October 2014 Moms

Breastfeeding Links & Talk

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Re: Breastfeeding Links & Talk

  • Emerald27Emerald27 member
    edited December 2014
    cmac6186 said:

    The past week at daycare Dd has been taking one big feeding (like 5 or 6 oz) but the rest are 2 1/2-3oz spaced normally. One day it was 6oz at 8:30am over the course of an hour. Another it was 5oz at noon. Again over the course of an hour. They do paced bottle feeding and I send 3oz bottles. She's away from me for about 10hrs a day and eating about 15oz total during that time period. Should I be concerned about stomach stretching? They say she was inconsolable without more milk/reaching for the empty bottle those times of large feeding.

    That is a very large feeding. :-? I might ask the provider to offer two oz using paced feeding, and then try distracting and consoling her in other ways for a little while before offering more milk. Offer just one ounce of nothing else works, and repeat. Milk may calm her, but other things might calm her too, and it's probably better for her to have a more normal-volume feeding.
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  • So, I'm sure this has been covered somewhere in this thread but thrush. DD and myself are being treated for it. Do I need to sanitize the nipple shield, pump parts, and paci every time they are used or is washing with soap and water after every use and sanitizing once a day okay?

    Is the milk I pumped before starting treatment okay to freeze and use?

    Since I'm taking medication that is excreted in the milk should I not freeze what I pump to use later?
    We are so excited to grow our family!
    DD #1 Born 10/3/2014

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  • Cantisa said:

    Do breastfed babies always need to eat minimally 8x a day?

    Every baby and mother is different. Frequency of feeding is based on so many factors, and some babies who have long sleep stretches don't nurse quite that frequently, but they're usually older babies. The reason 8x per day minimum is mentioned is because a "typical" feeding is about 2-3oz, sometimes a bit more and sometimes a bit less. Is there a second question behind this one?...like, whether baby is nursing enough or something? :)

    From LLL:
    "A breastfed baby's frequency of feeding will vary according to the mother's milk supply and storage capacity, as well as baby's developmental needs. Growth spurts and illnesses can temporarily change a baby's feeding patterns. Studies show that breastfeeding babies fed on cue will settle into a pattern that suits their own unique situation. In addition, the caloric intake of a breastfed baby increases toward the end of the feeding, so putting arbitrary limits on the frequency or duration of feedings may lead to inadequate caloric intake."
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  • Cantisa said:

    Emerald27 said:

    Cantisa said:

    Do breastfed babies always need to eat minimally 8x a day?

    Every baby and mother is different. Frequency of feeding is based on so many factors, and some babies who have long sleep stretches don't nurse quite that frequently, but they're usually older babies. The reason 8x per day minimum is mentioned is because a "typical" feeding is about 2-3oz, sometimes a bit more and sometimes a bit less. Is there a second question behind this one?...like, whether baby is nursing enough or something? :)

    From LLL:
    "A breastfed baby's frequency of feeding will vary according to the mother's milk supply and storage capacity, as well as baby's developmental needs. Growth spurts and illnesses can temporarily change a baby's feeding patterns. Studies show that breastfeeding babies fed on cue will settle into a pattern that suits their own unique situation. In addition, the caloric intake of a breastfed baby increases toward the end of the feeding, so putting arbitrary limits on the frequency or duration of feedings may lead to inadequate caloric intake."
    Well. Lol I think dd might only eat 6x today but her diaper output is fine she has just been sleeping a lot. No temp or anything and she's happy as can be. I just feel like I'm always obsessing calculating how much time it's been since her last feeding and how much time she's on the breast.
    There's a wise saying: "watch the baby, not the clock." Trust your baby and your body. As long as she's a happy baby and her diaper output is good, don't worry! :)
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  • Emerald27Emerald27 member
    edited December 2014
    @sabby2‌

    Do I need to sanitize the nipple shield, pump parts, and paci every time they are used or is washing with soap and water after every use and sanitizing once a day okay?

    ------ Soap and water are fine *while* you're treating for thrush (though sanitizing frequently is helpful). Once you're done with the nystatin regimen or whatever you're using, sanitize everything.------

    Is the milk I pumped before starting treatment okay to freeze and use?

    ------ Again, *while* you're treating for thrush, it's totally fine to use the milk you pumped while you've had thrush. It's not been extensively studied, but it is conceivable that although freezing deactivates yeast, it could reactivate and reinfect a baby after treatment. But as long as you're treating yourself and baby, it's safe to use. Rather than throwing away milk pumped when you have thrush, labeling it as such and freezing it to use in case you have thrush again is recommended. ------

    Since I'm taking medication that is excreted in the milk should I not freeze what I pump to use later?

