The Breast Feeding Support Thread

annettea · 27-03-2013 8:37am

Hi everyone, I wrote a few weeks ago wondering why people give up breastfeeding but since I've had my little girl I know why. The first couple days were hard cos she seemed to be always on the boob, but I ate cheese one day and she was in so much pain and we were wrecked, yesterday I had vegetable soup I don't think that agreed with her.. again in alot of pain I literally ran down to the shop to buy formula, I can't let her be in pain from me, I gave her 3 bottles so far since last night but I don't want to give up bf. I don't know what to do. Can I give her the breast today? Or do I keep going with the bottles now? If I can keep going what foods should I stay away from? I got infacol as well. Can I give her formula at night and breast throughout the day? Thank u so so much. Also when I went to shop mum gave her cool boiled water when I got back dirty nappy was made and lots of wind..
The nurses told me bf babies don't need to be winded.. obviously a lie ha

cyning · 27-03-2013 10:24am

Yes you can go back to boob today. In fact do if you want to keep feeding. Giving formula is a vicious circle when you want to keep feeding(learned the very hard way)! If you know there's something triggering avoid it but in general you don't need to avoid anything.

Had she been constipated yesterday maybe as opposed to the vegetable soup? My little girl used scream for hours at night and during the day with constipation: breastfed babies do of course need winding and sometimes a lot if their latch is anyway sloppy. Breastfed babies get colic and do everything bottle fed babies do! It can be more unusual but seriously it happens.

If you want to combo feed I think it's normally bottles you would give during day because the milk at night is supposed to be richer or something (could be completely wrong but I've been told that so many times it seems to have stuck).

Have you any breastfeeding groups near you? They really are fantastic

How Strange · 27-03-2013 10:28am

annettea, congrats on your little daughter. Sometimes we have to tweak our diets if we notice the baby reacting baby after eating something. However from a digestive point if view breastmilk is infinitely kinder to their tummies than formula.

If you want to continue with breastfeeding the best thing you can do is let her feed as much as she wants to for the next few days. She may (or may not) fuss at the breast now because she's gotten a little used to the faster flow of bottles. So you may need a little patience with her for a few days while she gets used to having to work harder to get the breastmilk. If she's particularly fussy just get into bed a d do lots of skin to skin and snuggle together. I can't think of more perfect weather for snuggling up in bed!

annettea · 27-03-2013 10:54am

Thank you so much. Ill try back to just breastfeeding and see how it goes. Its just its hard to see them in so much pain. Is there anything I can do for her constipation? ? I gave infacol and it seems to help with the wind a little .. also when she was born I was literally starving her so I had to be kept in for a few extra days with her feeding.. how do I know she's getting enough is feeding her an hour every 3 hours enough?

implausible · 27-03-2013 11:02am

annettea wrote: »

The nurses told me bf babies don't need to be winded.. obviously a lie ha

They are supposed to be less prone to it, but my two (breastfed) babies were very windy!! As others have said, however, formula is much harder for their little tummies to digest.

IvyTheTerrible · 27-03-2013 11:15am

annettea wrote: »

The nurses told me bf babies don't need to be winded.. obviously a lie ha

Oh God!

My little fella did not need to be winded after breastfeeding but actually in the middle (at first I thought this was the end of a feed, he would feel full and fall asleep but actually it was trapped wind and so he was feeding often and only from fore milk I think. He didn't put on much weight til I figured it out with the help of the midwife. Once I started burping him in the middle of the feed, he was not falling asleep until he really had had enough.

dublinlady · 27-03-2013 11:23am

Anneata - I would feed when she wants rather than every 3 hrs when breast feeding, my little one would go anywhere between 1 to 3 hrs between feeds and sometimes I used to think it was something ele that was bothering her as she would be crying and then I'd feed her early and it would fix the problem straight away! I think they go thru hungry spells and growth spurts without alway rhyme nor reason! My little girl also reacted to a lot of foods - I used to have to keep a food diary of what I ate so I kinda disagree with eating whatever u like! I had to avoid cabbage, peppers, onions, chocolate, citrus fruits...until I figured out these we're the things she was sensitive to it was really hard! I totally agree you can just go straight bak to the breast today! And as the others said the sooner the better for your supply! I love the thought of spending all day in bed just hugging and feeding the baby too - do u both the world of good!
I breastfed only for 14 weeks an I thought it would be easier to switch to bottles - I was wrong - I hated the thought of being a prisoner to it... But it's actually so much easier than messing with bottles! I do think after a few weeks its a good idea to introduce a bottle of expressed milk so that u can get a break once a day and the baby is then more flexible to go between the two. This made it much easier for us when swapping over to bottles!
As for winding - I used to have to do a good 10-20 mins after every feed when she was breastfed! Totally windy baby!!

