Thank you everyone !!! I feel like I was the only one using the shield but sounds like you all are having success with it. I need to forgive myself and attempt to not have mom guilt every feeding.
@breanneestafford1Never any guilt or shame! We are ALL doing the best we can for our babies. Wether EBF or FF or Homemade organic baby food or jarred from Walmart...we give them the best nutrition we can, but what they remember is the love and fun. So no need to feel guilty and focus on the enjoyment you both get being together.
Anybody using a hospital grade pump? I'm starting to get nervous about going back to work and it's taking forever to pump a tiny amount with my normal electric one. I dont have any breaks with my job so Im wondering if people find the hospital grade ones quicker?
@mnkenned my pump is hospital grade (check out limerick pj's comfort) and I typically take 20 minutes to pump -- at least that's what it was when I pumped for DD. I wish everyone had my pump. It's seriously fantastic
Anyone else dealing with overactive letdown/ oversupply and successfully managing it? I thought I was doing alright until LO poops turned green and watery yesterday. I'm also wondering if maybe this is the reason he is still waking every two hours to feed (at 4.5 weeks). I was letting him latch and then once the letdown started pulling him off and letting the spray go into a wash cloth. The LC said to try pumping for five minutes before feeding. I'd love other opinions or suggestions!
@hreed7289 I definitely still have an overactive letdown. LO sometimes coughs/cries/pulls off and milk is shooting out everywhere then. Thankfully, he doesn't seem affected by it, it's just annoying to get him latched for a moment. If he's more awake, he usually just gulps really quickly and seems to manage fine.
@hreed7289 I have overactive letdown on my R side and had oversupply. I am successfully managing the supply by block feeding. It took several days, but at a week and half doing it, it's much better. Also, LOs at 6 weeks and still will wake every 2-3 hours to eat. Just recently will he sleep for 4 hour stretches a couple of times a day.
@hreed7289 Block feeding here too, but pumping a little on the other side just to keep it comfortable and to reduce the number of plugged ducts I've been getting!! I just have oversupply though, not overactive letdown (though letdown is really painful sometimes, is that normal?)
Married 6/1/13
BFP #1 7/2013 MMC 9/17/13
BFP #2 5/2014 MC 6/15/14
BFP #3 11/13/14 (Found in ER with ruptured cyst) Diagnosed MC 11/15/14
BFP #4 4/2015 MC 7/1/15
BFP #5 10/21/15 EDD 7/3/16 Praying for our rainbow!
Anyone not feel "full" at 3 weeks? Just yesterday I felt full on the breast she was due to eat on and today it is very soft. I am worried I am not making enough...
@mrsmommya Yes! This happened to me the past couple of days. DH found an article that said it can be normal, but I have a fear my supply is decreasing.
@mrsmommya I rarely feel full and spent time worrying. I regularly can pump ~10oz in a session so I figure my boobs just must never feel full? I wouldn't worry if things seem normal otherwise.
I have find that as the weeks go by my boobs feel more soft now! I definitely have enough milk. The only time I feel engorged at all is if she sleeps a long time at night.
I guess I will keep an eye on her diapers if I get worried. She even fought me at the left breast this morning which didn't help my anxiety about the whole thing. I think it was her trying to poo but it definitely wasn't reassuring.
I was also concerned about feeling really soft, and everything I read said that once you get used to having your milk in, you don't feel as full all the time. I hardly ever do anymore, unless we miss an overnight feeding and I don't wake up to pump.
@Heathereaddy I have no clue if 10 oz is normal or not! Just goes to show boobs can apparently hold a lot more than you assume. I am sure as baby demands to eat more your supply will accommodate. Or that's what I've been told...
Same schedule for 2 weeks and it all goes out the window today. She is barely making it 2 hrs where before she would go 3 or more if I didn't wake her....
Yes 2-4 ounces for both breasts. I was told breastfed babies will take 2.5-4 or 5 oz max and the breastmilk changes over time to meet their nutritional needs.
