@julianne0 yep that's normal! With my first, she nursed for 45 minutes every time. My second nursed for 10 minutes. As long as baby is draining the breast and producing wet and dirty diapers all variations of time are normal!
@kissableviv having others around definitely does make bfing more challenging. My mil has been here so I often retreat to my room which kind of gets annoying. I’m grateful for her help though! It just makes it tougher when baby is learning how to latch and stay on- It gets me flustered to be covered up trying to help her figure it out!
@zande2016 Interesting! Didn’t even know that was an option! We saw an LC this morning. She thinks the kiddo’s latch is pretty good and my boobs seem to be healing up, so I think we may be getting into a better rhythm here in the past 24-36 hours. Will have this in my back pocket in case things regress.
@kissableviv My parents were here for most of last week and mostly they just cooked and did laundry and hold the baby occasionally when she wasn’t sleeping or eating (which is most times!) We didn’t even leave the house and I barely left our bedroom, where I was napping and feeding the baby. I felt bad at first but they said they were just happy to help. So hopefully your mom also gets that this is the tough early phase and understands that you and the baby will be more “fun” later on.
@julianne0 yes, 30-60 minutes sounds about right from what I recall with DD! As they get older it'll cut down in length, I think by 6 months it was only 5-10 minutes.
@kissableviv my DH and all visitors to my house in the first 2-4 weeks had to get very used to walking in and seeing my boobs. Especially in the evenings because all we did was cluster feed. I didn't even attempt a cover during that time.
@julianne0 sounds average. My DD started out with 20-30 minutes on each side while also cluster feeding in between the 3 hour feeds. Once my milk came in she cut back to about 15 minutes each side and sometimes only goes about 10 minutes each side. I notice when she nursed for less time she will be hungry sooner, maybe 2-2.5 hours vs the 3.
@kbernal2021 same, my boobs are softer now and he's been nursing more like 15 minutes vs the usual 20-25. Latch is getting better I think. Haven't really done cluster feeding yet but if he gets fussy this pm I think that's what's gonna happen! After having more interrupted sleep than usual last night he was sooooooooo sleepy this morning and it took me 20.minutes to wake him up! He nursed 20 min on one side, then napped, then 20 min on the other. He is sleeping on my chest now
Collin is above is birth weight at 6 days and said it was ok now to let him sleep and feed whenever he wakes at night. No sense in waking him. Yay! But mama still needs to wake and pump a bit for comfort. Hopefully i can get past this cluster feeding too. We are averaging about 15-20 mins both boobs combined. Latch is still a work in progress but doing better.
Yay @wildtot! I remember seeing the pediatrician for DD when she was 3 days old and being SO happy that he told us we could let her sleep instead of waking her at night to feed. Assuming this baby is over 8 lbs, I plan to stop waking at night as soon as we're home.
Anyone have experience, tips or suggestions for eliminating use of a nipple shield? We started using one because my daughter was a preemie and had difficulty staying latched. Even though I didn’t like the idea of using it, I decided BFing with it was better than not at all. Anyways she’s now consistently doing better with the shield so I’m thinking about trying to phase it out. I’ve read tips on BFing sites but would love some experiences and tips from real moms.
@tarheelgirl8 I nursed DD with a shield for 6 months but I didn't try to phase it out earlier because I didn't know any better. Once we did try, we would simply get DD in a good rhythm/feed and just pull the shield out mid suck and she'd re-latch on. Took a couple times but she eventually figured it out. I would try after your letdown and once baby is sucking good. I was needing the shield because of flat nipples so we had to do it this way so my nipples were more elongated and then DD didn't notice the difference too much. Again, she was 6 months old because I didn't even think to try any earlier.
