All Things Breastfeeding

rspalding001 · December 2016

@sandnstarsnj maybe he is just becoming more efficient at nursing? I forget when it happened but with DD she got to the point where she would only nurse for 5-10 mins at a time and she was just fine.

SandNStarsNJ · December 2016

rspalding001 said:

@sandnstarsnj maybe he is just becoming more efficient at nursing? I forget when it happened but with DD she got to the point where she would only nurse for 5-10 mins at a time and she was just fine.

Thanks. Just makes me nervous with DH sick in the next room. I have this impending doom that we're all about to be real sick.

tigerfish227 · December 2016

@SandNStarsNJ V almost never nurses more than about 8-12 minutes at a time. Some babies are just more efficient and are done quickly. Listen for sucking and swallowing sounds. I find that when baby has longer sessions he's not actually swallowing as much after about 10 minutes and his sucking slows down.

jsmai · December 2016

@hjmommaplus1 DD'S stools are still very mucusy and sometimes we still see a little blood 9 days after the diet shift. However, her complexion and temperament have both improved. We have her 1 month peds appointment tomorrow. I don't think they'll be allowing me back on dairy anytime soon.

I hope your situation improves soon. I don't know about you, but I miss my cheeses.

SandNStarsNJ · December 2016

@tigerfish227 How many times a day though does LO nurse? Mine is sometimes of 10 minute hourly feedings.

tigerfish227 · December 2016

SandNStarsNJ said:

@tigerfish227 How many times a day though does LO nurse? Mine is sometimes of 10 minute hourly feedings.

On average we nurse about every 90 minutes(start to start) during the day which puts us at around 10-12 daytime feedings. 12-15 total if you include nighttime too.

Starting the count at midnight he usually wakes up around 2am for his first MOTN feeding. Second wakeup usually is somewhere around 4-5am which is when I try to pump(if I'm not exhausted) then up about every 60-90 minutes until around 8-9am. After that he slows down and will go anywhere from an hour to 3 hours between nursing. Around 8-9pm he will start to cluster again until he falls asleep for the night anywhere between 9-11pm. I do not try to set a schedule for him though. I just follow his lead unless he gets to 3 hours during the day. If he sleeps that long during the day I will wake him up just so that he isn't wide awake at 1am. Lol!

SandNStarsNJ · December 2016

Thanks @tigerfish227! Mine is following almost the exact same routine. It's nice to know.

kvruns · December 2016

Anyone else disappointed in their pump? I feel like mine isn't emptying well and it is making me mad. Tonight I even hand expressed a good amount, it's like I can't get a good let down and definitely never get more than one. I even had new parts when the suction seemed to not work but I swear I need new ones again or something ugh

SandNStarsNJ · December 2016

What's the name of the pump @kvruns?

anne11716 · December 2016

@kvruns I have a Medela do you know if the white membrane's are not replaced every couple months or so it can affect the section of the pump. Just in idea!

ZoeFer · December 2016

my daughter started to feed only around 5 min per breast, and sometimes she only takes one breast and doesnot look for more. it made me very nervous but when i talked to a LC , she thought it might be just enough her. she is gaining weight well enough and she s pooping peeing a lot. So i try not to worry. she swallows so fast for about 4-5 minutes and then she sometimes get so frustrated if she needs to suck more then 2 times per swallow. i realized that she might continue to nurse for another 5min or so slowly only if she s very hungry at night. I really dont know if this is normal at all

MrsBigTime · December 2016

ZoeFer said:

my daughter started to feed only around 5 min per breast, and sometimes she only takes one breast and doesnot look for more. it made me very nervous but when i talked to a LC , she thought it might be just enough her. she is gaining weight well enough and she s pooping peeing a lot. So i try not to worry. she swallows so fast for about 4-5 minutes and then she sometimes get so frustrated if she needs to suck more then 2 times per swallow. i realized that she might continue to nurse for another 5min or so slowly only if she s very hungry at night. I really dont know if this is normal at all

Totally normal, especially if you have a more rapid let down. DD1 never nursed for longer than 5-6 minutes, and DD2 is only a bit longer than that. She'd let you know if she was unsatisfied!

kvruns · December 2016

I have an Ameda Purely Yours electric which is the only one insurance provided. I am on. Ew membranes the first ones barely made it a week and they sent me new ones bc suction was bad. It got a little better with new ones but still wasn't great. Just hate pumping and still feeling full even with massage etc

SandNStarsNJ · December 2016

What you're describing is definitely not a good pump, @kvruns, but I've also never heard of that pump so I can't really contribute productively. My indiscernible provides Medela. Though I also hate pumping.

