Breastfeeding Help and Support

[adore_one]

Hi Everyone I am new to this thread. I just had a boy on Monday and we are breastfeeding. I need to go back and read, but first I have a quick question (which I am sure has been asked, but alas new baby and thus time is limited to search sorry!)

Is there any food I can NOT eat while breastfeeding?
My mom and mil say I cannot have any onions, peppers, garlic or anything remotely spicy. They went as far as taking a little cup of mild salsa I was dipping a tacquito in and calling me a bad mother for making my baby miserable with onion.
So is this true? I am dying here they will not let me eat anything but grilled chicken, rice, fruit and vegetables...a girl needs SOME variety!

HELP!

[gizzyntaz]

Adore_one Congratulations on the birth of your son! :D

Tell your mom and MIL to BACK OFF! You are the mother now! It is very important that they learn that, the sooner the better...I'm very concerned about them giving you advice that is so wrong, especially about BF-ing. It's hard enough starting out without dealing with unnecessary restrictions. You need to eat and drink a lot to make milk. Eating is no fun when there is no variety (trust me, I know).

You can eat anything and drink anything (normal stuff) in moderation. Be on the lookout for problems with your DS (excessive gas, throwing up, rash, excessive irritability). If you notice any of these, then would be the time to start limiting things in your diet (only then!). Probably most babies don't have much sensitivity for foods passing through your diet. Some do (mine does)... but onions do not effect every child, nor does spice, etc. I wouldn't overdo it - if he does have a problem, you have to be up all night with him... but eat!

You are a great mother - you are feeding your son the perfect food for him! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

- Alison :)

[SD601]

Adore, our babies have the same birthday!

Thank you all so much for the support and encouragement. Wow, it's just so nice to hear that others have had struggles, too.

BTB, how did you use the syringe? Did you try to get her on the breast and then put it in her cheek? Did you use your finger? We have a syringe (a few), but the LC showed us how to do it when he's on the breast, which is currently the problem. Thanks for your story. I feel like I can do this for a few weeks, especially if it's eventually successful.

Alien, it's great to hear another success story with a preemie. Yes, it seems like every feeding is so hard and stressful, yet I refuse to give in to formula because as one so little, I know he really needs my milk. Thanks for the encouragement.

HGMorgann, thanks for the advice. I will try to attempt the breast (haven't since yesterday morning) and just be ready with the bottle. There's a breastfeeding support group I'm going to try to attend next week.

Marisa, your expert advice is always appreciated. Thanks for making me feel better about giving him EBM. I don't have a lot of info on breastfeeding a preemie, so everything about full term newborns makes me feel like a failure. I'm hoping once he gets older we can work on our breastfeeding relationship. I might be using you guys for a while!

Although his jaundice is up again to the same level as in the hospital (where he was under lights), the pediatrician said that if he was eating and having soiled diapers, then he should be okay. My guilt especially came from the comment of "eating" since he certainly wasn't eating well. Now that I know he's eating and how much, I feel better. His first doctor's appointment is on Tuesday, so I'm planning to see how much he weighs (from 5.5 lbs) and how is jaundice is. I'll definitely try the breast once a day.

Thank you everyone. I really just needed to hear that what i was doing was good for him, not detrimental to future breastfeeding and his health. I guess this thread really is about help and support.

[Marisa]

adore -- congrats to you! Sounds like mom and MIL are making things harder on you than they have to be. Although I did wind up cutting dairy and soy from my diet, and limiting some other gassy foods, I didn't do so until I saw proof that I needed to (in my case, my son had a mild rash on his cheeks and chest).

This page might give you some ammunition when you snatch that salsa back:

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/mom/mom-foods.html

:)

[prudies]

adore Yay, congratulations!!! Look at it this way - do you think breastfeeding mothers in Thailand don't eat anything spicy? I've heard it has more to do with what you ate during the third trimester. Elliott never had any reaction to anything I ate, including chocolate, spicy food, dairy. Caffeine affected my supply in the early days, so I didn't have any of that until recently, but that's about it.

SD Hi there! I'm a mom to a former preemie. Elliott was born 8 weeks early and couldn't latch either. I know pumping and bottlefeeding seem easier right now, but eventually nursing is so much easier. It's worth putting in the extra time and stuggle now, but I know it totally sucks sometimes! The thing is, once he gets better at nursing, he'll boost your supply, he'll be come more efficient, and you won't have to feel like you're doing everything twice (i.e., feed and then pump).

[ellybelle]

SD601,

You're doing a really great job!!! Keep it up.

If possible, I'd recommend getting a bfing "coach" -- either by going to a breastfeeding support group, or by contacting a PP doula who's quite familiar with breastfeeding issues (even if she's not an LC). I went to LCs and that helped, but also had a doula come over and help me with pumping and with DDs latch.

Just having an enthusiastic RL cheerleader give me a little encouragement, and the TLC really helped!

Even though I was never able to exclusively breastfeed, DD has been getting breastmilk for almost 2 years now. In fact, I don't know if/when I'll be able to wean her in the near future!

My only other advice is to keep her at the boob as often as possible. Use breastfeeding as a comforting tool. I used to feed DD first with the bottle (either EBM or formula), and then let her comfort suck afterwards. You can always work on the latch, but getting your baby to associate breastfeeding with comfort will go a long way in creating a positive bfing experience for you both.

[BTB]

BTB, how did you use the syringe? Did you try to get her on the breast and then put it in her cheek? Did you use your finger? We have a syringe (a few), but the LC showed us how to do it when he's on the breast, which is currently the problem. Thanks for your story. I feel like I can do this for a few weeks, especially if it's eventually successful.

To be honest, there's the way the LC showed us, and the way we did it. :o She demonstrated putting the tube at the end of the syringe (they had long straight 'beaks' at the tips) on the palm side of a pinky finger and giving both to DD to suck, but I wasn't coordinated enough and the beak kept slipping off my finger (DD had a weak suck and that didn't help matters). It was so much easier to just put the beak at the edge of her lips and slowly push in the milk, and most feedings that's what we did. DD would sometimes try to suckle the beak and that seemed to work ok. I confess there were a few feedings she was crying in frustration and I waited for her to open wide and then dumped small amounts of milk in... feeding her was such an everlastin' chore early on, and then one day she just "got it" and we were off to the races. It clicked somewhere between two and three weeks, as her jaundice cleared and she was less sleepy. Hang in there, it's hard in the beginning but will get so unbelievably much easier, you'll look back on these hard feedings and be amazed, there's just no comparison. And it's worth it! Once it clicks, it clicks, and it will for your son too!

My mom and mil say I cannot have any onions, peppers, garlic or anything remotely spicy. They went as far as taking a little cup of mild salsa I was dipping a tacquito in and calling me a bad mother for making my baby miserable with onion.
So is this true? I am dying here

Holy moley, no way! :D Think of the world's big population centers... Bombay/Mumbai... Mexico City... Rio de Janeiro... Shanghai... Jakarta... all of Thailand... most of the world is dirt poor and can't afford formula, babies are breastfed and mama eats spicy food! If down the road DC seems to have tummy problems, you can talk with an LC then about how you might want to go about figuring out what's causing the problem and maybe cut down or eliminate it. But no need to go whole-hog on bland food before there's even a problem!

[chloechloe]

I have a question (again) I am looking for a really effective form of BC. I don't want hormones. Presently using foam. Any great ideas from other BF'ing moms??

[L-O-V-E]

I just wanted to say thank you ladies for all your replies. I really appreciate the support! :)

[maggieb]

chloechloe: I'm considering an IUD for bc. I started a thread a while ago asking other about their experiences with IUDs. Mirena, which is the IUD my dr reccommended, emits low levels of hormone (can't remember which one right now) and then Paraguard, which doesn't use any hormones. I am considering the Paraguard b/c it uses no hormones, but the Mirena uses sucha low level that I may end up deciding on it b/c it's extra effective.

I'll bump up the thread for you.

[catmom]

Re: spicy foods: I actually read part of a study that said that bf-babies actually nurse BETTER when the mother has eaten garlic. Apparently the babies like the taste. What my LC told me about spicy food is that it can flavor the milk (like it changes the smell of your sweat), but that it usually doesn't bother the baby. Like someone earlier said, all those Indian and Mexican mamas are bf-ing, and holey moley is some of that food spicy!

[LILRTL]

X-Posted with my August group...

NURSING MOMS, HELP!!!! I think DS is having a growth spurt. MY NIPPLES ARE GOING TO FALL OFF. Last night, he nursed from 9-9:35, 10:35-11:00, 12-12:25, and then FINALLY fell asleep at 1, only to wake up at 3 ready to go again...and then again at 6 (which was fine). Then he was up at 8, 10:30, and now DH has him occupied, but he was screaming to eat. :( Any insight? I know he is getting enough milk - I can EASILY hand express even when he is finished...and I see it dripping all over him. Pleeeeeease help my poor nipples! :o

[prudies]

LILRTL It's probably a growth spurt. How old is he? I know it's kind of stressful because you think, is this normal, is this right? Just go with it. Get some snacks, hang out with a book or tv, and nurse, nurse, nurse. I swear, eventually it will pass and he will become so efficient! I used to stress about how often Elliott breastfed, and then he got older and those days were just a memory. It's so crazy how fast it all goes (I know everyone says this, but it's true!).

[gizzyntaz]

LILRTL Definitely sounds like a growth spurt to me. I thought I would DIE during DS's 3 week growth spurt - but I didn't ;) I felt just like you, exhausted, sore nipples (we were battling thrush at the time), and like no one could help me. You are doing the right thing by having DH take him during nursing breaks. DH should also be making sure you have lots of water and food to get you through. Stay in bed if you can and rest when DS rests.

You might invest in a pair of Soothies to wear when he is not nursing. Also you can slather your nips with lanolin after every nursing.

Best of luck to you - I promise, IT DOES GET BETTER (and it's well worth the effort)! :)

[LILRTL]

Thanks, ladies. I'm trying so hard to rest, but I feel like every time I lay down, I am just *waiting* on him to be ready to eat again. It's pretty difficult to relax (as I'm sure you all know. ;) ). So, if this is a growth spurt, how long can I expect it to last? A day? Two days? A week? Thanks again!!

[gizzyntaz]

Growth spurts vary, but ours were always a few days..2-4 days maybe. It might be shorter, maybe a little longer...

[Sarah]

LITLR- Should be a few days, tops a week. Just take it easy, relax, and drink water. It'll be over soon, I promise. Try some Lanolin cream or Soothies for your nips.

Chloechloe-
I think the most effective thing is the IUD or the pill, but as you said, you can't take the regular pill while BFing. IUDs are great if you want to wait a while before the next kid. All my friends who have them, love them. You can take the minipill but it's not as effective and you have to be VERY careful to take it at the same time every day, exactly. Otherwise condoms are good when used with spermicide or another secondary method. If you want to be extra careful, I'd double up, using the mini pill and condoms, or condoms and spermicide.

[newyorkgirl]

Accidentally posted this to a different thread, and then figured it belonged here. Let me know if this is the right place for it or if there is another thread somewhere. I breastfeed DS and there was no question in my mind as to whether I would, but I just found out about a relative (by marriage) slightly younger than me who is due soon and actually has no plans to BF whatsoever. Not entirely sure about the circumstances - but I'm quite certain it is not due to a medical condition - but I've been asked to speak to this relative to find out more and steer her in the direction of BFing, if possible, while at the same time, trying to be supportive as well as trying not to be too heavyhanded or sanctimonious. What would you do in my situation? Is it even my place to say something?

[KiKi'sMommy]

I would not say anything unless it just came up in conversation and even then I would just remark on how much you love it, it has made your life easier, etc. It is not your place or anyone elses for that matter, to tell someone they should breastfeed. It is a personal decision. I can completely understand your concern, but I know when I almost gave up breastfeeding, I would have been devestated if someone gave me a "talking to."

[Sarah]

NEwyorkgirl-
I actually had a similar situation, where I really felt that the woman in question had no BFing support in her life, no one who could give her any help or info. So when I went to her shower I gave her a regular present, and then included a couple little BFing related things- a water bottle, some soothies, nursing pads, etc. I included a book about nursing (something light like "So That's What They're For") and included in the card that she could call me if she needed any support, if she chose to BF. I never would have lectured her, I just wanted her to know someone could help if she needed it.

[Allegra]

I have a question (again) I am looking for a really effective form of BC. I don't want hormones. Presently using foam. Any great ideas from other BF'ing moms??

Abstinence? :p Who the heck has time?? LOL!!

Allegra

[lady1297]

Is there a 12 month growth spurt? DS is eating everything in site, worse than my brother as a teen! Could he be going through a growth spurt at 12 1/2 months?

[portlandbride]

HELP!
Lurker joining the group. My baby is 3 1/2 months old and was breastfeeding just fine for the first month or two. She had regained her birth weight plus 6 oz. in the first week, then went on to gain 3 lbs. her first month. The 2nd month she gained 1 1/2 lbs., a good gain.
Then I took her in for a weight check at her 3 month and she had only gained 10 oz. I was very concerned, seeing as how everything I had read said a baby should gain at least a pound a month. Also, at her 2 month the doctor said as long as she gained at least a 1 1/2 lbs. he wouldn't be concerned. Well, the nurse wasn't concerned at all b/c baby is still in the 50th percentile and then I met with the LC in the Ped's office who also wasn't concerned.
They both made me feel as if I was over-reacting , but I don't think I am. I tried explaining to them that sometimes my baby just cries hysterically at my breast and won't eat. Her first day of daycare last week the woman said my baby was starving when I brought her in and that my milk looked "thin"??
To top it off, I am not pumping enough at work to feed her so she has been supplemented a few times with formula, which kills me.
I don't know what I'm looking for here, advice, support...
Has anyone else been through this? I am thinking I should call another LC to help me. I know that I have milk when she won't eat b/c I can hand-express it and then I will pump about 2 oz. usually.

[Marisa]

portland - I'm sorry that you're having so much trouble with this. It must be hard enough to have to go back to work without having to worry about how much she's eating/gaining.

No matter who your ped is, they should be addressing your concerns seriously. It sounds as if they're hoping you'll take their word for it, perhaps because of who they are, when really you need a little more reassurance. I think it's a fantastic idea to seek out advice from another LC -- a second opinion, if you will. Your insurance may cover some or all of it, but even if it doesn't it might be worthwhile to have the peace of mind. When my DS was small and not gaining properly, I had thought I was all set because my own mother is an IBCLC. Even so, our situation improved after I spoke to another IBCLC (at my mom's urging) -- everyone is different, and may see your situation differently or have different solutions to offer you.

I wouldn't, however, put too much stock in your daycare provider's opinion of your milk. Breastmilk, unlike formula, is not static; the fat content changes throughout the day. It's entirely possible that she's getting lower-fat milk when the bottle looks 'thinner', but tanking up on higher-fat milk at night when you're nursing. Your milk is fattiest overnight anyway.

Besides your going back to work, has anything else changed about your routine? Has she started sleeping longer stretches?

You mention crying at the breast, I think that's something we've all faced at some point. When you're with her, can you try offering to nurse her before she's openly showing signs of being hungry? Sometimes they can get a little frantic if they're thinking "I'm hungry NOW!" and it's not coming fast enough. She may also be trying to tell you that she's uncomfortable in some way - tummyache, bad position. Does it help at all if you shift sides/positions when she's upset and refusing to nurse?

That's just a few things off the top of my head, without really knowing your situation.... here's a directory for IBCLC's in your area, if you decide to call someone else for a second opinion. If you can, you might also benefit from going to a LLL meeting or talking to a Leader -- at least to get some reassurance from other moms who are going through the same thing. (My local LLL started running a working moms meeting that's really taken off.)

http://www.iblce.org/US%20registry.htm
http://www.llli.org/WebUS.html

[janders6]

We're currently having a huge problem with biting. DD, who is 8.5 months has her two bottom teeth and for the past 3 weeks has been biting me non-stop when she nurses (the only time she doesn't do this is in the middle of the night). Not only does she bite, but she pulls and scrapes with her teeth. She's drawn blood a few times and my nipples are more sore now than they were when I first started bfing. I've tried the Dr. Sears method and saying "no bite" and ending the nursing session, but she just laughs at me. Can anyone suggest anything else for me to try?

[shushyk]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to join this thread. My EDD is coming up quickly and had a few questions. When should I switch to no underwire?

[Marisa]

janders6 - I always had good luck with letting Joey suck on frozen teethers or frozen washcloths right before he nursed -- that would numb his mouth a little and he wouldn't have the impulse to bite down as he was nursing. Have you tried any teething remedies for when it's bad? The Hyland's teething tablets are homeopathic, we like them around here.

shushyk -- Welcome! :) I actually wore my underwire bras right up until I delivered -- but I did go up two sizes during my pregnancy, and I bought new bras that fit me properly. As long as they fit well under your breasts and don't put pressure on/pinch the fleshy part, you should be ok.

