The Breast Feeding Support Thread

kknitter · 15-04-2014 9:43pm

Cyning, he archs his back alright but more like stretching after a sleep and straightens soon enough. He cries or is fussy in evening not in mornings or after all feeds. He has hiccups though more frequent like 4 or 5 times or more during day, nothing in night. He started coughing, like dry coughs in day few times a day. He doesn't nap at all during day, just like cat nap one or twice in day for 15 mins. He sleeps soundly in night, just waking for feeds and sleeps soon after. I am sorry I am not looking for medical advice but just symptoms you might have noticed.

Soooky · 15-04-2014 11:30pm

Kknitter, with my LO it was always very hard to get her wind up, she would cry because she had wind pains but nothing would come up! She used to hiccup several times a day and was quite fidgety too. I spoke to my PHN on numerous occasions and my GP and was told she would grow out of it etc (1st time mama but I still felt something wasn't right) It all came to a head St Patricks week. She was drooling loads, blowing bubbles with her drool, irritable all day but nights were worse! She would spend most of the night thrashing about in bed in her sleep, tossing and turning her head from side to side, arching her back and whimpering. We had her in a cocoonababy bed which is supposed to prevent reflux - if that's the case I would hate to see how she would have been in a cot!) I would have to take her out of her bed and sit up with her upright on my chest all night rubbing her back trying to soothe her - she was literally half asleep with exhaustion and still arching and thrashing and jerking! Then she had 3/4 episodes where she would be sitting on my lap happy enough & quiet and all of a sudden she would start screaming in pain - she could not even catch her breath:( I can only describe the cry like someone had poured a kettle of boiling water over her! The stress of it was unreal - I was in tears myself to hear her in pain.

She is now on zantac and infant gaviscon and hugely improved! We also went to a chiropractor which really helped

I really hope your LO doesn't have silent reflux - you can PM me if I can help in any way

Soooky · 15-04-2014 11:35pm

Also meant to say that at night we could hear her refluxing and swallowing again and she used to cough & sneeze a bit too - we kept thinking she had caught cold :rolleyes:

kknitter · 16-04-2014 9:28am

Thank you very much Soooky for the details. Appreciate it. My LO doesn't cry that much, he does burp most of the time. He feeds every 1 to 1 and a half hour. He is 10 and a half week old. He does gets hiccups, when he cries most of the time he seems hungry and when latched he is fine. Not sure If he is comfort feeding, but he is happy as larry other times. I might be overthinking I guess

he does have hiccups and few times cough and twice he was drooling and bubbles.
I will get an appointment with phn and then may be gp just to ease my worries.
My husband is tired of me being worried for every little thing like if the nappy is a bit lighter I start worrying :rolleyes:

Sligo1 · 16-04-2014 4:41pm

Does anybody know if its ok to re-refrigerate expressed breast milk? Basically I took 2 x 150ml bottles on a trip to nanas today which took 3 hours. I know it can be left out for around 6 hours so was wondering if I could put the bottles back in the fridge to give one to my 3 week old baby this evening? Thanks.

How Strange · 16-04-2014 4:46pm

Unless it was sitting in direct sunlight I'd say absolutely yes.

Sligo1 · 16-04-2014 5:54pm

How Strange wrote: »

Unless it was sitting in direct sunlight I'd say absolutely yes.

Ah that's brilliant. Thanks a mill. Id hate to waste it. It was in a bag away from sunlight.

ncmc · 25-04-2014 12:10pm

Hello ladies, this question has probably being asked before, so I hope I won’t annoy people by repeating it! I am due my first baby in 6 weeks and am hoping to breast feed. I have been given a steriliser and bought a bottle starter kit in Aldi when it was on offer and was planning to buy some cartons of formula ‘just in case’. But I had my ante natal class the other night with a midwife from CUMH and she discouraged having the formula there as back up as she thinks it leaves it very tempting to give the baby a bottle if you’re tired and stressed. She wasn’t a real breast feeding fundamentalist, but she was very pro breast feeding. I just wonder what peoples thoughts are on having the back up there? I can see her point that it might be tempting if it’s there whereas if I have to go and buy it, it might encourage me to power through.

