June '14 BFing/Pumping Questions Thread

jshrop · May 2014

IT WORKED!!! Anyone in a bunch of pain while feeding may want to double check with their ped for tongue ties! Once it was cut I felt so much better (and honestly it was more traumatic for me than the baby). My nipples are still sore from the beating they took for the past 5 days, but there's not pain in my whole breast!

MorganW24 · May 2014

jshrop said:
IT WORKED!!! Anyone in a bunch of pain while feeding may want to double check with their ped for tongue ties! Once it was cut I felt so much better (and honestly it was more traumatic for me than the baby). My nipples are still sore from the beating they took for the past 5 days, but there's not pain in my whole breast!

I am super worried about this already. I am extremely tongue tied and it was never noticed (I was bottle fed and didn't have any speech issues) but of course it means baby has a huge chance of inheriting my tongue issues. We were already told by our midwife and the lactation consultant we took our breastfeeding class with, to have it looked at immediately post partum to save us any added breast feeding issues. She said as a general rule on a pain scale from 1-10 breastfeeding shouldn't be more than a 3. Anything above would indicate seeking out help for latch issues, clogged ducts, infections, etc.

So glad breastfeeding is more comfortable for you after the procedure! Keep it up mama!

jshrop · May 2014

Next question for STMs: how do I know if the boob is empty? She will fall asleep and fall off, does that mean that she got the hind milk?

nunzchucks · May 2014

jshrop said:
Next question for STMs: how do I know if the boob is empty? She will fall asleep and fall off, does that mean that she got the hind milk?

Mine kinda felt "deflated" afterwards. Much softer.

roadspeckle · May 2014

Only a FTM, but I asked about hind milk and was told if you nurse long enough on one side, they will get hind
milk. If they fall off and fall asleep, generally means they got enough milk and were satisfied.
I've only been breastfeeding for two weeks but we learn more every day.

JulieSmiles · May 2014

I feel stupid, but what does it mean for the baby to be tongue tied? How do they fix it?

jshrop · May 2014

@JulieSmiles‌ it's a thin membrane that attaches their tongue to the bottom of their mouth and it won't allow their tongues to extend very far (depending on severity). It makes it hard for them to latch and the end up biting down to create that vacuum to nurse (at least this is what the pediatrician told me today). To correct it, they just snip it. It's super easy, the baby barely minded. She cried for maybe 30 seconds. I cried for like 5 minutes while I nursed her. It was way more traumatic for me.

MorganW24 · May 2014

JulieSmiles said:
I feel stupid, but what does it mean for the baby to be tongue tied? How do they fix it?

Lift your tongue up. The little piece that's holding your tongue down to your bottom jaw is what you are looking for. If that piece is too far forward then baby can't stick out their tongue. If this is the case the pedi will snip it slightly to give the tongue a greater range of motion.

rainbowdashh · May 2014

I think it's absolute BS that on a scale from 1-10, nursing should only be a 3. It was toe curling pain for me. I wasn't used to someone sucking on my nipples for hours on end. It eased up after about two weeks, but until then it was horrible.

babygabe614 · May 2014

I didn't realize the tongue tie was hereditary. I had to have mine cut, so I will keep an eye out for that with this LO. This is why I love this thread!

Mia081081 · May 2014

ohyealovely said:
I think it's absolute BS that on a scale from 1-10, nursing should only be a 3. It was toe curling pain for me. I wasn't used to someone sucking on my nipples for hours on end. It eased up after about two weeks, but until then it was horrible.

Totally agree. Mine was 8-9 for the first week or two. And baby was latching perfectly, confirmed by 5 LCs.

kbellizio3 · May 2014

wareagle1220 said:
I know that this is widely discussed and semi-controversial, but for the love I can't decide. I keep flip-flopping back and forth on whether to give baby a pacifier in the first couple of days/weeks. I plan to exclusively breastfeed.

What do you recommend or what are you doing? I have several of the soothie brand pacifiers and I believe they're the ones that are given to babies in our hospital.

FTM here so I can't give you advice, but I also plan on EBFing and using a paci if she takes it/needs it. However my mom EBFed me and I never took a paci (or bottle). Apparently I'd suck on it for a minute and then just spit it out. So our plan is to just go with her flow. We have a couple different brands just in case.

britleann26 · May 2014

otter1103 said:

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.