Once you deliver you won't want anything to do with underwires for a couple of weeks, though. Not until after your milk comes in, then your supply settles down and regulates. Since it's so important for an underwire to fit you properly so as to not press down on the milk ducts, etc., it's only at that point that you'd be able to tell what size you'd really need.

[marchfamily]

janders6 - No advice. But, I totally hear ya! My 7.5 month old is doing the same thing....and laughing when I tell her no.

[ButterflyJen]

shushyk - I am beyond excited to see you in here. :) So glad your EDD is coming up. I wore my regular bras up till delivery, then switched to regular nursing bras. I had one underwire nursing bra and I hated it. Uncomfortable, gave me plugged ducts, and just didn't unhook nicely for nursing. I still hate it and my boobs have shrunk back down to normal size.

Good luck to you! :)

[pontmarie]

Hey shush!! The LCs at Good Sam will tell you NO UNDERWIRE, but that's 95% of what Motherhood (at least the one at our mall) carries. The LC shop carries the nicer no-underwire bras, though.

[prudies]

shushy!

pont!

Hiya girls!

Biting must be quick because elliott doesn;t want me to type - we used the method described on kellymom.com (similar to dr sears). basically, if he bit, I would just say, you must be done nursing, or even no biting, but say it very calmly and matter of factly. and then set him down. it took a couple of weeks, but he did stop. the main thing is not to give him attention and saying nooo loudly does give attention kwim

sorry for the run on sentences gotta go!

[pontmarie]

prudies!!! :D

I don't want the biting to be the dealbreaker (I'm aiming for a year). DS only has one tooth at the bottom and his tongue goes over it so no probs right now.

[lml41981]

I just realized that I never posted an update about my situation with the colostrum/glucose water issue.

I had my OB appointment last Friday and took in a list of pediatricians on my insurance plan. On my list, I jotted down some notes...things like, "Would prefer a woman, but not a requirement" and "Must support breastfeeding and allow me to try giving colostrum at birth before resorting to formula and must try formula before resorting to glucose water." My doctor questioned me about that one and said, "What do you mean? It's your baby, of course you can try colostrum and breastfeeding first. If you say you're a breastfeeder, we won't give any artificial nipples or bottles at all without your consent." I told her about the nurses (pediatric oncology nurse and physical therapist nurse) who taught the CPR course and what they told me...she was livid. She wrote down their names and said she'd make a phone call to address the situation because she didn't want those nurses telling her patients that they wouldn't be allowed to try breastfeeding first - especially since they weren't even nursery nurses, so they don't really know what goes on.

I left that appointment feeling much better about the whole situation. :)

[SiValleySteph]

shush, At El Camino they have a shop with a bunch of different nursing bras and they will measure you and let you try them on and all that jazz. Here's a link to the store: Maternal Connections (http://www.elcaminohospital.org/155.cfm)

I got two fancy nursing bras and two sleeping bras there - 1 of each right before birth and another set in the week after Lucas was born. I still use the sleep bras, but I have gone down in size A LOT size then for the other bras, so I went with Target after that.

Oh, they also have a really great nursing support group there Tues/Thurs mornings for babies 0-3 months. It's really awesome if you're having any problems or you just want to practice NIP or commisserate with some new moms. Good Sam probably has something similar, but I know this one is really good.

***

:( Sorry for those dealing with biting. My son has had 8 teeth for a while (he's just about 11 mo) and we don't have any issues with it. He used to bite just a little bit when he first got a few teeth, but I found he would really only do it if he wasn't hungry. So whenever he started acting like he was going to bite, we would stop the nursing session and just try again later.

[cynder]

especially since they weren't even nursery nurses, so they don't really know what goes on.


That's what I thought. Glad things are working out so far in your support of breastfeeding.

[lady1297]

Bras: I switched during pregnancy to nursing bras since I outgrew my normal ones. Then I realized that I hated some of the closers- MAKE SURE YOU CAN DO AND UNDO THEM ONE HANDED!!! Big lesson learned. Now I wear (one year later) normal bras as my nursing ones are disintegrating in the wash. Guess they only last so long!! But anyway, I switched to no underwire at 8 months pregnant and started wearing them selectively at 7 monts post pregnancy.

Biting: Oh man! Edward did this and is starting as the new tooth is coming in. He tries so hard to get the mipple under the teeth to comfort himself. I give him a bit of orajel (itty bitty teeny tiny bit) right on the tooth. That gets us through. :) But I do hear great things about Hylands, too.

[LILRTL]

Even with my issues with his growth spurt, I am happy to report that my little man that weighed 7 lbs. 2.5 oz. a mere 2 weeks ago was up to 8 lbs. 6.5 oz at his appointment today - solely off of momma's milk! ;) :D I was thrilled!!!!

[duke's flygirl]

Yeah for Momma's Milk Lora! That is great!

My little girl went for her 9 month check up yesterday, and is now 21 lbs 5 oz. She was 20lbs 9 oz at her 6 month check up. Her doctor wasn't concerned at all, as she is now mobile, and has lengthened some too.

I can't believe the amazing things Momma's Milk does for our little ones!

Congratulations to all the new mommy's!

[janders6]

Thanks for all the biting advice. She's not teething right now, though, and still does it and, when she is teething, in spite of using Hylands and tylenol and a million teething rings, she still bites. I'm trying what prudies recommended, but what am I supposed to do when she's biting and starving? Yesterday she just sat on the floor and screamed :(

[LILRTL]

"Day of Rest" ? ?

Marisa I saw you refer to this in the thread of the girl asking for help for her friend. Is this after the growth spurt? Reason I ask...Zack is now lathargic. :p We had a terrible night - up at 2:30 and 3:30 to eat...then stayed awake until 6:30...didn't need anything. Just wide awake. Slept 'til 8:30. Ate for 20 minutes. Back asleep 'til 10:30. Ate for 10ish minutes. And he's back asleep. OUT. Is this his day of rest? (Please dear God I hope so...*I* need a day of rest. :p).

[Marisa]

Lora, I think you're right. He needs a break as much as you do. Get offline as soon as you can and go grab a nap! :)

You might find that he can eat a little more quickly now that he's been through his first big growth spurt -- in my fuzzy recollection that was even more pronounced after the second one, around 6 weeks.

And what a growth spurt! 20 oz in 2 weeks! Mama's making heavy cream! :)

[shushyk]

WOW thanks for the warm welcome!

Hi EVERYONE! OK, so I can keep wearing my underwire for now. I have a bravado nursing bra that is super comfy (but makes me look like I have a uniboob) so I would prefer to continue wearing my normal ones till the baby is here. I just wanted to make sure that was ok.

This thread is great. I can't wait to meet my baby and have this incredible time with him or her!!!

[Lydia]

Last week I spilled BM on my pants. After a wash and dry, the stain is still there! WTH???

I have to say (at the risk of repeating myself) I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my Medela Harmony pump!!!

[marchfamily]

After a wash and dry, the stain is still there! WTH???

I figure half of my clothing has been ruined by BM stains. I try not to hold E before I leave in my work clothes - they are the only safe ones!

[jenji]

can you do anything to get it out?

[Dreshny]

I've been using LOC from Amway (it's an organic stain remover), and it seems to get out all the breastmilk, spit-up, and poop stains as long as I rub it in before I wash the clothes. Otherwise DS's clothes get covered with lovely yellow stains.

[Koala_Gurl]

I've been using LOC from Amway (it's an organic stain remover), and it seems to get out all the breastmilk, spit-up, and poop stains as long as I rub it in before I wash the clothes. Otherwise DS's clothes get covered with lovely yellow stains.

LOC is great for cleaning MANY things! :) Super concentrated too, so it lasts...

[moderngal]

is there a way to figure out how much milk a baby should be getting?

I usually leave 3 six ounce bottles for DS at daycare. And he eats all of it. But this week, he hasn't eaten all of his bottles. For example, today he ate all of one, then 3 ounces of the 2nd (they dumped the rest) and 3 hours later he ate 2 ounces of the 3rd bottle. When I got home, he finished the last bottle and then nursed for about 10 minutes. Monday and Tuesday were similar situations. I am finally pumping enough to keep up with the previous demand. So I guess I'm wondering if his need could really just not need as much? Or is this a temporary thing? It just seems weird to me. (he still has plenty of wet and poopy diapers and seems fine otherwise).

[Sarah]

Moderngal- How old is your DS? They do start to decrease how much EBM they drink as they start solids sometimes- could that be it? I think the formula for FF babies is something like 2.5 X the weight of the baby, so a 10 lb baby should eat around 25 oz. I think it's generally similar for a BF baby, but it can be confusing because he may just be getting most of his calories at night. Maybe BF babies begin to prefer being nursed and miss their moms, and therefore start drinking less while at daycare and more at home. Has he increased his feedings at home?

[lil_nance]

We've been BFing for 5 1/2 weeks. YEAH! There were/are some days I didn't think we'd make it. DS had his one month check up and gained exactly 2lb over his birth weight.

Question: The past 2 days he does't want to latch. He'll take the nipple then go off. Lick once or twice maybe if I'm lucky suck a bit. Finally 5-15min later, he'll latch suck through let down and break off. Then it will take another 5-10 min to get him back on. He's hungry but just not getting the job done in a timely manner. It's on and off, on and off.... Any suggestions? These feeding sessions where he's only on for maybe 10min out of 30 are driving me crazy plus he doesn't seem to be draining me as well. Is this just a phase?

[moderngal]

Sarah- Thanks for your response. DS is just over 3 months, so we're not doing solids yet and I don't plan to until 6 months or so. He hasn't really increased his demand at home and in fact last night he sttn, so he missed a feeding. He's a big boy, so I would think he should eat more than he is this week. He seems satisfied after nursing and otherwise is his normal self.
Daycare seems to think he's showing signs of teething, could that be it?

[moderngal]

lil_nance- your Connor is 2 months younger than mine. :) My little guy did the same thing- I think it was due to a strong let down. I found that we both did better while side-lying in bed. It was comfy and quiet and the position and a little lite pressure on his belly seemed to help. It was just a phase for us. kellymom has some tips for strong let down, too. HTH.

[ahavnes]

Quick Question=- Hi ladies! I am hoping you can help me here. DD is 3 months old and stared day care this week. I'm pumping like crazy, but am still a little short. Can I mix formula and ebm in the same bottle? I've done it at home, but she always eats it immediately. I'm wondering if I could do it and store it for a few hours, or if the formula would do something weird to the ebm in that time.... :confused: (I know that sounds crazy, but you never know.)

TIA!

[maggieb]

Alicia: Don't have an answer for your question, but wanted to say hi adn ask how Miss Abbey is doing? Please send me some pics! I have a journal here that I posted some pics of helena and Marisa in. COme visit!

[jenji]

ahavnes - I have heard that mixing formula and EBM in the same bottle inhibits the iron absorption of both. I can't tell you why, I'm sure someone in here will have a more thorough answer, but that's just whay I have heard - don't have any medical support to back that up, so it may, be false
one thing to consider though is that if you mix EBM and formula in the same bottle and your baby doesn't finish the bottle, some of the EBM has been wasted. maybe you can do 2 bottles and specify that the caregivers are to use the bottle of EBM and feed the bottle of formula after the other bottle is gone

[cynder]

I used to mix EBM and formula when I am low on the advice of an LC and send it to daycare. I haven't heard about the iron absorption. What I do now is fill bottles full with EBM and when I am short I save it for the next day's supply. I end up giving 1-2 bottles of formula for daycare because I cannot pump enough.

[Daniel's Kitty]

Well, we have our little boy, but I now have a problem. How do you get over fear of nursing in public?
Our latch sometimes take a few tries, and I am so scared that someone will see something and freak out. We first ran into this problem yesterday, and I freaked out. I was going to have my husband stand in front of me with th blanket so I could watch what I was doing.

[Marisa]

Kat -- It took me a good 2-3 weeks to get more comfortable nursing in front of people besides my DH and my mom. Even then I would often prefer going back to the car where I could have a little privacy. It's hard to get used to at first! I started off slowly, becoming more comfortable nursing at other people's houses (like the inlaws), where I could be 'in public' but still in a comfy chair, etc.

Keep practicing, and congrats on your wonderful boy! :)

(P.S. -- if they freak out, it's *their* problem -- you have the right to nurse your baby almost anywhere that you legally have the right to be, so let them deal with it if they see a flash of skin for a few seconds. :) :rolleyes: )

[December27JJB]

Question:

Since DD was born (almost 3 months ago), my BBs have grown from a B to a D. I plan on to bf her until she is about a year old, maybe more if she desires... Do you know when they will get smaller? :( I am just tired of the Ds

Thank you in advance!

[jeggink]

Quick question

My DS is now 11 mths. He has been just about exclusively BF, with a bottle of formula here and there from 10 mths on. I am now trying to start weaning off the one last pump I do at work as I am traveling more frequently and just don't have the time anymore.

How long it is best to take to wean that one pump out to insure I don't have any problem? I probably need to be done in one month. I have already moved my pump time to 3pm which is the latest I want to do it so I still have enough milk for DS at 6pm for his night time feeding.

Right now I am still getting 13oz from my one afternoon pump and am just about rock solid before the pump. Should I just start pumping a specific amount each day instead of pumping dry. i.e this week I only pump 9oz, then next week 6oz and I will hopefully adjust? Or is another way better?

TIA!

[Marisa]

Judi, is it possible to actually do two pumps, but "quick" ones, rather than one long one in the afternoon? Then you won't be "rock solid" in the afternoon and feel like you have to pump so much to get relief.

i.e.... pump for 2-3 minutes at 11, get a letdown, then stop.... then pump again around 3 for just a few minutes?

That way, as you transition to making the afternoon pump much shorter, then non-existant, you won't be full and uncomfortable. You can do this for a couple of days until you notice that the afternoon pump isn't as much or as urgent, then cut out the morning pump.... see how that goes. A month is plenty of time to do it gradually without causing yourself discomfort.

It *does* sound like you have quite a supply, OMG, 13 oz! Way to go mama!! :D

[jeggink]

Marisa That may work. Right now I only pump for maybe 10 minutes to get that 13oz. Today I got 14oz, just rediculous. I have been doing this once a day pumping at work for about 2 weeks now and you would think that my BB's would become accustomed to it and not be so hard anymore right before I pump, but they still get bad.

The other thing is what do I do during the weekends? Do I just give DS formula and only let him eat those 2 x's a day? He only eats off one side at a time. He eats solids fine at daycare, drinks about 14oz while there. But at home on the weekend, he doesn't eat as many solids.

[marchfamily]

I've noticed that my supply has totally dropped off since I returned from vacation (2 weeks ago). My 7.5 month old is eating 2 6-7 ounce bottles EBM during the day. At night, I can barely satisfy her demand. Is it possible that she's weaning? At this rate my freezer stash will be depleted soon. How soon can I introduce cow's milk? I really, really don't want to give up nursing yet.

Today's pumping:
one breast 6:30am - 4 ounces
Both breasts 11:30am - 5.5 ounces
one breast 2:30pm - 0.5 ounces

[ahavnes]

Thanks so much for the advice ladies! I was also thinking that if a bottle of 4oz was half and half, I wouldn't feel so bad if she only had 2oz...less wasted EBM (my biggest pet peeve!!) ;)

[Marisa]

Judi -- are you trying to continue to nurse beyond your one-month-stopping-pumping goal? At this point you can go either way, it sounds like your supply is strong and if you wanted to give an occasional bottle on the weekend it wouldn't hurt in the long-term sense. On the other hand, I'd probably just nurse him, myself -- it's easier, in my mind, than fussing with a bottle. :) But again, if you've got a whole month to try to work this out, you can see how you're feeling as far as pumping, without changing your weekend routine. If you're really feeling like your supply is way up after a weekend of nursing, you can look for ways to slowly cut back.

December -- I missed your question before! I was a D before becoming pregnant, a DD during, and a G afterwards!! But that only lasted until about 6 months -- at that point, the weight was coming off more, and my supply really settled down.... by 10 months or so I was starting to lose those pesky last 5-10 pounds, and I pulled out my old bras again. Now I'm back to a DD, still not back to a D, but I haven't stopped nursing yet so that's probably why. :) I've been steady at a DD for about 9 months though (Joey is 19 mos old).

march - were you on vacation without her? You say

At night, I can barely satisfy her demand.

-- do you mean she wants to nurse constantly? If you were separated from her for a long period, she may be attempting to keep you close by wanting to nurse constantly. It's totally normal and probably the only way that her brain can process the separation, esp. since you need to be away from her during the day.

Were you pumping while on vacation? You might want to try some of the galactogogues that have been 'tried and true' -- oatmeal as often as you can stand it (cereal, cookies, cereal bars, oatmilk, anything)... fenugreek in capsule form, Mother's Milk Tea....

