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April 2012 Moms
MikeHoncho
member
A serious question for breast feeders
MikeHoncho
member
Where do you get off?!
No, I'm kidding. But really, did your breasts change during pregnancy? Did anyone not notice a change in breast size/shape during pregnancy and later successfully breastfeed? It's complicated but I'm trying to determine if breastfeeding is totally out of the cards for me, or if I would have stuck with it longer/pumped I could have increased my supply. I was told I have hypoplastic breast tissue. Basically, my breasts were/are underdeveloped and I can produce but not enough (I'm talking less than a half an ounce) and something about how I will never be able to produce more than that because I lack the natural tissue. Some things happen (or don't happen) that make the doctors think you have hypoplastic breast tissue and I have just about all of them. But it is one of those things that they couldn't be sure of without cutting me open. And that isn't really going to help anything. God, I guess that basically, after four months, I am still not over mourning my BFing failure. I really wanted it to work. Now I'm reading all this relactation info and my husband thinks I'm crazy.
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Re: A serious question for breast feeders
First off ((hugs!!)) Not everyone was built to BF. Liam is a thriving little guy and he is fed and taken care of, that's all that matters in the end!
As far as the boob size question, I did have to buy a new bra mid pregnancy due to growing out of my old one. I personally don't SEE the difference, but I did manage to go from a 36C to a 38DD between pregnancy and now BFing. However, DH said he definitely noticed the size change. Haha. Oh and my nips got bigger and darker throughout pregnancy and are still different than my pre-preg nips.
I have never heard of relactation, but there have been studies about MALES lactating. Yes you read the correctly. Something about if you wish it upon yourself that badly, it causes your hormones to get with the program and produce. Weird.
Kelly mom will also tell you that every drop counts! So even if you did get it back(which would be amazing!) even those few drops would be a great accomplishment! But if you don't see it being worth it, don't worry yourself and just try to move on.
Whoa, interesting. And thanks
. The "checklist" or whatever is:
-Lack of growth/shape change during pregnancy
-Lack of "let down"
-Lack of engorgement
-Little/no supply
-Little/no leakage with hand expression
-Wide set breasts that sometimes, but not always, have shape deformity.
I had NO change during pregnancy, I've never experienced a let down, my breasts never felt hard or engorged, I produced less than half an ounce from BOTH sides and never experienced leakage. I also had the shape problem fixed with plastic surgery. (You know that cute little curve under your breast? I didn't have that until my surgery) I think I should just listen to my DR and suck it up and realize that it just won't work for me. But my midwife is all, "I know plenty of LC's that say this issue is so rare that they doubt you have it and on and on." Yeah, well I talked to an LC who had me strip half naked and almost immediately said she agreed with my doctor. I love my midwife by the way, I just wish she were more understanding.
I'm guessing how you feel about breast feeding is similar to how I feel about needed it have a cs. I felt like my body failed me. I tried my hardest to have a vaginal delivery, I was fully dilated and had strong contractions, but still after pushing for hours ds wasn't coming out. When I look back, I know I did the best that I could do, and it was out of my control, but I still feel responsible for it happening. I guess what I'm trying to say that for me, even though I logically know there was nothing more I could do, I still question it all and blame myself. I have a friend who had a breast reduction and she tried so hard to breast feed but wasn't making much to any milk and she blamed herself too. It is only human to react that way.
So, I'm no help at all on this, I just rambled, but I'm guessing most mothers have, or will have something that is beyond her control, yet she will still blame herself.
I am sorry... big ((HUGS))
Omg, this. SO much this. Especially after reading book after book about how natural and primal breast feeding is.
DS - 7.2006 - C-Section b/c Breech
DS2 - 4.2008 - Successful Vbac
DD - 5.2012 - Successful Vbac
People are turds. I pushed an 8lb 13oz baby out, but my 8lb 6oz girl got stuck and I needed two nurses pulling WWF moves on me to get her out. No one knows why these things happen. They just do.
DS - 7.2006 - C-Section b/c Breech
DS2 - 4.2008 - Successful Vbac
DD - 5.2012 - Successful Vbac
Yeah for a while it was really hard for me to read posts about people quitting BFing. It made me all kinds of rage-y and jealous and just crazy. But then it dawned on me, just because I can't doesn't mean everyone that can HAS to. And it was kinda super jerky for me to take away their right to choose. I would like to punch your SIL in the throat for that comment.
I just want to say ((( hugs)))). I've had the same issues. My breasts did go from a 32A to a 34Cish ( ok I didn't completely fill it out) during pregnancy. But I also gained in the vicinity of 60 lbs during pregnancy. Post partum, I nursed and pumped colostrum. After 7 days I never experienced that " full feeling" of my milk coming in. My boobs never got hard. I have no clue what that feels like. Around 9 days or so I was pumping more of what looked like milk...about 1/2 oz. at a time. Started oatmeal, power pumping, Mother's Milk tea, fenugreek, blessed thistle. Drinking lots of liquids and eating correctly ( thank you Mom) . The most I ever pumped was one morning - got 3 oz. combined. My breasts started shrinking PP pretty rapidly. Now they are completely back to a 32A. Saw and talked to the LC...worked with her... Saw and talked to my OB. Eventually, they called my breast surgeon and all 3 think I have glandular tissue problems.
During the West Nile situation I was too sick to pump. Had to start a relactation scenario. Then I've been pumping and dumping or pumping and washing since it's so little I don't have to dump. Ha! I'll keep at it for as long as I can...knowing I am doing my best and MY BABY IS GETTING NOURISHMENT through formula...and it is OK. And AWESOME.
So yea. Just wanted to say there is absolutely nothing wrong with you. You are FAbULOUS and L is getting what he needs nourishment wise no matter how he is getting it.