@tarheelgirl8 it took me until my son was around 5 months to finally ween him, I started trying as soon as we got his tongue tie fixed at 5 weeks old but he was (is) a very stubborn child. I agree with waiting until your let down and then trying to just slip it off without the baby noticing. I’d also start each nursing session trying without first and then putting it on before he got frustrated. Frustration won’t help anyone so if it doesn’t happen just try again at the next feeding. I honestly lost hope he’d ever be weaned and then one day, I have no clue why or how, he just latched right on without it and we never looked back.
@julianne0 Initially when I was waiting for my milk to come in she would nurse for a long time but now that my milk is in maybe 7-10 minutes a side but she does not always nurse both sides.
@tarheelgirl8 I was given this little nipple suction cup thing lansinoh makes to help make that nipple larger and easier to latch onto and just worked over snd over on trying to get her to latch. i would also start on that side when she was most motivated to latch as well.
@kissableviv ugh my bil and fil stayed with us for 4 days and I was not comfortable whipping out my boob as much as I wanted to and had to use the cover every feeding. I hated every second of it and was relieved when they went home for that reason.
Anyone else cluster feeding? pretty much from 7pm or earlier to around 10pm we are constantly nursinf which is creating a lot of anxiety for me around supply issues. I also get really nauseous and a stomachache which is odd and not so fun. I have been pounding water and juice every day too to try and stay hydrated.
Happy little one is here! He's 3 days old now, and we're home.
2. What has been hard? Latching. I'm feeding him strawberry milk each session, and started to pump/feed from a bottle in hopes of my nipple soreness going away.
DH has also not been his normal self. He's always really involved and supportive, but since the induction started he's oddly distant. It's gotten better since we came home, but it's really hard to see him like this.
3. What's been going well? He started out as a much fussier baby than my first, but today he's been super easy going. We even slept like 4 hours straight (which, shame on me but damn did I need it!)
4. Any questions/concerns? Has anyone successfully taken baby off the boob, pumped, and been able to get baby to latch well on the boob? I know it's not ideal.
5. Any tips/advice/resources you found helpful this week? No, I've been through about a thousand videos and feel lost still. Going to need to bite the bullet and get scheduled to see a LC.
@kat029 while i didn’t return to EBFing with DS1 i had a similar situation. Within the week i had to stop the boob to heal because DS was spitting up my blood. I felt so bad. I told myself I’d give myself a week and then try again but never did. Pump was just easier for me at the moment. Around 3 months DS was sucking on everything! So i thought I’d try the boob see what happened. He took it! No pain, no cracking, no bleeding! I still mostly pumped but i felt more comfortable going out and BF without having to carry a bottle or pump. I definitely recommend a LC early on. I was able to see one every day during my hospital stay and plan to go to their open sessions starting next week.
I've been pretty MIA since SJ was born. Between him and my big kids, there's just no time in the day. DH is super busy at work so it's the kids and I against the world. Weve already had sleepovers and practices and shopping trips and a trip to the park and lots of guests and lots of friends over, a huge July 4th picnic at my house, etc.... no rest for this mama with the babe! Anyway, my biggest concern is latch. I keep trying to get him to have a larger latch but he always ends up with just the nip, which is painful. He also seems to thrash his head around, particularly on the left, which is so, so painful!!!! I'm going to try the supplement mentioned above, but any advice? I never saw an LC in the hospital- I love my hospital and the nurses, but they seemed to gloss over a lot because this is my 3rd. I may call my insurance to find out about a visiting LC.
I've only pumped 2x and hated it. He's gotten maybe 3 two ounce bottles of formula- the rest has been straight BF. I even fed him at my older son's ice hockey game the other night!
@WorkinWeezel my hospital still allows me to see the lactation consultants on staff even after discharge. You could check with your hospital to see if that’s an option for you.
My doula came in yesterday for my postpartum visit. She said the latch was good!! She also had some good adjustments for my position while I BF. Rolling shoulders back, not holding my boob all the time, lightly touching baby if he gets distracted. I feel relieved that a lot of the things I've been doing are actually what she was suggesting. She also said if I think baby is feeding well and has good diaper output I can let him sleep - he is an awesome sleeper so far so I feel bad waking him up sometimes!
