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December 2010 Moms
xxbabycakesxx
member
BF'ing update (pitterpatter come in!)
xxbabycakesxx
member
So many of you were so helpful in my last BF'ing post so I just wanted to update you.
A public health nurse came out and saw me the other day. I asked her about the BF'ing stuff. Since my milk has come in (I'm actually overproducing) she said to stop with the formula. So now I'll bf on one boob until B empties it and by then he'll be too tired to latch onto the 2nd boob but he'll still be hungry (rooting and sucking on his hands). So DH will feed him expressed BM from a bottle while I pump the 2nd breast empty (about 10 min). Does this sound like a better plan? I'm hoping eventually as B gets older he'll be able to latch/suck longer and I won't have to pump anymore.
eta- how long did it take your boobs to adjust to your LOs feeding needs? My boobs are just so full all.the.time. They start to tingle and fill up like 15 min after nursing!
Pitterpatter- So you BF for 19 months with a shield?? Thats awesome! Good for you. I'm hoping to just get through the week lol. I was just wondering if you had any issues with clogged ducts or mastitis? And why you had to use the shield? I'm using it for flat nipples and the nurse said BF'ing will always be painful for me since the tissues holding the nipples flat are always being stretched back and forth (like an elastic band). Its a bit discouraging =(. TIA
Thanks again for everyones help!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: BF'ing update (pitterpatter come in!)
He won't take the other side at all? It seems like if he was still hungry, then he would take the other side? Is he just used to getting the bottle after? I am really not sure about this. It almost sounds like to me he is learning that he doesn't have to work for the breast, because he can just get a bottle after. I would hate to do this though because is your DH going to always be there when you have to feed? It just seems like you are setting yourself up for more work if you have to feed and THEN pump every time.
Have you tried waking him up a bit in between sides to get him more alert to take the other side rather than the bottle?
DS2 gets pretty sleepy during feedings also, so if he's only eaten for 10-15 mins and then falls asleep/unlatches then I wake him up a bit by changing his diaper (which I pretty much have to do anyway since he poops during most feedings) and then finish feeding him for another 5-10 mins.
You could also try tickling his feet and/or putting a damp washcloth on his legs/feet to wake him up and get him a bit more alert to take the other side.
Good luck! Hopefully you won't have to deal with the pumping at every feeding for too much longer.
I agree with pp if B is getting a bottle after bfing it is easier and he will stop nursing sooner because bottle feeding is easier for him and boys are lazy
For a few weeks A would get super sleepy during feeds and I did the same as pp, undress him, tickle feet, change diaper etc. sometimes I would jut end the nursing session knowing he would be wanting to eat again in an hour or so because he would be hungry and more awake then but I was on maternity leave so it was ok for the boobies to be out all day. But if B is awake enough to root and gnaw on his hands I would just put him to the other breast and let him eat. If he doesn't fully empty it then your body will just adjust to his feeding pattern or if you want to keep an oversupply for extra stash then pump after he has finished on the 2nd breast.
First, I'm glad you had someone come out to talk to you & help you!
Second, I actually think your plan is a good one for now. That's great that you have a good supply. How long is he nursing on the one side to empty it? I would at least keep trying to wake him enough to start on the second side before deferring to the bottle. As he gets older, he'll be a better sucker & also not be so sleepy. So, as long as you keep up with the routine of putting him on the second side, then I think he will eventually catch on. I don't think it's laziness. I think he's a preemie & is just going to take a little longer to keep up with the process!
Third, I used a nipple shield on one side for about a week. I had cracked/bleeding nipples & got mastitis. I really didn't want to use it, but MH went out to buy it & just kept on me to use it. It was annoying to use, but it allowed my nipple to heal & gave me some relief while I got over mastitis, so it was worth it in the end.
I vaguely remember a nurse in the hospital saying I had flat nipples, too, plus DS was mildly tongue-tied, so BFing had many challenges for us both. But, I think over time, my nipples became un-flat, lol. I mean, they got huge & stayed that way for as long as I was BFing (12 months+), so maybe this will happen for you, too.
Hugs, mama. It will get better! Don't give up!
I agree with Bosha - he's just a preemie and will get better with some time. If he's latching at all that's great.
I had a nipple shield w/ #1 for flat nipples (the left is technically inverted based on the pinch test) but I'm able to not use it this time. It did take longer to perfect the latch on the left and there was quite a bit of pain until then but now I have no pain.
Give yourself short term goals, 1 week, 2 weeks, etc and just go from there.
Yay! I'm glad it's working out for you. Hopefully he'll get stronger as he gets bigger and maybe you can stop pumping so much. I hated pumping! We had to do the feed and pump thing for three months due to supplementing (supply issue caused by blood loss from csection) and it was not fun!
Yes, I used a nipple shield the entire time. I also had somewhat flat nipples (but not severely) and very, very round breasts. My LC said that latching onto my breasts was like trying to latch onto a beach ball! She joked that was a nice thing in life, but not for bfing! On top of that they were size G's by then. It didn't even work to pump or feed for awhile and then try. So... nipple shield it was. By the time he was old enough/big enough to wean and my boobs had become saggier in general (sigh), he was so attached to it that it just wasn't worth the effort to wean him off it. I had suppy issues, but they were unrelated to the nipple shield and I got a minor clogged duct once that cleared up within a day. I never had any other issues, like thrush or mastitis. Nuk has some new shields that are much, much softer material too that I used at the end. They also have those cut out areas on three sides instead of just one! (I linked the Nuk comment to the shields...)
Most of the time he won't take the second side. Hes a preemie so they say he'll get tired faster, which is why even though hes hungry, he's too sleepy to nurse.
The nurse did mention what you just did about B learning to wait for the bottle since now he knows its coming. So now I'm trying to not give him any bottles in hopes that he'll learn to work harder on the boob!
Yea, I've tried to wake him up between boobs... doesn't work most of the time lol.
Most of the time I do still try to offer the second side but he still wn't take it. And I'm scared to not pump afterwards cause I don't want clogged ducts =( How long will it take for my boobs to adjust to Bs needs?? I'm actually going to edit my OP and ask this question!
He'll usually nurse for about 15 min on the first boob. This last session he nursed for an additional 5 min on the second boob so maybe hes learning.
I'm not sure if you read my other replies but I'm not giving the expressed bottled bm anymore. I still have to pump after nursing though cause my boobs are still so full.
I really hope bf'ing won't be painful forever =S. You've been so helpful so thanks!
Thanks for the help! Was it painful when LO latched?
Not with the shield. It worked great. I don't know about without it, it was so rare for him to get an actual latch without it (not sure he ever actually did) that I don't remember... As he got older and started moving around a lot, his latch got sloppy and then it did hurt and I had to re-teach him to latch. If it hurts a lot, you might want to have your LC evaluate his latch again.