    ------ You can definitely freeze and use it. That medication won't harm baby. ------

    Here's some more info:
    https://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/child/thrush-expressed-milk/
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  • Emerald27Emerald27 member
    edited December 2014
    keelyd said:


    Emerald27 said:

    Cantisa said:

    Emerald27 said:

    Cantisa said:

    Do breastfed babies always need to eat minimally 8x a day?

    Every baby and mother is different. Frequency of feeding is based on so many factors, and some babies who have long sleep stretches don't nurse quite that frequently, but they're usually older babies. The reason 8x per day minimum is mentioned is because a "typical" feeding is about 2-3oz, sometimes a bit more and sometimes a bit less. Is there a second question behind this one?...like, whether baby is nursing enough or something? :)

    From LLL:
    "A breastfed baby's frequency of feeding will vary according to the mother's milk supply and storage capacity, as well as baby's developmental needs. Growth spurts and illnesses can temporarily change a baby's feeding patterns. Studies show that breastfeeding babies fed on cue will settle into a pattern that suits their own unique situation. In addition, the caloric intake of a breastfed baby increases toward the end of the feeding, so putting arbitrary limits on the frequency or duration of feedings may lead to inadequate caloric intake."
    Well. Lol I think dd might only eat 6x today but her diaper output is fine she has just been sleeping a lot. No temp or anything and she's happy as can be. I just feel like I'm always obsessing calculating how much time it's been since her last feeding and how much time she's on the breast.
    There's a wise saying: "watch the baby, not the clock." Trust your baby and your body. As long as she's a happy baby and her diaper output is good, don't worry! :)


    I wish this were true for us... everytime I do this, I wind up with a baby that doesn't gain weight.

    ((Hugs)) I hope you can find an answer very soon, Keely! Whether it's a milk transfer issue, some other issue, or not an issue at all (LO perfectly healthy and this is just his way of growing). FX for you and your LO! We're here to support and encourage you as you search for the answer.
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  • Emerald27Emerald27 member
    edited December 2014
    Di_126 said:

    @Emerald27 I think I've seen you share a link or phone number to check medications while breastfeeding?  If so, could I get that from you?  Or, if you know offhand, if it's safe to take Airborne or Emergen-C.  We have a lot of family sick with a nasty cold and are simply trying to do our best to prevent.  Thanks!

    Sorry if this has already been asked/answered ad nauseam.  I haven't been in this thread much at all.

    Emergen-C is safe, Airborne is not. Airborne contains a high dose of vitamin A, which isn't safe.

    Here's the number for the infant risk center at TTU in case you want to verify: (806) 352-2519

    Stay healthy!!! :)
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  • Nursed in public today for the first time. I usually try to plan around feedings so I don't have to, but we have family in town and it just wasn't possible, so I had to feed her at the restaurant. I used a cover even, but as a guy leaving the restaurant walked by to leave, he looked at me and made a gagging/barfing noise. So embarrassed. Doesn't make me wanna do that again. Why are some people such immature jerks??? :((
    28 years old. Married 5 years.
    DD born Oct 2014 via C-Section (footling breech)
    Baby #2 (AND #3...SURPRISE!) Due Nov 17, 2016. Found out it was twins at 18+5! 


  • @elsie2014‌ - yet, if you had been sitting there by yourself in a low-cut top with several inches of cleavage, he probably would have happily thrown you lecherous looks. People can be such idiots - I don't understand it! Don't let it make you uncomfortable.

    I know right??? I have never been super for or against bf in public, but now I'm outraged. Knowing that I was showing NOTHING and he acted that way, but if a woman had a bikini on or showing some cleavage, he would be staring happily I'm sure. Ugh!
    28 years old. Married 5 years.
    DD born Oct 2014 via C-Section (footling breech)
    Baby #2 (AND #3...SURPRISE!) Due Nov 17, 2016. Found out it was twins at 18+5! 


  • starla487 said:

    Those of you that had thrush, did you sanitize your pump parts after every use as well?

    I did. I didn't use my pump that often back then though. Maybe once or twice a day.
  • sabby2sabby2 member
    edited December 2014
    starla487 said:

    Those of you that had thrush, did you sanitize your pump parts after every use as well?

