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1:12PM
Re: Breast Feeding Discussion
The hospital I gave birth with my 2nd didn't have a lactation consultant who could come and see me. I had to actually make an appointment and go whenever they were able to give me a spot - which could be for up to a week after the birth and by then... if baby is feeding by NOT the breast then I don't know how to have them take the breast after taking a bottle for a week. My DS was on a formula really early on and the hospital staff gave me a hard time for it, but honestly they weren't in my shoes and have no right.
So yeah... definitely ensure that a lactation consultant can come and help you on the day of delivery. Check your hospitals' policies and procedures.
Edited my post based on below. Though I honestly felt I was being I was being supportive.
It's hard for FTM's, and even S/TTM's, to get a good handle on breastfeeding in the beginning. For someone with a flat nipple (myself) a nipple shield may be what finally gets baby to latch. We used it for four months until one day he didn't need it anymore. I have a friend who used one for her entire breastfeeding relationship and loved it. So to other moms not everyone's situation is the same and sometimes nipple shields can be helpful. You have to be the judge of that in your own situation.
For many women a shallow latch (such as a nipple shield latch where baby is basically only suckling at the nipple withiut thr areola) eventually can be the cause of low supply. If you didn’t suffer low supply I’m really glad but so many women (including moms I know) did suffer low supply due to the latch. My baby was losing weight for weeks while LC were saying everything is fine and it’s normal to lose weight and it’s normal to sometimes have dry diapers and brushed me off. I deserve to have been helped with my latch like anyone else and not brushed off like I was. Many people with flat or inversed nipples were able to successfully breastfeed... why didn’t anyone want to help me? Same problem with both my births so I am sensing a trend even though they were different hospitals.
It sounds like you weren't given the proper time with a lactation consultant and deserved a lot more attention and help than you got. Before giving me a shield mine spent a day trying to get DS to latch at every feeding so when she gave me the shield I felt comfortable that we had tried everything else without success. You surely deserved more attention and support than you received. I truly hope you have a better experience this time. Every mom deserves that attention and support.
My DD did great with an occasional bottle the first 4 weeks and then I got lazy when BFing got easier and didn’t do any bottles until 10 weeks and I was trying to get ready to go back. She wouldn’t take a damn bottle! We finally found the Mam bottle which she liked. My main rec is not to buy too many of any one kind until you know they will like it.
As far as paced feeding, I *personally* don’t agree with it. I think limiting baby’s intake, possibly filling their tummy with extra air doesn’t feel right to me. But I also had a baby that never over ate and spit up. She ate at her own pace - sometimes gulped it down but more often didn’t.
Sorry none of that was very concrete answers. Just my personal experiences!
DS: March 2014
DD: May 2015
BFP: 12/24/17 CP: 1/2/18 @ 4w 3d
BFP: 1/26/18 CP: 2/2/18 @ 4w 4d
BFP: 5/16/18 MMC: 6/15/18 @ 7w 5d
BFP: 9/25/18! EDD: 6/9/19 TEAM GREEN
Hi ladies, new here! This thread seems to be napping so I figured I’ll add my two cents for the FTMs here. I haven’t seen too much mentioned about experiences with mastitis, which I was evidently unprepared for the first time around. I exclusively pumped with a massive oversupply, so I wasn’t surprised to get mastitis but I did not take it quite seriously enough as it turned out. I got sick with mastitis (chills, fever, body aches) and tried to pump out the clog and sleep it off. My fever broke the next day so I didn’t call my doctor right away, but I had a hard time fully clearing the clog. I was still working at it a couple days later when I had sudden, severe stabbing pain in my breast and immediately felt terrible. I only waited a couple hours to get to the ER and by then I was borderline septic and barely with it. With morphine and antibiotics I was able to pump out the blockage and clear the infection. Moral of the story is, if you get mastitis you HAVE to nurse or pump the clog out pronto, even if you’re feeling better otherwise, and call your doctor! It’s an infection and has to be treated as such, and it can come on surprisingly quickly. Also, please don’t let this deter anyone away from pumping or breastfeeding - I loved pumping for my first (even with dealing with an oversupply since I was able to donate over 60 gallons of milk) and I will do it again if I have to, though I’m really hoping to breastfeed this time around if at all possible. I just wanted to mention this for those who haven’t experienced mastitis before, since I know we’ve all heard of it but it’s hard to imagine what it’s like if you haven’t had it, and it really can run the gamut from minor nuisance to serious. Hate to say it but several of us will probably end up with mastitis — if you do, don’t panic. Just clear those clogs and do not delay calling your doctor! Exclusively Pumping Mamas Facebook group if you EP and Kellymom are great resources if you need help getting a clog out. (Also, I pumped a LOT of milk for over a year, there’s a lot of good information in here already from everyone though I’m happy to answer any questions for any mamas thinking about going the pumping route.) Two cents over!
I would pump during the day after they would feed, and this would allow my husband to bottle feed when he got home. That was their bonding time, and they both enjoyed it.
I never found the LC very helpful. I found my own way with both babies. My advice is educate yourself on how many diapers and how much volume they *Really* need. It's not always as much as you think. Their newborn tummies are tiny!
#1 BF/formula supplemented through 10 months with GREAT difficulty and many tears and is still a picky/finiky eater to this day.
#2 BF like a pro, until I had to stop because I was too sick (ie pregnant again with severe morning sickness) and to this day eats/drinks like a champ.