Breastfeeding, etc. - Page 4 « Back to Group Discussions

[birdhappy85]

I don't think I ever feel let down occurring...

My baby finally took to a pacifier today for a little bit. Yay!

[Caracol8]

Speaking of letdown... it's the weirdest thing but sometimes it feels like a burning thread with one end attached to my nipple and the other end attached to the back of my ribcage, like a rib right below my shoulder blade.   It's irritating but interesting.

[FaithF]

That IS weird! Mine is just tingling. Sometimes. Other times I feel nothing.

Nicole - can you tell we are all passionate about breastfeeding? Ha! Sounds like you are doing an amazing job being a super mom. I can't even imagine going to school right now. My niece started when her baby was 6 months and that was super hard even with an "older" baby. Keep it up, it's so worth it :)

[Mal85]

Originally Posted by birdhappy85 

I don't think I ever feel let down occurring...

My baby finally took to a pacifier today for a little bit. Yay!

I totally understand the joy over the pacifier! I was hardcore no pacifier with my first when she was a newborn and tried introducing it several weeks later, she never would take it. She wouldn't nurse for comfort either or nurse to sleep. The only way to get her to sleep when she was an infant was to let her cry. I was always holding her and rocking her, but she always had to cry to get to sleep. I always wished she'd take a pacifier instead of crying, but never would. 

I gave Greta a pacifier much earlier just for that reason and she really likes it. She started to have a little nipple confusion at first, so I limited to pacifier to only after she had nursed so that nursing was the priority and it worked. Although, recently she's started rooting around for her thumb and has successfully found it a handful of times. I'm wondering if she'll end up a thumb sucker. Really hoping not. It's a lot easier to wean her off of a pacifier than her thumb!

[CDsMom1031]

I introduced the pacifier super early. He never had an issue with it. He isn't attached to it, either. Thank God. He only takes it whenever he needs to fall asleep.

He also tries for his thumb. He's found it a few times. Anytime he finds it, I replace it with the pacifier. My brother and sister both sucked their thumbs into their teens. My sister still does sometimes (She's 21 now). I'm terrified of him being a thumb sucker for those reasons, LOL.

[jbk21]

Okay so I think I need to have a strategy.  Right now I am pumping ~4 times a day to reduce engorgement and I am donating that milk.  I get about 20-24 ounces a day.  Ridiculous.  I think I should pump less often, say in the morning and right before bed just so I am comfortable, and allow myself to be really full throughout the day and implement block feeding during the day and at night if I can stand it (I get unbearably full at night but don't allow myself to pump so that my body regulates that time).  Hopefully my body will better regulate during the day and night and I will still get a good amount while pumping mornings and evenings.  And the block feeding will help the oversupply issues and hopefully his stools will be yellow again. He had a huge watery green poo this morning and I don't think it's from his congestion.... He's really gassy in the early morning, like 4am, and it's causing both of us to lose sleep, obviously.  I hope this new strategy works..... I really need to be more comfortable!  I like donating but I also don't want to cause issues for myself or Dylan.  Sigh.

[birdhappy85]

J - WOW! You can pump 20-24 oz of milk a day?! That's unbelievable! Even on the days I pump twice, I still only get about 4-5 oz. And our babies were born on the same day! You're superwoman.

[jbk21]

It's a blessing and a curse, Joanie.  Ouch.  Are you pumping on one side while nursing the other?  If you're trying to get a stock of milk for when you return to work (correct me if I am wrong!) then that's a good way to get a larger amount of milk.  

[seraf]

I may be wrong, but the way I understand it, the more you pump the more you will produce. Try cabbage leaves to help with engorgement. 

Originally Posted by jbk21 

Okay so I think I need to have a strategy.  Right now I am pumping ~4 times a day to reduce engorgement and I am donating that milk.  I get about 20-24 ounces a day.  Ridiculous.  I think I should pump less often, say in the morning and right before bed just so I am comfortable, and allow myself to be really full throughout the day and implement block feeding during the day and at night if I can stand it (I get unbearably full at night but don't allow myself to pump so that my body regulates that time).  Hopefully my body will better regulate during the day and night and I will still get a good amount while pumping mornings and evenings.  And the block feeding will help the oversupply issues and hopefully his stools will be yellow again. He had a huge watery green poo this morning and I don't think it's from his congestion.... He's really gassy in the early morning, like 4am, and it's causing both of us to lose sleep, obviously.  I hope this new strategy works..... I really need to be more comfortable!  I like donating but I also don't want to cause issues for myself or Dylan.  Sigh.

[Motivated Mama]

I thought the last 2 days were a growth spurt since Kate had nursed close to every 2 hours through the day. But tonight she has been nursing for 20 minutes and off for 10 for the last 5 hours. In that time, I have bathed her, rocked her, sang to her, let her cry (while I threw PJs on the other kids) and everything other than nursing just pisses her off. My boobs are so soft and my nipples sore, though not as bad as they have been. Can we please just get this over with?!