    I've just been doing it once a day. I go back to work tomorrow. I know I won't have time to sanitize every time so I plan to put them in the fridge. I hope that's OK because I want this gone asap. DD hates taking the nystatin.
    We are so excited to grow our family!
    DD #1 Born 10/3/2014

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  • I'm not sure if this has been covered, but I Took a look and didn't find any similar posts: LO goes all night without feeding (yay!) but gets up every two hours for diaper changes. DH and I are going crazy! Is there anything we can do to get him to sleep through the night without having to be changed too?
  • KelliRR said:

    I'm not sure if this has been covered, but I Took a look and didn't find any similar posts: LO goes all night without feeding (yay!) but gets up every two hours for diaper changes. DH and I are going crazy! Is there anything we can do to get him to sleep through the night without having to be changed too?

    We have a similar issue... The MOTN wake ups are due to wet diapers. (And once we change LO then he wants to eat too - if there was no wet diaper, he would sleep longer since he's done it before). Curious too see what responses you get.
  • cmac6186 said:

    KelliRR said:

    I'm not sure if this has been covered, but I Took a look and didn't find any similar posts: LO goes all night without feeding (yay!) but gets up every two hours for diaper changes. DH and I are going crazy! Is there anything we can do to get him to sleep through the night without having to be changed too?

    What kind of diapers are you using? Disposable tends to be more absorbent than cloth and LO may not be as uncomfortable if he/she doesn't feel wet. Unfortunately some babies just can't stand that feeling. My kid, however, would sit in her waste forever if I let her
    We use disposables because he's still too small for all our cloth diapers. But now I'm nervous to even try the clock diapers because he gets so fussy even in the disposable ones. And I also sometimes have to feed him although that's gotten better.
  • KelliRR said:

    cmac6186 said:

    KelliRR said:

    I'm not sure if this has been covered, but I Took a look and didn't find any similar posts: LO goes all night without feeding (yay!) but gets up every two hours for diaper changes. DH and I are going crazy! Is there anything we can do to get him to sleep through the night without having to be changed too?

    What kind of diapers are you using? Disposable tends to be more absorbent than cloth and LO may not be as uncomfortable if he/she doesn't feel wet. Unfortunately some babies just can't stand that feeling. My kid, however, would sit in her waste forever if I let her
    We use disposables because he's still too small for all our cloth diapers. But now I'm nervous to even try the clock diapers because he gets so fussy even in the disposable ones. And I also sometimes have to feed him although that's gotten better.
    C gets more fussy in diaposibles than she does in her cloth. For overnights, I either put her in BG Freestyle or double stuff a pocket for extra absorbancy.

    Married 10/06

    Baby Girl "C" arrived on 10/07/14 (39 weeks, 6 days)


     

  • @starla487 Are these blisters white or red (like pimples or blood blisters)? The former is a milk blister and the latter is a friction blister. Friction blisters are caused by shallow latch, poor fitting shield or pump flange. Correcting the cause first, then allowing expressed milk to dry on your nipples and leaving them open to the air will help with healing. If it's a milk blister, softening with a warm wet washcloth before nursing can help loosen the skin so that nursing removes the blister, and if that's not enough, softening with a warm wet washcloth and gently scraping at the blister with your fingernail can detach the thin layer of skin, and then nursing or hand expressing will remove the milk behind it. Allow milk to dry on your nipples and leave them open to the air to speed healing. :)

    @keelyd You are doing such a great job. Keep up the good work! And remember that any breastmilk you're able to give LO is such a great gift. :) Perhaps pumping at work regularly will work out great, and you'll pump more and more each day! ((hugs)) and FX for weight gain, supply increase, and a positive pumping experience!

    @KelliRR‌ It's interesting that LO wakes for diapers but doesn't usually want to nurse. Maybe offering to nurse in the middle of the night waking a would actually help him sleep longer. A full tummy might make a wet diaper less of a big deal. ;) I'd try offering to nurse when he wakes with wet diapers and see if after a few nights, he starts sleeping longer stretches and just waking for a change and a meal once or twice a night. ;)
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  • cmac6186 said:

    The past week at daycare Dd has been taking one big feeding (like 5 or 6 oz) but the rest are 2 1/2-3oz spaced normally. One day it was 6oz at 8:30am over the course of an hour. Another it was 5oz at noon. Again over the course of an hour. They do paced bottle feeding and I send 3oz bottles. She's away from me for about 10hrs a day and eating about 15oz total during that time period. Should I be concerned about stomach stretching? They say she was inconsolable without more milk/reaching for the empty bottle those times of large feeding.

