Nursing Mama- Week of 10/1- 10/8

[Autumn Breeze]

Just getting this started, if dh is home tomorrow I won't get the chance too!!

How is it going this week?

Where do you find that you nurse often?

How is the sleep coming at night?

[mom2threenurslings]

How is it going this week?
Nursing is going much better this week. Coren's latch has improved and he acutally opens his mouth a bit to latch on!

Where do you find that you nurse often?
With three older kids and with being as busy as we are, I nurse him most often in the sling!

How is the sleep coming at night?
I think I'm so used to nursing someone at night that it barely registers that I'm nursing him. I'll wake up, latch him on, fall back to sleep. I have no idea how many times I do this at night - at least 3, maybe more!

Coren was 10 lbs 14 oz at birth and we're now estimating that he's around 12 lbs. at 2 weeks (my mom checked his weight by weighing herself on a scale, then weighing herself while holding Coren ).

[curlyfry]

Didn't I just post yesterday (or was it the day before) that I WASN'T painfully engorged??? Well, ouch! I think I jinxed myself because I woke up this morning with bricks on my chest! And, they're so sore. I didn't sleep in a bra because it was uncomfortable, so maybe this made it worse. DD is sleeping right now or else I'd put her right on to get some relief! LC said something about tea bags...does that actually help?

As far as how it's going, Lana is latching great, and nurses like a champ.

I nurse mostly on the living room couch...we get comfy that way.

Oh, and last night around 3 AM (?) we actually moved into the bedroom with dh, she latched on while I was laying down, and we slept in bed for the first time! We're going to try it again tonight. Her past two nights have been much better. She'll sleep for longer stretches, which is wonderful for mommy!

[trijosie-mama]

How is it going this week? well, pretty good, but is it still supposed to hurt when she latches on?? It's been 2 weeks I would have thought I'd be used o her by now. I'm not sore, although i had a cloged duct that hurt like crazy for a day, but with the help of some warm wash clothes and gently massage it went away. There is a nursing moms group at the hospital I gave birth in, maybe i'll go this week.

Where do you find that you nurse often? DH bought me a glider it's quite comfy for nursing and it protects us from our big clumsy dog who likes to jump on the sofa. When we're home alone I like using the bobby pillow and sitting indian style on the sofa, with lot's of pillows around me.

How is the sleep coming at night? she wakes 3-4 times nightly about evry 2.5 to 3 hrs, I generally fall asleep after her diaper change and little burb session, I don't think she ever burbs at night I just like to cuddle her on my chest before putting her back in the cradle. Early this morning I tried laying down for the first time. It was great, I just have to be careful of dh, it takes so much to wake him I'm afraid if she was between us he'd roll over and not realize it, I'll probably only nurse when lying on my side turned away from him, lot's of pillows stacked on the floor just in case she gets too close to the edge. ds fell out one time after we both fell asleep, luckily he landed on shag carpet, I just felt so awfull!!!

[Shell_Ell]

How is it going this week?
It's okay. Still supplementing about 10 oz a day in addition to nursing, nursing, nursing. Trying to start the weaning process. I'm thinking we'll aim for 1 oz a day and see where it goes from there.

Where do you find that you nurse often?
In bed and on the couch with a boppy.

How is the sleep coming at night?
He's sleeping really well! He goes down at 9-10 ish, sleeps for about 3-4 hours, goes back down and sleeps for about 2 more and then wakes up for the next 3 hours to cluster feed. I don't mind though, I hardly wake up to nurse him!

[musicmaj]

It is going much better this week. Ryan is nursing on both sides without refusing my left side. My right side is sore though - I am trying to make sure that he maintains a good latch on that side now. He usually latches on fine at first and then slips down to only my nipple. OUCH!

I nurse on my couch most often. I would like to nurse in my rocker but it is at my dad's getting fixed right now.

How is sleep? I have been sleeping half way sitting up with him cradeled in my arms, on my couch with my feet on an ottoman. It is very comfy. Ryan is a fussy baby and I don't want him to wake my dd up so that's why we have been on the couch. Tonight I am going to try cosleeping in my bed with him since my dd and dh are away for the weekend. I want to try nursing laying down. If it works out well then I may have to transition dd to a matress on the floor in our room so that baby can cosleep and I can get some rest.

[wordgirl]

How is it going this week?
well for a first week, i feel blessed. things seem to be going well, i'm not nearly as sore as i was the early days nursing ds, and though i'm more engorged than i expected, ds nursing 2-3x a day and occasional pumping has kept it mostly bearable.

Where do you find that you nurse often?
i've been doing a lot of sitting on my butt in bed. but dh was home this week. next week when i'm mostly on my own, who knows. probably more couch time to allow ds access to more toys, food and entertainment. still planning on sticking purdy close to home.