I would *not* recommend starting cow's milk before 1 year, there's a good reason for that guideline. Not only will it be too hard for her to digest, it also does not have the right balance of nutrients for a baby her age. Additionally, she's not going to be able to properly absorb the iron in regular cow's milk. If you needed to supplement with formula that would be an appropriate alternative; the milk proteins in formula are already partially digested, and it has added nutrients and iron.

[December27JJB]

Marisa

Thank you!!!

[jeggink]

Marisa I do want to keep BF'ing DS at night and in the morning for as long as we both want to. I do have that problem though that if I let him nurse on the weekends my supply is up again during the week. Monday is usually misearble for me going back to pumping once. When we are together he still nurses about 3-5 times during the day, once at night and 1-2 times in the morning. Honestly I am not to worried at this point about hurting my supply cause I don't think that will be an issue and if it is, he is almost a year anyway. I am more worried about getting plugged ducts or even worse mastitis. I have never gotten either of them yet and I hope to avoid it.

I agree nursing is much easier and when I am around him that is what he wants although he will take a bottle from me. Sigh, gosh this sucks!

[elnelson]

Hi Ladies,

I'm a new mom and came down with mastitis after two weeks of breastfeeding. I tried to treat it without antibiotics - hot/cold compresses, rest, pumping that breast after feeding until empty and at the time I felt so much better after a couple of days. I did call my doctor and get the antibiotic prescription but just never used it.

Fast forward two weeks to yesterday - last night before going to bed I noticed I felt really achy and "flu-like" - sore joints, sore back, headache, etc. When I woke up this morning I literally felt drugged - sore breasts, SOOO tired and general lethargy. I've been feeding DS normally hoping that will help but i'm feeling worse and worse. I don't feel a specific area with a plugged duct but just general soreness in the same area where it was last time. Any thoughts on whether or not I should take the antibiotics now and try and get rid of it once and for all would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help!

Erika

[Jenzen01]

marchfamily, i talked to my dr. about the cow's milk thing, and he said the earliest he would give me an ok was 11 months. i love nursing, but i might take him up on that because i'm starting to want my body back (for just a little while, anyway). :)

[Sarah]

Jenzen- Make sure you get an iron check before starting whole milk, if you start at 11 months. :D


Erika- Sorry you're feeling gross. I would personally avoid the antibiotic, and start trying the thing you did before- pumping if your baby doesn't drain the breast, using compresses, and massaging your breasts very firmly to break up any clogs or plugs. Try to nurse as much as your baby will let you. Drink lots of water, rest, and get good sleep. If the symptoms don't get better soon, I would call and LC and probably take the antibiotics.


Jeggink- I think you would be fine to just nurse him when you are home, and wean off pumping. I know a lot of women who nursed until their kids were 2 or older, but stopped pumping at work around one year. Their supplies all just adjusted so that they made more milk at night and on weekends, and less during the day. I agree with Marisa that pumping just enough during the day to get enough milk out to be comfortable is a good idea. Decreasing the length of your sessions will probably work to gradually slow your milk production.


December- I was a large B before my first pg, then went to a DD or E when nursing DD1, and went down to a D or large C when I weaned my DD1 when I was 5 months pg with DD2. Now I am 2 weeks PP and I am back up to a DD or E.

*********
As for me, DD2 (Lucy) was born 2 weeks ago and nursing is going okay. She is sleepy and refuses to open her mouth very wide, so it takes a while to feed her. It's great to a be a second time nursing mom, though, because I have the confidence to trust that it's going to be okay if I just stick it out. I haven't even freaked and gotten a weight check, because I see her making tons of wets and poops, and see her little chubby cheeks. It's all so much less scary the second time around, and i know what bad habits to avoid. It takes forever for her to get a good latch, but I know it's worth it to avoid problems later.

[kakirk]

Hi everyone...

I'm having supply issues & I just don't know what to do or how to fix it. I seem to have enough milk for the twins early in the day, but come late afternoon/evening, they're still hungry after nursing.

I feel like I'm doing everything right:
I feed on demand (which ends up being every 2-3 hours during the day)
I'm drinking water like crazy
I'm taking 3 Fenugreek 3x/day
I'm eating oatmeal & any oatmeal product (ie: cookies, granola bars, etc)
I let the twins nurse as long as they want (sometimes it's an hour!)

But still I don't have a good supply.

The only time I feel really full is after their first stretch of nighttime sleep which is about five hours.

Their "schedule" is like this:
Down to bed between 11 & midnight with a nurse & a bottle (usually 2-4oz).
nurse for 30min betw 5&6am
awake for day btw 9 & 10am
from 9/10am-bedtime, i fed on demand.

I would say they eat 6-8x/day.

They're 7 weeks today.

Each nursing is at least 20 minutes (I make sure they nurse at least that long), and usually it goes 30 minutes.

I don't mind giving the one bottle before bedtime (although I'd be happy to get rid of it), but I would like to not use bottles the rest of the day.

They get really frustrated at the breast (esp. my right one as its the low producer in the family) when they're still hungry and I'm empty (and I know i keep making milk, but it doesn't come fast enough for them). I try & try & try to keep them on the boob, but they get so upset that they don't even latch.

I'm pumping when I can, but with two it is really hard. As soon as I get hooked up to the pump, it seems one or the other is fussing.

I'm totally at a loss. I'm super discoraged because thsi was the ONE thing I wanted more than anythign to work. I'm frustrated because nothing about these babies has been easy, from their conception, to pregnancy, to birth, to afterwords. I keep wondering if I hadn't been on that awful drug post-birth if things would be different, but I just don't know.

I met up with a twinmama friend who told me that at one point during her bf'ing time, she was able to pump 24oz. I want to be her. Everyone keeps telling me how lucky I am that I don't leak, that I don't get engorged, that I don't drown my children when they try to nurse. Well, I don't feel lucky; I WISH I were that person.

I feel completely inadequate when tehy nurse for 45 minutes and then are still hungry. Like I can't provide for my babies.

Please help! Any thoughts??

Katie

[LILRTL]

Katie If it makes you feel any better (I know it won't), I am having the same issues with only feeding 1. And this is AFTER I had the perfect latch, the perfect supply, etc. Very, very frustrating.

[portlandbride]

Marisa Thanks for the advice! I am feeling much better about everything these days. I think I was just subconciously really stressed about starting work.

Kakirk I was also having supply issues, and still am a little and in addition to all the things you are doing/taking I would look into taking Mothers Milk Plus (found at motherlove.com). I am also taking both Marshmallow Root and Blessed Thistle 4xs a day. The Mothers Milk Plus contains fenugreek, blessed thistle, nettle leaf and fennel seed. I've found that this has increased my supply much more than when I was just taking fenugreek. Good luck!

I just want to thank everyone for making this such a great environment to come to for support. Even though I rarely post, I come here often and it makes me feel better to see other mommas in a similar boat to mine. :)

[lady1297]

Sarah- Congrats on Lucy! I keep thinking it will be nice to be a second time nursing Mom! You make me want to run out and concieve right now!! Too bad it wouldn't work right now! hehe! Glad things are going okay!

kakirk- I never felt engorged (until DS slept through the night one time eons ago), never leaked. I understand how frustrating it is to have to give a bottle. I still have mixed emotions about bottles after 1 year of BF! I still feel guilty about using one, but somedays I just can't nurse anymore for various reasons. I don't have much advice, but I do have an intense respect for your ability to nurse twins. I think that has to be earning you extra momma points!! And you're giving them the BEST start. Keep us posted and I hope that someone else has more advice for you!

[chloechloe]

Okay I have a few questions. How long should I wean before trying for number two? I am going to BF until a year (which is in 4 weeks) then I am not sure when I want to ttc number but I guess I should wean first right? (To increase fertility, I had 2.5 years of infertility with DD) Right now I love BF because it gives me and DD (we cosleep) cuddle time, with a second that wouldn't be possible, with an active toddler, I wouldn't be able to BF and cuddle would I? Does anyone have encouraging second child BFing stories? Thanks so much!

[Marisa]

chloe - I hope that some of our mamas-of-two will come and chime in, but in my experience weaning will not necessarily bring back your fertility that much faster. In my own experience I got my cycles back at 14 months, when my son was still nursing 6-8 times a day. The best advice I can give you is to just start trying, when you're ready. I have heard many stories of mamas who got PG again without even getting their periods (they caught the first egg) or who had one cycle and then got PG.

At that point, if you decide to continue nursing you may find it actually easier to wean while pregnant (if you choose to), since many women experience a serious dip in supply around the 2nd trimester. Your DD may not be as interested once she's not getting as much milk.

I can totally sympathize with the "cuddle time" -- Joey still nurses at naptime and bedtime and it's one of the few times each day that he sits still enough for me to cuddle! :) I imagine that if you're planning to get pregnant again sometime after your DD is one, she may be two or close to two when the baby is born, you'll be able to set a few limits on nursing if you actually were to continue that long. (I'm specifically thinking of her being too active to nurse at that age -- you can teach her that nursies are for quiet time, or something like that.)

You should look into the book "Adventures in Tandem Nursing" by Hilary Flower -- it has a lot of great info no matter what your decision turns out to be. If your local library doesn't have it, ask them to interlibrary loan it for you. :)

[tinkerbell2005]

I am so frustrated with my weight right now I don't know what to do.

I was overweight when I got pregnant, felt sick a lot during pregnancy and didn't gain much. I probably gained 25 lbs. if that. After I gave birth in March the weight started to fall off. I've been BFing exclusively. I've also been really, really hungry and eating everything in sight.

Well I lost all the baby weight and then some and I was estatic! But now, for the past month or so, I have been GAINING! :eek: I have gained back almost 15 lbs. I can't believe it! I am so disappointed in myself. I am still exclusively BFing. DD did just start solids (at about 5 months) but it's hardly anything. I am still really hungry. I'm trying WW but it's almost impossible for me to stay in my points range.

I'm wondering what other nursing moms have done to lose weight. Did weaning decrease your appetite and knock off a few pounds? Exercise? Help!

[chloechloe]

Marisa--Thanks! As always! I have a really dumb question. I got AF back at three months pp. But I thought that the hormones involved in BF actually lessened my fertility? Is this true? I will check out that book sometime!Thanks so much!

[cc8]

The good news is that I think DD and I finally figured out the latching issue after some serious nipple damage and numerous attempts.

The not so good news is that I think I may have supply issues.

So I have a few Qs for all the moms - especially if you had a c-section but I'd be interested in everyone's answers regardless of the birth method. Thanks in advance for replying!

Did your milk come in right away? Did you experience any delays with your milk coming in?
I had my c/s on Saturday the 20th and my milk didn't come in until yesterday the 26th (Friday).

[/B]Did/do you have any supply issues?[/B]
I've been pumping to stimulate my supply. But it seems like I'm not providing Alexis with enough milk - because after a feeding, she seems to want to feed AGAIN within 40 minutes or so. Can that be RIGHT?

How many times a day do you BF and how long is each BF session?
Just now I BF'ed DD for a good 20 minutes and 10-20 minutes after I finished BFing, she was screaming for more. Is this normal?

[AmyE]

cc8 - First of all, congrats on your new DD! Unsolicited advice - Lansinoh (lanolin in a little purple tube) is just MAGIC for sore nipples and to prevent further damage. :)

I didn't have a c-section, but to answer your questions: 1)my milk came in on day 5 pp. (so pretty close to what you experienced
2) DS usually nursed about 40 minutes, but sometimes went a whole hour or more. He nursed every 2-4 hours for the first 3 weeks or so, then went to a 3-4 hour schedule for the next 3 months.

He just turned 4 months, and is only now sleeping for 7-8 hours at night.

Every baby is different of course, and apologies if I'm repeating stuff you are already trying, but you might try burping her after 20 minutes if she's falling of the breast at that point, then putting her back to the breast (or to the other breast). DS used to need burping after about that much time, but was clearly still hungry once I got the bubble out, so we'd keep at it. Good luck!

[Marisa]

tinkerbell -- I found that two things really helped -- one was cutting out all or most dairy from my diet. I had to do that early on b/c my DS was sensitive to it when I ate anything with dairy, but not getting to eat ice cream, cheese, butter.... I think it definitely helped. I didn't start adding things back into my diet until 8-9 months, and at that point he was crawling, which is my number two thing. When he became active, I stopped getting to sit around on my butt so much -- now playtime is active time. I dropped the last 10-15 pounds within the month or two after he started walking, and that was during holiday season, no dieting!


cc8 -- I had a c/s and it took 6 days for my milk to come in. I was in the hospital for four days, released on a Saturday, and it wasn't until at least Sunday that I 'felt' it.

Please don't worry about pumping. Count wet/poopy diapers to gauge your supply. Refer to this guide from kellymom.com --

WEIGHT GAIN:
If baby is gaining well on mom’s milk alone, then baby is getting enough. A 5-7% weight loss during the first 3-4 days after birth is normal. Baby should regain birth weight by 2 weeks. Once mom’s milk comes in, average weight gain is 6 oz/week. If these goals are not met, call your lactation consultant. More on weight gain.
WET DIAPERS: 5 - 6+ sopping wet diapers per day (after 1st week).
Expect one wet diaper on day one, increasing to 5-6 by one week. To feel what a sufficiently wet diaper is like, pour 3 tablespoons (45 mL) of water into a clean diaper (if baby wets more often, then the amount of urine per diaper may be less). Urine should be pale and mild smelling.
DIRTY DIAPERS: 3 – 4+ dirty diapers per day (after day 4).
Stools should be yellow (no meconium) by day 5 and the size of a US quarter (2.5 cm) or larger. The normal stool of a breastfed baby is usually yellow and is loose (soft to watery, may be seedy or curdy). More on infant stooling.
OTHER POSITIVE SIGNS: After a feeding, mom’s breast feels softer and baby seems reasonably content. Baby is alert, active and meeting developmental milestones.

If your milk just came in yesterday it may take a day or two to 'catch up', but otherwise that's a good general guide.

It is 100% normal for baby to want to feed as you describe, every 40 minutes, every hour.... remember that just a few days ago she was able to eat every minute, every time your heart beat. It might take her a little time to get used to this eating, then not eating routine. :) Also, I bet she's instinctively trying to get your supply up, since it was a little delayed coming in. That's awesome, she's going to be much better at it than the pump. :) Just put your feet up, tell DH to get you a drink, and hand you the remote. The next few weeks are hard, but it will be past soon.

And congrats, new mama! :)

[Koala_Gurl]

Just put your feet up, tell DH to get you a drink, and hand you the remote. The next few weeks are hard, but it will be past soon.

Yep, that was me the first few weeks! (Actually enjoy this time! Now DD is so alert I can't even watch TV anymore with her while nursing...we have to go up to her room with no distractions! Luckily now at 5 months she is really quick & efficient!)

Tinkerbell - I am like you, dropped about 35 the first few weeks (I gained 70 total), another 10 over the past few months then got stuck for a while. The weight is slowly starting to move again now that DD is a bit more mobile and I no longer just sit and nurse all day. :) If you aren't already...drink lots of water. It may help you with the hungry feeling (many times we mistake hunger for thirst.)

[happy1nuv]

I have a few questions ... the first is about frozen breast milk. how do you thaw/use it? I'm going to a wedding next week without ds, and we're getting a room that night. I plan on leaving my mom enough made up bottles for what i think he'll eat, but he only gets an occasional bottle, so i plan on stocking her freezer too just in case. Can she defrost in the microwave if needed?

And, nic's new thing is to eat for 5 min, ten pull off and smile at me.suck twice, pull off, smile - repeat a bunch of times ... if i pull him off and tell him he's done, he freaks. any ideas what he's doing????

He's 3 1/2 months...

[Marisa]

happy -- I always thawed BM in a cup of hot water -- submerge the entire bottle in the cup or bowl, change the water if it cools down. It takes about 5 minutes, but it warms it more gently, avoids hot spots that might occur when microwaving.

It sounds like your boy is learning to communicate with you! How sweet! ;) You might want to set up a quiet, dim nursing area for when he really won't concentrate and you need him to nurse. Obviously this doesn't work if you're out and about, but you can have a spot in your house. For us it was my bedroom, with the shades drawn -- I'd nurse him lying down and he'd get right to business (usually). :)

[ButterflyJen]

Weaning question: DD has decided she's all done with nursing (we're down to the early AM/before bed feeding). Last night she nursed for a few minutes before popping off and being done. This AM, won't even latch. I was planning to drop this feeding this morning anyway, but if she won't nurse at night, what do I do? Do I pump a little bit to avoid plugged ducts (I already feel one coming on, joy)? Thanks for any advice!

[lady1297]

I have no advice Jen, but just wanted to let you know that last night as I fell asleep I thought of you and Anna and thought, I bet she's going to be done weaning this week! Congratulations on making your goal of 1 + year! You did great!


Well, I'd probably pump a bit, actually to slow the body down. But others here probably have better advice

[marathongirl]

Another weaning Q - DD will be 1 in two weeks :eek: . I want to start weaning her then. How do I do this so it will be least upsetting to her? I've been trying to drop her mid-day nurse and give her formula. She will take about 4 oz of formula a day.

