June '14 BFing/Pumping Questions Thread

Mia081081 · May 2014

mrsgerman said:

MrsRahl comment got me thinking. Does anyone know the reason most people give up so easily anyways? Is it the pain? Inconvenience? I know a lot it might be a medical reason or supply issue but thats obviously not the case 100% of the time. I'm just curious because most people I know do give up before 2 weeks or don't even attempt. I only have a very few amount of friends who stuck with it for awhile and that I have been able to ask a million questions to.

For me, the first 2 weeks were really hard b/c my milk came in late and DD was a lazy eater. She would latch ok, but then stop if she didn't get food in the first few sucks. She got used to the bottle when we had to supplement, then we used a nipple shield to wean her to boob (worked within a few days). By 1 week old she was fully on the boob.

Also, it hurts a lot. Even if the latch is perfect, the milk coming out felt like pins and needles for the first couple of weeks. This passes. After about 3-4 weeks, nothing hurt and it was super easy to feed dd.

Once you get the hang of it, I think it's much easier / more convenient than bottles. No need to prep them or warm them in the middle of the night. No need to worry about what kind of water you're using. Less stuff to wash. You always have as much milk as you need with you, etc. It's annoying to pump at work, but much easier when you're with baby.

MrsRahl · May 2014

Thanks everyone so much for all of the support! I think I will need a breastfeeding support thread come baby time! And YES we will most certainly have a SUCK IT THREAD!! Now is the time I wish I had learned to gif... lol someone get us some good suck it gifs!

PressLove · May 2014

Thanks for the CD information, especially on this BFing post. It's good to know that DCPs can be open to the idea.

Also, I'm looking forward to the Suck It thread. I really want to be successful at BFing.

rastrau · May 2014

ugabamafans - we found brewer's yeast at Whole Foods when DH decided he wanted to make hard cider. You can also find it at Amazon.

katekat8721 · May 2014

@ugabamafans they do NOT have it at my regular grocery store. Bastards

catsinawindow · May 2014

ugabamafans said:

lisagde said:

(this has probably been discussed, i sawwy)

Does anyone have a recipe for breastfeeding cookies? Or whatever they're called! When do you typically start eating them?
I like this recipe https://www.food.com/recipe/oatmeal-chocolate-chip-lactation-cookies-by-noel-trujillo-192346 I cut the sugar down (about 3/4 cup of each) and use a trail mix of nuts, chocolate chips, and dried fruit. They are DELICIOUS! I already made a batch and froze them (they freeze well) for once this LO arrives. I figure they will be a nice snack option, and if they help with my milk supply great! With DS, I started eating them once I went back to work to keep my supply up while pumping.

Where do you buy brewer's yeast?

I bought mine at GNC. You should have seen the face of the salesman when he asked me what it was used for and I told him it was a lactation aid

)

ChristineBaker23 · May 2014

hampire said:
Speaking of pads I was wondering if disposables are better than reusables? Seems like reusables would be cheaper but are more likely to leak? I'm terrified of leaking through my shirt at work.

I used the reusable ones and loved them. Much more cost effective. Buying disposable is like being on your period for a year and having to buy tampons all the time. If I was feeling particularly leaky or would need to go a while I would double up on pads but after my supply leveled out (after about 3 weeks) I only used one pair of pads per day.

rainbowdashh · May 2014

hampire said:
Speaking of pads I was wondering if disposables are better than reusables? Seems like reusables would be cheaper but are more likely to leak? I'm terrified of leaking through my shirt at work.

I leaked a lot. I couldn't buy enough reusable ones to contain it all. The disposables worked a lot better for me, even though it was more expensive.

k2k2tog · May 2014

Any experience with 'mobile' pumping? I am going back to school in September, so will be out of the house and away from the baby for a couple days a week. I figure I'll need to pump on those days just to keep my supply up, even if I'm able to pump enough in the evenings for baby's consumption. Will a small manual pump be sufficient for the days I'm on campus or will it drive me crazy? Are my hopes of bfing after classes start doomed?

k2k2tog · May 2014

satrimm said:

@sempre_staccato‌ I bought the $30 car adapter plug thing for my Medela for anytime I'm out and just wanna sit in my car and do it. Maybe whatever pump you have has a car adapter you can purchase? I've heard mixed reviews of manual pumps but I wouldn't be against getting one for that reason if that's what will work best for ya!

