Breastfeeding Moms

[mrscompgeek]

So how is it going so far? Being a first time mom I was really clueless about what to expect. And I was extremely nervous about having problems with it but so far its gone great. I am still really sore. Its been 1 week today and Im still sore although it seems to be the worst when I latch her on and gets a bit better the longer she is on. Also though she was born tongue tied and we didnt get it clipped until she was 4 days old when we went to the Pediatrician so that might be part of the reason I was so sore. How long is it normal to be sore?
Do you normally feed baby on both sides at each feeding or do you feed just one side? Sometimes she eats both sides and sometimes she just eats one side but she eats for 1/2 hour. Does it matter? She has been going 3 and 4 hours between feedings. Should I be making sure she gets both sides?

[Friendlee]

I was so sore in the beginning that I almost had tears in my eyes each time she latched on. I went back to the hospital to see the lactation people and they suggested I get my doctor to call in All Purpose Nipple Cream (Newman's Cream). They thought I might have a slight yeast infection on my nipple or some other kind of irritation. It helped TREMENDOUSLY! Just thought I'd mention it in case anyone else wants to try it.

I am still sore though, at 2 weeks in and had to sleep with an ice pack on my left breast last night. My daughter will nurse, sometimes for as little as 3 minutes and just fall asleep!!! I can't wake her at all and then she'll want to eat again like 15 minutes later. It's very frustrating because I am constantly changing the nursing pad, undressing, reapplying the cream, etc. This is especially frustrating at nighttime!

Only in the past few days has she started nursing for longer periods on one breast and then actually staying awake for the second breast. Her longer stints are for about 15 minutes on each breast. But usually it's about 15 on the first and 5 minutes on the second. I read somewhere that some babies can fill their bellies in as little as 3 minutes so I stopped worrying so much about the short feedings.

I am having trouble burping her of all things. I don't know if it's me or her. My mom says to pat her at her bottom to move the bubbles up, but I always thought you pat them on their lower back...it doesn't really matter because neither seems to work!

[paradoxia13]

Originally Posted by Friendlee

I am having trouble burping her of all things. I don't know if it's me or her. My mom says to pat her at her bottom to move the bubbles up, but I always thought you pat them on their lower back...it doesn't really matter because neither seems to work!

Have you tried holding her face down (body supported along the length of your arm, her head out past the end of your hand) so that her belly is supported in the palm of your hand while you are patting her back? Put pressure on the belly while moving the air out. Worked for my toddler, and seems to be doing the trick for Devin too.

~heather

[mum2row]

DS mostly just nurses on one side, occassionally will take the second side. I have a quick let down so sometimes I have to burp him and then continue on the first side.

Overall what you are doing sounds good, as long as poops and pees are good just offer the second side and go with what babe wants.

[lil_stinkyfeet]

I had to switch to feeding only on one side and it seems to be going better.

Honestly thought I don't enjoy breastfeeding at all... I wish I could bring myself to quit but I am going to try to stick it out for a while longer. I never enjoyed it with the first 3 and quit anywhere between 2 and 5 mos with them so I am not sure why I thought I would enjoy it this time around.

It is hard for me and I feel like I don't even truly enjoy my babies until I am done nursing. I realize that probably sounds bizarre to some of you but unfortunately it is true for me.

[LibbyLou]

Things are going pretty well for us. My soreness got much better once my milk fully came in. DD is kind of a sleepy eater too, so a lot of times I'll nurse her on one side then go change her diaper to wake her up and then offer the other side. She wasn't having enough poopy diapers at the beginning, but after trying this and also doing breast compressions, her diaper output is way up and she's gaining well. I've even nursed her in public already!

[Maela]

I have a very overactive letdown, and it's making him fussy at the breast (just like his sister was). So yesterday, I started just nursing on one side for a few hours at a time, and *I think* it's already making a difference. Otherwise things are going great. I am ready to wean dd though, but I'm going to wait until January - after the holidays and after she's gotten used to being a big sister.

[Huck]

I've got a sleepy baby too. She nurses for 3-8 minutes and then usually goes back to sleep! It takes me hours to get 20 minutes in on one side! But, she's gaining weight. Her big brother is nursing too, so I think the milk is flowing really fast from all his toddler style nursing and she fills up quickly. I've been getting really full overnight. Hot washcloths in the morning seem to help soften me up so she can latch on.

