The Breast Feeding Support Thread

iguana

How Strange wrote: »

The breastfeeding culture was all but wiped out in this country except for a few lefties or hippies. I think it's fair to say that four or five generations of Irish children have been exclusively fed formula many of whom have to be the gps, phns etc we meet today.

Definitely generations. I'm the only person I know who's matrilineal line were/are all breastfeeders. My great-grandmother was told by a relative that she shouldn't breastfeed because 'only the tinkers did that.' My grandmother told me that when she had her 4th child after a near 5 year gap the midwife told her that the last baby in the hospital who had been breastfed was her last baby. Not one single other mother in the hospital in all those years breastfed.

When I was born the nurse brought my mother a bottle despite my mother making it clear she was going to breastfeed. My mum said something like 'what's that for' about the bottle and the nurse was so patronising as if my mother had no clue about babies and explained to her that babies had to be fed with a bottle. When my mother told her she was breastfeeding the nurse told her I had already been given a bottle so there was no point in her trying to feed me as I would never be able to latch on after drinking a bottle. Luckily I latched straight on without a problem. A day or so later my dad was visiting while I was being fed and when a nurse saw him she was appalled and told him he had to leave while I was fed. My dad had to point out that as the baby's father he had seen my mother's breasts before and would be seeing me feed everyday at home for the next few months. The nurse was really upset at the idea.

ck83

dublinlady wrote: »

liliq wrote: »

Prob not worth the investment at this stage then! Yeah I do find with the manual you can do whatever variety of pump lengths suits etc. I just don't ever seem to be able to get say 5oz when she should be able get 5, I know she's much more efficient but this makes me wonder how ppl who only express get enough!!

I rarely get more than three ounces when I pump, and that's on a very good day! My baby will drink 7 Oz from a bottle- sometimes I worry if he's having too much when he gets a bottle, but the last day he got five, the babysitter said he cried for more. If he gets 7oz, he goes ages til his next feed. A lactation consultant told A friend of mine that the most she should expect to get with a pump was 4oz.
On the topic of manual vs electric, I've tried avent manual, and medela swing, and got no use out of the manual. I have huge problems with my let down though, pumping is a big struggle. I look forward to the day when the pump can go I to retirement!

lynski

on pumps, i had a medala electric - little one - and never liked it. with the avent one i could get ounces on my first, a bottle at a time in minutes no bother. on no 2 could not get an ounce without struggle, was told my daughter as an efficient feeder and i was just producing on demand, no extra. left it and used formula.
on this one, and i have only pumped a few times because i could not be bothered, with the avent one no good, mothercare one no good, medala one no good, tommee tippee no bother at all, slower then before but consistent. this baby has a very shallow latch and i think that my boobs are used to that now.
I think different pumps work for different people and different babies. might be worth having a go with a friends pump - if sterilised - to see.
I have box full of pumps and bottles now, on standby, in case i ever want to pump, but little man is taking a bottle of cows milk every day now so not even sure if i ever will.

wmpdd3

Yes, ive used both avent and medula swing and the medula in the hospital and i prefer the avent electric. But i find them the same. I get the same amount either way...about 5oz. Its great you can set the speed with the avent, the medula is set to start fast and get slower and stronger. I often use the avent one without the silicone insert if im really full as its gentler. Once when in a rush i used the avent on one side and the medula on the other and got the same out of both.

red fraggle

i preferred the tommee tippee pump at first but now i like the medela. i kind of switch between the 2 but i think the medela is quicker for me. i manage to get 5 oz from one side mayb 7 when really full and only ever get 3/4 oz on the other side:rolleyes:. when i give it to her in a bottle she could take between 7 to 10 oz!! so if im goin anywhere i have to leave out enough so whoever is minding her can start off with 7 oz and then add more if needed. i try express once a day in the morning while im feeding e. its nice to have a supply in the freezer.:D

foxinsocks

I used the avent manual on my first, and found it great. This baby has a much stronger suck though, and I think my nipples are less sensitive now as a result, so the avent manual just basically isn't uncomfortable enough to stimulate the let-down on anything but a very full boob. I can barely feel it. Izzy is 5 months old now though, so it's hard to justify spending money on a more expensive pump which will barely get used. I do intend to breastfeed as long as I can, which could be up to 2 years or beyond if I feel like it, but I'm lucky enough to be with my baby almost all the time. I don't see that changing any time soon.

