I'm wondering if DD is getting better at breastfeeding or my supply sucks the last two days. I used to be able to get a few ounces off each breast with pumping after she was finished, and now I get basically a few drops. In worried I won't be able to keep up.
She feeds each side about 15-20 minutes per nursing session (so sometimes for 40 minutes, which really sucks when she cluster feeds). She seems very content after each feed.
I am taking a lactation supplement, eating oatmeal kind bars, and drinking lots of water.
I knew breastfeeding would be stressful, but I didn't realize how much I would worry about it and how time consuming it is to feed her.
If she seems content then I wouldn't worry. Why are you pumping after? You're making enough to feed her and then some. You don't want an oversupply.
@Curls919 It was advice given to me to pump after a feed. But maybe this was when we were supplementing formula still last week. I guess I didn't realize it would result in an oversupply. I must say last night DD slept a four hour stretch after a feed! I still can't believe it.
*TW Spoiler*
DD: Aug '16
10/2017: Twins confirmed with TTTS at 22 weeks. 10/10/17 Twin B passed after in utero placenta surgery 11/2/17 Twin A & B born 11/26/17: Twin A passed after 24 days fighting in the NICU Benched 6 months BFP: 6/28/18 MC:7/16/18 BO BFP: 10/2/18 EDD 6/15/18
Since baby boy was in the nicu, the hospital had me start pumping before breastfeeding could start. I ended up having A LOT of milk come in very quickly, and now if LO doesn't stay awake or eat long enough (which luckily now he usually does), I still have to pump a little after to relieve the pressure. I didn't realize until I came on here once we were home that others weren't pumping yet (ftm)! I feel like my whole ftm and breastfeeding experience is way off from others from starting off in the nicu... he had bottle feedings and a pacib, which I didnt plan to do for awhile, but I'm so grateful he was so well taken care of.
Since only breastfeeding her, I noticed that my LO just burps herself while she has boob in mouth. They're loud and powerful. Gives me hope and confidence that she is satisfied. Sometimes, she burps twice in a row while trying to re-latch. This is entertaining on a whole new level.
@AliKay20 That's awesome. I love when they burp themselves! It's great to save a step. It feels like a small victory!
I had a visiting nurse come today. Good visit. Here's something to think about. She said if LO wants to nurse more than once in a hour to offer the same breast that way they're getting the hind milk. I always thought to give the opposite breast than what I started with. My LO is 9 days old and will only nurse for 10-15 mins at a time on one breast before going back to sleep. Anyone hear this or experience something similar?
@AliKay20 That's awesome. I love when they burp themselves! It's great to save a step. It feels like a small victory!
I had a visiting nurse come today. Good visit. Here's something to think about. She said if LO wants to nurse more than once in a hour to offer the same breast that way they're getting the hind milk. I always thought to give the opposite breast than what I started with. My LO is 9 days old and will only nurse for 10-15 mins at a time on one breast before going back to sleep. Anyone hear this or experience something similar?
Stuck in box
My baby only nurses 10 to 15 minutes. He started doing that within the first week. But he's gaining weight, and I think he just eats more often. During the day it can be every hour in the morning and then evening. He only goes one or two longer stretches during the day, and then 4 or so hours at night, followed by a 3 hour stretch after that.
Since baby boy was in the nicu, the hospital had me start pumping before breastfeeding could start. I ended up having A LOT of milk come in very quickly, and now if LO doesn't stay awake or eat long enough (which luckily now he usually does), I still have to pump a little after to relieve the pressure. I didn't realize until I came on here once we were home that others weren't pumping yet (ftm)! I feel like my whole ftm and breastfeeding experience is way off from others from starting off in the nicu... he had bottle feedings and a pacib, which I didnt plan to do for awhile, but I'm so grateful he was so well taken care of.
