The Breast Feeding Support Thread

lazygal

My little girl is eight weeks old today and I can safely say breastfeeding has become much, much easier compared to the first two weeks. I'm so glad I persevered with it and didn't go for full combination feeding. We're giving a small bottle every evening but the past few days she's only been taking 30mls of formula. The night feeds are also getting easier, most nights she wakes at the same time, feeds for 15 mins max and goes right back to sleep. I always said I'd get to six weeks and see how things were, now I'm aiming to get to 12 weeks.

cyning

Thats so great to hear Lazygal: My little girl is just over two weeks old: and I'm finding the breastfeeding really tough going: taking it feed by feed right now: not that I can differentiate between feeds: they all meld together :rolleyes: I'm cutting out one of her formula feeds today (shes getting 2 at the moment) so its probably going to get worse before it gets better!!

NextSteps

I think 8 weeks is a bit of a milestone, we both kind of got into the swing of it after that and it was second nature.

And my 17 month old has a mouthful of teeth and doesn't bite!

wmpdd3

Lazygal and Cyning, fair play to you both. I think as long as you see it getting it easier you really get attached to b/feeding.

Your used to your little shadow!

Your organised when it comes to what you'll wear going out so you have access to your boobs and once in a while you guess and are right, when baby will want a feed!

fitzcoff

I had a long post written and it just sounded like I was wingeing and looking for sympathy.

In summary what I had written was at what stage did people start to introduce formula to combine with BF.

My daughter is 5 weeks old, with my 2 boys I feed exclusively for 8 and 6 months, but finding that full time breast feeding is not working as easy (not really the right word) this time round. ie I'm not getting enough sleep with them being up at 7.30 and her not settling to sleep until 12/1 (cluster feeding) at night. Then she is waking at least once if not twice before up time in the morning. So I feel that I need to introduce a bottle just to get a nap in the evenings to keep me sane.

How Strange

fitzcoff I think you're really in the thick of it at the moment so of course you're exhausted.

I think 6 weeks is the big turning point and you're almost there. You said you've breastfed your other children but you've probably forgotten how intense and exhausting those first few weeks are.

If you want to introduce formula I'd say hold off until 6 weeks when the growth spurt has passed and your supply has established itself.

fitzcoff

How Strange wrote: »

fitzcoff I think you're really in the thick of it at the moment so of course you're exhausted.

I think 6 weeks is the big turning point and you're almost there. You said you've breastfed your other children but you've probably forgotten how intense and exhausting those first few weeks are.

If you want to introduce formula I'd say hold off until 6 weeks when the growth spurt has passed and your supply has established itself.

Thanks, my husband is saying the same thing to me, but you know yourself it's hard when tiredness hits.

Another thing that I find is that other people keep asking how I am coping with the boys and BF herself, and that is putting doubts in my mind.

Thanks for the reply, I'll give it another few weeks before giving in to the bottles.

liliq

I'd agree with How Strange.

I saw this chart on another forum- it roughly plotted the effort that went into breastfeeding and formula feeding over time- while formula feeding can be easier at the start and stays the same over time, breastfeeding can be so difficult to get established, but once it clicks it's like second nature.

I think holding off would be better for a couple of weeks if you could manage it, especially as introducing formula isn't really going to change anything except that you'll have extra work to sterlise, mix properly etc.

Do you feed her lying down at night? This is still the one thing that really saves me. It took me a good few weeks to figure it out because we were having tongue tie issues, but once that was sorted, lying down for the long night feeds so I could snooze too made life a lot easier!

How Strange

I was just going to post exactly what liliq said about the time/effort of breastfeeding v bottle feeding. Irish people have this fascination with mothers of more than one breastfeeding. They think you're a half cracked martyr but in reality I think it has to be easier. I've only got one son so far but quite a few people, my mother included, kept telling me that breastfeeding the first is all well and good but there's no way I'd be able to do it on the second.

You've got a very supportive husband btw and that's worth it's weight in gold.

wmpdd3

I dont know what ages your boys are but I did evenings really hard when feeding my boy. I was used to getting everything done when my toddler went to bed but feltI was stuck feeding a baby. I'd be lucky to get a bath from 6 to 12 am!

