is torture. My LC called in a rx antibiotic ointment that she said should make me feel better in a day but I’m worried he keeps redamaging it. I’ll have to ask her about coconut oil, for some reason the hospital nurse and LC both told me no but I keep reading about it helping.
@krystlerr solidarity. I'm actually doing great on one side, but Milo went Dracula on my right side the other day so I have a tiny crack on it and it makes it more painful to nurse. Luckily he went 4.5 hours last night after eating literally ALL DAY so I was able to shower before bed and get some relief with the warm water. I was also told to pump at the hospital because he wasn't latching so we syringe fed him a couple of times but they didn't tell me to stop after he latched when my milk came in! Thankfully I called the baby line and they had me stop immediately to avoid over supply.
@kissableviv we also had to syringe feed him for a couple days until my milk came in. Felt like I was feeding a little bird! Was such a process having him latch for a bit, syringe feed then pump every time so I was so happy when my milk came in.
My lactation consultant gave me a preggo pouch which has cherry pits in it and you can heat it or freeze it and that has been helping me too along with hot showers and massage.
@zande2016 is it APNO that she called in? That stuff is amazing. I'm getting a prescription preemptively today at Summer's check up (from our family doc) so I have it on hand. I didn't find coconut oil overly helpful last time except to lube flanges for pumping, but the Earth Mama nipple butter is awesome.
My milk is fully in already! And ouch am I ever engorged. I actually pumped after I fed her this morning because I had indents in my boob from her nose and chin lol. Only got an ounce but I'm terrified of getting an oversupply again.
@comealongponds I have bactroban (I think that’s how it’s spelled) which is one of the ingredients in APNO. It’s an RX antiobiotic ointment. I actually emailed her this morning to see if she’d call in APNO for me too so I’ll see what she says. Engorgment is definitely making the situation worse right now so I used the hakaa before latching to soften it a bit, which helped a little. I’m just worried about creating an oversupply. He’s also been satisfied feeding on only one side since I have a ton of milk right now, so I’m just going with it and letting him do one side per feed, I figure that will allow each nipple more time to heal between feeds.
So after two days of ME asking my toddler to nurse to help with the horrendous engorgement, my boobs are finally getting their act together. Of course now the toddler is wanting to nursing as much as his sister Totally my fault because I was initiating him nursing more, but I didn’t want to pump while I am tandem nursing and risk an oversupply. Tomorrow we have to go to a local town to get baby’s overseas birth certificate so fingers crossed she’s as good of a nurser while running errands as she is at home! Luckily I’m already super comfortable NIP so the ball will be in her court lol
Ok so LO fed and slept all night like an angel baby. After his 8am feeding he was ok but started fussying. Put him on the boob twice since then. Both times I let him detach when he was done, second time he had a bunch of milk around his mouth and his belly is just so full! He seems to be rooting again now...I just really have no idea how much is too much? He also had some spit up ( not too much) after his 8am feeding so I just cannot believe this kid wants more?? *Shrug*
@kissableviv That sounds so familiar. Last night we had some sort of crazy nursing marathon session and he never seemed full. Also, this session included giving him some pumped milk from a bottle after he nursed and he still wasn’t full. I’m assuming he’s hitting a growth spurt which is fine with me bc he still needs to get back to his birth weight. Maybe your little guy is having a spurt as well.
@kissableviv is he rooting while you’re holding him? Sometimes just being near momma makes babies root and act like they want to nurse even though they’re not really hungry. My baby was doing that before right after eating so I handed him to my mom and he happily slept in her arms for an hour before waking up to eat again. Or could be a growth spurt. Don’t worry though, it’s not so easy to overfeed a baby at the breast.
Ugh, so sorry to hear about the mastitis @WorkinWeezel ! I’m realizing I don’t really know what causes mastitis, or if there are any preventive measures one can take to avoid it. Anyone know?
The visit with the LC went pretty well yesterday. She diagnosed me with an oversupply and suggested some positions (laid back and side lie) that would slow the flow of milk, thus making him more willing to latch on wider (she thought he was clamping down as a defense mechanism against the firehose). We tried them both and I was amazed that once he was latched, I had no pain whatsoever, even with my heavily damaged nipples. We’re still getting the hang of the new positions (I still sometimes struggle to get him to open wide enough), so the issue isn’t totally solved yet, but I’m newly optimistic that we’re on our way to a positive BFing experience. Maybe other moms with oversupply issues might want to give those positions a try.
