Moms, can we talk feeding your newborn?

[fieryred33143]

I decided to start this thread after the wonderful Robbie saved my life (LOL). I had a bf''ing issue and Robbie sent me an email with some info that I was unaware of as well as shared her technique with me. The info has made feeding DD so much easier.

I would not have gotten the info had I not asked the question and I realized that we all have so much info on how to successfully feed our newborns that it may be beneficial to share our stories and information in one place where our pregnant ps''ers can get the benefit. Newborns only really "do" three things: eat, sleep, poop/pee. The eating part I have found to be the most difficult. DD sleeps the majority of the day and well, poop is poop. But how to latch, how much she should be eating and for how long, is she getting enough, etc has been the biggest learning curve. I also realized through reading some other boards that formula feeding isn''t as easy as preparing a bottle either.

So if you experienced moms don''t mind (and if you have the time), let''s chat about feeding newborns.

For the bf''ing moms:
share your bf''ing story...
What was your biggest challenge? How did you overcome it?
What has been your biggest piece of info that you either researched or was shared with you that really made things easier?
For the ff''ing moms:
How did you find a formula that worked for DC?
Any issues in trying the different brands?
Any pearls of wisdom to share with everyone?

 

[nycbkgirl]

Date: 7/22/2009 5:02:05 PM
Author:fiery

I decided to start this thread after the wonderful Robbie saved my life (LOL). I had a bf''ing issue and Robbie sent me an email with some info that I was unaware of as well as shared her technique with me. The info has made feeding DD so much easier.

I would not have gotten the info had I not asked the question and I realized that we all have so much info on how to successfully feed our newborns that it may be beneficial to share our stories and information in one place where our pregnant ps''ers can get the benefit. Newborns only really ''do'' three things: eat, sleep, poop/pee. The eating part I have found to be the most difficult. DD sleeps the majority of the day and well, poop is poop. But how to latch, how much she should be eating and for how long, is she getting enough, etc has been the biggest learning curve. I also realized through reading some other boards that formula feeding isn''t as easy as preparing a bottle either.

So if you experienced moms don''t mind (and if you have the time), let''s chat about feeding newborns.

For the bf''ing moms:
share your bf''ing story...
What was your biggest challenge? How did you overcome it?
What has been your biggest piece of info that you either researched or was shared with you that really made things easier?

For the ff''ing moms:
How did you find a formula that worked for DC?
Any issues in trying the different brands?
Any pearls of wisdom to share with everyone?

my story is: i stuck with the formula they gave at the hospital for the first month then i tried a different one and they were fine but stillcranky and moody and spitting/vomitting so i changed bc the next form said it prevents gassiness and fussiness

...but that made them constipated and just worse out in general so pedi had me back to my first choice...it was a battle but i left them with the one that made them poop well (like 3 times a day they poop)

so sorry u are having feeding issues! it will get better (everyone told me that lol but its true

)

 

[E B]

Hey there fellow new mom!

I breastfeed Henry- five weeks on Friday- on demand. He's usually hungry every two hours during the day and at night, if he doesn't wake up for feedings, we wake him every three as instructed by both my OBGYN and his pediatrician (who's also a lactation consultant). He usually wakes every 2.5-3 hours on his own, though. Doc told me that breastfed infants this young should be eating every two to four hours, or more if they want it.

He recently went through a growth spurt and I swear, he was eating almost constantly during the day for a few days! He's gaining a good amount of weight, more than the norm, so I'm confident he's currently getting enough.

I went to my first LLL meeting yesterday and a mom of two shared an interesting tip- a proper latch from the beginning is so important. She said her daughter didn't latch correctly and she was too lazy to fix it. Later, she started experiencing bleeding nipples, a lot of pain and an older baby who was used to a bad latch. I realized Henry's latch isn't always 'proper' and I too wasn't fixing it- but I am now.

Biggest challenge? Thrush.

We're currently battling it. We caught it early, but it takes a while to treat.

(I just typed this all with one hand!

)

 

[atroop711]

hi!

I''ve always done BF and FF from day one. I did this for 2 reasons...but the main reason was that I''m on meds...and at times I had to pump and dump...so they needed to get used to formula.
When they were newborns I usually BF every 2-2.5 yrs and usually the majority of the day. I would throw in a bottle of formula mid day and the last feeding before bedtime. I also pumped and put in the bottle at times so dh or older kids could feed too. Never had nipple confusion with any of my 3 kids. I really never fed on demand for some reason my kids were hungry pretty regularly...so getting them on a schedule was EASY.

