The Breast Feeding Support Thread

skit490

Haha iguana exactly how it is for me expe t she is noisy drinker too, its with friends that its awkward, my little one wants to take a sip n then turn.n babble at them, won't b covered by scarf anymore !

hollster2 wrote: »

That is brilliant "look whos talking" lol

Not as sore but do have cough at min but don't ha e any lumps or particular sore spots. Used another product I got as present n seems to have helped

hollster2

skit490 wrote: »

Haha iguana exactly how it is for me expe t she is noisy drinker too, its with friends that its awkward, my little one wants to take a sip n then turn.n babble at them, won't b covered by scarf anymore !

Not as sore but do have cough at min but don't ha e any lumps or particular sore spots. Used another product I got as present n seems to have helped

At the start I used to cover up decided its natura got over the fear of doing it in public so just ignored the looks id get so it was covered but baby not under a blanket anymore. my son was like a little meercat popping his head up every few seconds.

aniascor

cyning wrote: »

In antenatal classes we were told no chocolate, grapes, oranges or berries etc. I detest milk I don't touch it and midwife in hospital told me I couldn't breastfeed if I didn't drink milk

That's insane. How can people give out advice like that and call themselves health professionals? Not to mention the" advice" from Blueskye's GP. This country just doesn't understand breastfeeding at all.

cyning

aniascor wrote: »

That's insane. How can people give out advice like that and call themselves health professionals? Not to mention the" advice" from Blueskye's GP. This country just doesn't understand breastfeeding at all.

I recently complained about crap breastfeeding advice I got in hosp.If it wasnt so long ago I'd complain about the antenatal classes and that particularly wonderful you need to drink milk to breastfeed. What's worse is I attempted while gagging until I got home and phn told me it was rubbish advice: I was so determined to breastfeed because of how sick I was while pregnant I nearly think I'd have believed them if they told me I'd need to stand on one leg in order to feed!!

I'm hoping to start weaning fully soon: C is almost a year (next Sunday). I always said a year and I'm happy but still feel slightly guilty that I'm weaning before she wants to. But (just for me) I cannot imagine feeding her much longer. Also have no idea what I'm going to do when teeth hurt/ she falls / having a cranky day because boob fixes EVERYTHING!

iguana

Grapes? Chocolate? I think the antenatal teacher got confused about the difference between, 'don't eat when breastfeeding' and 'don't feed to dogs.'

MurdyWurdy

I'm eating chocolate like it's going out if fashion at the moment, can't get enough of it. It doesn't seen to be causing any problems! The lactation consultant told me all you had to avoid was too much caffeine and alcohol. Everything else was fine and I was to eat healthily, drink and rest loads.

I love milk so drink a lot of it (when I was suffering with hyperemesis I think it kept me alive!). However, it seems ridiculous that you were told you needed to drink it to breastfeed. Why on earth would you need to drink the milk of another animal in order to produce enough milk of your own? It doesn't even make sense!

cyning

Ugh hyperemesis if I never heard that word again...

I think a lot of it is just a complete lack of training. And a bit of I know best going on too. And a year on I can categorically say you definitely do not under any circumstances need to drink milk to breastfeed. Particularly if it makes you gag

iguana

Well you know that cows need to drink elephant milk in order to produce milk, right? Their vegan grass diet would never let them produce enough enough milk to feed their own calves, never mind enough to support a multi-billion Euro dairy industry. Some people have no common sense.

Blueskye

I hate milk so none being drank here!! As for chocolate, I've never eaten so much in my life. I think it's probably due to sheer exhaustion. Felt like I'd been hit by a bus yesterday I was so tired. Boys just fed and fed from 5 am and didn't settle til eve. I started panicking that I wasn't producing enough milk (that bloody GP's words came back to haunt me) but all seems to have settled again.

Oral Slang

Fairie wrote: »

Hi all,
Has anyone breastfed while pregnant? Dd is almost 6 months and I'm 13 weeks pregnant boobs are already massive and fairly sore!! All part of pregnancy but I hope they aren't like this for the next 6 months!! Milk supply seems to have decreased as dd is feeding alot more the last couple of weeks. I would love to breastfeed dd as long as possible, has anyone breastfed both baby and newborn? Would love to hear how it went for others

Hi Fairie,

I'm still feeding my 20 month old & 20 weeks pregnant today. As she's a good bit older than your daughter, I only feed her going to bed & 1st thing in the morning & a very odd time during the night. I can't squeeze even a drop out though, so convinced that she's only comfort sucking & that I've completely dried up. Not intending to tandem feed, but no idea how I'll wean her as she's completely hooked. Some mornings I can see she's not as bothered as she would be going to bed, so maybe I'll try start cutting that out some mornings & go from there. I know a good few girls that are feeding 2 & they think it's great.