I have an appointment with the hospital LC on Friday, they scheduled me because the week was full and they told me I can cancel if I need to but at least I'll have a spot. Tempted to go anyways since it's covered by insurance and they actually weigh baby - we go to the pediatrician on Monday but I would not mind checking a little sooner.
Long story short- when DS had to go back to the hospital on Day 4 due to dehydration and not being able to latch, the hospital had me pump every 2 hours, by the time I got home the next night my nipples hurt so much. I then tried these gel pads. I swear they were a lifesaver. I used them between feedings for the next two days, and just cleaned my breast with warm water in between.
My friend who is a LC told me that when babies latch it only hurts for some people. It’s a hormonal response and that will go away eventually.
1. How are things going? so much better now. It took me until late day 4 for my milk to come in.
2. What has been hard? DH sleeps all the time, we have to wake him for every single feeding. Pedi instructed us to feed him every 2-3 hours when he came home inistially he lost too much weight. So we are counting dirty and wet diapers and need to feel him 8-12 times in 24 hrs. So what’s hard is our anxiety- is he getting enough, should I be pumping? I stopped pumping when we left the hospital because my boobs needed a break.
3. What's been going well? He’s latching really well.
4. Any questions/concerns? See above. Also- he will feed for 15-20 mins on my left side and then only 5-9 on my right, no matter what side I start on. Should I be pumping my right side? I’m confused because my boobs will leak, like if I’m feeding him on my left- my right tends to start dripping. And vice versa. So I think I have enough milk for him... and the LC said babies will have one side they prefer... but is that change too big?
5. Any tips/advice/resources you found helpful this week? I have very large breasts. My LO right now only latches when I have him in the football hold. I hold his head and my breast from below to sandwich it. One of the LC suggested that for my particular boobs.
@catftm2018 that sounds just like my start to BF with DS. My milk didn’t come in until late day 4, the night of our first ped appt. At the appt he was dehydrated, lost a good amount of weight, but my ped gave us like 14 hours to see if my milk would come in. He gained and gained ever since but I had to wake him for a bit, and constantly wake him up at the boob. It gets easier! Leaking on the opposite side is normal and a good sign- though it gets annoying and potentially messy. Try not to worry too much, if he’s meeting his diaper outputs you’re giving him everything he needs! And he could be more efficient on one side than the other, as long as you feel like he’s emptying them during feeds there shouldn’t be any issues, I always found one breast had a better output than the other anyways.
1. How are things going? Better than I expected, my milk came in on day 3 this time, with DS it didn’t come in until late day 4 and I was very close to hospitalization and/or supplementation.
2. What has been hard? My poor nipples. They’re chaffed and scabbed. I’ve been free boobing it with expressed milk which I think is at least helping them heal faster.
3. What's been going well? LO has a good latch, a little shallow but her mouth is still so tiny. So far she can latch on both sides too, which was an issue with DS for a while.
4. Any questions/concerns?
5. Any tips/advice/resources you found helpful this week? Air out your boobies whenever you can! Express a little milk and let it dry after a feeding before you put them away. We’re on day 4 and one side that was horribly scabbed and chaffed is looking a lot better already.
Jumping in on the actual format now that I have a little more time. 1. How are things going? So far so good, we are 13 days in so still early in the game! 2. What has been hard? I managed to find myself with thrush on day 3 of BF. Treated and everything got better but it looks like now DD has it and I'm feeling like it may have been passed back to me as well. 3. What's been going well? Her latch is great and she seems to be doing really well with night time feedings going about 4 hour stretches. 2-3 hours during the day. 4. Any questions/concerns? Is there a way to prevent thrush?I an so over this. I was treated and was free boobing it like @acunamatada but I feel like it's never ending now that DD likely has it and I possibly have it again as well. Also does anyone have a super gassy LO? DS was super gassy while nursing and I'm finding DD to be the same. I've tried eliminating foods but I feel like it doesn't matter what I eat shes super gassy. What do you do? 5. Any tips/advice/resources you found helpful this week? All I have I shared before this post. Nothing new
Long story short- when DS had to go back to the hospital on Day 4 due to dehydration and not being able to latch, the hospital had me pump every 2 hours, by the time I got home the next night my nipples hurt so much. I then tried these gel pads. I swear they were a lifesaver. I used them between feedings for the next two days, and just cleaned my breast with warm water in between.
