The Breast Feeding Support Thread

ebmma

ani_mal wrote: »

Ladies

I need help.. I'm breastfeeding (of course) but have horrible urge for sweets!! I can't help it, can't stand it. trying to substitute with some other things but it's just not working. Anyone has the same?

are you worried about your milk or your figure? If its the milk - don't worry and have a sweet just make sure you eat healthily apart from that (for your own sake).

go for healthier sweets like fruit (fresh and dried), dark chocolate instead of milk, home made flapjacks stuff like that.

i had terrible cravings for Dr. Pepper. and chocolate. If your baby is not reacting to stuff you eat and you have and a reasonably good diet there's no need to worry.

jimmyendless

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=155336247828160

This event might be of interest to people in the Cork area.

lynski

ani_mal wrote: »

Ladies

I need help.. I'm breastfeeding (of course) but have horrible urge for sweets!! I can't help it, can't stand it. trying to substitute with some other things but it's just not working. Anyone has the same?

when i was in the hospital and in the first few weeks at home i was so hungry when i fed, i kept a pack of natural confectionery company jellies handy so i could munch through the feed, as i was so hungry! A big glass of water is essential, a banana is also great, dried fruit is fab, but for the first few weeks have you sweets, there is no harm.

lynski

Cat Melodeon wrote: »

Meant to recommend a nursing bra too. I also got one from the Anita range - very soft, stretchy but still supportive. Make sure that whatever one you buy doesn't have an underwire, especially if you are larger breasted as the wire can restrict milk flow and lead to blocked ducts. I got mine from the site below:
http://www.nursingbra-shop.co.uk

The irish midwives are very big on the old dont use an underwired bra when pregant or nursing, not such a big deal elsewhere, my sis in UK was never advised of this.
I am huge (G/H cup) and if i wear anything that is not underwired i am in pain.
I ended up wearing a soft cup nursing bra AND a secret support vest when i was attempting to go without underwire.
BUT now i have found these lovely people http://www.change.com/view.php?template=collection_view&page_id=4&menu_id=63
Have not tried their nursing bras yet, but their other ones are so comfy, I am looking forward to it! they are in santry and limerick here

wmpdd3

Will my milk ever come?

gave birth 7 days ago, still only able to express 20 ml every 3 hrs. I have been expressing with the electronic pump since 24 hrs after birth as she wouldn't latch on. I give her the 20mls in a bottle and they go down in 3 mins then it takes her 30 mins to drink 30mls of aptamil.

I used the Medula one in the hospital and I have the avent elecrronic / manual. Tried hand expressing, only got drops.

Less than 2 oz is just not enough going in to her and she has jaundise too, so needs fluids. I plan on trying to get her to latch on again once I have enough milk to sustain her as with the bottle feds her stomach has probably expanded.

I think if I was able to produce 3oz,she'd have it drank in 20 mins and have time to get sleep in.

Grawns

Poor you - know how worrying it is. Try increasing your expressing to every 2 hours and offer her your boob too. Lie down beside her and encourgae her to latch. Best of luck

ani_mal

wmpdd3 wrote: »

Will my milk ever come?

I would not worry too much. first days are always hard. then I started to drink tea for breastfeeding mums (I got fennel tea) and my milk came next day.
regarding expressing. the best way to express milk is when your breast is all hard then it means its full. I only got milk when I was feeding my baby 2 months. Then I started to have more milk and easier express it. I can get even 100ml within one extraction.

so dont give up, you are doing a great job

ani_mal

lynsky

I totaly agree with you. I got bra size 34H and one I got without wires and its a disaster. my breasts are so heavy and gravitation is so hard on them So I got one with wire and its much better job for such a big breasts.

lynski

wmpdd3 wrote: »

Will my milk ever come?

gave birth 7 days ago, still only able to express 20 ml every 3 hrs. I have been expressing with the electronic pump since 24 hrs after birth as she wouldn't latch on. I give her the 20mls in a bottle and they go down in 3 mins then it takes her 30 mins to drink 30mls of aptamil.

I used the Medula one in the hospital and I have the avent elecrronic / manual. Tried hand expressing, only got drops.

Less than 2 oz is just not enough going in to her and she has jaundise too, so needs fluids. I plan on trying to get her to latch on again once I have enough milk to sustain her as with the bottle feds her stomach has probably expanded.

I think if I was able to produce 3oz,she'd have it drank in 20 mins and have time to get sleep in.