If you are interested in feeding both of them or even want some advice throughout pregnancy while breastfeeding, there's a closed facebook page called: feeding two babies rocks!!! (Tandem BFing/Bfing through Pregnancy Ireland). Must join myself, but only realised it's for BFing through pregnancy as well as Tandemfeeding.

Oral Slang

Blueskye wrote: »

Hi everyone. I'm currently breastfeeding twins. 6 weeks today. I've been giving one bottle formula at night since being in hospital and its saved me really. I get a few hrs sleep while someone else does a feed. But I'd love to drop it and use expressed milk instead. I've rented a pump for the month to see how I go. Where do I start? Is morning best time to pump? Anything I need to consider?

Thanks

Hi Blueskye, if you aren't a member, there's a closed facebook group called Breastfeeding Twins in Ireland if you fancied joining.

MurdyWurdy

Blueskye wrote: »

I hate milk so none being drank here!! As for chocolate, I've never eaten so much in my life. I think it's probably due to sheer exhaustion. Felt like I'd been hit by a bus yesterday I was so tired. Boys just fed and fed from 5 am and didn't settle til eve. I started panicking that I wasn't producing enough milk (that bloody GP's words came back to haunt me) but all seems to have settled again.

Glad I'm not the only one being a chocolate fiend! I think you're right - it's tiredness and the need for sugar. I'm finding feeding one tough enough, especially when you have days you feel like you're feeding constantly so I take my hat off to you doing it with twins!

I was reading up on cluster feeding (had a bad night with it the other night!) and it said mums often think it means they don't have enough milk but it doesn't mean that at all, it's just a feeding pattern they do every so often. As long as they have plenty of wet/dirty nappies it's fine. Sounds like you're doing a great job anyway!

My little man is really loving the breast feeding. My hubby gave him a bottle of expressed milk at 2am to give me a break but then couldn't get him to settle afterwards. Eventually he woke me up and I breastfed him for 5 minutes and that was him put asleep. He didn't even take much milk so it was only comfort. Is that a bad thing or not? Not sure if it is a bad habit - he's only 2 weeks old so I know he needs the comfort. He won't take a soother.

Oral Slang

MurdyWurdy wrote: »

Glad I'm not the only one being a chocolate fiend! I think you're right - it's tiredness and the need for sugar. I'm finding feeding one tough enough, especially when you have days you feel like you're feeding constantly so I take my hat off to you doing it with twins!

I was reading up on cluster feeding (had a bad night with it the other night!) and it said mums often think it means they don't have enough milk but it doesn't mean that at all, it's just a feeding pattern they do every so often. As long as they have plenty of wet/dirty nappies it's fine. Sounds like you're doing a great job anyway!

My little man is really loving the breast feeding. My hubby gave him a bottle of expressed milk at 2am to give me a break but then couldn't get him to settle afterwards. Eventually he woke me up and I breastfed him for 5 minutes and that was him put asleep. He didn't even take much milk so it was only comfort. Is that a bad thing or not? Not sure if it is a bad habit - he's only 2 weeks old so I know he needs the comfort. He won't take a soother.

No bad habits at 2 weeks or for a good while yet. That's one of the reasons I couldn't be bothered expressing a bottle & letting my other half do some nights. Sleep happens so quick on the boob, why bother with anything else when it works so well. Can't wait to have those types of feeds again when the baby arrives in a few months.

I have a 20 month old who likes to tweak & pinch one nipple while feeding on the other. As I said above I don't think there's any milk left, so it can be painful with her dry sucking anyway without the pinching. Oh the joys of feeding a toddler

MurdyWurdy

Yeah, hubby and I were discussing it just now. Why have him up for 1-1.5 hours if I can change, feed him and get him back down in 30 minutes?

I actually like that I'm the one that can comfort him, it's a lovely feeling

Oral Slang

Yeah, your husband could do things like if the baby is awake later in the evening, let you nip up to bed early & bring the baby into you for a feed, likewise in the mornings - after the baby is fed & if it's not ready for sleep, bring him downstairs & let you lie on til another feed is needed (on days he's not working obviously). So much your other half can do, but I personally always liked to breastfeed only when I was about. I did express as she got older if I needed to go out somewhere & couldn't bring her, but didn't start that until she was a good bit older.

How Strange

Murdywurdy there are absolutely no bad habits with babies. It makes me so sad that we've been conditioned to think like this.

Breastmilk at night time contains high levels of hormones which help the baby sleep. There's also the wonderful comfort that they get from being so close to you.

We went out one night last week and my mother in law looked after A. I'd given her more than enough expressed milk for the 3 hours. A took it all but wouldn't settle. She was asleep within minutes once I fed her.

