The Breast Feeding Support Thread

Tyrone Shoes

Bagheera wrote: »

Just a quick question about pumping. My son is 4 weeks old and I hadn't planned to pump until he's about six weeks, was going to try him with an expressed bottle at that stage just so if I do need or want to go anywhere he won't starve. However I'm still leaking a lot, especially on my right side when I feed from my left. Even with the breast pads my bras are getting wet and I'm having to constantly wash them!

Should I pump a bit now and freeze some milk to try and help this? Is it best to pump a bit before a feed in these circumstances? To be honest the whole pumping thing just seems like hassle anyway but maybe I need to get into the swing of it......

Hi I had the same problem in the begining you have to remember it's important to wait until your breastmilk supply meets your babies demand before you start pumping. The problem with pumping now is that this will create more supply. If your other breast is leaking while feeding, you could always catch that flow by holding a bottle underneath or asking your partner to hold it if you feel it's too tricky. That milk can then be stored (covered) outside the fridge in room temperature (max. 25°c) for 5 hours or in the fridge for up to 5 days.

red fraggle

I'm not getting into expressing this time at all!! Finding it too hard to find time with a toddler and her schedule!!

I'd like to try express once a week. Like a Sat morn when my husband would be home. Will this mess up my supply?

Or maybe express in the evening but supply is usually lower then so alot of effort for very little! I don't really want to give formula yet when I'm goin out for a night but if I can't manage to express I will. He is 3 months now!!!!

Any tips?

red fraggle

I'm not getting into expressing this time at all!! Finding it too hard to find time with a toddler and her schedule!!

I'd like to try express once a week. Like a Sat morn when my husband would be home. Will this mess up my supply?

Or maybe express in the evening but supply is usually lower then so alot of effort for very little! I don't really want to give formula yet when I'm goin out for a night but if I can't manage to express I will. He is 3 months now!!!!

Any tips?

Tyrone Shoes

red fraggle wrote: »

I'm not getting into expressing this time at all!! Finding it too hard to find time with a toddler and her schedule!!

I'd like to try express once a week. Like a Sat morn when my husband would be home. Will this mess up my supply?

Or maybe express in the evening but supply is usually lower then so alot of effort for very little! I don't really want to give formula yet when I'm goin out for a night but if I can't manage to express I will. He is 3 months now!!!!

Any tips?

Three months is fantastic but it would be really great if you could still stick with the breast milk.
I found taking Milk thistle (2 x day) and Fenugreek (3xday) really gave my breastmilk production a great boost. I noticed the benefits of it almost immediately.

red fraggle

Tyrone Shoes wrote: »

Three months is fantastic but it would be really great if you could still stick with the breast milk.
I found taking Milk thistle (2 x day) and Fenugreek (3xday) really gave my breastmilk production a great boost. I noticed the benefits of it almost immediately.

Thanks! Yeah i'm still sticking with it as my. Supply is grand for him it's just I don't seem to have extra for expressing like I did with my first!! But if it starts to dwindle I'll be taking your advice!are they tablets? I'm just thinking I might have to give formula for when I'm away for few hours. I have a little bit in the freezer so hopefully get another month completely formula free!!

red fraggle

Tyrone Shoes wrote: »

Three months is fantastic but it would be really great if you could still stick with the breast milk.
I found taking Milk thistle (2 x day) and Fenugreek (3xday) really gave my breastmilk production a great boost. I noticed the benefits of it almost immediately.

Thanks! Yeah i'm still sticking with it as my. Supply is grand for him it's just I don't seem to have extra for expressing like I did with my first!! But if it starts to dwindle I'll be taking your advice!are they tablets? I'm just thinking I might have to give formula for when I'm away for few hours. I have a little bit in the freezer so hopefully get another month completely formula free!!

red fraggle

Tyrone Shoes wrote: »

Three months is fantastic but it would be really great if you could still stick with the breast milk.
I found taking Milk thistle (2 x day) and Fenugreek (3xday) really gave my breastmilk production a great boost. I noticed the benefits of it almost immediately.