Another Q - I still haven't had AF return. While I suppose I shouldn't complain, is this normal?

[marchfamily]

march - were you on vacation without her? You say
Quote:
At night, I can barely satisfy her demand.
-- do you mean she wants to nurse constantly? If you were separated from her for a long period, she may be attempting to keep you close by wanting to nurse constantly. It's totally normal and probably the only way that her brain can process the separation, esp. since you need to be away from her during the day.

Were you pumping while on vacation? You might want to try some of the galactogogues that have been 'tried and true' -- oatmeal as often as you can stand it (cereal, cookies, cereal bars, oatmilk, anything)... fenugreek in capsule form, Mother's Milk Tea....

Marisa- Sorry I haven't gotten back to you. We were on vacation together. I was able to keep up with demand while BF. I'm having terrible trouble keeping up in the pumping department - since returning back to work after our vacation. My DD usually has 12 ounces during the day and 2-3 BF sessions. Today I was only able to pump 3.5 ounces and I have trouble with the evening BF sessions.

I did figure out that my supply tanked after I got my first PP/AF (I had spotting a month earlier). Could the total dip in supply be from that? I'm trying to eat oatmeal every morning and up my water consumption.

[jrdhbunny]

We had our 4 month check-up today and it was quite a disappointment weight gain wise. :( DS only gained 1 lb 10 ounces in two months (12 lb, 3oz to 13 lb, 13 oz). The doctor wasn't concerned at all- on the growth chart he's still hovering in the 50th percentile for weight (height is a different story- he's off the charts at 26.5 inches). But he's supposed to gain 4-7 ounces per week and when I plugged the info into kellymom.com's calculator, it showed he only gained an average of 2.9 ounces per week! :eek: He eats plenty- about 17-20 ounces EBM while I'm at work and nurses 3-4 times when I'm home- maybe my milk is too thin? I drink a ton of water at work (at least 10 pint sized bottles), could that be a problem? I'm trying not to worry, after all, he's extremely active and hitting all of his developmental milestones, but that 2.9 ounces per week number really scared me. He also only has a dirty diaper every few days, but plenty of wet ones daily. DH says he could add another bottle during the day, but that would mean breaking into my freezer stash, which is dwindling as it is. I just don't know what to do... :(

[HGMorgann]

cc8 it took 5 days post C/S for my milk to come in. Morgann nursed basically all the time in the beginning. She would nurse for say 45 minutes, give me 30 min to an hour break, then nurse again. But, it didnt last forever!! In the evenings, she would be latched on almost all night long. I remember one night we watched Napoleon Dynamite 2x with her latched on the entire time. Alexis is just working to get your supply up, most likely. Get comfortable, have snacks and water nearby and just let her nurse. The first few weeks can be a constant nurseathon at times. You are doing an excellent job!!

Lanisoh and Soothies are awesome, btw.

[Sarah]

jrdhbunny-

as the mama of a skinny kid, I assure you he's fine. if he's hitting milestones, peeing plenty (pooping isn;t a good indicator at his age anymore), and his percentages are okay, he's fine. don't stress- it's very rare to have milk that's not fatty enough.

[marchfamily]

How much Fenugreek should I take to try to increase supply? Do pharmacies carry it? Or should I go to my local GNC? At GNC online, it looks like each capsul has 610 mg. Is this safe for pg?

I'm drinking 100+ ounces of water per day and eating oatmeal. Any other options to increase milk production?

[hisdaffodil]

Quick question sorta regarding BF. How do you get lansinoh out of your clothes??? I've tried detergent and degreasing dish detergent and there's still greasy yellow stains on my bra. I have no idea why I forgot my nursing pads that night. :rolleyes: Anyone got any ideas?

[Sarah]

I think I took about 2-3 capsules, 3 times a day. Any less didn't work. I would start with less, and work up. Once you smell like maple syrup, it's working. :D And yes, it's safe for pg women.

Don't know how to get lansinoh out. :(

[catmom]

re: lansinoh: I used shout stain remover on my bras and let it sit a few minutes before I washed them. It got a good bit of it out, but I was never able to get the stains out 100%. But to me they are good enough to be wearable now.

[marchfamily]

Fenugreek - I'm reading different things about dosing and safety for pg on the internet. I read this on one of the sites "Fenugreek is considered a uterine stimulant, so do not use this herb if you are pregnant."

For now, I think I'll take 2 capsules, 3 times per day. I assume this is a short term product? How long did anyone take this? If I get pg, I'll probably stop taking them.

[Dreshny]

hisdaffodil: Try LOC (Liquid Organic Cleaner), it's an Amway product. It seems to get everything out. I haven't tried it on Lansinoh, though.

Um, my 3-month-old nurses a lot. He's a frequent nurser (every 2 to 2 1/2 hours.) I know he's efficient, because normally he only nurses for 10 minutes, but once a day, usually in the afternoon, he has a 2-hour-long nurse session. And it's 2 hours because that's what I limit it to, otherwise he'd go longer. Usually what happens is that he'll fall asleep for an hour or an hour and a half, but he'll be sucking the whole time. If I try to take my nipple out of his mouth, he cries. He won't take my finger, either. When he wakes up again, he wants to nurse even more, so I usually switch sides.

I don't mind, actually--I can read or nap. But is this a usual behavior?

Another thing--he spits up copiously, and not just after his marathon nurse sessions. He does it all day. Sometimes it looks like half a cup of spit-up at once. And he'll continue to spit up (it gets progressively yellower and thicker) until his next nurse session. When does spitting up so much stop? My mom says I'm going to have to offer food a little earlier (like 5 months) just so he won't keep nursing so much. Is that true?

And BTW, for the last week and a half he's slept through the night (usually from 9:30 to 5:00 or 6:00), so he gets all of his calories during the day.

[lil_nance]

Has anyone made their own reusable breast pads? I'd like to try it but am unsure what type of fabric and how many layers to use.

[cc8]

Thank you all for your advice and encouragement (and "HI" HG!)

So I've started a plan to help increase my milk supply:

-Drinking Mother's Milk Tea
-Drinking TONS of water
-Taking Fenugreek (Marchfamily, I bought this at a pharmacy nearby)

It seems to be working - any and all prayers are appreciated! :)

[kakirk]

Still having kind of a hard time...

I'm trying everythign y'all suggested. I'm letting the twins nurse whenever they want for as long as they want. And I still feel like the supply is low. What's worse is that they're starting to throw fits at the breast when the milk isn't flowing.

I talked w/a LC today (going for an appointment tomorrow) & she said the best thign is to just pump for 5-10 minutes after each nursing. Well, that's darn near next to impossible w/twins as the moment I get hooked up to the milking machine, one starts to fuss. Nursing is a damn production in our house involving no less than four throw pillows, the entire couch, and an EZ-2-Nurse pillow. I'm really immobile when I'm nursing both & can't just hop up to lay them down. I'm also one of the unluckies whose children don't instantly sleep in the swing. :rolleyes:

I'm still taking the fenugreek, added in Mother's Milk Tea (which isn't the best tea around, but it's not bad), still drinking tons of water, and eating any oatmeal product around (the new Honey Maid Oatmeal Raisin bars are DIVINE!!!).

Katie

[Dreshny]

I realized after I posted (and after a 4-hour nurse-a-thon and some mega fussiness) that he's probably still in his 3-month growth spurt, which has been going on since Friday. There's another one of these at 6 months, right?

[lady1297]

Dreshny- Yes, there is, but it wasn't as bad (at least I didn't think so) since you can start solids by then if you want. So you can get a bit of relief. Hope it's over soon.

[lady1297]

Hugs, Kakirk....I remember how hard pumping was with one, I'm sure it's worse with twins. My advice, it's best to just do your best. Do it when you can and do your best. :) Good luck.

[chloechloe]

My dd comfort nursed ALL night 9pm to 7am, she lies across my chest so i was in a lot of pain in my back. she has refused a soother lately too! why so clingy? i don't know. last night driving home from the beach she SCREAMED the whole way (50 minutes) I actually stopped twice to let her catch her breath. So, How do I avoid an all night comfort nursing session tonight? (I tried to break the latch and she would cry until I let her nurse again).

[lady1297]

chloechloe- how old is dd? Could it be a growth spurt?

[Marisa]

chloe - teeth? Joey did almost exactly the same thing each time he was getting a new top tooth (there's been 4 so far).

If you suspect this, a little Tylenol at bedtime and in the middle of the night might help her have longer stretches of good sleep.

[Dreshny]

Okay, DS has been STTN for nearly two weeks now. I didn't do anything to "make" him do that, and the first few times he did it, I was shocked, since he had previously been waking up twice or three times to nurse. Last night he slept from 8:30 to 5:45., which is pretty typical now. We used to co-sleep starting with his first feeding, but now he's mostly in the co-sleeper until dawn.

Questions:

Is it okay that he is skipping the night feedings at 3 months?

What about my one breast that doesn't get used for 12 hours now? (The 8:00 AM feeding?) I wake up horribly engorged and offer it before DS cries. Then he sputters and coughs while drinking because I'm so full and doesn't always empty the breast completely.

Eventually, I won't produce as much milk at night, right? What happens if and when he goes back to night feedings?

[jrdhbunny]

Thanks for your words of encouragement, Sarah! I do feel better about it now that a couple of days have passed.

[HGMorgann]

dreshney My daughter started STTN early on with no help from me either. (Then it quit later on..) But, the engorgement will lessen as time goes on. I wouldnt pump if you can stand it. If you are in a lot of pain, pump just a little. I think I pumped 3 or 4 times in the beginning to relieve the engorgement. Eventually your body will understand and produce less. (Not really produce LESS milk, just less at that time and MORE when your son eats to replace the night feeding) If your son starts waking up again, your body will produce more milk. I noticed the nights that when my DD woke up and nursed, the next night/morning I would be engorged (not bad) if she STTN again. So your body knows what to do.

[SD601]

I think my question is along the lines of dreshney.

Breastfeeding is getting better. You guys were right that it just takes time with a preemie. He began consistently latching and eating on Monday (exactly 2 weeks old--still with a nipple shield) and has been eating ever since. He doesn't always eat for very long, so I'm feeding him every hour or so, but we are definitely working on it.

Since he only eats about 2 ounces and I usually pump 5 ounces every three hours, I'm very engorged even after he eats. I try to only pump a little, but it seems so odd to try to decrease my supply.

How else can I get my body to regulate? Do I want to produce less, or should I continue pumping to maintain this great supply? I'm not going back to work, so I don't need a huge freezer stash. But it's so difficult NOT to pump, as I'm engorged.

[Marisa]

Laura, that's great that he's moving in the right direction! He sounds like a determined little guy! :)

We actually used a nipple shield too, for about 6 weeks, until I was able to start weaning him off of it. (You do what ya gotta do.)

If I were you I'd gradually start decreasing the time you spend pumping, as he gets stronger at nursing. He'll be going through a couple of growth spurts (normally they're at 3 and 6 weeks, but he may have them according to his real age or adjusted age, it's hard to predict with a preemie). You don't want to pump so much that it's hard for him to latch on (so engorged), but it's not bad to have a strong supply either. I'd try to taper off gradually, cutting the length of your pumps each time.

Roseanne, it's the same kind of thing... as he decides on his own to sleep through the night, it'd take your body a couple of days to get used to it but you will adjust (likewise, if he begins waking at night as well, you'll kick back into producing more with his stimulation).

I admit I pumped on those occasions when Joey STTN as a young infant, but not so much -- just to 'soften up' a bit.

[chloechloe]

DD is eleven months old. It COULD be more teeth, she already has EIGHT :eek: She is miserable for every one of them. I am so sore and tired by morning..... And I have to look forward to TEN days of camping with my non-bfing, non cosleeping, CIO MIL!! :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: Wish me luck!

[adoredh]

I have something so hilarious that I just HAVE to share with everyone!

My amazing DH, has been supportive over almost all of the choices I've made through out my pregnancy, and most supportive over my choice to BF our son. He's been educated on the benefits to our child, and the benefits to his wife (my mom's a 2x survivor of breast cancer, along with 2 of my aunts)

Last night, while we were winding down from our days and getting caught up, we started talking about my Dr's appointment for this morning. I told him I would be getting my first internal exam, and we would find out if the BH's I've been having, actually are doing anything "down there" (FYI - I'm 35wk4dy)

All of a sudden, out of the blue, DH asks "Will they pierce your nipples tomorrow?" in the same tone of voice he would use if he was asking "Will they take your temperature tomorrow?" I was very very confused, and asked him what he meant about "piercing" my nipples. He said "Don't they have to pierce them so that you can breast feed?"

Girls, I am still laughing as I type this!!! DH really thought that you had to poke holes in the nipples in order to breast feed! I offered, after laughing so hard I was crying (and having another BH) to show him the "pores" that are like our skin, which is where the milk comes out. He was so embarrassed that he didn't even want to look, he just wanted me to stop laughing like a hyena!

[gizzyntaz]

chloe - Alan is teething now too. I've finally figured it out after 2 weeks of the torture you describe. He is working on tooth 9 & 10 (& maybe 11)! He's 8 months old and he has been teething on and off since he was 2.5 months! He does not do well, either. So I'll be thinking of you when he sucks on me all night long, and you think of me, okay ;)

- Alison :)

ETA: Adored - you cracked me up!

[chloechloe]

adoreh--Oh My Goodness! I almost peed myself! That is too funny, So I am guessing his parents were conservative in telling him about the birds and bees :eek:

Alison--yup, well today I bought some Hylands Teething Tablets to try!

[adoredh]

Chloe DH was formula fed (same for me) so it's not something he was ever exposed to. I still giggle every time I think of it!!! He even said last night "This isn't something that will stay between us, is it?" and I started laughing more and told him "Nope, this is way too funny not to share!" LOL!!!

[AttyGrl74]

Question for you longer-term nursers: Did you notice a big dip in supply around 11 months? Especially during the day?

I still nurse Nora on demand although she is eating a lot of table food both at home and daycare. Daycare is great - they still call me twice a day to come nurse her for snacks.

But in the last week or so, instead of nursing and being happy and going off and playing with her friends, she's gotten really upset after nursing. I wonder if she isn't getting enough milk or if it isn't coming fast enough.

I used to usually feel the letdown about 60% of the time, but haven't in a week or so (at least during the day).

It could be that she's tired or just generally being whiney, but I have it stuck in my head now that the milk isn't satisfying her.

In mid-September, we'll be working on starting to day-wean her to cow's or goat's milk because I can't nurse her once she moves to the Toddlers' room at daycare (sometime in November). But I plan on nursing her mornings and nights as long as she cares to.

But I'm sad that that part of our nursing relationship may be ending. Nursing her during the day while taking a break from work has been a sanity-saver.

I am babbling, sorry!

[Koala_Gurl]

adoredh - That is just too funny! If it makes DH feel better, I don't really know that my DH knew how the milk came out, until we saw it in our child birth class (but, I don't know if the even thought I would get "pierced!") :D

[cc8]

I recently posted this in my LJ journal: any advice is welcomed.

I may have recently wrote about how BFing was going better - and it has to a certain degree - latching was turning into a breeze and DD was (or so it seemed) feeding well from me.

Well she's been irritated as all hell and crying A LOT. I always suspected that she wasn't getting enough from me - despite the fact that we feed every 45 mins to every hour. Plus we supplement the nightime feeding with formula.

So today at 2pm I gave her a whopping 40cc of my breastmilk which I had pumped earlier (not all in one session - I still can't get that much out) and she was content as a cat. I felt so BAD - I'm like literally STARVING my DD. I just about had it with everything and just broke down and cried.

So I am seriously thinking about giving up BFing all together and just switching to formula. At least with formula I know she will be well fed. I know it sounds like I'm being defeatist - that I may not be giving myself enough time for my supply to ramp up but hell, how much time is "enough time". I'm so freakin frustrated. All DD does is cry, sleep and dirty her diaper - understandable b/c she's a baby - I just feel like I can't meet her needs at all.

[lady1297]

cc8, how old is your dd?

It's so hard, this feeling. I went through it. Had to supplement with 2 to 4 oz every feeding. But it's not impossible to get past. But you also have to do what works best for you and your family. If that is adding a bottle to the day, then that's what you have to do. But don't forget that every single drop of BM that you give is a great thing. Great immunity, great nurishment.

[SD601]

cc8, hi September mommy!

I know my DS is only 2 weeks, but seriously, breastfeeding has only recently become a non-crying event for both of us!

I contemplated the formula switch because of that same reason--to know how much he was getting. I kept telling myself I would pump for a couple more weeks and then switch. All of a sudden at 2 weeks, it's better. Just hang on a week more and then see. I cried EVERY day for two weeks, and I thought I had some serious depression issues, too.