My biggest challenge with my first 2 kids was milk allergy and latching on. Both of my daughters were born with a milk allergy...so with my 2nd daughter, my breast milk was agitating her. She was in pain after BF...then I realized the milk protein in my breast milk was the issue. I stopped BF her at 5 wks (

) but the discomfort and abdominal pain stopped. Both were on Soy because of the milk allergy. Both of my daughters couldn''t latch on to my left nipple...

...

With my son the BF was so much easier. He latched on great to both breast and didn''t have a milk allergy. I had him on the formula that the hospital started him on...just kept it up at home. I BF him for 5 months...had to stop since my supply depleted due to me getting sick

..so know he''s 8 mo and solely on Formula.

What I have noticed...children don''t need middle of the night feedings when they are older...it''s a habit they get into. I have a friend who gets up at 3am to feed her 15mo old

...even her Dr told her it''s not needed.

Words of wisdom? Just try and see if your baby has their own schedule and follow it. It''s great when you can schedule feedings. GL

one more tip...you need to BF long enough for them to get the real milk..if your baby gets into the habit of sucking a few min and stops...they will NOT get full and want to eat constantly. They need to feed for a certain amt of time on each breast so they can get the milk they''re supposed to get.

 

[gailrmv]

Fiery, what a wonderful thread!!! I did not realize how hard BF'ing would be. I am so glad I stuck with it, but the beginning was really hard and I would have loved to get tips from other BF'ing moms. Thankfully some of my friends did help me out, and I was able to stick with it and it got easier.

Date: 7/22/2009 5:02:05 PM
Author:fiery


For the bf'ing moms:

share your bf'ing story...

What was your biggest challenge? How did you overcome it?


In the beginning, he never seemed satisfied, wanted to nurse ALL THE TIME (I am not kidding), and was not gaining enough weight at first. Then he started gaining weight, but still was not satisfied. I worked with several lactation consultants and read everything I could about latching. I am STILL not sure if his latch was not great or if I didn't have enough milk at first or if he was just nursing for comfort or what the situation was. It was very, very frustrating and hard, especially in the middle of the night while I was exhausted, up alone, and in pain from my C-section. People said it would get easier with time, and it did - around 6 weeks was when it really got easier.

What has been your biggest piece of info that you either researched or was shared with you that really made things easier?
Here are a few tips:
- Get a good pump and figure out how it works before you have the baby. Figuring out a million plastic parts is not what you want to do when you are sleep deprived!
- Also, if you will be pumping and bottle feeding breast milk for any reason, choose your bottles and cleaning method BEFORE. This was the last thing we felt like figuring out the week we had the baby, but we needed to do this as part of a strategy to see how much he was actually taking per feed and how much I was making.
- I recommend the Nursing Mother's Companion book. I found it helpful and not judgemental. Jack Newman (I think)'s book was also very helpful.
- If you need to supplement with formula for whatever reason, but plan to exclusively breast feed and don't want to introduce a bottle that early, you can use a gadget called the SNS which does not interfere with breastfeeding at all. It's a tube that you hook up to your breast.
- The Hooter Hider (aka Bebe Au Lait, same company) nursing cover is great for nursing in public or at home when other people are around. It covers EVERYTHING. I never thought I would nurse in public, but then I realized that if I didn't, I'd never leave the house!
- Things get easier as you learn, and also your baby learns how to nurse. It is a hugely steep learning curve but I think that eventually, it becomes very easy and natural - at least it did for me, and I never would have believed it in the first few weeks

A final thought. I am paraphrasing this from a book and it made such good sense to me. Some people choose not to breast feed because it sounds intimidating, or are put off by all those experts who say you should do it for a year or more. However, for most people, your milk will come in anyway and while you are at the hospital, there are people around who can help you learn to breastfeed. So, why not give it a try. Then, take it a day at a time. Don't decide against BF'ing just because you don't think you want to do it for a whole year. Even doing it for just a few days provides some of the health benefits.

My 0.02!

ETA: Rereading this, I want to say that I consider it very lucky that BF'ing got easier for me and that I am able to do it. I know that is is very challenging for many and I wish that people were more forthcoming about that.

