The Breast Feeding Support Thread

jlm29

Toots wrote: »

They do one in my hospital so I've to book that this morning. My PHN was actually great last time around - one of the very few times my son latched on and fed was with her help, but she's retired now

My PHN is great. A real breastfeeding advocate, which a lot of them don't seem to be! It's such a plus when you have a good one!

PhoenixParker

You tube videos are great too. There are lots about latching which is difficult to pick up fully from a book.

The ones I found best were the videos about swallowing, basically what to look for so you know baby is actually drinking vs making pointless sucking motions.

That wasn't mentioned at all in my hospital course but watching for swallowing really helped when I was struggling with low supply.

Little_cub

Toots wrote: »

Guys would anyone be able to recommend some good books for breastfeeding? I'm due #2 in January and breastfeeding didn't work with #1 - basically got no help at all in hospital and by the time I got an appointment with a lactation consultant my little boy just wouldn't take a feed from me. I ended up expressing everything. I'd love for it to be successful this time, so want to do as much prep/research beforehand as possible.

Hi Toots,
I had a very similar experience to you on my first baby. Didn't get the right support, baby never latched & I pumped for a couple of months. I had my second baby 3 months ago and I was nervous about the same thing happening again. I read The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding which I found great and watched loads of Jack Newman videos on you tube!
This time my little girl latched on straight away & although the first 3-4 weeks were really tough we're still going strong now. I had a great PHN & also got a private lactation consultant out to the house which was money well spent.
Hope everything works out for you this time, each baby is so different - this was definitely the case for me!

Toots

Thanks so much for all the advice guys! I'm sure I'll be glued to this thread as the due date gets nearer. I'm going to order those books, and also check out YouTube (never even thought of that!) Really hoping it works out this time - I was like premier dairies for the first couple of weeks with my son (burnt out the motors in 2 pumps from overuse) and then almost overnight my milk just dried up. I had a good stockpile built up by that point, but I'd still prefer to be able to actually feed this one directly from the boob

scarepanda

Hey ladies!

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who contributes to this thread.

My lo is 1 today and we've made it to the year breastfeeding, despite a rough start and a few worries about her weight. I'm so stupidly proud of myself for achieving it, but can't really say it to anyone irl because most people don't get it. The support here has been amazing throughout, so thank you all!

waterfaerie

scarepanda wrote: »

Hey ladies!

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who contributes to this thread.

My lo is 1 today and we've made it to the year breastfeeding, despite a rough start and a few worries about her weight. I'm so stupidly proud of myself for achieving it, but can't really say it to anyone irl because most people don't get it. The support here has been amazing throughout, so thank you all!

Congratulations to you both and happy birthday to her!

I know what you're saying about people in real life. It's such a shame that what you are doing is the exception rather than the norm but that's all the more reason for you to be extra proud. You will be an inspiration to others on here to do the same.

scarepanda

waterfaerie wrote:

I know what you're saying about people in real life. It's such a shame that what you are doing is the exception rather than the norm but that's all the more reason for you to be extra proud. You will be an inspiration to others on here to do the same.

Thank you! It really is a shame that it is an exception rather than the norm. From my experience there's just too much pressure. Too much pressure to start, to stop, on charts, on how you do it..... And then there's the advice, most of which is bad or out dated and the opinions on how/when/where/why/how often........ honestly it baffles me as to why it matters so much to people who it will never concern.

Happydippy

scarepanda wrote: »

Thank you! It really is a shame that it is an exception rather than the norm. From my experience there's just too much pressure. Too much pressure to start, to stop, on charts, on how you do it..... And then there's the advice, most of which is bad or out dated and the opinions on how/when/where/why/how often........ honestly it baffles me as to why it matters so much to people who it will never concern.

Congratulations scarepanda,
I know what you mean about people's reactions, thinking it's odd to be doing something that's so natural. I get some very strange looks and comments when I tell people that my 3 year old still breastfeeds once or twice a day. I've mostly stopped telling people cos the reactions upset me a bit.
I know it's unusual in Ireland to breastfeed past 1st few months and very unusual to be still going at 3yo but it works for us. I can't understand why some people are so negative.

catrionanic

Happydippy wrote: »

Congratulations scarepanda,
I know what you mean about people's reactions, thinking it's odd to be doing something that's so natural. I get some very strange looks and comments when I tell people that my 3 year old still breastfeeds once or twice a day. I've mostly stopped telling people cos the reactions upset me a bit.
I know it's unusual in Ireland to breastfeed past 1st few months and very unusual to be still going at 3yo but it works for us. I can't understand why some people are so negative.

