The Great Big Breastfeeding Thread

macynsnoop · April 2014

Anyone know how long it takes to get your supply back up after a bout of mastitis? I got it in the right boob & in 20 min of pumping I only get 20-30 ml, the left boob will do 100 ml in that time. The right always did slightly less but before mastitis I could get 60 ml in 20 min. TIA!

Rrrrrachel · April 2014

I only had it once but I don't think it took long. Maybe a day or two.

Dixon813 · April 2014

MrsW26 said:
DD is a pretty lazy nurse and I'm finding it hard to tell the difference btwn active and comfort sucking. Any tips? I don't want her to get in the habit of feeding for an hour when more than half of it is just for comfort but at the same time she's only 2 weeks old and it calms her down enough to sleep!

I listen for swallows. A LC told me to watch The chin drop when he's swallowing, but I find that difficult.

hordol · April 2014

Any tips for dealing with baby hands when trying to nurse? DS is so handsy! Always has them in his face and fights me when I try to move them to nurse him. DH has been helping by holding them back until I get him latched but it takes me forever on my own. Any tricks?

ksulli · April 2014

hordol said:
Any tips for dealing with baby hands when trying to nurse? DS is so handsy! Always has them in his face and fights me when I try to move them to nurse him. DH has been helping by holding them back until I get him latched but it takes me forever on my own. Any tricks?

Swaddle is your friend.

chichi589 · April 2014

@hordol‌ I read an article on kelly mom (i wish I could find it) that babies use their hands to help find the nipple as their vision is not that good and not to take their hands away so they can learn to find things on their own. Just a thought but I became at peace with it and don't swaddle when I feed anymore just try and hold his hands.

Here's a similar article:

https://sdbfc.com/blog/2012/5/21/newborn-hands-why-are-they-always-in-the-way-while-breastfee.html#.U12I-3-9KK0

edoliesmom · April 2014

Okay, this is my first time in this thread. I don't have time to read through all of it, but I desperately need help/ advice!

It shouldn't feel like my baby is pinching the mess out of my nipple each time she sucks right??

( Sometimes I can relatch her to where it doesn't feel this way, but I honestly don't know what's being done differently when I do this. I try to get as much of the areola in her mouth as possible, but sometimes it just doesn't work. Please help!!

Rrrrrachel · April 2014

No it shouldn't feel that way. When you latch try to point your nipple at their nose and let their head tilt back. Try to get their mouth on the bottom first and then wrap around the top. When you latch you want more from the bottom than the top in their mouth. A lc may be able to help more in person, too.

heids4787 · April 2014

hordol said:
Any tips for dealing with baby hands when trying to nurse? DS is so handsy! Always has them in his face and fights me when I try to move them to nurse him. DH has been helping by holding them back until I get him latched but it takes me forever on my own. Any tricks?

@hordol‌ - my LO is a squirmer and also very handsy while feeding. I typically use the cross-cradle hold and found that placing a burp cloth between the arm she is lying on and my boob helps secure at least one of her hands. Getting her into this position can still be tricky, but it at least helps in the event she pops off mid-feed.

haziedaze · April 2014

KendraColeslaw said:

I always forget when heat/cold should be used on breasts. Heat for engorgement and cold for nipple pain?

Heat helps get milk flowing- good for plugged ducts, mastitis when trying to clear and pumping. For engorgement it can increase production and therefore supply so should be avoided except for right before feeding/pumping.

Cold is good for decreased blood supply/inflammation. Good for nipple pain (if not from Raynaud's), engorgement, and oversupply when block feeding.

haziedaze · April 2014

hbell12 said:

I'm 7 days pp and I still haven't gotten my milk. I'm starting to worry about whether or not LO is getting everything he needs. When should I be concerned?

How do you know that your milk isn't in yet? Are you already supplementing? The transition from colostrum to mature milk is very gradual so yellow milk doesn't necessarily mean that your milk isn't in. If LO isn't having weight gain/jaundice problems than I suspect your milk is actually coming in. If they are having problems its a good idea to be working with an LC, rarely there are medical reasons (retained placenta, hypothyroidism) that can cause a long delay in milk production.