Oh yeah, starting in the NICU is a whole different world than starting off normally. I'm a STM and DS1 was a textbook full-term birth. I didn't start pumping until he was a couple weeks old, and even then it was just once a day to start building a stash. With DS2 being a preemie and spending extensive time in the NICU, we pumped for 7 weeks before I was even allowed to put him to breast. Even now we're working through some feeding issues and I'm doing more pumping than nursing.
@No more Miss! - Dd1 only ever nursed for 10ish minutes. When she would hit a growth spurt she would nurse more frequentlya but usually it was every o few hours. She was also in the 90th percentile for weight until she started moving about. As long as baby is gaining weight don't worry.
@AliKay20 That's awesome. I love when they burp themselves! It's great to save a step. It feels like a small victory!
I had a visiting nurse come today. Good visit. Here's something to think about. She said if LO wants to nurse more than once in a hour to offer the same breast that way they're getting the hind milk. I always thought to give the opposite breast than what I started with. My LO is 9 days old and will only nurse for 10-15 mins at a time on one breast before going back to sleep. Anyone hear this or experience something similar?
@AliKay20 That's awesome. I love when they burp themselves! It's great to save a step. It feels like a small victory!
I had a visiting nurse come today. Good visit. Here's something to think about. She said if LO wants to nurse more than once in a hour to offer the same breast that way they're getting the hind milk. I always thought to give the opposite breast than what I started with. My LO is 9 days old and will only nurse for 10-15 mins at a time on one breast before going back to sleep. Anyone hear this or experience something similar?
@AliKay20 That's awesome. I love when they burp themselves! It's great to save a step. It feels like a small victory!
I had a visiting nurse come today. Good visit. Here's something to think about. She said if LO wants to nurse more than once in a hour to offer the same breast that way they're getting the hind milk. I always thought to give the opposite breast than what I started with. My LO is 9 days old and will only nurse for 10-15 mins at a time on one breast before going back to sleep. Anyone hear this or experience something similar?
Baby is two weeks here. We have a consistent problem with him either falling asleep eating (particularly at the breast) or being too hangry to nurse. We would have just waited it out but he wasn't gaining weight like he should be. He's making good progress though. All that to say... Totally normal!
@AliKay20, you have been cracking me up recently!! :-D
Agreed
*TW Spoiler*
DD: Aug '16
10/2017: Twins confirmed with TTTS at 22 weeks. 10/10/17 Twin B passed after in utero placenta surgery 11/2/17 Twin A & B born 11/26/17: Twin A passed after 24 days fighting in the NICU Benched 6 months BFP: 6/28/18 MC:7/16/18 BO BFP: 10/2/18 EDD 6/15/18
DD does this new fun thing where she pulls back on my nipple really hard and arches her back while feeding several times. I just wanna be like, calm down child you are being fed!
*TW Spoiler*
DD: Aug '16
10/2017: Twins confirmed with TTTS at 22 weeks. 10/10/17 Twin B passed after in utero placenta surgery 11/2/17 Twin A & B born 11/26/17: Twin A passed after 24 days fighting in the NICU Benched 6 months BFP: 6/28/18 MC:7/16/18 BO BFP: 10/2/18 EDD 6/15/18
I am exclusively pumping too. My LO is a lazy eater and wants instant gratification with no work. This is one the hardest things I have ever done. Every 3 hours I feed baby then pump for 30 minutes. It usually takes an hour before I'm finished then repeat. I feel like a milk machine but I'm determined. I'm seeing the lactation consultant twice a week so I'm hoping we find a solution soon. I don't want to give up!
I am exclusively pumping too. My LO is a lazy eater and wants instant gratification with no work. This is one the hardest things I have ever done. Every 3 hours I feed baby then pump for 30 minutes. It usually takes an hour before I'm finished then repeat. I feel like a milk machine but I'm determined. I'm seeing the lactation consultant twice a week so I'm hoping we find a solution soon. I don't want to give up!