Try latching her again, watch some videos online, or read up in some books. my dd was supposedly latched prpoerly for the first 2 weeks, according to PHNs and midwives, but she wasn't. things got a lot easier when i started to get her on properly.
AFAIK Your baby latching is the only way that you will produce milk

Das Kitty

lynski wrote: »

AFAIK Your baby latching is the only way that you will produce milk

Not so. But it is the best way.

You can pump exclusively but it's hard work, you have to pump every 2 hours around the clock, continuing to pump after the breast is empty.

The baby's sucking stimulates the breast far better than any other way.

You could always use nipple shields. I know plenty of people who always used shields and it allowed them to continue breast feeding where they wouldnt have been able to otherwise.

wmpdd3

I didn't know it was good to keep pumping after each breast was empty, that's a good tip, but at 15 mins per breast every 2 hours, I have no life!

Should have bought a double pump. In the last 24 hrs it looks like I'm getting less milk.

I'll try skin to skin tonight and see how we get on. I get the feeling my time is running out to establish a good supply of milk.

fi1979

I feel for you and the difficulties you are having. I know when I started the amount of milk I was producing was very small, but you must remember that a new baby's tummy is about the size of a marble and cannot hold much anyway. As time goes by you produce more and they in turn can take in more.
I would recommend that you continue to try to get the baby to latch on as it is the easiest way.
The other point to remember is that the baby will naturally encourage your let-down reflex, this is more difficult to do when expressing. I know I hadn't expressed in nearly 2 months, and recenly started again so I would have some milk to mix with baby rice (starting to wean) and I found I could barely get anything though when she feeds herself, she'll get her full share anytime.
The books say when expressing you should look at your baby (or a pic of) and think of them while relaxing as much as possible to encourage the letdown reflex. Perhaps you should get hold of a book on the topic, I know they gave me a lot of confidence when I was starting out.
Hope that is of some help :rolleyes:

ani_mal

I breastfeed and have hardly any time need to organise myself very well before I want to go anywhere:) between feedings, but I know its for the good.
I talk to my son, and sometimes he grins or even smiles and that's very rewarding.

my husband feeds him sometimes from the bottle with special tits (breastflow.co.uk which is nearly as real breast) junior drinks it within seconds and then quickly passes out to sleep so the longes I have is 2 hrs for myself.

Das Kitty

wmpdd3 wrote: »

I didn't know it was good to keep pumping after each breast was empty, that's a good tip, but at 15 mins per breast every 2 hours, I have no life!

Should have bought a double pump. In the last 24 hrs it looks like I'm getting less milk.

I'll try skin to skin tonight and see how we get on. I get the feeling my time is running out to establish a good supply of milk.

Time isn't running out. I stopped 5 months ago and I still have a little milk. I could actually probably still relactate if I really wanted / needed to.

I know it's difficult but the more you relax the easier it will come. You can try stroking your baby's skin whilst pumping.

The pumping for longer than milk comes out sends signals to the glands that more milk is needed.

If I were you I'd buy a set of nipple shields. You would be amazed at how much you will produce when a little person goes to work!

wmpdd3

Would you reccommend the avent ones, I could pick them up tommorrow.

Das Kitty

wmpdd3 wrote: »

Would you reccommend the avent ones, I could pick them up tommorrow.

Avent are what I had but there are also MAM ones that look good. Definitely try to get ones that allow skin to skin.

littlemissfixit

Hi!

I am a worried new mum and would really like to know if anybody else has experience the following and could reassure me that all will be fine.

Baby girl was born 2 weeks ago at 37 and half weeks, at the good weight of 3.89. She did not feed well the first two days in hospital, she was very tired the poor thing, and she lost her 10% weight in those two days before discharged and I was told by the nurses to supplement with formula, which put me in a lot of distress as I was afraid that would jeopardise our chances at breastfeeding. They done blood test etc, and all was fine.
I breastfed and supplement a little, and she was only weighted again at 10 days, when we found she had lost more weight (15% from birthweight at that stage). I went back to hospital and test were all fine again, but weight loss is worrying.
Still breastfeeding and supplementing a lot more now.
Thursday weight was up but by only 40g in 1day and half which is not much. Going again tomorrow, hopefully the weight has picked up.

She sometimes feeds really well on breast and seems content, sometimes she doesn't. She takes the bottle really well sometimes, and sometimes she doesn't. So I am up and down with her as my stress level go up when I feel she don't get enough in one feed, and down when she has a real good one. She rarely wakes up for feeds, I wake her every 2h and half.

Has anyone experience such weight loss, and has everything sorted itself? I sometimes can't help but feel so helpless and guilty I can't even do something as fundamental as feed her right.

