Breastfeeding/pumping support 7/6

noideawhatshesdoing

@zande2016 thanks for sharing your experience. Really helps to know this can be worked through. I'd like to try BF again later, but for now, it's too stressful, and the LC said today its really likely that DS just can't do it yet. Hopefully he will be able to later just because I would like to be able to feed him when we're out and about without having to worry about having a bottle, etc. He's so lazy with the nipple shield right now anyways, he's figured it out that he can suck a little bit and then wait for it to fill up with milk and let it all dribble into his mouth instead of have to suck the whole time, only half the time he makes a mess and we both end up sticky.

moguippy

@noideawhatshesdoing it’s definitely a learning curve. LO is 3.5 weeks old and has definitely gotten better at feeding. But he still falls asleep while eating, fights with his arms and ends up knocking the nipple shield off and covering us both in milk. BUT it’s getting better. We are No where near where I can feed on the go, and we just end up bringing pumped milk if we know we are going to have to feed him while out. But it’s a work in progress. I will see how well we are doing at 6 weeks to see if it is worth my sanity to continue. I think it’s a good idea for you to take a break. You will find something that works for you and everything will fall into place. 

kbernal2021

Does anyone know the real benefits of the vitamin D drops? With DS we forgot to give them about 90% of the time and he never had any issues. With DD she literally gags and chokes everytime I have given them although I tend to forget about as often as I did with DS. I know sun exposure is the best way to get vitamin D anyway and we are outside at least once or twice a day with DS. 

bearmomma1

@kbernal2021 not exactly sure the real benefits, but I got these off Amazon. It’s only one drop instead of a dropper filled and you can just put a drop on you nipple or bottle or whatever beforehand. My LO doesn’t notice it.

Ddrops Baby 400 IU, Vitamin D, 90... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003CT36NE?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

moguippy

Aaaaannnd I jinxed myself. Just had a terrible feeding with DS. It’s times like these the EP club looks better and better 

kmac103

@kbernal2021 It’s to keep LO from developing a vitamin D deficiency. A huge portion of the population is deficient in vitamin D and it causes all sorts of problems! Headaches, fatigue, hair loss, weakness, muscle and body pain, depression. There’s a ton of things. I try to be consistent with them especially in the winter months (I’m in the U.K. and the sun is pretty much never out in the winter lol). Anyway, yeah. It’s not SUPER important if you are in the sunshine for 15 minutes per day but once it starts to get cold, it is something that can help you and baby feeling good.

zande2016

Currently feeding my baby in the MOTN and seriously just want to quit. Which is extreme for me because I am the type who is very dedicated to breastfeeding but I have been in constant pain for 10 days now, since he was 1 day old. I just have no faith it’s ever going to get better because he chews and clamps and naws on my nipples. He CAN nurse without pain, but 90% of the time he does this. I know he’s trying to slow down the milk but I don’t know how to make him stop. I’ve tried all the tricks and honestly my LC is zero help when I talk to her, and I am just losing it. I also have this constant internal struggle of whether to look into fixing his tongue tie to see if that helps. It really seems like he is physically capable of nursing but at the same time this pain is not normal and maybe he is clamping town because of something with his tongue. But the LC was so confident his tongue isn’t the issue and I am so afraid to put him through unnecessary surgery and go down that difficult road that I already went down with my first. On the outside his latch looks good but an outsider cannot feel the pain I am in. On my left side I’d describe it as excruciating when he first latches, and consistently really bad throughout the entire feeding. On the other it’s really bad when he latches and then bad throughout the feeding. It just feels like it’s never gonna go away and I feel like it’s preventng me from functioning properly. I just think I am close to losing it completely. 

adventuresawait1

@zande2016 Up also. This sounds so tough! My little one is a bit of a piranha, particularly on the right side, and it always seems worse at night (maybe just because everything seems worse in the middle of the night). But if you are in serious pain, seems like you need to find something that starts improving things or stop. Maybe feed only on the side that is less painful for now and pump on the other? (Taking a break from the side that was really hurting a lot helped me get through the other day.)  Or give yourself permission to take a break for a few feedings and then assess? It may get a little better as he gets older, but I think you have to give yourself permission to pause or stop if it’s hurting that much! 

millpe

@zande2016 I do not think you are quitting if you take a break from breast feeding or even if got decide not to breast feed at all. I think you need to do what is best for you and baby. You shouldn't need to suffer through that much pain.  