Neyite · 27-03-2013 12:53pm

I'm another one who's breastfed baby needed winding. He needed lots of burping and leg cycling.

Annetta, the baby will get enough as long as you continue to offer the breast and let them feed for as long as they like. As long as you have lots of wet and and one dirty nappy per day, they are getting plenty. You just have to trust your body.

The other thing is not to be so certain that it is certain foods that cause the pain. My lad had colicky symptoms nearly up to 12 weeks, and at first I thought it was what I ate, but it happened no matter what, so it was his little tummy getting used to processing milk, but he was better with breast milk than formula.

You can buy stuff in the chemist for constipation, but remember it is normal for babies to go a few days between poos as breastmilk is fully digested leaving little or no waste. But, if you feel the baby is constipated, a little brown sugar (about a teaspoon or so) in an ounce of boiled water and let cool is a natural alternative that should get things moving.

Have a read of Kellymom.com, its a wealth of information for breastfeeding.

iguana · 27-03-2013 2:09pm

Of course breastfed babies need winding, the nonsense that some health professionals come out with is staggering sometimes. I think it really should be remembered that breastfeeding is not magic, it's just normal and doesn't grant special powers to the babies. Babies need help burping and farting because they have immature digestive systems, breastfeeding isn't going to change that at all. Feeding a baby in a way that is their biological norm isn't going to make them stop needing biologically normal assistance. I guess a lot of people, including the midwives and paeds nurses and doctors, haven't breastfed themselves so breastfed babies take on some sort of mythical stature as opposed to just being seen as the norm.

KGLady · 02-04-2013 12:55am

I don't suppose there is anyone with experience of migraines when they are lactating?

I'm combined feeding my 6mth old atm, and I've started getting them fairly regularly of late, always starting with the visual aura but not a full blown mega thumping headache each time. I've managed to isolate the trigger for them, and I'm sure its the result of a prolactin hormone surge as the recent ones are happening after (I've been lucky enough to get time to score one!) having orgasms, which create a surge in that hormone and it can cause issues with blood flow to the brain - hence the headaches. Its so frustrating to get a migraine or a grumpy hangover feeling after good sex and its not easy to find info about it online and there is just no way in hell I can see myself getting any sort of help from my GP or the PHN!

I know BFing means an overall increased prolactin level as its needed to produce milk, but in excess it also causes irritability and PMS like aggression which I'm so full of lately, himself is on eggshells half the time and its very out of character for me.

I just don't know if its time to drop the BFing in the hopes of the levels of that hormone dropping off, as I don't want curtail the already limited 'grown up time', for my husbands sake or for my own sanity either! I can't afford the time it takes to recover from migraines - or to continue being PMS like grumpy either, and I'm sure that aspect is down to a hormonal cocktail, not general stress nor is it a feature of my cycle usually. Himself is fairly baffled by the severity of it, but half afraid to say so, hehe!

So! Anyone at all got anything to throw in, before I thrown in the towel on the BFing completely? I know its a hell of a topic

yellow hen · 02-04-2013 6:15am

On Saturday I stopped breastfeeding cold turkey and for a good reason have not been able to gradually wean my child.

I pumped small amounts twice yesterday and put cabbage leaves in bra. However I am now quite engorged and can feel small lumps on each boob. What should I do to ensure this doesn't get worse?

I Should mention that I tried to hand express last night but it would only
Work on one boob. The second one seems blocked ðŸ˜©

How Strange · 02-04-2013 8:08am

Use a hot water bottle on your breast before expressing or even before latching the baby on. I know you said you've stopped but you may want to latch him on once or twice a day for the next few days to reduce engorgement as he'll be much more effective than a pump but that's your choice.

After feeding/pumping use a cold compress. Take nurofen for the inflammation.

Also getting into a moderately hot bath with your breasts submerged and then hand massage your breasts thoroughly until you see the milk flowing freely. You may need to have a few baths over the course of the day but a hot bath is great for unblocking ducts. the hand massaging can be quite uncomfortable but stick with it.

