@elizabethrn87.. Yayyy ! Another exclusive pumper ! I posted a few days ago in this thread and was really starting to think I was the only one lol. Curious as to how often you've been pumping this time around? I try for every 3 hours but there are seriously times where I skip and go 4-6 hrs instead. It's partly because we're out and about some and I haven't quite mastered the whole pumping on the go thing yet.
I’d suggest changing your username because it’s hard to tag to a long knottie name.
With DS i found it easier to carry around a hand pump when out and about. I also would only pump into one bottle and transfer to bags if i wasn’t going to use the milk soon (less stuff to carry). A good cooling ice pack and insulated bag is recommended.
@wildtot I'll have to try the hand pump thing for sure. I've been pretty consistent at 5-6oz per side per session so I'm ahead of DS at this point and have just been transferring into bags and sending them straight to the freezer lol. Anyone pump directly into the Lansinoh bags ?? I tried with my Medela pump and it kinda worked but I also seemed to not get as much that way.
@zande2016 I never thought about that... I should do that though. Where would I find one?!
Could you use a medicine syringe in a pinch? Though I don’t remember them holding much.. I’ve heard of some people supplementing with cup feedings too, but that sounds like it would be messy!
@knottie531e966776b60b6d hey friend change your username so we can get to know you from other knotties. Also are you asking if we get less pumping into bags vs bottles? If so there is so disrecpency on bags vs bottles due to the shape of bags and brand sometimes. But I have never had different output pumping inti bags vs bottles if I equally compare them.
Solidarity to all the cluster feeding moms. We have our fussy time from 8 to 11:30 most nights lately but I think we are in a growth spurt. @kissableviv I have had one side feel engorged more than the other at times. I just pump as needed so i dont drop supply.
The syringe I have from the hospital holds 10ml so roughly 1oz.
@lindsayleigh1989 thank you! Started nursing on both sides again but I pump twice a day (instead of BFing) to have DH give him a bottle and my left side produces 1/3 of the right! I don't like this at all! I know it's normal to have a boob producing more but is there anything I should do to make it a bit more even? I know I also had a milk bleb on it and it's gone now so I'm hoping that was also a factor.
@kissableviv you could maybe try to offer that side first? or pump after feeding just on that side to help trick it into thinking it need to produce more. Sometimes though that is normal and okay
Thanks @lindsayleigh1989 that's what I'm doing now that I can nurse again without pain, offering it first. I'll see how it goes in the next day or so and assess whether I can also pump afterwards.
This time around we don’t want to be in the situation where baby won’t take a bottle at all. With my son we had to bottle feed BM for his first 10 days because we had to know how much he was eating (he had severe jaundice and lost almost two pounds after birth) which caused him to refuse the breast. We eventually got him back on the breast but stopped all bottles for fear of it happening again and when we actually needed him to take a bottle at 8 months, he wouldn’t take it for anything.
Anyway, as I said, we want to do it differently this time so hubby can do some feedings and she can be fed if we have an emergency of some sort but I don’t want to introduce the bottle too early! I think I remember someone saying at least wait 4 weeks but there’s so many pages on this thread, I can’t find it!!
@kmac103 I know they recommend waiting longer but I introduced it with DS at like 4 days and he had no issue going back and forth. DH wanted to feed and I needed the break. I haven’t with this one yet at 2+ weeks, but I will have DH do it soon just so she can get used to accepting both.
@kmac103 I’ve read and been told 4 weeks is good, it’s enough time to establish BF to reduce risk of breast refusal, but not too late that the baby refuses the bottle. I think the 3-5 week range is fine. My son refused to nurse after we introduced the bottle so I’m being a little more cautious this time.
@kmac103 the LC at my hospital recommended between 4-6 weeks. I wish I would stop forgetting to grab my haaka for leaking when I nurse! Last time I leaked a lot and had a tiny stash to start bottle feeding with!
