June '14 BFing/Pumping Questions Thread

lest12 · July 2014

@MaddieRosie said:
I've heard that the Medela bags can cause milk to go bad (or taste bad so the baby won't drink it). Does anyone have a better suggestion for storage? Bottles seem impractical due to space and expense but I'm concerned all my hard work is going to be for nothing if the milk goes bad. TIA

I hope not, I'm using them! And I think a lot of other women here are, too!

cspencer85 · July 2014

Does anyone have the problem when they are feeding LO and milk just squirts out fast and chokes them? That's been happening to us more often lately. What do I do?

jenlynne0624 · July 2014

@cspencer85‌ yes I have that problem when I am engorged. Expel some of the milk into a burp cloth so you're not quite as full and the baby can latch better. If it's still fast, take baby off more to burp, or change position to side lying where the milk doesn't come out as quickly. @AmyG*‌ my little man is 3 weeks now and we have gone from eating an average of 15-25 min on one boob every 2 hours, to 25-50 min every two hours sometimes having to switch boobs to make sure he's full. Is this growth spurt stuff still? Plenty of wet/dirty diapers, though the poop diapers are a little runnier and less seedy than normal.

coffee89 · July 2014

cspencer85 said:

Does anyone have the problem when they are feeding LO and milk just squirts out fast and chokes them? That's been happening to us more often lately. What do I do?

My letdown is completely insane, I can spray across the room without even touching my boob sometimes. I've found that unlatching LO when I feel my letdown and giving him a paci while I hand express until it slows down really helps (though it is a pain at 2 am with a screaming LO who doesn't want to wait). On particularly rough days I'll feed on the same side for 2 or sometimes even 3 feedings which seems to help and then I'll pump enough on the other side to relieve engorgement. Unless LO is cluster feeding I try not to switch sides in the middle of a feed because the second letdown almost always causes a massive spit-up so instead I'll make him take a break to burp and offer a paci for a few minutes before putting him back on the same side. Instead of the hand expressing, I've also been told to pump 1/2 an ounce or so before feeding but I found that too tedious. Edit to add: I have found that leaning back in a rocker or against the wall in bed helps to keep LO above my boob a bit and slow things down since it is working against gravity.

Savvy122 · July 2014

Any insight as to why I would be extremely leaky and engorged overnight? D still eats every 3-4 hours overnight - same as during the day, and I don't leak or feel engorged then. I'm so tired of waking up to soaked sheets every night!

ChristineBaker23 · July 2014

MaddieRosie said:
I've heard that the Medela bags can cause milk to go bad (or taste bad so the baby won't drink it). Does anyone have a better suggestion for storage? Bottles seem impractical due to space and expense but I'm concerned all my hard work is going to be for nothing if the milk goes bad. TIA

I used the Medela bags last time and had no issue with milk going bad. My issue was they have a nice big hole (for hanging on the pump) right where you would pour from and I always ended up spilling some. This time I am using lansinoh, per suggestion of lots of lovely ladies on this board, just because of better design.

elsa1688 · July 2014

Does bf'ing ever get less messy? I'm always soaked in breastmilk. Maybe it's the shield but J is such a messy eater.

kks4471 · July 2014

elsa1688 said:

Does bf'ing ever get less messy? I'm always soaked in breastmilk. Maybe it's the shield but J is such a messy eater.

When I pull my nursing bra cup down, I tuck a burp cloth into it. That keeps my bra dry from all of LO's drool mess.

texasmama2014 · July 2014

kks4471 said:

elsa1688 said:

Does bf'ing ever get less messy? I'm always soaked in breastmilk. Maybe it's the shield but J is such a messy eater.

When I pull my nursing bra cup down, I tuck a burp cloth into it. That keeps my bra dry from all of LO's drool mess.

Same, LO is super messy. I use a shield and I tuck the burp cloth. It's so cute to see her milk covered face when she's done. It's hard to NIP because of the insane mess I have to clean up!

BMaidPlanner · July 2014

QUESTION!

I just defrosted three 1 ounce bags on the countertop and placed them in the fridge to combine for a bottle tonight (early pumping sessions). When putting them in a bottle, do we need to leave the bottle out again to be room temp for the baby? Does it have to be heated?

Also, I have a second bottle of milk in the fridge (never frozen) from two days ago, does that need to sit out for a while before feeding? How long?

Leaving LO for the first time tonight to host/perform in a show, no idea if I am doing this right.

ChristineBaker23 · July 2014

BMaidPlanner said:
QUESTION!

I just defrosted three 1 ounce bags on the countertop and placed the in the fridge to combine for a bottle tonight (early pumping sessions). When putting the in bottle, do we need to leave the bottle out again to be room temp for the baby?