I do the night feeds so my husband gets his sleep. Sometimes I hate him for it but it's just quicker and easier that way. I stopped doing night time nappy changes around 4 weeks so the night feeding is very quick now. I wake up, change sides and fall back asleep. When we just had one baby my husband would take him in the mornings at the weekends and let me sleep on. Now that we have two his job is to get up with our son if he wakes during the night.

Oral Slang

How Strange, the same here. Anytime I went out & left my other half with expressed milk for the baby, he'd feed her everything I had in the fridge, even if it was far too much. She'd drink it all & still not fall asleep. He just wouldn't believe me when I said that breastfed babies don't know when they're full & presume if she drank it then she must be hungry. I'd come home & latch her on & she'd be asleep in seconds. Still happens sometimes now. We went to the cinema about 2 months ago & I left my brother & his partner babysitting. She was up bouncing on the bed & singing when I came home (they didn't turn off the lights, so no wonder she couldn't sleep). I sent them all downstairs & within 5 mins she was conked. That's what I'll miss when I do eventually wean her - no magic boob anymore.

Blueskye

I'm a member of that group thanks Oral Slang.

We had 2 much more settled babies last night thank god, but the day was tough. we had a friend who is a photographer come over to take photos of the boys but they were so cranky and just wanted to feed and feed so we had to abandon it. I was exhausted. I find it pretty stressful especially when trying to feed the two together and they get frustrated and want more and more. But at least it passes. But when you're tired and emotional with two frustrated babies it's so easy to start doubting yourself.

I have babies at night so OH can sleep next door. I only call him if a baby is very unsettled and I'm feeding the other. We don't change nappies at night either, just feed and sleep. It's amazing how quick they'll fall asleep from breastfeeding. I was feeding boys together on their pillow this morn and we all had a lovely cosy sleep after. I move them off the pillow at night but don't move them in the morn as it wakes them. They love the closeness and heat.

dublinlady

I'm a bit more selfish.... I suffer from insomnia so can only fall asleep once really in the night - so my hubbie gives an expressed bottle at 11ish & settles her then pops her in the Moses basket beside me - ill have been in bed since about 10 or 10.30 ! I then feed her at 4 ish and don't usually get back asleep but just cuddle and rest while she dozes!
I also express milk during day and depending if I have enough or not sometimes add couple oz formula to a bottle which I give at 4am so I don't feed her off the breast then - that is so that I have no supply at night so I can have a night off!!! She also takes it much quicker fir me that way and settles well - I'd get her back down within 45 mins that way whereas she spends 1&1/2 hrs awake if I breast feed directly!
It's also the feed in hoping will drop first - when she goes 11/12 til 5/6 ill feed her directly.
Just wanted to give a perspective of a different way if breast feeding! She only gets max 2oz formula a day so I do consider her to be exclusively breast fed regardless - I feed her 6/7 times a day for 30-60 mins each time and express the rest! So e nights I do the 10.30pm feed if oh is too tired and I'm not.

She's taken to stopping mid feed to smile up at me adorable! 7 weeks tom - loving feeding her

holding

Hi girls, just checking in. It's all going really well for us, 12 weeks in now. I read that at this stage he should be getting more efficient at feeding times, but my little guy is on the boob for an hour when he feeds. He takes himself off after about half an hour, I burp him and offer him more, and he goes back on for a half an hour, before taking himself off again and refusing any more. Is this okay? Should I be not offering more? Just want to make sure I'm doing it all right

Oral Slang

My little one was never really an efficient feeder, always took ages. Even now at 20 months, she'd latch on all day if she could.
I reckon when no. 2 comes along though, baby will need to be a more efficient feeder, as I won't have the same amount of time to sit down & just let him/her feed & feed, with an energetic 2 year old to entertain.

Nead21

Probably depends on the baby Holding. Sometimes by little man will feed for an hour, sometimes 15 minutes very efficiently...depends on how lazy he's being!! He's 10weeks old.

Sometimes i worry i'm not doing it right anymore either but he's happy in between feeds, putting on weight and has plenty of nappies....it's so nerve wrecking being a first time mum though!

How Strange

OMG DL I can only fantasize about sleeping from 10-4 and there's no way this guzzler will be dropping any feeds anytime soon. She has one stretch of 4 hours and then it's every 2 hours.

Holding is your little lad gaining weight and got lots of wet and dirty nappies?

Maybe watch him feeding and see if he stops actually feeding after a while. At that point try breast compressions and see if it makes a difference.

How Strange

Blueskye my friend breastfed her twins for over a year and I was always in awe of her. Best of luck with it.

dublinlady

How Strange wrote: »

OMG DL I can only fantasize about sleeping from 10-4 and there's no way this guzzler will be dropping any feeds anytime soon. She has one stretch of 4 hours and then it's every 2 hours.

Holding is your little lad gaining weight and got lots of wet and dirty nappies?

Maybe watch him feeding and see if he stops actually feeding after a while. At that point try breast compressions and see if it makes a difference.

