The Breast Feeding Support Thread

FairCity12 · 06-01-2021 10:13pm

Thanking you. I'm thinking more of a 'just in case' thing as well, and would like OH to be involved in feeding as well - and maybe to give me a break now and again!

bee06 · 06-01-2021 10:22pm

FairCity12 wrote: »

Thanking you. I'm thinking more of a 'just in case' thing as well, and would like OH to be involved in feeding as well - and maybe to give me a break now and again!

If your baby when it’s very young gets a bottle you need to pump at the same time to maintain supply and avoid blocked ducts and mastitis so it’s not the break it would seem.

dubstarr · 06-01-2021 10:28pm

FairCity12 wrote: »

Thanking you. I'm thinking more of a 'just in case' thing as well, and would like OH to be involved in feeding as well - and maybe to give me a break now and again!

Its not worth the hassle.
I fed 5 kids and i couldnt pump. Sometimes its easier just to feed the baby than go through all that faff.

scarepanda · 06-01-2021 10:39pm

Second Justin Roche. My second got hers done at 10 days and it was so quick and easy.

And also second the Haakaa. I pumped a decent bit on my first and wanted to get an electric one for my second. I didn't end up getting one in the end because I couldn't decide what one to get. I got a Haakaa instead and it was brilliant. So easy to use.

fits · 06-01-2021 11:49pm

FairCity12 wrote: »

Thanking you. I'm thinking more of a 'just in case' thing as well, and would like OH to be involved in feeding as well - and maybe to give me a break now and again!

He can do plenty to help that isn’t feeding. Lots and lots.

dubstarr · 06-01-2021 11:52pm

fits wrote: »

He can do plenty to help that isn’t feeding. Lots and lots.

Yes your partner would be better cooking dinners, making you snacks. Changing the baby.

You sit and watch boxsets and eat your bodyweight in cheese.:D

06-01-2021 11:54pm

FairCity12 wrote: »

Thanking you. I'm thinking more of a 'just in case' thing as well, and would like OH to be involved in feeding as well - and maybe to give me a break now and again!

The best thing about bf my last baby was that I did nothing else.
Trust me!
Still feeding said 21 month old. I used to love getting home from work and after my shower just sitting bonding with him as he got older and just feeding.. Dinner handed to me feet up..
OH can help with so much more.
BF is something special

FairCity12 · 08-01-2021 10:32pm

bee06 wrote: »

If your baby when it’s very young gets a bottle you need to pump at the same time to maintain supply and avoid blocked ducts and mastitis so it’s not the break it would seem.

Yeah I've read up on this, and about not pumping regularly until about 6 weeks when supply is established

FairCity12 · 08-01-2021 10:33pm

dubstarr wrote: »

Its not worth the hassle.
I fed 5 kids and i couldnt pump. Sometimes its easier just to feed the baby than go through all that faff.

Lots of ladies online have had positive experiences with pumps though too!

Some have even used them exclusively.

FairCity12 · 08-01-2021 10:34pm

fits wrote: »

He can do plenty to help that isn’t feeding. Lots and lots.

Yes of course I understand that but I'm specifically asking about feeding in this instance!

FairCity12 · 08-01-2021 10:36pm

Deleted User wrote: »

The best thing about bf my last baby was that I did nothing else.
Trust me!
Still feeding said 21 month old. I used to love getting home from work and after my shower just sitting bonding with him as he got older and just feeding.. Dinner handed to me feet up..
OH can help with so much more.
BF is something special

I understand that, and some of my friends were unable to stick with BF for different reasons. I am planning to try the best I can but am trying to be prepared or at least think about all eventualities. Because of the special bonding of feeding, and reading other fora, I know it can be a nice experience for the man in my life also.

Breastfeeding, even with a bottle, still ensures the baba gets the goodness!

Minier81 · 08-01-2021 11:04pm

FairCity12 wrote: »

Thanking you. I'm thinking more of a 'just in case' thing as well, and would like OH to be involved in feeding as well - and maybe to give me a break now and again!