Manda+panda · April 2014

DD latched withhout a nipple shield without the aid of a LC! She was only able to stay that way for five minutes, but it was a step in the right direction.

The reason she unlatched was to spit up. It looked and smelled curdled and like bile. This has been happening more frequently, abd when it does, she screams and nothing can console her. Does this sound like reflux? What can I do?

edoliesmom · April 2014

@Rrrrrachel‌ Oh my gosh.. Thank you! I don't think I've completely mastered it yet, but I tried it and it helped so much already!

cgoldian · April 2014

Is it possible to offer the boob too often? I feel like DD is starting to expect it EVERY time I pick her up, even if she just ate.

MissWhis · April 2014

First time NIP! Right at the table in a busy brewpub/pizza place while drinking a tasty craft beer. I feel like a BAMF. Just had to share.

haziedaze · April 2014

At this age, no. Could be a growth spurt as well and limiting boobie time could hurt your supply. You can try to soothe in other ways first if you're needing a break, but should go to the boob if nothing else seems to be working.

kseccomb17 · April 2014

Any reason for reoccurring mastitis in the same breast? Does someone above hate me?

amandamatt72409 · April 2014

LuckySquare said:
Blerg. Pumping is so unsuccessful at this point. The nursing is going fine, but pumping... not so well. I think my boobs only respond well to my baby, who is a little over 3 weeks old.

I drink tons of water, nurse on demand 10+ times a day for however long she wants to suck, take fenugreek, eat oatmeal, sleep as much as I can, eat well, and drink Mother's Milk tea, but haven't seen any increase in pumping output. And while one ounce between the two breasts is better than none, it's pretty pathetic. I also have shields in every size for my Medela Pump in Style, but even with a good fit, nothing drains well. Even when I apply heat and massage to stimulate, barely anything comes out.

I've have tried having a receiving blanket with me, staring at her, music, distraction, and visualization and none of that helps either. I'd post this in the pumping thread, but I'm not exclusively pumping, rather BFing and hoping to make a stash while slightly increasing supply.

Any other ideas? I think I might be doomed to lackluster pumping.</blockquote

Have you tried brewers yeast as a supplement or lactation cookies? I found brewers yeast at whole foods.

Rrrrrachel · April 2014

If you're nursing full time and not skipping feedings one ounce out of both breasts is actually on the high end of normal!

MadBloom · April 2014

@LuckySquare‌ ugh I'm in the same boat. Nursing is going really well but I'm trying to pump to build a stash for emergencies. The most I've managed is 3 oz combined from both boobs in a 30 min timeframe. It takes forever to get them started too. Sometimes I'll only manage a half oz combined in that time. It's frustrating BUT, I'm not even 2 weeks in so maybe it gets easier? I don't know.

snowbound · April 2014

haziedaze said:

hbell12 said:

I'm 7 days pp and I still haven't gotten my milk. I'm starting to worry about whether or not LO is getting everything he needs. When should I be concerned?

How do you know that your milk isn't in yet? Are you already supplementing? The transition from colostrum to mature milk is very gradual so yellow milk doesn't necessarily mean that your milk isn't in. If LO isn't having weight gain/jaundice problems than I suspect your milk is actually coming in. If they are having problems its a good idea to be working with an LC, rarely there are medical reasons (retained placenta, hypothyroidism) that can cause a long delay in milk production.

I suspect my milk actually is in after speaking with the LC. It didn't seem like it because I didn't get any of the signs I was looking for (engorgement, leaking..). It also comes out one itty bitty drop at a time and I thought it'd be more of a spray. I can pump .5oz from each breast in 5 minutes and the LC said that sounds like milk volumes instead of colustrum. So I'm not really sure. Maybe I'm panicking for no reason.

Rrrrrachel · April 2014

yeah that definitely sounds like milk! Is it kind of cloudy and opaque or more clear?

snowbound · April 2014

Rrrrrachel said:
yeah that definitely sounds like milk! Is it kind of cloudy and opaque or more clear?

It's cloudy/off white. Almost like a yellowish color.