Good to know! But, unfortunately, the university I'll be attending is right downtown and I'd be nuts to drive in, so I'll be taking the subway. Which adds the difficulty of lugging pump, cooler and milk around.

k2k2tog · May 2014

snuff9861 said:

Any experience with 'mobile' pumping? I am going back to school in September, so will be out of the house and away from the baby for a couple days a week. I figure I'll need to pump on those days just to keep my supply up, even if I'm able to pump enough in the evenings for baby's consumption. Will a small manual pump be sufficient for the days I'm on campus or will it drive me crazy? Are my hopes of bfing after classes start doomed?
Seconded! And to further complicate matters, I will be consolidating at clinical, so sneaking away every couple of hours to pump is going to be tricky at best.

I have considered how much it would freak out my classmates and profs if I sat at the back of classroom with pump attached to my boobs. I expect the pumps aren't silent though, so not actually a serious option...

ChristineBaker23 · May 2014

sempre_staccato said:
Any experience with 'mobile' pumping? I am going back to school in September, so will be out of the house and away from the baby for a couple days a week. I figure I'll need to pump on those days just to keep my supply up, even if I'm able to pump enough in the evenings for baby's consumption. Will a small manual pump be sufficient for the days I'm on campus or will it drive me crazy? Are my hopes of bfing after classes start doomed?

I used a manual pump temporarily before I got my electric one last time. For once or twice day it's not so bad but if you plan to use it regularly it's kind of a pain in my opinion. It takes a little longer and your arm gets tired. I would recommend trying to pump at home while nursing baby with an electric and only use the manual if you must on the go because you will most likely not get as much milk manually. I purchased the Medela Freestyle hands free double pump system that works with or without a cord so that it can be used on the go this time. That being said I have not used it yet and have read that using it without the cord causes a loss of power. Since I plan to use it primarily plugged in at home then occasionally without the cord (in the car or out all day) I took the risk.

This may be totally out of the question and completely weird for me to think of it as an option but maybe you can ask if there is a refrigerator in a teachers lounge you could get permission to put milk in if you are going to be away from home for a long time? If it's short term breast milk can last about an hour at room temp so in a good ice chest it should keep for a while.

Whether or not it's a total pain depends on how often baby is nursing when you go back to school. Baby may be only nursing every three or four hours by then and soon only every six to eight. Start stocking up in the freezer before school for sure though. I think it's doable if you are stubborn enough!

k2k2tog · May 2014

ChristineBaker23 said:

Any experience with 'mobile' pumping? I am going back to school in September, so will be out of the house and away from the baby for a couple days a week. I figure I'll need to pump on those days just to keep my supply up, even if I'm able to pump enough in the evenings for baby's consumption. Will a small manual pump be sufficient for the days I'm on campus or will it drive me crazy? Are my hopes of bfing after classes start doomed?
I used a manual pump temporarily before I got my electric one last time. For once or twice day it's not so bad but if you plan to use it regularly it's kind of a pain in my opinion. It takes a little longer and your arm gets tired. I would recommend trying to pump at home while nursing baby with an electric and only use the manual if you must on the go because you will most likely not get as much milk manually. I purchased the Medela Freestyle hands free double pump system that works with or without a cord so that it can be used on the go this time. That being said I have not used it yet and have read that using it without the cord causes a loss of power. Since I plan to use it primarily plugged in at home then occasionally without the cord (in the car or out all day) I took the risk. This may be totally out of the question and completely weird for me to think of it as an option but maybe you can ask if there is a refrigerator in a teachers lounge you could get permission to put milk in if you are going to be away from home for a long time? If it's short term breast milk can last about an hour at room temp so in a good ice chest it should keep for a while. Whether or not it's a total pain depends on how often baby is nursing when you go back to school. Baby may be only nursing every three or four hours by then and soon only every six to eight. Start stocking up in the freezer before school for sure though. I think it's doable if you are stubborn enough!

There might be. The program is fairly small and fairly specialized. At this point though, I don't think I can count on it.

You have definitely hit on some of the things I'm worried about. Perhaps I should look into a single electric instead of a manual? I assume they're half the size of the double pump system. Is that true?

katekat8721 · May 2014

re: reusable nursing pads - how many did you guys buy?