    Idk obv im no expert but I don't really think this would be a problem. When I searched infant eating a lot of people on forums said their 6 wk old was eating 5-6 oz at a time. I thought that was a lot but I was seeing that response over and over again. Every once in a while my 8wk old will eat 5 oz or so at a time but yeah it's usually only once a day. Then he'll eat like 3 oz.

    Personally I would be really upset not to let my baby eat if he was still hungry just bc it seems like a lot. Sometimes we are really hungry too. My baby has developed a really sad, high pitched cry when he's still hungry. I'll try taking the bottle out and seeing his reaction every ounce or so (after like 3oz) but if he cries that cry I let him eat. And if babies eat 2-3 oz every 2 hours then that could potentially equal 15 oz.
  • sabby2sabby2 member
    edited December 2014
    Breastfeeding gurus. I need help. I'm worried about supply. Only been back to work two half days but went 6 hours from when dd nursed to when I could pump. Am I going to have to bite the bullet and add a pumping session some time in my day outside of work to keep up supply? It is not possible to pump more than once at my job in the 9 hours I'm there. I have no idea what it will be like at my new job.
    We are so excited to grow our family!
    DD #1 Born 10/3/2014

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  • @sabby2‌ What is your job? Sometimes it takes some creativity to get in the pumping sessions you need to both get the milk you'll need for LO the following day AND maintain an adequate supply. :)

    I would definitely plan, like PP suggested, to pump before and after work, and add an evening pumping session so that you get the milk you need.
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  • @Emerald27 I'm a nurse. It's crazy hard to get away to pump.

    @cantisa as for pumping on the way, I live maybe 5 minutes from work. I have been just feeding dd before I leave to try and stretch it until I can get to my supper break (if I even get one).
    We are so excited to grow our family!
    DD #1 Born 10/3/2014

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  • @sabby2‌ I'm really nervous about loosing my supply when I go back next week too I'm a nurse in the ER so I don't know if I'm ever going to have a set pump schedule.
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  • @sabby2‌ So I wanted to chime in as a fellow nurse. I really struggled with taking breaks when I first went back because I hated making others cover me. I felt so guilty stepping away when the unit needed me. But you need to keep in mind that you are a person with a child, and you have to make the time that you are entitled to have. Once I stopped making myself feel guilty for stepping away, suddenly it was easier to get a routine down. I second the suggestion for the pumping room. There is normally one in the L&D area that is all set up and ready.

    Yeah. I know I need to. I have 3 more shifts on my old unit until I start my new job. My old unit is really under staffed and they seem very burnt out. I feel bad but I know I need to do what I can for her.
    We are so excited to grow our family!
    DD #1 Born 10/3/2014

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  • Emerald27Emerald27 member
    edited December 2014
    @sabby2 Do you get bathroom breaks? Some nurses bring a manual pump to work and pump 5 minutes at a time a few times between the start of their shift and their big pumping session, and again a few times between their big pumping session and the end of their shift.

    Maybe something like that could work for you while you wait to start your new job. And I might go in to your new job making it clear that you need to pump for your baby, so that from day one everyone knows you'll be needing 3 pumping sessions each day, and expects you to take the breaks.
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  • @Emerald27 It really depends on the day. There are days when I literally am busy enough with patients that I don't get a bathroom break or lunch in 12 hours. That is usually extreme. I brought my manual pump along in hopes I could do the 5 minutes but I was busy enough that it didn't happen.

    I am going to be sure to bring it up on the first day of my new job this Friday. Hopefully they will work it out with me considering I'm moving to women's health.
    We are so excited to grow our family!
    DD #1 Born 10/3/2014

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  • @MrsBabe614‌ I'm so glad it worked! There are all sorts of great uses like this for breastmilk. It helps with pink eye as well as tear duct blockages. Gently massaging the tear duct can help too. Many moms also use breastmilk on diaper rashes and scrapes/scratches from baby claws. :P
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  • Cantisa said:

    My EBF Lo is having trouble with gas and spit up with bottle feedings. Even when you pace her she gulps and cries if you take nipple away. Any tips? We are using dr Browns bottles.

    Can you sit her a bit more upright when you offer the bottle? And if she gets really upset when you remove the bottle to pace her, can you just offer 1oz at a time so that you have to get more and she has to take a break between the 1st and 2nd ounce (or 1st, 2nd, and 3rd if it's a 3oz feeding)?
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  • erawka said:

    Pumping question: right now, I am working two 12 hour shifts per week. So far, supply has not been an issue for me. I am typically pumping about as much as LO drinks in a day. My workplace is very supportive of pumping, and has been allowing me three pumping breaks per day, in addition to my two usual meal breaks (5 times total).