[cinnamongrl]

I read a few articles on the LLLI website; http://www.llli.org/FAQ/FAQSubject.html?m=0,0,3

They helped me remember about foremilk/hindmilk, etc. Somewhere there is an article about finishing the first breast first...

Sorry I can't type much description right now as I'm struggling with the one handed typing

[momtoKailee]

This is my second time around and I was super nervous since I had alot of issues with my first. But things have been going very well for us. It took about 2.5-3 weeks to get to painless nursing with no soreness. She's also a one-side kinda girl. I'll nurse her on the first side and most times she'll fall back asleep or not be interested in the second side. My first DD did the same thing though at a later age, and I know she's gaining weight so I'm not too worried. Another thing that might help would be Lansinoh cream, I tried to apply it often to help things not get sore.

[kawa kamuri]

my first daughter was tongue tied but she nursed well enough that clipping was unnecessary. i was super sore in the beginning. i dreaded latching her on.

[boobs4milk]

things are going a bit better for us. she's mostly nursing with only a few bottles here and there. i stopped pumping as much about 3 days ago and only pump when i get engorged or she doesn't seem interested and it's been more than a few hrs. we have really struggled so this feels so good to be at the breast! i'm proud of us!!!

[slimkins]

Hopping over from another DDC, but being a first time mom as well I, too, was clueless. I had pain at first when my LO would latch on. My midwife told me that I have to make sure that his mouth is open really wide before I latch him on. She said a lot of the pain comes from the baby only latching on to the nipple at first. The reason it gets better is over time the baby works it's way further around the areola. Once I made sure I was doing this I know longer had to grin and bare it when latching my baby on.

[Aufilia]

DS is only about 2 days old now but my milk came in before the end of the first 24 hours. (It was like that with DD, too.)

The first day we were having trouble getting him to latch on. I think it was mostly me being incompetent, though, because reviewing some latching videos and tips on the Internet really helped me help him and now he's ok. But before we got that issue resolving I already had a blood blister on one nipple and lots of pain in the other, and they're both still painful today. I'm hoping that our improved latch will help.

With DD, I had sore nipples for about 2 weeks. Everyone said her latch was great. I also had sore nipples for another 10 days after I started pumping at 3 weeks.

[fyrebloom]

i'm pretty sore too, Mal's a biter! We're working on the latch and now it only hurts at latch on. I was sore for a good week or so with the twins though so I know we're doing ok. Just need a deeper latch and we'll be good. Not Alot of wet diapers or poopy ones yet. Two poops today and the mec ones are starting to get mixed. Onlt one pee, and it was super dark. I can't tell what's pee with these diapers! Milk is coming in though which is good. I have to wear breast pads now

[mrscompgeek]

Originally Posted by Friendlee

I am having trouble burping her of all things. I don't know if it's me or her. My mom says to pat her at her bottom to move the bubbles up, but I always thought you pat them on their lower back...it doesn't really matter because neither seems to work!

Me too. She is a hard burper. DH is really the only one that can her to burp. And the bad thing is that after about 5 minutes if you dont get her to burp you better be getting some gas drops out cause she gets belly ache then. I was really worried since DH went back to work this morning and i was like OMG how am I gonna burp her. Thankfully I have found that sitting her up and holding her chin with my hand and patting her back seems to work 90% of the time.

Originally Posted by fyrebloom

i'm pretty sore too, Mal's a biter! We're working on the latch and now it only hurts at latch on. I was sore for a good week or so with the twins though so I know we're doing ok. Just need a deeper latch and we'll be good. Not Alot of wet diapers or poopy ones yet. Two poops today and the mec ones are starting to get mixed. Onlt one pee, and it was super dark. I can't tell what's pee with these diapers! Milk is coming in though which is good. I have to wear breast pads now

Kianna has 2 or 3 FULL poopy diapers a day. Is that normal? Seems like a lot to me but I have never taken care of a breastfed baby. All the babies I babysat before Ki was born were formula fed.

[lil_stinkyfeet]

Originally Posted by mrscompgeek

Kianna has 2 or 3 FULL poopy diapers a day. Is that normal? Seems like a lot to me but I have never taken care of a breastfed baby. All the babies I babysat before Ki was born were formula fed.

Yes that is normal we have a few FULL diapers a day and then lots of diapers with just a little bit of poop in them

[Pandme]

That's normal....she's getting plenty!