Let's help 1st time mamas with BFing! - Page 2

[Island_Mama]

Originally Posted by ILoveMySofie

oh what a great thread!!! I remember out first days...especially the first 17 of them while she wouldnt latch on and I was feeding her from the syrenge. It was a nightmare, I had NO support from anyone at all, did not know about MDC...the only thing i did know is that breastfeeding was the one thing i would NOT give up on no matter what. I think i might have even started going a little crazy lol. People would try to visit and Id just hide in the room with Sofia trying to get her to latch...I remember the desire to breastfeed being so instinctual and so strong...just pure nature.
We both got through it, and I ended up nursing my little girl past her third birthday
Ok how the heck did I just hijack the thread? Im really sorry!
I just wanted to say this is an awesome thread and should be stickied!!!!!!!

I love your determination ! Makes me more positive about bf.

Thanks for this, it really is great, informative very helpful.

[bemommy]

Another food that really helps supply is oatmeal. A bowl of oatmeal a day (or some thick oatmeal cookies) had me dripping with milk.

Or do the hops and oatmeal at the same time. . I nice rich Oatmeal Stout. I wonder if I could get DH to brew a batch this weekend. . .

[karen1968]

What a great thread! I feel lucky that BFing is going great for us (so far!).

I have a suggestion for large breasted mamas. My baby is little - 6 pounds at birth - and my breasts are DD (maybe DDD). They are also floppy right now, since my milk hasn't come in yet. I was getting a sore back from trying to support baby and breast. A nurse suggested I roll up a washcloth and use it under the breast for support. What a difference! It makes the breast seem "fuller" and keeps if from sagging away from baby while leaving my hand free.

I suspect this won't be a problem in a couple of days but for right now it's saving my sanity (and my back) by giving me a free hand to drink water and eat snacks while DS sucks away.

I have a question for experienced mamas, BTW. DS seems to have a "sucking pattern" where he takes anywhere from 8 to 20 sucks, then pauses for up to three times that long. he repeats this the entire time he is on the breast. Is this normal? He is almost three days old right now...Also, I leave him on one breast until he pops off himself, then switch if he is still rooting. I start on alternate sides each feeding. Does this seem like the right technique for the moment?

[lunadoula]

Thank you so much mamas for making this thread and sticky-ing it! I am a doula so I have basic breastfeeding knowledge but have been a little nervous about how it will end up going. Knowing I have the support and resources IRL but also in this amazing group makes me feel a TON BETTER!!

Also, the way some of you describe how great BFing will be and thinking about it has seriously gotten me through a lot of this pregnancy (and some difficult prenatal depression). Now that I'm "almost there" I'm just holding onto thinking about nursing our little one soon. :

[lunadoula]

I forgot to post a question for you mamas who have BF - can you talk to me about BFing lying down? Is it possible to do right from birth? Any tips would be appreciated and of course I can post in the main BF forum if I need more help/responses, but thought I'd ask here first.

[MotheringHeart]

Having now breastfed three kiddos from birth w/the first one having to be taught suck/swallow because she was so premature, here are some tips I've learned:

Relax, relax, relax. The baby will be hungry and screaming and you will feel your biology kick in and you will start to panic. Take a deep breath and make sure that you have a good latch and good position, this way you will be less likely to have to unlatch baby to move around. However, do not hesitate to unlatch baby if they are not latched properly or if you are in pain.

If something happens to your nipple and it gets cracked or gets a sore, it will heal! I promise. Try to change the latch and positioning and get it feeling better. Don't give up. It doesn't feel so nice when it is healing, but IT WILL HEAL, so just keep going through it and know that the week or so of discomfort will go away.

Try and nurse in all sorts of positions. My DD#2 had some terrible habits and was preferring one breast to the exclusivity of the other and so I used a football hold on the side she didn't like and all of a sudden she'd nurse there again. Don't be afraid to experiment! Lay down, sit up, football hold, across the body hold....do it all!!!