Anyone else dealing with fast letdown making your baby gassy? At least that’s what I suspect is happening. He’s a gas machine and my mom was telling me I better cut out “gassy foods” (whatever that means), but I really think he’s just swallowing too much air trying to manage the fast flow. I am hoping it resolves itself as my supply regulates but he’s too young for gripe water/drops and I have a feeling it’ll be a couple weeks before my supply calms down. He’s also still killing my left nipple but nursing on the right is finally not hurting.
@acunamatada yeah I definitely want her to do both for me without risking her refusing the boob like my son did! I wish each baby came with a booklet that told you when you could introduce it without messing it all up!! @zande2016 my son took FOREVER to get back to the breast after the bottle feeding started. We had to use a nipple shield and put milk in it to try to coax him to nurse. Oh it was terrible. I am definitely trying to avoid that this time around! @MichelleAG05 I’ve been meaning to order one! I’ve been leaking a lot too and it’s a shame to waste it!
Thank you all! I’ve still got a few weeks before she’s old enough but I’m definitely going to try to introduce the bottle at a better time this go around. It’s so much harder breastfeeding with a toddler running around lol Being able to let hubby feed her occasionally so I can have time with DS will be super helpful. Maybe I’ll even be able to get a pedicure or something!!
I just introduced it a couple of days short of 3 weeks. My LC felt that bf was well established and despite a few issues that I consider overall normal we have not had any major obstacles. So we started with a bottle in the am and one in the evening. He's doing well so far and then latching on to me no problem. So far I've only pumped to replace a feed so I'll basically give him "fresh" milk (we're doing a bottle before DH goes to work and one when he comes home).
@zande2016 +1 for a gas machine but I don’t think my letdown is the culprit. Have you tried unlatching him and catching the letdown until he can control the flow?
@acunamatada I’ve tried that but it seems like at this point my let down is on overdrive. It happens every couple minutes. I think once the hormones settle the let down will calm down a bit. I hope.
@kmac103 we introduced the bottle within the first week because i needed a break. We’ll be 3 weeks tomorrow and haven’t had any problems with going back and forth. Pedi said it’s good for us to do a bottle once a day at least to get him use to it. He still prefers the boob over bottle and paci.
@zande2016 i have a strong let down too but i don’t think it’s causing the gas. Sometimes i can say it’s food (i love beans, oops). I have been having to catch it with a burp cloth because LO will detach and milk will squirt all over his face. Unfortunately i had the same issue with DS and it never regulated.
Afm, we’ve been feed all day on the hour and had to give a bottle because i just feel so empty. I’ve been sitting in the same spot all day in my pjs and i feel so gross. We had our first blowout today so I’m thinking his tummy hurts again. I’m feeling something in my boobs after feeding that i think someone previously mentioned. Kinda feels like lightning boob...I’ll just call it that.
@zande2016 I have a crazy letdown too, especially on my right. Summer always pulls off when it starts so we both get covered in milk. I've started keeping a burp cloth underneath her if I am super full on that side because it's relentless. She's gassy but not crazy about it, she usually just pulls off, burps and goes back to eating lol . I've been using the haakaa a bit too to try and get some of the excess off so she doesn't have to deal with it .
Still working on the latch, its been about a week since he's bit me at least. But now he has a super short attention span and gets frustrated easy and likes to stick his long legs up in my throat. Really wanted to BF because I wanted the ability to just feed him whenever wherever, but we can't do that. Need the nipple shield, special pillow, and some other things that aren't practical to carry around. My ridiculous boobs are now even nore gigantic (J cup and tiny baby mouths don't seem to go well together) and smoosh him if I don't help by lifting one up. And then I still have to pump anyways because its a fight with a circus monkey to get into position, and then he usually only nurses for a couple minutes. We have another LC appointment today, but thinking I'm going to be joining the EP club. Nursing just stresses us both out, it's annoying and a pain and we bond better when I plop him between my boobs and give him a bottle. I'll give it through the end of the week which will put us at 3 weeks of trying, but I'm about ready to throw in the towel on this whole BF thing.