Question - For anyone pumping or exclusively pumping, how do you travel with bottles? Do I need to bring a cooler? How do you heat it? 

julianne0

@zande2016 ugh I feel for you. To have the pain go on for that long and to be a level 10 sounds horrible. Who could blame you for wanting to give it a break. Is it an option to get a different LC? Are there BF groups near you for help and support? Sounds like you’re a trooper and trying your best to hang in there!

@MrsMiller8588 are you flying or is it a long drive? I flew a few times with baby and breast milk and I kept the filled bottles in a lunch box with ice packs. I also brought a portable bottle warmer and would ask a random restaurant in the airport to fill it with hot water. I’ve also used coffee mugs filled with hot water to warm it up so if you stopped at a restaurant that’s an option too

zande2016

@MrsMiller8588 I always used a little cooler with the bottles and ice packs, I think you’re good for around 8 hours since milk can be room temp for a few hours anyway (if it’s fresh). 

I found a LC to get a second opinion. She specializes in tongue ties so I’m hoping she definitively says yes or no, since the other was very wishy washy about it. She’s going to come over this afternoon. It’s just annoying because I have no out of network benefits and there’s only one LC I could find within 50 miles that is in network with my insurance. There’s no indication that she is knowledgeable about ties, and I’m not wasting my time with someone who isn’t going to be really educated and experienced with ties. So I’m shelling out another $300 (already paid that last week with the first LC), and plan to fight insurance for an out of network exception since they have virtually no providers in my area. Ugh. 

millpe

@zande2016 ugh that's crazy you have to pay that much! I guess I should consider myself really lucky my county and both hospitals in town offer free services! 

I should have been more clear about my question,  but I blame lack of sleep. I really just meant what do you do when you are orr and about for a day. Do you just bring a fresh bottle and keep it at room temp? I was thinking about going to my mom's for the day (30 min drive) and bringing a bottle so I could nap and she could watch baby,  but I mostly didn't know if i needed to keep the milk cold. 

zande2016

@MrsMiller8588 freshly expressed breast milk (so if you pump same day and it hasn’t been frozen) can be at room temp for 4 hours (really 6 but 4 to be safe). So if it’s super hot out and I wasn’t going to be in the AC I’d prob do a cooler, if I was going from AC car to AC house I’d prob just stick it in the diaper bag. You could put it in the fridge when you get to your moms and she can reheat it in a mug of warm water when she’s ready to feed, or if you’re within the 4 hours, just leave it out and see if baby will take it room temp. My first never cared if it was warm, he’d even take it cold right out of the fridge, but all babies are different. I would just say make sure to swirl it if you serve it cold so that fat mixes in rather than staying on top. 

millpe

@zande2016 Thank you!!! If I already have a bottle in the fridge from last night am I ok to just keep it in an insulated bag for the drive and back in the fridge? Also I hope your morning is going better  

zande2016

@MrsMiller8588 yes definitely! You’ll be fine with that. And thank you, so far it’s low key since the baby’s sleeping and toddler is watching tv, so just trying to stay awake until toddler nap time, and dreading my next baby torture session (AKA nursing). 

michelle_bird

I stole an idea from Pinterest yesterday for keeping my toddler entertained during nursing - playing I spy. Kind of fun for both of us!

zande2016

So I had a new LC over today who I found in a Facebook group, she specializes in tongue ties and was super knowledgeable. She said Owen definitely has lip, tongue, and bucal ties. However, she did agree his tongue has good movement. She attributes the pain im having to the ties, I thought he was clamping down to slow th milk but she says he’s clamping because he can’t help it, the ties are restricting him and it’s causing the clamping. The thing is, he’s gained almost an entire pound since last Tuesday, and he’s now 10 oz over his birth weight at just 11 days old. We did a weighted Feed and he transferred 3 oz in 15 mins just
from feeding on one side. So he’s thriving and doing great, leaving me very torn on whether to get the procedure to fix the ties done. I will definitely take him to the chiro though, and she gave me suck training exercises and stretching exercises to see if that helps. She also helped me get him latched while lying on my back to get a deeper latch which helped the pain a bit. She was saying if it were her she’d get the ties fixed but she understands my hesitation. With my older son he literally couldn’t nurse and could barely open his mouth so it was a no brainer. This decision is a lot harder for me, I don’t want to put him through a painful procedure just to help with my own pain level, but ties can cause issues later on like speech issues and tooth decay and it’s easier to fix an infant than a toddler. Parenting decisions are hard! 