@FTM53 The white on the tongue won't wash or rub off (like a milk stain will). My doctor also said you can get Gentian Violet and it will turn purple if there's thrush. It's otc in Canada
Have any mommas made the switch from BF to FF? I've been going to a BF support group and turns out that LO has not gained as much weight as she should in the last week. After a lot of questions the nurse has determined I have a low supply. I'm already going crazy trying to breastfeed and still have as active of a lifestyle as we did before so this just added to my stress. In talking it over with DH it seems that the best thing to do for LO & my sanity is to try and nurse what I can and give formula as well. Thinking that when I go back to work in 3 weeks we will nurse in the morning & at night with formula during the day. Any help is appreciated!
@HoneyBear40 I haven't made the switch, but I've been considering it. She has food sensitivities and it really limits what I can eat. Plus there's always the fear that something I eat will accidentally contain whatever she is allergic to. I'm currently supplement an oz of formula at every other feeding because my supply is low too. That seems to have helped both with her weight gain and food sensitivity. Hope we get some good advice on how to best axcomplish it.
@HoneyBear40 I'm back to work and am doing exactly what you're planning to do. Nursing before and after work & overnight, formula while I'm at work. I also try to pump once in the evening so that he can get in at least one bottle of breastmilk the next day. So far so good!
@HoneyBear40 I made the switch a few weeks ago. I was pumping 1 to 2 times a day and giving BM in between FF. My supply has dwindled significantly since. I'm not in pain or engorged like I was and haven't pushed to pump or encourage my supply as it was a decision I sadly was not happy about in the beginning. LO also had jaundice and dehydration and was admitted to the hospital a few days after he was born. That paired with my anxiety being so high and LO seemed so ravenous at each feeding, I simply had no patience to continue and was very upset about it but am getting better about it 4 and 1/2 weeks PP. LO is currently on Enfamil Newborn powder and is putting on weight thankfully! Good luck with what you decide!
For those of you who are bottle feeding, how much is your LO taking? I recently switched to exclusively pumping and bottle feeding the pumped milk plus formula to make up the difference. I feed DD when she's hungry and she doesn't spit up; she is gaining well with plenty of diapers. But I think she's eating a ton! Yesterday and today she got 27-28oz each day, drinking 4-5oz at a time. She'll be a month old tomorrow and is 9lb 3oz. I know all babies are different but I'm curious to see what others are experiencing.
Thank you @jjtruffles & @Jodi1980. I'm finally starting to feel less like a failure and less stressed with our new plan of action. 1 month plus whatever I can give her a few times a day is better than nothing! I just feel so bad that I've been unintentionally starving my baby...
@sboston06 LO is eating about 2 to 2.5 Oz every 2 to 3 hours but was 6.6 lbs 3 weeks ago. He goes for his 6 week appt. this coming Monday so I have yet to get his current weight. Some days he will eat his 2 oz and then another 2 to 3oz 30 mins later.
@sboston06 LO takes 1 oz of formula plus my boob. If she's exclusively bottle fed, than she drinks about 3oz of formula/breastmilk. Sometimes she'll drink another oz or I'll give her the boob 30 mins or an hour later. She weighs about 8lbs and will be 4 weeks tomorrow. She's been gaining just fine.
My LO is 10 lbs 6 oz and went for his 1 month today. He eats about 3-4 oz every 3-4 hours. My doctor gave me the go ahead to start mixing oatmeal cereal in with formula because he won't stop vomiting up the formula. Since I got a new job and I'll be starting up in a few weeks I have to start mixing FF with BF. Wish me luck!
@sboston06 My DD eats 4-5 oz a feed. She usually eats every 3-4 hours but has only been waking up once in the night. She spits up a little but I don't think it's from overfeeding, she's just a big baby at 11lbs 10oz (this was a week ago when she was 6 weeks old). Her Dr. said it's still in the normal range for a newborn to eat that much, so I am not worried.
Re: Feeding Your Baby
My supply has dwindled significantly since. I'm not in pain or engorged like I was and haven't pushed to pump or encourage my supply as it was a decision I sadly was not happy about in the beginning.
LO also had jaundice and dehydration and was admitted to the hospital a few days after he was born. That paired with my anxiety being so high and LO seemed so ravenous at each feeding, I simply had no patience to continue and was very upset about it but am getting better about it 4 and 1/2 weeks PP.
LO is currently on Enfamil Newborn powder and is putting on weight thankfully!
Good luck with what you decide!