I'm in the same boat, but my LO had a tongue tie and is awaiting a lip tie release. I ordered a Lact Aid system and he did very well with that today. You might want to look into it. Hang in there, I'm told it gets better, so keep on trucking!
this may have already been asked, but what is everyone's opinion about drinking and breastfeeding? I've had a half glass of wine with dinner a few times now, and for some reason am feeling very guilty about it! I know I had the occasional drink with my first, but I'm wondering if I should wait until this LO is on a more predictable schedule...
this may have already been asked, but what is everyone's opinion about drinking and breastfeeding? I've had a half glass of wine with dinner a few times now, and for some reason am feeling very guilty about it! I know I had the occasional drink with my first, but I'm wondering if I should wait until this LO is on a more predictable schedule...
My rule is if you're ok to drive, you're ok to breastfeed! I know lots of other mamas who play by the same rule.
this may have already been asked, but what is everyone's opinion about drinking and breastfeeding? I've had a half glass of wine with dinner a few times now, and for some reason am feeling very guilty about it! I know I had the occasional drink with my first, but I'm wondering if I should wait until this LO is on a more predictable schedule...
I just had a bottle of beer then nursed. I go by "OK to drive, ok to nurse". There's is no need to pump and dump.
I am exclusively pumping too. My LO is a lazy eater and wants instant gratification with no work. This is one the hardest things I have ever done. Every 3 hours I feed baby then pump for 30 minutes. It usually takes an hour before I'm finished then repeat. I feel like a milk machine but I'm determined. I'm seeing the lactation consultant twice a week so I'm hoping we find a solution soon. I don't want to give up!
This is pretty much my life, and we are on a 2.5 hour schedule during the day.
this may have already been asked, but what is everyone's opinion about drinking and breastfeeding? I've had a half glass of wine with dinner a few times now, and for some reason am feeling very guilty about it! I know I had the occasional drink with my first, but I'm wondering if I should wait until this LO is on a more predictable schedule...
Someone told me as long as you can hold the baby, you're ok to nurse, but that seems a little shady to me lol. I go by the driving rule as well, but am hoping to get some of the milk testing strips from Target too.
I also go by the OK to drive, ok to nurse rule. I had the testing strips with DS1, which was helpful because it taught me how much I would have to be feeling the alcohol in order for my milk to be affected. I was actually surprised with how much I had to drink to have my milk be impacted - there was only one time after a friends wedding that I had to pump and dump. Now I feel like I can tell the limit without the strips - and I rarely have more than 2 glasses of wine.
Another important thing... Alcohol in your milk is like alcohol in your blood. It comes and goes. If you can hold of on pumping/feeding for a couple of hours, it will most likely be out of your milk and you won't have to waste any.
Anyone else with an oversupply experience their little one having bright green poop?? I googled and it said it can happen if baby isn't getting enough hindmilk (the fatty stuff that's in the second half of the feeding) and is often associated with oversupply. I think this may be me, but not sure how to solve the problem? I'll call the LC if it's still occurring on Monday but hoping someone else has some insight!
Anyone else with an oversupply experience their little one having bright green poop?? I googled and it said it can happen if baby isn't getting enough hindmilk (the fatty stuff that's in the second half of the feeding) and is often associated with oversupply. I think this may be me, but not sure how to solve the problem? I'll call the LC if it's still occurring on Monday but hoping someone else has some insight!
Have you tried block feeding at all? This is where you only feed one breast per feeding. That way LO gets all the hind milk from that breast rather than a bunch of foremilk from each. It would also help with your oversupply. Look up "block feeding" on kellymom.com for more info.
I am exclusively pumping too. My LO is a lazy eater and wants instant gratification with no work. This is one the hardest things I have ever done. Every 3 hours I feed baby then pump for 30 minutes. It usually takes an hour before I'm finished then repeat. I feel like a milk machine but I'm determined. I'm seeing the lactation consultant twice a week so I'm hoping we find a solution soon. I don't want to give up!
