The Breast Feeding Support Thread

Lucuma

rainbow kirby wrote: »

Ours is posterior as well. LC said that regardless of whether we get it snipped or not we should consider seeing a craniosacral therapist anyway because he's got some quite tight muscles in his upper body and face. We're around 95% EBF, he has the odd bottle of formula here and there but the rest is boob. We're visiting family in Dublin this week so he'll be 5 months by the time the referral goes in...

Yes I've gone for 5 sessions with a reputable cranio sacral therapist now and she worked alot on the tension around my little one's body, jaw & palette. I do think it's made a difference as she's a lot more relaxed and is now finally sleeping on her back, hurrah! Get a recommendation for one though, like everything there's good and bad ones out there & it's a saucey price so you want to get value for money. Well done on the BF, you're going great!

Lucuma

Roesy wrote: »

Yes, Emmet Andrews in CUH does lip and tongue ties privately. I think he has a public list too. I saw him in the private rooms out there last year.

What is he? GP?

Lucuma

brokensoul wrote: »

After struggling through another week on ever increasing doses of antibiotics I had to go into hospital today and have the abscess drained. Disgusting and painful procedure and I have to have it done again on Thursday as there is still lots to drain.

Still persisting to feed at the moment, though my supply from that breast is quite bad, but not sure how much longer I can keep going with this. I am utterly drained, all I want to do is sleep and the only advice I am getting is to get lots of rest, which when feeding 4 week old twins is a complete impossibility.

Have spent most of this evening in tears, I can't handle the pain and illness anymore, I can't take anything except paracetamol (which is doing nothing for the pain) and I feel like an utter failure..

Oh no brokensoul, you poor thing. I hope you start to feel better soon. It's very hard to hear things like 'sleep when the baby sleeps' etc when you're sleep deprived! :mad: I hope you're a member of a multiples group as well to get support from others that have been through this, I can't even imagine dealing with twins, you're a legend and a half !

Roesy

Lucuma wrote: »

What is he? GP?

He's a surgeon in CUH.

tinkerbell

brokensoul wrote: »

After struggling through another week on ever increasing doses of antibiotics I had to go into hospital today and have the abscess drained. Disgusting and painful procedure and I have to have it done again on Thursday as there is still lots to drain.

Still persisting to feed at the moment, though my supply from that breast is quite bad, but not sure how much longer I can keep going with this. I am utterly drained, all I want to do is sleep and the only advice I am getting is to get lots of rest, which when feeding 4 week old twins is a complete impossibility.

Have spent most of this evening in tears, I can't handle the pain and illness anymore, I can't take anything except paracetamol (which is doing nothing for the pain) and I feel like an utter failure..

Who told you that you can't take anything except paracetamol for the pain? Most drugs are compatible while breastfeeding. Go back to your doctor and ask for proper pain relief which is safe to take while breastfeeding.

So sorry you're in pain

Cakerbaker

brokensoul wrote: »

After struggling through another week on ever increasing doses of antibiotics I had to go into hospital today and have the abscess drained. Disgusting and painful procedure and I have to have it done again on Thursday as there is still lots to drain.

Still persisting to feed at the moment, though my supply from that breast is quite bad, but not sure how much longer I can keep going with this. I am utterly drained, all I want to do is sleep and the only advice I am getting is to get lots of rest, which when feeding 4 week old twins is a complete impossibility.

Have spent most of this evening in tears, I can't handle the pain and illness anymore, I can't take anything except paracetamol (which is doing nothing for the pain) and I feel like an utter failure..

You poor thing, that sounds awful. I can't figure out how to post a link but there's a pharmacist in the UK who has done a lot of research into breast feeding compatible drugs and she has compiled fact sheets on what drugs are OK to take while breast feeding. Her name is Wendy Jones, hopefully you'll be able to find her painkiller factsheet with the help of Google. There's also a website called lactmed which is similar. I was on paracetamol and ibuprofen in Holles St so you should hopefully be able to take something more than paracetamol! I've been lucky enough but from talking yo friends it seems like you've to be prepared with facts about drugs and breastfeeding when talking to doctors etc which is ridiculous really!

lazygal

I was on difine and other painkillers after both sections and bf without difficulty. Some medical practitioners don't bother actually checking on what drugs can be used.

