The Breast Feeding Support Thread

clare82 all I can advise is that you stop using the shields and wait to see how you get on when the baby arrives. Women with inverted nipples can breastfeed otherwise how would the human race have survived this long. There's a whole side industry devoted to convincing women that they can't breastfeed without their products.

Best of luck with your last few days

How Strange wrote: »

These are the new growth charts which all hse staff should be using since January.

http://www.hse.ie/eng/health/child/growthmonitoring/

I looked into it there. S went from the 25th percentile to the 10th.

How Strange wrote: »

holding would you send a complaint to the hse your service/your say and email Siobhsn Hourigan at the same time? If we don't complain about the appalling lack of support and knowledge then nothing will change.

It was all such a blur at the time, that never even crossed my mind. It's mad, even with the terrible PHNs who have been running my breastfeeding 'support' group, it's never once crossed my mind to complain to anyone. You're right though, I will get onto it

I was at the Rotunda today for a ultrasound on her hips. I noticed that there was a bf group there today so I went. I told the one running it about the less than helpful doc the other day, she took note of it and reported it to the person in charge of bfing in general.

According to the lactation woman today, she is a little underweight (not much) and she is basing it on her height and build as well as age. She taught me new feeding techniques to decrease reflux and crying so not too much energy is used crying, and how to get the best of the hind milk for extra fats (like holding said) I feel better after that, she was great. Went finding her file in the offices. Even though it's a pain transport wise, I am going to go in again next week. She wants me to change the date of the weighing until Thursday afternoon. I want to see if I can do it with the PHN, trying to organise getting my son home from school and hospitals nearly 2 hours public transport away.

It makes it far more easy to stomach when you are told, yes she is a little underweight and it is not just chart based and when you are told and taught what to do to negate in. When a plan is set out to deal with the problem rather than just stick a formula bandaid on it, it makes it easier going forward.

holding wrote: »

Girls a question about multivitamins. I need to buy some. Regular multivitamins say to check with your doc before taking if you are breastfeeding, because of the levels of vitamin A. But the price difference between regular multivitamins and special breastfeeding multivitamins is crazy - at least 15 euro more for the latter. Is the vitamin A thing a real thing or is it just a marketing con/ over cautious thing?

Vits A, D, E and K are fat soluble vitamins - the rest are not. So basically they are the ones it is possible to overdose on - regardless of pregnancy or breastfeeding. So caution is always advised. It's one thing I would be careful about... But often the pregnacare original vit is on offer in pharmacies? Might be worth shopping around?

Thanks ladies, will shell out for the special ones so, and keep an eye out for offers. Such a price difference though! Very annoying

Can you turn down the intensity on the pump? It might help. Teething killed me: but she bites so that might be why!! It does pass definitely

I think I've had my last feed with C. She was still feeding at 5 and 7am but hasn't for the last two days. I'm not sorry now to be honest my nipples are in agony I'm 17 weeks so about time: another 23 weeks and I'll be back into it again

And now I just need to convince her to stop twiddling my nipples. She'll probably make a liar out of me and try feed all night tonight

Amazing u can donate & feed ( as lazygal said so long as its not detrimental to ur own which I'm sure ur watching closely) I would love to think I could do it but it takes all my physical & mental reserves to just feed S! Having good days and bad at moment just cis she's not really sleeping very well and I'm knackered! Think she's upset when losing soother.... I think the soother fairy might come today as I'm off work for weekend. She's not hungry as she stops as soon as gets it! Last night was every half hour til 3am when I fed her. Had meeting at 8 this morn for work and I was slurring my words from tiredness! Nice calm weekend ahead!!
S is doing serious tugging of my skin and pulling at me also - think ill get a necklace for her to play with!
Have decided now I'm this far ill keep going til 6 months anyway, with breast feeding is that 24 weeks or calendar wise... I know it's splitting hairs but I'd like to mark it as a big achievement! Maybe then ill wean but maybe set a new target instead.. I can't see myself being happy to stop in 4 weeks - it's just been a bad week with work and sleep but it would not be too much easier, if at all , if she was formula fed.

Thanks for the support girls. Cyning, I don't seem to have let down til the pump is turned way up but haven't thought about turning it down after that. I think it's because he's such a barracuda, and I need to have it up to mimic his suckle. Will try!

Re the donating - I've only 3 more days to donate so will be stopping daily pumping after that and maybe just do every second day so I build up our own stash (can't donate once he's turned 6 months which is in about a week - I've 3 more of their bottles left to fill and I can fill a bottle a day). It doesn't hurt when I'm pumping at all, just later when little dude is on with his new chewy gums. The donating is definitely not affecting him, he's still feeding for as long as he ever did, and is as happy out with wet nappies etc as he ever is.

3 feeds since I posted that last night and it hasn't been as bad. What is it about late nights that make things worse I've been more careful with his positioning since it started to get so sore so hopefully that will help too. Thanks girls.

aknitter wrote: »

How long between poo's is normal for a baby exclusively breastfed? My fella has gone a week without pooing and I took him to the nurse and she gave me suppository and to use if he hadn't gone by the next day - 8 days and I had to use them. But not as much came out compared to when he goes himself - he does not like the suppository at all (who can blame him) so am not keen to use it.

He is not off form, has no temp and is eating and sleeping (when the 2 year old lets him!).

Anything up to every 2 weeks can be normal for bf babies. The rule kind of is that there is no normal.
Baby should only be considered constipated if stools are hard. If they're soft then it's your babies normal (edit: assuming baby is happy and pain free of course). Most of breastmilk is used up.
Surprised the nurse gave you a suppository to be honest.

My friend emailed jack newman with a similar scenario. He said after 4 weeks anything up to 20 days can be normal if the baby is otherwise content.

My son went 3 weeks during his 5th month. He changed from twice a day to 3 weeks. It was absolutely toxic when he finally did go. Then he was back to twice a day again.

holding fair play for donating.

Problem solved, he pooed! His farts were smelly but it was loose and he had no bother going so I don't think he was constipated but still like to keep an eye on these things. This is the longest I've breastfed so uncharted territory! He's 14 weeks old. Thanks guys.

Nurse gave the suppository as she felt his tummy was a little hard.

Glad to hear you got a result aknitter!

Holding I'm really glad to hear I'm not the only one with the chewy gums problem. I cant seem to feed my little fella lying down now so I have to get up for his early morning feed (which I haven't done since I learned how to feee lying down). I was wondering why my nipples were sore. Thanks for the revelation