Breastfeeding--Comments, Questions, Thoughts...

WombThereItIs · March 2017

My doc and my husband are both on the no Vitamin D train. We didn't do it with my first and won't with his kid either.

I did feel better having a backup freezer stash. If I was sick or on my period and had temporarily lower supply or missed pumping sessions at work I knew I could still make bottles for the next day. Also when I had 4-5 day work trips it was a godsend.

Our daycare stops bottles at 12 months so I used up my stash to help me wean from the pump over 3 weeks before his birthday while maintaining his bottle needs at daycare.

mamatowildones · March 2017

@ShadeofGreen816 all my different brands have 1 as the slowest flow.

erinh2005 · March 2017

@ShadeofGreen816 We only used Dr Browns but definitely had to switch to the "P" preemie nipples for the slowest flow and didn't move up to a one until she was like 5-6mo.

starphish18 · March 2017

@vrj0522 or someone else, can you explain what "power pumping" is?

Yiggle09 · March 2017

I agree with @mdlorenz you can supplement yourself with the vit d so it goes into the milk. You can put the drops on your boobs or in the bm bottle. Vitamin d is extremely important for bone health and many other things.
@ShadeofGreen816 Avent has level 0 which is their slowest Dr browns has a p medela just has slow med fast. Those are the only ones I have experience with.
@starphish18

Pump for 20 minutes; rest 10 minutes
Pump another 10 minutes; rest for 10 minutes
Pump again for 10 minutes; finish

It's to simulate cluster feeding or boost supply. I never got a continuous bump just a bump that day I did it but everyone is different

chickyclg · March 2017

@ShadeofGreen816 we had to use the preemie nipples but my daughter had problems with her epiglottis and needed a really slow flow. Typical newborns should be fine with level 1's though.

pshaortao · March 2017

I feel stupid/silly as a STM but vitamin D drops? Are they necessary for the baby?

Yiggle09 · March 2017

@pshaortao
"Your body must have vitamin D to absorb calcium and promote bone growth. Too little vitamin D results in soft bones in children (rickets) and fragile, misshapen bones in adults (osteomalacia). You also need vitamin D for other important body functions."
Also this link was full of very recently updated info like mdlorenz said https://kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/vitamin-d-and-breastfeeding/

pshaortao · March 2017

Thank you @Yiggle09! I guess it was a good thing we lived in a very sunny place when we had DD and did a lot of walks. I'll definitely look into this

vrj0522 · March 2017

Yiggle09 said:
@starphish18
Pump for 20 minutes; rest 10 minutes
Pump another 10 minutes; rest for 10 minutes
Pump again for 10 minutes; finish
It's to simulate cluster feeding or boost supply. I never got a continuous bump just a bump that day I did it but everyone is different

SITB - Exactly this. If your supply ever suffers, doing this for 2-3 days will usually get it back up.

You can also pump after a few or all feedings to create a similar effect.

psherman42wwsa · March 2017

https://smile.amazon.com/Carlson-Laboratories-Super-Daily-Supplement/dp/B006J23VO0/ref=sr_1_5_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1490964804&sr=8-5&keywords=vitamin+d+drops+baby

these were the drops I used. You only need 1 drop. I just put it in a bottle.

I also wanted to mention that I used my extra pumped milk to make baby oatmeal with. When DS first started eating foods I gave him oatmeal cereal instead of rice cereal with BM. He gobbled it right up. Actually he ate this until he was about a year because he loved it.

SKZW · March 2017

To @starphish18 and other FTMs: There's been a wealth of invaluable and helpful info given in this thread over the past few days, esp. re freezer milk, supply issues, power pumping/cluster feedings, and vit D. All these May ladies are awesome for providing various perspectives and methods! I've learned a few new things too, and there's def a lot of food for thought in here.

I want to stress though, to minimize any potential feelings of info-overload, that nursing is a process of trial and error and def learning as you go. For me, it seemed like I had a brand-new BF issue every week to learn about and deal with. It's a process, with ups and downs, and you'll do great if you anticipate the various imperfections and hiccups and allow yourself to seek the advice of an LC when needed. You can hope that you and baby will be superstars but still acknowledge that you'll be seated at the bottom of the learning curve when you start out.

The best piece of advice I rec'd that I'd like to share is Try to relax. I know, it'll seem impossible sometimes when everyone's exhausted and starving and on the verge of ugly crying and so on. But honestly taking a few deep breaths and finding your zen before whipping out a boob can go miles toward your success and peace of mind. If you are calm, baby will respond in kind! (This goes hand in hand with the advice to play soft music and look at pics of your baby while pumping: a calm mind means a calm body means a quicker letdown.)

One last quick note. Not on this board(!) but elsewhere in the world there's sometimes an air of "failure" and a stigma of "not being a good mom" if BFing doesn't work out---and that's complete bull and you should totally disregard anyone who makes those sorts of idiotic comments to you! There's a lot of valid reasons why BFing doesn't stick, even after giving it the ol' college try. It doesn't make you any less of a caring mother if nursing doesn't work out for you. The fact that you're on this board in the first place, trying to learn all you can and preparing yourself for the journey, already shows that you're a thoughtful, caring mama!!

