The Breast Feeding Support Thread

cyning

It's not a maternity hospital: she was in for investigations on a heart murmur. I was so upset at the time. Ill send you a pm with the hospital name I swore I was only feeding for 6 months too: I am weaning-ish now I think a year is my limit!

I know next time (when I get over the fear of being pregnant again!) ill be more assertive. They did that with my nipples too and just shoved my nipple straight in her mouth. If they'd noticed the VERY obvious lip tie I mightn't have found breastfeeding so painful. And wouldn't have needed shields etc. I would never have kept breastfeeding without the support of my PHN and the nurse in my docs who's a LC.

kvicka

Hi:) Please help----my LO is now almost 8 months. we are still bf and loving it---my intentions are to bf for as long as possible. Unfortunately I ll have to return to work in 2 months time. its an abs dilemma to think that i will miss out on our day time feeds...they are so precious to me and her....so I ve been checking the internet but am none the wiser whether in Ireland I am entitled to time off during the day to go and BF my child...does anyone know for sure? Any comments on this are muchly appreciated

kvicka

BTW well done you all for breastfeeding I think we rock

LilMrsDahamsta

highly1111 wrote: »

Girls does anyone have any advice on how to stop leaking.

My baby is 9 days old and I've a massive amount of milk. I fed my first two children and it was the same. I know its a good complaint. But I can't stop leaking. I'm going through at least 3 bras, tops and 2 pairs of pjs a day. For example just now I fed her off my right and my left is leaking madly. The let down reflex applied to both boobs! As soon as she lets out the tiniest cry my let down reflex goes - my body just tunes into her. She was lying on my last night for cuddles - lifted her - soaked.

I've tried every breast pad going and I find them all useless. They never stay in place for me or if they do they're nowhere absorbent enough. Im totally paranoid now with visitors and am constantly washing nursing bras and tops!!

Anyone any suggestions?? (and I know supply will regulate with her but if anyone has any tricks I'd appreciate them)

Thanks

Can you feel when you're going to leak? If you can, or as soon as you notice, hit them fairly gently with the inside of your arm or palm of your hand. You might need to do it 3 or 4 times, but it stops the flow very quickly. I have a ridiculous let down reflex, so I do this even during feeds while I'm burping him and rarely loose more than a drop or two. You can kind of train yourself after a while to be more alert for it. I found I got good pretty quickly when I stopped wearing breast pads; it made it easier to feel the leaking starting and stop it immediately. I don't know if it would work for everyone, but it did for me!

wolfpawnat

dublinlady wrote: »

Wolf -That's awful they treated u like that! I get that they do need , well it sometimes help, if they pinch your boob in a way to show you how to make it easier fir the baby to latch - but it should not be sore!! Make sure and speak up if they do that and don't let then knock your confidence!! I found I got conflicting advise from every different midwife while in hosp and it really upset me - I didn't know what was right! But knowing that I wanted to succeed urged me to push on and follow my gut and find our way! Then at day 9 due to advise on here I got a lactation consultant to the house - it had all gone horribly wrong within a day or two and she just fixed us! Haven't looked back since - so so glad !

I was young and very scared. This time I will not allow myself to be spoken down to or be manhandled. I know they are busy and whatnot, but throwing formula milk at every girl is not the way to do it. Seriously, they kept giving me formula milk saying it was easier, rather than taking 15 minutes to show me calmly how to do it. And when I asked for my MIL to leave, it was brushed off, she is not a nice woman and is already making comments about failing again.

I am so scared of failing again, not for me, I am not going to beat myself up about it, I will try everything I can, but I won't pressure myself, but I fear the comments, not that I will ever let her know that! Hence why I am prepping now in advance.

Neyite

kvicka wrote: »

Hi:) Please help----my LO is now almost 8 months. we are still bf and loving it---my intentions are to bf for as long as possible. Unfortunately I ll have to return to work in 2 months time. its an abs dilemma to think that i will miss out on our day time feeds...they are so precious to me and her....so I ve been checking the internet but am none the wiser whether in Ireland I am entitled to time off during the day to go and BF my child...does anyone know for sure? Any comments on this are muchly appreciated

I dont think you are entitled, no. Maternity leave used to be 13 weeks many years ago but is now 26 weeks with an optional unpaid 16 weeks to facilitate breastfeeding. Add into that your annual leave entitlements and public holidays that accrue, you might stretch that out to a year. If you have a very accommodating and understanding employer, you might be able to work out something with them, such as unpaid leave or flexi time to do so, but its unlikely and entirely at your employers discretion.