But after 6 weeks the feeding went back to 2 hrs in the evening from 8pm to 10 pm and then sleep at 12am. I used to feed him lying in bed, then get up for bath, then back to bed. It was a compromise.

I was so scared of losing my supply that I waited a good while to introduce a bottle and then I pumped at the feeding time just in case.

I think 6 weeks would be the time to chance a bottle at 3am, if partner could give it, so you get some kind of streach of sleep. Did any of yours have colic from 6 to 12 weeks? If so I'd try a Dr. Brown Bottle.

fitzcoff

Thanks ladies for the replies.

I got some extra sleep so feeling ok again about the feeding. Lack of sleep does strange things to the brain.

I'm not really feeding her lying down at night yet, I feel that she is so small and my boobs so big at the moment that I'd smother her, but have done it with the boys, so plan is to do it when she gets a bit bigger. It makes a great difference to feed lying down as I was always guaranteed to fall asleep with them latched on.

My husband is great in the evenings, he puts the boys to bed so that I don't need to think about that, I can just focus on her and feeding. I would feel bad to express and ask him to do a middle of the night feed as he is working full time and is up early every morning. This is just the way I feel personally about it. I feel that he needs to sleep as he has over an hour drive to work and I'd prefer to have him driving safe and home to us, than me getting a full nights sleep.

My current worry with her is that I'm not producing enough for her, as I don't feel full, but looking at her I know that she is thriving. But you know yourself you always worry about the silly things

lynski

keep going, it does get easier - not sure if you get accustomed to the waking or it gets less, but it is so worth it.
I am still nursing my 17th old 3rd child, i can't even begin to imagine the formula feeding pain in the butt it would have been. He is also, we now know, allergic to formula and cows milk so the hell would have been at least doubled.
We are, i hope, now night-weaned, so only early morning and before bedtime feeding, but he does relish them.

wmpdd3

fitzcoff wrote: »

My current worry with her is that I'm not producing enough for her, as I don't feel full, but looking at her I know that she is thriving. But you know yourself you always worry about the silly things

I never felt full in the early days as he was always latched! I knew there was supposed to be a full feeling, it wasn't until I went to the cinema one night I realised what people meant, then I got home I had 2 rocks for boobs.
Its funny how with different kids, feeding goes differently. Have you had her weighed recently?

I have to say if I had had my babies the other way around, I would have put him on formula ASAP as I would have thought he'd be completely different, but I know from formula feeding my daughter hourly and hearing her suffer from colic, thats just the way my kids feed, no matter what I give them.

fitzcoff

She was weighed last Monday, she was 5 weeks at that stage and was 10lb 8oz,( she was 9lb 2oz at birth, dropped to 8lb 4oz in the hosp, she didn't get back to birth weight til after 2 weeks but is gaining since then) the PHN was happy with that and said that she won't be back again til the 3 month check up but if I wanted a weight check at any time to ring and she'd call up to do it.

I am slightly wary of the formula as my first had an allergic reaction to yogurts when I introduced them so had him on soya yogurts/milk for the first year or so. On my second when I went to formula, he dropped weight, had major runny nappies etc and ended up with soya formula for him too, only one that seemed to agree with him. As they were older I didn't feel it was that much of an issue but I think that if I introduced it to herself that I might have the same issues.

But because I'm not feeling full, it is such a mind field. It'd be great if they had instructions with them so you know exactly what is best for them.

lynski - wow 17 months on your third is amazing, fair play to you. That is fantastic, hearing info like that really motivates.

lynski

fitzcoff wrote: »

lynski - wow 17 months on your third is amazing, fair play to you. That is fantastic, hearing info like that really motivates.

ah shucks, thanks, but i am really too lazy to get out of bed to make/heat/whatever bottles in the middle of the night ;-) plus the nappy related benefits have been amazing - TMI warning - bm once every 8 - 10 days for about 3 mths! before intro of solids, even at 17mths he is once every day or so, more then once a day is illness time.