I'm in the same boat, but my LO had a tongue tie and is awaiting a lip tie release. I ordered a Lact Aid system and he did very well with that today. You might want to look into it. Hang in there, I'm told it gets better, so keep on trucking!
@court5608 I also have an oversupply issue and have kind of ended up only feeding one side per feeding - mostly bc LO will be done after one side. I think it's helping the supply issue too, before when I was trying to offer both she wasn't emptying at all and it was getting hard for her to latch, and also uncomfortable for me.
I've been feeding on one side at a time since after the first few days. It seems to work well for us, especially since baby only feeds for 10 to 15 minutes. He eats more often I think, every hour at times during the day, but still can go longer periods at night. I don't get engorged unless he waits 4 hours or more to eat, and when that happens I pump before I feed him. And he's still getting enough to eat and gaining weight. That's how they told me to feed him in the hospital if he kept falling asleep during feedings and wouldn't feed very long on the second breast.
It's been so hard to get on TB. DS wants to feed non stop and isn't sleeping very soundly. My nipples were tore up at first but have healed. I have to keep a hand on his head to keep him from popping off or getting a shallow lach and squeeze my boob into a boob sandwich for him with my other hand. Hands free pumping is great, but where's the hands free breastfeeding baby and boob holder contraption?!
Hoping it keeps getting better and I can get back on here more soon.
LO was cluster feeding from 5-6:30 and then proceeded to spit up, what I have to assume is, all of the milk he drank I feel bad for him because he must have been overly full, but I also feel bad for my boobs! All that milk wasted! I just finished washing both of us down, and now he's acting hungry again... I don't think my boobs can take any more!
I'm nervous about eventually breastfeeding in public. I have no idea how. Everyone says that when it comes time, it will be easy and I'll learn some tricks. I hope they are right! In the meantime, I saw this somewhere and it made me laugh.
I'm nervous about eventually breastfeeding in public. I have no idea how. Everyone says that when it comes time, it will be easy and I'll learn some tricks. I hope they are right! In the meantime, I saw this somewhere and it made me laugh.
I'm nervous about eventually breastfeeding in public. I have no idea how. Everyone says that when it comes time, it will be easy and I'll learn some tricks. I hope they are right! In the meantime, I saw this somewhere and it made me laugh.
you can wear a tank top under your shirt. Then the shirt can go up, tank down and the 'bare minimum' is exposed, if that is what you are worried about.
Formerly known as Kate08young August '18 Siggy April Showers:
Me: 28 H: 24 Married: 7/22/14 Baby L: 8/4/2015 August 2015 Moms Baby E: 11/18/2016 December 2016 Moms TTC #3 08/2017 BFP 11/27/2017. Twin B lost 11/22/2017, Twin A doing well.
@Bookhousegirl I feel your pain. We may have another round of formula tonight. Baby seems super gassy and crabby.
*TW Spoiler*
DD: Aug '16
10/2017: Twins confirmed with TTTS at 22 weeks. 10/10/17 Twin B passed after in utero placenta surgery 11/2/17 Twin A & B born 11/26/17: Twin A passed after 24 days fighting in the NICU Benched 6 months BFP: 6/28/18 MC:7/16/18 BO BFP: 10/2/18 EDD 6/15/18
As someone with large boobs, I never felt comfortable feeding in a super public place only bc I felt like so much of my chest was uncovered. I did do the tshirt and tank trick though. I found that a light weight blanket also worked well to cover me and the baby, I would just loosely tie it around my neck. I did however feed in front of my friends, or if I was in a more secluded public area. Sometimes I would feed that baby in the car if we were out and about, just bc it was more comfortable for both of us. I'm hoping with this LO I can be a little more comfortable in public, but I made it work last time with no issues. You'll figure it out!