I went to a breastfeeding support group with a LC. Is this available for you? They will weigh the baby before and after feeding so you know how much your baby is eating. One girl told me she was worried her baby wasn't getting enough the first few weeks, since she would only eat for 5 minutes. It turned out that she was just an efficient nurser and would get 2 ounces in 5 minutes!

And please don't worry about supplementing. Just try to pump like crazy every 2-3 hours, even though it stinks to be chained to the pump. Your BM in beginning is so good for your baby, no matter how much you have. Just keep it up a few days longer and then re-evaluate. I'm just finally enjoying it now.

[NYN]

One girl told me she was worried her baby wasn't getting enough the first few weeks, since she would only eat for 5 minutes. It turned out that she was just an efficient nurser and would get 2 ounces in 5 minutes!
this was me (i mean, not the person you are talking about but i had the same experience). i was afraid my DD was not getting enough b/c she would eat for such short periods but the LC told me she was getting 1oz every five minutes so those first few weeks she would have short, 10minute meals. i agree that getting an LC would help b/c it will ease your mind.

[Mrs.Chappy]

DS is 12 weeks old..probably is going through a growth spurt too. he gets so sleepy at night that he does not feed well on the breast..so i just give hima bottle. Last nite i could only pump 1 1/2 oz :(. its upsetting to me b/c i used to give him the breast and then bottle..in the morning our feedings are going well..but after 3, when i start giving him formula (2 oz)after the breast..He cries when i take the bottle away..i asked the pediatrician who said it may be a comfort thing or he may want more..he rarely cries if i take him off the breast..he is such a 'whatever' eater at the breast. sometimes i feel like he still doesn't get enough but hesitate to increase the formula b/c i want him to get breast milk. At our 9 week visit he weighed 11.2 and the ped. said he was doing well in the 25%. I AM thinking of just pumping in the afternoons...I'm beginning to get emotional over this again and driving DH nuts...

[Koala_Gurl]

Mrs.Chappy - What about putting DS back on the breast after the bottle?

[Daniel's Kitty]

Just try to stick it out a little while longer! I thought my son wasn't getting enough until he spit up all over me and I was soaked! And then I pumped and got four ounces that he gobbled down from his Daddy.

Although I have to be careful since he won't use me for non-nutritional sucking. He will over fill his poor little tummy just sucking away.

Once your supply is really well established it will get better. I spent a bunch of the last two weeks wishing I could quit, and though I still have some of those ideas it is more from lack of sleep. I still don't know how long we will last, but there is a bit of a learning curve and then it gets better.

Question Did anyone have problems with too strong of a suck? We get the latch just right and I am still getting sore. He sucks so hard, he will do it to a finger also. It flows fast enough that he pretty much just has to swallow when he gets bored, but he still likes to suck hard enough that it feels like my internal organs are going to come out. I found out from MIL that this is how her boys were.

[Dreshny]

Daniel's Kitty: Should have named my kid "Hoover"...:) I had bruised, blistered nipples, and DS's arms were covered with hickeys because he sucked them, too. One night, my DH passed me the hungry baby in the middle of the night and missed, so I had a giant hickey on my chest. So, um, yeah, my baby has a hard suck.

I don't know if he lightened up, or I just got used to it, but it got much better at 5 or 6 weeks.

[lil_nance]

Daniel's Kitty My DS has a very tight latch and strong suck not as bad as Dreshny's but still painful. It does get better. I found the growth spurt at 3wk and now again at 6 to be a bit worse since he nurses more frequently. But, overall it got much better around 5-6wk. I think he and I both adjusted a bit. Hang in there.

[SiValleySteph]

Question for you longer-term nursers: Did you notice a big dip in supply around 11 months? Especially during the day?
...
It could be that she's tired or just generally being whiney, but I have it stuck in my head now that the milk isn't satisfying her.


Well, just get that out of your head! :p

She may be teething. Lucas was nursing like all. the. time. the last few nights and last night he finally let me look in his mouth ... two gigantic molars had made there way through!

She probably also knows that once your nurse her, you'll be leaving. Maybe she misses you? I know Lucas can tell when I'm going to leave in the morning and gets fussy even though I haven't made my way to the door or anything.

I pump during the day and my supply has been pretty good. I had a dip when I got AF, but it's perked back up. I have cut back on pumping, though, so I'm not producing as much as he is eating.

I don't really worry about supply anymore because the kid gets plenty of other food. He can nurse when he wants and for as long as he wants and that's how it goes!

Okay, now I'm rambling!

[AttyGrl74]

Thanks Steph! I hadn't even thought about her prolonging her day-care nursing because she wants me to stay and hang out! I'm sure that is what is going on. You're freaking brilliant!

ETA - to remove what could be misconstrued as a snarky anti-ff comment.

[Mrs.Chappy]

I have put him on the breast after the bottle..sometimes it works.
I thinki have the beginnings of a breast infection.. My nipple is really sore..not the breast, just the nipple..called my OB who told me to use warm compresses..it may be a blocked duct where the milk comes out.. it almost looks like a whitehead..anyone with experience with this? i am using warm compresses and will call him back tomorrow if it gets worse

[Daniel's Kitty]

So I am not the only one with this problem? Yea!!! Well not for you guys. I am having to get used to it! I had a blood blister in the hospital from how hard he was sucking, and the lc said we had the latch right. That almost killed bfing for me. For someone who took almost 24 hours to learn how to suck he sure kills my poor now purple nipples.

I think we are going to start a growth spurt, he will nurse today until he is over full. I am having to trade out for a finger or pacifier so he doesn't give himself an upset tummy.

[solongtogo]

I'm brand new to breastfeeding. My daughter was born 1 week ago, and after getting all the kinks of latching on ironed out, now I'm facing engorgement, and it hurts like all get out. Lately DD has been waking to nurse really frequently, so I decided to start pumping. How long does it take after nursing to have a full supply again??

[Marisa]

Congrats, Lisa! :) You'll find that you'll be close to "full" again after about a half hour, but you're continually making milk even as she's nursing.

A tip - whether you're pumping to build a stash for later or to offer a bottle in the next couple of weeks, it can be advantageous if you can manage to pump one side and nurse on the other. I don't know if you've been nursing one side per feeding or doing the nurse-switch-nurse thing, but it's acceptable to nurse on one side and pump the other. Since baby is more skilled at getting your letdown than a pump usually is, you can take advantage of the fact that you do have letdown on both sides at once and catch the milk on the other side.

It will take some practice though! Maybe try it when there's an extra pair of hands to help you get situated first! :)

[Kiley]

I think I have a plugged duct. Starting today, my right breast is very tender to the touch at the inside/top part of my breast. My books say heat, rest and frequent nursing. Are there any positions better than others for correcting this? TIA!

[solongtogo]

Thanks Marisa for the congrats.

Right now I'm nursing on one side, then when she's done with that, we go to change her diaper, and then she nurses on the other side. A normal feeding lasts for 20-30 minutes. I just wonder about how much supply I have and when she's done feeding on one side, I figured that that side was drained...

[moderngal]

kiley-- i did better sidelying with a plugged duct. the football hold is good for that, too. :)

[newyorkgirl]

Two things:

1. DS started a growth spurt last Wednesday. Before that, he was nursing very regularly every 3 hours. With the growth spurt, he started nursing every 2-2.5 hours (or less). But it's been a week! I thought growth spurts only last a couple days. Is there any way to stretch him back to every three hours? or do I just have to just deal?

2. I just found a great online store that sells BFing supplies at a discount - The Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island runs an online store, specializing in Medela products (as well as carrying Bravada, Majamas, and Bella Materna). Shipping is prompt and I like the fact that I'm supporting a non-profit org with the mission of supporting BFing women. They also have3 a small selection of toys, baby products and preemie products. Here's the link: Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island (http://shop.1asecure.com/index.cfm?stid=2852)

[Marisa]

Hi Erika! I love the name Bennett! :)

I think that you might just 'have to deal' for a little while longer -- breastmilk is digested so easily that it can be completely out of his tummy in about an hour and a half. This is why many breastfed babies do eat every two hours or so until they get a little bit bigger and can hold more milk at once in their stomachs.

I'm trying to remember when my son was able to go for longer-than-2-hour stretches, and it was probably sometime after his three-month growth spurt. By that time he was over 15 pounds.

[newyorkgirl]

Thanks, Marisa. :) I guess I will just "deal". I don't mind the BFing, it's just everything else (i.e. errands, household chores, etc.) that end up getting rearranged.

I also got a milk blister last night which blocked a couple milk ducts. Ugh! Really painful. I managed to open it up and release the milk, but I want to make sure I don't get an infection. Does anyone know what kind of antibiotic ointment (i.e. polysporin, neosporin, or something else) I might be able to use in order to continue BFing? I just used Lansinoh and popped a couple ibuprofen last night because I didn't want to put polysporin on it if I wasn't supposed to.

[LILRTL]

Isn't *anything* about BFing supposed to be easy? We were getting supply issues worked out, he was latching perfectly...and now I have mastitis. :( I was in so much pain last night I could barely breathe. Hoping this gets better soon.

[marchfamily]

I figured out why my supply has been low....

Any tips for BF while pg? I just found out we're expecting #2 and would like to BF until E is a year. There would be a 5 month overlap.

[AusAshMommy]

Marchfamily ~ OMG!! Congrats!!!! You've got to drop that info off in Jan '05 Moms!!

As for advice...sorry none, having my own supply issues...trying everything I can myself!

Good luck!

[lady1297]

Congrats Marchfamily!!! How wonderful!! :) No advice, though. Sorry....

[HGMorgann]

Congrats, MarchFamily! That is awesome! You give me hope on getting pg more "easily" the second time!! I think Kellymom has info on BF while PG.

I had a few friends who BF while pregnant. One of them didn't know she was pg until like 12 wk, so she just kept it up unknowlingly then continued and just ate more and very frequently. she said she would basically have a "first breakfast, second breakfast, first lunch, second lunch, first dinner, second dinner, and dessert" and she really did not gain any weight either until well into the 2nd tri. If I were you, i would eat lots of oatmeal and make sure I drank a TON of water.

[Daniel's Kitty]

Congrats!

Sorry you are having problems Lora.

[Marisa]

Congrats March! I would recommend the book "Adventures in Tandem Nursing" by Hilary Flower -- whether you plan to continue to nurse your older baby once the new baby arrives or not, she still has plenty of good information about nursing while pregnant.

The AAFP has stated that as long as your pregnancy is otherwise healthy, continuing to breastfeed should be your decision. The risk of uterine contractions, to the point of harming the fetus, is quite low.

You may find nursing while pregnant uncomfortable, that's a perfectly normal reaction. Common complaints are nipple soreness, nausea, general discomfort or fatigue. If you find that you are nursing less due to these complaints, or perhaps due to your baby's disinterest, just monitor her weight gain, make sure that she gets a variety of solids to cover her nutritional needs, or even supplement with a little formula if your supply really tanks before she reaches a year.

You may want to contact a LC in your area, as well, to see if she has any
tips for you. Your local LLL leader will probably be helpful as well.

lora - ugh, I had mastitis when we first got home from the hospital. As unpleasant as it is, nursing is actually one of the best things for you right now, since it keeps the milk moving out of the affected ducts. Are you on an antibiotic? I found that after 2-3 days of fevers and red, hot streaks on my breasts, the antibiotic was the only thing that really kicked the infection for me. I was on an 8- or 10-day course, I don't remember which, but I started feeling much better after only a day or two.

nygirl - Polysporin is ok to use while nursing, just wipe off any excess if some remains before the next nursing session. (The experts do suggest to apply sparingly.)

[Kiley]

Another question...the skin on my breasts is really red, itchy and dry. What can I use on it to get some relief? Thanks!

[manatee]

Hi everyone,

DD was born on 8/16, 5 weeks early. She was so sleepy for the first 10 days (and had jaundice) and wouldn't do anything when I put her to my breasts. We never got her to breastfeed while in the hospital and I had to give her some formula by bottle. I've been going to a breastfeeding clinic where I work with a lactation consultant. DD is doing better now and is breastfeeding using nipple shields. My fear is that she'll never breastfeed without the nipple shield. When I do try to give her my breasts without the shield, she cries and is unhappy and won't breastfeed.

Has anyone else used nipple shields and then successfully weaned their babies off? Any advice would be appreciated.

[Marisa]

Hi manatee! Congrats on your baby girl!

There's actually another mama on this thread right now going through exactly the same thing. I hope she'll stop in when she gets the chance.

I used a nipple shield for about 6-8 weeks due to other issues -- bad latch, which caused severe damage -- and was able to successfully wean off it once my baby was a little older. It was a huge PITA to me, but I did realize that it was much easier than preparing bottles, at least. We started weaning slowly, with an outing where I just forgot to pack a shield. Joey did great, so I decided to stop using it at night (when I was sleepy and it was hard to find in the dark!) Then I stopped using it during the day, the whole weaning process took about 2 weeks.

[LILRTL]

Thanks, Marisa. This just started last night around 9:30. By 2am, I couldn't even touch my right breast. My fever shot up from 99.7 to 102.4 just a few hours ago. My antibiotic is on its way. Hoping it kicks in quickly. I feel like I'm dying. The flu symptoms, achiness, chills, etc. are about to kill me. I can't even pick Zack up. My MIL has stayed with me all day. So depressing!!!

[Mrs.Chappy]

what is a milk blister..maybe i have that and not a plugged duct. my nipple has hurt for two days when he latches on and after he nurses...it looks like there is a pimple/whitehead in it. i've been using hot compressess and today it feels better..called my OB who hesistated to do antibiotics..i think its getting better but im interested in more info.

[cynder]

Mrs. Chappy Sounds like a classic milk blister. I had one when I first started nursing and just got another one this week. They are painful but pass away. Just keep putting compress.

Baby crying but here is info: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/nipplebleb.html

[newyorkgirl]

Mrs Chappy, that's exactly what a milk blister is. This is what I did - I soaked my nipple in very warm/hot water and then rubbed a damp washcloth on my nipple to gently break the skin off the blister. (Do this *very* carefully and gently!) Then I hand-expressed to make sure the milk blister had opened. Next, I nursed DS on that nipple just to empty those ducts - oh man, this hurts! - and when he was done, I rubbed Lansinoh on the nipple (but Marisa says Polysporin is all right as well. I've been nursing today with an emphasis on that breast. I did take a couple ibuprofen for the pain and I'm trying to look out for an infection. Hope that helps you!

ETA: You do not want to use Neosporin, though, because it contains neomycin.

[Sarah]

Kiley- Sounds like thrush. I would have an LC or doc check it out- you can get a scrip for Diflucan, and treat your baby, too, if it has signs of thrush in its mouth. Reduce the sugar and simple carbs in your diet and eat probiotics to help. A little yogurt on the nips for a few minutes can help the itching.

MrsChappy- ITA about it being a blister. Just do everything the PP said, it'll help.

[LILRTL]

Question. (What's new, right?) Can antibiotics affect the taste of your milk? Since I have started taking them, it is almost impossible to get Zack to BF. :( He will latch up, drink for a minute or so, and then scream...get really frustrated...latch back on, etc. This continues throughout the whole feeding - on both breasts. Any advice?

[Dreshny]

I figured it wouldn't last...DS is now nightwaking twice a night again, and eating like he's starving. Oh well...

[ahavnes]

I have a question. Once again, I have a sinus infection. My doc prescribed Allegra, but I am worried that it will dry up my supply. Any experience with that??

TIA!

[Kiley]

Well, the itchiness is due to hives! My entire body broke out in hives yesterday. I'm so itchy and uncomfortable and miserable. Dr said to take benedryl but I'm not entirely convinced that it's safe and it makes me so sleepy.

Sarah, re: thrush.......DS does have a white tounge but I thought it was just from my milk.

[domesticdreamer]

**Subscribing**
Researching all things BF, so that when Baby G arrives I can be as prepared as possible.

[SD601]

Manatee, I'm the mama that Marisa was talking about. I've had such great help here on this thread, so don't hesitate to post. Congrats on your baby girl!

My DS was born 8/15, just over 5 weeks early. We actually didn't start breastfeeding on the nipple shield until exactly 2 weeks, as we were dealing with jaundice, too. I was definitely freaking out about the nipple shield, reading up on how difficult it is to wean and how many LC don't like to use it. However, I've been going to a breastfeeding support group and have met several mamas of early babies. All have told me it was VERY difficult to get their babies to latch. One mama had a baby who was 6 weeks old, 0 weeks adjusted, who was still using it.

I REALLY wanted to get off the shield (isn't it a pain in the middle of the night?), but the LC at my group suggested I keep using it. She said once he's a few weeks past his due date to try, but she was also very relaxed and said some mamas like to use it the entire breastfeeding time. It can be a hassle, but if it's easier for baby, then it's fine. Knowing that other mamas still need to use it, especially with preemies, made me realize that as long as we are breastfeeding in some way, he's getting the BM. I doubt he'll still be using it in 3 months, so for now, I'm not going to worry about it.

