How is it going with BFing your LO?

emberlee3 · June 2012

In some ways, it's easier with DD than it was with DS, but it's also totally different. I don't have a pump yet, so the feedings are all me because I can't stand the engorgement if I have DH give her a bottle of formula.

Overall, I am less stressed about BFing than I was when DS was a week old, but it's still challenging. FTMs, hang in there. It does get easier, but sometimes it takes a while.

How's it going for everyone else?

theseaword · June 2012

Pretty well. I still need a nipple shield or DS won't latch. Hoping to break him of that sometime. Other than that, we're in a good routine and he's gaining a lot of weight!

GracieBlue · June 2012

Awful - dd simply will not latch. I am pumping every three hours but am still holding out hope she will figure it out. I am getting back in contact with a lactation consultant today!

rissa_n · June 2012

Much better & easier than the 1st time! My milk came in faster & DS latched better/faster and eats more regularly than dd did. FTMs, don't give up, I promise it gets a lot better the longer you do it, & it's so worth it if you can get through the tough parts.

claudiaudia · June 2012

I got lucky with two voracious eaters, but because M is small, her mouth is a bit too little to get a comfortable latch on me (I've got fairly large nipples for her!), but it gets much better after a few seconds of nursing.

I've got overactive letdown again, too, which I feel bad for. If she can't get a rhythm, she pulls away coughing and hacking. If she can, she'll just go to town, even if I want to pull her off and soak up the excess before letting her latch again. Nothing I haven't dealt with in the past, I just feel bad for my girl because she's so much smaller than her brother was!

Gismo123 · June 2012

My milk supply is good, I am using a nipple shield as I have huge boobs and flat nipples making it hard for DS to latch on. My nipples are really raw though...hoping they heal up soon because every feeding is painful right now.

jc0n15 · June 2012

Finally getting time to get back on here and so glad that I am not the only one having troubles. I am having a hard time bfing and am fighting not to quit. I am also on the nipple shield because I have inverted nipples and DD couldn't latch on. It hurts so bad but she gets so frustrated when I make her do it with out the shield, I am trying to get her off of it but so far as long as she is eating I am suffering with the pain.

LoveBug0516 · June 2012

LO is doing well but she is onmesss for reflux. She is doing much better with her mess now. I plan to BF for a few more weeks before I wean more towards formula. It can be tiring at night since MH can't assist with the feedings though.

SugarhillHnA · June 2012

Great. It's definitely easier the second time around. Baby still has to learn how but at least I wasn't a fumbling mess trying to help him learn how to latch. I just hope I can give him BM as long as he wants it like I did for DD.

strawberrytree · June 2012

For a pair of newbies I think DS and I are doing okay. Over the weekend I was having horrible pain deep in my breasts, but he had a nursing marathon yesterday and they are feeling much better today. It takes a few tries to get him to latch on the left side- he'll latch on, take one gulp, and come right off, and repeat until he either stays on or I switch him to the right side for a few minutes before switching him back to the left, when he usually stays.

I haven't been using nursing time as a super emotional bonding time, though. DS always closes his eyes when he nurses, so besides snuggling him close when he eats there's not much bonding we can do. I've been either propping up a book or Bumping/playing games on my phone during mealtime. I feel guilty about it but I don't know what to do to bond with him when he's so into eating.

EMOmamma · June 2012

100x better than w/ DS but still a process. The right side is great but we're having trouble w/ the latch on the left. There's a concern of torticollis but hopefully it's just a preference issue. I'm going to the BFing support group at the hospital tomorrow so hopefully we can get this resolved.

Also, I'm so proud I nursed in public for the first time last week! It was with a cover at a restaurant and it went great!

chouli77 · June 2012

We are EBF and it going well as far as latch and the initial cracked/sore nipples has passed (he's 11 days old). My supply meets his demand. But I am afraid I won't have any surplus when it comes time to go back to work. I need to have 3-4 bottles a day for his nanny to give him and I have no idea if I will be able to do that. It stresses me out.

peachmuffins · June 2012

DS will not latch and hasn't since the day he was born.

We spent a lot of time with the lactation consultants in the hospital and we just couldn't make it work so i formula fed for 2 days until my milk came in (and i would express colostrum and put it in his mouth with my finger like they suggested) and then i started pumping and he's been on pumped breastmilk since my milk came in.