    My question is: should I drop my last session of the day? I usually do not get much from that session anyway (around 2.5 ounces total) and I can't help but feel a little guilty that I'm blocking off that time (and thus increasing the burden on my colleagues). I'm hesitant to get rid of it though, because I worry about being engorged, about decreasing my supply, and if I'm being totally honest, I like having the extra time to keep caught up in my charts, which means less paperwork that I have to do at home.

    As I'm writing this, I'm realizing a lot of this is a personal decision, but I am interested in people's thoughts on what's best for successful pumping/nursing. In a 12-hour block, are 4 pumping sessions sufficient?

    If you can pump during your meal breaks, that might allow you to drop a pumping session. I would pump every 2-3 hours, so 4 pumping sessions in a 12-hr shift should be sufficient. You can always add the dropped session back in if you're not getting enough milk or notice a supply dip, right?

    BUT - do not feel guilty for taking the reasonable breaks you need to provide for your child. You're not doing anything wrong or being selfish. It's on the employer to make the accommodations for pumping mothers work for everyone in the workplace, so if it's a burden upon your coworkers, they need to ask your employer to somehow ease their load.
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  • So I just wanted to say that @emerald27 's suggestion for BM in a plugged tear duct worked like a charm! DD had a really watery eye and it looked a little more red than normal so I thought what the hell and squirted milk in her eye after all her feedings. A day later, nothing! It was completely gone! Just wanted to share my successes for anyone else with this issue. Sounds weird but totally works. DH was in awe of the things my body is capable of. I made a baby and this is what you're dumb founded about? Lol

    Hmm. That's awesome it worked.. I tried and it didn't work :( neither did massaging his duct. Idk what to do!! Did you rub the milk in her eye?
  • I used bm about twice a day for dds plugged tear duct, it took about a week but it did clear up. I would express bm on my finger and then massage the duct with the milk.
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  • ishknits said:

    So I just wanted to say that @emerald27 's suggestion for BM in a plugged tear duct worked like a charm! DD had a really watery eye and it looked a little more red than normal so I thought what the hell and squirted milk in her eye after all her feedings. A day later, nothing! It was completely gone! Just wanted to share my successes for anyone else with this issue. Sounds weird but totally works. DH was in awe of the things my body is capable of. I made a baby and this is what you're dumb founded about? Lol

    Hmm. That's awesome it worked.. I tried and it didn't work :( neither did massaging his duct. Idk what to do!! Did you rub the milk in her eye?
    Sometimes clogged tear ducts take a long time to clear. We used a warm damp cloth against the duct, then massage with a clean finger, followed by breastmilk dripped directly into the eye. The breastmilk was as much to help the clogged duct as to help prevent infection from the damp washcloth and finger near the eye. DS had one clogged year duct that took 1-2 weeks to clear when he was brand new.
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  • Thank you! Mines had his since birth and it's still clogged 2 months later. I feel so bad bc his eye gets irritated when I clean the gunk out. I'll try again with milk and massaging and see if it helps
  • edited December 2014

    The Montgomery glands all around both nipples are inflamed and sore. I think this is because Sunny wasn't latching properly while she was sick and congested. Any tips for decreasing pain during nursing and pumping and healing them faster?

    I had this several weeks ago. Oh man, did it hurt when he nursed! The only thing I could do was switch up the holds so pressure/friction wasn't always on the same spot on my nipple (I always use the cradle hold, so I switched to the football hold for a day). I also laid off the nipple butter because I was worried it might clog the glands. The pain went away fairly quickly. I was back to nursing with my preferred hold the following day.

    ETA: I put breastmilk on my nipples to soothe them in place of nipple butter.

  • I go back to work in 3 weeks. DS has gotten a few pumped bottles over the course of my mat leave, and he has taken them without issue.

    My question: Should I be more diligent about bottle feeding to prepare him for what's to come? He was getting one bottle a week, max. Should I start giving him a bottle a day instead to be sure he gets used to it, even though he hadn't had problems taking one before?
  • I go back to work in 3 weeks. DS has gotten a few pumped bottles over the course of my mat leave, and he has taken them without issue.

    My question: Should I be more diligent about bottle feeding to prepare him for what's to come? He was getting one bottle a week, max. Should I start giving him a bottle a day instead to be sure he gets used to it, even though he hadn't had problems taking one before?

    We started doing a bottle a day. I think it's a personal choice, but it makes me feel better to have him take at least one a day to hopefully fight off any bottle refusals.
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