Then rest, rest, rest (either in bed or lying on the sofa watching tv and nothing else) as your body is fighting a sort of infection so you'll be very tired.

Hopefully it'll unblock the ducts and then reduce the expressing gradually over the next few days.

Neyite · 02-04-2013 10:21am

KGLady wrote: »

I don't suppose there is anyone with experience of migraines when they are lactating?

I'm combined feeding my 6mth old atm, and I've started getting them fairly regularly of late, always starting with the visual aura but not a full blown mega thumping headache each time. I've managed to isolate the trigger for them, and I'm sure its the result of a prolactin hormone surge as the recent ones are happening after (I've been lucky enough to get time to score one!) having orgasms, which create a surge in that hormone and it can cause issues with blood flow to the brain - hence the headaches. Its so frustrating to get a migraine or a grumpy hangover feeling after good sex and its not easy to find info about it online and there is just no way in hell I can see myself getting any sort of help from my GP or the PHN!

I know BFing means an overall increased prolactin level as its needed to produce milk, but in excess it also causes irritability and PMS like aggression which I'm so full of lately, himself is on eggshells half the time and its very out of character for me.

I just don't know if its time to drop the BFing in the hopes of the levels of that hormone dropping off, as I don't want curtail the already limited 'grown up time', for my husbands sake or for my own sanity either! I can't afford the time it takes to recover from migraines - or to continue being PMS like grumpy either, and I'm sure that aspect is down to a hormonal cocktail, not general stress nor is it a feature of my cycle usually. Himself is fairly baffled by the severity of it, but half afraid to say so, hehe!

So! Anyone at all got anything to throw in, before I thrown in the towel on the BFing completely? I know its a hell of a topic

I had raised levels of prolactin pre-pregnancy which I was on meds for. I have to say that while I did have headaches, they rarely evolved into migrane, and I never read about agression or pms-like symptoms being side effects of hyperprolactinemia. In fact, I feel it actually reduced the PMS symptoms that I had, so it may be a combination of other hormones that are causing that, but a blood test should identify what. I havent came across any information that mentioned that orgasms increased prolactin, and my endocrinologist professor nor my fertility specialist who were treating me for hyperprolactinemia never mentioned it to me, can you link where you found this information?

My hyperprolactinemia is caused by a benign microadenoma on the pituitary gland, and these can sometimes grow or change during pregnancy and breastfeeding, so its worth it to get an MRI. The adenomas have been known to sometimes cause visual disturbances so my vision was always checked during my antenatal visits. Again, an endocrinologist referral will look at all of this.

If you do have hyperprolactinemia, a simple tablet a day fixes it, however it does put an end to breastfeeding, but your specialist and yourself can weigh up the best way forward. I didnt have any problems when I came off the meds while pregnant, and was happy to keep breastfeeding, and because my adenoma hadnt changed, my endo was satisfied it was low risk for me.

Its sounds simple, but are you drinking plenty of water? Breastfeeding requires lots of fluids to be drank by the mother, and I always knew it if I didnt drink much water - a headache was guaranteed. You should be drinking a couple of glasses of water for each feed. I used to fill up a litre bottle a couple of times a day and keep sipping.

Oral Slang · 02-04-2013 1:24pm

Piper101 wrote: »

When I started BF I said to myself I'd give it a go until it didn't suit anymore and then I wouldn't beat myself up about it knowing I'd done my best. Now I really don't want to give up and because of that I'm dreading going back to work, she's thriving and loves being BF and im scared ill emotionally scar the two of us!

Went out last night for 4 hours and left my partner with an expressed bottle and when I got home she wouldn't even look at me (the little wench fed alright) and kept smiling at her dad!!! anyone had this experience? Should I start leaving her more to get her used to it? She's nearly 12 weeks

Hi Piper101, I said the same - initially I planned on feeding til 6 months, then 12 & now we're still going strong at 17 months. Hoping she'll wean herself gradually, nights are still tough as she doesn't sleep through. I went back to work when she was 9 months. Initially I pumped & left expressed milk, but she never had much interest in bottles to start with & a lot of the time she wouldn't drink it, so a month into pumping I stopped doing it.

Once she hit 1, I started leaving some cows milk for her, but to be honest, it's not necessary. Once they're over 6 months and on solids, they can have water during the day, feed before work, after work, going to bed & overnight.