How Strange · 25-04-2014 1:10pm

I'd be inclined to agree with her based on my own experienced of breastfeeding in the early days. You're exhausted, the baby has wind or is fussy or is having a growth spurt. Whatever the reason once that starts you'll doubt yourself or your milk supply or the quality of the milk (it's not enough for him/her) and that bottle of formula will look very tempting.

I know I'd have grabbed a bottle with both hands especially with my son who used to be starving during growth spurts. He fed off me for 5 hours straight one night. He was hysterical, so was I and I even fell asleep feeding him. But it only lasted a couple of days and then it was over. My daughter was more chilled in that sense. I never remember upset because I couldn't fill her. She just fed a lot!

Breastfeeding and establishing it at the start requires a huge leap of faith. You're biologically designed to feed your baby and your milk is perfect for him/her otherwise the human race would've been extinct a long time ago but it's unquantifiable. You can't talk in terms of ounces or mls. So when the fussiness starts you'll automatically doubt yourself. The last thing you want at those times is a bottle of formula sitting in the cupboard.

The best advice was to wait until the next day before making any decisions such as buying formula. For me, the next day was always better than the day before and we just kept on feeding.

ncmc · 25-04-2014 1:42pm

How Strange wrote: »

I'd be inclined to agree with her based on my own experienced of breastfeeding in the early days. You're exhausted, the baby has wind or is fussy or is having a growth spurt. Whatever the reason once that starts you'll doubt yourself or your milk supply or the quality of the milk (it's not enough for him/her) and that bottle of formula will look very tempting.

I know I'd have grabbed a bottle with both hands especially with my son who used to be starving during growth spurts. He fed off me for 5 hours straight one night. He was hysterical, so was I and I even fell asleep feeding him. But it only lasted a couple of days and then it was over. My daughter was more chilled in that sense. I never remember upset because I couldn't fill her. She just fed a lot!

Breastfeeding and establishing it at the start requires a huge leap of faith. You're biologically designed to feed your baby and your milk is perfect for him/her otherwise the human race would've been extinct a long time ago but it's unquantifiable. You can't talk in terms of ounces or mls. So when the fussiness starts you'll automatically doubt yourself. The last thing you want at those times is a bottle of formula sitting in the cupboard.

The best advice was to wait until the next day before making any decisions such as buying formula. For me, the next day was always better than the day before and we just kept on feeding.

Thanks How Strange, that's pretty much what the midwife giving the class, she does follow ups with people and is always available for a phone call or text and she says when she gets a frazzled call or text, she advises them to try and wait until the next day before making any decisions.

She made a good point which I hadn't considered, she showed us a chart and it showed how small a babies stomach actually is. She said when people combine feed, they invariabley give too much which stretches the stomach and makes the baby harder to fill with breast milk alone, so it can be a catch 22 situation.

I really want to make the breast feeding work, I'm just worried about the first difficult weeks.

kandr10 · 25-04-2014 2:15pm

I largely agree with how strange. I do regret however not accepting a bottle of formula in hospital. My daughter was so sleepy and found it really hard to latch on. She wasn't getting enough and I couldn't express as my milk hadn't come in. She ended up needing top ups so was on the bottle anyway. I feel if I'd not been so stubborn and accepted the formula, she'd have had more energy to put into breastfeeding. I will add that I started expressing as soon as my milk came in And gave that as a top up. I kept trying to latch her on (sometimes for up to half hr with no success). Eventually after 2weeks she stopped taking the bottle. She's still exclusively breastfed now at 5 months. My husband never had any problem giving her a bottle and he puts her down every alternate night.

My point is you need to keep an open mind and if you need to give formula to help the process it's no harm and you shouldn't feel like you've failed or anything.

kknitter · 25-04-2014 5:00pm

Yayyy!! My LO will be 12 weeks tomorrow

Now the question, he has started sleeping for longer at nights, me being first time mom and worried, I wake him up if he goes for 4 - 4 and a half without feed. Now, should I wake him up or let him cry for feed at night before feeding him. When I do feed him he is very hungry and even in sleep latches in first go. So don't know if I will be spoiling his habit in coming months by waking him up and he would never go whole night without feed. Your thoughts will be really helpful.