kmac103

@zande2016 I am so glad you finally have some real answers!! It is great news that LO is getting plenty to eat I totally understand your hesitation to get the revision though, especially after what happened with your first son. With my son’s lip tie we didn't know about it to get it revised until recently (he’s 2.5 now). I definitely had a super painful start to nursing, just as you’ve described. It got better though and he’s still nursing to this day! Parenting decisions are super hard and I don’t know how badly the three ties would affect nursing BUT whatever you decide, it will all work out!! 

zande2016

@kmac103 how did you discover the tie in the 2.5 year old? Was it causing issues? My fear is he’ll have speech delays or other issues and I’ll have to do it when he’s a toddler...you have to do all these stretches to keep it from reattaching and I can’t imagine having to fight a 2 year old/toddler to get those stretches done 4-6 times a day for 2 weeks. But then again he may never have any issues. I think these kids get their ties from me and I don’t think I have any major issues from it. 

acunamatada

@zande2016 that’s so tough.. Just a thought, could he be getting so much because your supply is still in overdrive? I wonder if he would be as efficient after it regulates, or maybe that’s not how it works?
I think if it were me I would get the ties fixed, it sounds like it’s really painful for you and in the long run that would probably affect bfing regardless. Either way, I’m glad you got some answers! I hope the stretching and chiro works and you don’t even have to think about getting the procedure done. 

kmac103

@zande2016 the dentist actually told me! He’s got a small gap between his teeth and I never realised that it is because of the tie but the dentist said that’s what caused it. Basically they said we can fix it if we want or leave it alone but it shouldn’t cause any long term problems. At 2.5 there’s no way I could put him through getting it revised for the same reasons you mentioned. I have a lip tie too so I’m sure he got his from me as well. I definitely wish LC and pedis were more informed about ties because I had no idea they were even a thing back when I had my son! I never knew it was something to look for or that it could cause my nursing pain.

babybump1994

@zande2016 Butting in here, but I had a tongue tie that was never fixed as a child which resulted in a speech impediment that I still struggle with today. Not trying to scare you because that usually is not the case for most but I do wish my parents fixed it so I could've avoided years of speech therapy!

zande2016

@acunamatada I definitely thought the same thing about what might happen when my over supply calms down and he has to work harder to move the milk. @babybump1994 speech delay or issues are my biggest fear, thank you for sharing. That’s one of the big reasons I would want to do it. @kmac103 that makes sense, I’m glad he doesn’t have any issues from it. 

julianne0

@kmac103 my first daughter has that too! The gap is pretty cute. Her pedi said it was no big deal so we didn’t even think about getting it corrected

millpe

@zande2016 I'm pretty sure LO has a lip tie and I'm pretty sure he gets it from me. Never knew I had one until i was looking online when i was in pain and self diagnosed his and then realized i have the same thing. I'm so glad you had a better visit with this LC. Decisions are hard, but either way you are making the right decision for him! 

zande2016

I am starting to lean more towards doing it. I was just watching him Nurse tonight and noticing how tense he is when he nurses. Tongue ties can lead to tension throughout the body and I don’t want eating to be a difficult or painful thing for him. Ugh I will keep thinking about it and hope things become more clear soon. 