I got a spectra double pump and found it good. Used it from about 8 weeks. It came with all this bits you needed, and I just bought freezer bags then. It cost 200€ish.

I did get a haka too. If it's just the odd bit of pumping then the haka can do the job for the odd feed. They cost about 20€ and are in lidl this week on the baby special.

In retrospect I never needed the expensive pump. The pump can be seen as liberating but its not necessarily, it's way quicker to just put the baby on the boob after the first few weeks than to get a pump out!!

Minier81 · 08-01-2021 11:14pm

FairCity12 wrote: »

I understand that, and some of my friends were unable to stick with BF for different reasons. I am planning to try the best I can but am trying to be prepared or at least think about all eventualities. Because of the special bonding of feeding, and reading other fora, I know it can be a nice experience for the man in my life also.

Breastfeeding, even with a bottle, still ensures the baba gets the goodness!

Totally agree that all breastmilk getting into baby is a benefit. However if it comes down to choice just remember there are non nutritional benefits to breastfeeding as well x

FairCity12 · 08-01-2021 11:21pm

Minier81 wrote: »

Totally agree that all breastmilk getting into baby is a benefit. However if it comes down to choice just remember there are non nutritional benefits to breastfeeding as well x

Yes I know - every night I'm reading/watching videos about breastfeeding and different aspects of it! Trying to get in the zone mentally haha

Minier81 · 08-01-2021 11:25pm

Sounds like you are much more prepared than I was!! Knowledge is power, you will be fine :-)

10-01-2021 10:01am

FairCity12 wrote: »

I understand that, and some of my friends were unable to stick with BF for different reasons. I am planning to try the best I can but am trying to be prepared or at least think about all eventualities. Because of the special bonding of feeding, and reading other fora, I know it can be a nice experience for the man in my life also.

Breastfeeding, even with a bottle, still ensures the baba gets the goodness!

Absolutely, but being armed and prepared before having the baby gives you a better chance to avoid those different reasons others may not have been able or able to continue.
I work with BF mums, the amount of woman who no nothing before having the baby is shocking, prior education is key, even the basics will stand to the experience.
There have been studies to show that breast milk straight from the best holds a better nutritional value than pumping though too.
Pumping can take it out of you also keep in mind. The baby feeds so much in the first few weeks you barely have time to pump. And if you start pumping before 6 to 8 weeks you can create an oversupply which can be uncomfortable for mum and baby.
I pumped for 6 months for a very ill baby who couldn't go to the breast, no breast at all. It was tough.

FairCity12 · 11-01-2021 2:01pm

And that's why I'd like to be prepared for all eventualities

I may not pump. I may not breastfeed! But if I DID have to pump I'd rather not be scrambling for knowledge on decent ones at the time!

11-01-2021 3:06pm

FairCity12 wrote: »

Thanking you. I'm thinking more of a 'just in case' thing as well, and would like OH to be involved in feeding as well - and maybe to give me a break now and again!

Just in case--it's great to have one in mind for just in case.. And purchasing it when it's needed.
Wanting OH to be 'involved in feeding' isn't a valid reason to introduce bottles as alot of babies can become confused and refuse the breast. My OH wouldn't dream of breaking the breastfeeding experience cos he wanted to 'feel involved'. Old and hairy enough and all that.
Breast feeding is difficult and takes comittment at the beginning but once established its much easier and you'll have lots of breaks.
Plus with covid rampant - breast is the best.

Redser87 · 11-01-2021 4:35pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Dinner handed to me feet up..
OH can help with so much more.
BF is something special

Dinner with the feet up sounds great ðŸ˜€feel free to send your OH over whenever

Seriously though FairCity, if you are going to pump I'd leave it until week 6 if at all possible - you'll have so much going on in those early weeks, and your supply won't have stabilised until then. I have the medela mini pump as well as a haakaa and together, they do the trick for pumping 2 or 3 times a week.

