The Great Baby Feeding Thread

ladystout08 · August 2018

Boobs, bottles, formula and food. STMs drop all your tips in here, FTMs ask your questions!

ladystout08 · August 2018

DS had a terrible latch and I have flat nipples so I ended up exclusively pumping (EPing) for a while before switching to formula. I reeeeeeeeeally want to try and BF this time so I'm getting some nipple shields and stuff ahead of times.

Did anyone have to use shields the whole time? Did you wean off of them? Why did no nurse ever tell me about using medical tape to stick them on? Do you have any you love?

ladystout08 · August 2018

Does this thing actually work? I feel like it would be a pain to do this before nursing each session.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/slredirect/picassoRedirect.html/ref=pa_sp_atf_aps_sr_pg1_2?ie=UTF8&adId=A076078053ENOI5S2AYX&url=https://www.amazon.com/Lansinoh-LatchAssist-Inverted-breastfeeding-Latching/dp/B00112EIWW/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1533734391&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=nipple+shields&psc=1&qualifier=1533734392&id=7781396656903499&widgetName=sp_atf

kns1988 · August 2018

DS was too small to latch when he was born, so I exclusively pumped for 4 months until he learned to direct nurse. Then I nursed until he was 10 months old, and then switched to formula for 2 months (he started biting).

We spent a week in the hospital together when he was born, and the nurses had me doing a triple feeding method. It involved attempting to direct nurse while a 2nd person held a syringe full of pumped breastmilk that they slowly let into his mouth, and then I still had to pump in order to fill the syringes. DS would get totally soaked, I always had to have a second person there to hold the syringe, and it reduced me to tears. No one even told me EPing was an option. I found out as soon as I got home from the hospital. Don't let anyone pressure you to not use bottles!

@ladystout08 we used the shields at first, and once he got the hang of it, I stopped using them.

snackheart · August 2018

ladystout08 said:

DS had a terrible latch and I have flat nipples so I ended up exclusively pumping (EPing) for a while before switching to formula. I reeeeeeeeeally want to try and BF this time so I'm getting some nipple shields and stuff ahead of times.

Did anyone have to use shields the whole time? Did you wean off of them? Why did no nurse ever tell me about using medical tape to stick them on? Do you have any you love?

I nursed my first for 16 months and we used the nipple shield the entire time. He just never was able to latch without it. When he was a newborn it was harder to keep it on but as he grew and his mouth got bigger it really was very easy to use.

kaf1788 · August 2018

STMs who nursed - when did you start pumping? I've heard pumping too early can cause oversupply issues but I also want my husband/other people to be able to feed the baby asap.

pttomato · August 2018

kaf1788 said:

STMs who nursed - when did you start pumping? I've heard pumping too early can cause oversupply issues but I also want my husband/other people to be able to feed the baby asap.

I started pumping in the hospital because the LC was worried that my milk would be slow to come in since I hemorrhaged. I only pumped once or twice a day so DH could give her a bottle at night. I don’t think I had an oversupply.

kianarain · August 2018

kaf1788 said:

I've heard pumping too early can cause oversupply issues

This might be a dumb question, but why would oversupply be a bad thing? Just needing to pump/feed more often to stay comfortable? My fears w/feeding have always been about undersupply, so I'm just curious!

emmaaa · August 2018

I was fortunate enough to be able to BF DD for 15 months.

She had a hard time latching in the hospital but I was insistent I wanted to BF so once she was born and the LC couldn't get her to latch, she showed me how to hand express and we spoon fed her. Hand expressing was great because it still got the colostrum out and helped prompt my milk to come in even though DD wasn't latching. We did finally get her to latch a couple of hours later but it hurt and she bruised my nipples bad. I had flat nipples and even though her latch looked right, it wasn't. Once I showed the nurse my nipples and asked what we could do, she got me a nipple shield. I could never get it on right without her help so I eventually said fuck it and just let my nipples get tore up. DD was having tons of wet and dirty diapers so I knew she was getting enough but she was hurting me.