All in all: Prep is good, try not to get overwlemed in the details (until you need them!), and don't beat yourself up if it doesn't work out. Good luck to everyone!!

erinh2005 · March 2017

@skzw well said! All of you seeking and trying to absorb info as FTMs is great and more than I did as a FTM in regards to BF but it really is a case by case trial and error situation. I always went with the idea of "its the most natural thing" so I wasn't worried going in but that went out the window as soon as I was home with baby. And to second SKZW I would've given up two weeks in if it wasn't for seeking out a lactation consultant and paying close to $200 out of pocket for a one hour session. And that didn't solve all my problems just gave me enough tools to move on to the next one... so just agreeing there's no magic answer but a lot of great info here to feel supported when it's our turn to figure it all out again!

Louise_Belcher · March 2017

@SKZW

ShadeofGreen816 · March 2017

Also I haven't started it yet but I just bought a book that came highly recommended by a friend as well as my womens health NP preceptor who is also a lactation consultant. It's called The Nursing Mothers Companion and it's by Kathleen Huggins. It's supposed to be a good mix between realistic and crunchy and is broken up into "read now" and "read after delivery" sections so it's not so overwhelming. I'm excited to dig into it

Yiggle09 · March 2017

@SKZW I truly felt like a failure like my child didn't want me because he would push away. I was in a very dark place mentally. Just remember a fed baby is the priority. Pump bf bottle feed formula feed it honestly doesn't matter if your mentally crushed from issues during one of these. I was so messed up when my pump supply got messed up by mastitis I had a dream my baby turned all green and gross from formula. This was 5 months post partum

Kipperoo · March 2017

@SKZW , BRAVO! You are 100% right about everything. I don't understand all this mom guilt when BF fails. Feed. Your. Baby. And don't waste time beating yourself up about it. Your babies are only that little for a short time and it's incredibly disappointing to me when I look back on the first two months of my son's life and remember a lot of sadness and frustration with myself.

BabyMC517 · March 2017

FTM...I absolutely love and appreciate all of the advice and the realness of the STM+ moms! I want to try to breast feed and pump, but if I'm honest with myself, I don't think that I will like it. It never really seemed like something I would want to do, but now that I'm here with a baby on the way I definitely want to give it ago, but if it doesn't work for me then I'm okay with formula because baby has to eat something! I hate that there is so much mom guilt around this and it just makes me sad when others are feeling like failures for it. I hope that we can all continue to support one another through these new (and old) experiences, because it sounds like it is different for everyone and for every baby!

hp_momma · March 2017

@BabyMC517 Thats the exact attitude I had with DD1; I want to try breastfeeding but if it doesn't work, then it doesn't work! I think it helped me relax and not stress about it.

A wife from my husbands unit was struggling with breastfeeding but she was so caught up in the "breast is best, it's natural to breastfeed" stigma that she was literally starving her baby. Her daughter ended up being admitted to the hospital at 9wks old because she had only gained 4oz from birth. The mom and dad refused to give her formula until the doctors were tube feeding her. It was awful.

Five years from now when your kid is running around on the playground with other kids, you are going to have no idea which kid was breastfed, which was formula fed or which was eating french fries off the floor of the car!

SKZW · March 2017

@Yiggle09 @Kipperoo Yes, the sadness and dark place and disappointment are completely crushing, and it's hard to overcome. You're right: at the heart of it, feed the baby. I should put that on a post-it! @erinh2005 Best $200 spent?! See, I'd just consider that to be lumped into the "first year expenses" misc category and not give it another thought---like, no different than going out to dinner a few times, and it's value totally outweighs a few meals, right? @Yiggle09 Mastitis is no joke. My sister had no idea about the pain, so I told her "mast" means breast and "itis" means "hurts worse than childbirth" and I totally meant it!

jayandaplus · March 2017

@SKZW Thank you for reminding us of the reality. Thank you to everyone who's given advice in this thread and similar conversations.

erinh2005 · March 2017

@skzw Absolutely! I encourage anyone who wants to seek professional help to do so even though it's still a mostly OOP deal. Since I had no other resources at that time. Totes worth it in mine and DD1's case.

erinh2005 · April 2017

Can't remember where the padsicle post went but here's a related idea... More so related to milk coming in but last time it was so uncomfortable the first few days when that happens I came up with a cheap fix that worked wonders!
1. Wear a comfortable bra. I had a basic stretchy cotton sport bra type.
2. Place these ice sheets over top (one for each boob).

($1.99 at Target)
3. Wear a fitted tank to secure in place!

These ice sheets were the perfect shape/size to form fit and relieve the discomfort from milk coming in and I plan to use again!

nda_roxybabe · April 2017

@SKZW I feel like I need to print that out for those early weeks when all of that will become a reality.

@erinh2005 SIL said if I'm already experiencing a lot of discomfort I may really be in for it when my milk comes in. Ugh, gimme all the ice and soothies.