I also second the pulling the baby in suggestion. When you are holding your breast and holding the baby, pull them in until you feel as though you are suffocating the baby. You won't really be (just make sure you watch their nose and make sure it is getting some airflow) but it does feel a bit strange.

Make sure the baby's mouth is WIDE open before you stick your breast in there. You want to make sure they are holding as much of the areola in their mouth as they possibly can, this really will make things MUCH more comfortable.

I'm sure there's more and as I think of them, I'll add......

And, oh yeah, GET HELP! Find a lactation consultant, LLL, or experienced pal to help you. Find someone you connect with, who is not going to irritate you or put you down. Don't hesitate to call around, someone who's been there before is an invaluable resource!!

One more, don't get discouraged. You've never done this before and neither has your baby. There is a little bit of learning (okay, a lot) that needs to happen. Even if this isn't your first nursling, you've never nursed THIS nursling before and that makes it a new situation. Go easy on yourself and enjoy the ride!!!!!

[Mummytwice]

Originally Posted by karen1968

I suspect this won't be a problem in a couple of days but for right now it's saving my sanity (and my back) by giving me a free hand to drink water and eat snacks while DS sucks away.

This reminds me- always have water near-by. If you have a place you like to nurse, keep a bottle beside it. I have spoken to so many mama's that sit down to nurse, and two minutes in are parched. I alway thought of this as all the fluid in my body going to my breasts- and we had just gotten comfy and the water bottle was *just* out of reach!

[Astromom]

Originally Posted by lunadoula

I forgot to post a question for you mamas who have BF - can you talk to me about BFing lying down? Is it possible to do right from birth? Any tips would be appreciated and of course I can post in the main BF forum if I need more help/responses, but thought I'd ask here first.

I was so nervous about bfing with dd that i only nursed her sitting up for *months* but with this babe i nursed lying down right away. I asked the mws to make sure that was ok in the beginning and they said yep... all the previous tips apply to this position too

[MotheringHeart]

I would warn about lying down that sometimes milk can come out the babe's nose. It is not anything to worry about, but it can be quite shocking to see streams of milk coming out. They will grow big enough so that it doesn't happen anymore, but when it does happen it doesn't mean they aren't big enough to nurse laying down. Make sense?

[Yo Becca]

DH's job and main responsibility for the first 2 weeks were to bring me a juice box (100% juice) and an oatmeal cookie everytime I sat down to nurse, and to keep my water bottle full. I got one of the big thermos-type jugs with a straw, and it was my constant companion. I felt like I needed the calorie boost and liquids, and DH was very good at being on top of it and reminding me to drink. Definitely delegate taking care of YOU to someone else when you can - you;ll forget meals, forget to use the bathroom, forget to drink, etc. It's biology - you'll be so focused on the baby you'll neglect yourself.

As for lying down, b/c of my problems, I couldn't nurse comfortably lying down for months, and never could sleep while nursing. But I know lots of people for whom it is a lifesaver - just experiment.

[Arwyn]

Originally Posted by karen1968

I have a question for experienced mamas, BTW. DS seems to have a "sucking pattern" where he takes anywhere from 8 to 20 sucks, then pauses for up to three times that long. he repeats this the entire time he is on the breast. Is this normal? He is almost three days old right now...Also, I leave him on one breast until he pops off himself, then switch if he is still rooting. I start on alternate sides each feeding. Does this seem like the right technique for the moment?

Not an experienced mama, but that sounds totally normal, and like the "right technique" for sure.

How are you?? Can't wait to meet little Chase (and you, for that matter)! (OK, so I can, but y'know your first public appearance is going to bring us all out in droves, right? Well, in my case assuming I'm still pregnant and not on my own babymoon )

[karen1968]

Originally Posted by Arwyn

Not an experienced mama, but that sounds totally normal, and like the "right technique" for sure.