My friend who is a LC told me that when babies latch it only hurts for some people. It’s a hormonal response and that will go away eventually.
Yes! I tried one of these just on my sore left side last night and it feel SOOOOOO much better!!!!! They are reusable for like 72 hours I think. My latch doesnt hurt on the right. He also slept 5 hrs straight last night so I had to pump after feeding him because the left was still so hard and full. Oy. Up for an hour and a half sucked, but at 12 days old, I'll take 5 hours sleep!!!
@kbernal2021 yes!!!! He is a king farter! Doesnt matter what I eat/eliminate. It's kind of funny because he's already rocking side to side (and loves sleeping on his side) and when he does he just farts and farts. He also lifts his legs and farts lol such a man already!
DH and I had major parent guilt this morning but I think this speaks to how much you have to trust your gut and not try to fit your baby in a box.
LO was GREAT as always during the day yesterday, then started fussying around 4pm. Between DH and I we took turns calming him down and entertain him. I fed him at 5ish pm and had to cluster feeding because he would not calm down, gave him a sponge bath because he had peed on himself a couple of times and it was hot yesterday, then rocked him, then fed him a bit again. I was exhausted but he fonallf went down at 830pm.
My doula said if I felt he was well fed, it could be totally ok to have him sleep longer...she specifically said 8to midnight could be a good stretch so I felt that was my opportunity!
Well...DH and I missed the alarm and woke up scrambling at 1am! He was stirring in the bassinet but perfectly fine. I fed him and he latched for a good 30 min on each side...then he pooped and peed twice, of course, fussed a bit, had to feed a bit again , finally went down at 3am...we were so tired...set an alarm at 6am...missed it!!!! Woke up again in a panic at 730 and there bany was, waking up in his bassinet and totally content...we changed him and fed him and he is now down in grandma's arms.
We felt sooooooooo bad not waking up and felt like we neglected him but we also feel like he would have woken us up screaming if he had been angry or needed to be changed badly. So yeah, we got off schedule but on the other hand I got my first 4 uninterrupted hours of sleep and I feel like I can mom 100% better today!!
@lindsayleigh1989 cluster feeding started last night for me. The twins are realizing they can nurse and be snuggled rather than having a bottle and I love it but I’m so sleepy!
Having babies starting off in the nicu this time has been such a different and difficult start to our bfing journey. My older twin nursed for ten minutes and still took a full bottle afterwards just now, it makes me worry he doesn’t get enough during nursing, so discouraging. I went 7 hours not pumping last night because I was just too tired and nursed the babies all night long instead. Still don’t feel like I know what im doing!
@crabcake18 can you do a weighted feed? My twins would latch well and seemingly feed great but in reality only transfer about an ounce at the breast so they were needing top ups to actually get a full feed. Preemies are such a different experience!
Anyone else feel as though half the time their kid is just using you to pacify?! SJ doesnt even seem to be eating half the time he's latched, just suckling. Last night after he ate on both sides I gave him a paci and laid him next to me while I held the paci. Helped a bit.
Also, he is 2 weeks old today. When I pump I'm not even getting 2 oz. I feel like that's not much??? And like he never actually empties me because of the suckling.
@kissableviv I feed on demand. I'm definitely a scheduled person, but I am NOT waking a sleeping baby at night just to stick to a schedule. Nope nope nope. As long as he's gaining and there's no concerns, I let him sleep. Sometimes he goes 5 hours, sometimes he goes 1.5 hours.