A lot of babies reverse cycle, which means they get all their milk while mammy is there & don't need it while you're gone. That's why my little one wakes so much. When I went back 1st she was only waking once a night, but as soon as I went back, she reverted to waking 3 times a night for food. I know at her age it's not required through the night anymore, but it's a hard cycle to break & I'm not great for following through on any of the techniques - eg No Cry Sleep Solution. Ah well, she'll wean when she's ready & at least I'll know that I've given her as much as I could.

yellow hen · 03-04-2013 9:43pm

How Strange wrote: »

Use a hot water bottle on your breast before expressing or even before latching the baby on. I know you said you've stopped but you may want to latch him on once or twice a day for the next few days to reduce engorgement as he'll be much more effective than a pump but that's your choice.

After feeding/pumping use a cold compress. Take nurofen for the inflammation.

Also getting into a moderately hot bath with your breasts submerged and then hand massage your breasts thoroughly until you see the milk flowing freely. You may need to have a few baths over the course of the day but a hot bath is great for unblocking ducts. the hand massaging can be quite uncomfortable but stick with it.

Then rest, rest, rest (either in bed or lying on the sofa watching tv and nothing else) as your body is fighting a sort of infection so you'll be very tired.

Hopefully it'll unblock the ducts and then reduce the expressing gradually over the next few days.

How strange, I've done all the above and thankfully all is good, thanks. In the end I did latch him on and it actually had a laxative effect on him which was badly needed. I'd love to be able to latch him on once a day just to have that closeness. Is it possible to only feed him that much and then use formula the rest if the time?

How Strange · 03-04-2013 9:49pm

Yes it might be for you as y
The engorgement and green frothy poos would indicate that you have an oversupply. Your supply might decrease over the next few weeks but you should be able to keep in up in the short term at least.

I'm glad you got the blocked ducts sorted.

scrgirl · 04-04-2013 2:45pm

yellow hen wrote: »

How strange, I've done all the above and thankfully all is good, thanks. In the end I did latch him on and it actually had a laxative effect on him which was badly needed. I'd love to be able to latch him on once a day just to have that closeness. Is it possible to only feed him that much and then use formula the rest if the time?

yellow hen hope you can continue to feed a bit if thats what you want, must be so hard to have to stop cold turkey. After reading your post I went over to facebook and this article was in my newsfeed! It answers your questions perfectly! I love serendipity like that!

http://www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2013/04/starting-formula-doesnt-have-to-mean.html

littlemissfixit · 05-04-2013 2:27pm

I gave my son 2 small feeds/day for a couple of months, I found that as soon as he dropped his dreamfeed himself, I was only able to continue the morning one for about a week. It may turn out different for you. If you can keep two, you will definitely be able to continue for a while anyway.

Neyite · 05-04-2013 8:17pm

I was hoping to get to the 1 year milestone, but it appears baby has self-weaned, he had no interest in a feed this morning, nor the last few mornings.

For the past few months he lost interest in a feed during the day and he prefers to drink water from his sippy instead, and gets an aptimel bottle at bedtime since 3 months, so it appears my work is done at 11 months.

Time for another baby methinks! :P

How Strange · 05-04-2013 8:35pm

We limped our way to 12 months but our son had pretty much weaned himself at 11 months. I was sad on one hand but felt it was probably time for us on the other. I was having recurring eye infections which I think he was passing on to me to create antibodies (thanks very much!) but they stopped as soon as he weaned.

Congrats for getting to 11 months though. It's an immense achievement.

yellow hen · 05-04-2013 10:11pm

scrgirl wrote: »

yellow hen hope you can continue to feed a bit if thats what you want, must be so hard to have to stop cold turkey. After reading your post I went over to facebook and this article was in my newsfeed! It answers your questions perfectly! I love serendipity like that!

http://www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2013/04/starting-formula-doesnt-have-to-mean.html

Thanks a million. I am now doing 50:50 breastfeeding and formula which I am comfortable with. I was so disappointed to have stopped so soon. I just hope my supply doesn't wain.