 

[vespergirl]

I did BF & FF together from day one, because of major BFing issues. Even though my son was born normal weight, he was always in the 95% for height, 10% for weight. My milk didn''t come in right away, and when it did, we had major latching problems - (a combination of flat nipples and baby''s overbite). Even the lactation specialists couldn''t get him to latch on without a latex nipple guard. Then, when he was latched, I never produced much milk - only 1 or 2 ounces per breast, for the entire time I BFed, even though I BFed every two hours round the clock and also used the Medela pump. Still, I BF until he was 3 months old, but supplemented with formula every day to make sure that he was getting enough food. My pediatrician wanted me to supplement since he wasn''t gaining weight quickly enough since my milk supply was so low.

Also, we both developed a horrible case of thrush when he was 1 month old. We did two rounds of antibiotics, but it was a resistant case that kept coming back & was extremely painful for both of us, and made the baby want to eat less, because the thrush sores were so painful in his mouth. At 3 months old, my pediatrician recommended that I stop BFing so his thrush would clear up, because his oral pain was making him eat less, and gain less, and he was already on the thin side.

So, even though many lactation specialists paint BFing as being the most natural thing in the world, it''s actually extremely difficult medically for more women than the La Leche league will admit. I really wanted to BF exclusively until my son was 6 months old, and felt awful that we had all these medical issues that impeded the process, but my pediatrician told me that it''s way more common than the LLL fanatics will admit, and that nearly 50% of the babies in their practice are at least supplemented with formula due to BFing difficulties.

 

[packrat]

I bf'd both kids. London for 14 months, Trapper for 18 months. London was first, and she was hardest in some ways-sore, cracked nipples ohhhh how that hurts-and just getting the hang of it. I'd been using Lanisoh, and it seemed to me that that was making it worse. I didn't use it at all with Trapper, and never had a problem. Trapper was easier in that, I suppose b/c I'd done it before, my milk came in super quick. I was soooo much more sure of myself, changing diapers, holding him etc-it just all came rushing back, even tho it had been a few years.

Moms need to give themselves a break and not be too hard on themselves..babies need to learn to bf, and mom's need to learn too-it's a process. When I bawled changing London's diaper in the hospital, Dr told me to realize-she's never had anyone else change her diaper-she's got no clue if I'm doing it right, she just wanted a dry butt. It's new to me, and it's new to her. She said "Being born is hard work. It's hard on mom and it's hard on the baby-you're both learning all kinds of new things"

I pumped like a mofo with both kids. Every time they got done nursing, I pumped. I drank water like nobody's business, so I made milk like crazy-and if I happened to be a bit more full, I'd pump a little beforehand even. (Plus, that way he got more of the hind milk, which is the best part) When you take the milk away, your body makes more to replace it. Yeah, it sucked to pump like a crazy person, but I had soooo much extra milk, I used it for his cereal when he was 9 months or however old he was, and while he was being weaned, he had it in his sippy, so he was still getting all the benefits.

With London, I had a bit of a time trying to figure out exactly how much of me needed to be in her mouth for a proper latch. I started watching how she opened her mouth and how it felt on me, until I figured it out. I used my pinkie to slip into the side of her mouth and unlatch her if it didn't feel right. Eventually we both got the hang of it. She figured out she couldn't just part her lips-she had to open wide like a shark! And again, that part was easier with Trapper-he was born like this

!

I stuck bottles of water in the freezer, and when I put Trapper to bed, I stuck them by the rocker in his room so when he got up, I had cold water to drink. After a while tho, I got to where I wanted room temperature water..odd I know. My bff is like this too now. My husband thinks we're nuts. I just kept a flat of water in his room then.

One side (happened w/both kids) started to hurt and I was worried about mastitis. I noticed it early enough, and Dr said to nurse more on that side-the sucking would help clear the clogged duct before it got to the mastitis point. It worked!

Some say to always alternate what side you start on, I gave up and started on whatever side was more full. I don't think there are right or wrong decisions-just do what feels right for you and your baby.

I echo atroop about seeing what your baby's schedule is. London decided her schedule at 8 weeks. It was a great schedule. I *tried* to force Trapper to that schedule and ooooh was that a disaster, and after months of wanting to pull my hair out, it was a random "tip" letter in a baby magazine that helped me to solve the problem! There are a lot of resources out there for tips and advice on babies, and after finding that letter, I realized how great those resources are!

