Thank goodness for LCs. I went to see one this morning and she had me make just a few small changes (where to put my hand on my breast when latching him, how to know when he's no longer actively feeding and how to encourage active feeding), but they made a big difference. Helped to make feedings more efficient right away and now less fussing from baby and less frustration for mom. Also was really reassuring to know he's gaining weight well and find out how much he's taking in in a feeding. If any FTMs are questioning if they should see an LC, I definitely recommend it!
@khenry12 Thanks for the feedback! I'm hoping to build a small freezer stash without pumping too much since it will only be for the occasional bottle. This seems like a good way to add a bit more to it. Glad you liked them!
@Rhubarb7216, glad that you found support and reassurance! Our LC was a lifesaver for me last time, and I'm planning on making an appointment with her again soon after baby is born. LC consultations after birth at my hospital are free of charge if the mother delivered at the hospital. I'd highly recommend that others look into whether this is their hospital's policy too.
Oh my goodness this is my third time nursing my babies and it has never hurt so badly!!! whannn This time around I have cracked and bleeding nipples and every time she feeds it feels like a thousand needles are stabbing me. My pediatrician told me to try shoving some areola in her mouth once she latches, but I think her mouth is just so small that all she's catching is the nipple! Any advice with this?? She's only 5 days old so I know it'll get better in a few weeks but dang it hurts... BADLY
@efrey1986 have you tried a nipple shield? Or maybe try doing intermittent pumping / feeding breast milk via bottle and BFing to give your nipples a chance to heal up a bit? Aside from that lanolin and coconut oil are my best friends right now.
@efrey1986 have you tried different nursing positions? Some babies latch better in certain ones than others. If the latch is hurting, make sure break the seal by sneaking your pinky in. Definitely find a good nipple cream you love. I personally loved bamboobies one. And keep them as dry as you can after nursing. A nipple shield could be good but I have no personal experience with them. And you might also want to check if she has a lip or tongue tie causing latch issues.
Thanks for the advice guys! It seems to be getting a little better. The doctor told me to self express and use the milk as nipple cream and let it air dry. That is helping a lot! @lilpoots it depends on which hold she's in as to which shape it is. Sometimes it's normal and sometimes it's angled. The color is bright pink mostly. The pediatrician looked in her mouth for her newborn checkup and didn't say anything about a tongue tie so I'm not sure about that. If it isn't any better by our weight check next week I will ask about that for sure. And about the nipple shield I used it for my first bc he had problems latching and after I started using that he wouldn't nurse without it, so I definitely won't be using those again!
How do others handle drinking alcohol and breastfeeding? From what I've read it sounds like feeding 2 hrs after drinking is safe? That's what I'm planning to do but curious what others do. Just enjoyed my first postpartum glass of red wine...
@Rhubarb7216 That's the general rule that I've heard. Our pediatrician said to not worry about it too much. His advice was 1) wait on the drinking until immediately after you've nursed so that you know baby won't want to eat again for a while; 2) make sure you're eating well while you drink; and 3) like with all things, moderation is key so keep it to one glass and you're fine.
I hope that wine was delish!
**TW**
Me & DH: 32 Married 2013 Kiddo #1: Sept 2015 BFP: 1/19, EDD: 9/30
"I'm having fruit salad for dinner. Well, it's mostly just grapes, actually. Ok all grapes. Fermented grapes. Fine, I'm having wine for dinner."
@Rhubarb7216 My dr. says as long as you feel like you're sober you should be good to go but that the 2 hr per drink rule is usually a safe bet. Enjoy! Already looking forward to my first glass too
Two hours after having a drink should be ok for BFing or pumping. I read an article that said if you drink just a glass of wine or have only 1 drink even if you didn't wait the 2 hours, the amount of alcohol baby might get is negligible. The article said only up to 2% of the alcohol content you ingested would be present in the breastmilk prior to the 2 hour waiting period's completion.
I've been told that milk alcohol levels will be same as blood alcohol levels, so as long as you are alright to drive you are alright to feed. I bought a case of cider today in preparation for baby being here. Can't wait!
Elliot is a week old today and all I have to say is do not give up!!! My milk is finally in to the point where she only needs to nurse on one side instead of both. The LC consultants and support groups have helped tremendously this week. I so wanted to just throw in the towel but I didn't and seeked help. The LC says she had a tongue tie which is why my nipples are sore and scabbed so my pediatrician gave us a referral to see an ENT Tuesday. Hoping he can help so my nipples don't have to suffer anymore.