My Mum breastfed me for 6 weeks, but she smoked (!) through pregnancy, and didn't quit until I was 4 years old, so that was blamed for her milk stopping at 6 weeks. I was (shockingly nowadays) fed on a mixture of cows milk, water, and vitamin drops until I started solids. We had no money for formula.

Little My

I'm still breastfeeding my first baby, he's 8 months now. I tried pumping a good few times but could only ever get about 2 ounces after 40mins pumping so I pretty much gave up.

I was always pretty stressed when doing it as I was trying to build up enough for when I had to go into hospital, and I figured this was why I was getting so little.

But hearing all your experiences too, I think my little lad might just have been draining me really well. I was told from the minute he popped out he had a really strong suck and was a really good feeder, so maybe that's why pumping was so hard for me?

dublinlady

Why is it when ur in a rush the baby decides she wants a 50 min feed!?!?!

pauliewallie

We have just started breastfeeding our baby girl, she is 5 wks premature and not latching on all the time, we are supplementing with bottles. Any advice?

foxinsocks

Congratulations on you new baby! Have you tried using a breast shield? They aren't just for sore nipples, they can also help the baby to get a latch. Are you still in the hospital? If you are, then keep asking the midwives for help every time a feed is attempted.

Do you have a breast pump? You will need to use one to make sure supply is there if the baby is not able to stimulate the supply herself.

It's hard to tell how old the baby is right now from your post, her age might affect the advice given. Also, What weight is she?

If she does latch on, it's really important to let her feed for as long as she wants.

wmpdd3

pauliewallie wrote: »

We have just started breastfeeding our baby girl, she is 5 wks premature and not latching on all the time, we are supplementing with bottles. Any advice?

Def, try nipple shields.

If your home, call you local cruidu / la leche legue and ask if they can recommend a lactation consultant to come to you home. its about €80, but atleast you will know you tried every thing.

I know its hard with a 5 week prem baby, but try skin to skin. put baby inside mums nightdress.

if mum is able, try pump 4 times a day atleast.

even just try expressing a little colostrum onto the nipple and letting baby lick it off, this will go some way to stimulate milk.

is baby opening mouth? if you rub baby's nose with the boob, will he open his mouth? if so you're half way there.

liliq

pauliewallie wrote: »

We have just started breastfeeding our baby girl, she is 5 wks premature and not latching on all the time, we are supplementing with bottles. Any advice?

Youtube laid back breastfeeding, and have a read about it. Spend as much time topless with baby as possible and leave her only in her nappy for plenty of skin to skin, and let her root and find the boob as well.

pauliewallie

Thanks for all the advice. Since yesterday she has started to suckle a bit more and milk has started to come in so we are using the pump. We are still in hospital and nurses are a great help with everything. Baby gets tired very quickly on the breast but signs are encouraging. She is nearly 35 wks and 5lbs.

wmpdd3

Sounds like ye are doing brilliantly.

Mink

I'm due end of July and plan on breastfeeding for at least 6 mths but maybe a year (my mam breastfed me for 2 years!).

I've a LOT to learn and luckily my sister is going to help, she breastfed her last baby for about a year and she went through numerous obstacles.

Anyway, my question is (I'm sure it's been asked before) what bottles did you find were best suited to a breastfed baby for giving them expressed milk? I'd like to introduce occasional expressed milk bottle feeds from my OH so he can join in the fun!

I'm thinking Tommee Tippee as they look like they should have a bra on them they're so boob-like.

dublinlady

Mink wrote: »

I'm due end of July and plan on breastfeeding for at least 6 mths but maybe a year (my mam breastfed me for 2 years!).

I've a LOT to learn and luckily my sister is going to help, she breastfed her last baby for about a year and she went through numerous obstacles.

Anyway, my question is (I'm sure it's been asked before) what bottles did you find were best suited to a breastfed baby for giving them expressed milk? I'd like to introduce occasional expressed milk bottle feeds from my OH so he can join in the fun!

I'm thinking Tommee Tippee as they look like they should have a bra on them they're so boob-like.