PrettyPalomino · December 2016

I made a huge mistake - wasn't liking BFing so I tried formula for 2 days, but I hated that even more (she was immediately gassy/constipated/swallowing like she had silent reflux). I pumped to empty when I was engorged over the 2 days but today I have like ZERO breast milk... my boobs are super soft, less than half an ounce comes out of the pump... she's going to be screaming bloody murder while I try to get my supply back. All because of 2 days of no BF

I can't believe this.

I'm going to eat oatmeal and take fenugreek and nurse constantly (and pump in between) until it comes back. Anyone have any idea how long this could take? A couple of days? A week? I'm so scared I ruined BFing and will now have to do formula

she is such a happy baby on breastmilk.

SandNStarsNJ · December 2016

While I'm not sure how long it should take given your exact situation, I have dropped in supply when sick before and it usually took just a few days to rebound but I also typically drank a ton of water and ate lactation cookies, which were actually very effective.

ZoeFer · December 2016

Thanks @MrsBigTime , it is so hard to believe that she is getting enough in such a short time. But she is pooping like crazy so I will take it as the reassurance.

SandNStarsNJ · January 2017

When are you finding time to pump if EBF? I've been trying to squeeze it in but I'm not willing to sacrifice sleep, which has me at 5.5 weeks of EBF and we need to start introducing the bottle (which I fear he won't take because he spits pacifiers out).

rspalding001 · January 2017

I have heard it's best to pump after the first feed in the morning because you are usually fuller then and have extra.

MrsMaryK2016 · January 2017

Ugh @SandNStarsNJ I need to start pumping too, if only so H can help out with feedings for my own sanity. But I'm so afraid to pump. What if I pump and then he wakes up and wants to nurse, what then? I tried just pumping the breast he just finished on but I'm getting maybe an ounce. Seems like a waste of time when if I pump the other breast I can easily get 5oz. Not sure what to do.

kristah2 · January 2017

Sometimes (especially in the morning when I'm super full) I'll let him eat and then I'll pump just the other boob. That way if he decides he's hungry again he can eat from same boob he just finished.

kvruns · January 2017

MrsMaryK2016 said:

Ugh @SandNStarsNJ I need to start pumping too, if only so H can help out with feedings for my own sanity. But I'm so afraid to pump. What if I pump and then he wakes up and wants to nurse, what then? I tried just pumping the breast he just finished on but I'm getting maybe an ounce. Seems like a waste of time when if I pump the other breast I can easily get 5oz. Not sure what to do.

I rarely get more than 1.5-2 oz from a full boob so I'd love 1 oz after nursing him! My take is if you can pump more than he would take in a bottle it is a win (so if you get 5oz from each boob I'd pump twice a day and be happy) but that's just me

kristah2 · January 2017

@kvruns I agree!!! When full (without feeding) I get about 2-2.5 oz from one boob and barely any (maybe .5) from the other.
I wish I was getting 10oz a day!!! I'd have the best stash!

MrsMaryK2016 · January 2017

Huh, maybe I'm spoiled then! I think I'll just try to keep him on one side in the morning and pump the other when he's down for his nap. I just have to start making it a priority or I'll find other things to do (like shower lol).

MrsBigTime · January 2017

MrsMaryK2016 said:

Huh, maybe I'm spoiled then! I think I'll just try to keep him on one side in the morning and pump the other when he's down for his nap. I just have to start making it a priority or I'll find other things to do (like shower lol).

If I'm diligent about pumping when I can, i can get quite a bit in a day. I get the most in the morning when I'm super full, but if I take advantage of a long nap or about an hour after her bedtime I can get enough for another bottle. The key for me has been to pump at every opportunity, even if I only get an ounce or two. I keep the smaller amounts in the fridge for a few days and combine them together to freeze in 4 ounce bags.

ZoeFer · January 2017

I am wondering if I am the only one who is not pumping? DD nurses every two hours at least , so i do not feel energy to pump on top of that. When I pump after feeding, I get around 4oz combined. I will go back to work on mid-Feb , is it too naive to think that I can get enough milk daily? Or do you all have a storage in your freezer already?

rspalding001 · January 2017

@zoefer all you need is enough milk for the first day then you will pump what you need for the next day while at work

SandNStarsNJ · January 2017

ZoeFer said:

I am wondering if I am the only one who is not pumping? DD nurses every two hours at least , so i do not feel energy to pump on top of that. When I pump after feeding, I get around 4oz combined. I will go back to work on mid-Feb , is it too naive to think that I can get enough milk daily? Or do you all have a storage in your freezer already?

I haven't started pumping yet... though I want to start soon and haven't for similar reasons as you. With my first I pumped enough for the following day consistently until I got sick, but thankfully had a small supply. It's not naive to not be pumping but it might feel better to be a little prepared for the just in case moments.