What @k8ywags said! The alcohol in breastmilk is equivalent to your blood alcohol level, not the amount of alcohol you consumed, so unless you are drinking more than one glass or hard alcohol, the amount in breastmilk will be minimal. Peak alcohol level is 1 hour after consumption. There are also test strips you can use to test for alcohol in your milk. Be safe!
Baby is 6 days old and my milk really hasn't come in yet... I'm afraid it won't. I keep pumping but I'll only get a few drops and definitely not enough to sustain baby so we need to supplement with formula. I can get baby to latch but he usually falls asleep after a few sucks, I think mostly it's just comforting for him and I hope this helps with stimulating milk production but he's not really getting much nutrition from me.
Anyone have a ve a problem with their milk not coming in after 6 days or a sleepy nurser?
Baby is 6 days old and my milk really hasn't come in yet... I'm afraid it won't. I keep pumping but I'll only get a few drops and definitely not enough to sustain baby so we need to supplement with formula. I can get baby to latch but he usually falls asleep after a few sucks, I think mostly it's just comforting for him and I hope this helps with stimulating milk production but he's not really getting much nutrition from me.
Anyone have a ve a problem with their milk not coming in after 6 days or a sleepy nurser?
I can't help you with the milk coming in--but make sure you are staying very hydrated and keep offering baby milk. Are you doing skin to skin? That can help sometimes. To help with a sleepy baby--undress baby, do skin to skin, change diaper, wet wash cloth. I have a sleepy nurser and I just keep doing skin to skin and undressing him. But I'm having an oversupply issue right now.
@jenn622-2 I'm so sorry your milk hasn't come in yet I'm so glad you're keeping him fed with formula. I wish I could offer advice about your milk.. I know it is so exhausting to try and breastfeed, and then bottle feed. Keep up the pumping for 15-20 minutes every 3 hours.
Me: 27 years old DH: 27 years old Type 1 Diabetes since 2001, MTHFR hetero A1298T Dogs: Raider 4 yrs, Dex 4 yrs
Married in July 2014
TTC #1 since late Feb 2016
BFP #1 3/29/16 MMC: 5/5/16 BFP #2 7/6/16 SCH, D&C 8/4/16 BFP #3 12/26/16 EDD: 9/6/17 My Chart / My Diabetes/Pregnancy Blog My Type 1/TTC/Pregnancy Podcast: Juicebox Podcast Episode 118 A1Cs: 1/12/16 6.7% 5/25/16 6.0% 11/2/16 6.1% 3/22/16 5.8% 4/27/17 5.4% 6/13/17 5.3% "Sugar Fancy Tutu"
Everything Jessie said. I can't help with the supply issue either but my last baby was super sleepy and I had to get him down to a diaper and do skin to skin to get him to nurse. This baby has no issues with that and I have an over supply issue for the first time.
@jenn622-2 you might also want to try going somewhere that you can do a weighted feed at. Some women don't respond at all or well to a pump but it will give you an idea how much he is getting. And echoing what the others have said, as much skin to skin as you can, not just while nursing. Then staying hydrated is also super important. Fingers crossed it gets easier soon and definitely reach out to an in person BFing support group and/or a good LC before you feel to lost or overwhelmed.
Whenever I needed to increase my supply with DS i swore by Gatorade. I drank at least one bottle a day. I had a friend having supply issues also and she said it really helped. If you like Gatorade, it can't hurt!
Another tip for sleepy nursers my LC recommended. If the baby falls asleep latched or is sucking and not swallowing, try pushing on your breast starting from outside and going in about halfway between outside and nipple. This should give baby a little surge of milk and encourage them to keep nursing.
@jenn622-2 I would get to a lc asap. There are a couple things you can try for increased supply. Eating oatmeal, lacatation cookies, fenugreek pills(do not take these if you have hayfever allergies), lactation tea and a reglan prescription. If an electric pump isn't working, you may want to give a manual pump a try. Everybody responds so differently.
We took Elliot to her ENT appointment today to see if for sure she was tongue tied. She sure was so he snipped it right there in the office for us then immediately let her nurse so he could see if it improved. I noticed the difference immediately and my nipples are already beginning to heal.
Somehow I seem to have blocked out night two cluster feedings... last night was rough until I tried side lying and feeding. This never worked with DS, but Lucy seems to be taking to it fairly well. I was so relieved to be able to get sleep in short intervals. I'd like her to sleep in her sidecar, but it was so not happening last night.
Ahhh, so much engorgement, my milk came in this afternoon, and my boobs feel like rocks. I have a giant hard lump under my armpit from extended breast tissue. DS is nursing non-stop, but my boobs don't seem to empty at all.
