The Breast Feeding Support Thread

holding

It's very tough emotionally Nead. I try to think of it in terms of feeds, as in 'I'm only missing X number of feeds, and we have all the other feeds together later/ earlier'.

holding

Nikpmup if I were you I would call a lactation consultant for an appointment asap. Midwives are great, but aren't specially trained in breastfeeding, so a lactation consultant may pick up on something that the midwife has missed, and which means that you might be able to feed him yourself. I've heard good things about Nicola Byrne - http://www.breastfeedingsupport.ie/. You can also find the mobile phone numbers of La Leche League Counsellors on this Irish page http://www.lalecheleagueireland.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&id=5&Itemid=29 - you can call them any time, they are really super and will definitely help you, even if it's just reassurance.

If exclusive pumping turns out to be your path, then fair play to you for doing it, it's a lot of work and dedication. Kellymom has a great page all about it here: http://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/exclusive-pumping/.

Congrats on your new tiny baby! He's lucky to have a mum who's doing so much for him

Das Kitty

Nikpmup, as with all aspects of newborn parenting, my motto is, whatever works.

The most important thing IMO is that you're relaxed and happy and are enjoying your baba.

I'm using nipple shields on every feed. I was given a load of warnings about supply and baby not getting enough, but I've seen no evidence of that with me so far. If I didn't have the shields there would be no breastfeeding!

How Strange

nikpmup congrats on the arrival of your son.

There was a thread on here over the last few months about exclusive pumping.

It's very doable and some women continue to pump and bottle feed for months. It is however giving yourself extra work so that's something to consider.

Your son may be a lazy sucker because he came early or just be one like my daughter and she came at 40+4. Newborn babies have to be taught how to latch. They don't know instinctively. Why don't they tell us that in hospital?

The size of your breasts or your nipples have no determination on your ability to feed. Inverted nipples can pose challenges but they definitely don't mean you can't breastfeed.

Would you consider visiting the hospital lactation consultant for some help with latching techniques? Otherwise you could contact your local la Leche or Cuidiu groups. The leaders in both groups are in fact more qualified than the hospital lactation consultants, in most cases.

Even if you decide to continue pumping I'd still recommend reaching out for help and support. Breastfeeding can be a lonely business at the start so the more help you get the better.

Well done for getting this far with the feeding and pumping especially considering your delivery and your son being in NICU. Every breastfeed you've given him will be helping him get bigger and stronger.

Nead21

Nikmpup congrats on the safe arrival of your little baby. I have a friend who pumped for around 10weeks as her little one was born so early. Shes still breastffeeding now and baby is 7months old.

Holding thats a good idea. Im only missing 3 feeds really then
How Strange I'll be looking forward to those feeding sessions all so...great way of reconnecting with my liitle man

holding

Nead it's my driving on the motorway technique. I count junctions instead of miles so it seems like a much shorter route! Totally OT, lol.

holding

Would it be a good idea to put a list of online and IRL Irish breastfeeding resources on the first post of this thread, mods? We could compile a list and then have it there permanently?

liliq

holding wrote: »

Would it be a good idea to put a list of online and IRL Irish breastfeeding resources on the first post of this thread, mods? We could compile a list and then have it there permanently?

The list changes very regularly!
Websites like www.friendsofbreastfeeding.ie and probably Cuidiu and LLL as the hse website www.breastfeeding.ie all have comprehensive, upto date lists of supports.

holding

Even just those you listed would be great. I was 4 months into breastfeeding before every hearing of breastfeeding.ie, call me slow but there it is

I would add
http://kellymom.com/
http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/ (Dr Jack Newman)
to those - I don't think these will stop being useful anytime soon.

aknitter

Holding, thanks for the info, I gave the bank a call and I have a starter pack on the way. I think it should be ok, I have wagons of the stuff frozen and express a few ounces every night. I'll see how it goes anyway.
Thanks again

Nead21

My friend donated and she was told that her milk has fed 24 babies....amazing stuff

liliq

holding wrote: »

Even just those you listed would be great. I was 4 months into breastfeeding before every hearing of breastfeeding.ie, call me slow but there it is

I would add
http://kellymom.com/
http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/ (Dr Jack Newman)
to those - I don't think these will stop being useful anytime soon.

Very true, fab websites!

dublinlady

I've had to work alot lately - my 21 week old now fusses at the breast at the 7pm feed and remains unsatisfied - I have to top her up with 3 oz expressed. My 11pm feed is niw completely gone - my supply just vanished we give her expressed now or formula - she takes 7 oz... I try to pump to stimulate supply at those times and I can get no more than 1-2oz. It's not the pumping as at 6.30 am, 11am I get 7oz - which she takes , at 3pm I just get 4 oz.. She takes 7. It's depressing. I only ever wanted to feed her til 24 weeks but I'm sad now I have lost control over it. I'm drinking a glass of stout in the evening and have bought some fenugreek in a pathetic attempt to help. Sadly I know feeding her more is the only real way over a few days and its just not possible because I'm not with her. I really want to make it 3 more weeks but feel like I'm losing oz's every day and that its drying up. I feed her during the night at 4ish too as she usually wakes. Any other pints of view?

