Tips and advice to avoid the issues of last time.

[happysmileylady]

My first was ff only. She's now 14 and 100% healthy, I have no real objections to formula.

BUT...it's free And everyone SAYS they enjoy their nursing relationship.

I did nurse dd2, now 20 months, for the first few months. And I did NOT enjoy it. We nursed immediately after she was cleaned off after birth, and she latched on right away. She never had any latch issues, and until she was about 8 wks old, the only issues with nursing were on my end-she was nursing at a normal frequency of every hour or two and I struggled with that, plus, let down made me nauseaous and I just really didn't enjoy much of any of it.

THEN, the real issues began. AF showed, despite all that nursing, and she didn't like it. I assume the hormones changed the flavor of the milk or something, she went on a nursing strike when AF showed up. And AF lasted for a week. I managed to get nursing and pumping in, but between AF and the nursing strike my supply took a hit, by 3 months old, she had lost weight and we had to start giving her pumped milk in a bottle after each nursing session, or attempted nursing session. Another issue was that she began STTN on her own at only 4 wks old, so the lack of night nursing was affecting supply as well. I had to begin waking myself up to pump, even though she was sleeping a blissful 8 to 12 hours at night. By 5.5 months, I gave up. I had enough pumped milk, from all the additional pumping to continue giving her pumped milk for a while, she was 6 months before we cracked the formula. I was a SAHM then.

I am now working part time. I plan to go back to work, 15 to 20 hours a week, so I will need to pump anyway. I am planning to start pumping after nursing sessions immediately, and then when I get to work, probably nurse/pump just before I go in, then pump once at work (work just 5 or 6 hour shifts) then nurse/pump again when I get home. I am hoping the additional pumping will help to maintain a supply if I end up with a baby who goes on nursing strike when AF shows. Of course, I am hoping to avoid the AF nursing strike all together.

My goal, is EBF for at least six months, and only use bottles of pumped milk when working makes it necessary. I would like to avoid any and all hits to my supply that I can, so I would like to keep baby nursing through AF. I would also like to enjoy it more. Of course complicating matters this time around is the fact that I will have a 2 year old running around this time as well. So I am looking for any and all tips you can give me-tips to enjoy the nursing relationship more, tips to avoid the AF supply hit, tips to avoid or at least lessen the blow of a nursing strike during AF, advice if you think my ideas won't work or aren't necessary, or basically anything else you can share.

[nicky85]

One of the best things I can recommend is taking your new baby to a pediatric chiropractor as soon as possible after birth. Even the gentlest birth is very hard on the baby and the jaw can get put out of alignment making it hard for the baby to open her mouth all the way. When baby can't open her mouth all the way, she can't latch on properly and won't be able to trigger the milk ejection reflex. (Or she'll do a side-to side sawing motion which makes mom feel like she's nursing a piranha.) A traditional chiropractor (the type who treats subluxations and doesn't just do spinal decompression for whiplash) can gently adjust the baby's jaw so she can latch on right.

To this day my mother says she "couldn't make enough milk" for me as a baby even though it was coming out all over her shirt! I am now being treated for TMJ and I still can't open my mouth all the way. (My jaw actually moves side-to-side instead of up and down. Kinda creepy.) You can find a pediatric chiropractor by going to www.icpa4kids.org. Good luck!

[Katie T]

I think your plan sounds good. With any luck your next baby won't care that af is approaching/here. As for not enjoying the nursing relationship for me anyways until all the kinks were worked out it wasn't relaxing either. I can't help you on the nausea when letting down sorry. But I think with all you went through last time with the nursing strikes that made it less enjoyable because you knew that every few weeks you would have this struggle to over come. (which you did a wonderful thing for your little one and should be proud of yourself!)

I would keep your plan in the back of your mind, maybe talk with a lactation consultant or LLL leader about the nursing adversions in the babe during your period and you nausea upon letdown. Plus they will be able to help support you should problems arise. I think since you are preparing for it hopefully everything will go fine. Each nursling is very different to let that be a glimmer of hope to you.

All the best!

[happysmileylady]

Thanks ladies!

Pediatric chiropractor, huh? Chiropractors scare me, I haven't ever been to one mysef. I am certainly willing to at least look into it though if it will help.

Talking to an LC-I forgot to mention, the hospital I will be having the baby at has a free bf support group, with LCs (they are certified but I can't remember the right order of the letters ) They meet once a week. I am thinking I might stop by there sometime in the next few weeks to get back in touch with the LCs there. It was actually at the group meetings that I first caught the weight loss with dd2.