@perhapsitalian agreed, if your letdown overwhelms the baby they tend to clamp down to try to control it so my LC said to put baby into a “power position”. Basically means reclining so baby is higher than the boob, and gravity can help out. Baby feels more in control of the flow that way and will relax more.
my left boob is so engorged and I’m having a hard time getting my baby to latch on that side at all today.
Thanks ladies, sounds like a growth spurt to me. I was dreading being confined again today and he miraculously went down at 1145am so off we went for a walk at the beach, followed by a poke bowl for lunch! He is still asleep and it's past 2pm I was also able to pick up my disability documents from the doctor. I left the AC blasting in my room so even if we're in for hours of craziness at least I got an outing in and I won't lose my mind. Thankfully he loves the car seat!
Another question, I can't find where this was discussed. Did someone had little milk crusts on the nipples? I have a little one on one side, how to I get it off? I don't want it to clog...it's also on the side that's currently more uncomfortable to nurse from, blah!
@kissableviv it's likely a milk blister/bleb. You can drain them manually by popping it. They are caused by clogged ducts I believe, so I think just the warm compresses and massages should help along with lecithin. I had one as well and they are uncomfortable and painful while nursing, I have started the lecithin and so far I'm noticing a difference in the feeling of clogged ducts on my left side.
Called the pedi today about DD puking/ constant spit up. She suggested breaking up the feeding to give equal time on each side. So if she nurses on one side for 15 minutes then the other side for 5 then break it up to be 10 minutes each side. That or block feed by offering one side only each feed. She wants to bring DD in next week for a weight and to start watching for possible signs of reflux. I know DD is gaining weight so I'm not really concerned about that but she said I may have a major oversupply (which I did with DS and suspect again) so we will see what it looks like next week.
@comealongponds I should do weighted feeds, good idea! We have an infant scale even, it’s just hiding somewhere in the garage from our move. @kbernal2021 I use specific sides for my twins and one of them has been spitting up like yours is, it’s weird because they get my ‘dud’ producing boob. @wildtot how often are you pumping now? I hope it’s going ok with nursing
I got the boys off bottles and we’re Exclusively nursing! They went to the dr yesterday and their weights are great, I’m so happy! Less dishes and pumping now. I’m hoping to stop pumping fully unless Im away at work now. I’m worried about supply but shouldn’t, when I pump after nursing I’ve been getting less and less out. Also poor Hayden has my stud boob and has been struggling when I have a let down just the way ds1 did, I had an oversupply last time too.
How did you all get through engorgement? I’m going on 36+ hours of engorgement here since my milk came in and it’s not going down. Poor baby is having such a hard time latching, especially on my left, and it’s been excruciatingly painful to nurse for a good 2 days now even though my nipples seem to be healing. I’m trying all the things but it’s just not getting easier. Think I’ll do a cabbage leaf compress later today. I’ve been doing ice packs, pumping a little before feeds to help him get latched on and a little after if I need to relieve pressure (I’m worried about creating over supply with pumping, but sometimes it’s the only way to get him latched), and reverse pressure softening. I just need my boobs to calm down already!
@crabcake18 glad things nursing is going better for you! I only pump now when he doesn’t empty out one side. Sometimes he’ll do 10 mins on one and then 3 on the other so i have to pump.
@julianne0 pumping helps but after like 20 mins they’re full and engorged Again, it’s crazy. The baby is having such a hard time getting a deep latch and the pain is insane. I read cold compress helps with swelling, hot compress can soften things and help milk flow but can also increase swelling and make engorgement work so I’ve been avoiding it. Cabbage leaves feel amazingggggg but jury’s out on whether it helps any.
@zande2016 i did one major session of pumping after heating and massaging. The pain was starting to go to my armpit. It helped so much! Haven’t had to do it again.
@perhapsitalian in regards to the mastitis. It can be caused by clogged ducts. If your baby isnt emptying the breast when feeding that can lead to a clogged duct. You can take lechitin to help prevent clogged ducts but my dr recommended only taking 1-2 per day as a preventative measure, but before doing this always check with your dr for side effects. My friend swore by this stuff and I tried it after experiencing a clogged duct myself and it has helped so much. If you already have a clogged duct the dosage will be different, I took 3-4 a day when I got it. Preventing clogged ducts should help prevent mastitis.
@kbernal2021@perhapsitalian I also recently learned if you have cracks or scabs or blisters on your nipples that can lead to mastitis. I’ve got pretty bad cracks right now and have to wash with soap twice a day, salt water rinse after feeds, and rx antibiotic ointment after feeds to help heal them and prevent mastitis since bacteria can get in through the wounds. Fun stuff!!
@zande2016 whoa I didnt know the cracks could lead to it as well! I'm pretty certain that's how we developed thrush and never considered it could go further than that. That's really good to know!