My LO, Abigail was delivered at 37.2. In the hospital I was having major issues with breast feeding her. And the cluster feeding ... Pure hell. The lactation consultant told me pre term babies do not have the same sucking intensity as full term so that contributes to the slow production of milk. She suggested I pump for 20 mins after each feeding to help my supply. She said to do this for a couple weeks and it would actually help the flow become faster for LO and she should get more milk. Re: cluster feeding. Because Abigail was pre term she would cluster feed 2-3 times a day for 4-6 hours each time. When my milk finally came in (just yesterday) and she cluster feed twice last night she woke up in a pool of spit up and her tummy was making horrible noises. Called the lactation consultant and she told me to feed her as much as I was able but to give her a pacifier after a couple hours (since she just wanted to be soothed) to help with her drinking too much. Being pre term, it's hard for her to know her limits at first.

britleann26 · May 2014

Pumping question. When I pump (double electric) my breasts are soaking with milk underneath. Does this happen normally or am I positioning the shields at a wrong angle / using wrong size?

otter1103 · May 2014

britleann26 said:
Pumping question. When I pump (double electric) my breasts are soaking with milk underneath. Does this happen normally or am I positioning the shields at a wrong angle / using wrong size?

@britleann26‌, I'm having this same issue. It's new over the past day and a half. Started when I was pretty engorged and continues now even though I'm less engorged. Now I'm wondering if I don't need a size larger shield or something.

hollygb22 · May 2014

mullenem said:

wareagle1220 said:

strawberrydreams219, I'm confused by the situation with my sister as well. I think they probably did use BM to comfort instead of just for hunger. She didn't give her kids pacifiers, so I wonder if they commonly nursed for comfort. Maybe us giving our baby a pacifier will help rectify that situation. Either way, I think I'd rather pump more so I have a good stash (and possibly oversupply) than have to rely on formula if my parents are having problems calming down the baby.

I would guess that they probably did overfeed. Using a paci could definitley help them. With DD, I had our daycare provider give her the normal amount she was eating (usually around 3-4 ounces each feeding at 3-4 months) then give the paci after if she was acting "hungry". If she wasn't hungry and just wanted to suck, she'd relax and be fine. If she didn't calm down, then DCP would give her an extra ounce.
It may be a good idea to give X number of 'full' bottles for the time you'll be gone then give them a couple of extra frozen one ounce portions so they aren't thawing a whole bottle's worth only to waste it. Also, not a horrible idea to have them read some this info from Kellymom:
https://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/feeding-tools/bottle-feeding/

my only advice would be to freeze 1 oz bags and have a stash at their house. I sort of went through this when DD went to daycare. They insisted she needed more but I went to a BF support group and did weighed feedings with her and had a good idea I knew how much she was eating. On the advice of the LC I worked with, I told daycare to give her the bottle, distract her when she was done. If she could be distracted and wasn't screaming bloody murder, she was fine. If she cried and couldn't be distracted I instructed daycare to give her one more oz and no more. It became this fine line..I didn't want her overfed and to become used to bigger bottles that I knew I couldn't pump. I feel like when other people feed the baby its a natural reaction to want to make sure she's full, satisfied etc and to stretch them longer with bigger feedings.

hollygb22 · May 2014

otter1103 said:

Pumping question. When I pump (double electric) my breasts are soaking with milk underneath. Does this happen normally or am I positioning the shields at a wrong angle / using wrong size?
@britleann26‌, I'm having this same issue. It's new over the past day and a half. Started when I was pretty engorged and continues now even though I'm less engorged. Now I'm wondering if I don't need a size larger shield or something.

I never had milk leak out of the shields even when I pumped engorged. I have a larger chest and just assumed I would need a size L breastshield but I actually used a M with my Medela PISA. The LC I worked with told me its based on nipple and not breast size. She said the nipple should move comfortably in and out of the shield. If it was rubbing up against the sides too much and hurt, it may be too small but if there was too much room it may be too big and cause suction issues. Is the milk spraying back towards your breast from the breast shield? or is it just leaking from the bottom of it?

britleann26 · May 2014

@hollygb22 it doesn't spray, just leaks down my breast between the shield.