Also have a second bottle of milk in fridge (never frozen) from two days ago, does that need to sit out for a while before feeding? How long?

Leaving LO for the first time tonight to host/perform in a show, no idea if I am doing this right.

It's better to keep it refrigerated if it's been thawed to discourage bacteria growth. Also I have read you should thaw in the fridge ( no worries though because I left mine on the counter to thaw all the time with my first and she turned out all right) You can heat it by putting about an inch of water in a coffee cup and heating it in the microwave then set the bag or bottle in the hot water until it's warm. Let whoever is watching baby know about what time they will want to eat so they can have the water ready. When I heat mine this way I get it in the hot water then change her diaper and by then it's usually warm enough.

BMaidPlanner · July 2014

@ChristineBaker23‌ Room temperature is not ok? I didn't know it had to be heated. Thought I read somewhere it didn't. Eesh! Thx.

BMaidPlanner · July 2014

lest12 said:
Do you guys let the LO's comfort feed?

He shows legit signs of hunger and eats every 2-2.5 hours, great, but any time I hold him in between he wants the boob. He will be fine with DH then when I get him - instant hunger cues.

I wouldn't mind but he ends up spitting up a bunch and I think it's because he's too full.

Anyone else? This could also fall into the "is my baby normal" thread.

Can they actually overeat and be too full? I thought for bf babies it wasn't possible to over feed them.

ChristineBaker23 · July 2014

BMaidPlanner said:
@ChristineBaker23‌ Room temperature is not ok? I didn't know it had to be heated. Thought I read somewhere it didn't. Eesh! Thx.

I put it from fridge to the hot water to get it to room temp quickly. I'm sorry, I have some serious sinus pressure going on and I think I may have garbled my words.

ChristineBaker23 · July 2014

BMaidPlanner said:

lest12 said:
Do you guys let the LO's comfort feed?

He shows legit signs of hunger and eats every 2-2.5 hours, great, but any time I hold him in between he wants the boob. He will be fine with DH then when I get him - instant hunger cues.

I wouldn't mind but he ends up spitting up a bunch and I think it's because he's too full.

Anyone else? This could also fall into the "is my baby normal" thread.
Can they actually overeat and be too full? I thought for bf babies it wasn't possible to over feed them.

I think it's possible. With my first I fed on demand which led to lots of comfort nursing. That led to slight oversupply, forceful let down, and lots of spit up. I introduced a pacifier and it greatly decreased the spitting up. If it's been less than her normal time without eating and she is fussing or even rooting I try other comfort measures first. Diaper, pacifier, rocking, burping, or talking/singing. If this doesn't calm her then I offer the boob. Note: I am NOT a professional, just experienced

For the op here, you smell like super delicious milk and he just can't resist. I would try offering a pacifier and holding him a different way than you would to nurse like up on your shoulder or out on your lap so he doesn't get so fiendish. That being said I see nothing wrong with comfort nursing. If it works for you and baby and he isn't blowing chunks every time I say go for it. Baby will tell you what he/she needs.

BMaidPlanner · July 2014

JulieSmiles said:

ktcort13 said:
I feel like I'm failing. LO is still a couple ounces shy of birth weight at 4 weeks. She lost almost a pound after birth. She eats as much as she wants and doesn't seem upset but just isn't gaining like she should be. Dr wasn't worried at her 2 week appt but I started working with a LC last week to figure things out. I hope we can make something work.
I'm going through something very similar. DD is only up 9 oz. from her birth weight at 5 I/2 weeks. She doesn't act hungry after eating, eats frequently enough, and has plenty of dirty diapers. I hate not knowing why she isn't gaining but I feel like a failure with it too. She has to go back on Wednesday for another weight check and I'm praying she is up. she still doesn't even fit into 0-3 months clothes and she was over 8 pounds at birth. I thought she would never wear newborn.

My LO is still in newborn everything at 5 weeks and 1 day. Society loves a chubby baby but if Pedi sees nothing wrong and baby is happy, normal weight babies are awesome too!

elsa1688 · July 2014

BMaidPlanner said:

JulieSmiles said:

ktcort13 said:
I feel like I'm failing. LO is still a couple ounces shy of birth weight at 4 weeks. She lost almost a pound after birth. She eats as much as she wants and doesn't seem upset but just isn't gaining like she should be. Dr wasn't worried at her 2 week appt but I started working with a LC last week to figure things out. I hope we can make something work.
I'm going through something very similar. DD is only up 9 oz. from her birth weight at 5 I/2 weeks. She doesn't act hungry after eating, eats frequently enough, and has plenty of dirty diapers. I hate not knowing why she isn't gaining but I feel like a failure with it too. She has to go back on Wednesday for another weight check and I'm praying she is up. she still doesn't even fit into 0-3 months clothes and she was over 8 pounds at birth. I thought she would never wear newborn.