Cat Melodeon

Okay, first of all yes, most of this is completely normal so take a deep breath and try to lose some of the stress. The bits that are normal for a breastfed baby are:

->10% weight loss, completely and utterly normal. Your milk doesn't come in until around day 4 or 5, there is no way your baby can put on weight before this time. 15% is more worrying, but make sure that the PHN/GP is using the correct WHO charts for breastfed babies, as the pattern of weight gain is different to that of formula fed babies.

->sometimes seeming content and sometimes not. This could be due to a number of factors, hunger being the most important one, wind being another likely one.

Hunger: Is she getting enough hindmilk? When you feed her first, you release the thirst-quenching foremilk - this is thin and kind of bluish in colour. After a few minutes, depending on your let-down and flow, this will begin to thicken. This is the much richer hindmilk and is what really sates them and fattens them up. If you are switching breasts too soon, she might not be getting enough hindmilk and this could explain why she isn't putting on enough weight and why she sometimes doesn't seem satisfied. If her dirty nappies are a bit greenish, it's a good indication that you're not leaving her on long enough before switching her. It's hard to tell when to switch, but really let her drain the first breast before moving on to the second.

Wind: Do you wind her half-way through and at the end? When she's finished, if you lay her on your tummy for a snooze and rub her back, it's very effective for getting wind up gently.

I am concerned that you are supplementing. As you probably know, this will affect your supply. I understand that you are very worried and I wouldn't want to contradict anything that any medical professional has told you (you haven't said what they advised at the second visit), but the best way to make sure a newborn breastfed baby isn't hungry is to feed for longer and more often. This will ensure you have a plentiful supply. When my lad was first born, we were feeding every hour and a half for the first three weeks. I thought it would never end, but he thrived and the feeds soon began to space themselves out.

If your PHN is telling you to supplement so early on in the game, I would be worried that s/he is not fully trained in breastfeeding support. They would do much better to refer you to a lactation consultant than taking the easy route of telling you to use formula. Contact La Leche League - they are not the crazy lactivists people make them out to be and will give you solid advice and possibly arrange to come and help you out. There is also an Irish website called the breast way - there are amazing resources on there, including a forum moderated by midwives and a GP trained as a lactation consultant.

You absolutely don't need to feel guilty, you are doing everything you can with the support you are getting. The helplessness thing is harder, I think every new mum goes through that (whether breastfeeding or not) and until you build up confidence that what you are doing is right, you will have bad days. Eventually the bad days shrink into hours and minutes until you hardly notice them at all.

The stress will affect your let down to, so try to relax as much as you can before each feed. There's no harm at all in the odd glass of beer to help loosen things up - my own personal favourite is a glass of prosecco before the bedtime feed, makes verything fuzzy and warm! Whatever about the alcohol, make sure you're getting plenty of fluids and eating well - a bowl of porridge for breakfast works wonders, as does fennel tea.

If you can access help from LLL or a consultant, get them to show you how to feed lying down, or just look it up online. It's a great way of resting while you feed and is much more comfortable than sitting if you've had 'work done' down below. I had an enormous amount of stitches and couldn't have continued breastfeeding without knowing how to do it lying down.

Here are some resources that might help you:

How to make sure your baby is getting enough hindmilk:
http://www.howcast.com/videos/356301-How-To-Make-Sure-Your-Baby-Gets-Enough-Hindmilk

The Breastway Ireland:
http://www.thebreastway.com/

La Leche League Ireland:
http://www.lalecheleagueireland.com/

Breastfeeding lying down:
http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/laydown.html

I hope these help. You're doing the right thing by going back to the clinic and getting all the tests done. Make sure though that they give you the correct support. Ask them about a consultant referral and for the contact details of the local breastfeeding support group. If there isn't one, ask them about La Leche League. If you show that you really want to breast feed, they will generally give you all the help they can. My PHN wasn't great, but said later that they are just terrified of promoting breastfeeding too much as some parents are so sensitive about it. Post-partum is a very emotional place to be, but if you don't push this a little bit now and force them to give you more support, you may find it all a bit too much. If you get over this tricky period here, you'll be flying it in no time. But if they don't help you enough, don't beat yourself up over it. You've done brilliantly this far. Good luck, let us know how it goes.

ani_mal

I would also consider changing formula, maybe she doesn't digest something? maybe she is alergic to lactoze? Ask doctors about it.

littlemissfixit

Well thanks for all this! I do have all the information I think because I always planned to bf from the start and had no intentions in supplementing but the doctors didn't give me a choice in the matter, supplementing right from end of day 2 in hospital, and then telling me everytime to top her up more with formula. My fear was as I said that my little girl would not take the breast anymore after having had the bottle.