PressLove · May 2014

@mrsgerman‌- I've seen people post about Glamourmom tanks. They make a long version.

rachel8078 · May 2014

mrsgerman said:
Does anyone know where to find long nursing tanks? All the ones I have looked at are shorter and I just don't like them shorter.

If you have an H&M, I suggest their super long cami tanks and converting them to nursing tanks with the cut strap, sew loop method. That's my plan once LO gets here

jshrop · May 2014

Okay, my little one has been awake for 6 hours straight now. The only thing we can figure out us that I ate a large serving of gelato after dinner and this was probably the biggest dose of both dairy and sugar that I've had at one time. Now my poor kiddo has a rock hard belly. I'm worried about giving her gripe water bc she's only a week old and the doc hasn't okay'd it yet. So, my question... I know dairy protein will pass to her, but is it possible she's on a sugar rush? Or is it more likely she can't tolerate that dairy protein?

diagonalley · May 2014

jshrop said:
Okay, my little one has been awake for 6 hours straight now. The only thing we can figure out us that I ate a large serving of gelato after dinner and this was probably the biggest dose of both dairy and sugar that I've had at one time. Now my poor kiddo has a rock hard belly. I'm worried about giving her gripe water bc she's only a week old and the doc hasn't okay'd it yet. So, my question... I know dairy protein will pass to her, but is it possible she's on a sugar rush? Or is it more likely she can't tolerate that dairy protein?

Not sure on the answer to your question but if she has a rock hard belly that is some sort of gas build up I believe. Have you tried burping her?

ELC252011 · June 2014

I couldn't find this question so sorry if its a double. But is there any type if foods I should stay away from when breastfeeding? Today I had done pasta and my sister said I shouldent have eaten that because the garlic would make her gassy. Is this true?

otter1103 · June 2014

ELC252011 said:
I couldn't find this question so sorry if its a double. But is there any type if foods I should stay away from when breastfeeding? Today I had done pasta and my sister said I shouldent have eaten that because the garlic would make her gassy. Is this true?

First time BF'ing but after a week, I haven't noticed anything having a real affect on baby (yet). I pasta last night with garlic bread and garlic parmesean potatoes tonight. So far so good. The only thing I'm easing into is dairy, OK, ice cream to be exact. Again, I'm only a week into this so take it for a grain of salt but figured I'd share my experience.

ELC252011 · June 2014

otter1103 said:

ELC252011 said:
I couldn't find this question so sorry if its a double. But is there any type if foods I should stay away from when breastfeeding? Today I had done pasta and my sister said I shouldent have eaten that because the garlic would make her gassy. Is this true?
First time BF'ing but after a week, I haven't noticed anything having a real affect on baby (yet). I pasta last night with garlic bread and garlic parmesean potatoes tonight. So far so good. The only thing I'm easing into is dairy, OK, ice cream to be exact. Again, I'm only a week into this so take it for a grain of salt but figured I'd share my experience.

Thanks for the info. Ill keep my FX it doesn't bother her.

jwarnerb · June 2014

ELC252011- Studies actually show that babies prefer garlic breast milk over other kinds. We discussed this in a breastfeeding class I took at my hospital (FTM here: so grain of salt, obvs)

From this hospital's website (sorry, it was the fastest I could find without finding the original study):

Some foods such as garlic, onions and mint have been found to change the odor and flavor of breast milk. Researchers studying garlic in breast milk found peak levels in the milk two hours after the mother ate garlic. When the garlic levels were high, babies suckled more vigorously and took in more milk. These researchers speculate that we teach breastfeeding babies about family food preferences by exposing them to a variety of flavors in the breast milk.

ELC252011 · June 2014

I will ask my pedi about the gas drops. I had know idea there was such a thing. So new at this.

jshrop · June 2014

@ELC252011‌ my kiddo has been fine with everything except dairy. The nurse at my pediatrician office also said dark leafy greens could make her gassy too.

For those staying away from dairy, they make coconut milk ice cream now. We have some but I haven't tried it yet. Just sayin'

LindsayDesigner · June 2014

jshrop said:
@ELC252011‌ my kiddo has been fine with everything except dairy. The nurse at my pediatrician office also said dark leafy greens could make her gassy too.