My baby is only six months, but I'm already thinking about how I'm going to respond to these sorts of comments in the future. Isn't it weird that people in Ireland don't think twice about a toddler drinking coke, but somehow drinking breast milk is considered strange?

spottybananas

catrionanic wrote: »

My baby is only six months, but I'm already thinking about how I'm going to respond to these sorts of comments in the future. Isn't it weird that people in Ireland don't think twice about a toddler drinking coke, but somehow drinking breast milk is considered strange?

Or how it's fine for a 3 year old to still have a bottle hanging out of their mouth, but if a 2-3 year old is still breastfed it's mostly ridiculed.

IvyTheTerrible

I was home in Ireland this week and of course I got asked "Have you not stopped yet?" and "When are you going to stop?" about me feeding my 17 month old. Ugh. In France, people say it's great I've gotten so far.

scarepanda

Jez ladies, they are both such good points, I never thought about it like that before.

My Dad wanted to give my lo 7up when she was 8months old and got into a little huff when I firmly told him no. His response was 'shes thirsty', thankfully I had a beaker of milk to whip out of the bag to give her which she wasn't interested in. All she wanted was to copy the big people drinking out of a glass!

And well done ivytheterrible, 17 months is fantastic!

jlm29

Has anyone seen nice nursing pyjamas anywhere? Want to treat myself- I got a new pair in mothercare for my hosp bag, and I love them. Am raging I didn't get two pairs! They're gone off the website now, all they have are nighties with buttons
I'm looking for ones that have a flap that lifts up, rather than buttoning down the front. The ones I had got my first two were button down- they're so indiscreet! I like the postman not to get too much of an eyeful passing the window!

rainbow kirby

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

I was home in Ireland this week and of course I got asked "Have you not stopped yet?" and "When are you going to stop?" about me feeding my 17 month old. Ugh. In France, people say it's great I've gotten so far.

I stopped at 15 months because my milk had completely dried up due to pregnancy, I've had quite a few Irish people say I kept going for too long but my midwife was just "That's a pity, but 15 months is still really good" at my last appointment.

Toots

I suspect I'll hear similar if I manage to get past the first couple of weeks this time around. I was chatting with my mum the other day and she mentioned that my aunt was still feeding my cousin when he was toddling and that it was really weird..... If I actually manage to breastfeed this time around, I'd plan to do it for as long as physically possible. My planned retort is that the World Health Organisation recommends it up until age 2 (at least that's what I heard )

Seriously in awe of all you guys who've managed to go so long!

spottybananas

Toots wrote: »

My planned retort is that the World Health Organisation recommends it up until age 2 (at least that's what I heard )

Seriously in awe of all you guys who've managed to go so long!

Yep that was my planned retort, but I found most people (aka mil & sil) stopped asking when I was planning on stopping once we passed 12-14 months, they realised it wasn't up to them Although both did feel the need to blame me still breastfeeding for him still not sleeping at 18 months. I kind of went off on one at mil then to make it very clear it had nothing to do with them. As it happens he was night weaned at 22 months and fully weaned at 2yrs 2 months and still wakes allll the time!

scarepanda

spottybananas wrote:

Although both did feel the need to blame me still breastfeeding for him still not sleeping at 18 months.