When we got home, after about a week I was struggling. Little sleep and lots of pain. My O16 group recommended lanolin ointment and that stuff is literally a life saver. I would lather that stuff on there after and between nursing sessions. It does make you kind of slippy (for the lack of a better word) so I would wipe any excess off that hadn't soaked in when I tried to nurse DD.

She was still having trouble with latching so I decided to give myself and my nipples a break around 2 weeks and pump. I pumped exclusively for two days. DD struggled with the bottle but good news was I was getting plenty. We were using Dr. Brown's bottles with the size 1 nipple at the time. I learned later she just ate very slowly and needed premie nipples (which she ended up using for about 6 plus months before we switched to size 1). But watching her suck from the bottle I could see where she wasn't getting a deep latch and her top lip wasn't flared. The hospital LC told me to make sure her bottom lip was flared out but not the top and turns out both need to be. So I worked on correcting her latch on the bottle. I also think she had a slight upper lip tie but she was able to nurse fine if I corrected her lip myself.

I slowly worked on her latch on the breast after pumping was so time consuming and it did get better. The first month (or more) of BF is really hard. Know when you need help and reach out and ask questions. Don't feel like a failure because you have to pump or supplement while you and the baby figure it out because this is new to both of you.

Jackiemxoxo · August 2018

kianarain said:

kaf1788 said:

I've heard pumping too early can cause oversupply issues

This might be a dumb question, but why would oversupply be a bad thing? Just needing to pump/feed more often to stay comfortable? My fears w/feeding have always been about undersupply, so I'm just curious!

Oversupply can be bad because it could lead to mastitis from not being able to empty the breast. Also, it can be majorly uncomfortable and cause you to be super engorged which leads to more pumping... starting a vicious cycle.

emmaaa · August 2018

Pumping:

I pumped for relief and help with latch around 2 weeks. After I got DD back on the breast, I would try to pump in the morning before she woke up. Usually, your biggest session of pumping is in the morning because you fill up quickly overnight. Even when DD woke up every 3-4 hours at night...I was full come 6:00am even if she nursed at 3:00am.

The way I handled pumping and trying to continue to nurse was to limit pumping early on. Once a day was enough for me at first. I would get a few ounces here and there but it did add up. I would pump in the morning as soon as I woke up but before DD did and store that milk. Then when she woke up, I would nurse her because you are never truly empty. It is a lot of supply and demand. So by pumping in the am then nursing, I was telling my body I needed more milk at that time of day. Since I work, I wanted a good little stash started before I went back.

Once DD started STTN, I would pump in the morning before she woke up and at night before she went to bed. I usually tried to give her a bottle every couple of days so she would be used to taking a bottle. Look up paced bottle feeding to help baby be able to go between the breast and bottle.

We used Dr. Brown's bottles at first but ended up switching to Avent Naturals. She liked the Avent better and the nipple shape was more similar to mine I think. We used premie nipples for at least 6+ months.

ladystout08 · August 2018

pttomato said:

kaf1788 said:

STMs who nursed - when did you start pumping? I've heard pumping too early can cause oversupply issues but I also want my husband/other people to be able to feed the baby asap.

I started pumping in the hospital because the LC was worried that my milk would be slow to come in since I hemorrhaged. I only pumped once or twice a day so DH could give her a bottle at night. I don’t think I had an oversupply.

I'm debating starting pumping in the hospital this time around b/c last time I was induced early and my milk took an entire week to come in. I wonder if our experience would be better if I at least pumped a little right away.

pttomato · August 2018

I didn’t like the lanolin cream much, mostly because it was thick and it hurt to rub it on. I really liked the gel pads on really painful days. DD was always terrible about staying latched, she would pop on and off a lot and she really tore up my nipples in the beginning.

saltedcaramel518 · August 2018

For breastfeeding, know how to get a proper latch. I learned from the bf class that I took, but I’m sure there’s videos you could watch.

Kellymom.com is a great resource for all things breastfeeding.

I pumped for the first time when DS was 3/4 weeks old. I think I’ll start earlier this time in order to establish a better supply. Once I went back to work, I was a “just enough” pumper.

I got a hand pump when DS was a few months old. Amazing. I would pump one side while he nursed on the other. It was a great way to establish a freezer supply.