Regardless of what methods you use for your baby, take what other people say with a grain of salt, as far as what they feel is right. I am a strong advocate of bf'ing-but it doesn't always work for everyone, and there's nothing wrong with combining bf'ing w/ff'ing or only doing formula. It's what's best for mom and baby. If someone gives you a hard time about what you choose, let it go in one ear and out the other, and get advice or help from people who really want to help and can see both sides.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

BFing was NEVER an easy road for me. I had pain, clogged milk ducks constantly and latch issues where I used a shield the whole time I BFed. I guess we both never got the hang of it I guess. But I am stubborn. Many people would have quit with the clogs alone. I got VERY good at getting rid of them and have helped a few PSers with the stuff I learned. I gave myself six months but really wanted to nurse until her first birthday. My independent girl self-weened at 6.5 months. She REFUSED to nurse so she was on formula full time until she was 12 months. I am not going to lie, bottle feeding is MUCH easier. My girl even held her own bottle which was extra nice.

What was your biggest challenge? How did you overcome it?

I overcame latch issues with the shield and the clogs with heat, massage, advil and nursing on all fours. You feel REALLY silly but it works!

What has been your biggest piece of info that you either researched or was shared with you that really made things easier?

Do what is best for you and your baby. People are always going to have an opinion no matter which way you feed your baby. I got judgement while I was BFing and while I was FFing. Ignore. Ignore. Ignore. I added in high cal formula when she almost fell off the charts in low weight (4 months). It only took her one month to get her weight on track but obviously she liked the bottles better than me. That''s okay. I was sad when she weened herself b/c I always thought that would be MY decisions. Should have known I was in trouble when she was a week late!

 

[Mrs]

Date: 7/22/2009 5:02:05 PM
Author:fiery

What was your biggest challenge? How did you overcome it?

What has been your biggest piece of info that you either researched or was shared with you that really made things easier?

the biggest challenge for me was the pain. I had cracked nipples and it was very painful to nurse her every hour at times. My LO had a very strong suck and and tiny mouth and the combination was very hard on my nipples. I was also holding my breasts in such a way that my thumb was pressing down on the outer side since I was trying to keep my breast from covering her little nostrils so that she could breath. I found out from the lactation consultant at my hospital that by holding my breast like that, I was causing my nipple to crack. She assured me that my LO would choose breathing over eating if she were ever having trouble breathing she would stop eating so that she could breathe. I also found that I needed to be very strict about the position I was in when I nursed her early on. Only the football hold worked for us. I had to be sitting in a straight back chair with my nursing pillow and I needed something to put my feet up on. WHen I tried to nurse her in bed or one the couch or even in my rocker, I messed up the latch and it would hurt more. Another thing that helped early on was pumping and letting someone else feed her at least once a night. We introduced the bottle around 2 weeks in and that was great. After 6 weeks, BFing got a lot easier and now at 4 months it''s a piece of cake! I can nurse her just about anywhere now and it rarely hurts.

I hope it continues to get easier for you Fiery! Good luck!

 

[Pandora II]

What was your biggest challenge? How did you overcome it?

My milk didn''t come in for over 2 weeks and no-one in the hospital would believe me - combination of massive PPH, severe anaemia and being on opiates. It meant that I was trying to feed Daisy for hours and hours at a time because they wouldn''t let me give her formula. The end result was a severely dehydrated baby who lost nearly 20% of her birth weight and me in floods of tears for the whole week I was in hospital and with nipples that were so painful and actually turned black!

In the end I put her onto formula but continued to try and breastfeed. I used a hand-pump so I could give my poor nipples a rest until I had something to feed her with - I couldn''t use an electric pump as it was too strong.

Eventually my milk came in - although I have never had real engorgement or even leaks. Occasionally if Daisy has slept for 4 hours or so, the breast I''m due to feed from will get very hard, but that''s it.

Daisy is now exclusively breast-fed and I actually really enjoy it. I apparently appear to have very high levels of oxytocin as we both drift off into lala-land pretty fast. I thought I would struggle getting to 6 months, but I''m now pretty sure that I will continue until she''s at least a year (as long as she doesn''t self-wean).

It''s fantastic if you are lazy like me - no sterilising or making up formula, no getting out of bed at night and no having to make up enough bottles when we go out. I bought a load of gorgeous tops from Mamaway that are designed for breast-feeding discreetly (and look like normal clothes!) and so I''m very comfortable nursing in public.

What has been your biggest piece of info that you either researched or was shared with you that really made things easier?

