The Breast Feeding Support Thread

cyning

She did it to me a few months ago and I used take her off say no and if she did it again boob went bye bye and she stopped fairly lively: it was around the time she got her first tooth too.

This time she just laughs. She grabs my nipple between her four teeth and the pain is unreal. I do understand my supply has dipped and my milk probably doesn't taste like what she's used to but it's still so painful

wolfpawnat

Home a few days now and still going with the breast feeding. S loves it. Hopefully we keep going well my nipples are still a bit sore from the first few days but they are getting there. There was bleeding the other night, I got a bit of a shock when I took her off and saw blood. They get sore as she latches but once she is on there is no more pain. My breasts have gotten huge, anytime I move my arms they are in way and are leaking constantly, though I am not complaining, it means there is plenty there for her.

Tbh I am terrified of getting to the teething stage. I know I have a while to go yet but reading other people's experience I know that will be the stage I will most likely consider quitting.

aknitter

Ya I think teeth are my absolute limit too. Though other things may interfere before then, will play it by ear.

cyning

If you go back through my posts here you'll see I swore blank I was NEVER breastfeeding a child with teeth months later I've eaten my words. It's a phase like anything it's far easier than her really crappy latch on my right side for the first few months!

How Strange

Well done wolfpawnat for getting this far! That's one hell of an achievement. The sensation/sorenesswhen you latch is normal at the beginning but it fades away after a couple of weeks.

Enjoy the pornstar boobs!!! They don't last either

A is going through a very restless phase in the evenings. Tonight she screamed from 7 until 9 when I fed her again and chanced putting her in her cot. She was so exhausted from crying she conked out. It's exhausting all round though! She's 13 weeks and it's not colic or reflux (as she doesn't seem to be in any pain) so I suppose it's crankiness. She fights the sleep though and doesn't want to feed because she could have as much as she wanted if she did. I'm just hoping it passes in the next couple of weeks as I can't remember what it's like to have a quiet dinner or even watch tv after 8pm.

dublinlady

Well done wolfpawnat! The pain really does go - took me 2-3 weeks as had cracking , was passing blood clots into milk & all - yuck! but not a bother now!

HS - could it be a leap? Hard going hope she settles soon.
S just won't nap in day for longer than 30 mins - nights good but dats awful! Prob A screaming every 2 seconds doesn't help!

Digs

dublinlady wrote: »

Well done wolfpawnat! The pain really does go - took me 2-3 weeks as had cracking , was passing blood clots into milk & all - yuck! but not a bother now!

HS - could it be a leap? Hard going hope she settles soon.
S just won't nap in day for longer than 30 mins - nights good but dats awful! Prob A screaming every 2 seconds doesn't help!

I have a 30 - 45 minute napper too DL!! She sleeps the night 10 - 6/7 but during the day is different! Hope you're all doing well

MurdyWurdy

Digs wrote: »

I have a 30 - 45 minute napper too DL!! She sleeps the night 10 - 6/7 but during the day is different! Hope you're all doing well

Mine us the same even though he's only 6 weeks old. Unless he's out and about in the pram he rarely sleeps during the day for more than 30/40 minutes at a time. Then he's stuck to me. At least at night he goes longer between waking up. It'd be worse if it was the other way around.

I'm up with him at least 3 times a night (midnight -ish, 3-ish and 6-ish) and hearing babies sleeping 10 - 6/7 like yours Digs makes me jealous! What age did that start? I just can't picture how you can get them to sleep during the night from what we have currently!

Digs

MW I'm not sure, definitely absolutely nothing I'm doing so all down to the baby. I think especially for a BF baby we're pretty lucky. From 6 weeks ish she was sleeping 11 ish - 5 and then from 9 weeks on she went 10 - 7. Lately (as in last week) she has woken about 3am but usually a soother has put her back to sleep, althought given she had been so "good" up till then me and my husband panicked!!

Babies, especially with first time mums seems to be just feeling about in the dark. I got so worked up during the week about my LO not napping "properly" during the day I had to ring my mum in a heap and she quickly reassured me that as long as baby is happy we are doing a great job and to stay off google and forget about this need for routine!