The good news is the weight is back up, near her discharge weight so we are on the right track but that is with formula. I offer the breast everytime, and express so my supply I think is quite good. A lot of the times, dd latches on well and suckle swallow as well but rarely for more than 7-8 minutes and doesn't take the other side. And at night its more of a struggle, she is not interrested at all.
I have got so many conflicting infos from nurses, midwives and doctors, they seem to have different opinions on all aspects of it and its frankly very confusing.
Will see a lactating consultant this week, and will stick to what she says, I am hoping that when my little girl has reached her birth weight I will be able to wean her off the formula and breastfeed exclusively.

Trying to stay positive, even though it can be hard at 3am. She is a little star and I want to give her the best start possible.

Was our due date today, mad to think about it, I feel I have known her for ages already.

Thanks again!
It would still help to hear from people who have been through rocky starts and resolved everything!

ani_mal

I had the same at the hospital, each person working there had different opinion. But they supported me all the way with BF. Also when he was still hungry they top him up by 10ml at night so I can have a bit of sleep. and they used small spoon not bottle.

my baby drinks from the bottle but my husband has to feed him (only when Im out and might not be back within 1-2 hrs) he won't take bottle from me. it simulates breast milk flow. Developed to encourage baby to use the same suction and compression as used in breastfeeding check it out http://www.breastflow.co.uk/ I'm very happy with these bottles.
I think the only shop you can get them is mothercare.

however I still prefer to breastfeed. Can you imagine how many people think that I SHOULD bottle feed!! they say it as they would be upset about me doing the other way. it pisses me off instead of support me because IT IS challenging to breastfeed they are upset about it.
anyone experienced the same?

lynski

I breastfed my 2 and the amount of people who say things like ' aren't you great', 'how long do you plan to', 'ah no nights out for you', 'are you stuck under him/her', my mom was the worst, really really un-supportive and did not understand how or why we would want to do something so hard. My sis also bf around the same time as me and she had the same 'sympathy' from mom and her mil. not knowing any better, I fed them with a one bottle a day for the late evening feed - firstly ebm and then formula and if i was out hubbie or whoever was minding gave them a bottle. unfortunately as they got older they learned to hold the bottle themselves, which they loved so they self-weaned around 6/7 mths as they wanted to have the control. I will not be doing it this time.
It is so frustrating when people are 'sympathetic' and 'understand' and try to offer you advice, about how you should suppliment - sure one bottle will do not harm and you get a night off! the bf time is so short, and where is the rush back to the life you had before - why bother having children if you want the same life you had before you had children?
Because my ds and dd were 90% of the time no bother at all to feed - 15 mins per feed, fed on a routine and gained weight at record rates. the amount of problems i had were so small and lasted such a short time, when i look back, that i can't ever imagine artificially feeding a child. I hated formula feeding - it is such a pain to make bottles and sterilise and blah blah.
Secondly, I did not do any real reading about bf or af when i was pg with my first 2, so i guess i was lucky to have an easy enough time. I have done a lot more research this time and am so sorry i ever af the last 2. My ds had lots of chest infections after i finished bf and my dd developed Secondary lactose intolerance, which meant she was off formula and dairy from 11 mths until recently.
When you look through even the most basic info, on reputable sites, there is no reason for bf to be such a big deal!
It should be illegal for af companies to sponsor bf sites, bf advertising and bf information. be very careful where you get your information from, you will find comparing answers from somewhere like Kellysmom with what you get on http://www.mumslikeus.ie/ Aptimils breastfeeding 'support' site. there will be subtle differences, incomplete info and language that undermines 'the breast is not best - it is simply normal' message.

hamlet1

littlemissfixit wrote: »

Hi!

I am a worried new mum and would really like to know if anybody else has experience the following and could reassure me that all will be fine.

Baby girl was born 2 weeks ago at 37 and half weeks, at the good weight of 3.89. She did not feed well the first two days in hospital, she was very tired the poor thing, and she lost her 10% weight in those two days before discharged and I was told by the nurses to supplement with formula, which put me in a lot of distress as I was afraid that would jeopardise our chances at breastfeeding. They done blood test etc, and all was fine.
I breastfed and supplement a little, and she was only weighted again at 10 days, when we found she had lost more weight (15% from birthweight at that stage). I went back to hospital and test were all fine again, but weight loss is worrying.
Still breastfeeding and supplementing a lot more now.
Thursday weight was up but by only 40g in 1day and half which is not much. Going again tomorrow, hopefully the weight has picked up.