Over concerned I guess.

Bagheera · 25-04-2014 5:42pm

I definitely wouldn't wake him at this stage! My son is 14 weeks and is showing no signs of stretching between night feeds. No way would I wake him if he did though.

Edit to add: I wouldn't go the other extreme and let him get hysterical before feeding either. Just when he wakes and starts to root/grumble I'd feed him pretty quickly.

kknitter · 25-04-2014 7:31pm

Thank you very much ... It's just in the night he goes for longer, during day he feeds every one and a half hour still .. I guess he compensates night feeds during day time . Appreciate your reply

red fraggle · 25-04-2014 7:43pm

kknitter wrote: »

Yayyy!! My LO will be 12 weeks tomorrow
Now the question, he has started sleeping for longer at nights, me being first time mom and worried, I wake him up if he goes for 4 - 4 and a half without feed. Now, should I wake him up or let him cry for feed at night before feeding him. When I do feed him he is very hungry and even in sleep latches in first go. So don't know if I will be spoiling his habit in coming months by waking him up and he would never go whole night without feed. Your thoughts will be really helpful.

Over concerned I guess.

Definitely wouldn't wake him to feed! Take the sleep when you can! 4 month growth spurt will arrive soon and mess everything up!!! Well it did for us!!

Moonbeam · 25-04-2014 8:46pm

Ugh survived week 1 , it is a disaster again but we will know when she is weighed on Monday .
I just need it to get easier magically and quickly and her to start piling the weight on .
Agh

kandr10 · 25-04-2014 8:58pm

You know it will get easier moonbeam. Hang on in there :-) congrats on your new arrival .

Moonbeam · 25-04-2014 10:38pm

kandr10 wrote: »

You know it will get easier moonbeam. Hang on in there :-) congrats on your new arrival .

I keep telling myself it will and as this is definitely my last trying to suffer the breastfeeding as long as I can but I just keep hoping it will get easier .
I have a history of it being torture , 2 super starving babies who I never had enough milk for which would of course have to be rare and effect me and 1 that did not put on weight but sure she didn't on bottles either and then was allergic to milk ! And is still tiny at 3 .

How Strange · 25-04-2014 11:03pm

Moonbeam if you think you're prone to low supply then oats, fennel and fenugreek are supposed to be good for increasing it. Avoid peppermint or mint tea as it's supposed to reduce supply. The active ingredient in motilium is also supposed to be very good for boosting supply and I've known a few women who took it in the early months and some went on to feed for 2 years.

How Strange · 25-04-2014 11:20pm

By the way congrats moonbeam

I didn't know you'd had your baby already.

Moonbeam · 25-04-2014 11:23pm

Yes I was told to establish feeding then get fenugeek tea and it should double supply .
It is just stressing me out at the moment , hoping when she is weighed Monday I will be told all is well

kandr10 · 26-04-2014 12:02am

Just keep taking it one day at a time. Don't know if you did this on your other babies but keeping a record might be helpful to see how long and how often feedings going. I found it helpful anyway especially since the brain mushes up so much after childbirth and you can't remember the good feeds from the bad ones.

How Strange · 26-04-2014 6:07am

Dr Jack Newman, kellymom and Dr Sears are fantastic resources on what is biologically normal for breastfed babies. A lot of times what our health care professionals consider normal is actually from a formula feeding perspective and it's very different for a breastfed baby.

I know this is your 4th so free time is very rare but try as much as you can this weekend to get into bed, do skin to skin and fed whenever she wants to. Feeding on cue is really important in these early weeks both for the baby and the mother. Good luck

How Strange · 26-04-2014 6:34am

Also, you've breastfed a newborn for a week. That's a huge achievement as it's tough going but especially with 3 other young children. I'd consider that a success not a failure. No matter what happens on Monday you've done that much and it's a fantastic start for her.
Every feed counts so definitely take it one feed at a time.

lazygal · 26-04-2014 8:27am

I would also insist on weight being measured on a breastfeeding instead of formula based chart.

