The Breast Feeding Support Thread

implausible · 11-02-2013 12:53am

I found that everything was a lot easier with number two. I sat at home expecting the two days of eye-watering nipple pain I had with number one and it never arrived! I hope it's the same for you, but How Strange's suggestion will have you prepared just in case.

A useful tip I got (it could've been on here) was to feed the baby on a couch, so that the toddler can cuddle up beside you for a book or whatever. I bought a two-seater especially. My wee man never showed any major curiosity or interest in me feeding his sister. The biggest problem was to make sure to have everything to hand before you sit down to feed, because that's usually when he would look for something.

How Strange · 11-02-2013 8:49am

Im surprisingly ok DL. I was going through a really bad phase before Christmas as I was constantly exhausted and my blood pressure was very low so it was a vicious cycle. I'm just hoping I get another few weeks feeling like this before the heavily pregnant phase starts!

cyning · 13-02-2013 4:07pm

I have the sorest itchiest nipple... No thrush, no lumps, no obvious injury. It is not helped by C pulling off every minute look all around her! Anyone any tips to make it less sore?!

emer_b · 13-02-2013 8:59pm

cyning wrote: »

I have the sorest itchiest nipple... No thrush, no lumps, no obvious injury. It is not helped by C pulling off every minute look all around her! Anyone any tips to make it less sore?!

Cyning I have been getting the same thing on and off for the last month. She'll have a few fussy days when she feeds a lot and then I get sore from all the pulling.

I have found the lanolin cream to be very good. I just put it on after every feed and was much better after about 2 days.
I've also started just taking her off the boob and sitting her up straight for a minute when she starts pulling. Then i know if she's genuinely hungry and looking for more or just messing. I should have been doing that all along I suppose!

Neyite · 14-02-2013 12:12pm

Passed the 9 month milestone for breastfeeding. o/

scaryfairy · 15-02-2013 1:47pm

cyning wrote: »

I have the sorest itchiest nipple... No thrush, no lumps, no obvious injury. It is not helped by C pulling off every minute look all around her! Anyone any tips to make it less sore?!

Hi cyning, I have become my little man's soother so I know the feeling... I tried a number of creams, and strangely enough Boots own cream (i think it's pretty cheap, too), is the only one that gave some relief. Multi mam compressions are quite expensive, but I find them very efficient, too.

lounakin · 16-02-2013 4:18pm

Neyite wrote: »

Passed the 9 month milestone for breastfeeding. o/

Same here as of today!
Ouch though, I have had a bleb for the last 3 months.

Neyite · 16-02-2013 4:32pm

lounakin wrote: »

Same here as of today!
Ouch though, I have had a bleb for the last 3 months.

what's a bleb?

lounakin · 16-02-2013 4:34pm

Neyite wrote: »

what's a bleb?

A blockage... very painful and can lead to mastitis, luckily it hasn't happened but it hurts like hell all the time. Nothing seems to work to get rid of it. I think I'll have it until I stop bfeeding.

implausible · 17-02-2013 9:57pm

lounakin wrote: »

A blockage... very painful and can lead to mastitis, luckily it hasn't happened but it hurts like hell all the time. Nothing seems to work to get rid of it. I think I'll have it until I stop bfeeding.

Is it on the outside of your nipple? Sometimes a sterilised pin is the only cure. Ouch, but effective.

lounakin · 17-02-2013 10:51pm

implausible wrote: »

Is it on the outside of your nipple? Sometimes a sterilised pin is the only cure. Ouch, but effective.