ChristineBaker23 · May 2014

@sempre_staccato‌ I am not sure if it is more compact honestly. The freestyle I got is a double pump but very compact. The pump itself is a little larger than my hand. I could probably stick the while pump system in my purse if necessary (I do carry I larger purse though) I know that Target and Babies R Us have pumps on display if you want to compare sizes.

@katekat8721‌ I have 12 reusable pads (6 pair) that I used last time too. I did wash frequently which wasn't a problem because I was also washing baby clothes and burp rags every day anyway.

kittenslove · May 2014

@sempre_staccato‌ - are there any lockers on campus? My cousin rented a locker while in college, and kept her pump there. so she only had to carry her cooler. She went to a fairly large school, which had privacy lounges in the bathrooms for her to pump, and rinsed items in the sink (she brought everything home to wash at night too).

Did anyone here use the reusable pads while in the hospital? I will be in at least 5 days, and baby will be in NICU for at least two weeks (plan to stay with him while he is there). I have reusable pads, but was thinking disposable would be best, so I will not have to do laundry.

jshrop · May 2014

Okay STMs, cluster feeding. How often should I expect this to happen? Last night little girl wanted to feed from 8 pm until 1 am. Anytime she feel asleep as soon as I'd move her she would cry. I was starting to get super frustrated. The nurses kept telling me she was cluster feeding and that it would help my milk to come in faster but also not to allow her to wear me out too bad. Finally her nurse came to check on me again at 1 am and saw we were still awake. She brought me a paci from the nursery and it worked (the ones I had she didn't like-- I was desperate to save my boobs at that point ya'll!). Anyway, she latched on to that sucker and went to town and we were both able to sleep! Hallelujah, I will forever praise this nurse lol. Okay... So cluster feeding.... How often will this happen and how much should I really allow her on the breast during this time? Everything I read said keep giving it to her if she signals for it but 5 straight hours of nursing was taking it's toll. Anyone have experience?

rainbowdashh · May 2014

@jshrop I remember the first night I had DD home she was up from about 11-3 just nursing. I cried and cried. It hurt, I was tired, and I felt like I was failing. I just let her because I was hesitant to introduce a pacifier, but it seriously felt like torture. I just switched sides as often as I could and loaded up on nipple cream.

It's true it will build your supply, so I would allow her to be at the breast. I don't remember cluster feeding being much of an issue (well not really an issue but you know what I mean), after the first few weeks. Around 3 weeks old I did introduce a pacifier because she sucked on her own arm and left a hickey/blisters. Some babies just really need to be constantly sucking. I hope this helped even a little, even if just to let you know I've been there!

jshrop · May 2014

@ohyealovely‌ Thanks girl! It was getting frustrating for sure and I didn't know this would happen (our breast feeding class is scheduled for next week lol! Whoops!). Anyway, I was so thankful to the nurses for telling me it was okay to use the paci it would do more good than harm in the long run. I was starting to feel like a huge failure and then when I realized that she just wants to suck it was a relief. I felt like she was using my nipples as a pacifier and she was. I will feed more often until my milk comes in I guess, but glad to hear that I'm not the only one who had this problem!...... As a side hmmmm.... I wonder if this is where a lot of moms think they've "failed" at nursing or that they weren't producing enough? I certainly felt that way, but it seems she was actually just comforting herself.

rainbowdashh · May 2014

@‌jshrop I'm sure it is why so many feel like they failed! I told my husband so many times in the first few weeks I couldn't do it. I was a human pacifier and it was painful and stressful! My DD was definitely a comfort nurser and was up until she weaned, but in the first days I felt like I wasn't giving her what she needed. The pacifier ended up really helping us since I couldn't just have her on my boob all day and all night. It gets easier, though!

diagonalley · May 2014

Babywear said:
I think this is a new question, and a little SS really.

DH is lactose intolerant, so being just us, it's been easier for me to generally eat lactose free, ie if there is a lactose free option - milk, butter, cream, cream cheese, ice cream etc - I will eat that at home, however if I feel like something that doesn't come lactose free (cadbury creme eggs) then DH just misses out. I eat normally when we are out.

When I'm BF, should I be making an effort to have the lactose products (to pass on to the baby), or does it really not matter?

I've heard that newborns can have problems digesting your milk when you consume a lot of dairy products that are cow based so I wouldn't worry about not having a lot of lactose products.

kbellizio3 · May 2014

Babywear said:
I think this is a new question, and a little SS really.