june17 · 16-04-2013 4:26pm

Hi everyone. I'm at my wits end and need some advice please.
I'm breast feeding my 6 wk old son. I started giving him a 5 oz bottle before bed about three weeks ago. This settled him for the night and he was content ed going to bed. However since last Tuesday I cannot keep him fed. He always took about 1 1/2 hours to feed but now it could take anything up to 3 or 4 hours. He's constantly stuck to me. I know babies go through growth spurts at about 6 weeks but this is the 2nd wk of this now and I don't know what to do. I've read on other replies that some babies feed for just 30 mins ata time. I'm now giving extra bottles which I don't want to do. So far today I've given him 2 5 oz bottles which he drank no bother. Thanks in advance for your advice

bauble1 · 16-04-2013 5:07pm

Hi June, it is so tough when they give through periods like this. Sooo tiring. LOsnurse for more than just food tho, that's why the bottles are prob not helping. Could be fighting a cold, growth spurt etc. I can only give the usual advice of take to the bed with baba and get as much rest as possible. My lo is 14m. Each time we went through these freq feeding events, i would post a similar pls help post & usually she would settle back into 'normal' just when id get to my wits end. Also my Lo didn't really stretch or get quicker at feeding til more like 8/10 weeks. The magical 6 weeks mark that id been dying for came and went without a noticeable change. You are doing a great job, soon it will get so much easier.

How Strange · 16-04-2013 5:10pm

Every baby takes a different length of time to feed so there's no one definitive time. Could he have tongue tie? The extra long feeding times, especially if it starts after 1 month, can be a sign of tongue tie.

It means they can't get a correct latch so it takes them longer.

Look up tongue tie on you tube and you'll see lots of clips of examples. Tongue tie isn't such a problem for bottle fed babies but its definitely a problem for those breastfed. There are only 2 doctors in the republic who snip the tie but you'd need to get it diagnosed first. A la Leche league leader or ibclc lactation consultant would be able to diagnose it quickly.

dublinlady · 16-04-2013 11:39pm

Would offering a soother help after a feed to see if he just wants the closeness of feeding? My little one had to be sucking all the time but would be content with a soother other than when hungry - her feeds often listed an or but not usually more. It's exhausting - sounds like ur having a tough time and coping much better than I would. I hope u get some form of a break soon.

june17 · 17-04-2013 1:06am

Hi, maybe I just need to be more patient so! I love breast feeding but it's just so exhausting at the moment. I feel as if I never get a break from it.

I should have mentioned that he had tongue tie but it was spotted before we left the hospital. He got it snipped almost 3 weeks ago. The doc said to give it three weeks and if I don't notice an improvement he'll look at it again. I have an appointment with a lactation consultant tomorrow and I'll see what she says.

He's had a soother for about 2 weeks now. Some days he's mad for it but other days he wont take it at all even when full.

He had three bottles now today and he drank them no bother. But like I said I d would much prefer to breast feed exclusively. Maybe I might have to accept the fact that I'll have to combine both. Hopefully the lactation consultant will be some help tomorrow. I suppose a lack of sleep doesn't do much for me either-especially when I feel like crying a lot of the time!

scrgirl · 17-04-2013 11:57am

My LO had TT and we had to supplement at the beginning but we are exclusively BF now, so have faith it can happen. Are you happy with supply? I ate porridge and flapjacks and drank lots of fennel tea to up my supply (which can be effected by tt) also for every bottle I gave baby I pumped as if boobs are not getting the message that babs is drinking they will not produce milk so its a vicious circle of supply and demand. And could be the reason baby is stuck to you so much as he is trying to tell boobs to produce more for his needs. I know how exhausting it is I was there constantly feeding or if not feeding pumping, so hard! but it does get easier, now I look back fondly on those days as I cant get a feed into him he is so nosey, looking around all the time!! He is 16 weeks old now and the first 6-8 weeks were the hardest I ever put in, but so glad we stuck with it as its a doddle now. I can honestly say i noticed an improvement at 6 weeks and by 10 weeks it was A1. I strongly advice going to a LLL or Cuidui meeting you will get so much good advice and support. ITs not possible to do this alone and also trust your mothering instincts too, even if they fly in the face of what docs or PHN say to you! Oh and just be aware TT can reattach, so maybe have it checked out. Also it took my baby 3 weeks to learn how to suck properly after the snip, it didnt magically improve over night. Best of luck to you the LC will be a great help to you, even just to chat and know you are not alone.

june17 · 18-04-2013 4:27pm

Thanks Scrgirl. You should consider becoming a lactation consultant yourself as what you wrote is exactly what the LC consultant said yesterday!