Dahdum · 11-01-2021 5:41pm

FairCity12 - when we were pregnant we looked at getting a pump as my aim was to BF but I wanted to be prepared in case we’d any issues and I actually thought it was a necessity. Ladies at mothercare (booo, gone now) were brill and I was advised to hold off on getting an electrical until jr was here but the haakaa was suggested at the time. Read up on that and got it. I’ve found it really handy in that it’s helped when I’ve been very full and jr is already fed. I read that it doesn’t cause over supply (happy to be corrected on that one) and it hasn’t in my case and for the price, should it not work or not be needed, you’ll be out about €25! You pour straight from pump into bottles so you don’t have to worry about all the extra bits and bobs.

Pre COVID, I think it was handy to wait until baby arrived and you could see what type of pump you needed, if at all but with nearly everything being closed I think there’s no harm being prepared.

I got mine on earthmother.ie

fits · 11-01-2021 6:35pm

^ pharmacies are open though. And bigger ones often stock the pumps

OP actually reminds me of me when I was expecting. Doing all the research

. For me anyway things worked out quite differently to what I expected. I suspect that’s true for lots of us. But the research did help.

Millem · 11-01-2021 9:03pm

fits wrote: »

^ pharmacies are open though. And bigger ones often stock the pumps

OP actually reminds me of me when I was expecting. Doing all the research . For me anyway things worked out quite differently to what I expected. I suspect that’s true for lots of us. But the research did help.

I have also ordered from Amazon uk recently with no issues.

FairCity12 · 13-01-2021 11:05pm

Lidl had the Haakaa last week for €17. I got one new off someone else for €14

thefasteriwalk · 15-01-2021 4:22am

Does anyone have any advice or insight re moving from nipple shields to the bare breast? We're having a tough time of it.

Minier81 · 15-01-2021 6:07pm

thefasteriwalk wrote: »

Does anyone have any advice or insight re moving from nipple shields to the bare breast? We're having a tough time of it.

How old I baby? I was using them in the beginning and gradually stopped when she was 10 days ish. They are nuisance!!

scarepanda · 15-01-2021 6:20pm

It depends how old baby is and why you were using them? As in was baby not latching properly, has he/she a tongue tie, has it been sorted out or were you just getting very sore etc?

Some ways I saw was to snip the top of the shield and slowly cut it down to basically nothing. Other ways is to alternate feeds between shield and no shield. You can also start baby off with a shield on and swap when baby is relaxed/initial letdown has passed. Or feed baby before he/she gets too hungry and try start the feed with no shield, but have one ready just in case they get fussy.

I used one with my first for 2 years, I could never get off them. I reckon she has/had a type (?) 4 tie so it wasn't visible to the eye. Any time I tried to feed her without a shield I'd be in bits afterwards. I didn't know at the time I could self refer to a clinic to get an expert to check her out. With baby no2 she had a type(?)2 tie so it was visible to the eye. It was snipped at 9days but took me till she was 3ish months to build up the courage to try going shield free. I did the swapsy for the first day or two then alternated just to be sure I wasn't going to end up in bits and finally fed no shield but had one ready for the first week or so just in case she got fussy.

thefasteriwalk · 15-01-2021 8:14pm

Thanks all. She's five weeks old. I had a very difficult labour and a haemoglobin of 4.8 afterwards so had a VERY slow start. Milk took a long time to come. She had a type 4 tongue tie but we went to Dr O'Reilly and got it sorted. We've tried removing the shield numerous times, and she has accidentally latched a few times, but if she cops that it's gone she'll just cry and won't try to latch.

scarepanda · 15-01-2021 8:28pm

Just keep going the way you are so. One day she'll latch and not realise! Maybe if she latches accidentally, realises it, try swap out the shield when she's calmed down and just see how she reacts. It'll just take a bit of time, patience and perseverance. I was lucky with no2 in that's she'll go with the flow (or would till the terrible 2s kicked in) I wouldn't have been so lucky with no1. I found it handy to have an extra pack of shields on the go, just so that your not always under pressure to clean them immediately after every feed, especially at night.