Cubslove12 · May 2017

So my nipples are really starting to get raw/cracked/red, she has a good latch, I think it's because I have super dry skin and they were sensitive before. Any other ladies in similiar situations have a good recommendation?

rebecca517-2 · May 2017

@Cubslove12 I'm right there with you. Every nurse and LC said LOs latch was great and yet my nipples are so sore and raw. One is bleeding a bit. It hurts! No advice just letting you know I'm with you.

mdlorenz · May 2017

@Cubslove12 and @rebecca517-2 For injured nips I love the hydrogel pads (Medela and Lansinoh both make them) or just Vaseline and non-stick (telfa/curad) pads. Moist (hate that word) healing is best for wounds. Not soggy, just not dry.

mcvgal · May 2017

@cubslove12 I had the same thing happen with DS2, lanolin nipple cream really helped. I also remember it only being an issue the first or second week.

vrj0522 · May 2017

Cubslove12 said:

So my nipples are really starting to get raw/cracked/red, she has a good latch, I think it's because I have super dry skin and they were sensitive before. Any other ladies in similiar situations have a good recommendation?

Do you have any upcoming pediatrician appointments? If so, I would consider having the pedi assess for lip and tongue tie. The first few days with baby were painful for me although I knew we had a good latch but when we went in for his first appointment the pedi pointed out that she could see a small tongue tie and that's what was causing the painful latches. Gratefully, Bryson has gotten better at latching so my nipples have been able to heal but I have to be really careful that he is getting a good latch or it can still hurt sometimes.

If your hospital has a breastfeeding support group, I would consider attending those meetings. They can be really helpful if the LCs are good.

Some tips that my LCs have given me to ensure a good latch:
1. Have baby come to your breast for latching, not your breast going to baby's mouth
2. Try to have baby take in as much of the nipple and areola as possible
3. When inserting your nipple in their mouth, have nipple pointing up, toward the roof of their mouth rather than down.
4. Pull baby close and keep them as close as possible; they won't suffocate (if they are latched on right), but if they are not kept close, then the latch can become shallow and will cause pain.

ChristinaWild · May 2017

@Cubslove12 - +1 on checking for tongue/lip tie. We've got an eval next week for that. DS had both and it made a world of difference getting it corrected! Even if they checked at the hospital, an LC told me that it can take up to two weeks to become obvious because a lot of LC's will overlook "slight" ties thinking it will stretch out on its own. After a couple of weeks, it's easier to see

Yiggle09 · May 2017

@Cubslove12 my best advice I got last time is breast milk hand expressed and rubbed on nipples and air dry after feeding or pumping. I am also a user of coconut oil literally only for breast care. It's anti inflammatory and moisturizing

MrsFreeman2010 · May 2017

I've been getting more sore over the last few days. I think it's because he gets a shallow latch when I'm really full. I read on KellyMom to let him latch and relieve some of the pressure (or if it's too uncomfortable, hand express some of it off) then break the bad latch and relatch for a better one. The second latch always feels so much better. I also second lanolin and for real damage get a prescription for Dr Newmans. I swear by that stuff.

pshaortao · May 2017

MrsFreeman2010 said:

I've been getting more sore over the last few days. I think it's because he gets a shallow latch when I'm really full. I read on KellyMom to let him latch and relieve some of the pressure (or if it's too uncomfortable, hand express some of it off) then break the bad latch and relatch for a better one. The second latch always feels so much better. I also second lanolin and for real damage get a prescription for Dr Newmans. I swear by that stuff.

I remember DD couldn't get a good latch when I was more engorged during the early weeks. I used a nipple shield for about a minute then took it off and she would latch way better. The trickiest part was to not spray everywhere!

ShadeofGreen816 · May 2017

You guys are making me so nervous! My nips have been super sensitive lately to the point where I can't wear a tshirt without a bra around the house without feeling like my shirt is made of sandpaper. And I still have an inside baby! Better buy some stock in coconut oil and Vaseline!

mrsrep123 · May 2017

Cubslove12 said:

So my nipples are really starting to get raw/cracked/red, she has a good latch, I think it's because I have super dry skin and they were sensitive before. Any other ladies in similiar situations have a good recommendation?

@Cubslove12 I can't comment on causes, but as far as symptom relief, try Earth Mama Angel Baby Nipple Butter! The stuff is AMAZING! It creates a moist environment @mdlorenz described and heals it pretty quickly.

Eta posted too soon

NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot · May 2017

Another vote for lanolin. You don't need to clean it off before feeding. Not sure Vaseline is edible.

mdlorenz · May 2017

Vaseline is fine as long as you're not icing your nips like a cake.

https://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mother/nipplehealing/

Cubslove12 · May 2017

So I've been using lanolin, it helps, but she is feeding so much that it doesn't seem to have time to work... the LC suggested pumping for 5 min before, then feeding her. I'm trying that, but at night It's too hard.

SKZW · May 2017

@Cubslove12: I have the same issues you have, and it feels simply awful! I love everyone's responses... and I just tell myself, I only have to make it through this one feeding session, that's all... because thinking globally/months ahead, it seems daunting... so: just one day at a time, one hour at a time.

@vrj0522: great latching advice!
@mcvgal: my recollection is like yours, that it's just for the first few weeks, and then the process evens out.

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Breastfeeding--Comments, Questions, Thoughts...

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