@noideawhatshesdoing good for you for giving it a solid chance. Having small goals is helpful. I want to make it BF until 6 weeks. After that I may be in the EP club too. But until then we will see. Mommas need their sanity too.
Are any of you who are dealing with cluster feeding also seeing rapid weight gain? She is 2 1/2 weeks old and has gained 1 pound 7 oz, which is about double what they expect. Just worried that I should be soothing her another way besides always offering to nurse or if she’s eating due to gas pains rather than hunger.
First week into BF and it’s harder than i thought it would be - even after i read all 6 pages of this thread (too many individuals to comment back on) and i took notes of all the tricks and tips. It seems like the latch is good 50% of the time but injuries from the first couple days make it hard to tell. I have made an appt with an LC for Thursday so I’m looking forward to that.
i got my first clogged duct and 3 feedings on that side, massage and compress didn’t release it so i used the pump on that side to get it out. Now I’ve got 1.5oz milk chilling in the fridge and not sure when to use it. Have it on standby for a quick feed from DH? Add more to it to get it to 2oz and freeze. I want to start a freezer stash so that will be tomorrow’s project to research
@ckmb_knottie I have a rapid weight gainer too! Still within a good average but pedi suggested we try to delay with a paci. We also got some gas pains so I’ll try gas drops on times. It’s all a learning curve to learn his cues.
@And846 I’d say freeze it if you don’t know when you’ll use it. I think you can only do 3 days in the fridge and 3 months in a regular freezer (i have to look it up again).
I need to get rid of the bleb on my right, have some tricks from Kellymom but when cluster feeding it's impossible to find the time... This morning I pumped almost 3oz on the left and almost one oz on the right. LO didn't even finish the bottle but then if course he was at it an hour and a half ago...
Can we talk about how big these washable nursing pads are? Is this normal? I'll have to check my others but I'm sure they are smaller. In case it matters its covering a full d boob. Maybe I'll appreciate it if my boobs get bigger?
@moguippy thanks. I'm trying to have some patience, the LC today actually suggested we just exclusively pump for a couple of days and see if that's just better for us before I make a firm decision.
LO completely had a meltdown at the LC appointment, so at least she was able to see the issues I've been dealing with my little circus monkey with. I feel like I've given it an honest try but between his lip tie and tongue pushing it's been so hard because he's clearly hungry and wants to eat, but gets so frustrated quickly and now has started pushing with his hands which makes it worse because be pushes my boob out and then he cries. Which of course makes mommy cry. Plus the time spent trying to nurse, then trying to calm down and then finally pumping and bottle feeding it means I'm not getting any sleep. So I'm going to try to make it to the weekend, and then try to just pump this weekend and see if that helps take a mental load off and make us both happier.
@SmashJam those do seem extra large! I have some washable ones too, but I don't think they are that big. Are those overnight ones?
@noideawhatshesdoing kudos to you for all the patience. Even though bf has gone ok with us it's still really hard and I've had my share of crying. I hope this week goes ok with you and that pumping this weekend helps you make the best decision for you and LO!
@noideawhatshesdoing sorry if you’ve mentioned it and I forgot, but did you look into having the lip and tongue tie fixed? I know from personal experience trying to BF a tied baby is super hard, no shame at all in switching to EP. Also, you can always pump for a while and then try to go back to BF later when he’s older and his mouth is bigger, if you wanted to.
@SmashJam Omg!!!!! Those are HUGE! I use cloth ones too and they definitely aren’t that big.. I bet since they are bigger they won’t be super noticeable under your shirt though! With mine sometimes you can see the circle outline of the pad on my shirt and it makes me crazy lol
@ckmb_knottie My little one is gaining like crazy and her doctor is thrilled! She’s up 1.5 pounds and not even two weeks old yet! I am so happy because when my DS was born he took over a month to get back to birth weight and I was constantly worried about him! This little girl is clearly the opposite lol At 2.5 weeks though I would still nurse on demand. Their little tummies are so tiny and BM is digested so quickly that they really could be hungry every time they start giving the cues.
