Nursing Support Thread - Page 2

[_betsy_]

Baby is now 9 days old. I am so thankful my mother came to stay with us as early as she did, she really helped me with latch and positioning.

Still painful to latch on, and I have to pull her upper and lower lips out every time, but she is gaining weight and doing well, so I have little complaints. Well, the lack of sleep is pretty bad, but she's a newborn, what can you do, right?

We've had a couple spit ups today. Wondering if it was too much dairy with dinner or what.

Ordered a breast pump, it should be here Monday.

I have cotton breast pads that are working well for me, but I don't seem to have much leakage.

Why does she pop off so much at the beginning of feedings? I'd say that sounds like over-active letdown, but she seems more like she's not getting anything, rather than too much. In a moment of weekness on a very difficult night, I gave her a pacifier. I can get her to settle without it, but DH thinks it's no big deal to use it all.the.time. I'm grateful he's active and involved with her, but this is hurting our nursing relationship, I think, because I think the paci is so much more narrow at the base and easier to suck on immediately that it's adding to her fussiness at the breast.

How do I break DH of his pacifier addiciton? LOL!

[CrunchyKat]

Originally Posted by blairinargentina

It's one thing after another here with our nursing... so frustrated at the moment. After dealing with a bad latch, bleeding nipples, not being able to pump, and mastitis... we now have thrush! i am so mad i could scream! not to mention that my nipples feel like raw meat and my boobs are killing me.

i just got off the phone with the pediatrician's nurse (who was less than helpful... thanks.) and am waiting to get some medication to treat the baby. luckily she doesn't seem too bothered yet, so that's a relief.

has anyone else dealt with this? i have been looking online and thrush is a big pain to treat. but we will do whatever it takes at this point. i just want to not be in pain.

uhhhh. thanks for letting me vent. :

Thrush is just horrible, blahhhh! I've had it 2 times now. Here's what helped me:
GSE
Acidofolus Probiotic
Lots of yogurt
Dipped my nips in vinegar water after nursing and let them air dry
lots of bare boobs in the sun (this also helps for baby with diaper rash!)
Calendula oil
Calendula tea

I've also heard that Gentia Violet or something like that will kick the thrush. I did a combo of all of that stuff, because when I got it the 2nd time it came back twise as bad!

(((HUGS))) I hope your nips feel better soon!

[Mrs_Hos]

Hey Ladies!
First, I want to say you should all be so proud of yourselves for working so hard to nurse these babies thru the 'harder times'...it will get easier!!

Second--remember that these new babies are going thru a lot--new tummies etc may not really be prone to food intolerances, just may be still 'new'...so don't rule out those eggs/milk just yet! (well, stop eatting/drinking them for now, but you may be ok in a couple weeks!)
As for babies continuing to stay latched for hours...this too is normal. The sucking reflex is very strong and necessary for newborns--for one it is helping your body get back to normal and to increase your milk supply as well. It is part of the cycle--so even if it is tough right now, it will even out.
Your body does tend to make less milk in the evenings--so expect to be 'attached' during those times...realize that by having the baby comforted at the breast in the evenings you may be avoiding the 'sundown syndrome*' that people are plagued with! (*A baby that cries inconsolably for hours usually due to overstimulation.*) Your baby may be staying relaxed by being attached to your breast. (even tho this makes it hard for you!)

Have you guys tried slings/pouches? Sometimes that can allow you to have one hand free to do the other things like eat, get another child ready for bed, etc...even tho I'm a fan of just 'relaxing and nursing' I know it isn't always possible if you don't have lots of helpers to help you with things like food!

Good work tho' ladies--one day this will all be behind you--and you will have the 'easy road!'

(ps...my first month with dd was VERY hard also--but once we got it on track, it was SOOO worth it...as I'm sure you all know... which is why you are working your tails off...your baby will thank you!!)

[Mimi37]

DD did the marathon evening feed for a couple weeks and I thought I was gonna lose my freakin mind. Now she is much easier, hang in there!!!!! She is still a pokey eater but has gotten more efficient, and at 5 wks w/ my LC's blessing (and bc DD had gained THREE lbs already ) we introduced a paci btw feeds. I hate how it looks but it comforts her when she is not truly hungry (when she IS hungry she lets us know!) Her constant desire to suck and my craaaaaaazy super supply made her reflux even worse, so the paci has been a godsend :

I am limiting dairy too, it seems to give her gas & worsen the reflux. I stopped eating dairy for a week, her gas improved, I ate it again one day, her gas got worse -- that's how you can tell. Looking forward to trying again in a month. If you suspect something in your diet, try dairy and citrus first (says my LC).

A couple spit-ups daily are probably still in normal range, they just spit up sometimes. Just a thought before you mess w/ your diet.

Couldn't get DD to latch in a sling! Maybe later. Don't do too well with the side-lying position because her reflux makes her gag and spit up when she feeds horizontally. Again, maybe later. It is nice to sleep that way!

I have an Avent Isis too and it is hard on my nips. Be gentle, or it ends up hurting a lot. I plan to only use it in a pinch. If you really want to pump, esp early on like this, I think a good hospital grade pump is soooooo much better. I had good luck with the Medela Symphony and now have switched to a Medela Lactina (which seems even gentler but still gets good milk). Totally worth the money.

I found cotton breast pads at Whole Foods. (I think Avent brand?) Don't like them much -- if I don't air dry really well, they stick -- YOW. Not cool. And they don't stay put as well as the disposables. The more I wash them, the better they seem to feel, though.