KatyF0813

@zande2016 my first had lip and tongue ties that went undiagnosed because he transferred milk well and gained weight like a champ.  I struggled immensely with constant clogged ducts and a horrific case of mastitis (not to freak anyone out, but I have a scar from where the infection abcessed through my skin).  For 3 months I cried every day from my pain and the struggle with nursing and after seeing many LCs who would acknowledge the ties but not do anything abiut them because he was gaining well I finally found someone who agreed they needed to be cut because I was suffe8so much. I know it's so hard to choose pain for your baby for your own benefit ... But there's still a long way to go in your nursing relationship, and you deserve to be without pain. Just my two cents. 

millpe

I pumped and bottle fed a couple times today and I think it was great for my sanity. I got an awesome nap at my moms and didn't have to worry about making sure I was up before he got hungry again! 

zande2016

@KatyF0813 thank you, I know you’re right about that, and the possibility of the pain getting worse instead of better is definitely there. I think having gone through the revision with my first son, I am kind of afraid to relieve the experience, and I can’t let that be the reason for not doing it. 

morethanamama

@MrsMiller8588 DH is currently feeding baby so I'm about to jump in the shower...very thankful for breast pumps!! And totally with you on the sanity!

And846

Today I’m meeting with my LC for the first time. For those of you that have met with one, any suggested topics/questions I bring up that should be covered?

@kissableviv thqt sounds amazing! Goals for sure over here to make that happen!! 

babybakie

Hi everyone.   Please forgive my needy long story but I really want to hear your opinions. I have been out of the bump loop since my induction so I haven't been a productive bumper but I'm in a really horrible place and would like to reach out to you guys for some support.  I was inducted 7/19 and finally gave birth 7/21. I had a very difficult induction that lasted for days and pushed for 3 hours, then had serious bleeding but they finally got it under control before almost sending me to the OR. 

I gave birth to the most perfect gorgeous little baby girl. It was my intention to breast feed because it is do healthy. Throughout my long labor process I hardly slept at all and due to the epidural I hadn't eaten much either. By the time I gave birth I was on a high of happiness for my daughter but I wasn't very well or focused. I guess it didn't really educate myself on breastfeeding. I was very physically exhausted and when i look back, i realize  i was not consistent with my feedings and miscomprehended the instructional times. I think i mistakenly went for long feedings rather than as often and i know i slept through one feeding. Also she did not latch to one breast so I was only using the one. Day one she had a wet and a poop diaper. Day two, a wet and two poop diapers. By the end of day two I learned she went from 7lbs 7 oz to 6lbs 14oz and it struck me that my baby may not be getting proper nutrition due to my inconsistency.  I had a bit of a panic with one of the nurses late day two, she told me my baby was doing ok, weight loss is normal,   but offered to take her to the nursery because I hadn't slept and I was obviously breaking down.  She came back 15 minutes later telling me she noticed my baby was jittery and took her blood sugar which was 40... low but not alarming. We pumped 15 minutes a tiny drip came out which wasn't enough. She took her blood sugar again and it was 28. They gave her a formula then waited an hour to test again. It rose to the 30s or 40s but that wasn't enough. They put her on a sugar IV and got it high enough in an hour.... then kept her on it and she stayed an extra day to watch that she was stable. She stayed in the hospital an extra 30 hours or so and also developed jaundice Likely from being dehydrated but didn't need the lights. 

I feel I starved my baby for the first 48 hours if her life and I can't get over what I have done. I am so fearful that I did permanent brain damage to my perfect daughter. I still barely slept since my induction a week ago. When I try to sleep anxiety otakes over and my mistakes keep me up. Do you guys think I created permanent brain damage? She's alert when awake, smiles, coos, and cries. Her doctor said she's doing fine and thinks she's ok but will not confirm that I didn't cause an affect because she said there is no way to know. Do you guys think the malnutrition could have caused  permanent developmental damage? My blood pressure has been alarmingly high, I often can't breathe, and I definitely am coping with postpartum depression. I can't believe my stupidity.  Please let me know if you think i damaged her brain.  

zande2016

@babybakie first, I really doubt there’s any brain damage! The nurse caught the low blood sugar and remedied it right away. Jaundice is totally normal for newborns, both my boys had it and we just had to monitor the levels and get them hydrated, which it sounds like was the same for you. Also, newborn stomachs are tiny, they really only need a very tiny amount in the first 48 hours. You missing a feeding or being late in a feeding in the first couple days Is not enough to be concerned about that in my opinion. My first never latched his first 3 days of life and I just fed him whatever I could pump via syringe, it wasn’t all that much but he ended up being fine. And he never got formula, which your daughter did. You are doing great and I am sure your daughter is just fine, it is really common for babies to get a little dehydrated in the beginning. 

