The Breast Feeding Support Thread

ncmc

Millem wrote: »

Ncmc no idea as I am behind you....baby only 10 weeks!
We did have a fussy period early on and I went back to basics.....stayed in bed and did skin and skin. I am sure someone on here will tell you what to do

I was just wondering how long does expressed milk in a bottle in the fridge last? Thanks

Freshly expressed milk keeps for 3-4 days (keep in body of fridge rather than in the door) If its defrosted frozen milk it must be used within 24 hours. It keeps for 3 months in a fridge freezer and 6 months in a deep freeze.

ncmc

Thanks ladies. My problem is I don't have much expressed milk and I don't get that much when I pump so I don't have the option of giving him a bottle really. I'm going to concentrate on drinking loads of fennel tea and water today to try and up my supply and pump after each feed. I'm hoping it's just a temporary blip caused by leap/sleep regression at 4 months. It's just frustrating when he won't feed at the breast but will guzzle a bottle 😰

Lucyfur

My daughter has had several periods of boob refusal. Try to relax, feed when baby is sleepy and protect your supply. This too shall pass is my mantra!

Cakerbaker

Millem wrote: »

I was just wondering how long does expressed milk in a bottle in the fridge last? Thanks

According to the kellymom website (pretty much my bible!) fresh milk can be stored at the back of the fridge (the coldest part) for up to 8 days though the ideal limit is 3 days. If it’s thawed milk I think it might just be 1 day.

PhoenixParker

ncmc wrote: »

Thanks ladies. My problem is I don't have much expressed milk and I don't get that much when I pump so I don't have the option of giving him a bottle really. I'm going to concentrate on drinking loads of fennel tea and water today to try and up my supply and pump after each feed. I'm hoping it's just a temporary blip caused by leap/sleep regression at 4 months. It's just frustrating when he won't feed at the breast but will guzzle a bottle 😰

It’s a heartbreaking nuisance but as lucyfur says it’ll pass, just takes time.

A heat pack on your boob for a few minutes pre-feed and massaging/compressions while you feed may also help. It’ll speed up the flow for baby a bit increasing boobs attractiveness.

It’s a long shot but have you eaten anything new/different lately? Sometimes babies just don’t like a taste.

ncmc

Lucyfur wrote: »

My daughter has had several periods of boob refusal. Try to relax, feed when baby is sleepy and protect your supply. This too shall pass is my mantra!

Thanks Lucyfur, think I need to get that tattooed on myself at this stage! Can I ask if you gave an expressed bottle during nursing strikes or just persevere with the breast?

ncmc

PhoenixParker wrote: »

It’s a heartbreaking nuisance but as lucyfur says it’ll pass, just takes time.

A heat pack on your boob for a few minutes pre-feed and massaging/compressions while you feed may also help. It’ll speed up the flow for baby a bit increasing boobs attractiveness.

It’s a long shot but have you eaten anything new/different lately? Sometimes babies just don’t like a taste.

I was drinking at the wedding, I didn't feed until it was well out of my system but I remember my daughter used to get fussy if I'd drank alcohol. I also think he's wrecked, his nap schedule has been all over the place the last week due to family issues, so going to try and make sure he naps appropriately over the next few days. We're off to Disneyland Paris next week, in the middle of the night last night, I was so tempted to just cancel! Hope he's a bit more settled by then.

Millem

Cakerbaker wrote: »

Millem wrote: »

I was just wondering how long does expressed milk in a bottle in the fridge last? Thanks

According to the kellymom website (pretty much my bible!) fresh milk can be stored at the back of the fridge (the coldest part) for up to 8 days though the ideal limit is 3 days. If it’s thawed milk I think it might just be 1 day.

Thanks a mil! I thought maybe because it was in a bottle it was only 1 day? Because of the bottle!

Cakerbaker

Millem wrote: »

Thanks a mil! I thought maybe because it was in a bottle it was only 1 day? Because of the bottle!

Another thing is that it only lasts a few hours if baby has had a drink from it. The saliva that gets into the bottle starts breaking down the milk.

Lucyfur

ncmc wrote: »

Thanks Lucyfur, think I need to get that tattooed on myself at this stage! Can I ask if you gave an expressed bottle during nursing strikes or just persevere with the breast?

I did on one particular strike (at 4 months!!) It took me a full 7 days to get her back on boob fully so protecting my supply by pumping was the most important thing. I could sneak her on while she was sleeping and then use the haakaa (genius invention) on the other side while she fed. Stay as relaxed as you can (so much easier said than done!) cos it really does make it easier. My baby is nearly 13 months now so if she refuses I just give her a cup of water and a snack! It does get easier, you're at a particularly difficult stage at the mo. Have you the option of lying down with your baby for a few hours today? Skin to skin is ace, for you and your baby x

Millem

Cakerbaker wrote: »

Millem wrote: »

Thanks a mil! I thought maybe because it was in a bottle it was only 1 day? Because of the bottle!

Another thing is that it only lasts a few hours if baby has had a drink from it. The saliva that gets into the bottle starts breaking down the milk.

Bottle hasn’t been used!
So if I sterilise bottle, pour breast milk in it and place in fridge.....it’s the same as using sterile bag?
I just had it in my head a bottle is only sterile for 24 hours?

jlm29

Millem wrote: »

Bottle hasn’t been used!
So if I sterilise bottle, pour breast milk in it and place in fridge.....it’s the same as using sterile bag?
I just had it in my head a bottle is only sterile for 24 hours?

You don’t need to sterilise at all Millem. I don’t have a steriliser. Just wash with hot soapy water. It’s formula that isn’t sterile, that’s why bottles have to be sterilised for formula babies!

spottybananas

You only have to sterilise for bf babies if they were born early and/or ill.