@WorkinWeezel my LO does that sometimes, I express a little into her mouth to get her interested again and she’ll either start nursing again or just unlatch. I hate that human pacifier feeling!
@WorkinWeezel totally agree. Newborns can't really be on a schedule, I guess what I meant by getting off the "schedule" is that for the first time he went 5 hours without eating and I felt bad but then I also know he would wake me up SCREAMING if he was hungry!
That's also why I don't like trying to fit these babies into a box, I'm learning slowly that a mother's instinct is super important. I can see he is healthy, happy, producing all the diapers and latching well so I'm ok with letting him sleep a bit more if he so desires!
Totally think it makes sense not to wake baby up if they are eating well and gaining weight. But we are waking our daughter up every 3 hours to feed, per the rec of the pediatrician, because she was continuing to lose weight. She advised that we can stop once she is back over her birth weight.
We are on the 2-3 hrs schedule per the pedi, but at night he’s been sleeping 4 hours from like 4-8am and I personally think that’s fine. He’s producing the right amount of diapers and has been steadily gaining weight.
Its so crazy that all of us are on different schedules, but you are all right. Every baby is different. I’ve been tracking feedings/diapers/ pumping etc on this app BabyConnect. It’s been a lifesaver, my hubby and I can each log feedings or diapers etc. and it keeps a log of everything. It’s clear my LO already has a somewhat routine schedule of feedings, like at night it varies only about a half hour (as long as he’s not cluster feeding)
@WorkinWeezel I def feel like a human pacifier too, we haven’t given him one yet, (read somewhere to try not to until 4 weeks) he hasn’t been too fussy so we have been going with that. But there are def times where he is just in there not drinking, I do pump my boob to give him a burst of milk and that helps, or we tickle his shoulder and toes and that also helps him wake up and eat more.
@zande2016 is there a specific brand on the lecithin that worked well for you?I looked on amazon and there is triple lecithin, sunflower lecithin and pure lecithin. Currently dealing with thrush and a clogged duct
+1 to human pacifier! I feed on demand and at 2 weeks DD is seeming to want to nurse every 2-3 hours during the day and going 4-5 hours between feedings at night. I learned early on with DS that as long as he was gaining there was no need to wake and feed during the night. I have offered a pacifier and she takes it well. If shes hungry the pacifier doesn't satisfy her.
For those pumping I found I really prefer the laninsoh bags than medela. the medela ones are so small they make stacking the frozen milk way more bulky.
Feeding is going a little better but still seems like at times she doesn't get enough. Part of me wonders if she is nursing for comfort ir hunger?
Re: Breastfeeding/pumping support 7/6
@kissableviv My parents were here for most of last week and mostly they just cooked and did laundry and hold the baby occasionally when she wasn’t sleeping or eating (which is most times!) We didn’t even leave the house and I barely left our bedroom, where I was napping and feeding the baby. I felt bad at first but they said they were just happy to help. So hopefully your mom also gets that this is the tough early phase and understands that you and the baby will be more “fun” later on.
@kissableviv my DH and all visitors to my house in the first 2-4 weeks had to get very used to walking in and seeing my boobs. Especially in the evenings because all we did was cluster feed. I didn't even attempt a cover during that time.
the next feeding. I honestly lost hope he’d ever be weaned and then one day, I have no clue why or how, he just latched right on without it and we never looked back.
@kissableviv ugh my bil and fil stayed with us for 4 days and I was not comfortable whipping out my boob as much as I wanted to and had to use the cover every feeding. I hated every second of it and was relieved when they went home for that reason.
Anyone else cluster feeding? pretty much from 7pm or earlier to around 10pm we are constantly nursinf which is creating a lot of anxiety for me around supply issues. I also get really nauseous and a stomachache which is odd and not so fun. I have been pounding water and juice every day too to try and stay hydrated.