Yeah I've done that! I have to do it every day now along with pressing and digging etc... incredibly painful. Although I just bought a new pump and it's so much more effective than my previous one that I'm able to express most of the milk out so it's starting to feel better.

lynski · 19-02-2013 12:24am

that is great. the pumps are funny. on ds1 i used an avent one and no worries could have fed 2 or 3 children, on dd no expressing worked, avent one or mandala mini electric pump, with ds2 the TT one worked early on when i needed it, but not when i went back a few months later and nothing else did either, tried about 4 different ones. I think it depends on your childs feeding style and you need to start early and continue.
Anyway on the bleb leicitin helps apparently, not sure of spelling, as i cant find the thread i started in the extended breastfeeding page - damn it is busy - as well as warm/hot cloths pressed on the outside to draw it our.
hope all is better.

lounakin · 19-02-2013 12:36am

lynski wrote: »

that is great. the pumps are funny. on ds1 i used an avent one and no worries could have fed 2 or 3 children, on dd no expressing worked, avent one or mandala mini electric pump, with ds2 the TT one worked early on when i needed it, but not when i went back a few months later and nothing else did either, tried about 4 different ones. I think it depends on your childs feeding style and you need to start early and continue.
Anyway on the bleb leicitin helps apparently, not sure of spelling, as i cant find the thread i started in the extended breastfeeding page - damn it is busy - as well as warm/hot cloths pressed on the outside to draw it our.
hope all is better.

Tried all that too! Nothing helped, I had to drain it everyday. But as of today it's almost completely gone with the help of the medela swing pump... I love it

MintyDoris · 19-02-2013 12:42am

Would anyone be able to recommend a dummy for an EBF 18 week old. We have tried previously to get her to take a dummy but, just like a bottle teat, she just flicks it with her tongue and just doesn't quite know what to do with it. I don't know if its the shape, the coldness compared to the nipple, the texture etc ... I also don't want to be buying every type if dummy out there just to find one she might like

Anyway, any comments welcome.

Thanks

lounakin · 19-02-2013 10:39am

MintyDoris wrote: »

Would anyone be able to recommend a dummy for an EBF 18 week old. We have tried previously to get her to take a dummy but, just like a bottle teat, she just flicks it with her tongue and just doesn't quite know what to do with it. I don't know if its the shape, the coldness compared to the nipple, the texture etc ... I also don't want to be buying every type if dummy out there just to find one she might like

Anyway, any comments welcome.

Thanks

If your baby doesn't want a dummy I wouldn't insist. My baby was the same, however she took to it for a few months and has rejected it now. The only ones she liked were the ones with the U shaped teat, (like this one http://www.diapers.com/p/mam-night-silicone-pacifier-pink-2-months-48632).

mary1978 · 19-02-2013 11:18am

why are you so keen for her to use a soother? if she doesn't want it i wouldn't force it and you can avoid potential problems down the line, such as having to keep putting it back into her mouth in the middle of the night and then getting her off it when she is older.

IvyTheTerrible · 19-02-2013 11:26am

Well fellow breastfeeders, it seems I have graduated from this thread! I went home to my parents for a week, and L basically weaned himself. I knew he was not getting enough liquid from his two feeds a day from me, also, he started biting more, which I realised was frustation from not getting enough milk. So I started him on a warmed bottle of cows milk, and BINGO! He is drinking. As I was producing so little milk anyway I had no swelling or discomfort or anything (I had a little queasyness for a few days which I think may have been to do with weaning but that's it). Only downside was some severe nappy rash from the resulting poos (which were less solid than previously).

I am so happy, I breastfed him to within a week of his first birthday and weaning was grand (I was so stressed about it!). If I ever have another child, I will not hesistate to BF, it has been such a lovely experience.

How Strange · 19-02-2013 12:02pm

Congrats Ivy, that's a fantastic achievement and I think it's always nice when they wean themselves. It takes the stress out of it all round.

I'm gearing up to bf no.2 and hoping I get off to a good start. I'll be delighted if we get to one year again.

MintyDoris I really wouldn't be pushing the soother. It's a curse in the end. I gave one to my son because I think he would've been attached to me 24/7 without it but I'm kind of sorry now that I did. It definitely woke him up at night whenever it fell out of his mouth which was pretty much all the time up to 5 months.