She told me to stop feeding after an hour then to offer the bottle and after that to express. But Cillian is not sucking properly a lot of the time and that's why it was taking him so long to drink. So hopefully if I can increase my supply that might help him to drink more. She showed me how to massage my breast to encourage him to suck better but this will be tough going I'd say as he is used to taking his time and giving little sucks for comfort. Did you experience this? It's very time consuming and tiring but I really want to continue breastfeeding so hopefully it will come right for us soon.

scrgirl · 19-04-2013 5:41pm

june17 wrote: »

Thanks Scrgirl. You should consider becoming a lactation consultant yourself as what you wrote is exactly what the LC consultant said yesterday!

She told me to stop feeding after an hour then to offer the bottle and after that to express. But Cillian is not sucking properly a lot of the time and that's why it was taking him so long to drink. So hopefully if I can increase my supply that might help him to drink more. She showed me how to massage my breast to encourage him to suck better but this will be tough going I'd say as he is used to taking his time and giving little sucks for comfort. Did you experience this? It's very time consuming and tiring but I really want to continue breastfeeding so hopefully it will come right for us soon.

ha! when we have problems with something we become experts!! I cant say he comfort sucked he seemed to be working hard at getting milk all the time, it wasnt comforting for him, sheer labour! he clamped down on my nipples with his gums to extract milk as he could not suck with his tongue, the pain!! Latching him on was excruciating. I had to teach him to suck after the tt was snipped, getting him to open wide and stuffing my nipple in as far as I could!! He got it eventually.
The best websites for tips and advice are kellymom and Dr. Jack Newman brilliant articles and videos. Also i joined a facbook group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/breastfeedingwithtonguetie/ got lots of advice from people going through the same thing there, hope you see improvemenys soon

june17 · 23-04-2013 3:23pm

Thanks for you help. I've started drinking fennel tea which is supposed to help to increase milk supply and is good for baby's tummy. It tastes horrible though!

cyning · 24-04-2013 12:32pm

My little girl is 9 months now and i got my period back 2 weeks ago. At the time she came out in a rash of spots all across her face that went within an hour or two of a feed. She itched them like mad. This week same thing albeit not as severe when (I think) I'm ovulating. Did anyone else have the same?

How Strange · 24-04-2013 12:37pm

I'd say it's your hormones alright. My son was the same when my period came back and the crèche rang me in a panic. By the time I got there they were gone.

In fact he used to have lots and lots even in the early months when I assume my hormones were going crazy. My phn said it was to do with hormone levels in breastmilk so I just took it as that. It kind of makes sense when you think about it.

cyning · 24-04-2013 2:02pm

She never got them until then so I was wondering! Glad I'm not the only one

IvyTheTerrible · 24-04-2013 3:26pm

How Strange wrote: »

I'd say it's your hormones alright. My son was the same when my period came back and the crèche rang me in a panic. By the time I got there they were gone.

In fact he used to have lots and lots even in the early months when I assume my hormones were going crazy. My phn said it was to do with hormone levels in breastmilk so I just took it as that. It kind of makes sense when you think about it.

I haven't had my period back because of the pill I'm taking but L got a type of acne in the first few weeks of breastfeeding, on his face, a bit on his back and his chest as well. The midwife and the pediatrician both said it is normal and is related to the hormones in the milk (interestingly he also had more pronounced nipples/breast area, pedi said that was the same reason!)

june17 · 29-04-2013 11:47am

I'm going to Cork for the day next week. Would anyone know where I could express in Cork City and in Mahon Point? Thanks

Piper101 · 29-04-2013 10:25pm

june17 wrote: »

I'm going to Cork for the day next week. Would anyone know where I could express in Cork City and in Mahon Point? Thanks

There's a feeding room in the mothercare in Mahon point afaik...would that do?

liliq · 30-04-2013 4:19pm

I hate blebs! Have a recurring one that I always forget about until I've been sore for a week or two and then I eventually remember and squeeze it clear as much as possible.
Think my poor boy is starting to get his back molars now as well so I'm a bit stingy from that.
Do they take long to come through? He's only 19 months now, so I'm guessing he'll be two at least before they're done.

Nead21 · 01-05-2013 2:10pm

Its my first time posting in this thread and would appreciate some advice.

Im exclusively bf my 2week old and in the last couple of days he seems to find it hard to nap without feeding. However at the end of the feed it seems to be just comfort. I think hes asleep and i pull the boob away but he just wakes up looking for it. Apart from this he feeds really well.