Haha, I love hearing this! As you know it's complete bs! My lo started sleeping full night's (+6hrs at around 7 weeks and +10hrs around 12 weeks) and she's still being breastfed! She rarely wakes during the night. In fact she's woken more in the last couple of weeks at night than she has in about 6 months. But I think that's because she was going through a leap (which doesn't normally bother her) and her routine was all out of sync because of a hectic couple of weeks here running and racing around.

jlm29

They're just all so different! My first boy was a great sleeper. My second was a disaster. He only started sleeping the night recently, and he'll be two in December. Of course, breastfeeding gets the blame, and I caused it all! Everyone seems to forget that his older brother was also breastfed, and he always slept well.
My third boy is also a great sleeper, and I got a little talk from my mother the other day about weaning him sooner rather than later (he's 10 weeks), because I'm making a rod to beat myself. im not sure why people think it's so ok to comment, it's none of their fricking business!!!

scarepanda

Haha! Sure if you wean him off boob you will replace it with a bottle and possibly a soother as well..... Are both those not a crutch in the same way for the baby? The notions people have are so silly at times. It all depends on the baby as to whether they are a good sleeper or not, whether they will be hard weaned from boob/bottle/soother etc etc etc.

jlm29

scarepanda wrote: »

Haha! Sure if you wean him off boob you will replace it with a bottle and possibly a soother as well..... Are both those not a crutch in the same way for the baby? The notions people have are so silly at times. It all depends on the baby as to whether they are a good sleeper or not, whether they will be hard weaned from boob/bottle/soother etc etc etc.

My middle boy never had a soother, and I fed him until he was 14 mo, and then my milk dried up, because I was expecting. For some crazy reason, I started giving him a bottle of cows milk then, and no one saw a thing wrong with it. I was terrified I'd never get him off the bottle. But one night I gave it to him, and he just handed it back to me, and went to bed without it, and he's never had it since!

scarepanda

jlm29 wrote:

But one night I gave it to him, and he just handed it back to me, and went to bed without it, and he's never had it since!

Sure isn't that just what you want. On their terms and no issues what so ever!

bee06

It's so sad how there is this whole generation of Irish women who were brainwashed against breastfeeding. And it's still impacting breastfeeding rates because mothers now don't have support from their mothers etc when trying to breastfeed.

It makes me feel very lucky that my mother and aunts all breastfed so it's always been a very normal thing in my family. All my cousins who have had babies have breastfed. I'd definitely be the odd one out if I didn't breastfeed.

Happydippy

I didn't plan to be breastfeeding a 3 year old, I didn't know anyone who had breastfed for more than a few weeks. I just wanted to try it and was lucky to have very supportive PHN who organised a breastfeeding group. Once I got past the hard first few weeks it all seemed so easy, most days, I'm a bit too lazy for all that bottle washing etc with ff.

When I went back to work, the evening breastfeed and cuddle was lovely way to reconnect with my lo. It's part of our evening routine now and just feels normal. Not sure when we'll stop, she says she'll always want boob, but she's only on the boob for a few mins at a time now.

jlm29

bee06 wrote: »

It's so sad how there is this whole generation of Irish women who were brainwashed against breastfeeding. And it's still impacting breastfeeding rates because mothers now don't have support from their mothers etc when trying to breastfeed.

It makes me feel very lucky that my mother and aunts all breastfed so it's always been a very normal thing in my family. All my cousins who have had babies have breastfed. I'd definitely be the odd one out if I didn't breastfeed.

You're so right. My mother is great, and so good to me, but she didn't breastfeed us, and sometimes it's an extra challenge. Her solution to everything is "you should give him a bottle", and it drives me nuts. It's almost like I'm depriving him of something in her eyes by not. Because this one is my third, other people seem to have stopped dishing out unwanted advice (the other two seem to be doing ok, so I must know what I'm at, is what they think, I assume), but my mother still likes to assume I need a bit of "guidance". I jokingly said the other day, that the PHN will have me put him on a diet the next day she weighs him (he's a real buster, but I was really joking, and my PHN is the biggest breastfeeding advocate going), and she said "no, but you should put him on a bottle". Don't mind all that science that says breast fed babies are less likely to be obese. Just give him a bottle coz I said so.
Rant over!!!

fits

All these reports of babies sleeping through the night astound me. On a very very good night each of my twins will wake up 2-3 times and it's often way more than that. One of them slept from 12:30-5:30 yesterday night and that was unusual ! ( and I was up for the day at 5:30)

Millem

Hi girls,

Looking for a little advice. Our baby arrived last Saturday 10 days early weighing 3.88kgs, on Monday he weighed 3.62kg leaving the hospital. Today Friday he is up to 3.7kgs. Does this seem ok? Loads of wet nappies and poos!! Feeds lots but we are both still learning I am going to go to a breastfeeding clinic on Monday to get him weighed and check jaundice. Phn was here today.