For those staying away from dairy, they make coconut milk ice cream now. We have some but I haven't tried it yet. Just sayin'

I've tried it and it made my mouth feel kind of greasy. I wasn't a fan of it.

I like making shakes with frozen bananas, cocoa powder and vanilla almond milk. It almost tastes like a chocolate milkshake.

caitb413 · June 2014

emilyh107 said:
Dark mustard color(a little green also) runny poops. Normal?

Sounds like the poops my LO has- sometimes they're kind of watery, other times it's a bit thicker. I haven't seen any green tint, though.

rainbowdashh · June 2014

emilyh107 said:
Dark mustard color(a little green also) runny poops. Normal?

Yep, normal!

katekat8721 · June 2014

britleann26 said:
@hollygb22 it doesn't spray, just leaks down my breast between the shield.

I have runoff whenmI'm unsealing (i think that's a made up word haha). My LC said it's normal. I just lean forward before unsealing and then have a burp cloth handy to wipe the undersides of the boob

katekat8721 · June 2014

Can we talk about my boobs? Lol. My milk has come in and I'm engorged. I've been pumping every few hours because while the girls are doing pretty well with nursing their suck isn't strong enough for engorgement.

How do you know when the engorgement is gone and to stop pumping? Once they're soft again? Then a couple hours later they're hard again, is that normal?

rainbowdashh · June 2014

katekat8721 said:
Can we talk about my boobs? Lol. My milk has come in and I'm engorged. I've been pumping every few hours because while the girls are doing pretty well with nursing their suck isn't strong enough for engorgement.

How do you know when the engorgement is gone and to stop pumping? Once they're soft again? Then a couple hours later they're hard again, is that normal?

That's how it was for me. They would get rock solid, I would nurse or pump, until I was soft and comfortable. Then a few hours later I would be rock solid again. Eventually your supply will regulate and you won't get so engorged unless you skip a feeding or something.

katekat8721 · June 2014

@ohyeahlovely Ahh good to know! My boobs and I thank you!

ncbelle · June 2014

katekat8721 - I would be careful with the pumping. The problem is that it can cause you to overproduce which will lead to more problems (and engorgement!). Twins of course make things extra hard/special! Are they getting enough at the breast? If so, I would try just hand expressing to relieve your engorgement vs. pumping. And in either case, you just want to "take the edge off" in order to make it easier for them to latch and to prevent clogs.

If you are supplementing with your milk, then that's a different story as far as the pumping goes. But if they are getting what they need at the breast, no need for the pump.

emilyh107 - normal poop. If you had lots of green consistently that might indicate something else was going on, but in general it's not an issue.

katekat8721 · June 2014

@ncbelle‌ we're supplementing too. It's whatever they take at the breast + any pumped breast milk + formula to bulk 'em up. I'm hoping to get them off the formula soon. I made a LC appt for tomorrow too. Pumping blows!

ncbelle · June 2014

Gotcha - yeah, I'm sure the pumping is tough on top of everything else but definitely a good idea if you are supplementing as well. Hopefully the IBCLC can help you get a good game plan together to get them just on the breast. You can do it!!

catsinawindow · June 2014

jwarnerb said:

ELC252011- Studies actually show that babies prefer garlic breast milk over other kinds. We discussed this in a breastfeeding class I took at my hospital (FTM here: so grain of salt, obvs)

From this hospital's website (sorry, it was the fastest I could find without finding the original study):

Some foods such as garlic, onions and mint have been found to change the odor and flavor of breast milk. Researchers studying garlic in breast milk found peak levels in the milk two hours after the mother ate garlic. When the garlic levels were high, babies suckled more vigorously and took in more milk. These researchers speculate that we teach breastfeeding babies about family food preferences by exposing them to a variety of flavors in the breast milk.

Thanks for sharing, I love this. My kind of babies!

meritsamomma · June 2014

Anyone with a Medela pump have the hands free bustier? The one I ordered just showed up today and it is so small it's ridiculous. I ordered based in their size chart but it doesn't even make it past my sides!
Wondering if anyone has run into this and knows just how small they run?

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June '14 BFing/Pumping Questions Thread

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