Bottles: we used Dr. Brown’s bottles. So many parts to wash. I’m going to buy Como Tomo bottles this time around and hope that baby likes them.

We did use a bottle warmer, but I don’t think DS cared either way (he was a hungry kid; didn’t care if it came from a bottle, boob, hot, cold, whatever ).

Your breastmilk changes as baby gets older, so breastfed babies will likely never need more than 5 oz. (I think it’s 5? I prob need to check kellymom) at a time. My mom, babysitter, etc tried to argue with me on this as DS got older, but I stuck to my guns because a) DS was chunky; he was obviously not missing any food and b) I couldn’t pump enough to give him several 8 oz bottles/day.

Like @emmaaa, we used preemie nipples for 6+ months.

pttomato · August 2018

Has anyone done colostrum harvesting? I see it mentioned in GD groups a lot.

skilouise · August 2018

For those who used formula (exclusively or to supplement), do you have any brand recommendations, or brands to avoid? Bottle recommendations?

ladystout08 · August 2018

@AshVA we used generic target brand. It was inexpensive and seemed to not upset DS's stomach.

emmaaa · August 2018

saltedcaramel518 said:

For breastfeeding, know how to get a proper latch. I learned from the bf class that I took, but I’m sure there’s videos you could watch.

Kellymom.com is a great resource for all things breastfeeding.

I pumped for the first time when DS was 3/4 weeks old. I think I’ll start earlier this time in order to establish a better supply. Once I went back to work, I was a “just enough” pumper.

I got a hand pump when DS was a few months old. Amazing. I would pump one side while he nursed on the other. It was a great way to establish a freezer supply.

Bottles: we used Dr. Brown’s bottles. So many parts to wash. I’m going to buy Como Tomo bottles this time around and hope that baby likes them.

We did use a bottle warmer, but I don’t think DS cared either way (he was a hungry kid; didn’t care if it came from a bottle, boob, hot, cold, whatever ).

Your breastmilk changes as baby gets older, so breastfed babies will likely never need more than 5 oz. (I think it’s 5? I prob need to check kellymom) at a time. My mom, babysitter, etc tried to argue with me on this as DS got older, but I stuck to my guns because a) DS was chunky; he was obviously not missing any food and b) I couldn’t pump enough to give him several 8 oz bottles/day.
Like @emmaaa, we used preemie nipples for 6+ months.

To add onto some of this:

DD always only nursed on one side each feeding. Everyone encouraged me to switch her but that's how she ate. My boobs never looked significantly uneven because their supply adjusted to her eating that way. I would always pump from the side I wasn't going to nurse on first thing in the morning and that was another way I built up my stash.

We never used a bottle warmer once we did bottles she got them straight from the fridge.

As far as the amount they drink each time, I found that DD was different than most breastfed babies. Once we started spacing her bottles out more, she drank more each time. She eventually drank 6-8 ounces each time. Everyone told me that was wrong and it'd ruin my supply and everything but it didn't and it's how much she wanted.

They say your baby should get 24-32 ounces each day (24 hours) once they reach a certain age (maybe 2 months, I can't remember exactly though). So basically what I did was say, okay DD eats/nurses 6 times per day (we had her on a schedule, which apparently is also wrong for breastfeeding but worked for us once my supply was established), then I divided 24 by 6 and got 4. So at minimum she needed 4 ounce bottles at the babysitter's and nursed the other two times at home. And then each time she got a bottle and would act like she needed more, we would only do a half ounce each time and as long as she stayed in the range of 24-32 ounces during the day, I didn't sweat it if she ate more than 4-5 ounces a time.

Every baby is different so it worried me and discouraged me when everyone said I was going to ruin her gut, appetite, and my supply by feeding her what she wanted.

Again, I had her on a pretty strict schedule (versus on demand which is also fine but didn't work for me), she STTN, and needed all her calories during the day

saltedcaramel518 · August 2018

+1 to having a one-side-at-a-time feeder, even from day one.

tosh24 · August 2018

Jackiemxoxo said:o

kianarain said:

kaf1788 said:

I've heard pumping too early can cause oversupply issues

This might be a dumb question, but why would oversupply be a bad thing? Just needing to pump/feed more often to stay comfortable? My fears w/feeding have always been about undersupply, so I'm just curious!