Ginny

My 4 day old (that is so weird to say) cannot latch for breastfeeding for medical reasons. Up till now I've been hand expressing and syringing this into his mouth and using formula to top up. My milk came in last night and I got a swing pump, so he's just had his first ounce of proper breast milk. Is anyone else exclusively expressing? How long do you end up expressing a day?and how much should I be aiming for expressing ounce wise per day?

missis aggie

I was exclusively expressing for 7 months. There is a lot of information on the web- tips how to maintain supply and organize yourself I liked that one :
http://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/bf-links-pumps/
If you decided to do it make sure you get good quality double breast pump. There is a lot on the market. Pumping at the start every 2 hrs, later you can drop pumping sessions. I had to supplement with 1 bottle of formula after 2nd growth spurt.
It's a hard work but I felt it was totally worth it.

dubstarr

fitzcoff wrote: »

I had a long post written and it just sounded like I was wingeing and looking for sympathy.

In summary what I had written was at what stage did people start to introduce formula to combine with BF.

My daughter is 5 weeks old, with my 2 boys I feed exclusively for 8 and 6 months, but finding that full time breast feeding is not working as easy (not really the right word) this time round. ie I'm not getting enough sleep with them being up at 7.30 and her not settling to sleep until 12/1 (cluster feeding) at night. Then she is waking at least once if not twice before up time in the morning. So I feel that I need to introduce a bottle just to get a nap in the evenings to keep me sane.

I think really what you need to do is get hubby on board for doing things with the older kids so you have time for resting.Mine brought the kids out and got them to bed.I had a 3 year old,18 month old and a newborn i breastfed.Take help even if it means you have to ask for it.Maybe get the boys in to a creche for a few mornings at least it will give you time to rest.

littlemissfixit

BF my second, he is 11 weeks today, cant believe its gone so fast.
I too was too lazy to face bottle feeding!! Had to do it with my first, BF didnt go well to start with so was expressing and formula feeding for 7 weeks until she was well and strong and then went back to exclusively bf. Just the memories of middle of the night sterilising, boiling, cooling, mixing...nightmare. Now from day one, its just been latch on, stay lying in bed at night and back to sleep as soon as he's finish.

I had introduced a bottle when he was 5 weeks, just to get him used to it if I needed, just 1 once, he took it quite easily so I slacked of for a couple of weeks and just tried again last week and oh my god the drama! Its taken the whole week, and he is just back taking it without crying the house down, so now its one bottle daily, im not going through that again!

I must say, I find it very hard to find nice suitable clothing to breastfeed when Im out. I have resorted to tank tops with loose blouse/T's over. Its the only thing I look forward to reclaiming once bf is over, a certain sens of style

wmpdd3

Totally agree, i have a massive collection of loose fitting vest tops. Its so nice for a change to wear a tailored dress. Ive been caught out a few times where i've had to make do and i should have been done for exposing a paisty wobbly belly! I was the same, i expressed for 3 weeks on first, i thought it would never end! Great when a plan comes together.

Neyite

littlemissfixit wrote: »

BF my second, he is 11 weeks today, cant believe its gone so fast.
I too was too lazy to face bottle feeding!! Had to do it with my first, BF didnt go well to start with so was expressing and formula feeding for 7 weeks until she was well and strong and then went back to exclusively bf. Just the memories of middle of the night sterilising, boiling, cooling, mixing...nightmare. Now from day one, its just been latch on, stay lying in bed at night and back to sleep as soon as he's finish.

I had introduced a bottle when he was 5 weeks, just to get him used to it if I needed, just 1 once, he took it quite easily so I slacked of for a couple of weeks and just tried again last week and oh my god the drama! Its taken the whole week, and he is just back taking it without crying the house down, so now its one bottle daily, im not going through that again!

I must say, I find it very hard to find nice suitable clothing to breastfeed when Im out. I have resorted to tank tops with loose blouse/T's over. Its the only thing I look forward to reclaiming once bf is over, a certain sens of style

I must start introducing one bottle, just to get him used to it.

I wear the vests with hidden support and that keeps the breast pads in place - I dont bother with a nursing bra as I find them fiddly. Over that goes a tight fitting pennys top, the plain jersey ones, either long or short sleeved. If I'm out, I wear a swing cardigan over the lot.