I was thinking of giving him a soother but im reluctant as i read it could cause confusion for him??

Is this just a phase?

cyning · 01-05-2013 2:22pm

No idea about blebs or teeth liliq but that sounds sore

I had introduced a soother at5 days old: still breast feeding now at ten months. I never had any problems with nipple confusion but obviously that's never a given. They do feed what feels like non stop at 2 weeks so you need to make sure you're not interfering with that its to help establish your supply. Make sure they arent still swallowing etc. i hated being a human soother! Congratulations on your babs too

yellow hen · 01-05-2013 3:14pm

cyning wrote: »

No idea about blebs or teeth liliq but that sounds sore

I had introduced a soother at5 days old: still breast feeding now at ten months. I never had any problems with nipple confusion but obviously that's never a given. They do feed what feels like non stop at 2 weeks so you need to make sure you're not interfering with that its to help establish your supply. Make sure they arent still swallowing etc. i hated being a human soother! Congratulations on your babs too

I gave a soother after a week also and it never caused any problems. My little man definitely used the boob for comfort. He could disappear down there for three hours at a time!!

Neyite · 01-05-2013 8:00pm

A nurse told me that when they stop sucking, count to ten, if they dont restart sucking before that they are done, if they do, they were only taking a breather.

It does feel like they are constantly feeding in the beginning but they do space themselves out as they get a bit older. Get a kindle or play angry birds and settle in for the long haul

yellow hen · 01-05-2013 8:33pm

Neyite wrote: »

A nurse told me that when they stop sucking, count to ten, if they dont restart sucking before that they are done, if they do, they were only taking a breather.

It does feel like they are constantly feeding in the beginning but they do space themselves out as they get a bit older. Get a kindle or play angry birds and settle in for the long haul

Honestly, what did people do before smartphone?!!

How Strange · 01-05-2013 9:49pm

Lol! I'd be lost without my phone. Starting breastfeeding on the 2nd isn't any easier than the 1st. My little one had a frenzied 10 hours from around 2am until 11am. Looks like we're in for another night of it tonight. My milk should be in tomorrow so hopefully she'll be a little more satiated then.

Sore nips are no laughing matter!!

yellow hen · 01-05-2013 9:56pm

How Strange wrote: »

Lol! I'd be lost without my phone. Starting breastfeeding on the 2nd isn't any easier than the 1st. My little one had a frenzied 10 hours from around 2am until 11am. Looks like we're in for another night of it tonight. My milk should be in tomorrow so hopefully she'll be a little more satiated then.

Sore nips are no laughing matter!!

10 hours!!!!!! I used the multimalm compresses as a precautionary measure and never got sore nips at all. i thought they were brilliant.

How Strange · 01-05-2013 10:32pm

Yep I'm using them too and they're really fantastic. This little one could suck paint off a wall but doesn't like to open her mouth too wide. I think I've managed to minimise any damage. Hopefully!

liliq · 02-05-2013 12:04am

Oh how strange, I must have missed the arrival announcement!
Congrats! Hope all went well

She'll have your supply stimulated in no time at that rate!

cyning · 02-05-2013 11:05am

Oh congratulations how strange

pinkheels88 · 02-05-2013 3:57pm

Hey mommas,
I've just tried out a medela handpump for the first time. Baba has his 2 week GP check up tomorrow and I want to have a bottle of expressed milk on me in case he gets hungry while we're out (I'm too nervous about publicly bf yet...)
I only managed to express 1.5 oz. Does that seem like very little or am I deluded in thinking I would be capable of expressing a full bottle at this stage? I will refrigerate it until tomorrow. Also might be a stupid question but will I need to warm the bottle before I give it to him?

:o
I think I'll invest in an electric pump soon if anyone has any recommendations?

How Strange · 02-05-2013 4:49pm

pinkheels, 1.5oz is probably more than enough for a 2 week old. Feed him just before you leave so he should be ok for 1.5-2 hours.

Bring the milk in a bottle so it'll be room temp. No need to heat it up.

The Medela swing is a great electric pump. It's expensive but it's a worthwhile investment if you think you'll be breastfeeding for a while.

Piper101 · 04-05-2013 9:00am

It'll be an expensive investment I have to make for the second time!!! I'm just after microwave sterilising the motor along with the pump parts, the smell of burning is unreal...currently trying to hand express :-o

The Breast Feeding Support Thread

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