Basically, I'm not even trying until he's about 6 weeks (Marisa's story of using one helped me feel better, too). I figure he needs to be an expert on latching, sucking, and staying on the boob before we try without. To me, even getting him to breastfeed is a proud accomplishment. What is best for our preemies to be getting our milk, so good job!

Kiley, I broke into a terrible, itchy rash right after birth, as a result of an allergic reaction to vicodin. My doctor prescribed claritin, since benedryl made me too sleepy to pump and nurse. I hope you feel better soon!

[manatee]

Laura,

Our stories are so similar it's kind of scary. I'm also in southern California (Los Angeles area). DD was also a little over 5 weeks early, born on 8/16 but official due date was 9/16. She was also jaundiced and we started on nipple shields around 2 weeks also. I'm also going to a breastfeedng clinic run by a lactation consultant. I just think that our stories are so similar.

I'm also just happy that she is now feeding off the breasts exclusively (even though she's on breast shields). I don't mind the inconvenience. It's just that I read The Nursing Mother's Companion and it said that babies don't get letdowns as well on shields and they don't always get enough milk that way. It also stated that some babies never wean off the shield. I just want to hear other success stories of babies doing well on breast shields, maybe eventually weaning off.

Again, thanks for sharing your story with me. It definitely feels better to know that there are others going through the same thing. Let's both keep up the good work!

[SD601]

Manatee, wow, what similiar stories! DS was born 8/15, with a due date of 9/20. Is your DD weighed at the breastfeeding clinic you're attending? My DS is gaining weight, so I stopped worrying about him getting enough milk. He gets weighed every week at my support group, before and after he eats.

You know, I've read some very negative things about nipple shields, and this was after the LC gave me one in the hospital. So at the support group (led by a different LC), I was surprised how "pro-nipple shield" the people and LC were. Hmm...and in real life, no one seems worried about babies using it long term. So I decided to ignore the reading and focus on the real life advice. I worry less now.

Question: does your DD take forever to eat? DS either eats very quickly off one breast and falls asleep (and CANNOT be woken) or feeds off both breasts for over an hour, still seemingly unsatisfied. We also supplement with pumped BM on 1-2 feedings a day, and he's up almost a pound from his birthweight.

I'm glad that someone else is going through the same problem. Lets keep each other updated!

[solongtogo]

[QUOTE=SD601]


Question: does your DD take forever to eat? DS either eats very quickly off one breast and falls asleep (and CANNOT be woken) or feeds off both breasts for over an hour, still seemingly unsatisfied. We also supplement with pumped BM on 1-2 feedings a day, and he's up almost a pound from his birthweight.

[QUOTE]

I was just about to come and post almost the same thing.

My DD is very thrashy, for lack of better word, at feeding times. It's almost as if the engorgement is making the nipple too big for her to fit in her mouth, but it takes her a long time to latch on. Then she keeps unlatching and relatching. It's all very painful. It takes about an hour to feed...and I'm worried she's not getting enough.

I've read that your breasts are supposed to leak, but mine aren't at all..

Does it sound like I'm not producing enough?? I'm a little worried...

[lorbo]

can i add to all the mommies who can't breastfeed for some reason...James was taken by c/s 7 1/2 weeks early due to rh incompatibility that turned into a nasty hemolytic anemia-multiple multiple transfusions later-he spent a total of 5 weeks in two different NICUs. i was visited by a LC who said i needed the hospital grade pump to sustain and build my supply, and when i started to nurse him, i'd need shields. the hospital where he was born, tried to start him on my milk, but told me he vomited it-so they didn't feed him for a good week-i was told later by another nurse at the 2nd NICU, that she was told his abdomen was swelling and that's why they discontinued his feedings-why i was never told that is beyond me. he was started on progestimil(sp?) while he was at hospital 1. i was pumping like crazy-DD started putting the horns on her and asking me if i was done pumping-god, i felt like such a cow, but thought, well, it's the best for him, i'll do it...until i got the phone call from hospital 1, where the dr told me the progestimil was okay, but he wanted to put James on something better-another formula. i was also dealing with the news that the catheter in his right hand blew and he had an additive slough and was told plastic surgery might be consulted. i needed to digest that news and when i hung up with the dr, i lost it. i called my sister, mother, anybody who would listen to me, saying why i am pumping if they never put him back on breastmilk-why am i taking time away from my DD to do this...i made a decision that night to talk to one of the drs during our visit with James. the dr was very proBF, she was BF and she had BF her kids and said she would talk to the dr i had talked to earlier and we also talked about transferring James back to the hospital where he was supposed to be delivered(i was sent to hospital 1 because of an RSV outbreak and the drs wouldn't let him in there). James was transferred with my milk that friday(the milk and slough talk happened on tuesday), back to my hospital which is 5 minutes away and they immediately started the transition to my milk. by monday, the neonatal dr suggested starting to nurse him. the week following was tough, he'd fall asleep or nurse for maybe 5 minutes, but he started to get the hang of it before he was released....which was when he was five weeks old. we also dealt with a hospital stay for the anemia about a month later and the LC who visited asked if i should be breastfeeding because my antibodies were the cause of his anemia-i said the drs weren't concerned with it and she said if i found out to let me know, i said if you find anything out, let me know-she did hours of research and found that it's a minimal amount of antibodies and the placental antibodies were causing the damage. so, he's been breastfed ever since...and he's a big fat chunky boy who looks like he's gonna surpass his sister in size soon-maybe not height, but in the weight catagory...definately!

so, hard as it may be...i've been there, bawled my eyes out over it...and did it!!!! Good luck ladies!

[prudies]

We weaned off the shields. I can't even remember when ... maybe at 6 months adjusted? Don't worry, one day it'll happen.

I suppose I noticed DS was a little more efficient off the shield, but it's hard to tell. It may have just been age. Don't stress. If it's working - happy, content baby with wet/poopy dipes -- it's working!

I hope that didn't sound like I'm trying to discount anyone's concerns. It's just that I spent a lot of time in the beginning worrying about why Elliott nursed so often, for so long. Now those days are behind us. It goes by so fast! Spend the least amount of time stressing that you can.

[SD601]

Thank you, lorbo and prudies. It helps to hear that others have been here and have succeeded.

solongtogo, my DS thrashes, too, and keeps latching and unlatching. I think he has gas, since he seems pretty uncomfortable. I try to use those times when he unlatches to burp him, so I burp several times during a feeding.

Is Courtney having wet and soiled diapers? I don't leak at all either, and I know I have more than enough milk, since I pump, too. However, I am pretty sure that Josiah doesn't get as much BM from me than he does from the bottle. The hardest part about these feedings is that by the time he's done, we only have an hour or two before the next feeding! It stinks for tired mommy and daddy, but I figure he will let me know when he's hungry and when he's full. And if he's hungry in an hour because he didn't eat much at the last feeding, then I'll feed him again.

Can you get weight checks anywhere? That's really what reassured me that he was getting enough. I get them every week at a breastfeeding support group. HTH!

[HollyMN]

This is my first post in the thread. My ds is 4 weeks.

I have what I think is a plugged duct since yesterday. It's a hard spot that is red. I've tried massaging it while nursing, while in the shower, using a hot washcloth, a hot diaper, and nursing slightly more frequently. It's still here. Now what?

Thanks in advance!!

[gizzyntaz]

Hi Holly! Congrats on your DS! My plugged duct turned into mastitis quickly, so be careful! It sounds like you are on the right track to getting rid of the plug. The top three things I did were:

1. Nurse a lot on that side. (As much as you and your DS can handle)
2. Apply constant heat. (I used a heating pad (or hot water bottle) wrapped in a towel. I could do this even when I was sleeping) You may want to soak the towel and apply "moist" heat when you can...
3. REST. That may be one of the most overlooked cures. Retire to bed until it's gone if at all possible.

My plugged duct was caused by my bra (bought at the later part of my pregnancy) being too tight. If the plug persists you can add some supplements to your diet (lecithin comes to mind, but I'm not sure of the amount).

I will mention that while mine turned to mastitis (I had a fever and flu-like symptoms for 3 days) I was able to combat the mastitis using the techniques above and DID NOT have to go on antibiotics (a good thing for us because we were also battling thrush at the time).

HTH!

- Alison :)

[Sarah]

ITA with Gizzyntaz, on all counts. Also try varying your nursing position. Like try the football if you always use crosscradle, etc.

Solongtogo- No, it sounds like either you have a very good supply, causing your baby to freak out at your letdown, or you have a fine supply but your baby is trying to up it, because that's what babies do as they need more milk.

I wish when I had my first baby someone had told me to relax, as Prudies said. Not that I blame you for worrying! It's really scary not to know how much baby is getting, what is going on when they start that delatching thing. My baby was doing that last night and I wanted to scream from the utter frustration. But really, I wish someone said to me, when I had DD1, that the baby will do weird things- want to nurse constantly, delatch, struggle, fight the bb, fight the nipple with its little hands, etc. And it's all normal. The answer to almost any nursing problem is "just keep nursing the baby." It's so frustrating. But if you can just be kind of Zen about it, and just keep going, you'll make it to the easy part in a few weeks.

[newyorkgirl]

Hi Holly. I agree with gizzy - nurse, nurse, nurse! I had plugged ducts for a few weeks at the beginning, too. (This was due to an incompetent baby nurse causing me have oversupply, but that is another story.) I used hot and cold compresses as well. I've heard cabbage leaves work as well, although sometimes too well, and then you go in the opposite direction. (To do this, use chilled cabbage leaves, place between two pieces of Saran wrap and crush flat with a rolling pin, then apply to the breast tissue closest to your armpit.)

Recently, I've been talking to another mom who had oversupply problems as well and she told me that the combination of lecithin supplements (suggested by her LC) and a bcp scrip from her OB helped regulate her supply. I think she took lecithin in powder form.

[Sarah]

Oh my word, Newyorkgirl!

I read your post too fast, and thought you said to crush your breasts flat with a rolling pin. I was recoiling in pain at the very thought! LOL.

bcp scrip from her OB helped regulate her supply.
Sorry to disagree, but I would watch out for this. It could damage your supply, even if it's great right now. Even if you have an oversupply at the beginning, it could even out and the BCP can harm it. Lethicin is great for making the milk less "sticky" and less likely to form into plugs.

[newyorkgirl]

I agree with you, Sarah, that one has to be careful about bcps - they can cause the supply to go the other way, too. I should have specified that my friend was on the progesterone-only one. Also, that she was getting plugged ducts with great regularity, her baby were gagging and choking at the breast, and she could still pump enough to feed a schoolbus (her words). I have similar oversupply, but not as extreme as her. I am also on bcp (Micronor), and it is still doing nothing to my supply, as I still get engorged on a regular basis.

[LeslieR]

the baby will do weird things- want to nurse constantly, delatch, struggle, fight the bb, fight the nipple with its little hands, etc. And it's all normal.

Sarah, thank you for posting that. It's so reassuring to know that other babies do this, too!


Now I have a couple questions...

spit up...how do you know when baby is spitting up too much?
Luke NEVER spits up after his night feedings (he nurses for 15-20 minutes and then goes right back to sleep), but he seems to spit up after just about every daytime feeding (which last much longer). Could it be because he doesn't know he is full and is eating too much during the daytime feedings? Or is it possible that he has a tummy issue?

choking...we seem to have a choking fit at almost every feeding. I have read that this is usually because of the letdown and the baby getting a lot of milk all at once. The problem is, I can't feel my letdown so I can't pull him off to sop up some of the milk. Any suggestions?

and lastly...

nipple suggestions...we gave Luke his first bottle last night (Avent bottle/Avent nipple). He was so confused at first and kind of played around with it and pushed the nipple in and out of his mouth (incidently, he does this when we try to give him a pacifier as well). He finally got the hang of it and ate 1oz before he started throwing a fit and wanted nothing to do with the bottle. I know it's only the first time we tried a bottle, but after this and the way he reacts to pacifiers, I'm afraid he'll never take a bottle and I'll never be able to leave him.:( Is this a typical reaction to taking a bottle the first time and should we keep trying with the Avent or should I try some other nipples?

TIA!

[Marisa]

Hi Leslie --

All babies spit up a bit, and it's normal for the first several months as their stomach muscles mature. In particular the diaphragm is not fully closed so if there's any movement after a feeding, it's possible for milk to just slip right back up. That could explain why it happens during the day (when he might stay awake to play after eating) instead of at night (when you're probably being very calm and still to try to get him right back to sleep).

It's probably normal unless you see that it's starting to smell funky, have chunks, be any color besides white/off-white.... that means that the milk has had a chance to partially digest and curdle in his stomach, that might mean a sensitivity.

Try a different position to help with letdown. I had the same problem and found that lying down to nurse all but solved it. You can also try leaning back a little and bringing him up closer to you (with the help of the boppy or other pillow) to let gravity help a bit. If you're leaning over him the milk might come a little faster.

As for the bottle, just keep trying. I was lucky; Joey would drink from anything. But I'd give it a few more tries. If you were the one giving the bottle, let DH try it. Maybe try a different time of day. Otherwise, one oz. actually sounds like a reasonable snack for a baby his age; you probably want to prepare no more than 2 oz. of milk at first so as not to waste it if he doesn't take it all.

[LeslieR]

Marisa, thanks so much for the tips. What you said about movement after a feeding makes sense since at night he falls asleep at the breast and I put him right back in the co-sleeper-little movement as opposed to during the day when he is awake after a feeding and getting jiggled around to soothe him, etc.

DH did give him the bottle. He might have been part of the problem, though, since it was his first time feeding him and he felt a little uncomfortable and got frustrated when Luke was fighting the nipple. Once Luke got down the ounce and started his fit, Sal gave him to me and he nursed for a while after that so I know he was still hungry. I guess we'll just keep at it with these nipples and see what happens.

Thanks again!

[solongtogo]

A dumb question...

What exactly is letdown?

[Marisa]

Letdown is the milk ejection reflex. When baby sucks, you might see a pattern where she is sucking more vigorously/quickly at the beginning of the feeding, to stimulate your letdown. Then after the letdown occurs, your milk is flowing freely and she'll change to slower sucks, with deep swallows.

(You can hear your baby swallow differently as she's getting milk, you'll hear a little "tshhh" sound like a puff of air.)

With letdown also comes a small rush of hormones (oxytocin and prolactin), and mom will sometimes feel relaxed or even sleepy while nursing, especially during the first few weeks/months. The oxytocin also helps the uterus contract back to its normal state.

You may never actually *feel* the letdown (and that's totally normal), but many women report a 'tingle' or even a 'pins-and-needles' kind of feeling. Personally, I always felt it in my back, just a little -- a warm, relaxed feeling like your muscles after working out.

[Sarah]

You also can feel a letdown if you go too long w/o nursing- your bbs might tingle or sting for a moment.

Marisa- When Joey had milk issues, was his spit up curdly? Luce's is thickish sometimes, and a bit curdley. Could it be milk protein issues? I SO don't want to cut dairy.

[catmom]

a 'pins-and-needles' kind of feeling. Personally, I always felt it in my back, just a little -- a warm, relaxed feeling like your muscles after working out.

Woah, is that what that is??? Sometimes when I nurse I get this "pins and needles" feeling in my back. I always figured it was a side effect from my epidural which was brought on by the way I was sitting. Could that be letdown?

[maggieb]

I've been dairy free for 6 weeks now...completely dairy free, including all of the hidden ingredients. I have been soy free for about 2 weeks now and have yet to notice any difference in Marisa's spit up. It's still curdled and thick. She's not screaming in pain anymore since she's on Zantac, but she still breaks out in a nasty rash sometimes and although she's not screaming in pain, she gets uncomfortable when she spits up and it does wake her up out of a deep sleep. Her ped doesn't seem worried about her congesion, spit up and rash, but I think it's totally obvious that it all points to a food allergy/intolerance. My question is...what's next to cut out? Any suggestions? I am trying to avoid the Dr Sears Elimination diet, but it may look like I have to go that route just to find out what is bothering my poor little girl.

[shellbell516]

Leslie - Rachel also spits up more during the day with feedings. I feed her while laying on my side at night, so maybe not moving around does help prevent her from spitting up.

At first I could feel the getting sleepy feeling while breastfeeding, but just thought it was because I was so exhausted. I guess now I know that it was let down.

We're also using the avent pacifier and bottles. She'll take the paci with no problems, but we haven't tried the bottle out yet.

[Adam's Pi]

A question for those with older babies:

DS nurses right before bed, but the last two nights, after I've nursed him, he's fussed and not quieted down until DH gives him some whole milk from a sippy.

What is going on?!?! He eats a full dinner with us about 1.5 hours before bed. He is teething, but the last two nights haven't been as rough for us. He nurses for about 15 minutes (long for us anymore). Last night I switched sides so that he nursed from both sides. Is he dropping that nursing session? Am I not making enough milk for him? I'm a bit sad and frustrated. :(

[Mickey&B]

This might be a silly question but here goes

What storage bags do you guys use for freezing your milk. My DS is almost two weeks old and I am just starting to pump. I have the medela bags but I really hate the twist tie thing. I thought I had seen bags that had ziplock type closures.