When I need to feed, the top rolls up over the breast, and pull the vest down, pulling the cardigan over my nipple until I have baby positioned on. I wind the corner of the muslin around the vest strap a couple of times and drape it over the baby then for the feeding.

The penneys stuff is great - It's so cheap that if it gets destroyed its not the end of the world! But I do wistfully look at my "nice" clothes in the wardrobe from time to time

fitzcoff

Last Wednesday morning I woke with a sore breast, within 2 hours I was bedridden with temp, feeling like vomitting, shaking with the cold and weak.

Got to the doc that evening and yes mastitis. Only starting to feel normal again now. I had it before on the two boys but this time around it wiped me completely. Thankfully the week I got it my husband was off work on hols. I don't think that I could have managed otherwise.

I had great plans that I was going to introduce the bottle last week while he was around to give her the bottle (as when I tried with the boys, they would only drink the bottle for me), ah well once I've finished the antibot I'll try the bottle then. My plan is to give her one bottle a day, she's 8 weeks today so I feel I better start introducing before she relies on the breast only.

hollster2

I love breast feeding.
my 3 kids are 6 3 and 11 wks I am breastfeeding at the moment i never did on my other 2 kids i bottle fed them so i said this time id give it a try for the experience and ive found it great not having to make bottles.
The negativea are that it's your freedom or even your rest at least with bottles someone else can take over, this week ive started giving my son formula just 1 bottle to try him he wasnt sure at first but guzzled the bottle my partner loved that being able to feed him im gonna gradually take him off the breast but hes happy with the comfort at least when i do he'll be used to bottles, i must admit the 1st week was horrendous the pain but as soon as the 5-7 days are over it was great plus another pro you get your figure back quick

*Mod request*
You post is very hard to decipher.
Can you please use sentences and punctuation.

wmpdd3

Ah, thats lovely, what made you try b/feeding? Friends?

hollster2

*Mod request*
You post is very hard to decipher.
Can you please use sentences and punctuation.[/QUOTE]
oopps sorry just shows didnt do good at english in school lol

hollster2

wmpdd3 wrote: »

Ah, thats lovely, what made you try b/feeding? Friends?

is that for me?

If so just for the experience and also the cost.
It the expense mostly from what i remember spending on my other kids for formula, glad ive done it now its great.

littlemissfixit

Neyite wrote: »

But I do wistfully look at my "nice" clothes in the wardrobe from time to time

I dont have much "nice" clothes to look at, feel I have been in maternity and BF clothes for the last 2 and half years. Must start putting money aside and promise myself a mad shopping spree once Im finished, anywhere between his 6 and 12 months.

Little one was sleeping so well from first day until recently, he is very unsettled at night, I miss my sleep!! So I decided a couple days ago to stop feeding him everytime he woke at night (he slept a good 4-5hrs from 9pm, but then could wake hourly after that :eek:), because basically he wasnt feeding at all, just coming into bed with me. Its getting better, a little, he is learning slowly to resettle without the breast I guess, but it means less sleep for me until he gets himself sorted!

implausible

littlemissfixit wrote: »

I dont have much "nice" clothes to look at, feel I have been in maternity and BF clothes for the last 2 and half years. Must start putting money aside and promise myself a mad shopping spree once Im finished, anywhere between his 6 and 12 months.

You're singing my song littlemiss - the worst offender has to be my bra collection, the oul' nursing bras aren't as supportive as 'normal' ones! Can't wait to go shopping.

My wee man was doing that waking for comfort thing for a while, looking for boob and then promptly falling back to sleep. Giving him a dodie solved the problem for me.

liliq

implausible wrote: »

You're singing my song littlemiss - the worst offender has to be my bra collection, the oul' nursing bras aren't as supportive as 'normal' ones! Can't wait to go shopping.

Speaking of nursing bras! If you keep an eye on zulily.co.uk they do great offers on hotmilk and other brands of good nursing bras. I've got about 6 hotmilk now, all bought through zulily!!

theg81der

Hi! My son is a week old and i`m breastfeeding. Can anyone tell me how often i should be feeding now? he seems to live on the breast i ony finish and e wants on again. its annoying cause i can`t even cuddle him or he`s mad for milk.