Now, secondly, please talk to your OB! You may have post partum anxiety and that anxiety can quickly spiral if you don’t address it. Take care of yourself, and try To get some sleep, sleep really can make a world of difference. Pump a bottle and leave it for someone else to feed her, or leave a bottle of formula, and take a couple Benadryl or unisom, and take a nice long nap. 

catftm2018

Just catching up on this long thread! 

@babybakie I would trust your doctor. To make you feel better, I felt similar when my DS was born. I didn’t track feedings or diapers. I knew  should but I just got overwhelmed in the process and I had a similar induction-c- section story as yours too. On like day 2 (pm) my DH made us both start using an app on our phones to track baby feedings and diapers. Thank goodness we did that. I feel like that helped me so much to stay on track. Remember babies belly’s are the size of a marble on the first day of their life. So you most likely fed her enough without even realizing it. 

For EP’s: a good friend of mine did this from Day 1, with her baby. She still does is and her baby just turned 1. She swears by it, BF just never worked for her. 

I also had so many questions on how you pump and then feed the baby to introduce bottles. I am in week 4, and I know I need to start introducing bottles but I’m nervous! I have to figure out all the logistics, which bottle to use, which nipple etc. I have some Dr. Browns I want to say. Also, should I be concerned with building up my supply for when I go back to work? I won’t be going back until Baby is 12-14 weeks old. 

For those buidling your supplies- how often do you pump daily? 

acunamatada

@babybakiePlease please don’t blame yourself. I very much doubt there was any brain damage. Newborns need very little those first few days, and she had wet and dirty diapers, so she wasn’t starved. I struggled feeding DS until my milk came in too, colostrum just wasn’t enough for him by 3 days and he was dehydrated, jaundiced and almost hospitalized after his first ped visit but he’s a happy healthy smart 3yo today. They are so resilient. 

Please talk to your OB about your feelings, if you haven’t already. You deserve to feel better than this. Take some time for yourself if you can, and try and get some sleep. Self care is so important. Could you pump and have someone take over a feeding so you don’t have to worry about waking up?

zande2016

@catftm2018 I don’t plan on starting to work on a freezer stash until one month before returning to work. In about 2 weeks, when he’s 4 weeks old, I’ll just pump once at night and my H will feed him what I pump before bedtime. Then when it’s time to build a stash I’ll pump first thing in the morning after baby’s first feeding of the day, and that’ll go in the freezer. Hormones are high around dawn and you’ll tend to get more milk then. 

zande2016

@and846 re the LC, I’d ask to do a weighted feed so you know how much baby is transferring and then just raise any issues or concerns you have, otherwise I’m sure they will ask you questions and check on latch. They’ll also prob examine your breasts and baby’s mouth. If you have no specific concerns then just let them take the lead

acunamatada

@catftm2018 personally, I like to have a little bit of an oversupply in case my supply drops while pumping away from baby. I read the best time to add an extra pump is early in the morning, some BF hormone is highest then and will help build your supply. Its good to have a small stash built up before you have to leave. 
To pump and introduce bottles, you would pump a fresh bottle before a feeding and replace the nursing session with it. Look up paced feeding too, it’s a slower way of feeding BF babies so that they don’t get too used to the faster flow of a bottle. My son would drink out of anything with food inside, but some babies are picky. The type of bottle your LO chooses won’t make or break BFing but it’s important to always use the slowest flow nipple. 

acunamatada

Has anyone not had a cluster feed yet? DD is just about 3 weeks and I can’t think of any time she’s wanted to feed excessively

babybakie

@catftm2018 thank you for sharing you didn't track in the very beginning due to being overwhelmed. The trama of L&D was too much for me and it helps to feel I'm not the only one.  @zande2016 thank u so much for the quick response. They did catch it before any seizures which does comfort me that it was found early. You bump mom's have saved me before. I was happy on top of the world but seeing her in NICU with IVs and the fear of causing damage to my child sent me spiraled out of control. I absolutely without doubt am struggling with ome type of PPD.  My husband is upset with me because I am so unfocused.   The stress prevents any sleep. I will discuss today with Dr.