I think expressing for use when you are not there is your only solution.

highly1111

LilMrsDahamsta wrote: »

Can you feel when you're going to leak? If you can, or as soon as you notice, hit them fairly gently with the inside of your arm or palm of your hand. You might need to do it 3 or 4 times, but it stops the flow very quickly. I have a ridiculous let down reflex, so I do this even during feeds while I'm burping him and rarely loose more than a drop or two. You can kind of train yourself after a while to be more alert for it. I found I got good pretty quickly when I stopped wearing breast pads; it made it easier to feel the leaking starting and stop it immediately. I don't know if it would work for everyone, but it did for me!

I kinda can to be honest. I know when they're engorged but she's not due a feed and are about to leak.

What do you hit? The nipple? The side? (Sorry for stupid question) Makes sense to do it during the feeds too - my milk just spurts out all over her face like a hose!! I'll try anything at this stage!

highly1111

kvicka wrote: »

Hi:) Please help----my LO is now almost 8 months. we are still bf and loving it---my intentions are to bf for as long as possible. Unfortunately I ll have to return to work in 2 months time. its an abs dilemma to think that i will miss out on our day time feeds...they are so precious to me and her....so I ve been checking the internet but am none the wiser whether in Ireland I am entitled to time off during the day to go and BF my child...does anyone know for sure? Any comments on this are muchly appreciated

Under Section 9 of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) Act 2004 certain women in employment who are breastfeeding are entitled to take time off work each day in order to breastfeed. The provision applies to all women in employment who have given birth within the previous 6 months. Employers are not obliged to provide facilities in the workplace to facilitate breastfeeding if the provision of such facilities would give rise to considerable costs. At the choice of her employer, the woman may therefore opt to:

• Breastfeed in the workplace or express breast milk, where facilities are provided in the workplace by the employer
• Have their working hours reduced (without loss of pay) to facilitate breastfeeding where facilities are not made available.

Women who are in employment and are breastfeeding are entitled to take 1 hour (with pay) off work each day as a breastfeeding break. This time may be taken as;

• One 60 minute break
• Two 30 minute breaks
• Three 20 minute breaks

You should note, that breaks may be longer and more frequent if agreed between the woman and her employer. Part-time workers are also entitled to breastfeeding breaks, calculated on a pro-rata basis.
The provision for women to breastfeed at work was brought into effect on the 18th October, 2004 through SI 654 of 2004 Maternity Protection (Protection of Mothers who are Breastfeeding) Regulations 2004.
The HSE have produced a useful guide for employers, employees and co-workers entitled Breastfeeding and Work (pdf).

How Strange

kvicka if you work in the private sector then you're not entitled to time off to breastfeed or express. I think the public sector may have an agreement of some sort.

As for breastfeeding past 6 months; I'd never planned to continue past 6 months on my son. I'd never intended to go past 6 weeks initially :P
Once we got up and running my intention was to wean onto solids at 6 months and change over to formula as I was going back to work. However, at around 5 months, I read that Dr Jack Newman said 2-3 breastfeeds in 34 hours are nutritionally sufficient for a baby over 6 months and they can last throughout the day without breastfeeds if they're fed on demand once you're with them. So I decided to give it a go and it worked fine and we kept going to 1 year.

Cyning fair play for complaining. There's enough iron in the 6 months + formula to knock a horse over but it's added in the expectation that a minute bit will be absorbed. Most of it doesn't. The attitudes to breastfeeding in this country by the healthcare professionals are truly disgraceful and shocking but I think it stems from the basic but fundamental belief that both are equal from a nutritional point of view so why bother with breastfeeding if formula us as good. All we can do is complain when we receive bad service or wrong information and hope that things will change.