Cakerbaker

Millem wrote: »

Bottle hasn’t been used!
So if I sterilise bottle, pour breast milk in it and place in fridge.....it’s the same as using sterile bag?
I just had it in my head a bottle is only sterile for 24 hours?

I used always store in bottles with the lid on. I only put it into storage bags when putting into the freezer. This info from LLL May help. http://www.llli.org/faq/milkstorage.html

Millem

Omg I didn’t realise you didn’t need to sterilise!!! Amazing.....thanks a million

jlm29

Millem wrote: »

Omg I didn’t realise you didn’t need to sterilise!!! Amazing.....thanks a million

It is amazing, and it’s amazing how many people don’t realise! I was forever sterilising my pump with my eldest, until I realised!!!

Lucuma

https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/3/acutehospitals/hospitals/ulh/hospitals/mat/patinfomat/Postnatal/BreastmilkStorage.html

jlm29

Help!! I cannot get my nearly five month old to sleep in his cot at night. At all. As soon as he’s out in he wakes, and nothing settles him only a boob, and a tuck in beside me. He’s soon going to outgrow his cosleeper cot (not that he actually sleeps in it, but at least i know he can’t fall out of bed when it’s there). There’s not really room for a cot in our room either, so I’ll have to ship him out. How Can I start getting him into the cot???

fits

I’m not an expert at all. But I think some suggest to start with the morning nap in the cot until he gets used to it. You could try getting him attached to some sort of comforter as well.

I’m no one to talk though. Getting two babies into their cots is more daunting than I can handle so they are still in the bed!

jlm29

He’ll sleep in his big brothers cot a bit by day (I put him in there sometimes because no one can get at him and sit on him, and also because it has a mobile on it). He never sleeps for very long though in the cot by day. It’s not his fault though- most days were on the road dropping and collecting so he sleeps on the go.
I think as well that he has realised we’re on the go, and life is busy by day, so he feeds a bit by night, and then not much all morning. Babies are so clever! He did sleep from 10.30-3.30 last night (even if it was in my bed), so maybe the night feeds will start to settle a bit.
Sometimes I wonder am I starting to be a bit over breastfeeding, but I really don’t want to find myself making bottles at 3am!!

catrionanic

We had some trouble getting him down to sleep in a cot at that age. It was almost as if putting him down woke him? We found that wrapping him in a blanket, feeding him to sleep, then setting him down in the cot was best - he felt cosy and snuggly and his limbs weren’t loose to wake him. Then once he was down, I would gently unwrap the blanket so his arms were free in case he rolled.

jlm29

catrionanic wrote: »

We had some trouble getting him down to sleep in a cot at that age. It was almost as if putting him down woke him? We found that wrapping him in a blanket, feeding him to sleep, then setting him down in the cot was best - he felt cosy and snuggly and his limbs weren’t loose to wake him. Then once he was down, I would gently unwrap the blanket so his arms were free in case he rolled.

Thanks- I have been using a grobag, I thought it would help, but maybe I need to put him in a blanket with arms in instead! I’ll try that tonight. I know I’ve gotten him into the bad habit of having him in beside me, and I don’t mind him being in the bed some of the time, but I don’t want him there all the time! I was so smug, because he was a great sleeper, and it was grand when I could put him in the cot at 10pm or so, and he’d get a long stretch in the cot, but that’s gone! He’s a little fairy! It’s not that long since I managed to get his older brother into the cot and sleeping the night. I can’t believe I’ve made the same mistakes again!

Millem

Jlm I read somewhere to try and put a hot water bottle in baby bed to heat it up then take it out before you put him in?

jlm29

Tried it! He wasn’t fooled! I’ll try it again tonight though, as well as a bit of swaddling, and his cosiest babygro!

Marz66

My baby is 9 months and I’ve been trying to get her in cot since 6 months. She wakes on transfer almost every time or else after 40 mins and I then don’t try a 2nd/3rd time.

So my point is that waiting patiently like I did doesn’t work

They really need to be the magical ‘awake but drowsy’ going into the cot so that when they wake at night they know where they are and just close their eyes again. Easier said than done!!!!!

jlm29

He was awake but drowsy tonight, and I put on music/mobile, and he nodded off. I got 20 mins, and then he woke up. I think it was wind though, so I’m going for round two in a sec!

scarepanda

How quickly are you going back into him when he wakes? When that used to happen to my LO it was usually more of a whinge than a cry. I'd leave her for a few minutes at it and she would usually fall asleep on her own. Now there is a very fine line between whinging and crying and I used to have to get up to her before she started crying or else she would have a melt down.
It's very very hard listening to them whinge, but it's seemed to work here and overall our lo is quite a good sleeper. I also started her in the cot fully asleep and gradually put her into it more awake untill she was fully awake being put down.

jlm29

I don’t go in straight away, but it always escalates to actual crying. I can never settle him back without boob, unless it’s wind or something, in which case he might fall back asleep once he’s picked up and winded. He takes a soother, but he isn’t that into it, so won’t settle with just that.
I have two other kids as well- thankfully they’re heavy sleepers, so I don’t have to worry too much about him waking them if he has a whinge.

jlm29

I think we got five hours last night in the cot after I put him back for the third time! Best stretch we’ve gotten in ages. I’ll keep up the swaddling, and the fleece pyjamas!!

catrionanic

jlm29 wrote: »

I think we got five hours last night in the cot after I put him back for the third time! Best stretch we’ve gotten in ages. I’ll keep up the swaddling, and the fleece pyjamas!!

Wow that’s great progress!! I might have to go back to the blanket trick too, as he’s been a nightmare to put down the last week or so. But I already have him in a cardigan and a gro bag so don’t want him to be too warm... but at the same time, he will wriggle out of the blanket so I don’t wanna remove the cardy or gro bag in case he gets cold!