@zande2016 I don't think I've mentioned it, but yes we've got an appointment to get it fixed. We just couldn't get in until August 6 and I really didn't want to put him through the discomfort, but I think we have to. He takes the bottle just fine, and will take a cold one no problem. It's just nursing that is rough. Didn't help that my milk completely disappeared over the weekend (back now), so that added another level of stress. It just feels so bad not to be able to feed your kid when they need it. Hoping switching to EP will just help us all feel better.
Anyone else get a anxious feeling when nursing or pumping? I got it with DS when I pumped but i was hoping my general anxiety meds would help avoid it this time around. It’s almost like a suck feeling in my stomach and tightness in my chest every time i start to BF.
@kmac103@wildtot ok that makes me feel better. Her pediatrician didn’t seem concerned but a lactation consultant mentioned that was twice as much as they’d expect her to gain. She gets so stressed out pooping and farting and I feel bad for feeding her so much & causing her to poop more not something I anticipated feeling guilty about!
@noideawhatshesdoing I can definitely imagine there frustration as you’ve described the issues. I don’t blame you for wanting to EP and as hard as that can be it sounds like a much better solution for everyone. I’m sure it will feel like a relief not to go through the bf struggle multiple times a day!
@noideawhatshesdoing Ah ok. I say if it takes the stress off both you and baby, go with the bottle...either way, you’re doing great! It’s such hard work feeding a newborn. Just to share some of my experience, when I had my older son’s tongue and lip ties fixed he was still nursing (but only with the nipple shield), but I switched to EP shortly after because he didn’t want to nurse while healing. Then after maybe a month or two, we were able to go back to breastfeeding, and a couple months after that we ditched the nipple shield and breast fed until he was 18 months. Oh and he had a really tough Time with the bottle prior to having the procedure, but took it like a champ after.
@wildtot I seem to get anxious as the sun starts to go down. Like not knowing what the night is going to bring makes me nervous; will LO sleep ok tonight? Will we be up every hour? I was never a fan of night time to begin with, and this is adding a whole new level of anxiety
TTC History:
Me: 36 H: 40 Married 2015. Together since 2010. TTC: Sept 2016-Oct 2017 BFP Oct 2017. DD born July 2018. TTC: March 2020. BFP March 2020 Due date was Nov 2020 DS born Sept 2020. DS passed away Nov 2020 due to prematurity and birth trauma. TTC: March 2021 IUI #1 Nov 2021, BFN IUI #2 Dec 2021 BFP. MC Jan 2022 IUI #3 Aug 2022 BFN IUI #4 Sept 2022 BFN AMH test came back at .081. Was going to move on to IVF with DE, but have decided not to. Will be leaving it up to the universe now.
@comealongponds I’m gonna ask my doctor tomorrow since i have a follow up on my anxiety meds. I thought there was something like this but wasn’t sure what it was called. Thanks for sharing!!
Re: Breastfeeding/pumping support 7/6
With DS i found it easier to carry around a hand pump when out and about. I also would only pump into one bottle and transfer to bags if i wasn’t going to use the milk soon (less stuff to carry). A good cooling ice pack and insulated bag is recommended.
@lindsayleigh1989 thank you! Started nursing on both sides again but I pump twice a day (instead of BFing) to have DH give him a bottle and my left side produces 1/3 of the right! I don't like this at all! I know it's normal to have a boob producing more but is there anything I should do to make it a bit more even? I know I also had a milk bleb on it and it's gone now so I'm hoping that was also a factor.
This time around we don’t want to be in the situation where baby won’t take a bottle at all. With my son we had to bottle feed BM for his first 10 days because we had to know how much he was eating (he had severe jaundice and lost almost two pounds after birth) which caused him to refuse the breast. We eventually got him back on the breast but stopped all bottles for fear of it happening again and when we actually needed him to take a bottle at 8 months, he wouldn’t take it for anything.
Anyway, as I said, we want to do it differently this time so hubby can do some feedings and she can be fed if we have an emergency of some sort but I don’t want to introduce the bottle too early! I think I remember someone saying at least wait 4 weeks but there’s so many pages on this thread, I can’t find it!!