Soooky · 26-04-2014 7:09pm

kknitter wrote: »

Thank you very much ... It's just in the night he goes for longer, during day he feeds every one and a half hour still .. I guess he compensates night feeds during day time . Appreciate your reply

Sounds like he is tanking up & getting his calories in during the day kknitter - I wouldn't wake him : )

kknitter · 26-04-2014 8:48pm

Thank you very much soooky

Soooky · 26-04-2014 9:39pm

PM sent kknitter : )

Soooky · 26-04-2014 9:43pm

lazygal wrote: »

I would also insist on weight being measured on a breastfeeding instead of formula based chart.

When we went for our little one's 3 month check up with PHN I asked if she was using the weight chart for breastfed or formula fed babies - she told me that there was just the one chart!! Good job I know better!

The WHO weight chart for breastfed babies is on kellymom.com (can't post link as I don't have enough posts on here yet!).

My little one is bang on the average all the time which is gas : )

lazygal · 27-04-2014 7:42am

I was fobbed off with my first, luckily I knew better second time and told the Phn if she didn't have the right chart the weight gain or loss data was unreliable. She said herself they should have the bf one but they don't.

Eta you're under no obligation to see the Phn if you don't want to.

cyning · 27-04-2014 9:09am

Soooky wrote: »

When we went for our little one's 3 month check up with PHN I asked if she was using the weight chart for breastfed or formula fed babies - she told me that there was just the one chart!! Good job I know better

Since Jan of last year there is only one chart. All babies are plotted on a chart that only takes into account normal breastfed babies. Any babies born before that are still plotted on the old chart.

Congrats on the new baba Moonbeam

I'm still finding feeding so hard: she's 6.5 weeks I'm not new to this C definitely fed more often when she was a baby. But S has spent a week in hospital with pneumonia she's been up puking amd coughing at night and I think the combination of that and the tongue tie and the toddler would be enough to make it more difficult.

kknitter · 28-04-2014 6:22pm

Do you have days where baba wants to feed less? He doesn't seem to be in mood to feed today. He has had very few feeds and hence less wet nappies today. I am trying since morning but he cries if trying to feed. Don't know what might be wrong. I hope this passes soon. He is 12 weeks btw.

lazygal · 28-04-2014 9:16pm

I noticed a (welcome) drop in feeds at twelve weeks. They get more efficient at feeding.

How Strange · 28-04-2014 10:07pm

Yes, once the growth spurt is over they feed less or more quickly. It's the reward for all your hard work

Soooky · 30-04-2014 9:49pm

My lo is 4.5mths old now and if anything her night time feeds seem to be taking longer! She has a feed at 8pm which (with winding) takes an hour, she then wakes at 12 for another feed which can also take up to an hour, and then again at 4am for another feed, getting up time is usually 7.30am but yesterday and today she woke at 6.30am. Before this she used to go from 11pm until 4am/5am before needing a feed. Just wondering if its maybe the 4 month sleep regression or if she needs more calories as she is getting bigger? Would love some more zzzz's and seriously tempted to introduce a bottle of formula for bedtime in the hope that she will be full longer but hanging on in the hope that she will stretch her feeds out a little....

livinsane · 02-05-2014 9:36am

Woke up at 5.30am to find that my almost-7 month old who was sleeping beside me had latched himself on and was supping away. If he could do this all the time, I'd be very appreciative!

How Strange · 02-05-2014 11:11am

livinsane wrote: »

Woke up at 5.30am to find that my almost-7 month old who was sleeping beside me had latched himself on and was supping away. If he could do this all the time, I'd be very appreciative!

That's so cute.

How Strange · 02-05-2014 11:16am

Soooky wrote: »

My lo is 4.5mths old now and if anything her night time feeds seem to be taking longer! She has a feed at 8pm which (with winding) takes an hour, she then wakes at 12 for another feed which can also take up to an hour, and then again at 4am for another feed, getting up time is usually 7.30am but yesterday and today she woke at 6.30am. Before this she used to go from 11pm until 4am/5am before needing a feed. Just wondering if its maybe the 4 month sleep regression or if she needs more calories as she is getting bigger? Would love some more zzzz's and seriously tempted to introduce a bottle of formula for bedtime in the hope that she will be full longer but hanging on in the hope that she will stretch her feeds out a little....