Hi mink!
Well done u on deciding to breast feed -sounds like ya know it's a challenge - but it's really worth it! I don't plan on doing ur for so long myself - prob about 4 months - A is 8 weeks now. I find it exhausting but now A is sleeping a but longer at night not so bad. Since 2&1/2 weeks I have expressed and given that bottle for the 3am feed - sometimes my oh gives it, sometimes me -either way always a bottle! Mostly as its quicker! I express the bottle during the night or early morning as have most milk then - if I express during day there isn't enough left for A and she gets v. angry!!!
From the start I have used Avent bottles and she took them no prob at all - she has 7 breast feeds and one expressed bottle a day !

red fraggle

Mink wrote: »

I'm due end of July and plan on breastfeeding for at least 6 mths but maybe a year (my mam breastfed me for 2 years!).

I've a LOT to learn and luckily my sister is going to help, she breastfed her last baby for about a year and she went through numerous obstacles.

Anyway, my question is (I'm sure it's been asked before) what bottles did you find were best suited to a breastfed baby for giving them expressed milk? I'd like to introduce occasional expressed milk bottle feeds from my OH so he can join in the fun!

I'm thinking Tommee Tippee as they look like they should have a bra on them they're so boob-like.

i use the tommee tippee ones and my daughter took to them no problem. goodluck!!

Hobbitfeet

I used tommee tippee ones first he took them fine but the milk went down so fast 4oz was gone in no time. So I bought breastflow ones and find them much better looks like his suck is pretty much the same on breast and with those bottles.
Good luck with everything I found going to local le leche meetings while pregnant great prep

Future Baby

I too am using the tommee tippee bottles, the one's that have the straw in the middle to prevent air going into their bellys, Saying that he has only had a bottle a few times, but never had any issues, he also used the avent ones and had no issues. I was told he wouldnt take the bottle if I was breast feeding him, so we video taped him getting his first bottle at 8 weeks old and he devored down the milk in seconds, and then gave the biggest burb every heared.

Check out Sam Mccauleys, I got the for 9 euros in store, online they are nearly 20 euros
http://www.buy4now.ie/sammccauley/aspx/productdetail.aspx?pid=6334&loc=P&catid=101.5

He is feeding again every 2 hours today, and I'd say his teeth are def trying to pop up, as he is drooling mad and trying to shove my fingers into his mouth all the time, he was 15 weeks old yesterday don't know where the time is going.

MintyDoris

Mink - I have been meaning to post the same question for the past week

I mentioned to my Mum that I was planning to do exactly the same and she just tutted and said 'he will have plenty to do besides feed - thats your job' so I didnt ask her anymore about it. But I was thinking if anyone can answer this question, it'll be the ladies here!

Mink

Thanks everyone, it's good to hear at least some had success with giving a bottle of expressed milk here and there and didn't have to wait til they're like 3 mths old.

I'm just going to stop fussing and buy some bottles & steriliser!

How Strange

Mink I started at 5 weeks and I was so so happy to have it on standby when he was going through the 6 week growth spurt.

LilMrsDahamsta

Folks, does anyone have any advice on how to /stop/ breastfeeding? My small man is nearly 8.5 months now. He still feeds 5-6 times per 24 hrs. This frequency is preventing TTC so it has to be cut down significantly if not totally stopped.

The main difficulty is his lack of interest/understanding of other forms of drinking. I've been giving him 3 bottles a day with his meals for months, but he has no interest in them; he just chews the teats. Even the odd time he'll accidentally suck, he doesn't swallow the milk/water; it flows out the sides of his mouth.

I've also tried very often not at meal times; he generally screams at the bottle and pushes/throws it away. No interest. I've also tried other bottles, different teats, sippy cups, normal cups, different liquids at different temperatures, basically any permutation I can think of, all with no success. And I've also tried other people; granny, Daddy or creche, it's all the same!

I also got completely frustrated with things about 2 months ago and tried to make him go cold turkey. We spent about 2 days trying cups, bottles, etc almost exclusively, but after a 15 hour stretch of not getting any liquid into him it was clear he was not going to be starved into submission, so we had to give up.

I'm at my wits end with it now. The GP laughs at me when I say he won't take a bottle, and the PHN bf her kids for a year and went straight to cups cause she had the same problem, so no advice there.

Any thoughts?

Little My

LilMrsDahamsta wrote: »

... but he has no interest in them; he just chews the teats. Even the odd time he'll accidentally suck, he doesn't swallow the milk/water; it flows out the sides of his mouth.

... I've also tried other bottles, different teats, sippy cups, normal cups, different liquids at different temperatures, basically any permutation I can think of, all with no success...