Thanks! Yeah i'm still sticking with it as my. Supply is grand for him it's just I don't seem to have extra for expressing like I did with my first!! But if it starts to dwindle I'll be taking your advice!are they tablets? I'm just thinking I might have to give formula for when I'm away for few hours. I have a little bit in the freezer so hopefully get another month completely formula free!!

SaceyFlynn13

Hi all just a quick question just have birth Friday to a beautiful baby boy and he's feeding perfectly fine and my milk hasn't come in yet I know it's still early days and that but I was just wondering about something and unsure.. I asked the midwife about pumping and she told me not to do it as it would be too much for me and it would be like having twins and not to do it but my question is would it be possible to when my milk supply comes in to give him some aptmal milk and then pump that boob and store it instead of feeding baby straight from the boob?

Any help or suggestions would be great thanks in advance guys

lmullen

SaceyFlynn13 wrote: »

Hi all just a quick question just have birth Friday to a beautiful baby boy and he's feeding perfectly fine and my milk hasn't come in yet I know it's still early days and that but I was just wondering about something and unsure.. I asked the midwife about pumping and she told me not to do it as it would be too much for me and it would be like having twins and not to do it but my question is would it be possible to when my milk supply comes in to give him some aptmal milk and then pump that boob and store it instead of feeding baby straight from the boob?

Any help or suggestions would be great thanks in advance guys

What you can do is pump for 5 minutes after feeds for a day. All the milk can go into the same container for freezing from 1 days pumping, just make sure you chill the milk to the same temp before adding it.
I pump once or twice a day every now and again now my lg is 4 months. I've a good stash in the freezer now.
Freeze in small quantities so you don't waste any.

red fraggle

SaceyFlynn13 wrote: »

Hi all just a quick question just have birth Friday to a beautiful baby boy and he's feeding perfectly fine and my milk hasn't come in yet I know it's still early days and that but I was just wondering about something and unsure.. I asked the midwife about pumping and she told me not to do it as it would be too much for me and it would be like having twins and not to do it but my question is would it be possible to when my milk supply comes in to give him some aptmal milk and then pump that boob and store it instead of feeding baby straight from the boob?

Any help or suggestions would be great thanks in advane guys

They say not to pump until after 6 weeks when all has settled a bit. However I did have to express before this as my boobs ached. I didn't express much though. They also say don't give a bottle too soon as baby might refuse the breast after having a bottle as its easier to suck! Again due to an emergency my little man got a bottle of expressed milk at a week old and took the breast no problem after! Every baby is different. I've never given formula so early with breast milk but plenty of ppl do. If you do want to express in a few weeks the mornin is best. With my first baby I would feed from one breast and pump from the other every mornin.I had loads in the freezer! Not so easy with number 2 but least I'm still Breastfeedin! Goodluck!! Not sure I've been much help!!

red fraggle

SaceyFlynn13 wrote: »

Hi all just a quick question just have birth Friday to a beautiful baby boy and he's feeding perfectly fine and my milk hasn't come in yet I know it's still early days and that but I was just wondering about something and unsure.. I asked the midwife about pumping and she told me not to do it as it would be too much for me and it would be like having twins and not to do it but my question is would it be possible to when my milk supply comes in to give him some aptmal milk and then pump that boob and store it instead of feeding baby straight from the boob?

Any help or suggestions would be great thanks in advane guys

They say not to pump until after 6 weeks when all has settled a bit. However I did have to express before this as my boobs ached. I didn't express much though. They also say don't give a bottle too soon as baby might refuse the breast after having a bottle as its easier to suck! Again due to an emergency my little man got a bottle of expressed milk at a week old and took the breast no problem after! Every baby is different. I've never given formula so early with breast milk but plenty of ppl do. If you do want to express in a few weeks the mornin is best. With my first baby I would feed from one breast and pump from the other every mornin.I had loads in the freezer! Not so easy with number 2 but least I'm still Breastfeedin! Goodluck!! Not sure I've been much help!!

kandr10

SaceyFlynn13 wrote: »

Hi all just a quick question just have birth Friday to a beautiful baby boy and he's feeding perfectly fine and my milk hasn't come in yet I know it's still early days and that but I was just wondering about something and unsure.. I asked the midwife about pumping and she told me not to do it as it would be too much for me and it would be like having twins and not to do it but my question is would it be possible to when my milk supply comes in to give him some aptmal milk and then pump that boob and store it instead of feeding baby straight from the boob?