I think I'll try not to introduce it with the second baby. They can't miss what they never had but it's hard to take it back once they get used to it.

lynski · 19-02-2013 12:10pm

Ivy, congrats on a bf journey you are happy with, so many women have that denied them. Watch the cows milk though as runny nappies might indicate a problem with cows milk. If they are very sulphuric smelling or bad smelling then you should think about goats milk or other. My ds2 has a problem and it has gotten worse over the past year.

IvyTheTerrible · 19-02-2013 12:15pm

lynski wrote: »

Ivy, congrats on a bf journey you are happy with, so many women have that denied them. Watch the cows milk though as runny nappies might indicate a problem with cows milk. If they are very sulphuric smelling or bad smelling then you should think about goats milk or other. My ds2 has a problem and it has gotten worse over the past year.

Thanks for that! The runny nappies have stopped this week. I think they were compounded by the fact he was also teething at the same time.

lounakin · 19-02-2013 12:28pm

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

Well fellow breastfeeders, it seems I have graduated from this thread! I went home to my parents for a week, and L basically weaned himself. I knew he was not getting enough liquid from his two feeds a day from me, also, he started biting more, which I realised was frustation from not getting enough milk. So I started him on a warmed bottle of cows milk, and BINGO! He is drinking. As I was producing so little milk anyway I had no swelling or discomfort or anything (I had a little queasyness for a few days which I think may have been to do with weaning but that's it). Only downside was some severe nappy rash from the resulting poos (which were less solid than previously).

I am so happy, I breastfed him to within a week of his first birthday and weaning was grand (I was so stressed about it!). If I ever have another child, I will not hesistate to BF, it has been such a lovely experience.

Congratulations! You must still feel a little sad it's over...
Can I ask why you chose cow's milk over growing up milk? I'm debating this myself. On the one hand growing up milk seems way to processed, expensive etc... but cow's milk is also messed with to the point where it no longer resembles fresh milk. Not sure... I was thinking goat's milk but it's also different from fresh. I think there's a market for pig's milk! Fresh pig's milk must be very similar to our own and easy to digest

IvyTheTerrible · 19-02-2013 12:30pm

lounakin wrote: »

Congratulations! You must still feel a little sad it's over...
Can I ask why you chose cow's milk over growing up milk? I'm debating this myself. On the one hand growing up milk seems way to processed, expensive etc... but cow's milk is also messed with to the point where it no longer resembles fresh milk. Not sure... I was thinking goat's milk but it's also different from fresh. I think there's a market for pig's milk! Fresh pig's milk must be very similar to our own and easy to digest

Well, he's practically a year old so he can have cows milk. He eats really well, he refuses no veg or fruit, he gets cereal with his fruit, I give him egg whites and some meat etc etc etc so I feel like he has a very balanced diet and is growing well, so i don't actually see the point of starting him on formula at this stage.

lounakin · 19-02-2013 12:33pm

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

Well, he's practically a year old so he can have cows milk. He eats really well, he refuses no veg or fruit, he gets cereal with his fruit, I give him egg whites and some meat etc etc etc so I feel like he has a very balanced diet and is growing well, so i don't actually see the point of starting him on formula at this stage.

You're right, it's just some people will say that growing up milk is best (I'm from France so I get that stuff shoved in my face every time I go home!). Cow's milk is notoriously unsuited to people but then again it's almost impossible to get away from it so we might as well get used to it i suppose.

IvyTheTerrible · 19-02-2013 12:35pm

lounakin wrote: »

You're right, it's just some people will say that growing up milk is best (I'm from France so I get that stuff shoved in my face every time I go home!). Cow's milk is notoriously unsuited to people but then again it's almost impossible to get away from it so we might as well get used to it i suppose.

I'm in france and it's pushed quite a bit indeed. I'm bringing him to the pediatrician on Thursday for his one year check up so I'll see what she says. But I'm not keen on switching to formula so I won't.

lounakin · 19-02-2013 1:22pm

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

I'm in france and it's pushed quite a bit indeed. I'm bringing him to the pediatrician on Thursday for his one year check up so I'll see what she says. But I'm not keen on switching to formula so I won't.