thefasteriwalk · 15-01-2021 10:35pm

scarepanda wrote: »

Just keep going the way you are so. One day she'll latch and not realise! Maybe if she latches accidentally, realises it, try swap out the shield when she's calmed down and just see how she reacts. It'll just take a bit of time, patience and perseverance. I was lucky with no2 in that's she'll go with the flow (or would till the terrible 2s kicked in) I wouldn't have been so lucky with no1. I found it handy to have an extra pack of shields on the go, just so that your not always under pressure to clean them immediately after every feed, especially at night.

Thanks for your help.

Vaquita · 22-04-2021 7:45am

Hello,

My little 10month old is breastfed to sleep each evening. But for the last week or so it has become somewhat of an acrobatic display. Gone are my lovely evenings sitting in bed with her in cradle hold - she is sitting up, lying down, on the left, on the right, twisted this way and that. Iv started calling it boob yoga - its that varied! Last 2 nights we ended up lying next to each other, her latched and feet and hands pushing on me until she fell asleep.

I assume this is normal as she is growing in mobility? Any tricks for a mobile feeder?

Thanks!

scarepanda · 22-04-2021 9:49am

All completely normal! I don't really have any solutions other than taking away the boob if they are too energetic or you are getting hurt with their endeavors. Tell them what is happening like '(insert whatever you call nursing/boobs) is going away/night night because x, y, z'. And follow through, for a few minutes, and make it clear when you are about to let them nurse again that they need to stay quite or you'll take it away again. It'll only take that happening once or twice before they will realise that you will follow through and then all you will have to ask is if they want the boob to go when they are getting on with their yoga. More often than not the answer will be no and they will quite down sharpish

. Its mainly a phase at the moment, but one that can become habit, and even at 10 months they learn and understand pretty quickly that their actions will have some consequences.

lazygal · 22-04-2021 3:57pm

Totally normal! My 2.5 year old had some really weird positions.

bee06 · 22-04-2021 6:15pm

The joys of gymnurstics. There is a sleep regression around 9-10 months as well and I’ve found feeding to sleep becomes more difficult for a while.

Vaquita · 17-06-2021 8:50am

Not quite breastfeeding related, but milk drinking related so hope this is ok to post.

My 1 yr old is breastfed when I am home and would have 2 x bottles with expressed milk when I am at work. Until last week. She is now refusing milk in her old baby bottle, in her straw cup, in an open cup. Just not interested and will even gag according to her childminder.

Is it ok to just rely on yoghurts, cheese, other calcium sources during the day and for her to drink water? She'd have full fat cows milky porridge most mornings and loves yoghurt. She still feeds from me really well at night or in the day at weekends.

I would be very happy to drop my midday work pump so if she's not drinking it, will stopping that pump affect my supply overall?

Thank you!

scarepanda · 17-06-2021 9:41am

My opinion is that your daytime feeds at the weekends may be affected as your body gets used to not pumping during the day during the week. But your usual nursing times, say morning and night, shouldn't be affected.

I'm a stay at home mam and even at that both of mine went to two feeds a day themselves around 12/13 months - morning and bedtime. The only time they nursed outside of that was if they were hurt or sick. We introduced cows milk to them when we were weaning them onto solids with their dinners.

bee06 · 17-06-2021 11:06am

I stopped pumping at work at 12 months. Never impacted weekend supply or even if I was off on a weekday.

Other dairy products (or other sources of calcium) are fine if baby won’t drink milk.

PhoenixParker · 17-06-2021 1:39pm

In terms of supply, everyone's supply is a bit different but most people will be ok not pumping after the 1 year mark and keeping up their remaining supply based on evening/weekend feeds. In terms of baby, every baby is different in what they need, but if she's refusing to drink the milk, then chances are she's fine without it during the day.