How is the sleep coming at night?
i think we're getting 2- and 3-hour stretches, maybe a few 4-hour ones too. i really haven't been checking/watching the clock, so i could be wrong but i definitely feel i'm getting much better sleep than i did when ds was this young. feeling so spoiled and really hoping this is not just a case of first-week sleepies. time will tell. nighttime nursings are mostly side-lying unless engorgement makes latching too hard. girlie would not stop nursing the first night when i tried to have her sleep on me, so now she's just next to me and this appears to be working better.

everything is still so new so who knows what lies ahead. i can only hope my good fortune continues and thay she's gaining well. my only complaint is that she's a bit of a spitter so far. ds was too. just an unpleasant mess to deal with, and i hate having to decide whether a burping which will rouse her or just letting her stay asleep and take the chance of a big ole splooey mess is preferred!

::: lori

[sbm1001]

How is it going this week? Much better than last week. His latch was off at first & he kept slipping down....OUCH!! I'm only tender when he first latches on & then it's not painful after a few seconds anymore. He's still hard to burp, though. If I don't get at least 2 good burps out of him I'm almost guaranteed to be wearing everything he ate, just about, within 15 minutes. Poor kiddo! I hate it when it shoots out of his nose....I imagine he doesn't like it very much either.

Where do you find that you nurse often?On the couch, I think. I haven't really paid attention, tbh. I just do it where ever.

How is the sleep coming at night? He's good to me. He wakes up every 2.5 to 4 hours & nurses for maybe 15 minutes & sleeps like an angel. I'm still really tired during the day, but it's do-able.

Shannon

[PrincessCass]

I think I am totally blessed with this lil one.

How is it going this week?
great so far no more engorgment and we are gettin a pretty good schedule going.

Where do find you nurse most often?
Hurray for my boppy I nurse sitting indian style on my bed and in the recliner in the living room both places with the boppy I love that thing.

How is sleep comming at night?
Awesome we go to bed at 11 and she wakes at 4:20am to nurse and get changed then it's back to sleep till 8:30am when we have an hour long lazy breakfast. Sorry sometimes I just have to brag

[mom2threenurslings]

I forgot to mention that we do have an issue with nursing - Coren's face has MAJORLY broken out, and I think it's due to an intolerance/allergy. I'm trying to figure out what it might be, as it only started during the second week of his life, when I was getting out of the house and when friends started bringing me meals. I figure it's one of two things: dairy (I usually don't consume much dairy because I have an intolerance, but I indulged in LARGE decaf iced coffees with lots of milk in them for a few days and friends brought meal after meal containing dairy!) or nuts (some of the meals contained nuts, and I've been eating the meals containing nuts, or pb&j sandwiches for the past week). So...I'll eliminate nuts right away as well as dairy. I should be able to tell if it's the nuts after a few days - so if he clears up over the next week, I'll assume it's the nuts. If not, it could take the dairy up to 6 weeks to clear my system, so we'll have to wait and see!

I went through this with my second -wheat, diary and nut intolerance- he's now 5 and can eat wheat and nuts, but still has some dairy issues (he can eat dairy, but if he has too much he turns into a different child).

[counterGOPI]

things are much better this week now that i no longer have a temp and am no longer engorged!! pheww! now i have a major spit up problem though. i mean MAJOR! like everything she ingested comes up and its bad!!im afriad she isnt keeping anything down.. any thoughts?

im lucky to find no allergies so far..phew!! i had to nurse in public a few nigts ago b/c we had to take my cat to the emrgecny vet. it went well considering it was my 1st time!
sleep is going very well at night b/c she nowsleeps with us and just latches on when shes hubgry its great, i hardly wake up for it unless she cant find the nip-nip

[musicmaj]

I tried to nurse laying down last night and it was a big flop. He would not latch on and just got frustrated. At least my dad finished fixing my rocking chair so I had that to nurse in last night, but I am jealous of all of you who don't even have to get out of bed to nurse your babes at night.

Who is nursing in a sling? I tried that tonight. I used to nurse my ds in a sling all the time but it seems that I got rusty and it feels like I have never done it before with this babe. Are you nursing with head towards the rings or away, or even upright? Share all your tips please! Is anyone nursing their babes in a Mei tai? I have one of those too, but I don't see how I can possibly be discreet in one of those. I think I will have to get a couple of button down shirts or a zippered sweatshirt to be able to nurse in my mei tai.

[mom2threenurslings]

Laying down to nurse - For me it seems different with every baby! With Coren I have to latch him on well, then settle down - when nursing on my right side, I lay on my right side, my right hand under his head, my left hand "manipulating" my breast to help him latch on. When he has a good latch, I slide my right hand out from under his head and settle down. On the left side, I can just lay there, help him latch, and off he goes - no hand under his head.

Nursing in a sling - I totally know what you mean! I've nursed three children before Coren in the sling - and I still feel like I'm learning it for the first time! :LOL It's been three years since I nursed a newborn in the sling. I usually nurse him with his head away from the rings, but in a semi-reclined position rather than fully reclined. When I'm using my fleece Kangaroo Korner pouch sling I nurse him either way. (Angie - If you can make it to the Papaya Patch in West Hartford, one of the wonderful Mamas there could probably help you with nursing in a sling!

[Shell_Ell]

My milk is fading fast. Darn this vicious circle of formula. Why oh why did I ever agree to supplementing? I managed to wean down to 8 oz yesterday.... with a screaming baby much of the day and hickies on my nipples from nursing even after there was nothing coming out. What am I gonna do?