Happy little one is here! He's 3 days old now, and we're home.
2. What has been hard?
Latching. I'm feeding him strawberry milk each session, and started to pump/feed from a bottle in hopes of my nipple soreness going away.
DH has also not been his normal self. He's always really involved and supportive, but since the induction started he's oddly distant. It's gotten better since we came home, but it's really hard to see him like this.
3. What's been going well?
He started out as a much fussier baby than my first, but today he's been super easy going. We even slept like 4 hours straight (which, shame on me but damn did I need it!)
4. Any questions/concerns?
Has anyone successfully taken baby off the boob, pumped, and been able to get baby to latch well on the boob? I know it's not ideal.
5. Any tips/advice/resources you found helpful this week?
No, I've been through about a thousand videos and feel lost still. Going to need to bite the bullet and get scheduled to see a LC.
I've been pretty MIA since SJ was born. Between him and my big kids, there's just no time in the day. DH is super busy at work so it's the kids and I against the world. Weve already had sleepovers and practices and shopping trips and a trip to the park and lots of guests and lots of friends over, a huge July 4th picnic at my house, etc.... no rest for this mama with the babe!
Anyway, my biggest concern is latch. I keep trying to get him to have a larger latch but he always ends up with just the nip, which is painful. He also seems to thrash his head around, particularly on the left, which is so, so painful!!!! I'm going to try the supplement mentioned above, but any advice? I never saw an LC in the hospital- I love my hospital and the nurses, but they seemed to gloss over a lot because this is my 3rd. I may call my insurance to find out about a visiting LC.
I've only pumped 2x and hated it. He's gotten maybe 3 two ounce bottles of formula- the rest has been straight BF. I even fed him at my older son's ice hockey game the other night!
Anyway, keep up the good work ladies!
Married: 6/27/2008
DS: 3/14/2010 Planned, PG first try
M/C 6/2012
DD: 4/22/2013 Planned, UnDx Infertility, PG on our own
BFP: 10/28/2016 Unplanned, HUGE SURPRISE!
M/C 12/12/2016
BFP: 10/27/2017 Unplanned, HUGE SURPRISE
EDD: 7/2/2018
Married: 6/27/2008
DS: 3/14/2010 Planned, PG first try
M/C 6/2012
DD: 4/22/2013 Planned, UnDx Infertility, PG on our own
BFP: 10/28/2016 Unplanned, HUGE SURPRISE!
M/C 12/12/2016
BFP: 10/27/2017 Unplanned, HUGE SURPRISE
EDD: 7/2/2018
I have an appointment with the hospital LC on Friday, they scheduled me because the week was full and they told me I can cancel if I need to but at least I'll have a spot. Tempted to go anyways since it's covered by insurance and they actually weigh baby - we go to the pediatrician on Monday but I would not mind checking a little sooner.
First for @lindsayleigh1989 try this:
Lansinoh Soothies Gel Pads for Breastfeeding Mothers, 2 Count, Instant Cooling Pain Relief for Nursing Mothers, Reusable and Vegan https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002KGHUL4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_2OrrBbB3WXHXE
Long story short- when DS had to go back to the hospital on Day 4 due to dehydration and not being able to latch, the hospital had me pump every 2 hours, by the time I got home the next night my nipples hurt so much. I then tried these gel pads. I swear they were a lifesaver. I used them between feedings for the next two days, and just cleaned my breast with warm water in between.
My friend who is a LC told me that when babies latch it only hurts for some people. It’s a hormonal response and that will go away eventually.
so much better now. It took me until late day 4 for my milk to come in.
2. What has been hard?
DH sleeps all the time, we have to wake him for every single feeding. Pedi instructed us to feed him every 2-3 hours when he came home inistially he lost too much weight. So we are counting dirty and wet diapers and need to feel him 8-12 times in 24 hrs. So what’s hard is our anxiety- is he getting enough, should I be pumping? I stopped pumping when we left the hospital because my boobs needed a break.