However it's interesting to see how one now discredited report about a lack of iron in breast milk has stuck and is often being repeated by hcps but they rarely refer to the studies which show formula fed babies are more likely to suffer from gastroenteritis etc.

iguana

Not only that but dairy impedes absorption of iron so the main effect putting a load of iron into formula made of cow's milk will have is to constipate the baby. While on the other hand the smaller amounts of iron in breastmilk are very easily absorbed and the breastmilk doesn't impede absorption of iron from other sources. I give Sam dried apricots as a snack as they are full of iron and vit C which aids the absorption of iron and we eat plenty of hummus and chickpeas, which are brilliant sources of easily absorbed iron.

MurdyWurdy

I always find the advertisers claims about iron in follow on milk strange - if the baby is on follow on milk then they 're on solids too do can get iron in their diet otherwise. Why would you need special formula as well?

Those shells sound great - what a brilliant idea!

Does anyone have any advice on bikinis and breastfeeding? We're about to book a sun holiday for October and I know I need to look for a bikini now because there'll be none in the shops by October. My boobs are massive (i feel like i have udders!) so none of the bikinis I already own will fit on top and I want one with good support. Anyone know a good place to look?

How Strange

Your breast size will most likely change a couple of times before then so I wouldn't buy anything just yet. You'll change after 6 weeks and probably again after 12 weeks.

Are you in Dublin? I know there's a lingerie shop in ranelagh who specialises in breastfeeding clothes. Also brown Thomas are quite good but there's fig leaves on line too.

I got a bikini in penny's when I was feeding my son but there's no access for feeding if you know what I mean but I'm too pale to sunbathe so I mightn't even wear it this time around on hols.

highly1111

Murdy i find debenhams brilliant for bikinis as the tops on some of their ranges are done by bra size rather than regular sizes. I got a good few there a few summers ago up in the square in tallaght.

MurdyWurdy

Thanks ladies - I'll have a look in Debenhams and see. I did look on figleaves and saw one I really like but choosing a size is the hard part, especially if my size will change. I'm wearing a 34H nursing bra but I'm normally a 32DD. I think trying one on in a shop would be best.

The thing is an underwired bra type top would give me the most support but it would be hard to get my boobs out of it to feed. I 'm not sure what style would be best for that? I'm going to try on all my bikinis later and see how bad they are. My stomach is almost back to normal so not worried about that - just the massive boobs!

dublinlady

MurdyWurdy wrote: »

Thanks ladies - I'll have a look in Debenhams and see. I did look on figleaves and saw one I really like but choosing a size is the hard part, especially if my size will change. I'm wearing a 34H nursing bra but I'm normally a 32DD. I think trying one on in a shop would be best.

The thing is an underwired bra type top would give me the most support but it would be hard to get my boobs out of it to feed. I 'm not sure what style would be best for that? I'm going to try on all my bikinis later and see how bad they are. My stomach is almost back to normal so not worried about that - just the massive boobs!

I am just in awe of ur proportions!!!!!

MurdyWurdy

Lol! I am looking very top heavy these days my mum was watching me breastfeed last night and said she hoped they wouldn't permanently be this big - think she was a bit shocked!

dublinlady

MurdyWurdy wrote: »

Lol! I am looking very top heavy these days my mum was watching me breastfeed last night and said she hoped they wouldn't permanently be this big - think she was a bit shocked!

After breast feeding my first mine completely deflated
Back to big again now (dd) but dread to see them after this one!!! I was c to start - dd when pregnant - b after - dd when pregnant!

How Strange

My husband was wondering this morning if I would keep the big boobs this time around. The last time they were even smaller than usual once I stopped feeding so I reckon they'll be like two fried eggs this time :S

Funny thing about temporarily having big boobs is that all my usual tops don't suit me. V necks on the other hand look fab!

LilMrsDahamsta

highly1111 wrote: »

I kinda can to be honest. I know when they're engorged but she's not due a feed and are about to leak.

What do you hit? The nipple? The side? (Sorry for stupid question) Makes sense to do it during the feeds too - my milk just spurts out all over her face like a hose!! I'll try anything at this stage!

Yea, the nipple area. Just give it a quick couple of knocks and it stops. But not so hard it hurts! It was the only useful bit if advice the PHN ever gave me, and she learned it from her mother who thought it was the norm back when more people breastfed. If you're out and about, no one will have a clue what you're doing if you do it with your inner forearm. Only problem I had was hubby could tell when I was thinking about the baby and took the piss out of "patting the boobs".