Oversupply can be bad because it could lead to mastitis from not being able to empty the breast. Also, it can be majorly uncomfortable and cause you to be super engorged which leads to more pumping... starting a vicious cycle.

It can also cause choking and gagging when baby first latches because they get flooded with milk and can't keep up. This can lead to excess gas and spit up. I had an oversupply with my first two and right after they would latch and my milk would let down, I'd pop them off and hand express the excess milk and then put baby back on the breast. If you're not looking to lower your supply and want to take advantage you could always pump at every feed and store the excess.

saltedcaramel518 · August 2018

I thought of something else.. cluster feeding. When newborns go through growth spurts, they want to eat ALL THE TIME. You can feed them, then 1 hour later they’re crying to eat again. My only advice is to just settle in and ride it out. It should be over in a day or 2.

pttomato · August 2018

Oh man, the choking. DD choked on milk a lot. It freaked me out at first, but her pedi said it was normal. She did it until she was around 6 months. My supply was definitely regulated before that point so I think it may have just been her.

kmos816 · August 2018

kaf1788 said:

STMs who nursed - when did you start pumping? I've heard pumping too early can cause oversupply issues but I also want my husband/other people to be able to feed the baby asap.

I started pumping after two weeks- just once in the morning after feeding. This was at the advice of a lactation consultant who said DD had a great latch and was getting enough when she nursed (we did a session where she was weighed before and after- highly recommend to ease anxiety that baby isn’t getting enough- and would have caught any issues if there were any)

this is helped establish a supply and got DD used to bottles early on!

kmos816 · August 2018

AshVA said:

For those who used formula (exclusively or to supplement), do you have any brand recommendations, or brands to avoid? Bottle recommendations?

We went through a few bottles before settling on Lansinoh.

I suggest not stocking up on bottles because your LO might not like certain ones.

I nursed/pumped for 4 months and then i introduced formula, going to exclusive formula at 9 months.

we used a Whole Foods formula brand.

Kabazaba · August 2018

Bottles you STM+ suggest we try out? I'm planning to BF, but LO will have to start on bottles at 3 months when she his daycare (and I head back to work) at the least, if not earlier so DH can help feed her

I've heard the advice not to stock up on any one brand because it will depend a bit on what LO likes, but are there brands you suggest we try? Also - this might be in another thread - breast milk storage bags/systems? Not asking about pumps because I know that's in another thread.

UnbreakableKimmySchmidt · August 2018

@Kabazaba We BF DD but had bottles on hand so DH and others could help. We actually got some sample bottles from our registries (I think Target gives a little gift bag) and we just used those at first. I think some of the pumps come with bottles too, so might be worth looking into. We used Target BM storage bags, and those worked well.

So I pumped a lot at the beginning because DD wasn't latching and had to take a bottle and then I had an oversupply so I froze a lot of BM. The only problem with that was later on she did not like that BM that was frozen. When we did use frozen BM I would have to mix it with some fresh. I *gasp* actually through a lot of BM away because DD didn't like it and she caught on to the boob after awhile and didn't really like the bottle.

I HIGHLY recommend making appointments with lactation consultants if you are having issues (or even if you aren't)! I saw one in the hospital and then went two more times in the weeks following and it made SO much difference. DD went from not latching to figuring it out and she nursed for 19 months.

pttomato · August 2018

Some hospitals also have breastfeeding support groups run by lactation consultants that you don’t have to make an appointment for. I had an individual appointment with a LC but I also was able to stop by the group a few times to have them check out her latch and do a weighted feed.

saltedcaramel518 · August 2018

Kabazaba said:

Bottles you STM+ suggest we try out? I'm planning to BF, but LO will have to start on bottles at 3 months when she his daycare (and I head back to work) at the least, if not earlier so DH can help feed her I've heard the advice not to stock up on any one brand because it will depend a bit on what LO likes, but are there brands you suggest we try? Also - this might be in another thread - breast milk storage bags/systems? Not asking about pumps because I know that's in another thread.