My LO is still in newborn everything at 5 weeks and 1 day. Society loves a chubby baby but if Pedi sees nothing wrong and baby is happy, normal weight babies are awesome too!

Our pedi said EBF babies usually look chunky around 3-4 months in her experience. J is 6 weeks and still in newborn sizes (although his onesies are getting a little tight)

katekat8721 · July 2014

elsa1688 said:
Does bf'ing ever get less messy? I'm always soaked in breastmilk. Maybe it's the shield but J is such a messy eater.

It's the shield! I have a burp cloth under us when they nurse. I just started nursing shieldless and was amazed at how much milk didn't end up all over me.

JulieSmiles · July 2014

How long does it take for the food I eat to get into my breast milk? I'm trying to see if there are certain foods that bother LO and her reflux. Is there any timeline for how quickly the nutrients, etc. would get to her? I realize that tracking my food intake is the best way to see patterns, but I'm just curious.

elsa1688 · July 2014

I lost my nipple shield today while NIP (left it at nordstroms #fwp). I didn't notice until LO was fussy and hungry two hours later. He was able to latch and eat without it but it took 45 minutes instead of 20. My nipples are small - is there a chance he will get more efficient or will we always need a shield ?

elsa1688 · July 2014

I have small nipples so J has a hard time latching but I am so over the shield. How can I help his latch?

flojo973 · July 2014

What do you guys do with your LO while you pump? DD is so inconsistent with her naps, I never know if she'll wake up 5 minutes after I put her down. It stresses me out because I start to pump and then she'll wake up and start crying, so I stop. Any suggestions for ways to keep LO entertained for the 15 minutes that I need to pump?

otter1103 · July 2014

@flojo973‌ I put her in a bouncy seat, that I just got last week because of inconsistent napping too, while I pump. If she's awake I bounce her with my feet or read a book, whatever to keep her content. If she's just eaten and fallen asleep, I still put her in the seat just in case she wakes up while I'm pumping.

lest12 · July 2014

I put him in the mamaroo with his pacifier, right in front of me. I've been using the old sports bra technique for keeping hand free, so I can usually give him back the paci when it falls out or rub his belly if he starts crying, and that's usually enough to get me through.

BMaidPlanner · July 2014

Is it OK to freeze milk that has been pumped then in the fridge for 2 to 4 days?

H&H2014 · July 2014

My LO has stopped taking the bottle. We had supplemented in the beginning with pumped milk due to her weight. We continued one or two feedings via bottle so I could get a break and DH could feed. Now at six weeks she is screaming and crying when we try to give the bottle. Anyone else experiencing this? Advice?

lest12 · July 2014

@BMaidPlanner said:
Is it OK to freeze milk that has been pumped then in the fridge for 2 to 4 days?

I thought so. I "gather" pumped milk for a few days in the fridge and then freeze it using the earliest date.

MrsBHM · July 2014

BMaidPlanner said:
Is it OK to freeze milk that has been pumped then in the fridge for 2 to 4 days?

I hope so! I've been doing this after combining a few pumping sessions into one bottle.

lest12 · July 2014

I'm super confused on everything pumping/bottle related. I know. These questions have probably been asked, but I'm asking anyway. Do you guys pump once a day to build up your freezer stock? After feeding, right? How much do you usually yield? And then you pump again if/when you give a bottle? How many ounces do you leave if you're going out and someone is going to give him a bottle? How do you know? I feel so lost. Any good website rec's? Of course I've googled myself but don't know which sources to trust.

lest12 · July 2014

Thanks so much @kaysa2!!! I'll take you up on that offer if you don't mind! When I'm not mobile

ChristineBaker23 · July 2014

@lest12‌

I'm super confused on everything pumping/bottle related. I know. These questions have probably been asked, but I'm asking anyway.

Do you guys pump once a day to build up your freezer stock?
I pump every morning at roughly the same time

After feeding, right?
I pump after her first feed of the day but not immediately after her feeding. I wait about an hour or two (about halfway between feeds) and pump the opposite boob (as I would if baby was nursing) for fifteen minutes which is about the time she feeds for. My boobs have learned to produce enough for this "extra" feeding in the morning.

How much do you usually yield?
Anywhere between 3 and 5 ounces.

And then you pump again if/when you give a bottle?
Yes, my daily pump is for my stash. When she gets a bottle I pump for the skipped feeding so as not to confuse my boobs too much as far as supply/demand.

How many ounces do you leave if you're going out and someone is going to give him a bottle? How do you know?
I leave 5 ounces even though she usually only takes about 3 so there's backup and show them where the frozen is just in case.