I was very lucky that I never had a problem with the latch (although it doesn''t matter how good the latch is if you have no sodding milk!) - as of 6 weeks she also latches herself on which is great because we used to have a bit of a fight at times with her trying to cram both hands plus my boob into her mouth at the same time...

.

I''d bought a book: ''What To Expect When You Are Breast-feeding, And What If You Can''t'' by Clare Byam-Cook which was brilliant.

First of all, she tells you that breast-feeding is ghastly at the beginning for a lot of people but will get easier, then she explains exactly how to get a painless and correct latch, and that some babies take longer to nurse than others and if yours is efficient then they don''t need to spend 30 minutes or whatever on the breast. She also thinks that nipple-confusion is generally a myth and that it is fine to do mixed feeding and giving your baby formula is not akin to feeding them cyanide!

PS was really helpful when things were so hard at the beginning.

 

[E B]

Date: 7/22/2009 9:13:18 PM
Author: TanDogMom

A final thought. I am paraphrasing this from a book and it made such good sense to me. Some people choose not to breast feed because it sounds intimidating, or are put off by all those experts who say you should do it for a year or more. However, for most people, your milk will come in anyway and while you are at the hospital, there are people around who can help you learn to breastfeed. So, why not give it a try. Then, take it a day at a time. Don't decide against BF'ing just because you don't think you want to do it for a whole year. Even doing it for just a few days provides some of the health benefits.

I agree with this, TDM. When I was pregnant, I felt like all I heard were stories about how hard BFing was and all the problems women had, and toward the birth, I felt incredibly intimidated. I'm guessing a large portion of women BFing will experience at least one hiccup or hurdle -if not several- along the way, but there are great resources both in hospital and elsewhere (the La Leche League, for one- they're not all crazy fanatics!) that can try to help you through it if it's what you want to do. I think its important to hear both the good and bad (meaning problems that may arise) of BFing without letting the bad intimidate you or the good make you feel inadequate if for whatever reason, you're unable.

Like TDM said, one day at a time.

 

[MustangGal]

I had a really hard time BFing also.

I ended up with a c-section, and towards the end of labor I had a fever, so they took the baby off to the NICU to give him antibiotics and I didn''t get to try BFing until the next day. I think a combo of waiting and him getting formula first ruined it. He didn''t latch correctly, and blistered both nipples before I left the hospital. I pumped and kept trying to re-latch him, but we were never able to. After a week in the hospital with blood poisening and having to dump the milk, I pretty much gave up. I pumped and supplimented until he was 5 weeks, and then switched to formula only.

With the formula, we used what the hospital started him on until he was about 6 weeks old, and he seemed very fussy and gassy with a lot of spit-up. I called the pedi, and they told us to switch to a lactose-free formula. DH is a bit lactose intolerent, so we figured the baby might be also. After a week on the new formula, it was like having a brand new happy baby!

I wish I had conbsulted a LC a little more before giving up, but the entire time I pumped my nipples still hurt. We tried the nipple shield, but the baby kept squirming and knocking it off before I could get him latched. Finding bottles that worked was also a process. I bought one brand originally, but the formula was spilling over the baby''s chin and squirting out the sides of his mouth. I finally gave in and bought a Dr. Brown''s bottle (which everyone told me was hte best, but I resisted). Worked much better! The only drawback is tons of little parts to wash

 

[fieryred33143]

Thank you ladies for sharing your stories. It helps to hear that others had challenges and overcame them.

As for me, when DD was born, I bf right away. However, the nurses were the ones that latched her on for me. They positioned her and got her mouth to open up so she can eat. I thought, this bf''ing thing is really easy. Yeah right. That night I tried myself and she latched right on to my nipple. But the pain didn''t start there so I didn''t think anything of it. The second day when she was on my nipple the entire day and night, that''s when the pain started and it was awful. A lactation consultant came by to see me and she did the same that the nurses did, she latched her on for me. On her third day in the hospital, I had the other LC visit but got the same result: she latched her on for me. So I went home not knowing how to feed her. By day 5, my nipples were cracked, scabbed, and I felt like screaming every time I fed her.

I finally made an appointment to see the LCs and told them that I needed them to show me. So for an hour we practiced. I would latch her on and then take her off until I finally got it. I used some nipple cream to help my nipples heal and rented a pump. It took about 24 hours for my nipples to heal. Now when she latches on, it feels great.