Uuuugh @zande2016 I had a very tiny crack it looks healed now but I think I messed up my whole system. Because I've been cringing at the idea of nursing at the boob that's been more uncomfortable I've been alternating boobs and I can tell baby is pissed lol. Thankfully my doula/LC will be here soon and then I hope we'll finally be on our way.
I also think he's developed a shallow latch on my good boob because my nip comes out looking like a "lipstick tip" if that makes sense ugh
Re: Breastfeeding/pumping support 7/6
Pedi also said hiccups are a good sign they mean a full belly which presses up to the diaphragm that's why they get them.
Not super excited about upping the feedings since that means more afternoon confinement at the house but of course anything for the babe!
Married: 6/27/2008
DS: 3/14/2010 Planned, PG first try
M/C 6/2012
DD: 4/22/2013 Planned, UnDx Infertility, PG on our own
BFP: 10/28/2016 Unplanned, HUGE SURPRISE!
M/C 12/12/2016
BFP: 10/27/2017 Unplanned, HUGE SURPRISE
EDD: 7/2/2018
Had my lactation consultant over today since my nipples are totally destroyed. The hospital LC diagnosed tongue tie but my LC today actually wasn’t convinced. She thinks we might just need to work on keeping the latch nice and deep, and prescribed an ointment to heal my nipples. I’m really hoping things improve soon because I’m really in agony. I’d be thrilled to avoid the whole tongue tie procedure if we can so l’ll see how we do this week. Meanwhile my milk is starting to come in and I’m already a little engorged but I’m expecting it to get worse. But baby gained an ounce since yesterday and his billi Rubin is normal now so the doctor isn’t concerned.
@kissableviv you just gave me so much reassurance! Bella gets the hiccups a lot after feeding and i was afraid it was because she was getting too much air but to hear a full tummy can cause it just gave me so much relief!
My nipples are killing me and I had a lactation consultant visit my home yesterday for some help. She recommended coconut oil and vitamin e capsules punctured and rubbed on to help heal the skin. I also have short nipples and bc the hospital had me pumping since day 1, I’m getting really full which also makes latching more painful since my skin is so tight. Breastfeeding is tough! I knew it would be but I’m just feeling so drained and I think my appetite loss isn’t helping either. Kudos to all the mamas!
My lactation consultant told me to stop pumping so I don’t have an oversupply and I just ordered the haaka so I hope this helps. I’d love to pump soon to give the little guy a bottle here and there so I can get more than 2 hours of sleep sometimes.
Glad we have this thread to support each other!
My lactation consultant gave me a preggo pouch which has cherry pits in it and you can heat it or freeze it and that has been helping me too along with hot showers and massage.
Im happy we have this thread too!
My milk is fully in already! And ouch am I ever engorged. I actually pumped after I fed her this morning because I had indents in my boob from her nose and chin lol. Only got an ounce but I'm terrified of getting an oversupply again.
Kylie M.
Baby #1 Born 12.16.2015
Baby #2 Due 7.13.2018
@kissableviv That sounds so familiar. Last night we had some sort of crazy nursing marathon session and he never seemed full. Also, this session included giving him some pumped milk from a bottle after he nursed and he still wasn’t full. I’m assuming he’s hitting a growth spurt which is fine with me bc he still needs to get back to his birth weight. Maybe your little guy is having a spurt as well.
The visit with the LC went pretty well yesterday. She diagnosed me with an oversupply and suggested some positions (laid back and side lie) that would slow the flow of milk, thus making him more willing to latch on wider (she thought he was clamping down as a defense mechanism against the firehose). We tried them both and I was amazed that once he was latched, I had no pain whatsoever, even with my heavily damaged nipples. We’re still getting the hang of the new positions (I still sometimes struggle to get him to open wide enough), so the issue isn’t totally solved yet, but I’m newly optimistic that we’re on our way to a positive BFing experience. Maybe other moms with oversupply issues might want to give those positions a try.
my left boob is so engorged and I’m having a hard time getting my baby to latch on that side at all today.
I got the boys off bottles and we’re Exclusively nursing! They went to the dr yesterday and their weights are great, I’m so happy! Less dishes and pumping now. I’m hoping to stop pumping fully unless Im away at work now. I’m worried about supply but shouldn’t, when I pump after nursing I’ve been getting less and less out. Also poor Hayden has my stud boob and has been struggling when I have a let down just the way ds1 did, I had an oversupply last time too.
I also think he's developed a shallow latch on my good boob because my nip comes out looking like a "lipstick tip" if that makes sense ugh