She has her feed at 11 and sleep from 12-4 ish- so it's not that different - I just choose to get himself to give the expressed fir the 11 so I get sleep! With the 16 months old and her st 7 weeks I need my sleep!!!! With the break I'm happy fun mum all day - without it I'm sad cranky mum!! So it's a mo brainer for me in my situation and my inability to be chirpy without kip

Yeah my lady takes forever to feed too! An hr in total usually! I only got to 14 weeks with my first so no idea if she would have gotten more efficient !!!

Blueskye

Apologies in advance but I need somewhere to let off steam. Mother in law took babies for a walk to 'give me a break' (actually show them off to relatives). I've told her repeatedly they are feeding every 1.5 hours at the mo, growth spurt etc, so just take them for 1 hour. I have stopped her taking them for walks for a while cos she wouldn't respect my request to bring them back on time (she took them for 3 hour walk at 2 weeks old, both roaring crying on return, hormonal me in bits). I've let her walk them again only in the last week limiting it to one hour and it was going fine.

Then again today she disappeared for 2.5 hours, almost 3 hours. One little guy had clearly been roaring crying for some time and both were starved when they got back. She then proceeds to tell me I'm killing myself bf and should give formula in afternoon. I explained it will affect my supply, I choose not to etc...'give them hungry milk, get them into a routine'... .sorry for rant but they are only 7 weeks old. Apparently she bf her children but I'm not sure I believe her. She doesn't seem to get it at all. She wants to take babies overnight and obviously can't because I'm feeding them.

Oh completely useless in backing me up so it has me so mad.

Now I am exhausted after 3 v tough nights but formula won't solve that.

Between the crap GP and her just ugh!!! Luckily my parents are v supportive.

dublinlady

Oh bluesky u poor thing - what a wagon! I can only imagine how u felt watching the clock whilst sge was out! It's so unhelpful & stressful to do that! I had the very same issue with my inlaws recently but it was my toddler and the worst that could happen was she was stroppy for the whole evening cos she was out of routine & too hungry to eat ( she's fussy at best of times!) but to do that when they are so young is just mean! Good intentions are fine but when breast feeding they seem to often be useless..!

Nead21

Oh Blueskye you poor thing. You've every right to be upset. I would be furious. My mother in law was put out as she couldnt take my little man overnight and said that to me "you re the problem" as in we couldnt have a night out as i am bf. Unbelieveably hurtful.

Very cheeky and undermining not to respect your wishes and have them back at a certain time. You are their mother after all.

*hugs*

MintyDoris

Blueskye wrote: »

Apologies in advance but I need somewhere to let off steam. Mother in law took babies for a walk to 'give me a break' (actually show them off to relatives). I've told her repeatedly they are feeding every 1.5 hours at the mo, growth spurt etc, so just take them for 1 hour. I have stopped her taking them for walks for a while cos she wouldn't respect my request to bring them back on time (she took them for 3 hour walk at 2 weeks old, both roaring crying on return, hormonal me in bits). I've let her walk them again only in the last week limiting it to one hour and it was going fine.

Then again today she disappeared for 2.5 hours, almost 3 hours. One little guy had clearly been roaring crying for some time and both were starved when they got back. She then proceeds to tell me I'm killing myself bf and should give formula in afternoon. I explained it will affect my supply, I choose not to etc...'give them hungry milk, get them into a routine'... .sorry for rant but they are only 7 weeks old. Apparently she bf her children but I'm not sure I believe her. She doesn't seem to get it at all. She wants to take babies overnight and obviously can't because I'm feeding them.

Oh completely useless in backing me up so it has me so mad.

Now I am exhausted after 3 v tough nights but formula won't solve that.

Between the crap GP and her just ugh!!! Luckily my parents are v supportive.

I don't post here very often but I just wanted to send you some hugs. That's a terribly disrespectful thing for her to do. You poor love, you must have been very upset x

Neyite

Blueskye, she is unbelievealby disrespectful!

Thankfully I didnt encounter anyone trying to take my newborn overnight. I dont get that - they are newborns, not a bloody dvd! I would be double wary of anyone who wanted to have my child without me overnight - I'd assume that they want to do things "their" way without interference from me, and I've no interest in giving my child to mind for an extended length of time to someone who disregarded my wishes.

Neither granny had any experience of breasfeeding when I was breastfeeding. MIL did express doubt to my SIL that baby was getting enough, but was happy enough when it was explained to her and nothing was ever said to me. My mother never breastfed but was hugely supportive and when I would from time to time tell her an interesting BF fact she came to realise that its tailor made for baby and is a huge fan of BF'ing mammies now.

But you do, when the dust has settled, let your OH know that he has to fully back you to his mother - he is the other parent and what you both decide for your family is a joint decision. If she knows she is up against two of you she might be less likely to step out of line.