3. What's been going well?
He’s latching really well.
4. Any questions/concerns?
See above. Also- he will feed for 15-20 mins on my left side and then only 5-9 on my right, no matter what side I start on. Should I be pumping my right side? I’m confused because my boobs will leak, like if I’m feeding him on my left- my right tends to start dripping. And vice versa. So I think I have enough milk for him... and the LC said babies will have one side they prefer... but is that change too big?
5. Any tips/advice/resources you found helpful this week?
I have very large breasts. My LO right now only latches when I have him in the football hold. I hold his head and my breast from below to sandwich it. One of the LC suggested that for my particular boobs.
Leaking on the opposite side is normal and a good sign- though it gets annoying and potentially messy. Try not to worry too much, if he’s meeting his diaper outputs you’re giving him everything he needs! And he could be more efficient on one side than the other, as long as you feel like he’s emptying them during feeds there shouldn’t be any issues, I always found one breast had a better output than the other anyways.
Better than I expected, my milk came in on day 3 this time, with DS it didn’t come in until late day 4 and I was very close to hospitalization and/or supplementation.
2. What has been hard?
My poor nipples. They’re chaffed and scabbed. I’ve been free boobing it with expressed milk which I think is at least helping them heal faster.
3. What's been going well?
LO has a good latch, a little shallow but her mouth is still so tiny. So far she can latch on both sides too, which was an issue with DS for a while.
4. Any questions/concerns?
5. Any tips/advice/resources you found helpful this week?
Air out your boobies whenever you can! Express a little milk and let it dry after a feeding before you put them away. We’re on day 4 and one side that was horribly scabbed and chaffed is looking a lot better already.
1. How are things going?
So far so good, we are 13 days in so still early in the game!
2. What has been hard?
I managed to find myself with thrush on day 3 of BF. Treated and everything got better but it looks like now DD has it and I'm feeling like it may have been passed back to me as well.
3. What's been going well?
Her latch is great and she seems to be doing really well with night time feedings going about 4 hour stretches. 2-3 hours during the day.
4. Any questions/concerns?
Is there a way to prevent thrush?I an so over this. I was treated and was free boobing it like @acunamatada but I feel like it's never ending now that DD likely has it and I possibly have it again as well.
Also does anyone have a super gassy LO? DS was super gassy while nursing and I'm finding DD to be the same. I've tried eliminating foods but I feel like it doesn't matter what I eat shes super gassy. What do you do?
5. Any tips/advice/resources you found helpful this week?
All I have I shared before this post. Nothing new
ETA another question.
@kbernal2021 yes!!!! He is a king farter! Doesnt matter what I eat/eliminate. It's kind of funny because he's already rocking side to side (and loves sleeping on his side) and when he does he just farts and farts. He also lifts his legs and farts lol such a man already!
Married: 6/27/2008
DS: 3/14/2010 Planned, PG first try
M/C 6/2012
DD: 4/22/2013 Planned, UnDx Infertility, PG on our own
BFP: 10/28/2016 Unplanned, HUGE SURPRISE!
M/C 12/12/2016
BFP: 10/27/2017 Unplanned, HUGE SURPRISE
EDD: 7/2/2018
And my boy is also a farter lol
LO was GREAT as always during the day yesterday, then started fussying around 4pm. Between DH and I we took turns calming him down and entertain him. I fed him at 5ish pm and had to cluster feeding because he would not calm down, gave him a sponge bath because he had peed on himself a couple of times and it was hot yesterday, then rocked him, then fed him a bit again. I was exhausted but he fonallf went down at 830pm.
My doula said if I felt he was well fed, it could be totally ok to have him sleep longer...she specifically said 8to midnight could be a good stretch so I felt that was my opportunity!