My little boy is almost 9 months and from 6 months I was trying bottles & sippy cups with no success. He just chewed the teat or gnawed on spouts of the sippy cups.

I got a Doidy cup from Amazon and it works much better. Some still dribbles out of his mouth but he will drink as well. Maybe because he can see the liquid? He'll also try and grab the cup and drink himself, which is messy, but at least he's learning.

http://doidycups.com/

wmpdd3

my sister in law had all her kids using a normal plastic cup with a straw at 6 months, for drinks, my 18 month old still cant manage a straw.

xshe sold it to them as 'the big girl cup'

How Strange

I'd try the doidy cup however I think you probably need to start from scratch as your little fella may have a bad association with cups, bottles etc now. However he has to transition to a cup soon and at 8.5 months he should be starting to get used to using one. I definitely wouldn't start with bottles at this stage.

Introduce the cup with water at meal times. Always put it on his tray with his food. Don't force it or make any comment. Don't make it a battle of wills because you'll never win against a baby! Leave it to him to take the first step. At first the water will go everywhere if/when he decides he wants to try it out. Gradually he'll get more used to it.

If you want to stop breastfeeding maybe cut out the midday feed first. When he looks for the feed turn him away from your chest and distract him with a toy, playing a game or singing a song. It'll take a while but he'll understand that he won't get a feed at that time. It took about 2 weeks with my son; at first he got upset but I continued playing with him and he'd be fine within a minute or so. Once that's established you can cut out another feed and so on.

Personally (and I stress personally!) I'd advise on keeping 2-3 feeds until 11 months or so seeing as you've gotten to 8.5 months. Feeding that much a day will meet his nutritional requirements and means you won't have to buy formula. I started giving my son cows milk at 11 months and he self weaned at 12 months. Up to 10 months he was a boob monster so self weaning was a complete and very unexpected turn around.

LilMrsDahamsta

wmpdd3 wrote: »

my sister in law had all her kids using a normal plastic cup with a straw at 6 months, for drinks, my 18 month old still cant manage a straw.

xshe sold it to them as 'the big girl cup'

OMG! Seriously, I can hardly believe that when I see where my guy is at.

Of all the things I've tried, a straw never occurred to me so I'll give it a go later. Fingers crossed!

LilMrsDahamsta

How Strange wrote: »

I think you probably need to start from scratch as your little fella may have a bad association with cups, bottles etc now. ...

If you want to stop breastfeeding maybe cut out the midday feed first. ... Once that's established you can cut out another feed and so on.

Personally (and I stress personally!) I'd advise on keeping 2-3 feeds until 11 months or so seeing as you've gotten to 8.5 months. Feeding that much a day will meet his nutritional requirements and means you won't have to buy formula. I started giving my son cows milk at 11 months and he self weaned at 12 months. Up to 10 months he was a boob monster so self weaning was a complete and very unexpected turn around.

You're right about the bad associations with cups, but thankfully that's behind us now. He was tube fed in hospital when he had bronchiolitis at 6 mths, and after that, and the oxygen and nebulisers, he was terrified of anything coming near his face. The second bout a month later just made it even worse. I also had to start weaning with food all over again after he came home the first time. Now he's happy to play with them all, and will put them to his mouth occasionally; he just doesn't drink.

Just as I was complaining about the number of feeds, the last two days he's demanded food in the late afternoon rather than Mummy. I've been trying to keep that one short anyway cause it disrupts bed time if he drifts off to sleep. Maybe he's finally starting to get that part of the message.

TBH, I'd love to feed him as often as he wants til he's at least one. I just need to cut it down enough to stay pregnant. It's too complicated to be explaining, but basically I need to have my next mat leave started and finished by certain points in time for financial reasons. I'm already looking forward to having none of these issues with the next/last one.

Thanks for all the advice folks!

NextSteps

Would you offer him some of those fruit purée pouches? If he figures out how to suck them he'll have the straw principle worked out. Might help?

annamcmahon

LilMissDahamsta, I became pregnant when my daughter was 6months and from around the 9 month mark started a don't offer don't refuse policy for feeding during the day. We were down to a feed first time and a feed at bedtime for a few months and now back up to 3-4 since early Feb. I'm due this week. Don't know if there are specific medical reasons that you are worried but in general there seems to be little risk.