She sometimes feeds really well on breast and seems content, sometimes she doesn't. She takes the bottle really well sometimes, and sometimes she doesn't. So I am up and down with her as my stress level go up when I feel she don't get enough in one feed, and down when she has a real good one. She rarely wakes up for feeds, I wake her every 2h and half.

Has anyone experience such weight loss, and has everything sorted itself? I sometimes can't help but feel so helpless and guilty I can't even do something as fundamental as feed her right.

put her on a bottle,stop weighing her and start enjoying her.breastfeeding is totally overrated and bottle fed babies are just as healthy as breastfed ones.plus someone else can feed the baby a bottle so that you arent permanently latched on and you can have a life.

lynski

hamlet1 wrote: »

put her on a bottle,stop weighing her and start enjoying her.breastfeeding is totally overrated and bottle fed babies are just as healthy as breastfed ones.plus someone else can feed the baby a bottle so that you arent permanently latched on and you can have a life.

That is EXACTLY the kind of advice that is unhelpful. I am not even going to get started on how breastmilk is the food designed for babies and artificial formula milk is a substitute for breastmilk.
This forum is for the support of breastfeeding not undermining it.

implausible

hamlet1 wrote: »

put her on a bottle,stop weighing her and start enjoying her.breastfeeding is totally overrated and bottle fed babies are just as healthy as breastfed ones.plus someone else can feed the baby a bottle so that you arent permanently latched on and you can have a life.

Why would you bother posting on the 'Support Thread' if you aren't offering support? Formula feeding mothers get just as worried about weighing their babies and if you think that breastfeeding mothers are 'permanently latched on', you don't know much about it. And as for the last bit - if having a life is avoiding a bit of discomfort initially, hanging onto your baby weight and leaving your baby for a few days at a time in the first few months, then no thanks!

littlemissfixit

I do enjoy my little girl, every minute I spend with her. Breastfed or bottlefed is a personal choice and I have no judgement against people who decide for the bottle. Only I always wanted to breasfeed my daughter, always thought it was the best and it can really get to you when it is so difficult.

So the update is, after seeing a lactation consultant twice, they haven't a clue why we are not getting there. Positioning is good, latching is good most of the time but sucking isn't. I have been expressing since the start, so that she can get breastmilk anyway and that my supply is not diminishing. She has reached her birth weight now at 3 weeks which is a great relief. I am still trying her on the breast when she is fully awake and trying to keep spirit that we will get there some time.
My gut instinct tells me that I should have never agreed to the bottle in hospital, I have read now about plenty of other method of feeding that don't involve artificial nipple and I dont understand how hospitals which are claiming to be so much pro breastfeeding are so keen on introducing bottle early on.

Its a steep learning curve but she is worth every effort.

ani_mal

Ladies
Im BF and it appeared that I have postnatal depression. did anyone have any experience with antidepressants and breastfeeding?
I was given lexapro, but there haven't been much studies yet on taking lexapro and BF.

I would appreciate your feedback, because I hate hearing from people STOP BF!! grrr it annoys me

Das Kitty

ani_mal wrote: »

Ladies
Im BF and it appeared that I have postnatal depression. did anyone have any experience with antidepressants and breastfeeding?
I was given lexapro, but there haven't been much studies yet on taking lexapro and BF.

I would appreciate your feedback, because I hate hearing from people STOP BF!! grrr it annoys me

What did the doctor advise? Could you phone the paedatrician from where you gave birth? Having taken Lexapro in the past, it's a pretty intense drug and if I'm honest, I wouldn't want any of it getting to my baby. You need proper medical advice on this one.

Cat Melodeon

I wouldn't want to give any advice to you at all ani_mal, definitely stick with your GP's advice or ask to be referred to one with expertise in the area of PND & breastfeeding. I do know that some antidepressants have been shown to have lower transfer rates to infants than others - Zoloft and Paxil being two. Lexapro belongs to the same family of drugs (SSRIs) as the two mentioned - SSRIs are considered to be safer for use in pregnancy and during breastfeeding.

Some GPs simply recommend weaning, but studies show that for women who are strongly committed to breastfeeding, early weaning can actually strengthen the symptoms of depression. There is no agreement on whether the risks of transferring meds to the baby are outweighed by the advantages of breastfeeding.

I'd say speak to your doctor again or go to a different doctor if you feel unsure. Nothing worse than questioning if you're doing the right thing, and in this case looking after yourself takes priority over anything else.

ani_mal

Hi ladies, thx for feedback. I was just thinking more of someone who was taking lexapro and BF, to see what was the outcome for them. But maybe there is no one here.
I went for something like Zoloft- substitute I guess will see how it will go.