Soooky the 4 month sleep regression can be a killer especially if you had a great sleeper up to then. Your milk has all the calories she needs but she is going through huge physical and psychological developments at the moment and this can affect some babies. Both mine were terrible during this phase. My son used to wake at midnight and that was it for the night. My daughter used to want to play from 2-4am. I used to have to put her in the jumperoo to tire her out.

It's tempting to introduce formula but I don't think it will make much difference if they're not waking for hunger.

All I can say is that its a phase and it will pass although its hard to see that when you're in the middle of it.

How Strange · 02-05-2014 11:20am

I forgot to post here during the week but on Tuesday we got to the 1 year point! This time last year I had mastitis and a hysterical baby. We had to sleep on the sofa one night so I could feed her through the night to help clear the infection. I will always call the bank holiday Monday last year Black Monday as I was in tatters. If I hadn't had mastitis I'd have given up and bought formula. I rang a fantastic woman from friends of breastfeeding and she talking me down. She text me regularly that day and evening and that support kept me going. I went to the hospital the next day, I got the latch checked and corrected, got my antibiotics and we never looked back.

Here we are, still going at 1 year. She's on 2 sippy cups of milk and 1 feed before bedtime.

Soooky · 03-05-2014 9:36pm

How Strange wrote: »

Soooky the 4 month sleep regression can be a killer especially if you had a great sleeper up to then. Your milk has all the calories she needs but she is going through huge physical and psychological developments at the moment and this can affect some babies. Both mine were terrible during this phase. My son used to wake at midnight and that was it for the night. My daughter used to want to play from 2-4am. I used to have to put her in the jumperoo to tire her out.

It's tempting to introduce formula but I don't think it will make much difference if they're not waking for hunger.

All I can say is that its a phase and it will pass although its hard to see that when you're in the middle of it.

Thanks for that How Strange : ) Yes I reckon it must have been either a growth spurt or the 4 month sleep regression - since yesterday she has done nothing but sleep! Had her nap yesterday morning for 1 hour and then slept for another 2.5 hr nap in the afternoon, had her last feed and then went to bed at 9pm and bar waking for a feed at 3.30am and 6.30am she slept until 10am this morning!!! Not only that but she had 2 x 2.5hr naps today!! She must be making up for lost sleep : ) Fingers crossed!!

Also, another reason for my feeling so tired - I found out I have a mild case of mastitis : ( Don't know if it was the lack of sleep and feeling run down that contributed to it, but caught it on time luckily enough! On antibiotics and anti inflammatories at the moment....

So there is no way I can put lo on a bottle of formula and reduce feeds now if I want to clear the mastitis - must be a sign to keep going : )))))

Hope you are all enjoying the bank holiday weekend and enjoying your babies : )

John Mason · 05-05-2014 12:12pm

hi all,

my little man is 6 days old and i have been breast feeding, he was struggling a little bit with a tonuge tie and an immature stuck? so on the advice of HS we will have topping up with expressed milk and the odd formula bottle.

sometimes, when i latch him on, he keeps spitting me out making faces likes it tastes bad. is this because he is getting too used to bottles??

i really want to continue breastfeeding but am afraid of him getting dehydrated again and full of wind.

cyning · 05-05-2014 12:53pm

John Mason wrote: »

hi all,

my little man is 6 days old and i have been breast feeding, he was struggling a little bit with a tonuge tie and an immature stuck? so on the advice of HS we will have topping up with expressed milk and the odd formula bottle.

sometimes, when i latch him on, he keeps spitting me out making faces likes it tastes bad. is this because he is getting too used to bottles??

i really want to continue breastfeeding but am afraid of him getting dehydrated again and full of wind.