MW I have been reading about your little man and keep meaning to MSG but hope things are a bit better, sounds like you're doing a great job. It's not easy is it?? So much different than I expected!!

wolfpawnat

In bits here. Little s grabbed on before I could help it now I have one very painful open sore boob. Its fricken painful. I've doused on lanolin (sp?) feeding from the other side. Going to tesco I'm the morning morning to get niPple shields. Ml

Drdoc

Long time lurker, first time poster!
I'm wondering if anyone has had the following problem. My little fella is now 3.5 months old and in the last week has started an annoying habit of latching on and pulling immediately off. He'll turn his head away for a few seconds and then repeat and do it over and over. It's as if he can't resist latching on but then decides he doesn't want anything. And he'd be due a feed at these times. I have a bit more success if I walk while feeding him. This has also coincided with a sudden refusal of a bottle and soother. Otherwise his form is ok and he's more than happy to suck on his hands etc. it's like a bad habit?

Digs I'm very jealous too. Our LOs are similar age and mine is still waking 2 hourly all night, sometimes even less. He does have silent reflux though so that may not be helping. He's also wont nap for more than 30 mins!

icescreamqueen

My sister delivered a Moby wrap to me earlier. I'm scared of it! Didn't realise there would be that much fabric. Does anyone have one and find it easy to actually make into a wrap? 8-O

How Strange

wolfpawnat just be careful with her latching today. Of she's not latching on properly taker her off using your little finger in the side of the mouth to break the seal and your nipples will heal very quickly. Breastmilk and wearing no bra will help them heal faster. You have to have your wits about you in the early days when they're latching.

We're doing 2-3 feeds between midnight and 6am. Most nights I can't remember how many we've done. Unfortunately that's normal and Digs got the rare one that sleep through.

A is teething and has started that pulling on the nipple too. O did it as well from this age onwards. It could be teething I suppose but they also start getting more inquisitive from here on so they're like meerkats sometimes; they're feeding away happily and next thing the head goes up to see what they're missing and you're left with your boob exposed to the world.

A only cat naps too unless we go to bed together and then we could sleep for 2,3 or 4 hours sometimes with a little feed in the middle. We only do that now after a bad night.

liliq

3.5/4 months was around the time I started using feeding rooms again when I was out and about because R would just be so nosy! It lasts a couple of weeks but settles down again after that.

Teeth were a limit for me too, but here we are with 20 teeth! :-o I did find its little uncomfortable the day or two before a tooth popped through, and molars changed his latch a little but breastfeeding had been great to give him a but of comfort when he's sore.

I left R overnight for the first time last night. He's 22 months and I forgot to bring a pump with me. I left my house at 1130am ish, was feeling a little full by 7/8pm, had to hand express at 4am (into a pint glass to see how much I could get, filled the glass!) but didn't get much relief. I had the boob job look by the time I woke up this morning, hand expressed again. Home at 1130am and my poor boy was stuffed with milk by the time he was done! That'll learn me to forget my pump!

taxus_baccata

icescreamqueen wrote: »

My sister delivered a Moby wrap to me earlier. I'm scared of it! Didn't realise there would be that much fabric. Does anyone have one and find it easy to actually make into a wrap? 8-O

If you are on facebook baby wearing Ireland is a great place to get advice!

MurdyWurdy

Digs wrote: »

MW I'm not sure, definitely absolutely nothing I'm doing so all down to the baby. I think especially for a BF baby we're pretty lucky. From 6 weeks ish she was sleeping 11 ish - 5 and then from 9 weeks on she went 10 - 7. Lately (as in last week) she has woken about 3am but usually a soother has put her back to sleep, althought given she had been so "good" up till then me and my husband panicked!!

Babies, especially with first time mums seems to be just feeling about in the dark. I got so worked up during the week about my LO not napping "properly" during the day I had to ring my mum in a heap and she quickly reassured me that as long as baby is happy we are doing a great job and to stay off google and forget about this need for routine!

MW I have been reading about your little man and keep meaning to MSG but hope things are a bit better, sounds like you're doing a great job. It's not easy is it?? So much different than I expected!!

It's definitely not easy! We had a horrific night last night - his reflux was bad and we were both up loads with him at various times. He was spitting up so much that he was feeding almost every hour just to keep himself full. I had expressed some milk so luckily hubby could do one feed but for most if the night at least one of us was awake at any given time. I have an appointment with a paediatrician tomorrow for his 6 week check so will be discussing our problems in detail!