How Strange

Dublinlady could you go crazy feeding on the days you're together? Perhaps if the two of you could spend a couple of days together feeding it might help to increase your supply again.

Eat oats aswell as they're supposed to be great for increasing supply.

The fussiness may be a phase as my little one is like that too at the moment. Sometimes I have to give her a feed from both sides at 7pm to satisfy her and normally one side is enough. In fact she normally spues if I give her both sides.

This may be more relevant to younger babies but it may be helpful
http://kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/supply-worries/low-supply/

I don't think all is lost but you may need to feed a lot when you're together and perhaps even reduce solids so she is only getting breastmilk.

liliq

A lot of mums use domperidone for a supply boost too
Either way, you're doing amazing, fair play to you!

dublinlady

Thanks ladies,
How strange - I haven't introduced solids yet - was going to this weekend cos thought as she has been so hungry it might help? But maybe it's the opposite! Ill def try porridge for breakfast! I wish is didn't have to work so much but I'm self employed and literally have no choice. Actually randomly part of me glad I'm working cos I enjoy it so much but it's finding the balance I'm finding tough right now!

Liliq thanks for that - I have domperidone and will try anything at this stage to keep going - will do a little research into the dosage for milk production increase.

My supply seems really good until mid afternoon - then just evaporates..!! Do u guys think that if it consumes to decrease it'll just get less and less early in the day? I'd love to know what will happen... I'll fight hard as I again to keep it up full time until I hit the 6 months and then I always thought I'd stop really quickly - but lately I want to keep the morning feed ... I really love feeding her - its been fantastic - but it's extremely upsetting to feed her after all this time and for her to be upset and hungry at the breast - she used to always fall asleep full and happy with milky drool !! She still does until the evening so ill have to try cherish those feeds alot right now!

I know ill have more babies ( please god) but I'm not ready for this little one to grow up just yet and stopping feeding feels like letting go a bit... Hopefully the oats and domperidone will work and ill be able keep going! Thanks for the tips!

aknitter

Dublinlady, I used the domperidone as little A, went through a nursing strike and having extra readily available encouraged him back to the boob! And it worked very well.
thanks for the tips on oats, will give it a try.

nikpmup

Hey folks,

Thanks a million for all your feedback - I had a long reply/set of questions typed out earlier when the PHN phoned about his heel prick test. She asked about feeding & I went into the whole saga. Well, she was brilliant. She gave me more useable and applicable advice in one ten minute phonecall than I got in four days in the hospital, with the result that at his last feed, he latched and fed for 20 mins, (something I just could not achieve in the hospital) and has been asleep for 3 hours (meaning he fed enough, I guess!) It was the "better" boob he fed from, the other one has a really inverted nipple so this next feed will be a test, but if he can't latch I'll pump and give him it in a bottle - he can have the good boob at the next feed. He's had wet and dirty nappies, so I'm a happy camper.

Das Kitty

Feeding gets easier when you get home as you're not so stressed with being monitored. I despise those feeding/pooping logs. And not to mention the hysteria some midwives get into over jaundice and weight loss.

All that dissolves once you get home and you can get into your own rhythm of feeding when baba is hungry and just making sure their nappies are wet and dirty.

My fella is cluster feeding today. He's mad for the boob. I looooove these Medela shields. It's so nice not to be dreading feeds and having painfree nips. I had the advent ones last time and they weren't nearly so slim.

dublinlady

Das k - the shields are great when u need them!!! I wouldn't have managed at all with my first without them! They're a bit fiddly but in general great!

Started domperidone today so fingers crossed! Hopefully will help! Had porridge for brekkie!
How often do you / do u feed ur 21-24 week babies before and after solid intro

holding

God yes, the shields can be a godsend. Any prop that helps the breastfeeding succeed is a go-er in my book. With us it was the soother. I know for sure that if he hadn't taken the soother at around 4 weeks, and I hadn't been able to have those 30 minute breaks from him feeding on my v sore nipples, that I would have given up. Anything that gets you through a bad patch is great (saying that we were lucky he didn't get nipple confusion I guess ).

DublinLady, just throwing it out there, that it might not be related to your supply at all. Could it be evening fussiness/ babs getting tired earlier in the day/ some other reason for the fussiness? Some babies go through phases of behaviour, probably related to the developmental leaps etc.

cyning

Nikpmup delighted you got him to latch your phn sounds great, mine is too it makes a massive difference.

I'd have given up without my shields for a few week and her dody! Whatever works works.

Those logs in the hospital were very nearly the end of me breastfeeding. When I got home I was still freaking out trying to figure out if an hour was enough on one side: I had no comprehension of her sucking to build supply. The hospital had me supplementing because she'd lost too much weight: it still really bugs me that because her weight was written down wrong (3900 instead of 3600g) in places they panicked me. I was waking her every two hours to feed all night long for weeks.