[HGMorgann]

I have Lanisoh bags. They have a double seal ziplock thing on them and worked fine.
:)

[moderngal]

i like the lansinoh bags best. i hate the medela ones- i only used a few and now am stuck with a ton. if anyone does like them and want them, let me know.

[solongtogo]

I'm using gerber seal n go..they have a ziplock on them. I just started pumping as well, so I can't tell you whether I like them or not, but they've gotten good reviews..

[sunni76]

I like the Lansinoh bags too:)

[Kiley]

where do you get the lansinoh bags? or any milk bags for that matter.

[happy1nuv]

Happy Labor Day everyone!

I have a few questions... I have a wedding to go to next Saturday, and we're leaving Nic with my mom. It will be my first real night of sleep since he was born, and I'm totally excited... but.. Nic still eats around the clock... spacing his feedings anywhere from 20 min - 4 hrs (4 hrs is rare ...usually like a 2-3 hr cycle). We're going to drop him off at 1:00 ... I plan to pump at 5:30-ish (in between ceremony and reception) and then after the reception at like 11:30-ish. Then, I plan to SLEEP the night through unless I wake up in pain. I'll pump again whenever we wake up.

Now, I plan to DRINK at the reception - and will pump/dump at 11:30. Our hotel has a fridge... and I plan to bring a cooler full of ice with us. Can I keep what I pump at 5:30 ( will be pre-drinking ...stored in a cooler of ice in car til 11:30, then fridge, then cooler of ice for ride home). I will pump/dump 11:30's ... Can I keep whatever I get the morning after, or better safe and sorry to dump it (alcohol) ???

thanks...

[Marisa]

Kiley -- Target typically has a wide variety of Lansinoh products, I'm pretty sure I've seent them there.

Happy -- you don't have to pump and dump anytime after about an hour to an hour and a half after your last drink. The alcohol works its way out of your system fairly quickly and will not linger in your milk any longer than it's in your bloodstream.

[Sarah]

No need to pump and dump the morning milk. If it's more than an hour and a half, you're good.

HOw much are you planning on drinking, and how old is your baby? I think a couple of glasses of whatever is fine, but it's your comfort level.

[Dreshny]

Okay, so several of DS's poops have been pea-green lately. That means he's getting too much foremilk, right? Should he be nursing longer? Usually after 10-15 minutes, he turns his head and indicates he's done. Or is this just part of his growth spurt (different digestion)?

[lady1297]

Adam's Pi- Edward does this sometimes during the day. I wish I knew why, just thought I'd let you know that it happens here...

[happy1nuv]

Hmmm... I'm not sure how much I'll end up drinking...but way more than the 2 you're supposed to limit yourselves to while b/f'ing. ;)

Another question... if I only pump 3 times in a period where I would normally b/f 5-10 times ... am I risking my supply at all? It's only one day... (and, I normally only give nic one side at a time, and will pump both, so ... I have been taking fenugreek and pumping an extra 8 oz a day, so I'd have a big enough stash for this sat... so i guess if it dips a little bit, it shouldn't be a big deal, since I plan to cut back on my pumping after the wedding to just once a day, whatever i get i get ... and not pumping repeatedly til I get enough...)

Oh... and Lasinoh bags can be found at target i think... I've been usng the first years easy store and pour bags (with ziplocs) ... I haven't actually defrosted any yet, but the bags seem fine so far (i store them in a gallon ziploc bag in the freezer)

[AmyE]

OK, I know this is pretty normal, but it makes me sad so I'm going to vent just a bit. DS (4.5 months) absolutely - categorically - refused to nurse late this morning, then 2 minutes later (I knew he was hungry) chugged a 5 oz bottle in less than 5 minutes. Granted, he normally has a bottle at daycare at this hour during the work week; bottles are less work for the baby; and it was EBM so it's nutrionally the same. Still, it made me sad. The little piglet is now eating 20-24 oz of EBM during daycare and another 6 oz at home when his Daddy feeds him after our dinner. I still nurse 3 times a day for about 10-15 minutes at a good session, but can just BARELY pump enough milk for him. I wanted to wait until 6 months to start solids, but he seems to be ready or almost ready now. Sigh. What happened to my teeny, calm 40-minute session newborn??

on a more practical note, did anyone decide to supplement with a bottle of formula rather than adding calories from solids? My ped says either way would be fine, but I'm torn.

[catmom]

The past several days, DD has been popping off the boob, chewing on her hands and complaining when I try to nurse her. If I try to get her to re-latch, she bites me! Sometimes when this happens, I can get her to take a bottle (this morning she took 5 oz after doing this), but sometimes she refuses the bottle, too. Does this sound like teething? She seems to do more of the hand-chewing/fussing when I'm trying to feed her, so maybe she's just frustrated because there isn't enough milk?

She's so finickly lately it's geting really frustrating. Sometimes she will refuse to nurse and take a bottle, and sometimes she will refuse the bottle because she only wants to nurse. So this new hand-chewing thing is making things even more confusing.

[lady1297]

Catmom-that sounds like teething to me, since we are going through the same things with DS and he's getting in 4 teeth (it looks like at least that many!)

[SiValleySteph]

DS (4.5 months) absolutely - categorically - refused to nurse late this morning, then 2 minutes later (I knew he was hungry) chugged a 5 oz bottle in less than 5 minutes. Granted, he normally has a bottle at daycare at this hour during the work week; bottles are less work for the baby; and it was EBM so it's nutrionally the same. Still, it made me sad. The little piglet is now eating 20-24 oz of EBM during daycare and another 6 oz at home when his Daddy feeds him after our dinner. I still nurse 3 times a day for about 10-15 minutes at a good session, but can just BARELY pump enough milk for him.

Can I ask a stupid question? Why does your husband give him a bottle after your dinner? Why don't you breastfeed him then? I would not give my son any bottles of EBM outside of daycare because I wanted to keep my supply up. Pumping is not as good as baby for keeping your supply up. For me, breastfeeding was very important, so it was no bottles for DS outside of daycare. Period. (Well, with the exception of when I went out with friends and left DS with DH or when we got a babysitter.) Also, since we didn't do bottles at home, if DS wasn't nursing, I would just try again later. I wouldn't offer a bottle.

I'm not saying there is anything wrong, per se, with what you are doing. But I do think that if 100% breastmilk is important for you, that the bottle habit could make your path more difficult.

[lady1297]

I agree with SiValleySteph. Bottles outside of when mommy isn't home makes things harder for your supply to keep up. It's so easy to hand a bottle to baby and so easy for baby to use a bottle that they may fuss for at the breast. I'd say ask DH to give the bath and do the night routine except for bottle. That way he can bond and you can keep up your supply. :) Good luck.

[Lydia]

This might be a silly question but here goes

What storage bags do you guys use for freezing your milk. My DS is almost two weeks old and I am just starting to pump. I have the medela bags but I really hate the twist tie thing. I thought I had seen bags that had ziplock type closures.

I used to use the Gerber zip loc style bags but now I just use the Medela bottles-so much easier! Also, I really like the Playtex One Step storage system. (www.playtex.com)

[Lydia]

[QUOTE=AmyE]OK, I know this is pretty normal, but it makes me sad so I'm going to vent just a bit. DS (4.5 months) absolutely - categorically - refused to nurse late this morning, then 2 minutes later (I knew he was hungry) chugged a 5 oz bottle in less than 5 minutes. Granted, he normally has a bottle at daycare at this hour during the work week; bottles are less work for the baby; and it was EBM so it's nutrionally the same. Still, it made me sad. The little piglet is now eating 20-24 oz of EBM during daycare and another 6 oz at home when his Daddy feeds him after our dinner. I still nurse 3 times a day for about 10-15 minutes at a good session, but can just BARELY pump enough milk for him. I wanted to wait until 6 months to start solids, but he seems to be ready or almost ready now. Sigh. What happened to my teeny, calm 40-minute session newborn??
QUOTE]

I can relate to barely being able to keep up and being a WOHM. What helped a lot was getting a manual pump! I increased my supply so much. I also get up in the middle of the night whether she is up or not, to pump one side (and she'll nurse off the other)

[Lydia]

Hi everyone,

DD was born on 8/16, 5 weeks early. She was so sleepy for the first 10 days (and had jaundice) and wouldn't do anything when I put her to my breasts. We never got her to breastfeed while in the hospital and I had to give her some formula by bottle. I've been going to a breastfeeding clinic where I work with a lactation consultant. DD is doing better now and is breastfeeding using nipple shields. My fear is that she'll never breastfeed without the nipple shield. When I do try to give her my breasts without the shield, she cries and is unhappy and won't breastfeed.

Has anyone else used nipple shields and then successfully weaned their babies off? Any advice would be appreciated.

I have, and we weaned her off it at about 6 or 7 weeks. I really had a hard time but I think it was just the learning curve on my end. One night I lost the shield under the bed somewhere and was too tired to get up and look so I thought I would just try it without. She was so hungry, she latched right on and we never used it since. Hang in there!

[AmyE]

SiValleySteph et al - I know, I know. It sounds ridiculous to have him take a bottle when I'm home, but we've discovered that if I nurse him anytime after 6pm, he falls asleep and won't eat much....until he wakes up on his own at about 11pm or midnight and wants to eat again. (Understandable when he's basically missed a feeding!) He usually eats about 4:40-5pm anyway, so nursing earlier is already on the schedule. On the other hand, if he gets a bottle at 7ish, he'll eat the whole thing and STTN.

(and DH doesn't want to give up "his" feeding time!) I had planned on starting solids at 6 months, anyway, so we're pretty close.

[SiValleySteph]

Amy, I don't think it sounds ridiculous at all. I mean, who wouldn't want a baby to STTN? :)

It may depend on your priorities, though. Having my son on breastmilk only was more important to me than STTN, although sometimes I did question my sanity. Maybe more than sometimes. My son didn't reduce his milk intake at all when I started solids (even after he started eating a fair amount which wasn't for months after we started), so that wouldn't have helped me.

I know some moms in the pumping thread have been able to increase their supplies with fenugreek, oatmeal, etc. so something like that might help you to pump more milk and then you won't be feeling as much stress over keeping up with your baby's needs.

ETA - I might be projecting a bit, I don't know if you're stressed or not over pumping. I just have found pumping to be emotionally draining with always worrying about having enough milk. Oops, I just realized I'm totally late for pumping. :o

[Mrs.Chappy]

Amy: My baby falls asleep too in the evenings on my breast. I am frustrated by it. Tonite i plan on giving him bottled formula and then pumping after the bottle. I can never get enough EBM for a full feeding unless i freeze it and add to the stash.

Lately my 3 month old is very active in the breast..pulling away (i try to burp him but sometimes there is no burp), getting upset, crying etc. Is it my supply? like some of the other posts, i know if i give him a bottle he will take it and be content. Sometimes i give him two oz in a bottle then put him back on the breast after and he is still agitated. It makes me think of beginning to halt BF or pump and bottle feed instead of bringing him to the breast (or just BF in the mornings when he is calm and my supply has built up overnight). Not sure what to do. BFing has been exhausting since day 1 though it has gotten better. i never thought it would be this tough.

[Marisa]

Amy -- the AAP's most recent guidelines (Feb 2005) are clear about starting solids at or after six months. Since they made a big deal about stating "six months" when it was previously "four to six months" there would have to be some pretty compelling research to support that.

Although some drs. will tell you that a "big baby" or a "hungry baby" will need solids early, that's really not the best sign of readiness. What you need to be looking for is whether he's sitting up well (can be assisted, i.e. in a high chair), whether he is able to do a pincer grip (to pick up finger foods) and whether his tongue-thrust reflex is diminished (otherwise his impulse is to push the food right back out). Before a certain point, a baby's intestines aren't even fully formed, they're sort of porous, and become less so as he grows. Starting solids too early can be opening up a different can of worms.

So I guess what I'm saying is that if you must supplement, I would advise doing so with formula instead of solids. In addition to the above reasons, formula is at least balanced nutritionally, as opposed to solids, which in the beginning are pretty much carb-heavy (rice cereal, fruits) and meant more for experience than for nutrition.

Are you pumping while DH is giving him his bottle in the evening? If not, I would strongly strongly encourage it. Your body needs to know that the baby is still eating at that time, even though he is not directly nursing. We had a similar setup for a while last year, and when DH would give Joey his bottle I'd pump for ten minutes first, get enough milk for the next day's bottle, and then be free to do whatever (I was a SAHM so this was my 'alone time' :))

Mrs. Chappy -- have you tried changing positions, does it make a difference? Sometimes if something is bothering the baby (ears, for example) nursing may be uncomfortable, esp. in certain positions. Certainly, it's easier to get milk out of a bottle as well. Three months is a typical growth spurt time, he may be agitated because nursing doesn't give him the milk as fast as the bottle.

[AusAshMommy]

Question ya'll...I just bought some Fenugreek tonight in hopes of boosting the amount I've been producing...to put it this way, I last pumped @ 3:45pm today and tried to feed Ashley @ 6:30pm and nothing...just pumped and got a whopping 2ozs! My question is, how many do I take in a day? And what sort of "side effects" should I expect??

Oh is supply normally affected this drastically by AF???

[Marisa]

You can take 2-3 caps, 3 times a day. Some say that if you're taking 'enough', you might get a maple syrup smell to you.... fenugreek is used in artificial maple syrups, actually... but I never had that happen. :)

The side effect I hear about most is headaches, but that is fairly uncommon. If you experience this, they should go away fairly quickly after discontinuing use of the supplement.


I've only had a handful of PP periods so far, but I typically feel "low" for a day or two right at the beginning. It's not uncommon.

[AmyE]

thanks everyone, for the great advice (and commiserating). I'm going to add an extra pumping session, and will try the manual pump to see if that helps. I REALLY want to BF for the full six months, and I think that is making me more stressed than necessary, as Steph noted.

Mrs. Chappy - BF is very tough, I completely agree! When I was pregnant my DH would make a lot of comments about how "easy and natural" it must be. He's since stopped, and it's only taken a few Death Glares. :D

[BridalLace]

hi everyone,

coming out of lurking just to ask a couple questions.

one - what do you all do to help with feeling antsy or impatient when BF'ing? its since i went back to work that i feel like the 2-3 hours i spend in the evening breastfeeding is just going on and on. i read sometimes, but other times my legs get kind of antsy and all i want to do is just shift positions! and i feel like i can't. i get really frustrated and nervous. any tips?

two - i've been eating a lot of oatmeal to increase my supply, and its really helped. however, i noticed on the food label for oatmeal - even the one i buy that doesn't have a lot of extra sugar, etc., added, that it says the fat content is really high - like 20-25 fat calories per serving! is eating oatmeal going to make me gain a lot of weight? :(

three - sometimes i wait too long to pump a breast. i will feed my DD from one side all evening and then fall asleep, waking up to the other one being really engorged. i get really eager to use my pump to get all that milk, but then when i go to pump, i get hardly anything! this has happened several times. i will get 2 ounces at these times, if i'm LUCKY. am i getting too engorged? even if i try to hand-express a bit to help it along, hardly any milk comes out. i think i am getting a bit of mastitis at these times. could this be my problem? any tips?

thanks in advance,

Heather

[AusAshMommy]

Thanks Marisa! I was thinking that at 1st I'd take it with my meals and see if that helps my supply!

Headaches huh? Lets hope not, I get enough of them from my boss, LOL!!!

Yeah same thing here, this is only my 3rd PP AF and I've dropped significantly over the last week. Basically I was getting 7-9ozs a pumping session when I returned to work, but now I'm lucky if I see the inside of 5ozs...I eat oatmeal cookies everyday and drink water...just hoping it's AF related...

[Sarah]

AHH! After all my reassuring the other day, my DD started up with the weird pulling off, and I want to tear my hair out. I know it's normal, but I am going nuts. Every night at around 9, she wants to nurse like crazy, because she starts rooting and latching onto my arm. But then as soon as I put my nip in her mouth, she screams like I pinched her and then starts thrusting it out. Then she starts rooting some more, with my nip RIGHT THERE. This goes on for a couple of hours.

I don't think it's low supply- because she doesn't even suck once before rejecting the bb. I think she just wants to suck but doesn't want milk. Because she will take a finger happily enough, and if she was hungry, she probably wouldn't want the finger, right? She won't take a pacifier.

Anyway. I know there's not much to be done, but get through it. Just commiserating with y'all. :(

[jrdhbunny]

AusAshMommy- I had some pretty drastic side-effects from the fenugreek- I felt faint, dizzy, and nauseous. Plus, DS was much more gassy while I was taking it. I know that's not the norm, but just letting you know.