Also a friend of mine waited 3 months before pumping and introducing a bottle only for her DS to reject it. He'll be a year in February and still will not take a bottle; she works from home part time so he can eat! Deep down I fear that happening if I wait much longer.

rspalding001 · January 2017

Also... a stash is nice for date nights and if you decide to ween early and want to continue to give breast milk, but it's not 100% necessary. Only other thing to consider is if you will have enough time to pump at work. Legally they should give you as much time as you need but sometimes that's not reality. If you don't have enough time you may not get as many oz's as you need for the next day.

MrsBigTime · January 2017

ZoeFer said:

I am wondering if I am the only one who is not pumping? DD nurses every two hours at least , so i do not feel energy to pump on top of that. When I pump after feeding, I get around 4oz combined. I will go back to work on mid-Feb , is it too naive to think that I can get enough milk daily? Or do you all have a storage in your freezer already?

I'd recommend having at least a small stash in your freezer when you go back, just for peace of mind.

Im pumping now because I struggled when I went back to work last time, but that's partly because I worked full time and long shifts (I'm now part time, still long shifts).
We also have a trip planned in a few months where we'll be leaving baby for 7 days And I want to have 250-300 oz stored for that.

Be sure to introduce bottle soon, because I wouldn't wish this bottle refusal my daughter is doing on anyone!

kristah2 · January 2017

I only pump once a day!
I do a bottle feed every 2-4 days and freeze the rest!

PrettyPalomino · January 2017

Unfortunately my efforts to "relactate" after 2 days of formula were in vain. I cannot go on living like this. Since December 30th I've been on the couch either nursing, pumping, power pumping, supplementing with a bottle of frozen milk, drinking mothers milk tea, taking fenugreek, skin to skin... I have cried a lot, I've gone into deep depression from guilt/regret, and now I officially give up because this is not a life worth living and I am NOT enjoying my baby, even though she is an angel and has spoiled us with great eating/sleeping since day one.

I finally got my milk supply up to around 18oz a day but she's drinking closer to 25oz a day and I've run out of frozen breastmilk to supplement. I know if I want to keep my supply up I'll need to keep pumping every 2 hours and I just can't keep this up, especially since it'll probably never be enough or it would take a long time to get up to what she needs, and tonight pushed me over the edge, seeing her muffled screaming while latched onto my breast because there just isn't anything left. I'm so over this.

It's been one of the hardest weeks of my life physically and emotionally. Thank God for DH, feeding me and taking care of me and dd. I made a rookie mistake, I didn't think two days would diminish my supply, but I'm grateful she got BM for the first 6 weeks, it was a strong start and hopefully the formula will be digested easier.

sorry just needed to vent, this has been a week from hell.

ETA: we saw a LC and had a weighted feed, she only got 1.5oz from a full feed both sides. Even the LC suggested formula to supplement.

SandNStarsNJ · January 2017

Creepy internet hugs out to you @PrettyPalomino

MrsMaryK2016 · January 2017

@PrettyPalomino Don't beat yourself up too much. These things happen and could have easily happened to anyone. Your daughter will be just fine on formula and your life will go back to some semblance of normal. You need to take care of you before you can really take care of her. Good luck lady!

anne11716 · January 2017

@PrettyPalomino your baby is going to be a happy and healthy little one! Do what you need to do no judgment here! You have to do what is best for you and your little one. It sounds like you've done absolutely everything you can there's no need to beat yourself up about this, sending happy thoughts your way! ❤

MrsMaryK2016 · January 2017

You guys when does the leaking STOP? I just leaked through a new bra and top 15 minutes after putting them in. This part of breastfeeding SUCKS.

kristah2 · January 2017

@PrettyPalomino I am so impressed at how hard you've tried the last couple of days. Don't beat yourself up. You're a super mom and baby will be just as happy and healthy on formula.

Is leaking that much normal? I bought SO many breast pads and havent leaked even a drop. It's really weird.

anne11716 · January 2017

@kristah2 I bought so many too and haven't leaked at all either!

kvruns · January 2017

@PrettyPalomino you gave your LO a great start, do not beat yourself up for any of it. As many friends have said, formula is not battery acid, it is no big deal. Heck I was formula fed (as were most of my friends) and we turned out pretty ok

rant: I hate the stigma around breastfeeding right now where if you don't do it or can't keep up it is somehow a bad thing. Baby being fed is most important, irrespective of how it is being done. I hate that women beat themselves up about using formula or not being able to keep up when it is totally FINE.

MrsBigTime · January 2017

MrsMaryK2016 said:

You guys when does the leaking STOP? I just leaked through a new bra and top 15 minutes after putting them in. This part of breastfeeding SUCKS.

It took me a few month with DD1, but rest assured, it does (should!) stop!

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