DH is lactose intolerant, so being just us, it's been easier for me to generally eat lactose free, ie if there is a lactose free option - milk, butter, cream, cream cheese, ice cream etc - I will eat that at home, however if I feel like something that doesn't come lactose free (cadbury creme eggs) then DH just misses out. I eat normally when we are out.

When I'm BF, should I be making an effort to have the lactose products (to pass on to the baby), or does it really not matter?

My DH is lactose intolerant as well, and my sweet MIL (I do love her a lot) kept insisting that I couldn't breast feed a lactose intolerant baby and would have to buy special formula. After a little research and talking to my mom who breast fed I found out that if you limit or cut out your dairy intake it should be fine.

diagonalley · May 2014

Kbinford01 said:
I read about five pages and didn't see this question...

Should I have a little bit of formula as a backup at home in case BF isn't working in the first few days or is that not a good idea? I live in a small town where the store closes at 9. It would be a pretty decent drive to find formula in the middle of the night. I want to BF and I really haven't done any formula research. If the answer is yes we should have some on hand, what would your recommend?

My guess is if you are having supply issues in the hospital they will supplement with formula and would likely send you home with some. But if you're worried, picking up a little bit ahead of time isn't a bad idea.

elsa1688 · May 2014

Kbinford01 said:
I read about five pages and didn't see this question...

Should I have a little bit of formula as a backup at home in case BF isn't working in the first few days or is that not a good idea? I live in a small town where the store closes at 9. It would be a pretty decent drive to find formula in the middle of the night. I want to BF and I really haven't done any formula research. If the answer is yes we should have some on hand, what would your recommend?

FTM but I think I've read that some people don't recommend this because it can increase the chance of you being overwhelmed and discouraged (so you switch more readily). But I would weigh that against whatever makes you most comfortable.

elsa1688 · May 2014

How can you tell when your milk comes in?

nunzchucks · May 2014

elsa1688 said:

How can you tell when your milk comes in?

I felt engorged (heavy, hard breasts). Also, the consistency of what was coming out went from thick and yellow colostrum to whitish/cream thinner milk.
ETA: From Kellymom:
Signs that your milk is increasing may include: breast fullness, swelling, heaviness, warmth, engorgement, tingling leaking milk
change in baby’s feeding patterns and behavior at the breast
if you’re expressing milk or leaking, you may notice the milk begin its gradual change in appearance from the thicker golden colostrum to the thinner, whiter mature milk

meritsamomma · May 2014

@Kbinford01‌ FTM so it can't say what you should do but it believe as PPs have stayed the hospital will supply you with some formula if necessary. Also keep in mind the first few days your LOs tummy will be quite small so you may not need as much milk as you think! As @satrimm‌ said the formula companies will also send you free samples. If never signed up for anything but it did unexpectedly get a package last week of samples which is plan to keep on hand if needed down the line.

ChristineBaker23 · May 2014

elsa1688 said:
How can you tell when your milk comes in?

When my milk came (when daughter was about 3 days old) I turned into a sprinkler system. It was everywhere haha. Not sure if everyone is like this but everyone I know has had a similar experience. So, when your milk comes in, you will know.

kbellizio3 · May 2014

satrimm said:
@Kbinford01‌ I had someone tell me to go onto some of the formula websites (I went to similac) and sign up for whatever it is maybe their email list or something and they will ask you info and they send you samples of formula. They sent me a good amount of stuff. I plan on breastfeeding but am happy to have the samples just in case & hopefully I won't need it and can pass it along to a friend who will!

I did sign up just in case and got a bunch of stuff from Similac and Enfamil. My OBs office also gave me samples of Similac and Gerber supplementation bottles. I'm keeping it just in case, but if not I too plan on passing it along or giving it to a women's shelter.

otter1103 · May 2014

I'm a little jealous of all these birth stories I read that said baby was nursing well. It has been a challenge with MJ aka Baby Otter. She's does good one time then the next it's like learning all over again. She starts off well then unlatches for some reason, opens her mouth to latch then cries because nothing happens because she doesn't close her mouth. And the pain, oh please tell me the pain does subside. Feels like she's going to suck/rip my nipple right off! I CANNOT wait for my one on one with the lactation specialist on Tuesday!