You're in france! Lucky you! You get to bring your child to a paediatrician

How Strange · 19-02-2013 1:37pm

Lounakin growing up milk is the pharmaceutical industry's response to the ban placed on advertising formula for babies under 6 months. It only exists in countries with the ban in place. A baby over 6 months doesn't need the extra iron that the advertisements would lead you to believe if they are eating iron rich foods in even very small quantities.

The pharma companies are very clever to build relationships with healthcare professionals (paeds, phns etc) by gifting them stationery items, bags etc, inviting them to seminars and conferences funded by them and where they coincidentally promote their own products under the guise of infant/toddler health and nutrition.

Ordinary formula is fine for an infant past 6 months but the ads on tv, in magazines etc plant this little seed of doubt and fear in mums (probably dads too but mainly mums) that their babies are somehow lacking something if they don't give this growing up/6 months + formula.

At the end of the day all mums worry about their babies health and pharma companies are very much aware of that fear.

Sorry, rant over! It's just a particular bug bear of mine and not because I breastfed but because it creates another layer of unnecessary anxiety and fear for parents.

lounakin · 19-02-2013 2:35pm

How Strange wrote: »

Lounakin growing up milk is the pharmaceutical industry's response to the ban placed on advertising formula for babies under 6 months. It only exists in countries with the ban in place. A baby over 6 months doesn't need the extra iron that the advertisements would lead you to believe if they are eating iron rich foods in even very small quantities.

The pharma companies are very clever to build relationships with healthcare professionals (paeds, phns etc) by gifting them stationery items, bags etc, inviting them to seminars and conferences funded by them and where they coincidentally promote their own products under the guise of infant/toddler health and nutrition.

Ordinary formula is fine for an infant past 6 months but the ads on tv, in magazines etc plant this little seed of doubt and fear in mums (probably dads too but mainly mums) that their babies are somehow lacking something if they don't give this growing up/6 months + formula.

At the end of the day all mums worry about their babies health and pharma companies are very much aware of that fear.

Sorry, rant over! It's just a particular bug bear of mine and not because I breastfed but because it creates another layer of unnecessary anxiety and fear for parents.

I totally agree with you but there's always a part of me that wonders because I'm so interested in giving my child the best possible nutrients etc. But I'm not sure I like the idea of cow milk either, even if it's probably a bit better.

Hobbitfeet · 19-02-2013 3:10pm

There was a thread awhile ago about follow on/growing up milk I posted this link and will post it here too http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/health/2012/1120/1224326834302.html
If you want your child to have the best possible nutrients then make sure they have a good diet of fresh organic foods and breastfeed. Seems like in Ireland we are a little obsessed with milk and that if we don't drink some kind of milk then we are going to be lacking in nutrients but its not true we can get everything cows milk has from other sources and in most causes these nutrients and more easily absorbed than from cows milk.

How Strange · 19-02-2013 3:48pm

I know lounakin and it's that little part of you/me/all mums that the pharma companies manipulate.

I'm not a big fan of cows milk and my son gets 2 cups a day and no more. I agree with hobbit feet that were a little bit obsessed with milk in Ireland. There's lots of sources of all the requisite nutrients so give her a balanced healthy diet and she'll be fine. Use goats milk if you prefer. Humans aren't designed to drink the milk of another species and it causes a lot of complications in a lot of people.

IvyTheTerrible · 19-02-2013 3:52pm

How Strange wrote: »

I know lounakin and it's that little part of you/me/all mums that the pharma companies manipulate.

I'm not a big fan of cows milk and my son gets 2 cups a day and no more. I agree with hobbit feet that were a little bit obsessed with milk in Ireland. There's lots of sources of all the requisite nutrients so give her a balanced healthy diet and she'll be fine. Use goats milk if you prefer. Humans aren't designed to drink the milk of another species and it causes a lot of complications in a lot of people.

My little fella won't take water and I don't want to use formula, so for me, cow's milk is grand. He's getting a very balanced diet otherwise.

The Breast Feeding Support Thread

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