Hiya congrats x

I had S's tongue snipped at 2 weeks (she's 7 weeks now): it was a posterior tie so milder than an anterior but mild was enough to be giving me a lot of pain and her wind, vomiting etc. And in the hospital I was told she had none! Topping up means they are getting the milk much faster so sometimes they can start to fuss at the breast: if you can look up paced bottle feeding on YouTube it might help?

Have you been referred to anyone for the tongue tie? When I was getting it done I literally help her in my arms and it was snipped and I gave her a feed and went home. It made things much much easier. There's a Facebook group called Breastfeeding with Tongue Tie in Ireland: it's well worth joining for information.

If you haven't been referred please look into it: Tongue Tie is only now starting to be treated properly in Ireland: so you can often be told it's nothing their tongue will stretch etc. If it's done at this age it's so simple and will make the world if difference to feeding. If your sore as well the multi mam compresses are fabulous

John Mason · 05-05-2014 4:12pm

thanks, havent been referred to anyone. was told they no longer snip as standard and i need to organise it myself.

my brother had his done at 2 because it was accepting his speech. i was going to talk to the doctor at his 2 week check and arrange it then.

cyning · 05-05-2014 7:41pm

Ya it's better to get it done now when there's no anaesthetic involved. Is it causing you pain? The sooner the better with it really.

Honestly I'm impressed they acknowledged it! With my little girls one the hospital said she had none as did phn. The phn that runs the breastfeeding group spotted it within 30 seconds of me walking in. Got it done within a week.

How Strange · 05-05-2014 10:16pm

It does seem that the HSE's agenda is to insist tongue tie, even if it's plainly obvious, doesn't exist.

I hope you get it sorted soon.

clare82 · 06-05-2014 1:03am

Hey Mammies,
I need some advice on getting my 7mth old to sleep. I feed her to sleep....take her off the boob and hold her for a while but then I transfer her to the cot....( We're using a three sided Co cot )....she trashes about a bit then starts to wake so I end up picking her up....crying/whinging stops immediately. I try again a while later and same thing happens.....I've tried 3 times now since 11pm..... Any suggestions?

How Strange · 06-05-2014 7:34am

Are you trying to get her to sleep without the boob or to break the association of boob and bedtime?

If so you need to unlatch her just when she's very sleepy but still awake. I think you pull her chin down slightly and this breaks the latch gently.

Then you could give her a little cuddle, say sshh a few times, put her in the cot and say sshh while rubbing her back. Then gradually progress towards putting her in the cot awake. She needs to create a new association of the cot being a nice place to fall asleep.

The no cry sleep solution by Elizabeth Pantley deals specifically with sleep techniques for breastfed babies. I'd really recommend it. It worked for us!

clare82 · 06-05-2014 4:16pm

thanks for your reply How Strange.
its the transfer thats the problem...shes full, asleep and all cuddled up then wakes when her bum touches the cot :rolleyes:
shes too used to sleeping being cuddled in my arms..even her daytime naps are in my arms. of course up til now its been lovely but shes getting more active and needing more fun etc so shes wearing me out a bit. i posted last night almost as a way of distracting myself from getting annoyed with her

ill try your suggestion tonight...less cuddling and more getting into bed..even if it takes multiple goes

How Strange · 06-05-2014 5:20pm

Don't expect instant results but if you keep at it for a couple of weeks (yes, weeks!) you'll see a change.

lmullen · 06-05-2014 8:34pm

clare82 wrote: »

thanks for your reply How Strange.
its the transfer thats the problem...shes full, asleep and all cuddled up then wakes when her bum touches the cot :rolleyes:
shes too used to sleeping being cuddled in my arms..even her daytime naps are in my arms. of course up til now its been lovely but shes getting more active and needing more fun etc so shes wearing me out a bit. i posted last night almost as a way of distracting myself from getting annoyed with her
ill try your suggestion tonight...less cuddling and more getting into bed..even if it takes multiple goes

My little lady is difficult to transfer too. She feeds to sleep on the boob. What I do is have a blanket under my leg whilst feeding her. When she's finished feeding I put the blanket over her so it comes up higher than her head along her back.. I then lay her into the cot stretching out the blanket so I can tuck it in. This seems to take the shock of hitting the cold mattress away.

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