- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Breastfeeding
BumpJackie
member
Tata Tuesday chat - 8/19 with Jennifer Ritchie
BumpJackie
member
Happy Tata Tuesday!
Today, from 1-2pm EST, lactation consultant Jennifer Ritchie will be in THIS thread to answer all your breastfeeding questions! Her username is LCjen.
By taking part in the conversation on this thread, you're automatically entered to win! We’ll pick three winners per week, and each winner receives one prize pack. Here’s what you could take home:
- A Prize Pack from Boob-olution’s sponsor, Boppy (Original Slipcovered Pillows, Toy Prize Pack)
- Baby K’Tan Prize Pack (Baby Carrier, Burp Cloth, Baby T-Shirt and Baby Hat)
- Ingrid & Isabel Prize Pack (Drop Cup Nursing Bra, Crossover Nursing Cami, and Cami Bra)
A little bit about Jennifer:
Jennifer Ritchie is a fulltime working mom, an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant, published author, business owner and former President of the Orange County Breastfeeding Coalition. In early 2008, Jennifer founded Milkalicious, a business inspired by her personal cause to provide community-based, long-term support for breastfeeding mothers. Through her own experiences, Jennifer saw the need for a more preventative approach to supporting and educating new mothers about breastfeeding. Jennifer works tirelessly to increase our national long-term breastfeeding rates by offering breastfeeding support to new mothers via one-on-one appointments, TV appearances, blogs and magazine columns. Jennifer Ritchie’s enthusiastic and friendly manner sets the tone for the customer experience at Milkalicious and the model for empowering moms of the 21st century.
See you at 1pm EST!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Tata Tuesday chat - 8/19 with Jennifer Ritchie
Hi there! Here's the scoop: When you are 10 weeks pregnant, you enter into the first stage of lactation, making about a teaspoon of milk in each breast. Day 3-5 after birth is when your milk increases in volume, so if you have a vaginal birth, you are out of the hospital before your milk volume increases. Help in the hospital is excellent, but not much happens at that stage because there is not a lot of milk for the baby to drink. When milk increases in volume is when you really need the help of a LC (day 3 - day 5)
All babies are born with a leaky gut, like a porous rock, so that these important components of the milk can pass through the digestive system and get right into their bloodstream. Your baby is born from a very sterile environment, to very non-sterile environment, especially if they're born vaginally. The colostrum will protect your baby from our bacteria filled world, like giving them a big antibiotic shot.
Because of this, the cow's milk protein causes 80% of the colic symptoms, including gas and fussy behavior. If you want to avoid colic, I would switch to rice milk or coconut milk for 12 weeks after birth
The only reason you should not nurse while pregnant is if you have a high risk pregnancy. Lot's of people do it in other countries, but it is less common here in the US. It's also impressive that your older child is still nursing, because when you are pregnant the milk supply drops a lot. It sounds like your older child just loves the closeness with you, it is really adorable
Hi there! If your baby is older, say 3 months old, they can drain a breast in as little as 3 minutes. This can be confusing for some moms, but the length of time is less important that watching for your baby's swallows and active feeding on the breast. They get more and more efficient on the breast as they get older. In terms of cluster feeding, it really depends on how old your baby is and how long they are sleeping at night. A baby should be breastfed a minimum of 8 times a day until they are 9 months old, so if they sleep a longer stretch at night, they would eat more often during the day. Some mom's consider this cluster feeding. Your supply is tied to your sleep, so if the baby is cluster feeding only at dinner / before bed, that is when the supply is the lowest, and I would pump in replace of breastfeeding to see how much milk you are making at that time
I am nursing my 12.5 month old. I nurse on demand whenever we are together (during the week this means twice before work, once before bed, and once overnight). Will my supply be regulated enough to slowly wean myself from pumping at work and continue to breastfeed while with baby?
Statistically the #1 cause for nipple pain after a baby is 2 weeks old is an overgrowth of yeast, not a latch issue. Symptoms include nipple pain and white on the baby's tongue that does not wipe off.
Hi there! If you wean from pumping or breastfeeding sessions slowly, there really shouldn't be an issue. Although it may be less milk, your body will continue to make milk as long as your baby is nursing. Drop one pumping session every few days to see if you get very full. If you do get full, please pump the milk out. We do not want you to get a breast infection
Fun fact: All the benefits of the breastmilk are there even if your baby got 1 teaspoon of breastmilk per day.
Is there such thing as a "magic number" for nursing your baby? I read online that you have to keep with the magic number to make sure that your milk production doesnt drop.
Also, why is "low milk supply" seem to be such a common issue among moms, myself included?
It is very unusual for a breastfed baby to sleep through the night, so yes, we would want to take some extra action to keep up your supply. What you could do is pump prior to YOU going to bed, so that you go to bed with very empty breasts. Then pump again immediately after breastfeeding first thing in the morning. You can feed your baby this milk in a bottle prior to bed in the evening. I could tell you to wake up in the middle of the night and pump, but that would be crazy and very unlikely. Sleep is priceless
That's great news, I really hope you enjoy breastfeeding as much as I did. Just know the first 2 weeks are the hardest, but if you can make it past that, it's all uphill from there. Ask to get help in the hospital, and if you feel nipple pain that lasts longer than 30 seconds, seek help from a Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant. Most of us take PPO insurance now, so it may be a minimal cost.
As we get older, our hormones are not like they were when we were 18, so the main issue I see that may happen is a reduced milk supply. There are ways to boost your prolactin, the hormone that controls your milk supply, if you do encounter that problem. The body knows the difference between the pump and the baby, and you will have a better milk supply with the baby on the breast than exclusive pumping. My favorite supplement for boosting your supply is More Milk Plus from Motherlove.
What is the best way to diet while bf?
I know how incredibly difficult it is to do an elimination diet, so props to all of you!!! The list of potential allergens is a mile long, but I definitely see the most baby's react to the cows milk protein and almonds. The problem is that the cows milk protien is hidden in many of the foods we eat as Casein or Whey, so a mom will need to look at the ingredients of everything she eats. Also remember, chocolate contains the cows milk protein, bummer
I would offer a sippy cup only after 6 months of age and they start eating solids. A breastfed baby is able to drink from a straw cup at a very early age, so that is another option. Breastmilk or formula is still the main nutrition source for the first year, just be sure to offer these and not water or juice.
Follow The Bump on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest!
Follow The Bump on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest!
Thanks for trying, I guess I've got my question for next week. She didn't get to many questions today.