Rrrrrachel · April 2014

oh yeah. milk.

hordol · April 2014

**xp in stupid questions because of a brain fart.

I think I'm starting to deal with an Overactive letdown. Not sure completely, but DS fights the boob, only does about 2 sucks before pulling off and squirming/fussing, and it takes me 3 to 4 times as long to get him latched as it used to. This seemed to start yesterday morning, or maybe the night before. I was just writing it off as my boob was too full for him to get a good latch, but when I give up and give him the less full boob he still has the same problem.

We were doing one-sided feedings from birth until about 6 days old simply because he fell asleep on the boob and seemed content. He didn't lose much weight-- born at 6lb2oz, his lowest weight was 6lb1 at 4 days old and he jumped up to 6lb4oz at 5 days old. At 6 days he was 6lb5oz and that was the day we met with the lactation consultant and did a weighted feed (his wet/poopy diaper count was really low despite good weight gain) and he only got an ounce I believe off one side, so I started doing 2 sided feedings that day. Plus, he was still feeding every hour to hour and a half so I was hoping doing 2 sided feedings would help him go longer. But now I wonder if I've started an oversupply problem? My boobs are getting super engorged after 2-3 hours. Would you go back to one sided feedings and see if he is content or what would you do? Last night I pumped for 10 minutes before I fed him about a half hour later and he still fought the boob, so that's why I wonder if maybe it isn't overactive letdown?

I have been doing one sided since yesterday afternoon simply because I have not been able to get him to take both boobs. He has also been spitting up more than usual.

sherks11 · April 2014

Will pumping on top of breast feeding all day increase supply too much? I've only pumped when LO feeds off of one breast but lately she has been a champ and does both. While this is great, I haven't been able to pump to create a back up supply for fear of over doing it... Also, is it safe to combine pumped milk from different days once they are both refrigerated?

jessech89 · April 2014

LuckySquare said:
Blerg. Pumping is so unsuccessful at this point. The nursing is going fine, but pumping... not so well. I think my boobs only respond well to my baby, who is a little over 3 weeks old.

I drink tons of water, nurse on demand 10+ times a day for however long she wants to suck, take fenugreek, eat oatmeal, sleep as much as I can, eat well, and drink Mother's Milk tea, but haven't seen any increase in pumping output. And while one ounce between the two breasts is better than none, it's pretty pathetic. I also have shields in every size for my Medela Pump in Style, but even with a good fit, nothing drains well. Even when I apply heat and massage to stimulate, barely anything comes out.

I've have tried having a receiving blanket with me, staring at her, music, distraction, and visualization and none of that helps either. I'd post this in the pumping thread, but I'm not exclusively pumping, rather BFing and hoping to make a stash while slightly increasing supply.

Any other ideas? I think I might be doomed to lackluster pumping.

I was the same way when I was trying to increase supply to feed my freezer stash. I found the best way was to pump one side while LO nurses the other. Now I'm getting about 8-10 oz a day thru 3 pump sessions (morning afternoon and night). And I also don't have to have her there to get 3 oz at a time too, I usually do it right after I put her down from her last feeding. Good luck to you!

strawberrytree · April 2014

If you're trying to build a bit of a stash but are worried about pumping too much, I recommend a product called Milksavers. It's like a slim rubber pouch that you fit in your bra on the side LO isn't nursing from, so it collects any milk you leak. I got it over the weekend and I can't believe how much milk I've just been leaking the whole time. I've managed to collect several extra feedings' worth of milk with zero effort.

haziedaze · April 2014

@hordol, sounds like another weight check might help verify your suspicions. I'd hate to have you ramp down your supply when it's really another issue like reflux. Are his stools green?