[jbk21]

Originally Posted by seraf 

I may be wrong, but the way I understand it, the more you pump the more you will produce. Try cabbage leaves to help with engorgement. 

Yes that's true.  I want to find a balance between pumping some to donate and also getting the foremilk-hindmilk balance right for Dylan.  He had a big yellow poo tonight, so I know that today went better, and I didn't pump during the day, just in the morning, and I am not feeling TOO engorged.  Hopefully things are regulating.  

[musicmama08]

Pacifier - I actually broke down and asked the hospital nurses for one after C had been awake nursing for hours and I was just exhausted.  She wouldn't take it of course!

However, now she cluster nurses in the evenings, and when the nips get too sore or I just need a 10 minute break, she'll suck on my picky quite happily.  Still won't do the pacifier, but my pinky is the world's first pacifier, right?    She's also pretty patient waiting for more nursing.  She'll root and root and won't cry for quite a while if I don't get to her immediately.  So helpful when you have more than one kid to take care of.

[Paigekitten]

Originally Posted by Caracol8 

Speaking of letdown... it's the weirdest thing but sometimes it feels like a burning thread with one end attached to my nipple and the other end attached to the back of my ribcage, like a rib right below my shoulder blade.   It's irritating but interesting.

I get that feeling when I have thrush.

[Motivated Mama]

My nipples are all healed! My breasts are so much bigger this time around. I was talking to DH about how they weren't getting at all engorged this time and then we realized that if they did get engorged, I'd have a serious oversupply issue My only annoyance right now is that I have to use both hands when sitting up to breastfeed. When I let go of my breast and try to type or anything, the weight of my boob pulls the nipple out of her mouth. I suppose it just happens when she's really tired. I don't know how you all are pumping. With three other little ones and the first time I'm not going back to work, I guess I just don't have the desire to pull the pump out! Maybe I'll regret it when I want to get out for an evening and don't have a stash

[Abraisme]

Yay!  I decided not to pump this time either.  After my DD1 I pumped twice a day and donated the milk for 9 months.  It was a lot of commitment, which I can't imagine trying to do with a newborn and a toddler.  I also don't tend to leave my babies until they're old enough to eat a meal of solid food.  Neither of my kids have taken a bottle, but then I didn't really push it very hard either...
 

Originally Posted by Motivated Mama 

My nipples are all healed! My breasts are so much bigger this time around. I was talking to DH about how they weren't getting at all engorged this time and then we realized that if they did get engorged, I'd have a serious oversupply issue My only annoyance right now is that I have to use both hands when sitting up to breastfeed. When I let go of my breast and try to type or anything, the weight of my boob pulls the nipple out of her mouth. I suppose it just happens when she's really tired. I don't know how you all are pumping. With three other little ones and the first time I'm not going back to work, I guess I just don't have the desire to pull the pump out! Maybe I'll regret it when I want to get out for an evening and don't have a stash

[CDsMom1031]

Update:

Thanks for the encouragement everyone.

I quit being lazy and nurse 100% now. I'm still not getting engorged (Not mad about it, LOL) but I have to be producing more because he's done eating in 20 minutes now usually instead of 45-60.

I'm solely giving him one breast per feeding.

I also notice the let down with every feeding, which I wasn't before. And the way little guy responds, it's gotta be an intense let down but he's a champ and handles it.

He's eating every 2 1/2-3 hours with some cluster feedings thrown in, usually in the evening.

I'm so excited!!! I was so worried about my supply.

=D

[KaliShanti]

awesome!!!!
 

Originally Posted by TTCChloeOrConner 

Update:

Thanks for the encouragement everyone.

I quit being lazy and nurse 100% now. I'm still not getting engorged (Not mad about it, LOL) but I have to be producing more because he's done eating in 20 minutes now usually instead of 45-60.

I'm solely giving him one breast per feeding.

I also notice the let down with every feeding, which I wasn't before. And the way little guy responds, it's gotta be an intense let down but he's a champ and handles it.

He's eating every 2 1/2-3 hours with some cluster feedings thrown in, usually in the evening.

I'm so excited!!! I was so worried about my supply.

=D

[Jaimee]

That's awesome Nicole!!

[Abraisme]

Yay!
 

Originally Posted by TTCChloeOrConner 

Update:

Thanks for the encouragement everyone.

I quit being lazy and nurse 100% now. I'm still not getting engorged (Not mad about it, LOL) but I have to be producing more because he's done eating in 20 minutes now usually instead of 45-60.

I'm solely giving him one breast per feeding.

I also notice the let down with every feeding, which I wasn't before. And the way little guy responds, it's gotta be an intense let down but he's a champ and handles it.

He's eating every 2 1/2-3 hours with some cluster feedings thrown in, usually in the evening.

I'm so excited!!! I was so worried about my supply.

=D

[IwannaBanRN]

Since this is the breastfeeding thread, is there anyone that knows about the Big Latch On that happens every August and if any of you planned on going to the one in your state? I wanted to go this year, but being as I didn't have a baby to breastfeed, I couldn't. lol