My daughter's been in creche since she was 16 months. She's a great eater and I haven't sent a bottle with her. I just feed her before creche/after creche and before sleep and she drinks water at creche. Hasn't been an issue for supply or anything else.

fits · 17-06-2021 2:21pm

bee06 wrote: »

I stopped pumping at work at 12 months. Never impacted weekend supply or even if I was off on a weekday.

Other dairy products (or other sources of calcium) are fine if baby won’t drink milk.

Yes same. My boys just fed when I was at home after I returned to work at 13 months. My commute was too long to transport pumped milk home safely anyway.

lazygal · 17-06-2021 4:15pm

We rarely if ever serve milk at home. Two out of my three don't really like it. There is no need to force children to drink any animal milks.

I just fed mornings and on the evenings I wasn't working late, and throughout the day when I wasn't at work.

Minier81 · 17-06-2021 6:31pm

It is totally fine not to have milk during the day. I went back to work when little one was 12 months and I never sent a bottle to creche or never bothered pumping. She only drank water during the day but did have foods (good eater) and snacks like cheese/yogurt and milky porridge. We actually did the same at weekends too, I went for the whole don't offer don't refuse thing during the day. She got boobs going to bed and in the morning (and usually during the night too til 18 months). She self weaned at just over 2.
Your milk is now mature breastmilk and supply will not be affected hugely by dropping the daytime expressing. In the early months this would have had an effect. Reduce the pumping gradually to be easy on yourself though. And well done for making it to above 1 year!

23-06-2021 11:42pm

Vaquita wrote: »

Not quite breastfeeding related, but milk drinking related so hope this is ok to post.

My 1 yr old is breastfed when I am home and would have 2 x bottles with expressed milk when I am at work. Until last week. She is now refusing milk in her old baby bottle, in her straw cup, in an open cup. Just not interested and will even gag according to her childminder.

Is it ok to just rely on yoghurts, cheese, other calcium sources during the day and for her to drink water? She'd have full fat cows milky porridge most mornings and loves yoghurt. She still feeds from me really well at night or in the day at weekends.

I would be very happy to drop my midday work pump so if she's not drinking it, will stopping that pump affect my supply overall?

Thank you!

Highly unlikely at this stage in your breastfeeding journey. Your supply is established.
I used to pump for my baby at work, that got tiring. I could have worked any 3 days in the week or a couple of nights and if I wanted to feed all day any day my supply was there.
It shouldn't effect your supply, I stopped feeding there in January at 22 months and the milk didn't dry up for a long time after!

ucsie · 24-06-2021 7:58am

For those of you who pumped at work, can I ask how that worked? Did you just go somewhere at lunchtime to pump? Was that somewhere in the workspace?

I'm not returning to work for a few months but I'm curious about the logistics of pumping if I'm still breastfeeding when I go back and I want to continue.

fits · 24-06-2021 12:57pm

ucsie wrote: »

For those of you who pumped at work, can I ask how that worked? Did you just go somewhere at lunchtime to pump? Was that somewhere in the workspace?

I'm not returning to work for a few months but I'm curious about the logistics of pumping if I'm still breastfeeding when I go back and I want to continue.

The workplace should provide you with somewhere private to pump. In my case it was a resting/medical room that was available. And I discussed it with my manager and could take pumping breaks whenever I needed to. A lot of big and public sector companies would have guidelines.

bee06 · 24-06-2021 5:24pm

With my first I used our first aid room. We have a dedicated pumping/BF room now with comfy chairs etc

GBX · 29-08-2022 9:53pm

Posting on behalf of my wife. Would anybody know of any meet up breastfeeding/new moms groups around Citywest/Rathcoole/Clondalkin ?

Ladybird25 · 12-08-2023 10:47pm

Hi guys,

I have a baby girl 12weeks old, breastfeeding has been an struggle from the beginning. We had to introduce formula on day 5 and since then I tried to reduce. However because of this I always have the doubt if she's hungry or cluster feeding or clingy...