Sligo1

lazygal wrote: »

I was on difine and other painkillers after both sections and bf without difficulty. Some medical practitioners don't bother actually checking on what drugs can be used.

+1. You need to be on an anti inflammatory if you have had a breast abscess. They can be excruciatingly painful after drainage. Ponstan is excellent and allowed whilst breastfeeding (well it was 2 years ago), provided you have no medical history where it would be contraindicated. PR difene is also very effective. A lot more effective than oral difene. Talk to your GP or practitioner and please God get something stronger than paracetamol prescribed!

lazygal

The only reason I wasn't on ponstan was because I had an allergic reaction to it years ago.

Digs

+1 to all the others have said brokensoul. I was on oaracetemol and ibuprofen for the first few weeks feeding and also difene as I developed a delightful cyst on my tailbone. The consultant in Holles street said I can take whatever I want provided it doesn't have codeine in it.

Also I think you're an absolute hero feeding twins, honestly, don't ever tell yourself you're a failure, you're the complete opposite. Lucky little babies to have you!

brokensoul

Thanks for all the replies lads, it means a lot. Am back at the hospital tomorrow so feel more confident having read this to push them to give me more pain relief.

fro9etb8j5qsl2

The last time I had a bad dose of mastitis I was given difene along with the antibiotics. It helped an awful lot. Definitely don't settle for just paracetamol if you're in that much pain.

Teeley

Hi everyone..my baby is 7 weeks later this week. Is it too early to try a bedtime routine with her or do BF babies eventually fall into their own routine?! If it is possible then what do you suggest?! Currently I let her fall asleep on the boob and then put her down.
I'd love if I knew that each eve she'd be settled by x o'clock!..too much to ask?!

spottybananas

Teeley wrote: »

Hi everyone..my baby is 7 weeks later this week. Is it too early to try a bedtime routine with her or do BF babies eventually fall into their own routine?! If it is possible then what do you suggest?! Currently I let her fall asleep on the boob and then put her down.
I'd love if I knew that each eve she'd be settled by x o'clock!..too much to ask?!

Yes, way too much to ask with such a young baby imo. By all means start a bedtime routine for pjs, cuddles, story/song etc, but don't feel you need to stick rigidly to a sleep time every night, it wont happen. Baby will go through growth spurts and sleep regressions so much in these coming months with huge developmental leaps, they can't be expected to stick to the same time for stopping feeding or needing comfort every night.

It depends so much on each baby too. Some will have their own rigid routine very early that they easily and naturally stick to, others will have none and be just fine, resisting any consistency. My son is 16 months and only started a routine of sorts at about 7-8 months...which then changes every few weeks. We've had bedtime at 8pm, 10pm, a few rough weeks of 11.30-00.00, now it's 9-9.30 and he wakes every 1-3 hours then depending on God knows what.

Your baby is still so tiny and new, at least give it til the end of fourth trimester - to 12 weeks - before expecting any sort of daily routine. Breastfeeding baby to sleep is perfectly normal, enjoy the snuggles

Judge Trudy

I have a very hungry baby on my hands, I literally can't get him off the breast. He's back to his birth weight after 2.5 weeks. When does it get easier or when do they not feed so much? I want to plough on but there are times I just want to give up too, sigh.

spottybananas

He's still so tiny and new, it's totally normal for them to feed all the time at that stage, just sit/lie down and enjoy snuggles if possible! Cluster feeding does settle down and you'll get more time in between and won't even remember when he used to feed so much. It does get better, this too shall pass,never quit on a bad day etc etc

scarepanda

Hey everyone!

Iv a question ... Why would the PHNs be adamant in trying to get me off nipple shields? To the point that they are basically telling me that she's not 'on the breast' till I'm off them...
Iv been using nipple shields since the hospital because my nipples got really sore, one is now pretty good without any pain etc, the other is still iffy and gets tender quickly if she's nursing a lot. I havnt properly tried getting her off the shield on the good breast yet because I don't want both to end up sore. My GP has no issues with me using the shield, but I'm starting to feel alot of pressure from the PHNs.
The reality is that without the shield's I wouldn't have been able to continue breastfeeding her. Does it really matter how she's getting breast milk as long as she's getting it?

Lucuma

scarepanda wrote: »

Hey everyone!