Now that I've vented a little, has anyone ever had to pump and use bottles for a brief period then gone back to successfully nursing? The hospital lactation lady mentioned that as an option since baby isn't nursing so well.

jshrop · May 2014

@otter1103‌ I'm sorry baby otter is having a tough time! I feel you on the pain. I was just coming on here to ask about how to change a latch or if this gets any easier. It's really a lot of uncomfortable pinching!

rainbowdashh · May 2014

jshrop said:
@otter1103‌ I'm sorry baby otter is having a tough time! I feel you on the pain. I was just coming on here to ask about how to change a latch or if this gets any easier. It's really a lot of uncomfortable pinching!

@jshrop when DD's latch hurt me, I would let her initially latch however she would, then sort of pull her upper lip up (and bottom if she needed it) so that she was taking in more of the nipple. After awhile, she did it on her own. That really helped with the initial pain.

MrsRahl · May 2014

Has anyone washed their reusable nursing pads with their cloth diapers?

ETA which brand reusables did you find worked best?

nunzchucks · May 2014

@otter1103‌ @jshrop‌ You can do it! Something that helped me was hand expressing a little into a tissues before latching. This did two things:
1) Milk was on my nipple so DD wanted to latch
2)Helped me start to let down so she didn't get frustrated nothing was coming out at first.

Another tip is to kind of aim your nipple upwards so it is tickling their palate. This will also help get more of the areola in their mouth so you shouldn't have pain.

@otter1103 I hope your LC appt goes well. It was the difference between me quitting and nursing for a year. My LC saved us!

jshrop · May 2014

Thanks ladies for the advice!!! I will definitely try the nipple at the nose trick. I'm already attempting to point the nipple to the roof of her mouth, but she will continue to root side to side. It's like the worst titty-twister ever! Some of the pain seems to be my ducts. Once I start massaging it starts feeling better.

otter1103 · May 2014

Thanks ladies! It's nice to hear from all of your experiences. I was told babies born around 37 weeks can have a short delay in nursing also. So I'm taking it all with a grain of salt to try to make myself feel better or at least not at fault. These damn hormones get me all worked up.

catsinawindow · May 2014

CharSamm said:

Disclaimer...I still have an inside baby, so I'm just passing some info from our birthing class

RE Latching Difficulties/Pain: The doula/lactation consultant who taught the course said to point the baby's nose to the nipple instead of their mouth to the nipple. She said this will force the mouth to open wider and take more of the nipple in. She did a demonstration wearing bright red lipstick and going to suck on a balloon which has made this stick with me!

Yes, this is a very good trick to get baby to open their mouth wider and take in more of the breast (making the latch more comfortable). What I did at first was hand expressed a little drop of breastmilk so that baby could smell it, then put my nipple right under baby's nose. Baby opened his mouth wide in response and I sort of trailed my nipple down into his mouth while it was wide open. If the latch wasn't wide enough the first time, I would unlatch him and re-latch. Better to get started again than to tolerate a painful latch.

catsinawindow · May 2014

jshrop said:

Thanks ladies for the advice!!! I will definitely try the nipple at the nose trick. I'm already attempting to point the nipple to the roof of her mouth, but she will continue to root side to side. It's like the worst titty-twister ever! Some of the pain seems to be my ducts. Once I start massaging it starts feeling better.

If the pain is in your ducts, you might be feeling let-down. Does it stop after a minute or so? My let-down felt like a deep ache at first, but it got a lot better as time went on.

jshrop · May 2014

lisagde said:

jshrop said:

Thanks ladies for the advice!!! I will definitely try the nipple at the nose trick. I'm already attempting to point the nipple to the roof of her mouth, but she will continue to root side to side. It's like the worst titty-twister ever! Some of the pain seems to be my ducts. Once I start massaging it starts feeling better.

If the pain is in your ducts, you might be feeling let-down. Does it stop after a minute or so? My let-down felt like a deep ache at first, but it got a lot better as time went on.

This might be what it is, but it's a really sharp pulling pain. If I'm massaging my breast while she nurses it feels 1000xs better.

jshrop · May 2014

Well, my nursing pains were validated at the pediatrician appointment today. Charlie girl has a tongue tie. The doc looked at me and immediately asked if my nipples were in pain. So, if it's hurting check with your ped, there may be a simple problem to nursing pain! We have an appointment this afternoon to get it taken care of and I'll update you all if it worked!

Want a personalized experience?

June '14 BFing/Pumping Questions Thread

Re: June '14 BFing/Pumping Questions Thread

Choose Another Board

Search Boards