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December 2010 Moms
xxbabycakesxx
member
I don't understand this BF'ing stuff. Someone help me!!
xxbabycakesxx
member
Sorry for such a newb question but I only BF for a few weeks last time and I don't remember much.
So the LC at the hospital said that this should be the feeding routine: 5min per breast (this is more for practice), then feed a bottle of formula (have to supplement since B was early) and then I pump for 20min (I have a double electric). Is this basically what you guys did?
Also, my milk is starting to come in and my boobs are just so engorged. I understand that the LC wants me to pump at every feeding so my bewbs get used to Bs feeding schedule but what if after the 20min pumping session my bewbs are still firm and full? Or am I supposed to pump til they're empty? The LC said feeding sessions should be no longer than 45min in total.
I know every LO is different and eventually I'll find our groove but I just feel so lost. I wish I could have a live in LC to tell me what to do lol.
TIA
This discussion has been closed.
Re: I don't understand this BF'ing stuff. Someone help me!!
Well, we didn't supplement with formula, so I am not sure about that, but I do know that your engorgement will go down in about 2 or 3 days. Definitely only do the 20 minute pumping...if you pump until they are empty when they are engorged, I think you will stay engorged longer, because your body will think you need that much when it probably doesn't. Also it's hard to feel "empty" when you are engorged...they just kind of stay big and hard and hurty.
Wait it out a few days and things will feel more normal with boobs...engorgement was definitely the worst part!
I'm just so worried about mastitis. Can't that happen if you don't "empty" your boobs?? You promise this engorgement is just for now?
If your milk is in and you want to ebf stop supplementing & pumping. Unless your baby has lost more than 20% birthweight you can just bf. I know it's what the LC recommended but I would encourage you to get another opinion from a private LC or LLL leader.
When baby is hungry let him feed as long as he wants on one side (should be about 20min - sometimes more or less) burp, then offer the other side. If you're painfully engorged between feedings just pump enough to be comfortable b/c he will probably want to eat again soon.
I would personally pump until they are empty if you plan on weaning baby off of the formula soon. You don't want to tell your body it doesn't need to make more milk and then have supply problems when you stop giving formula. Are you giving formula because of jaundice? What is the time table to stop the formula? I would think if baby isn't jaundice and can latch fine that formula wouldn't be necessary, especially if you have a good milk supply... If you are going to wean off formula, nursing for more than five minutes is probably a good idea too. It would help with engorgement because baby can remove milk better than a pump and let you start to give more bm than formula. Your LC advice sounds fishy to me, but I didn't have a preemie... And although I wouldn't worry about mastitis as much from not emptying your breasts fully, clogged ducts would be an issue.
I decided to also add that you should post this on the bfing board and any other questions you have! They were awesome resources and I don't think we would have made it 19 months! There are a few LCs that regularly answer posts over there too, which is nice.
I agree with pp that you should also get a second opinion on the supplementing if it doesn't seem to be for a medical reason related to LO. I would wean off that asap because the longer you do it, the harder it is to quit.
How long do you have to supplement for? The instructions you were given don't make sense to me - especially now that your milk is coming in! If you are being told to cut short the nursing session to pump, but then you're not pumping till your boobs are empty all seems counter-intuitive.
I EBFed for 12 months. As a NB, I'd nurse DS a half hour on each boob for at least an hour total per session (every 3 hrs).
Will you be pumping to start a freezer stash or is it solely to build up your boobs' supply at this point?
If you don't need the freezer stash right now, my advice would be to ditch the pump & the formula completely now that your milk is in. Nurse DS 1/2 hr each side per session for 1 hr total. OR nurse just one side until it is empty & then continue to nurse on the other side till you've reached an hour.
Over the course of the hour, take a break or 2 to burp DS & you'll probably have to tickle him, strip him down to diaper, etc. to keep him awake - especially for the first week or so.
If it's essential you pump now, I would pump till your empty at the very least.
Engorgement at first is normal though - until your body adjusts to the baby's demands. That's why I feel stopping to supplement & then picking up with pumping again right after seems really confusing to me! Your body is going to be confused, too!
GL!
edited typo - omg I typed nurse for 12 hrs total per session, lol, could you image!?
I agree with a lot of what was posted previously but I wanted to add to make sure that you massage your breasts in places like the shower to keep the milk from clogging. I had mastitis. You don't won't to go down that road. I promise.
GL! Let us know how it turns out
I'm on the 'get a second opinion and ditch the pump now that your milk is in' boat.
Engorgement sucks. But it will ease up after a few days. Getting into a feeding routine with B will help your body regulate.
BFP #2 5/27/12. EDD 2/1/13. m/c and D&C 6/21/12.
I'm with bosha & emo - I'd get a second opinion about the supplementing & pumping, because the suggestion of the LC seems really complicated and like lots of work.