I like switching between different nursing pillows. It helps my back a lot to have some variety. So I use a Boppy and a Little Beam and a throw pillow and a bed pillow, depending.

I have to say, everybody told me during those first brutal few weeks that it would get easier, that she would learn to stay latched and keep sucking (instead of falling asleep and then fussing for more over and over again), that I would be able to have one hand free, and eventually even two hands free, that she would get more efficient as time went by, and I had a hard time believing that, amidst the frustration and discomfort and tears, BUT IT WAS TRUE. Things were better by 4 weeks and MUCH better now at 6 weeks. She is still a pokey eater but other than that I think all the problems have cleared up. Whew.

[Greeneyes0506]

I'm so glad someone posted this. I just had my baby on Wednesday, and although he is latching correctly and nursing like a champ, I feel almost like he isn't getting enough. My milk hasn't come in yet, and he's not having a lot of wet diapers or bowel movements. He's only had 2 wet diapers since last night, and one bowel movement today. I had no issues with my milk coming in with the girls, so I'm kind of freaking out that it hasn't happened yet.

[crazyeight]

dd has slowed down nursing in the evening. i found that she really doesn't like to be put down in the evenings. i guess the night "noise" isn't condusive to her sleeping/feeling comfortable.

i do have a question. with ds i never had any problems nursing. no infections or anything.

last night i noticed that my left breast hurts when she nurses and feels like i am really full (even though i am not) it hurts most in one spot under the breast where my bra holds it up. it hurts when she nurses but it hurts just when i touch it too. when i was able to get her to nurse she would get very burpy and be in pain (she hardly ever burps big). it took me an hour and a half and then i changed sides and she was instantly better. do i have a plugged duct? i took a warm shower and expressed some milk but no change in pain.

[blairinargentina]

I had a plugged duct in the same place (maybe it's harder to drain those ducts?) and didn't notice it til it turned to mastitis. Uh. I was told to get in the shower and express milk like crazy (it took over 1/2 hour!). Then to use hot compresses before and after feedings. Also, you can put her in the clutch hold so that her chin is pointed towards that spot, which means she can clear those ducts more effectively.

Have you noticed any redness? In that spot or over your breast in general? That was the tale tell sign for me, and I had these hard knots in my armpit as well, which is also a symptom.

Good luck with that. It's worth the time and effort to keep trying to clear the blockage before it turns into mastitis, which is definately no fun.

[crazyeight]

Originally Posted by blairinargentina

I had a plugged duct in the same place (maybe it's harder to drain those ducts?) and didn't notice it til it turned to mastitis. Uh. I was told to get in the shower and express milk like crazy (it took over 1/2 hour!). Then to use hot compresses before and after feedings. Also, you can put her in the clutch hold so that her chin is pointed towards that spot, which means she can clear those ducts more effectively.

Have you noticed any redness? In that spot or over your breast in general? That was the tale tell sign for me, and I had these hard knots in my armpit as well, which is also a symptom.

Good luck with that. It's worth the time and effort to keep trying to clear the blockage before it turns into mastitis, which is definately no fun.

i noticed its just a tiny bit red where it hurts. more like it had been rubbed alot than a red spot. KWIM? should i express all my milk? i kept a hot washcloth on my breast for my shower and expressed some milk but no where near draining. it hurt to do that at all. i will have to find something that i can keep hot to put on my chest. need to find my rice sock....but i have no idea where it is....

no knots in the armpit....yet. the soreness is on the inner breast though farthest from my arm.

i think i understand what you mean to have her chin pointing towards the pain/duct. i nurse her in the classic hold tummy to tummy and her chin is actually right above the pain. is that right??

Thanks for the ideas!

[orangefoot]

So many things going on! Hang on in there mamas even though it seems tough.

I had a sore-ish spot under my left breast (what is it with the left?) and I thought it might be my bra so I spent a day braless and put some pressure below my breast when i fed on that side and it went. Maybe you could try the rugby hold on that side instead of tummy to tummy and see if that helps too?
--------
Fussing at the start of feeding could be that the babe needs to pee and is having trouble concentrating on latching while her bladder is full. I know this sounds crazy but I'm doing EC with Frida and once she has peed she latches on perfectly and stays on until my letdown comes and she chokes a bit.

Even if you don't do EC you could try holding your babe under her thighs with her legs apart a bit and see if you notice any relaxation of her face then try latching on again. It's like when you wake up in the morning - the need to pee is greater than the need for breakfast isn't it?
----------
In the early days lots of babes don't feed much becuase they are weary fro their journey. Make sure they aren't too warm and that isn't keeping them asleep but it is not unusual for it to take 4-5 days for milk to come in. IN the mean time remember that colostrum is baby gold and not to be dismissed as 'not milk yet'.

Dd has a milk marathon first thing in the morning then sleeps all afternoon but I've resigned myself to it now and just get comfy with everything I need close to hand and dig in for the duration. Dirty dishes are piling up and my boys had to get their own dinner last night because I was in bed at 6pm wiped out and dh wasn't home yet.

All this will pass and in a few months all our babes will be quick efficient feeders with enormous milky smiles.

Here'sFrida with a learner's milky smile

[blairinargentina]

The clutch hold would be ideal for pointing her chin in the right direction... assuming that her body is lined up straight next to yours (so her feet would be pointing towards/touching the back of the chair you are sitting in). does that make sense?

good luck!