I didn't notice a huge change in my breast during pregnancy, but I did get engorged when my milk came in. My son was in the NICU for two days (breathing issues) and he mostly had formula in there. When he came home I breastfed him, and thought I was doing great. Turns out he was barely eating
We went to the pediatrician and he wasn't gaining any weight back. He was already under 5 lbs. so we decided to switch to formula and pump. Pumping on top of everything else was too much for me. I know I could have put in more effort, but spending my day attached to a pump was not right for our situation. I spent more time pumping than I did with my newborn son. I have actually looked into relactation, and had some really hard times over not breastfeeding. It's the comments that people make, and feeling judged for having bottles, that have made me consider relactation. I still get emotional over it. If you can relactate than that's amazing! And if you decide not to, you're still amazing!
And fearlessformulafeeder.com has been encouraging for me.
Mike,
I got engorged one night and not even painfully, just oh that's odd, and by the next morning they went back down to slightly more than pp size but leaked a little for a long time. it made me sad for a little while but then I was relieved that I would be able to share the feedings with dh, my mom, ILs, whoever. Hugs!
I also miss being flat chested. These honkin mamas are a pain in the arse. None of my shirts fit, if I try to jog it is uncomfortable.
I used to be a 32/34a during pregnancy I was 34c now I am 34d I think. It's weird.
I never leak though, and I dont get full/uncomfortable until it's been quite a while since I fed/pumped. Like I last fed her my left boob at 4am, it's not almost 9am and it doesnt feel at all engorged. In about 2-3 hours it will begin to feel quite firm/full but by then it's 7-8 hours since she ate from it.
I do feel a let down now but for the first couple months for the life of me I never knew what people were talking about when they talked about their letdowns. And I've never given her formula, only BM so obviously even when I didn't feel a let down she was getting enough.
I don't know though, it sounds like you had a lot of issues, only getting half an ounce every time, and of course zero change in breast size... I don't think you should feel bad about it, you tried and he is doing fine on formula! Maybe the next time if you have another baby, try again .
I'm intrigued by the idea of relactating!
But i remember reading recently that people who never gave birth can lactate. Apparently if you are say, adopting a baby, you can stimulate your breasts with the pump for weeks before the baby and produce milk!! It's nuts. But really cool.
Maybe even men could produce milk? I mean you CAN milk anything with nipples right heh
I have never heard of hypoplastic breast tissue. But I can relate somewhat I guess. My breasts did not change during pregnancy or after I gave birth. My size 32A bras still fit me, although a little more snug. I never feel a let down. I did get engorged and leak in the beginning if DD slept too long in the night. I have flat nipples so I had to wear a nipple shield until just recently. My milk doesn't really shoot out, it kinda dribbles (not sure if that is even relevant but still).
I'm not sure if you mentioned how long you tried pumping after having your son but I pulled up my old records (yes!) and I can tell you that before I got her to latch at 5 days old, I only pumped between .5 ounces to 1.5 ounces per session.
There were so many times that I almost gave up because in the beginning my pedi had me supplement about 4 oz a day for that first month, because, he thought, that I wasn't producing enough. We never did a weighted feeding. Did you try that? Because you know the pump doesn't get the milk as efficiently as the baby does. Did you ever latch him on? Did you try a nipple shield? I am sorry about your BFing experience, I hope your next one is much more enjoyable!
Well, what the books don't tell you is that in traditional/tribal communities, it was common for there to be a few women who did not make enough. Since there was no BC there would always be other women BFing, and some would have more than enough milk, so they would help nurse babies whose mothers had an undersupply. It was a communal boobsharing type of thing. You are perfectly fine! What is really unnatural is the isolation of mothers in contemporary American society.
yes how long did you try for?
On day four my pediatrician told me to supplement with formula as she has lost too much weight. I went home and pumped and couldn't get even half an ounce, but it was yellow. On day 5 i had milk for her. But even then if I tried to pump between her feedings nothing would come out really.
So I'd say if you tried for only a week then you could definitely give it another go. But if you tried for weeks and LO kept getting skinnier and was not well, then maybe it is true that you would never have been able to produce enough.
But as mamasaurus said, even if you can only produce half or less what he needs its still great for her. And yes I too love the boobysnuggles
My breasts didn't really changed at all during pregnancy. I was a 36B throughout the entire pregnancy but maybe was a small B before and a large B at the end.
When I'm engorged I'm a 36D but more likely just a small C now with nursing.
I'm sorry you're dealing with this disappointment. Having an emergency c-section for a breech baby made me feel like a failure for quite a while.
Honey, please don't saddle yourself with unnecessary guilt. So far it's been my experience that breast feeding can be an incredibly difficult and fickle thing, and there are an insane amount of factors that can threaten production. Especially through this site, but also through family and friends, I've seen more people struggle to produce or keep up supply than are able to happily and easily breastfeed. You have done nothing intention to your child except love,care, and nurture him, and in my opinion, you're an excellent mother. L is so healthy and hearty (he was much bigger than little Bella and a month younger!) and most importantly, he's happy. He was the happiest, well developed child, I saw that with my own eyes.
I think if it will give you some satisfaction, the relactation methods are a good idea, because as PP have said, every drop is helpful. But, at the same time, if those efforts will create an emotionally upsetting situation, I'm not sure it is worth the struggle it will cause you. You're NOT a failure. None of you in this thread that could BF or had CS are. I think Mamasaurus made a fantastic point. We get advertised that it is natural and plentiful in primitive cultures and time periods. But let's remember there were infertile women then too. So there had to be those that couldn't produce milk, those that could produce extra, etc. All the same things going on today. That's just not the focus of historical recording. But it existed, and those women did nothing wrong either.
Lots of hugs and love. If you need anything, you know where to find me to talk!