Besides calling LLL, which might help & the breastfeeding board - I'd also direct you to the website kelly mom. I found the to be helpful at weird times when I didn't feel like I could get in touch with a lactation consultant and when I needed answers quick. (Like, is this weak feeling and fever a sign of mastitis? (answer, unfortunately, yes).) Do talk to another lactation consultant - your fear of mastitis is a real one, and I think that you might not have to feel so lousy and have such a complicated routine. Maybe.
I'm not sure about preemies, but I EBF for 12 mo, too and in the early days was told to follow a routine really similar to the one described in earlier posts - nurse 20-30 minutes on each side every feeding, with feedings roughly every 3 hours (or when baby wants to eat). You will have to burp & tickle and work to keep the baby awake to eat. Maybe preemies have trouble latching & sucking, and that's why they're recommending a bottle? I dunno.
GOOD LUCK! You can do it!
They want me to formula supplement cause Bs jaundiced. And B also doesn't latch or suck well since he was preterm. LC was saying he may not latch and suck well until his actual due date?
And I was planning on FF and BF and LC said I should be pumping then as well if thats my plan (to keep up my supply).
Pitterpatter- I forgot there was a BF'ing board!
I figured he was jaundiced, that's usually why they give formula too. Have you seen an SNS system? It's this tube you attach to your breast hooked to a bottle. You put the formula or pumped milk into it and it supplements while you breastfeed, so that you don't have to give a bottle and baby gets more practice at breastfeeding. I'm not sure if they would reccomend it if there are latching issues though. My sister used one when she had to supplement formula for jaundice though. Nate had a lot of latching issues and we ended up using a nipple shield, which was a life saver! You might also ask about that. They are hard to wean from, so not for every situation.
Also, the Jack Newman website is awesome! It has a lot of videos and helpful info.
https://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/index.php#
Kellymom link:
https://kellymom.com/
I agree with a lot of what has already been said but just wanted to add that A was early too and we supplemented as well because of jaundice. After 2 weeks(I think), his pedi said he was gaining enough weight and the jaundice was gone so she said we could just BF. I would let him nurse as long as he wanted. If I remember correctly, it took about 15-20 mins of pumping to empty after a feeding if I needed to. As he gets older, he will eat more too and empty you. It took a couple weeks to get in the groove but you will get there.
Good luck!!
Thanks for the websites!
I had to use a nipple shield with Griff and I couldn't wean from them last time so thats sort of why I stopped bf'ing. I also has mastitis and didn't think bf'ing was worth it anymore since I was so miserable. I really want to try harder this time around though.
Oh so I should mention that along with B being preterm and not being able to latch/suck, I've got flat nipples which is why I used a nipple shield last time. So many issues lol.
Completely agree with all this. You need to have a private LC come to your home if possible.
You got this, mama! Those problems are all surmountable, I promise. G was a little early, too, and had pretty bad jaundice. I could not bf him for his first week of life. Rather than supplementing with formula, I pumped and we syringe fed him so that he wouldn't develop nipple confusion. As we began switching him from the syringe to the breast I also had to use shields. Eventually we slowly weaned off those as well. It was a lot of work and I cried my eyes out many times (especially when he was too sick to bf) but I felt so happy and accomplished when we were finally bf'ing successfully. You can do this!
Yup yup yup! Jericho camped on the boob and almost never got off LOL I had/have great supply and never pumped...except for the few times when I was going to be away from him.
Definitely this. I never pumped even before my milk came in. Pumping is going to cause you to make a lot more milk than your baby needs which is fine if you need to make a stockpile. Otherwise, you don't need to pump and I would get a second opinion on the supplementing as well. Your LC gave you way different information than I have ever received from our LC's. (did your son lose a lot of weight at the hospital?) I had a son 3-1/2 weeks early and they didn't have me supplement at all and he only weighed 5 pounds 9 ounces. Good luck - it's rough, but it does get better.
I'm a little baffled by your LC, to be honest. My DD was early and we wouldn't have needed to supplement except that she ended up having bad jaundice and I didn't have any pumped milk for her when she was admitted to the special care nursery. Even with that, though, she was only supplemented for a day or two and then EBF. Also, time limits on nursing? I was told to stick the baby on a boob whenever she wanted. If she fell asleep I would change her to wake her up, switch sides, and go again.
And yes, I would pump until the milk stops coming. Especially if you're supplementing, you want your boobs to get the message that they should produce as much as they can right now.
Did the LC tell you when you could stop supplementing?
ETA- I pumped every time DD got formula. When I was in the hospital with his I let her nurse as long as she wanted and then they would top her off with a little formula as needed. Once my milk came in, though, she stopped getting formula and they monitored her bili levels. If they had stopped going down they might have supplemented again but if you're making enough milk that is less likely to happen. Keep up the hard work!
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I had nipple issues too with Nate. He used a nipple shield until we weaned at 19 months!
It worked, so we went with it. Good luck on whatever you decide - I hope you can get some good help soon!