@tisunge602 I guess I'm nervous for multiple reasons. First, right now baby cries a lot because I have overactive letdown, and then I have to squirt milk into a towel to take the edge off before he can handle it. I'm hoping that will level out by the time we need to feed in public. The overactive letdown also makes me soak through shirts really fast. Again, hoping that will sort itself out with time.
Secondly, I guess it's just first time jitters! I'll definitely try the two-shirt method. I also guess that I'm nervous about people being rude, since it seems like that happens a lot and I live in an area where it is not the cultural norm to breastfeed.
Re: Breastfeeding
It was advice given to me to pump after a feed. But maybe this was when we were supplementing formula still last week. I guess I didn't realize it would result in an oversupply. I must say last night DD slept a four hour stretch after a feed! I still can't believe it.
DD: Aug '16
10/2017: Twins confirmed with TTTS at 22 weeks.
10/10/17 Twin B passed after in utero placenta surgery
11/2/17 Twin A & B born
11/26/17: Twin A passed after 24 days fighting in the NICU
Benched 6 months
BFP: 6/28/18 MC:7/16/18 BO
BFP: 10/2/18 EDD 6/15/18
That's awesome. I love when they burp themselves! It's great to save a step. It feels like a small victory!
I had a visiting nurse come today. Good visit. Here's something to think about. She said if LO wants to nurse more than once in a hour to offer the same breast that way they're getting the hind milk. I always thought to give the opposite breast than what I started with.
My LO is 9 days old and will only nurse for 10-15 mins at a time on one breast before going back to sleep. Anyone hear this or experience something similar?
BFP #2 8/22/12 | EDD 5/5/13 | DS1 born 5/9/13
BFP #3 4/25/15 | EDD 1/7/16 | MMC 7/2/15 @ 13w1d | D&E 7/8/15
BFP #4 12/9/15 | EDD 8/22/16 | DS2 born 5/18/16 at 26w2d
Just keep swimming.
Baby grabs hair and pulls when trying to latch. Tight grip when she grunts to poop or fart while feeding. Ouchhhhhh
DD: Aug '16
10/2017: Twins confirmed with TTTS at 22 weeks.
10/10/17 Twin B passed after in utero placenta surgery
11/2/17 Twin A & B born
11/26/17: Twin A passed after 24 days fighting in the NICU
Benched 6 months
BFP: 6/28/18 MC:7/16/18 BO
BFP: 10/2/18 EDD 6/15/18
DD: Aug '16
10/2017: Twins confirmed with TTTS at 22 weeks.
10/10/17 Twin B passed after in utero placenta surgery
11/2/17 Twin A & B born
11/26/17: Twin A passed after 24 days fighting in the NICU
Benched 6 months
BFP: 6/28/18 MC:7/16/18 BO
BFP: 10/2/18 EDD 6/15/18
Another important thing... Alcohol in your milk is like alcohol in your blood. It comes and goes. If you can hold of on pumping/feeding for a couple of hours, it will most likely be out of your milk and you won't have to waste any.
Hoping it keeps getting better and I can get back on here more soon.
Formerly known as Kate08young
August '18 Siggy April Showers:
Married: 7/22/14
Baby L: 8/4/2015 August 2015 Moms
Baby E: 11/18/2016 December 2016 Moms
TTC #3 08/2017 BFP 11/27/2017.
Twin B lost 11/22/2017, Twin A doing well.
DD: Aug '16
10/2017: Twins confirmed with TTTS at 22 weeks.
10/10/17 Twin B passed after in utero placenta surgery
11/2/17 Twin A & B born
11/26/17: Twin A passed after 24 days fighting in the NICU
Benched 6 months
BFP: 6/28/18 MC:7/16/18 BO
BFP: 10/2/18 EDD 6/15/18
Secondly, I guess it's just first time jitters! I'll definitely try the two-shirt method. I also guess that I'm nervous about people being rude, since it seems like that happens a lot and I live in an area where it is not the cultural norm to breastfeed.