We mostly used Dr. Brown’s with DS, but like I said above, there’s extra little parts to clean, and they’ll make you want to say ugly words when you have to wash them day in and day out.

We we had a couple of Como Tomo bottles, and I really liked them. They’re made of silicone and easy to clean.

For milk storage, I would take 2 8oz. bottles to work to store my pumped milk (that DS would have the next day). I really liked the Target brand milk storage bags. They freeze flat, and I don’t think I had any leaks with them.

hollye30 · August 2018

@ladystout08 I used a nipple shield on one side for inverted nipple. I did wean my son off of it because with all the sucking over time my nipple started to stick out a bit and latching directly was easier. I've also been told that it can affect your supply. I know people that have used them the whole time though amd had no issues with supply.

I did also use one on the opposite side to provide some relief with cracked nipples.

Piece of advice breastmilk is amazing if your baby has an eye infection just put a little breastmilk in it each day until it clears up. It will be gone so fast.

@Kabazaba we used comotomo bottles. Really liked them. But You may have to try different ones to find one that your baby likes.

tosh24 · August 2018

Just thought I'd post these graphics and link for the FTMs who, like me, may have no idea what category their nipples fall in to. I guess being 22 at the time, it had never occurred to me that my flat nipples weren't "normal" (they would protrude out more when cold/aroused but laid flat all other times) and that this could affect BFing. I just thought everyone's were like that! Luckily, I was able to BF my first without much struggle and BFing itself drew out the nipples and they have been in the typical everted state ever since. Anyway, just an FYI incase you have flat or inverted nipples and want to look into resources before baby arrives

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/jezebel.com/5885739/what-type-of-nipple-are-you/amp

kns1988 · August 2018

@Kabazaba don't go with NUK bottles. I absolutely loved my NUK bottles, and then they all spontaneously broke after 9 months of use. Literally every single one of them.

emmaaa · August 2018

We used Dr. Brown's early on but DD wasn't drinking great and seemed to fight it. Ended up switch to Avent Naturals around 4 months maybe and she liked those a lot more.

And yes, don't stock up on one kind because babies may be picky and not want what you stock up on. Even once we determined which bottles DD liked, I think we had 6-8 total? 3 stayed at the babysitter's house and the rest at our house.

amongthewildflowers · August 2018

I was incredibly fortunate in that breastfeeding came mostly easy for my daughter and I and I actually just weaned her a month ago at over 3.5 years. Some good advice I got was to start putting on nipple cream right off the bat-- before we even had a latch, I used using Earth Mama Nipple Butter. I liked this way better than lanolin as it isn't super sticky like lanolin. It took about 12-18 hours for my daughter to be even interested in nursing and latch, but I had an awesome nurse who made it her mission to get her to latch. Dont be shy with your nurse-- we finally started having progress when I sat back and allowed the nurse to grab my breast and shove it in my daughter's mouth. It seemed overly aggressive, but it worked. I had to see a LC about 4 days after birth because the latch was still uncomfortable, but she gave me pointers, and we got that corrected, and the pain subsided tremendously.

I recently took my daughter to the dentist, and apparently she has both a lip and a tongue tie, but we were lucky in that it never affected her ability to nurse-- the lactation consultant said she had only ever seen one other baby take as much milk in at 4 days old as my daughter did, so the ties didnt cause any harm in our case.

I started pumping at 4 weeks to build a small freezer stash, and pumped after I put my daughter down for her morning nap. We were never able to get my daughter to take a bottle until I returned to work at 12 weeks. My husband stayed home with her, and I guess after the first two failed bottle feedings she realized she wouldn't be eating unless it was out of a bottle, and she had no issues after that. MAM bottles and pacifiers were the only ones she would take.

saltedcaramel518 · August 2018

drabong88 · August 2018

@Kabazaba we used advent naturals from about 3 weeks old and DS liked them. I did a lot of googling on best bottles to avoid nipple confusion because I was really worried about it ( I now really don't think it's all that common but that's just an opinion) and DS did great with them. We did use the preamie size nipples. My flow was a little slow and I was worried if he was able to eat more faster with a bottle he wouldn't want to go back to the breast to feed. My husband would feed him a bottle at bedtime and I would pump. It helped to give me a break and also get DS used to the bottle for when I went back to work.