MurdyWurdy

Oh god, I didn't know they deflated! I really hope they don't end up down to my knees. I'm happy to go back to my original cup size though!

I saw two bikinis I really like on figleave.com - one a bra style and one halter neck. I'm thinking halter neck might be easier for breastfeeding? Given that you could untie the top and pull it down on one side? I might not buy one for a month or two anyway, I'll wait and see what happens to my boobs!

kvicka

thanks ladies

dublinlady

kvicka wrote: »

thanks ladies

28 degrees where I am today - struggling with feeding her cos we both so hot - do before 3 of the feeds today ive had icy showers!

Oral Slang

Yeah my boobs also deflated from feeding - were a C before baby, a B after 20 months of feeding. I'm 21 weeks pregnant now & not sure of my size. They only grew very recently, were very small up to about 15 weeks.

Oral Slang

kvicka wrote: »

Hi:) Please help----my LO is now almost 8 months. we are still bf and loving it---my intentions are to bf for as long as possible. Unfortunately I ll have to return to work in 2 months time. its an abs dilemma to think that i will miss out on our day time feeds...they are so precious to me and her....so I ve been checking the internet but am none the wiser whether in Ireland I am entitled to time off during the day to go and BF my child...does anyone know for sure? Any comments on this are muchly appreciated

Hi kvicka, as the others said if you are private sector then you aren't entitled to any time off. Civil Service are entitled to breastfeeding breaks up until the child is 2. I work in a voluntary hospital & went back when my little one was 10 months, like yourself & thankfully they have a breastfeeding room & allowed me breaks to pump. I only pumped until she was 11 months but to be honest she didn't want the expressed milk, so she mostly fed before & after work & overnight. Once she hit 1, I gave her a beaker of cows milk as well as water going to the childminders. Still feeding now at 20 months, 21 weeks pregnant & working a 4 day week, so going back to work definitely does not need to mean an end to feeding.

MurdyWurdy

Went to a breastfeeding support meeting at the local health centre - it was great to meet other mums. Also My LO was weighed and at 3 weeks old is 10oz heavier than his birth weight so I'm pleased. I must be doing something right!

mseliot

Hi, I definitely know how hard it is. I breastfeed my twins for 5 months. So keep it up, it is worth it. If you need any advice or support do not hesitate in contacting me:). I got a great support from Rebeca - breastfeeding classes in CUH. She is definitely the one you should contact if you have any problems. I found that breastfeeding is not very popular in Ireland and can't understand why???

aknitter

mseliot - there are many reasons but at least it seems to be making a come back here. My eldest is 14 and I see a massive difference even in that lenght of time. It more acceptable and understood now. But you still have the mammys of my mothers generation who don't like it and to them a happy baby is fed every 4 hours and sleeps most of the rest of the time. Seeing the health benefits to my kids, my mother is now all for breastfeeding (and the weight loss for me helps!)

holding

Well I got a great tip from a friend of mine when I was nervous about feeding in front of people. She said not to make eye contact and just get on with it. Started this last week, and happy to say now that I've been 7 days scarf free! Delighted really. It was starting to make me feel bad that I was covering the little guy up so much when he fed, as if he was doing something wrong. Not any more. It's a combo of the not making eye contact with people around us, plus him getting better at latching on, plus me wearing a top over a top so that I'm pretty discreet anyway. Anyway just thought I'd pass that on as I feel it's a real milestone for me

Nead21

Well done Holding, i find every public feed is a little victory achieved :-) On sunday we were in town and although it wasnt long after i had fed my little man he started roaring in the pram for another one. I started to panic a little cause i wasnt in a cafe or anything and i didnt want to go in anywhere with him screaming his head off. There was a bench nearby so i just sat down and fed him and everything was grand again :-)

holding

I have to say, I am that much quicker to feed and soothe him when I'm not worried about fiddling about to be more discreet. I just whip out the nipple section of my boob, hold him near it, and bobs your uncle. Much less crying in my life now!

Found this article online the other day and loved it http://www.naturalchild.org/guest/elizabeth_baldwin.html Thought of you girls here.