Instead of jumping right to block feeding maybe try some of the techniques aimed only at OALD. I have this (and oversupply) and here's what I do:
1. Set up in a position where boob is working against gravity. I like Football with me reclining and him sitting up. Sidelie nursing works well too as he tend to let excess milk dribble out the side (I put a burp cloth under us). See kellymom for more suggestions.
2. Put baby to boob, if he pops off after a few sucks I take a burp cloth and lightly hand express or massage around the nipple until softened a bit then relatch.
3. Stop to burp frequently (every 5 mins or so or when he's pulling off, if you have OALD they tend to gulp and swallow more air, excess air makes them feel full), change diaper when he falls asleep the first time.
4. I keep him to the same side until he's not swallowing even with breast compressions (make sure first side is REALLY empty). I offer the second side only about 1/3 of the time and he frequently takes 2 gulps and passes out.

hordol · April 2014

haziedaze said:
@hordol, sounds like another weight check might help verify your suspicions. I'd hate to have you ramp down your supply when it's really another issue like reflux. Are his stools green?

Instead of jumping right to block feeding maybe try some of the techniques aimed only at OALD. I have this (and oversupply) and here's what I do:
1. Set up in a position where boob is working against gravity. I like Football with me reclining and him sitting up. Sidelie nursing works well too as he tend to let excess milk dribble out the side (I put a burp cloth under us). See kellymom for more suggestions.
2. Put baby to boob, if he pops off after a few sucks I take a burp cloth and lightly hand express or massage around the nipple until softened a bit then relatch.
3. Stop to burp frequently (every 5 mins or so or when he's pulling off, if you have OALD they tend to gulp and swallow more air, excess air makes them feel full), change diaper when he falls asleep the first time.
4. I keep him to the same side until he's not swallowing even with breast compressions (make sure first side is REALLY empty). I offer the second side only about 1/3 of the time and he frequently takes 2 gulps and passes out.

Thanks for the suggestions! His stools are the normal mustardy/seedy stools. I did hand expression before one of the feedings today and it seemed to help. I'm not sure why pumping didn't help that one time...I will keep trying with the hand expression.

Emily041285 · April 2014

Very dumb ftm question: the past two days I've noticed my milk is a different consistency. It's thicker almost. Does your milk change? It's been in for two weeks now.

Rrrrrachel · April 2014

It will change over time, yes.

Emily041285 · April 2014

Rrrrrachel said:
It will change over time, yes.

Ok, follow up to that then. If it's thicker will she take less? We've cut our feeding sessions down a little and I'm always nervous she isn't getting enough. I always wait till she pops off, but some times she won't even take both sides.

ksulli · April 2014

Emily041285 said:

Rrrrrachel said:
It will change over time, yes.
Ok, follow up to that then. If it's thicker will she take less? We've cut our feeding sessions down a little and I'm always nervous she isn't getting enough. I always wait till she pops off, but some times she won't even take both sides.

She's getting more efficient, but it starts out very rich (colostrum) so they can get nutrition into their tiny tummies. Then I believe it waters out to include sufficient hydration, then it gets richer again to meet their increasing nutritional needs as they grow.

Teresa1896 · April 2014

@LuckySquare‌- I've had good luck with pumping one side while LO eats on the other side. If your LO only eats on one side at a time, give it a try!

Rrrrrachel · April 2014

Emily041285 said:

Rrrrrachel said:
It will change over time, yes.
Ok, follow up to that then. If it's thicker will she take less? We've cut our feeding sessions down a little and I'm always nervous she isn't getting enough. I always wait till she pops off, but some times she won't even take both sides.

Hmm. That seems reasonable to me.

Holljade · April 2014

Does anyone else get super itchy boobs while LO is eating? Is that a thing? Or just me?

ksulli · April 2014

NoLaLinz said:

Holljade said:
Does anyone else get super itchy boobs while LO is eating? Is that a thing? Or just me?
I do. I thought it was just me!

Me too!

columbia1 · April 2014

Holljade said:
Does anyone else get super itchy boobs while LO is eating? Is that a thing? Or just me?

Was literally JUST googling this. Couldn't find anything. I actually get really itchy armpits while breastfeeding. Why is this??

Dixon813 · April 2014

DS is refusing to be held "cross cradle" when nursing now. I noticed yesterday he would FREAK OUT as I was getting him to latch for a good give minutes. Right now, I decided to switch to regular cradle hold ... And no fight. What gives?

Obviously not that big of a deal (except I feel like I have better control to help him in cross cradle)

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