Tonight I fed him at about 9 pm and then said I'd stay awake until his next feed which I expected to be around 11.30. It's now 1.15am and he still hasn't woken. It's the longest he's gone between feeds ever. I don't want to go asleep because I'll feel worse if he wakes up in twenty minutes and I don't want to wake him because it's do rare for him to be asleep soundly in his cot. He's just messing with me now! I was expecting the worst after last night. I just checked he was breathing because I was so surprised. Goes to show you can't predict babies.

MurdyWurdy

icescreamqueen wrote: »

My sister delivered a Moby wrap to me earlier. I'm scared of it! Didn't realise there would be that much fabric. Does anyone have one and find it easy to actually make into a wrap? 8-O

I have one and in general am ok with making it into a wrap - I learned from YouTube videos. Sometimes I have trouble though and for some reason just can't tie it right, it's like a sporadic mental block!

Oral Slang

wolfpawnat wrote: »

Home a few days now and still going with the breast feeding. S loves it. Hopefully we keep going well my nipples are still a bit sore from the first few days but they are getting there. There was bleeding the other night, I got a bit of a shock when I took her off and saw blood. They get sore as she latches but once she is on there is no more pain. My breasts have gotten huge, anytime I move my arms they are in way and are leaking constantly, though I am not complaining, it means there is plenty there for her.

Tbh I am terrified of getting to the teething stage. I know I have a while to go yet but reading other people's experience I know that will be the stage I will most likely consider quitting.

yeah, I also thought that teeth would be a no no, but my little one started getting teeth at about 4 months & there was no hope of me giving up that early. Still feeding now at 21 months & she's teething her final 4 teeth at the minute. Yes there's stages of biting, but they come & go, same as hitting, kicking etc in an older child. I just kept pulling her off the boob until she stopped & she soon got the message.

nikpmup

Hi there;

New to this thread, I will spend a while in the next few days reading through the entire thing (all 142 pages!) but for the moment I just wanted to pop in and say hi and introduce myself; and ask a few questions if that's okay?

I'm 27 weeks pregnant on my first, and I really want to breast feed, but I am literally clueless. I have one flattened/inverted nipple, and I'm worried that this will hinder things. My hospital (NMH) do offer breast feeding classes, but I wanted to ask you ladies if anyone had attended them, are they any good, and if not, where would you recommend I start? I'm in Blanchardstown in Dublin 15; I don't know if there's any support groups nearby that might be useful.

Thanks for any help folks x

MurdyWurdy

I have flat nipples! I use nipple shields and it works fine but it did make things difficult in the first week or so. I pumped for a week until his suck got stronger and then we were flying. They were slightly inverted too but by the time I had him the pregnancy had made them bigger and stick out. It might be worth contacting your health centre and asking can you see the lactation consultant in advance of the birth. You can be as prepared as possible then. They see a lot of women with flat nipples. Your hosp probably has classes too. I was in Holles st and they did. There's also la leche league who could help.

I just saw the paediatrician and he took J's reflux very seriously which is great. He prescribed the proper drugs for him which we have to give him in conjunction with the Gaviscon and all the other precautions we take. Fingers crossed it works! He was very against me giving up breast feeding to give him thickened formula which is great. I don't want to do that unless it's absolutely necessary.

nikpmup

Thanks MW, I must check out Holles St's breastfeeding classes, AFAIK they're walk in, but I'll have to check times etc so I can make it to at least a couple of classes. I bought a pair of medela nipple formers, it says you can use them from 30/32 weeks, they are supposed to help - I'll need a little expert help on choosing nipple shields I think! As for la leche league, I had a quick look at their website, it doesn't appear to have any meetings/ groups in my area but I must phone one of them and ask. A friend has told me that she saw a lady in the Crowne Plaza hotel in the blanchardstown SC who had some form of breast feeding support, I must get more details. I really am clueless, none of my family members or friends ever breastfed so its hard to get tips!

missis aggie

http://www.lalecheleagueireland.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=39:leinster-group&Itemid=29&layout=default
Check out this link, there are monthly meetings in a blanch library. There is also group in Castelknock. You can ring one of the leaders and get details.
I think the most important is to educate yourself as much as possible about what's normal ( cluster feedings, how baby builds up supply - very often confused with hungry/ not getting enough baby). Also support is vital and to remember that for every breastfeeding problem there is a solution. Oh and never give up on a bad day/ night !! ))
Good luck

nikpmup

Thanks missis aggie, I'm determined to try my best - I'm already coming up against naysayers who are telling me to supplement with formula, not to "put myself under pressure" etc - it's laughable really, and because its my first, any reply I give is met with 'that' look - you know the one, the smug, "she'll learn!!" grin!!