I feel so lost. Any good website rec's? Of course I've googled myself but don't know which sources to trust.
When I google I read loads of info and pull out the things they have in common as the most credible. That being said, I take everything with a grain of salt and don't believe just everything I read. Kellymom and the la leche league are pretty trustworthy.

whoberry · July 2014

@lest12‌ my experience after 4.5 weeks:
I pump 1x a day in the morning based on my pediatrician's advice to build a stash. I get 2 - 3 oz total from both boobs and then freeze it in that amount. Recently tried to add in a 2nd daily pump but LO cluster feeds all day so I can't get 20 minutes away and when I do I get like .5 - 1 oz total so it doesn't seem worth it.

He has taken 2-3 oz per feed from a bottle but we've only done that a few times. That's part of the reason I freeze in small increments.

According to Kellymom it's normal to only get 2 oz from one pump session. They Also have average feeding amounts, I think it said at this age they eat up to 30 oz a day so divide by number of feeds to determine how much they eat per feed.

I go back to work in 1.5 weeks so we will see if I have enough of a stash.

sumochik · July 2014

I posted most of this on the PGAL board before I realized I should post here.

Ok, I don't want to jinx it but BFing is going well. Considering buying another breast pump BC hopefully third time's a charm? My last two experiences with a breast pump went exactly like this:
I pump, nothing comes out, my boobs get engorged and hurt like hell. My boobs spray all over the place and soak my bras.
Or: I pump, a half of an ounce comes out, the baby gets hungry as I'm pumping, I feed the baby but nothing comes out, baby cries, I give the baby the tiny bit I just pumped, baby is still hungry.
Going back to work after Labor Day weekend so I need to introduce a bottle as well as formula. With DD1 I went back to work when she was a year and she never took formula, she went from BM to solids to not drinking milk, but the pedi said it was ok since she ate yogurt and cheese and other dairy products every day. She took cows milk around 2 yo. With DD2 I went back to work when she was 6 months and as soon as she had formula she refused BM completely. It was a terrible experience to get her to take the bottle though. She pretty much didn't take one until day 3 of being in day care so I'm sure you can imagine how that went.

All of that to say pumping has not worked for me twice before and if really like it to work this time around. I got rid of my medela pump in style advanced after DD2 so I currently don't have a pump. My insurance only covers pumps for babies who were preemie or low birth weight, so no free pump for me. I don't know if I want to rent a hospital grade pump or just buy one outright. We are moving to NJ from NY at the end of the month and I'm continuing to work in NY as a teacher in September. I'll be away from DS for so many hours during the day because of this and I feel like it's my duty to pump even if he does get a bunch of formula because I want to be able to BF him at night and on weekends.

Please help! I am so envious of you ladies who have a stash when I could never even get enough for a feeding. Any advice for me?

BMaidPlanner · July 2014

If baby is feeding every 45 minutes to an hour, is it even worth it (or possible) to pump?
I am always skipping days or go from a "good day" where I pump twice to a "bad day" where I don't pump at all. I worry I'll never have an adequate stash.

BMaidPlanner · July 2014

kaysa2 said:

BMaidPlanner said:

If baby is feeding every 45 minutes to an hour, is it even worth it (or possible) to pump?
I am always skipping days or go from a "good day" where I pump twice to a "bad day" where I don't pump at all. I worry I'll never have an adequate stash.

@BMaidPlanner - I pump whenever the baby wants to eat, and it has helped up my production immensely. So I vote yes to this.

Thanks, I feel so empty and like she is not satisfied but maybe it will actually help. Have to wrap my mind around that.

BMaidPlanner · July 2014

Anyone have guesses as to why she spits up a ton on nights she has a bottle and later breastfeeds?

cspencer85 · July 2014

Has anyone gotten their period back even though they're breastfeeding? I heard it's supposed to stay away, but of course, it would happen to me.

H&H2014 · July 2014

BMaidPlanner said:
Anyone have guesses as to why she spits up a ton on nights she has a bottle and later breastfeeds?

How much in the bottle and over what period of time? I find if the flow on the bottle is too fast and coupled with my overactive letdown that she's prone to spit up.

elsa1688 · July 2014

J went from feeding for about 18-22 minutes each session to 10-14 minutes each session (like overnight). Anyone else? I'm still using the shield. Maybe he's more efficient?

rachel8078 · July 2014

Anyone else have tingling in legs when nursing? It's only whichever side she is on's corresponding leg and only when she is actively sucking. Also, it happens whether I'm laying, sitting, or standing/ walking.

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June '14 BFing/Pumping Questions Thread

Re: June '14 BFing/Pumping Questions Thread

IF, 5 losses, 1 son, 1 on the way.

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