Any help or suggestions would be great thanks in advance guys

Unless there's a reason for you to pump I wouldn't until 6 weeks as others have said. I had to pump and bfeed for the first two weeks but I stopped after that and exclusively breastfed. It was a bit of a pain and made feeds last longer so if avoidable wait. If necessary though it's worth it to get yourself up and running. When you hit the 6 week mark your supply will have settled and you can just pump the odd time to build up stocks.
Congrats on your new baby and enjoy :-)

SaceyFlynn13

Thanks for your advice guys apricate it so much
I wasn't planning to do it right away i just wanted to wait a while as most of ye said for the milk to come in and to get him used to the boob.. There is no reason health wise as to why I want to use formula and pump it's just if I was to go away for a weekend or just a couple of hours and he's dad would have to mind him that's all
All is going well with feedings at the moment right nipple and the area around it is just a bit tender and swollen I'm using a nipple cream seems to help with it for a small bit

Thanks again for all your replies

lmullen

SaceyFlynn13 wrote: »

Thanks for your advice guys apricate it so much
I wasn't planning to do it right away i just wanted to wait a while as most of ye said for the milk to come in and to get him used to the boob.. There is no reason health wise as to why I want to use formula and pump it's just if I was to go away for a weekend or just a couple of hours and he's dad would have to mind him that's all
All is going well with feedings at the moment right nipple and the area around it is just a bit tender and swollen I'm using a nipple cream seems to help with it for a small bit

Thanks again for all your replies

The multi mam compresses are great for any tenderness or sore spots!

kandr10

Also meqnt to say well done on a great start!
What I mean about giving formula and then pumping is that if you're willing to give formula, let your oh give that the first time you take a break then you could pump afterwards cos you'd be engorged. Either that or pump a little before/after a couple of feeds. You don't need necessarily to skip a feed to pump is what I meant!

SaceyFlynn13

Thank you for all yer replies very helpful iv been following this thread for a while and finding it very helpful

nicowa

She bit me today! Two bottom teeth, 6 mths old... Argh! I screamed and yanked her off. Luckily didn't do any damage. She didn't even look shocked, just kind of "what's up there " like...

wolfpawnat

nicowa wrote: »

She bit me today! Two bottom teeth, 6 mths old... Argh! I screamed and yanked her off. Luckily didn't do any damage. She didn't even look shocked, just kind of "what's up there " like...

That is what I am fearing most!!!!

How Strange

My 9.5 month old has 6 teeth and has only bitten me a couple of times. My son only got his first teeth at 11 months but used to clamp done which was very sore. Watch out for signs that she may bite. I always take my daughter off the boob when she's stopped feeding as this seems to be when she bites. I also rub cal gel on her gums before feeding if she's teething badly.

miss_daisy

Nead21 wrote: »

First of all you're doing unbelievably well to have pumped for so long. You are one determined lady
I went back to work when É was six months, and having exclusively bf him I wasn't at all ready to give up and found the whole thing very distressing. I pumped in my car at lunchtimes for a month. É was still taking 3 bottles of breast milk during the day and then feeding a lot when I got home. I found it very exhausting to try to keep a day ahead with the milk supply and dealing with starting a new job. When he was 7 months I started giving him formula during the day and I continued to feed him morning evening and night. I think I justified it by the fact that he was eating food as well and I wasn't the only one feeding him if that makes any sense. I know it works for lots of people to give them water during the day but É won't take much water, and still won't. I think I was nervous of leaving him without any milk, and who knows I may do things differently next time. É eventually dropped some feeds until in was just feeding him in the morning, and at 9 months, he has cut that out himself. I'm fine about it now. I fed him for 9 months which I'm really proud of, especially as my first goal was 6 six weeks.