Looking at pumps.....no intention of starting yet but it will take me a while to look up prices etc.
I pumped last time with a rented hospital one. I wouldn't mind doing the odd pump in a few weeks while feeding? Any recommendations? Saw an ameda lactline (I think) £70 from uk? A bit clueless.....don't think I need a double pump. Could of sworn I had manual one in house but can't find it!
Thanks a million.

shortstuff!

Millem wrote: »

Hi girls,

Looking for a little advice. Our baby arrived last Saturday 10 days early weighing 3.88kgs, on Monday he weighed 3.62kg leaving the hospital. Today Friday he is up to 3.7kgs. Does this seem ok? Loads of wet nappies and poos!! Feeds lots but we are both still learning I am going to go to a breastfeeding clinic on Monday to get him weighed and check jaundice. Phn was here today.

Looking at pumps.....no intention of starting yet but it will take me a while to look up prices etc.
I pumped last time with a rented hospital one. I wouldn't mind doing the odd pump in a few weeks while feeding? Any recommendations? Saw an ameda lactline (I think) £70 from uk? A bit clueless.....don't think I need a double pump. Could of sworn I had manual one in house but can't find it!
Thanks a million.

Congrats Millem!! Delighted to here of the safe arrival:) Haven't used it yet but the haaka pump has amazing reviews, its passive as in you don't have to actively manually pump but not attached to plug, relying on batteries. It's based on suction and women seem to get a nice bit while feeding from the other side.

I used a medela swing double on my last bit it's an open system so should only be used for 1baby, regret not researching closed systems more.

Gonna send you a pm about a group you might be interested in.

I'm useless with weight gain as in how much is normal but if phn has no concerns and you've plenty of wet and dirty nappies try not to watch the scales too much!

Millem

shortstuff! wrote: »

Congrats Millem!! Delighted to here of the safe arrival:) Haven't used it yet but the haaka pump has amazing reviews, its passive as in you don't have to actively manually pump but not attached to plug, relying on batteries. It's based on suction and women seem to get a nice bit while feeding from the other side.

I used a medela swing double on my last bit it's an open system so should only be used for 1baby, regret not researching closed systems more.

Gonna send you a pm about a group you might be interested in.

I'm useless with weight gain as in how much is normal but if phn has no concerns and you've plenty of wet and dirty nappies try not to watch the scales too much!

Thanks a million short stuff! I have a plugged or clogged duct at the mo (if that's what they are called??)
Got Nurse to check it for me......she said put on a warm facecloth and massage and try to hand express? Currently have a facecloth on it at the mo! I suppose the pump would come in handy for this!!!

Getting loads of wet/dirty nappies
With the haaka pump do you squeeze it?

shortstuff!

Millem wrote: »

Thanks a million short stuff! I have a plugged or clogged duct at the mo (if that's what they are called??)
Got Nurse to check it for me......she said put on a warm facecloth and massage and try to hand express? Currently have a facecloth on it at the mo! I suppose the pump would come in handy for this!!!

Getting loads of wet/dirty nappies
With the haaka pump do you squeeze it?

If you have time, take a hot bath and bring a nappy in with you soak and hold over breast and massage. Hopefully baby will manage to clear it for you then...

With the haaka, you kinda suction it onto the breast and I think if you're feeding from the other side you shouldn't need to do anything the suction would be enough. I think you can give it a squeeze to use more as an active pump if you want. Sorry haven't used mine yet!!

waterfaerie

You just squeeze the haakaa once and then place it on the breast. The suction keeps it in place and draws the milk out. It's most effective with the baby feeding on the other side as the baby triggers the let down of milk.

The baby himself should be the most effective for clearing the duct, rather than a pump or hand expressing. Like others have suggested, placing a hot wet cloth or nappy on the breast will really help. I think people use nappies because they hold a lot of moisture. Try to do it for a few minutes just before every feed he has from that side for a day or two, or until you feel it clear. It should clear easily so if it's still blocked after a couple of days I'd see the GP.