Iv a question ... Why would the PHNs be adamant in trying to get me off nipple shields? To the point that they are basically telling me that she's not 'on the breast' till I'm off them...
Iv been using nipple shields since the hospital because my nipples got really sore, one is now pretty good without any pain etc, the other is still iffy and gets tender quickly if she's nursing a lot. I havnt properly tried getting her off the shield on the good breast yet because I don't want both to end up sore. My GP has no issues with me using the shield, but I'm starting to feel alot of pressure from the PHNs.
The reality is that without the shield's I wouldn't have been able to continue breastfeeding her. Does it really matter how she's getting breast milk as long as she's getting it?

They can cause issues with supply. It's the suckling action on your nipple that sends the signal to the brain (pituitary gland) to release oxytocin to let down your milk. As the nipple shields 'dampen' the suckling action on the nipple they might interfere with milk supply. Also the baby might not be able to fully drain the breast with a shield on (I noticed this myself on this baby). Do you have issues with your baby's weight gain?

jlm29

As above- the transfer of milk through the shields might not be at its best, and this could affect supply.
Well done for pushing on. You should get baby's latch checked though- if the latch is ok, there shouldn't be any discomfort. Good luck!

tinkerbell

scarepanda - nipple shields are not ideal as they can reduce supply so really should only be used under the guidance of a lactation consultant, etc. Can you contact La Leche or Ciudiu or an LC for advice? Is there a breastfeeding group near you that you can go for support? PHNs or GPs don't tend to know much about breastfeeding.

Birdie086

Using nipple shields here.

My nipples are fairly flat, making the correct latch difficult to achieve.
I breastfed my son for two months last time, using shields the entire time.

I tried without this time (a ten year gap between my two) and only lasted till I got home from hospital, my nipples were literally in bits(one looked in danger of falling off),anyway we are getting on fine, my daughter is five weeks and thriving. I reckon I will stay feeding for longer this time. My supply might be helped by the fact that she is a great feeder.

I had two different phone nurses call, and the second one was actually horrified that I was using shields and really upset me but I persevered. I spoke to a friends mam, who used to run a breast feeding support group. She said once lily is thriving and I am happy not to worry.

Try and get help with the latch if you can, it really is the ideal way, however the shields are a great aid otherwise. I feed lily about on e or twice a week with no shields but anymore would hurt.

scarepanda

Thanks everyone! I knew they were only a tool, but no one actually told me why I shouldn't be using them constantly or why I should try get off them, even the lactation consultant in the hospital.

Visually her latch looks OK, but she was slipping on and off in the hospital which made my nipples very sore and the midwives said to get the shield's. The midwives were happy with her latch even with the shield's. She's my first baby, so have nothing to compare to, but her suckling and my supply seem good and she seems to drain my breasts. She usually takes a breast and a half, so will start a feed on the last breast if it wasn't fully finished. She's back up to her birth weight as well at 2 weeks.
One thing that was mentioned in the hospital is that my nipples may not be long enough for her to latch on properly? Without the shield's my nipples constantly came out creased and over time they cracked badly. I was pumping for about 18hrs in the hospital because it was too painful to feed directly.
I'll make a better effort to try get off the shield on the good breast, I'm just afraid of it getting sore again.

Birdie086

One tip I got was to start the feed with shield and about halfway through when the nipple has been pulled out by the shield, remove the shield and try to latch to the nipple directly.

dori_dormer

scarepanda wrote: »

Thanks everyone! I knew they were only a tool, but no one actually told me why I shouldn't be using them constantly or why I should try get off them, even the lactation consultant in the hospital.

Visually her latch looks OK, but she was slipping on and off in the hospital which made my nipples very sore and the midwives said to get the shield's. The midwives were happy with her latch even with the shield's. She's my first baby, so have nothing to compare to, but her suckling and my supply seem good and she seems to drain my breasts. She usually takes a breast and a half, so will start a feed on the last breast if it wasn't fully finished. She's back up to her birth weight as well at 2 weeks.
One thing that was mentioned in the hospital is that my nipples may not be long enough for her to latch on properly? Without the shield's my nipples constantly came out creased and over time they cracked badly. I was pumping for about 18hrs in the hospital because it was too painful to feed directly.
I'll make a better effort to try get off the shield on the good breast, I'm just afraid of it getting sore again.