I''ve also had challenges in trying to figure out when she is done eating. I used to wait until she would come off the breast herself which seemed to never happen. I was also limiting her time on each breast to 25 minutes before burping and offering the second breast. Sometimes, I would literally nurse her for 2 hours before finally putting her down only to do it all over again a short while later. I posed the question on another baby site and Robbie sent me an email with info on foremilk/hindmilk. Basically, foremilk is sort of like skim milk and hindmilk is the fatty milk that keeps them full. Every time I switched breasts, she wasn''t getting any of that fatty milk and would just stay hungry. So I have been keeping her on the breast for as long as she wants and she seems content after.

She also seems to be comfort sucking. I didn''t realize this at first so I would get really frustrated because I felt like she was eating for almost two hours straight and it made me feel like she wasn''t getting enough to eat. Now that I realize she''s comfort sucking, it makes the feedings so much easier. Late night I let her stay on for a few minutes before taking her off and even though I''m ashamed to admit it, I do give her the pacifier at night so that I can get some rest.

 

[waxing lyrical]

For the bf'ing moms:

share your bf'ing story...

I breastfed both girls for 16 months. With DD1 I was shooting for 18 months, but made it to 16. She was only down to nursing 3 times a day and when I got pregnant she stopped nursing. With DD2, similar case. Wanted to make it to 24 months, but after we moved she lost interest. I was really sad because I enjoyed the breastfeeding relationship. After getting pregnant with DS my supply went down.

What was your biggest challenge? How did you overcome it?

Both girls had GER. DD1 had severe GER and vomited several times a day. I'm thinking maybe even a dozen or more. She was a projectile vomiter. She nursed *very* frequently to compensate for the milk she'd lose from vomiting. She nursed every 60-90 minutes until 7-8 months. Wasn't really a huge problem for me. I had my own baby scale to track her weight gain. She was on meds until 8-9 months. I didn't have too many struggles with breastfeeding itself. My nipples were extremely gnarly and raw after 24 hours. The LC said they were the worst she'd ever seen after 24 hours. :sigh: Establishing a proper latch took about a week. After a week things seemed to go smoothly. She was exclusively breastfed.

With DD1, her GER wasn't as bad. She wasn't the huge vomiter her sister was. Establishing a good latch with her took about a week, but I think that was due to horrible engorgement. That period was absolutely agonizing. I was miserable and nursing her was extremely painful. I developed thrush at some point and dealt with it for about 11 weeks. I developed PPD during that time and went on meds. The first 12 weeks were rough, but quitting never came to mind.

I did battle my share of clogged milk ducts during the time I nursed both girls. Soy lecithin helped with that. I absolutely enjoyed the breastfeeding relationship and I look forward to it with this baby. Hopefully we'll make it to two years.


What has been your biggest piece of info that you either researched or was shared with you that really made things easier?

Learning how to establish a correct latch. Understanding the hormones involved in milk production and the difference between breastmilk and formula composition. How breastfed babies will typically eat more frequently because the milk is easier to digest. The importance of on demand feeding and mastering side-lying position so I could sleep while nursing. Ahh, yes, if the baby is vomiting or spitting up it's not because there's a milk allergy (no such thing), but is the result of food sensitivity or allergy and/or immature esophageal sphincter. How you don't have to pump and dump.

There's so much information I've soaked up over the years. I really dig Kellymom and Dr. Jack Newman. I think what also helped is having support. My mother breastfed my sister for 12 months. She was there for any help or support that I needed. Since DH was deployed I stayed with her for about a month. It was great having her there. She had zero support with me and is partially why it wasn't successful. That and lack of information.

 

[Pandora II]

Regarding the length of each feeding session, it seems that each baby has their own 'style'.

A friend of mine's son takes nearly an hour for each feed (he's 2 weeks older than Daisy) and just takes it nice and slowly.

I always describe feeding Daisy as being like feeding a Great White Shark. She latches on and eats furiously with great concentration for about 5-10 minutes. Then she literally throws herself off and lies there all sprawled out - and I stick her into bed VERY fast! Sometimes once she's finished eating she'll go for some down-time just dozing and occasionally sucking for a while - never longer than 30 minutes for the whole thing.

At the beginning I was worried that she wasn't getting enough a) because of the problems that I had had with milk supply and b) because everyone else seemed to feed for a lot longer. However, she always empties one breast completely - if she still seems hungry then I'll offer her the other until she is full - and is putting on weight like a prize cow!