Ahhh, so much engorgement, my milk came in this afternoon, and my boobs feel like rocks. I have a giant hard lump under my armpit from extended breast tissue. DS is nursing non-stop, but my boobs don't seem to empty at all.
I'm finding pumping to be somewhat painful. I'm not pumping at a high strength, I use olive oil to lubricate the flanges, and I tried going up to a bigger flange size, but no improvement. My nipples aren't cracked or sore from nursing - it's really just pumping that is bothering me. Any other ideas of things to try?
Ahhh, so much engorgement, my milk came in this afternoon, and my boobs feel like rocks. I have a giant hard lump under my armpit from extended breast tissue. DS is nursing non-stop, but my boobs don't seem to empty at all.
I had to pump just a little bit to get comfortable. Mine were the exact same. It settled out but I think I had enough milk for 3 babies!
@Rhubarb7216 pumping can be uncomfortable for some moms. What kind of pump are you using? I had to go down a size in flanges, because my nipples started out bigger and then got smaller when my milk regulated. I found the retail pumps to hurt, but not the hospital pump. Some women swear by manuals. I'm so sorry it is hurting and hope something helps.
@heatherlynn321 Cold compresses are AMAZING for the fire boulders!!! I hated that time period.. I do not want to go back to engorgement milk coming in..
At baby stores, Lansinoh makes a purple gel compress (set of 2) you can put in the freezer and stick in your bra. I love it. You can also warm them for mastitis. Its like a 3 in 1 use thing.
Me: 27 years old DH: 27 years old Type 1 Diabetes since 2001, MTHFR hetero A1298T Dogs: Raider 4 yrs, Dex 4 yrs
Married in July 2014
TTC #1 since late Feb 2016
BFP #1 3/29/16 MMC: 5/5/16 BFP #2 7/6/16 SCH, D&C 8/4/16 BFP #3 12/26/16 EDD: 9/6/17 My Chart / My Diabetes/Pregnancy Blog My Type 1/TTC/Pregnancy Podcast: Juicebox Podcast Episode 118 A1Cs: 1/12/16 6.7% 5/25/16 6.0% 11/2/16 6.1% 3/22/16 5.8% 4/27/17 5.4% 6/13/17 5.3% "Sugar Fancy Tutu"
@Rhubarb7216 I am having the same issue so I have only been pumping when I feel extremely full or Elliot pushes away from my breast because it is coming to fast for her.
Re: Breastfeeding Support
This time around I have cracked and bleeding nipples and every time she feeds it feels like a thousand needles are stabbing me. My pediatrician told me to try shoving some areola in her mouth once she latches, but I think her mouth is just so small that all she's catching is the nipple! Any advice with this?? She's only 5 days old so I know it'll get better in a few weeks but dang it hurts... BADLY
I hope that wine was delish!
Married 2013
Kiddo #1: Sept 2015
BFP: 1/19, EDD: 9/30
"I'm having fruit salad for dinner. Well, it's mostly just grapes, actually. Ok all grapes. Fermented grapes. Fine, I'm having wine for dinner."
Also, I might have a pack of Angry Orchard hard cider in our spare fridge literally labeled "for new mom only" to have post baby
Anyone have a ve a problem with their milk not coming in after 6 days or a sleepy nurser?
Type 1 Diabetes since 2001, MTHFR hetero A1298T
Dogs: Raider 4 yrs, Dex 4 yrs
BFP #2 7/6/16 SCH, D&C 8/4/16
BFP #3 12/26/16 EDD: 9/6/17
My Chart / My Diabetes/Pregnancy Blog
My Type 1/TTC/Pregnancy Podcast:
Juicebox Podcast Episode 118
A1Cs:
1/12/16 6.7%
5/25/16 6.0%
11/2/16 6.1%
3/22/16 5.8%
4/27/17 5.4%
6/13/17 5.3%
"Sugar Fancy Tutu"
At baby stores, Lansinoh makes a purple gel compress (set of 2) you can put in the freezer and stick in your bra. I love it. You can also warm them for mastitis. Its like a 3 in 1 use thing.
Type 1 Diabetes since 2001, MTHFR hetero A1298T
Dogs: Raider 4 yrs, Dex 4 yrs
BFP #2 7/6/16 SCH, D&C 8/4/16
BFP #3 12/26/16 EDD: 9/6/17
My Chart / My Diabetes/Pregnancy Blog
My Type 1/TTC/Pregnancy Podcast:
Juicebox Podcast Episode 118
A1Cs:
1/12/16 6.7%
5/25/16 6.0%
11/2/16 6.1%
3/22/16 5.8%
4/27/17 5.4%
6/13/17 5.3%
"Sugar Fancy Tutu"