Kylie M.
Baby #1 Born 12.16.2015
Baby #2 Due 7.13.2018
@zande2016 my son took FOREVER to get back to the breast after the bottle feeding started. We had to use a nipple shield and put milk in it to try to coax him to nurse. Oh it was terrible. I am definitely trying to avoid that this time around!
@MichelleAG05 I’ve been meaning to order one! I’ve been leaking a lot too and it’s a shame to waste it!
Thank you all! I’ve still got a few weeks before she’s old enough but I’m definitely going to try to introduce the bottle at a better time this go around. It’s so much harder breastfeeding with a toddler running around lol Being able to let hubby feed her occasionally so I can have time with DS will be super helpful. Maybe I’ll even be able to get a pedicure or something!!
Kylie M.
Baby #1 Born 12.16.2015
Baby #2 Due 7.13.2018
@zande2016 i have a strong let down too but i don’t think it’s causing the gas. Sometimes i can say it’s food (i love beans, oops). I have been having to catch it with a burp cloth because LO will detach and milk will squirt all over his face. Unfortunately i had the same issue with DS and it never regulated.
Afm, we’ve been feed all day on the hour and had to give a bottle because i just feel so empty. I’ve been sitting in the same spot all day in my pjs and i feel so gross. We had our first blowout today so I’m thinking his tummy hurts again. I’m feeling something in my boobs after feeding that i think someone previously mentioned. Kinda feels like lightning boob...I’ll just call it that.
i got my first clogged duct and 3 feedings on that side, massage and compress didn’t release it so i used the pump on that side to get it out. Now I’ve got 1.5oz milk chilling in the fridge and not sure when to use it. Have it on standby for a quick feed from DH? Add more to it to get it to 2oz and freeze. I want to start a freezer stash so that will be tomorrow’s project to research
@And846 I’d say freeze it if you don’t know when you’ll use it. I think you can only do 3 days in the fridge and 3 months in a regular freezer (i have to look it up again).
This morning I pumped almost 3oz on the left and almost one oz on the right. LO didn't even finish the bottle but then if course he was at it an hour and a half ago...
LO completely had a meltdown at the LC appointment, so at least she was able to see the issues I've been dealing with my little circus monkey with. I feel like I've given it an honest try but between his lip tie and tongue pushing it's been so hard because he's clearly hungry and wants to eat, but gets so frustrated quickly and now has started pushing with his hands which makes it worse because be pushes my boob out and then he cries. Which of course makes mommy cry. Plus the time spent trying to nurse, then trying to calm down and then finally pumping and bottle feeding it means I'm not getting any sleep. So I'm going to try to make it to the weekend, and then try to just pump this weekend and see if that helps take a mental load off and make us both happier.
@SmashJam those do seem extra large! I have some washable ones too, but I don't think they are that big. Are those overnight ones?
@ckmb_knottie My little one is gaining like crazy and her doctor is thrilled! She’s up 1.5 pounds and not even two weeks old yet! I am so happy because when my DS was born he took over a month to get back to birth weight and I was constantly worried about him! This little girl is clearly the opposite lol At 2.5 weeks though I would still nurse on demand. Their little tummies are so tiny and BM is digested so quickly that they really could be hungry every time they start giving the cues.
Kylie M.
Baby #1 Born 12.16.2015
Baby #2 Due 7.13.2018
TTC: Sept 2016-Oct 2017
BFP Oct 2017. DD born July 2018.
TTC: March 2020. BFP March 2020
Due date was Nov 2020
DS born Sept 2020. DS passed away Nov 2020 due to prematurity and birth trauma.
TTC: March 2021
IUI #1 Nov 2021, BFN
IUI #2 Dec 2021 BFP. MC Jan 2022
IUI #3 Aug 2022 BFN
IUI #4 Sept 2022 BFN
AMH test came back at .081. Was going to move on to IVF with DE, but have decided not to. Will be leaving it up to the universe now.
https://d-mer.org/