One thing I learned on my first is that the lactation consultant in the hospital is not a real lactation consultant. They are just a midwife with a stopping interest in breastfeeding. They have no real training.

On the nipple being creased, that's a clear sign of a bad latch / possible tongue tie. I'd get on to a real LC asap and they'll be able to sort you out!

scarepanda

dori_dormer wrote:

One thing I learned on my first is that the lactation consultant in the hospital is not a real lactation consultant. They are just a midwife with a stopping interest in breastfeeding. They have no real training.

Ha, fully agree with you on that one. Other that arranging for baby to be topped up with donor milk the night I had to express she was useless and her attitude almost made me give up the following day, even though things had started to sort themselves out and baby was satisfied after a feed.

dori_dormer wrote:

On the nipple being creased, that's a clear sign of a bad latch / possible tongue tie. I'd get on to a real LC asap and they'll be able to sort you out!

The PHN is to give my details to a lactation consultant that works with their clinic, should this person be better than the consultant in the hospital? Everyone in the hospital that had a look at her, including consultant were on the fence as to whether she was tongue tied, one PHN said she was and GP said she wasn't.... I know creasing is a sign of bad latch, but everyone has said that visually she looks to be latching properly.

To be honest at this stage I don't know who to believe, or where exactly to go for good info. Iv gotten so much conflicting info from everyone and stuff iv looked up myself, some if which works, some doesn't.

yellow hen

Girls can ask advice of those who have children already weaned. My daughter is 5 months tomorrow and exclusively breastfed (you may remember my old posts when I thought I wouldn't make it past the fortnight!).
Anyway, she always woke twice a night between 8pm and 8am. She's teething for about 5 weeks now but in the last fortnight, she's waking 3-4 times a night and at the 5am wake up, she could stay up for 1hr+. Otherwise she usually feeds well during the night and could be back down in 10mins. I'm just wondering if the new increased by waking share a sign of hunger and if it's worth starting to wean her slowly?

jlm29

yellow hen wrote: »

Girls can ask advice of those who have children already weaned. My daughter is 5 months tomorrow and exclusively breastfed (you may remember my old posts when I thought I wouldn't make it past the fortnight!).
Anyway, she always woke twice a night between 8pm and 8am. She's teething for about 5 weeks now but in the last fortnight, she's waking 3-4 times a night and at the 5am wake up, she could stay up for 1hr+. Otherwise she usually feeds well during the night and could be back down in 10mins. I'm just wondering if the new increased by waking share a sign of hunger and if it's worth starting to wean her slowly?

There's a big big developmental leap (and consequent sleep regression) around 4 months. It can last a long time. Throw in teething, and it can make for a very tired mammy! I didn't start mine on solids til 26 weeks, and I can't say it made any major difference to his sleep. I wish I could tell you otherwise!

dori_dormer

Weaning made no difference to my fella who woke 5+ times a night. In fact I think it made it worse for a few weeks as his tummy would get cramps and gassy as it adjusted to solids.

Lucuma

scarepanda wrote: »

Thanks everyone! I knew they were only a tool, but no one actually told me why I shouldn't be using them constantly or why I should try get off them, even the lactation consultant in the hospital.

Visually her latch looks OK, but she was slipping on and off in the hospital which made my nipples very sore and the midwives said to get the shield's. The midwives were happy with her latch even with the shield's. She's my first baby, so have nothing to compare to, but her suckling and my supply seem good and she seems to drain my breasts. She usually takes a breast and a half, so will start a feed on the last breast if it wasn't fully finished. She's back up to her birth weight as well at 2 weeks.
One thing that was mentioned in the hospital is that my nipples may not be long enough for her to latch on properly? Without the shield's my nipples constantly came out creased and over time they cracked badly. I was pumping for about 18hrs in the hospital because it was too painful to feed directly.
I'll make a better effort to try get off the shield on the good breast, I'm just afraid of it getting sore again.

If you're having no issues with weight gain or supply I think that needs to be taken into account as regards whether you should try to bf without the shields or just continue as you are. At least now that you understand the concerns with shields, you can make an informed decision on your own situation!

Lucuma

yellow hen wrote: »

Anyway, she always woke twice a night between 8pm and 8am.

You've no idea how jealous I am of this :D:D

Seriously, I can't put it into words!