I guess what i'm trying to say is, don't rush yourself. You'll know when you're ready. I never thought I'd be ready but the babies change and grow. When the time is right you won't feel anxious about it.... Be it next month or next year.

Thanks Nead for sharing your experiences! Well, I've decided to keep it up for another while at least. It just doesn't feel right for me at the moment-and with L being so prem- I just feel the EBM is best for her for another whole at least.

While I'm on, The bottle size she's taking has decreased pretty dramatically. At best only taking 4oz per feed thus last week or so and sometimes only 2 oz or totally refusing!

Have you (or anyone) ever experienced this?

nicowa

How Strange wrote: »

My 9.5 month old has 6 teeth and has only bitten me a couple of times. My son only got his first teeth at 11 months but used to clamp done which was very sore. Watch out for signs that she may bite. I always take my daughter off the boob when she's stopped feeding as this seems to be when she bites. I also rub cal gel on her gums before feeding if she's teething badly.

The time she bit me was when she didn't really seem all that hungry in fairness...

Sweet_pea

Had the tongue tie cut yesterday, have noticed a much better suck, so just have to wean him off the bottle and hopefully then be back on track.

cyning

That's brilliant sweet pea delighted you have it done

kandr10

That's great sweetpea!

kathleenc92

Most of the people I know gave up within the first two weeks, that's the toughest I think. You're still tired and sore from childbirth and your kid wants to feed ALL THE TIME. I stuck with it though and I'm glad I did, I now have a happy healthy exclusively breastfed 6 month old. People are sometimes suprised to hear I breastfeed and don't drink or whatever as I was only 20 when I had her but I love knowing I am giving her the best start in life

Madisson

kathleenc92 wrote: »

Most of the people I know gave up within the first two weeks, that's the toughest I think. You're still tired and sore from childbirth and your kid wants to feed ALL THE TIME. I stuck with it though and I'm glad I did, I now have a happy healthy exclusively breastfed 6 month old. People are sometimes suprised to hear I breastfeed and don't drink or whatever as I was only 20 when I had her but I love knowing I am giving her the best start in life

Fair play..u should be proud of yourself. Im the same, as a young mam all my friends think its horrible and especially that shes cutting teeth they think im crazy but as a single mam I actually have found it as the easiest option..especially for getting sleep at night. I wouldn't br able to handle the waking up to make up bottles at night lark. Sticking her on the boob when you're still half asleep is fab 😊

lmullen

Hey all! Need some help! my little lady is a boob monster which is great cos she's feeding well and piling on the weight. The problem is she will not take a bottle. She's 5 months old now and I could really do with an evening out. We've tried several different bottles/teats with no joy. I've heard people talk about using sappy cups instead. I'm just wondering what type of cup might be best. Any advice welcome! !!

kathleenc92

Yeah after the first four months of growth spurts etc. it's grand! I love those dream feeds. I always wake up like four hours later with my daughter asleep beside me like "whoops" haha. Thankfully my six month old has no teeth as of yet but she does pinch my boobs when feeding lol. My daughter took a bottle when she was first born (tommee tippee closer to nature) but then I didn't try her with any for like three, four months and now she won't take one at all. I don't know what advice to give really. I tried nuk beakers and she just spilled it all over herself lol. Does your LO sleep through? If so maybe try waiting until she's asleep and then heading out somewhere and just have a few so you can still feed her next morning? Sorry I can't be more helpful

cyning

I used a tommee tippee sippy cup from 4 months: it's trial and error though... She refused bottles for me but would take the sippy cup so well worth a shot.

You might have tried it already but the Nuk bottle with the latex teat is often taken by babies who refuse other bottles...

I've lost my electric breast pump I'm like a demon can't find it anywhere

kathleenc92

Oh no hope you find it, those things are expensive