She has always went to sleep quite well but 4 days ago that changed. It's almost impossible to get her to sleep, sometimes I completely give up and just lie in bed with her. But I wonder is this the 3 months crisis or is she just hungry? How do you know? She falls sleep in the breast but then wakes up 5 minutes later crying so much...

Minier81 · 14-08-2023 8:40pm

It's is such typical baby behaviour for them to be clingy at this age. And also at 3 months (and again at 4 months, sorry!) there is a developmental leap. My only way of describing developmental leaps is that they are periods of unexplained clinginess while there brains are undergoing growth. For these leaps just do whatever you need to in order to survive and maximise your sanity, if that means sleep beside them do it, if it's means netflix on the couch with them on the boob for ages then do it. They can last for a week or two.

Unless she is not gaining weight I would not assume she is not getting enough.

Is she a good motion napper? Would walk in the buggy at sleep time to help for the odd nap??

Have you looked up any la lache league or cuidui groups near you? They have no easy answers but sometimes hearing and meeting other mammies with similar struggles can help with sanity.

This too shall pass.

DaveyDave · 20-11-2023 3:22pm

Looking for a bit of advice here. The Coombe are suggesting we rent their pump for €100 as the baby isn't latching after 4 days. The issue is my girlfriend hasn't had a chance to feed as she has constantly had blood pressure monitoring, drips and blood transfusions since her c section, I've had to take the baby off the breast to feed as nurses come and do their thing regardless of what you're doing and one of them is training so anything they do is a painfully slow process, plus the usual hospital stuff where they show up with a tray or drip stand getting ready to do something then disappear for half an hour.

On day 1 the baby wasn't feeding, they were quick to suggest we rent their pump for €100 but it was down to being full of mucus. That night the baby was screaming due to a milk supply issue so they gave us bottles and noted the issue. Over the weekend nobody came by to offer any advice or anything. Apparently someone came to the ward demanding everyone breastfeed but that was it? We're happy to keep latching where we can but it was almost impossible with nurses hovering all day.

Now she's due to come home today they're saying she can't go home until the baby latches and to rent the pump. We have a double electric pump at home, happy to keep trying and there's a great lactation specialist in our area but not sure if the hospital pump is necessary or not?

Minier81 · 20-11-2023 11:41pm

So sorry to hear you guys are getting such poor support in the hospital. A lactation consultant is exactly what you need and the sooner the better. If you have a pump there is no need to rent their one. Also what you want in the long term is baby on the boobs and not the double work of pumping then having to give the baby a bottle of pumped milk.

I hope you got home today, please book a lactation consultant ASAP. If you are still in hopsital they should have a lactation consultant to come to your room, unfortunately this is usually just mon-fri 9 to 5.

In the meantime encourage your girlfriend to feed feed feed. Ignore the clock and just keep the baby with her as much as possible, you do everything else to support this - make tea, make dinner, feed her, change nappies, do laundry. This phase won't last long but if baby had the chance to feed as you said then a few days of focusing on just feeding will do all the world of good.

drodgers · 23-04-2024 11:20am

I'm currently EBF a 5 month old. Hes thriving and gaining weight and I'm past all the hurdles like latch issues etc which I had at the beginning. Only issue now is that he is presenting with eczema since hes 3 months. A steroid cream cleared it up but it came back again. I'm moisturising him with epaderm 3 times a day and bathing him in aveeno baby twice a week (and slathering him with emollient straight after).

Nothing I do seems to have any effect. The eczema seems to fluctuate randomly. The mid wives at my breast feeding support group are suggesting a referral to a dietician from my GP to start eliminating things from my own diet to see if it could improve the eczema. Last time I suggested to my GP she made a comment like "you dont want to go down that rabbit hole". I was reading into it and the studies on impact of maternal diet on infant conditions like eczema dont seem to be conclusive.

I am wondering if anyone has gone through similar and could advise on whether maternal diet changes could work? or have a routine or product that was really good.

I've tried below

Double-base emollient gel

Avene

Aveeno dermexa

Epaderm

The Breast Feeding Support Thread

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