I do still try to get him to latch. I have the technique right but he just is lazy and doesn't want to grab on, he just wants the milk to fall into his little mouth. :P

jess9802 · June 2012

We're also having a tough time. The lactation consultant in the hospital was totally worthless, and it was so stressful being there that we came home about 24 hours after birth with a supplemental nursing system and donor milk. That was gone by yesterday, when we learned he'd lost about 9% body weight, and so decided to supplement with formula. DH introduced the bottle yesterday, and so even though Nolan had begun latching, he now screams when I try to get him on the breast. So until I meet with a lactation consultant tomorrow, I'm attempting to nurse, then if not successful, handing him off to DH while I pump for 20 minutes. I have a hospital grade pump and just got 1.5 oz at 4 days postpartum, which I think is pretty good - so I hope I'll be able to keep up with him and do the kangaroo care and re-establish latching in the next week. But I've cried a lot over the situation so reading this thread makes me feel better.

emberlee3 · June 2012

chouli77:
But I am afraid I won't have any surplus when it comes time to go back to work. I need to have 3-4 bottles a day for his nanny to give him and I have no idea if I will be able to do that. It stresses me out.

You will do fine. Pumping to replace feedings is totally different than pumping in addition to feedings. I went back to work when DS was 8 weeks old with no freezer stash, and ended up having extra to freeze several times per week.

emberlee3 · June 2012

jess9802:
The lactation consultant in the hospital was totally worthless

I feel the same way about most lactation consultants I've seen! Of course I would be able to latch my baby perfectly if I had someone to stuff 10 pillows around me and hold my baby's hands out of the way for each nursing session.

Good luck, mama.

tcu_2003 · June 2012

It's mostly going okay for me. It's sometimes painful when he latches for a few seconds, but that usually goes away. And for whatever reason, sometimes he just won't latch on to one breast - sometimes the left, sometimes the right. It's like he thinks that breast has sour milk at the time or something - I can switch him to the other breast, and he's totally fine. Then, on the next feeding, he's okay with both breasts again - weird.

I also tried pumping over the weekend, and that was an abysmal failure, but I'll give it a couple of weeks and try again. Carter wasn't eating very much (or maybe it's just that my milk was fully in and I was slightly engorged?), and I was getting hard/sore spots in my breasts, especially on one side. Someone suggested I pump once or twice to try to alleviate it, but I only got a few drops out. I think the breast shields that came with my pump are too small, but I bought the next size up, and they seem to big. If I can't figure that out, guess I'll end up seeing a lactation consultant.

acbfreire · June 2012

It is going well. No sore nipples. Sometimes she takes a little while to latch, but we are getting better!

She likes when I sing to her while feeding, she kinda follows the rhythm of the song

The lactation consultant and nurses helped me SO much, I am so thankful they were there for us.

thatoneredhead · June 2012

jess9802:
We're also having a tough time. The lactation consultant in the hospital was totally worthless, and it was so stressful being there that we came home about 24 hours after birth with a supplemental nursing system and donor milk. That was gone by yesterday, when we learned he'd lost about 9% body weight, and so decided to supplement with formula. DH introduced the bottle yesterday, and so even though Nolan had begun latching, he now screams when I try to get him on the breast. So until I meet with a lactation consultant tomorrow, I'm attempting to nurse, then if not successful, handing him off to DH while I pump for 20 minutes. I have a hospital grade pump and just got 1.5 oz at 4 days postpartum, which I think is pretty good - so I hope I'll be able to keep up with him and do the kangaroo care and re-establish latching in the next week. But I've cried a lot over the situation so reading this thread makes me feel better.

sorry youre having a rough time. I am in the "didnt work at all" camp, so its nice to know Im not alone either. I was surprised how even reading "Experts agree, breastmilk is best" on the formula can was enough to get me upset again. I am doing the best I can for my little guy, so thats enough for me.

Hope things work out how you want them to!

amberleeb · June 2012

It has been no fun, but I think we are getting the swing of things. Her latch was horrible which caused me to get really bad cracked and bleeding nipples. I got latching better with the help of nipple shields and we are now weaned from them. 2 nights ago she slept 4 1/2 hours straight and then I got a clogged duct had to pump was pumping so much blood. I hope we are on the mend now.

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