I like lansinoh storage bags because you can freeze them flat, never had an issue with leaks. A great tip I found online was to store frozen milk in old pop boxes or cardboard boxes. Helped keep the freezer neat.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/4p/nl6reb1hlxtj.jpg

nononorman · August 2018

Used dr browns but cleaning is hell.
Ditto lanisoh bags but I got a vertical stacking system- will def use that soda can trick though with a bottom freezer.
Started pumping once a day at two weeks so we would have a bottle for DD to drink at 9-9:30 meaning I went to be when my husband got home ~7:30 and didn’t have to get up with her until like 11:30-12. That stretch of sleep was meaningful. Pumping with a newborn around is hard af though depending on if your kid sleeps so you may struggle to have time to fit it in.
And in my limited experience oversupply isn’t as common as it sometimes seems. For a working mom it is usually only a boon. I had “just right” supply which meant I felt I was always playing catch up. Would have killed for a little oversupply so I didn’t have to stay up later after DD went to bed so I would have enough milk for her at daycare the following day. “Just right” supply is ideal for SAHM... or so I hear? I also had/have a dud boob meaning we only nursed one side and just occasionally pumped the left. I just stopped BF DD (we hit one year end of July and damn is freedom sweet!) so to taper off my already limited supply I pumped and froze some milk for this baby. It lasts 6 mo usually if in the deep freeze.
For pumping at work, use the same pump parts all week (quick rinse and refrigerate between uses) and pour it at your desk directly into the bottles you will use for daycare (get some flat lids). This changed our lives.

I did supplement with formula from about 10-12mo since my supply really dropped when I got preg. My advice is use the cheapest formula your baby doesnt react poorly to. Start by using whatever free samples you get then try store brands. I used the Kirkland brand from Costco with no issues.

oaklandava · August 2018

@ladystout08 I did use them the whole time! My son couldn't latch properly for some reason (they never narrowed down why) and they were a lifesaver. It made the boob to bottle interchangeable and I plan to do it again!

galactickates · August 2018

I'm so overwhelmed. I'm adding things to my Amazon cart as I read this thread.

I started listening to the pregnancy podcast and it's breast feeding awareness month I guess, i'm sort of finding the podcast helpful but still very - I have no clue what i'm doing and how am I ever going to figure this out.

molosmiles · August 2018

@galactickates you are getting a lot of info here, but it's true that you just learn as you go!

I used nipple shields with both my daughters. DD2 lasted 10 months nursing and unused nipple shields for about 5 or 6 months maybe. I just kept trying without it or slipping it off during the feeding until it worked. I kept a couple of them around in the different spots I nursed. Middle of the night finding a little clear piece of plastic was not fun! I bought travel soap containers and kept them in there. It was so much easier and cleaner!

We also used Dr. Brown bottles for both of the girls. I also used the kiinde system when I was pumping at work. It worked really well. We went camping when DD2 was 9 months and they worked great for formula too because you really only have 2 parts to clean. A bit pricey though.

jgil85 · August 2018

@ladystout08 I have one flat nipple and the nipple shields were a life saver for me! My ds was very small at birth and didn't know how to properly nurse so I ep'd for the first week or so until I could try and latch him on. Don't be afraid to ask the lactation consultants for nipple shields at your hospital, I didn't even realize mine had them until I asked about using one.

And really to anyone, don't be afraid to ask the lactation consultants for help! I had tons of help from them and they were actually in my room shortly after ds was born and in the NICU. They were honestly a lifesaver for me because I had no clue what I was doing. From renting a pump from them, to them providing me nipple shields and breast pads, they did so much.

emmaaa · August 2018

This is a lot of information, especially for FTMs. If anything, I hope you can take away that a breastfeeding journey is very different between every mom. No mom, nipple, baby, or latch is the same. So even though I personally have lots of advice and a good first time experience, I know that I basically need to expect to go through the pain and questions all over again this time. Also, never be afraid to ask for help from the nurses, LCs, go to breastfeeding support groups, or to supplement or switch to formula if needed.

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