[Galatea]

I am sorry, Shell. Maybe get a new LC and no formula like the ped said?

[Goldiemom]

Oh Michelle, I have been in your shoes soooo many times! With ds I would nurse him until I was drained on both sides and then switch him back to the first side, etc. This seemed to happen to me when he would hit growth spurts. From what I understand the breast is constantly making milk as baby sucks, but after the initial flow, it comes out slower, so at the end he is probably only getting tiny dribbles. During times of growth spurts when they nurse frequently and at irregular intervals it can be hard for the boobie factory to keep up. I promise it does get better. I wish I could do something to help you out.

We are doing pretty good with this nursing thing. Allissa has recently decided she doesn't like the bottle at ALL which makes dh about cry since he wants to bond with her like that too. It is hard for him this time since he got to feed dd1 all the time. Maybe in another few weeks she will be more receptive to him feeding her ya think?

[mom2threenurslings]

, Shell_Ell!!! It must be frustrating! I'm trying to think of what has worked for mamas I've known with bfing/supply issues. It seems to me that things that helped them a lot were:
-taking a nursing holiday where you basically stay in bed/on the couch with baby and solely concentrate on getting to know your baby, your baby's nursing patterns and habits, and nursing as frequently as possible
-making sure you're well-hydrated and are eating well
-using a SNS instead of a bottle/syringe/cup/tube for supplementing because the more breast stimulation you have the better
-taking deep breaths and practicing relaxation techniques before and during nursing sessions (being tense, stressed, frustrated, etc can inhibit letdown)
-doing gentle breast compressions while baby is nursing to encourage the flow

It sounds like you're trying limiting formula and encouraging nursing as much as possible. Are you sure that baby's latch is good - even if baby is dry-nursing, you shouldn't have hickies on your nipples or have sore nipples.

[musicmaj]

Originally Posted by mom2threenurslings

Laying down to nurse - For me it seems different with every baby! With Coren I have to latch him on well, then settle down - when nursing on my right side, I lay on my right side, my right hand under his head, my left hand "manipulating" my breast to help him latch on. When he has a good latch, I slide my right hand out from under his head and settle down. On the left side, I can just lay there, help him latch, and off he goes - no hand under his head.

Nursing in a sling - I totally know what you mean! I've nursed three children before Coren in the sling - and I still feel like I'm learning it for the first time! :LOL It's been three years since I nursed a newborn in the sling. I usually nurse him with his head away from the rings, but in a semi-reclined position rather than fully reclined. When I'm using my fleece Kangaroo Korner pouch sling I nurse him either way. (Angie - If you can make it to the Papaya Patch in West Hartford, one of the wonderful Mamas there could probably help you with nursing in a sling!

Thanks for the tips Amanda. We were actually able to nurse laying down on one side last night! It was so nice. We just have to work on the other side now and then I can get a little bit more sleep. lol

I tried sling nursing again too and I think I just have to be patient with myself and him and realize that we are learning to do this together. It went better this time. I nursed him with his head away from the rings. Thanks for the tip on the Papaya patch. I would love to get over there one of these days.

[musicmaj]

Originally Posted by Shell_Ell

My milk is fading fast. Darn this vicious circle of formula. Why oh why did I ever agree to supplementing? I managed to wean down to 8 oz yesterday.... with a screaming baby much of the day and hickies on my nipples from nursing even after there was nothing coming out. What am I gonna do?

I am so sorry you are having such a hard time. I am wondering if your baby is latching on right too. No matter how much your baby nurses you shouldn't get hickies on your nipples. Do you think baby has enough areola in addition to the nipple. I know that my son wants to suck on just the nipple at times and not only does that hurt me, but he can't get much milk out that way.

Are you drinking enough water? I know it is easy to get busy during the day and forget to drink enough.

You are a great mama for working so hard to breastfeed your baby. Also, I think Amanda had some really great advice for you. Have you tried an sns? If I was in your situation, I think I would try that next.

[Shell_Ell]

The LC says his latch is perfect. Who knows.

We did use an SNS to begin with.. it might be worth another shot. He hated it though, the tube bothered him. And I hated using it. But his latch has gotten SO much better since then and also I am more comfortable with nursing. So maybe worth a try... he might get my breasts signalled to make more milk the longer he's on there.

I always do breast compressions. I start by massaging my breasts for a good 1-2 minutes before nursing, and then I continue compressions when he stops sucking to get the milk flowing again.

I do nothing but nurse him all day. Everytime he smacks his lips, roots, bonks his head, etc I offer the breast. Then he gets about 1 oz after every few feedings of formula if he still seems unsatisfied, via the bottle because that's what the LC suggested we do.. and because the syringe got to be too big of a PITA.

I have literally been drinking close to a gallon of water a day. Eating oatmeal. Drinking a half a beer each night. Taking fenugreek 3x a day. Sleeping with him. I swear I am doing everything right and it's still not working. At what point is it okay to say this isn't going to work?

Goldie, I think the window for bottles is 4-6 weeks and then it gets progressively harder to introduce. So you might be a bit past that window period?