Well...DH and I missed the alarm and woke up scrambling at 1am! He was stirring in the bassinet but perfectly fine. I fed him and he latched for a good 30 min on each side...then he pooped and peed twice, of course, fussed a bit, had to feed a bit again , finally went down at 3am...we were so tired...set an alarm at 6am...missed it!!!! Woke up again in a panic at 730 and there bany was, waking up in his bassinet and totally content...we changed him and fed him and he is now down in grandma's arms.
We felt sooooooooo bad not waking up and felt like we neglected him but we also feel like he would have woken us up screaming if he had been angry or needed to be changed badly. So yeah, we got off schedule but on the other hand I got my first 4 uninterrupted hours of sleep and I feel like I can mom 100% better today!!
Having babies starting off in the nicu this time has been such a different and difficult start to our bfing journey. My older twin nursed for ten minutes and still took a full bottle afterwards just now, it makes me worry he doesn’t get enough during nursing, so discouraging. I went 7 hours not pumping last night because I was just too tired and nursed the babies all night long instead. Still don’t feel like I know what im doing!
Also, he is 2 weeks old today. When I pump I'm not even getting 2 oz. I feel like that's not much??? And like he never actually empties me because of the suckling.
@kissableviv I feed on demand. I'm definitely a scheduled person, but I am NOT waking a sleeping baby at night just to stick to a schedule. Nope nope nope. As long as he's gaining and there's no concerns, I let him sleep. Sometimes he goes 5 hours, sometimes he goes 1.5 hours.
Married: 6/27/2008
DS: 3/14/2010 Planned, PG first try
M/C 6/2012
DD: 4/22/2013 Planned, UnDx Infertility, PG on our own
BFP: 10/28/2016 Unplanned, HUGE SURPRISE!
M/C 12/12/2016
BFP: 10/27/2017 Unplanned, HUGE SURPRISE
EDD: 7/2/2018
Married: 6/27/2008
DS: 3/14/2010 Planned, PG first try
M/C 6/2012
DD: 4/22/2013 Planned, UnDx Infertility, PG on our own
BFP: 10/28/2016 Unplanned, HUGE SURPRISE!
M/C 12/12/2016
BFP: 10/27/2017 Unplanned, HUGE SURPRISE
EDD: 7/2/2018
That's also why I don't like trying to fit these babies into a box, I'm learning slowly that a mother's instinct is super important. I can see he is healthy, happy, producing all the diapers and latching well so I'm ok with letting him sleep a bit more if he so desires!
Married: 6/27/2008
DS: 3/14/2010 Planned, PG first try
M/C 6/2012
DD: 4/22/2013 Planned, UnDx Infertility, PG on our own
BFP: 10/28/2016 Unplanned, HUGE SURPRISE!
M/C 12/12/2016
BFP: 10/27/2017 Unplanned, HUGE SURPRISE
EDD: 7/2/2018
Its so crazy that all of us are on different schedules, but you are all right. Every baby is different. I’ve been tracking feedings/diapers/ pumping etc on this app BabyConnect. It’s been a lifesaver, my hubby and I can each log feedings or diapers etc. and it keeps a log of everything. It’s clear my LO already has a somewhat routine schedule of feedings, like at night it varies only about a half hour (as long as he’s not cluster feeding)
@WorkinWeezel I def feel like a human pacifier too, we haven’t given him one yet, (read somewhere to try not to until 4 weeks) he hasn’t been too fussy so we have been going with that. But there are def times where he is just in there not drinking, I do pump my boob to give him a burst of milk and that helps, or we tickle his shoulder and toes and that also helps him wake up and eat more.
+1 to human pacifier! I feed on demand and at 2 weeks DD is seeming to want to nurse every 2-3 hours during the day and going 4-5 hours between feedings at night. I learned early on with DS that as long as he was gaining there was no need to wake and feed during the night. I have offered a pacifier and she takes it well. If shes hungry the pacifier doesn't satisfy her.
Feeding is going a little better but still seems like at times she doesn't get enough. Part of me wonders if she is nursing for comfort ir hunger?