I'm going to be much more prepared and assertive this time

dublinlady

holding wrote: »

God yes, the shields can be a godsend. Any prop that helps the breastfeeding succeed is a go-er in my book. With us it was the soother. I know for sure that if he hadn't taken the soother at around 4 weeks, and I hadn't been able to have those 30 minute breaks from him feeding on my v sore nipples, that I would have given up. Anything that gets you through a bad patch is great (saying that we were lucky he didn't get nipple confusion I guess ).

DublinLady, just throwing it out there, that it might not be related to your supply at all. Could it be evening fussiness/ babs getting tired earlier in the day/ some other reason for the fussiness? Some babies go through phases of behaviour, probably related to the developmental leaps etc.

Hey yeah I'm considering teething too? But my supply is still zero for 11pm and minimal needing supplementing at 6ish pm - I know that from feeding her and pumping. It's been building up( or down for last couple weeks. It's work I think / most days I'm gone til afternoon and can't pump, then 2 days a week I'm gone late from afternoon til late. Think my body at a loss of what to do - I'm just not stimulating my supply they feeding or pumping regularly enough. It's just crap her being hungry after I feed her - hopefully ill get the supply up now thru any means . Finding the avent manual ok to pump at work when I get time and its quiet as opposed to the pump. I also got my medela replaced with a double electric ameda pump for nothing so that'll be with me tomorrow so ill use that in the evenings and hopefully get some evening supply back! I've no experience with that pump but my medela was broken and faulty and the thought of a double appealed to me from my experience!!
I'm off to make oat granola

holding

DL you are a woman with a plan!

Das Kitty

Folks, what breast pads do you use? I'm coming to the end of a box of Tommee Tippee and I'm almost past the overly leaky stage so was thinking in investing in some washable ones. Any recommendations?

dublinlady

Das Kitty wrote: »

Folks, what breast pads do you use? I'm coming to the end of a box of Tommee Tippee and I'm almost past the overly leaky stage so was thinking in investing in some washable ones. Any recommendations?

I love the lansinoh disposables but so expensive I save them for night and I use avent washable ones during day - dont find them great - they slip out of place all the time and feel much damper than the lansinoh... I have to wear pads 24/7 leak any time a feed is near due ... Well until the evening when I hit my difficulties!

How Strange

dublinlady our girls are pretty much the same age and ive noticed that feeding on one side at bed time isn't satisfying A anymore. I have to give her both sides and then she'll settle down to sleep. Before if I gave both sides she'd bring it all back up again.

She's also started clamping down on my nipple and stretching it. I remember O doing that too and I think it's a sign of teething.

She does a lot of bobbing on and off too and some times it's impossible to feed her.

I'd suggest you ring someone like Sue Jameson. Her contact number is on the contacts list in friends of breastfeeding. She's an amazing lactation consultant but also a mum so she may be able to give you some advice on how to maintain your supply.

http://www.friendsofbreastfeeding.ie/wp/support-2/telephone-support/

It just seems strange that you've zero supply at 11pm not that I doubt what you're saying.

Supplementing with formula or breastmilk without pumping will only continue the vicious circle and your supply will reduce even more.

She's a lucky little girl to have such a determined mum!

dublinlady

How Strange wrote: »

dublinlady our girls are pretty much the same age and ive noticed that feeding on one side at bed time isn't satisfying A anymore. I have to give her both sides and then she'll settle down to sleep. Before if I gave both sides she'd bring it all back up again.

She's also started clamping down on my nipple and stretching it. I remember O doing that too and I think it's a sign of teething.

She does a lot of bobbing on and off too and some times it's impossible to feed her.

I'd suggest you ring someone like Sue Jameson. Her contact number is on the contacts list in friends of breastfeeding. She's an amazing lactation consultant but also a mum so she may be able to give you some advice on how to maintain your supply.

http://www.friendsofbreastfeeding.ie/wp/support-2/telephone-support/

It just seems strange that you've zero supply at 11pm not that I doubt what you're saying.

Supplementing with formula or breastmilk without pumping will only continue the vicious circle and your supply will reduce even more.

She's a lucky little girl to have such a determined mum!

Thanks,
Your right - I contacted sue before and she was great I should do it again. Also ur right about the pumping at 11 - I usually do just before bed - just nothing comes out. Ill keep trying - I didn't supplement her 6 pm feed tonight but she screamed for 2 hrs and I tried to feed her all the time in between and then ended up giving expressed milk from earlier while I was at work.
Eugh its just crap - I just want to get to 24 weeks & then see - hopefully by Tom if the domperidone is gonna work it'll have kicked in.
Tks for advise - its so great to have this thread for support and info.

holding

Das Kitty wrote: »

Folks, what breast pads do you use? I'm coming to the end of a box of Tommee Tippee and I'm almost past the overly leaky stage so was thinking in investing in some washable ones. Any recommendations?

I hated wearing breast pads, found them really slipping all over the place, esp at night time, whether they were stickyback disposable or reusable. In the end I found a combo of reusable (I just got reusable ones in a box of three from the chemist nearby) plus a nursing bra that had the peep-hole style 'door' iykwim (instead of the ones where the whole cup comes off the boob after unclicking) helped to keep them in place.

wolfpawnat

I find breast pads irritating and make me itch, so I just don't wear them and use a fresh bra every two days.