So, if you have a baby that takes an hour or a baby that takes 5 minutes, as long as you have plenty of milk and a good latch it's probably just personal choice on the baby's part!

 

[Blenheim]

For the bf''ing moms:
share your bf''ing story...

I''ve been BFing George since he was born about 3.5 months ago. I started pumping occasionally when he was around 2-3 weeks old and then we introduced a bottle around 3-4 weeks in preparation for me going back to work at 6.5 weeks. Since going back to work, I nurse on demand when I''m home and DH feeds him my pumped milk on demand when I''m gone. I pump 3x a day on weekdays - first thing in the morning, around 10:30 am, and then again around 2-2:30 pm.

What was your biggest challenge? How did you overcome it?

It wasn''t really "a" challenge, it was just everything that happened the first week. It sucked! He latched within 30 minutes of being born and then just wouldn''t. I hand expressed and spoon fed him for a day or so, and after about a spoon full of milk he''d generally perk up and latch. Then I developed milk blisters and bleeding nipples and it was PAINFUL. And then I got mastitis on top of it all. And one of the things that helps with mastitis is a lot of nursing, but that hurt given all of the nipple issues. I kept wanting to quit, but I''ve heard that it gets easier with time and so I stuck in there one day at a time. I was able to overcome the issues with time and support. I had my midwives over on practically a daily basis at first to take a look at his latch and reassure me. We did a ton of skin to skin in the first few days, which helped with getting him interested in eating. The ped was also a help. And then around 6 weeks or so, it became much easier.

What has been your biggest piece of info that you either researched or was shared with you that really made things easier?

That the first weeks are HARD as you''re both just figuring out things for the first time, but that it often gets a lot better as you both gain experience.

I''m also going to ditto waxing lyrical on mastering side nursing. It didn''t work until he gained a little more neck control, but now it''s just wonderful being able to sleep while nursing. I haven''t had any sleep deprivation issues, which is amazing with a little one!

Finding some way of nursing in public that works for you - otherwise it would be very difficult to ever leave the house! I personally found covers to be cumbersome but learned that with practice it''s very possible to discretely nurse in public without one. Most people just assume that he''s sleeping. DH says that he''s never seen anything when I''m trying to be discrete (around the house is a very different matter).

Oh, and getting a baby carrier that you can nurse in it so that you can have your hands free to do other stuff. I''m seriously able to nurse him while taking the dogs for a walk. The Ergo and mei tai are great for this. Some people I know love their slings, but they''ve just never been comfy for us.

If you use cloth breast pads, get the ones with the PUL lining. The other ones will leak through, which kind of defeats the purpose.

 

[gailrmv]

Blenheim You mentioned being able to nurse while wearing the Ergo. Can you describe how? I always feel that my baby''s head is much too high. (I know, I should watch the DVD that came with the carrier!)

 

[Blenheim]

Date: 7/26/2009 9:19:44 PM
Author: TanDogMom
Blenheim You mentioned being able to nurse while wearing the Ergo. Can you describe how? I always feel that my baby''s head is much too high. (I know, I should watch the DVD that came with the carrier!)

Loosen the shoulder straps and shift baby downward until baby''s head is at breast level. Weight''s a lot better distributed if the baby''s up higher, so you''ll only want the baby that low while nursing. Does that description make sense?

 

[gailrmv]

Date: 7/26/2009 10:17:35 PM
Author: Blenheim

Date: 7/26/2009 9:19:44 PM

Author: TanDogMom

Blenheim You mentioned being able to nurse while wearing the Ergo. Can you describe how? I always feel that my baby''s head is much too high. (I know, I should watch the DVD that came with the carrier!)

Loosen the shoulder straps and shift baby downward until baby''s head is at breast level. Weight''s a lot better distributed if the baby''s up higher, so you''ll only want the baby that low while nursing. Does that description make sense?

Yes, I think so! Do you also loosen the waist strap and wear it more around your hips? I will definitely give it a try! Thanks so much.

 

[packrat]

Blenheim, I just want to interrupt a sec to tell you I get the biggest kick out of your avatar! I''m guessing that''s George-and he gives me the grins and giggles every time I see his little picture!

 

[Blenheim]

Packrat, thank you! The picture is indeed of George. I never get tired of seeing him smile.

TDM, I don''t do anything to the waist strap - just loosen the shoulder straps and shimmy him down a bit. G''s asleep right now, but I may try to take a picture tomorrow with him positioned lower to illustrate.