[Renrel]

Sarah - I doubt this will help with an older baby who probably had other issues for pulling off but I thought I would put it out just in case. When I was in the hospital recovering from my c-section the nurses would often wait until DS was frantic before bringing him to me to feed so I could rest (I had a spinal headache which was causing me alot of pain). Because he was frantic he did not seem to realize that there was a boob in his mouth and that that was what he was screaming for. It was like, give me a boob, give me a boob, get this thing out of my mouth and give me a boob. I was going crazy trying to get him to latch on. Then nurse suggested putting a bit of sugar water on my nipple, just to catch his interest and that worked like a charm. He would stop crying as the flavor of the water hit him and have a moment to realize there was a boob in his mouth. You would think the taste of the colostrum would have gotten his attention but I guess he had his moms sweet tooth.

[catmom]

AusAshMommy- I had some pretty drastic side-effects from the fenugreek- I felt faint, dizzy, and nauseous. Plus, DS was much more gassy while I was taking it. I know that's not the norm, but just letting you know.

Yeah, I had some bad side effects, too. I got mastitis and DD had nasty diarrhea for two days. I think that's rare, but it's probably worth starting off slowly.

Lady,
Yeah, I was thinking it was teething. Any idea how long I can expect this to continute? It's been going on for days now, and I don't see any signs that any teeth are getting ready to come through.

[AusAshMommy]

JRDHBunny & Catmom ~ Thanks for the heads up...I'll look out for those things!

Just pumped a whopping 4ozs...WTF??

[jrdhbunny]

AusAshMommy- Isn't that frustrating??? :( I was pretty full this morning, but only managed to pump 2 and 1/2 ounces. Gah. I'm about to go pump now- I'm hoping for 5, we'll see...

[ahavnes]

Heather- While I am NO means an expert, I'll tell you what I do about the evening breastfeeding. Usually I lay down and feed her in the side-lying position. That way I can watch tv, talk to DH or just cuddle with Abbey. Although that only works at the later feeding. She's too antsy earlier in the night. Hope that helps a little!

[kindermom]

First time poster...

My DD turns 3 weeks tomorrow. I will eventually be returning to work and want to start pumping to get our supplies up for when she is bottle fed. I also understand that this will increase my supply. So three questions for the experienced moms out there.

1. How much milk does the average 3 week old drink in a sitting. My DD is having no problems gaining weight. She will nurse for about 10 minutes every 1 1/2 hours right now with marathon sessions at night (30 minutes or more) to prepare her for her 6 hour sleeping spell.

2. How much milk should I expect to express in a setting? And in what qualitity should I be freezing it?

3. How much EBM does the average 2 month old drink in a setting? This is when DD will need to begin drinking it.

Thanks!

[Marisa]

kindermom -- congrats on your new baby girl! :)

I found that storing/freezing milk in 2 oz. increments made the most sense and produced the least waste for several weeks, even months. It is very easy to thaw one 2 oz. bag or bottle, and then thaw another if it seems that the baby is still looking for food.

I'd say that 2 oz. at a sitting (burping after an oz) should be enough, but my chunky guy might take 4 oz. as early as 4-5 weeks.

By 2 months, she may be interested in 4-6 oz, but again, freezing in 2 oz. increments will make it easy for your caregiver to adjust if she seems more or less hungry at different times of the day.

Every woman is different when it comes to pumping. It doesn't really reflect your supply -- my LLL leader breastfed twins successfully, but never ever got more than an oz. or so when she pumped. You can do a few things to maximize your pumping, though, if you find you're not getting as much as you'd like. Try pumping first thing in the morning, or during morning naptime, many women find that to be a 'full' time of day. You can also try pumping one side (or just holding up the pump to catch overflow) while nursing on the other side. You experience letdown on both sides at once, so you might as well catch it. It may take a little practice though -- you might want to try it during a time when someone's home to offer an extra pair of hands at first!

I would recommend freezing in the breastmilk storage bags (Lansinoh brand was just recommended on this thread, because it has a double 'zipper' closure). You can freeze the bags flat and then stack them in the freezer, which is good for maximizing space when you're freezing small increments. You can put expressed milk right in the freezer, or put it in the fridge first to cool down. Just swirl the cooled bottle to recombine if the fat separates, before pouring into storage bags.

[Dreshny]

I posted about pea-green poop a couple of days ago, and I guess my post got lost. Does anyone know why DS is having this? He still has it, and now he has diaper rash, too, so I guess it's irritating...

[Marisa]

Roseanne -- has anything changed about your diet recently, in the last week or so? Green poop can be a sign of an allergy, esp. with accompanying rash...

It could also be a stomach bug, if he was exposed to any germs. Is it just green or is it mucousy as well (I know, gross, TMI...)

Try a barrier cream with diaper changes. A food allergy would likely show in a rash more concentrated right around the anus, while a rash from the poop itself would be more widespread...

[ahavnes]

I also have a post that got lost. Can anyone tell me how Allegra would affect my supply? I am just miserable, but don't want to take anything that will jeopardize my (already low) supply.

TIA!

[Marisa]

Geez, I'm awful at skimming, I missed all sorts of good questions! ;)

Allegra should be fine to take. It's approved by the AAP for use in breastfeeding mothers, and is a non-sedating antihistamine (meaning that you shouldn't see drowsiness in baby).

Allegra-D also has added pseudoephedrine, which could threaten your milk supply in large doses (what dries up your runny nose could potentially start to dry out other places). So just try to stick to the regular Allegra if possible.

[LILRTL]

Sorry, Marisa - here is another one for ya. Would an antibiotic affect my supply and/or the taste of my milk? Zack was/is having issues of screaming at the breast, and still "starving" after a complete (to him) nursing session. Any thoughts?

[ahavnes]

Thank you!

[Marisa]

Lora, I found that Joey was a little fussier/gassier/more uncomfortable when we were on antibiotics for mastitis. It passed as soon as we completed our round of meds. I don't remember him wanting to nurse more, but it may just have to do with nursing being soothing and his tummy being a little upset. I don't believe that the antibiotics should affect your supply.

[newyorkgirl]

I posted a while ago about a great nonprofit online store that sells Medela products, as well as nursing clothing and bras. They are having an end-of-summer sale right now that includes everything except breast pumps. Their products are usually discounted from the retail price to begin with and the coupon code "967" (without the quotation marks) should give you an additional 15% off. I got an email saying that it is for existing customers, but I would assume that if you register first and then purchase using the coupon code, it should work. If it doesn't, let me know.

The store is called Nursing Moms, Etc. (http://shop.1asecure.com/index.cfm?stid=2852) and supports the Women's and Infants' Auxiliary in Rhode Island. All profits go to support the Warm Line, which is a telephone assistance program staffed by RNs to answer questions/problems from new moms about the care of their babies.

[baboo]

just subscribinb

[LeslieR]

A food allergy would likely show in a rash more concentrated right around the anus

Okay, Luke has this. They look like tiny little blood blisters.:( He also has bad baby acne on his face. Is it possible that it's a dairy allergy or could it be something else? I don't know where to start as far as eliminating foods from my diet. He has his one month dr's appt tomorrow and I was planning on showing the rash to the dr and asking about the baby acne. I had no idea that type of rash indicated a food allergy.:(

[Marisa]

Leslie -- dairy was the culprit in our case, and my son had both the symptoms you described. What I did was just eliminate all the obvious dairy from my diet (and there was plenty -- I was eating ice cream, having cereal with milk, etc.) and wait about a week or 10 days to compare. It was like a new baby -- less fussy, less gassy, rash almost completely gone.

In my case we also eliminated soy -- I tried substituting things like Tofutti for the ice cream, but that also seemed to make Joey gassy.

[Dreshny]

The poop is light green, mucousy and extremely runny (sorry if TMI.) Rash is around his anus and under his scrotum (sorry again.)

It's not a dairy allergy since I've eaten tons since Asher was born, but it could be from soy, which I don't eat that often, but I guess I OD'd on. My mom tends to put tofu into everything, and I was visiting her over the weekend. I also ate a soy hot dog on Monday and had soy pepperoni on pizza yesterday. It would suck to eliminate soy, since I'm a vegetarian, but moreso because DH is also vegetarian, and we figured Asher would be as well.

Anyway, it could also be a change in his digestive enzymes, since he seems to be having a major growth spurt. I'll eliminate soy, watch him for a few days, and call the ped if it continues longer than a week.

Thanks, Marisa!

[Mickey&B]

DS has been having these green poops for the last couple of days, They aren't runnier than when they were yellow, just avacado green. I asked the ped and she of course said it was normal, but DS has been so cranky as well, he wakes up screaming, and wants to nurse constantly!!!! but once he is on the breast he just sits there, when I take him off he starts to scream. He is just about 2 weeks and I starting to try the pacifier but that doesn't seem to help :( I am going to try to cut out all the possible foods that might be irritating and see if that helps. Would Mylicon drops help?

[kakirk]

Hey Mamas...

Has anyone tried the Playtex Embrace pump?? Reviews?

I bought an Ameda PY but I don't like it & need a different one. I like the idea of the soft, silicone horns but wanted to hear some reviews first.

x-posted to MWP

Katie

[LeslieR]

Marisa, thank you so much! I kind of had a feeling. Dairy is the obvious culprit to me since it's the one thing that I probably eat every day (milk, cheese, ice cream, etc). Do you think the excessive spitting up is part of this? I have noticed it seems curdled at times.:confused: Is this something that he will eventually outgrow? Thanks again!

[manatee]

Hi everyone,

I have a question for you experienced moms out there. My DD just turned 3 weeks old and she's a premie (5 weeks early). We have been working on her breastfeeding and she's definitely come along. She can feed about half the time now without the breast shield.

Just when I thought things were getting easier, we hit a snag. I have the worst luck! I woke up yesterday with a huge bump on the inside of my wrist. This bump is about the size of my palm. It's kind of red but not really itchy or painful. I think it's a spider bite but I've never had anything like this before. I went to see a family doctor and he presribed anitbiotics (keflex) and antihistamine (atarax) for me. I checked with the pediatrician and he says that it's safe for me to continue breast feeding while on them. However, the research I read says that the keflex sometimes will cause yeast infections and thrush. Has anyone had any experience with these drugs or can shed any light on this? I pretty much don't have any choice and have to take these (don't really want this swelling on my wrist to develop into something worse). However, I'm really unhappy about having to add something else to our breast feeding attempts. I really want to avoid doing anything to affect her breast feeing since we are still working on this.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Laura , sorry I didn't respond earlier. I don't always have access to the internet and then have been dealing with this spider bite thing. I would love to update DD's progress with you. She's been breast feeding without the shield during the day. I find that it's harder to go without the shield at night and first thing in the morning due to engorgement. Also, she does better on one side than the other. I do think that both our kiddos will eventually wean off the shield completely. Keep me updated.

[HGMorgann]

manatee - we didn't get thrush after antibiotics, however, my DD got a horrible yeast rash. i think most antibiotics put you at risk for that. I would go ahead and start eating yogurt with probiotics and maybe taking acidopholis. You can get it at GNC or most health food stores. I would take it, but I wouldn't give it to your DD, though some parents do. Stonyfield organic yogurt label "brags" about its amount of probiotics, so I eat that kind, but dont know if is all that different from other brands.

If your DD starts getting a bumpy red nasty rash, put Lotromin AF on after every other change. Give her lots of air time. I put Lanisoh on top of the Lotrimon to help keep her bottom protected from the yeasty beasties.

There are also a bunch of other natural remedies for thrush as well as Rx treatment.

Natural - cidar/water rinse for your breasts, genitian violet.

[Sarah]

manatee- Yes, an antibiotic can cause thrush, but you can do some things to avoid it. Try to cut out sugar and simple carbs (bread, white flour, etc) while on it, and take some probiotics. Eat plenty of yogurt and make sure your nips are dry when you are done nursing- a warm wet environment can support yeast. FWIW, I have taken antibiotics while nursing, and never got thrush, so it's not inevitable.

Renrel- Thank you for that info. My DD isn't an older baby- she's only 4 weeks, so it's quite pertinent! My older DD weaned a couple of months ago. I think you might be right about the franticness contributing to the pulling off.

Katie- Sorry, no help here. I only have the PIS and love it. How are things going? I am thinking about you and hoping all is well!

MIckeyandB- Green poops can also be too much foremilk, not enough hindmilk. My DD has a lot of the symptoms you are describing, and honestly, I think most of it is just newborness. I am going to wait until 6 weeks to cut out dairy or do anything, really, because I think I have read that the large majority of those symptoms resolve themselves by 6 weeks.

[manatee]

HGMorgann and Sarah, thanks for your replies! Questions:
1. What are probiotics? Is that something found just in yogurt or is it in the form of vitamins? Are they found in all yogurt or is it only a specific type?
2. Is there a specific dosage of acidopholis I should be taking? I will definitely go to GNC tomorrow.

Thanks in advance!

[Mickey&B]

Green poops can also be too much foremilk, not enough hindmilk.
This makes some sense, since he only nurses for 10-15 minutes on each side and that while coaxing him. But how do I get him to nurse long enough for him to get the hindmilk? I try everything, undressing him, changing him, rubbing his feet, laying him down ect. It just seems he is so soothed he falls asleep after about 5 minutes on my breast.

[Jessie]

Mickey&B - My DD went through exactly the same thing. It lasted about two weeks and then went away. My DD only eats for 10 minutes at most (has since she was born). If it is a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance I would sugest feeding your DS twice on the same side before switching sides. For me, it wasn't an imbalance because it kept up even when I would feed her twice (sometimes three times) in a row on the same side. Like I said, one day it just resolved itself. I didn't change my diet or anything it just stopped one day (thankfully!).

[LeslieR]

Just wanted to update after our dr's appt this morning. Dr didn't seem too convinced about the food allergy until she mentioned gas and I chimed in saying that he is very gassy and at times seems like he is having a very difficult time pushing the gas out. She gave us a prescription for his rash and I'm going to cut dairy starting today. We'll see what happens!

[AttyGrl74]

DENVER NURSE IN

at Ross on Hampden at Santa Fe

Saturday, September 10, 2005
10 a.m.

[Allegra]

Help! I have four days of weddings and events starting today and I'm sick as a dog (BAAAD cold. Can I take alkaseltzer cold medicine while BF? It's the only thing that will knock this out enough for me to work....

Allegra

[gizzyntaz]

Just weighing in on the green poops because they seem to be the story of our lives here... I've heard that green & frothy = foremilk/hindmilk imbalance. If you suspect that, you can try nursing from the same side for two sessions in a row. If you nurse that side "dry" your baby will tell you and you can switch to finish the feeding.

Green & mucousy indicates a food intolerance (perhaps allergy - though the two are different). While dairy is the most common culprit, wheat is a very common culprit also (it just happens that my DS is intolerant to wheat). As it was described to me by our Pediatric Gastroenterologist - basically the baby's intestinal lining is not completely formed (immature) and proteins slip by and cause a rash on the intestines. The rash causes the increase in mucus production (just like when you have a cold). Occassionally they get so irritated that there will be blood in the stool, from the rash. We have noticed with DS that a few days after the green mucousy poops arrive, he also gets a minor diaper rash (as if the rash is working its way through his entire tract).

When babies are little (<6 weeks) they have a tendency to fight their gas and become extremely fussy. It's up to the individual mom how aggressively they want to fight these symptoms. After 6 weeks, even though we were still having problems, DS was not showing any discomfort...

It takes 4 hours for something to show up in your milk. It can take up to 7 days for the offending item to leave your milk (i.e., 7 days after you eliminate dairy, you may still have some proteins in your milk). If your baby develops a rash, it can take an ADDITIONAL 14 days to clear up. So 3 weeks after eating the offending item you can expect symptoms to subside. So don't expect immediate results if you start eliminating foods.

As any of the moms on here who have eliminated food will tell you, it is a very long, frustrating process. I'm still battling it and DS is 8.5 months old. The good thing is that most babies outgrow all of this by a year.

Despite the hassles, I think breastmilk is well worth it! :)

- Alison

[Daniel's Kitty]

Leslie Good luck! I hope you figure it out.

[shellbell516]

Where can you purchase lecithin? Would GNC have this or would a drug store carry it?

[Mickey&B]

Thanks girls, DS poops don't seem to be mucousy, but I am going to really watch my diet for the next few weeks as well as try nursing him on the same side twice, should I pump on the other side?

[gizzyntaz]

Mickey if you are nursing on demand I don't think you'll *need* to pump the other side. If you need to build a freezer stash you could do it, but I never found it necessary. It makes it easy to tell which side to nurse from (one is deflated the other is inflated ;) ) My DS nursed so often it didn't really matter if I did one side for up to 3 sessions in a row. He also grew like a weed... Still is, come to think of it...

[Dreshny]

Thanks, ginnytaz. DS's poop is still bright green and runny, though his diaper rash looks a little better. I have no idea what I ate that caused it, but I'm going to start by eliminating soy, and then dairy, if soy doesn't help.

Do you think it could be related that DS is nursing very, very often these days?