missis aggie

I know breastfeeding here is portrayed as strange and that you have to be a mortar to do it . I'm lucky I have a plenty of support and I'm strong headed so I couldn't care less about the " advice" from people that never breastfed and haven't got a clue I know it can be very hard when you struggle and someone put you down instead of give you pat on the back ( modified cows milk - magic cure for everything;).
I'm sure you will be fine. There is a lot of very knowledgeable and supporting ladies here so ask ask ask.

icescreamqueen

I'm coming to the end of my pregnancy and should have my baby by the weekend . I'm planning on breastfeeding but I have a few questions on some things that I'm reading conflicting information about.

-When does your first milk actually come through?
-How do you get the baby to latch on properly? Especially at the beginning. Is there a knack to it?
-How long should I keep the baby on each breast? Is it a case of feeding the baby on one breast at each mealtime and there alternating to the other breast at the next mealtime?
-How do you know when the baby has had enough milk and is finished feeding?

Sorry for all the questions but there is so much to know and I'd like to get it right

MurdyWurdy

nikpmup wrote: »

Thanks MW, I must check out Holles St's breastfeeding classes, AFAIK they're walk in, but I'll have to check times etc so I can make it to at least a couple of classes. I bought a pair of medela nipple formers, it says you can use them from 30/32 weeks, they are supposed to help - I'll need a little expert help on choosing nipple shields I think! As for la leche league, I had a quick look at their website, it doesn't appear to have any meetings/ groups in my area but I must phone one of them and ask. A friend has told me that she saw a lady in the Crowne Plaza hotel in the blanchardstown SC who had some form of breast feeding support, I must get more details. I really am clueless, none of my family members or friends ever breastfed so its hard to get tips!

The mothercare brand nipple shields are by far my favourite because they are smaller and fit much better over my small nipples! Much easier for baby too. I have Avent and Tommee Tippee ones too. I find they make my nipples a bit sorer and neither of us like them as much. Would be great for you to have sone in your hosp bag. I had to send hubby to buy
some!

I know there is a bfeeding class in holles st the first Friday of every month at 12.45 that's walk in. I meant to go but didn't get a chance in the end. I'm not 100% sure on the time but you could call the antenatal education department.

nikpmup

Damn, I'm working this Friday morning.... Will have to try to make the next one.

lazygal

-When does your first milk actually come through?
Some women feel their breasts getting very heavy and painful. I had no such feelings. It took at least five days for my milk to come in, but there's not one answer.

-How do you get the baby to latch on properly? Especially at the beginning. Is there a knack to it?
My baby latched on immediately she was put to the breast, even though I wasn't able to do skin to skin after a c-section. She took to it straight away.

-How long should I keep the baby on each breast? Is it a case of feeding the baby on one breast at each mealtime and there alternating to the other breast at the next mealtime?
I always offered both breasts for about 20 minutes each time. She never pulled herself off, I always had to break the latch. You start each feed with the breast you finished on last time. I had an app for this, to track length of each side and which one to start on next.

-How do you know when the baby has had enough milk and is finished feeding?
I went on her cues, and whether she was sucking for comfort or was feeding. You can see them swallowing vs just sucking. Also go on wet and dirty nappies, once you're getting a few wet ones per day and a few dirty ones every couple of days, and baby is gaining some weight (don't be put off by alarm over slow weight gain from nurses etc) baby is getting enough. There'll be marathon feeds for the first few weeks, just resign yourself to sitting on the couch and that its purely a phase.

lazygal

Where are people buying the Multimam products? I used Lansinoh last time.l

aknitter

lazygal wrote: »

Where are people buying the Multimam products? I used Lansinoh last time.l

i got it in my local Boots.

A midwife doing an antenatal class I went to pointed out that we are the only species who willingly give our young the milk of another species....

Breastfeeding this time round is going well (3rd child!) and by now the family are used to the 'hippy' in the midst - even my father is staying the same room as me while I do it!