How are you?? Can't wait to meet little Chase (and you, for that matter)! (OK, so I can, but y'know your first public appearance is going to bring us all out in droves, right? Well, in my case assuming I'm still pregnant and not on my own babymoon )

It's nice to hear from someone else that I'm doing things "right," even when I'm pretty sure I am :

Things are going pretty well (even though the pediatrician confirmed today that he's a little dehydrated - my milk production seemed to pick up today, so I don't expect that to last). I even got FIVE hours sleep last night. I'm really looking forward to showing him off...not too soon, though, I don't think

[Island_Mama]

Originally Posted by Mizelenius

Thank you, mamas, for adding your thoughts!

(1) Check NOW to see if your nipples are inverted. One of mine was, and wearing the nipple shield when not nursing helped a lot. The good news is, after nursing for 2 years, I never had to worry again with my other children.

What is a nipple shield?

[Mizelenius]

Originally Posted by Island_Mama

What is a nipple shield?

Here is info:

http://www.medela.com/newfiles/nipshield.html

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/...an-shield.html

Edited to correct-- BREAST shields are what should be used for inverted/flat nipples when baby is not nursing.

[Arwyn]

Originally Posted by Island_Mama

What is a nipple shield?

Something that should never, ever be used unless there is NO OTHER OPTION. 'Cause getting kids off of them is hard, very often impossible, and when you have to have a piece of silicon handy to nurse, one is much less likely to nurse for long, or in public, or on demand.

Usually, breast shells are used for inverted nipples (if anything - baby is best at correcting the "problem"!) when not nursing, and nipple shields used during nursing (not a good idea unless absolutely necessary) for when the baby simply can't or won't latch on, due to premature exposure to bottles, or inverted nipples. I had never heard of using nipple shields when NOT nursing for inverted or flat nipples, but other than the risk of yeast (the shield would keep the nipple warm and moist, perfect breeding ground for thrush), using it that way shouldn't have an adverse effect on the nursing relationship.

[Full Heart]

Originally Posted by lunadoula

I forgot to post a question for you mamas who have BF - can you talk to me about BFing lying down? Is it possible to do right from birth? Any tips would be appreciated and of course I can post in the main BF forum if I need more help/responses, but thought I'd ask here first.

I suggest learning this as soon as possible. I nursed sitting up with my first for about a week. But I have a problem when I nurse, all that love hormone relaxes me so much I fall asleep! Falling asleep while holding a baby while sitting is not adviced lol. I almost dropped her. Almost. It was then I decided I better figure out how to nurse lying down.

First, don't do this at night when you are half asleep. Try it during the day when you are more or less awake. I have to lay different ways depending on what side I nurse on. You might not notice this but don't be fraustrated if it works one way and not the other. On my left side I put my arm under my pillow bent at the elbow. The right side my arm has to be straight out, which is nicer cause I can hug the baby more. But my left arm just doesn't go that way. Secondly, at first you might need a light. If you can get a low watt bulb or a night lite. If you have a tv you can turn that on. Once you got the hang of it you will be able to do it with your eyes closed. I would also suggest laying the baby on something like a recieving blanket or towel or prefold. Drool and shooting milk make great spots on the bed. Its alot easier to change a prefold than the sheets when there is a huge wet spot. Also sleeping with a prefold or wash cloth on your breast is alot easier than a bra with a pad in it. Esp if you have over supply.

Speaking of oversupply - it can really hurt. And you can have milk come out of your areola. That one shocked me, and I had already nursed 3 kids when that happened.

And on milk coming out of babies noses, this can happen when they spit up too. I've had babies spew milk out of their noses when they spit up! Cleans out their noses at least lol.

[Mizelenius]

Originally Posted by Arwyn

Usually, breast shells are used for inverted nipples

Oh, gosh-- you are right! It's been 5 yrs since I used them, so I forgot!

[DayDreamer]

Originally Posted by Arwyn

Something that should never, ever be used unless there is NO OTHER OPTION. 'Cause getting kids off of them is hard, very often impossible, and when you have to have a piece of silicon handy to nurse, one is much less likely to nurse for long, or in public, or on demand.

Usually, breast shells are used for inverted nipples (if anything - baby is best at correcting the "problem"!) when not nursing, and nipple shields used during nursing (not a good idea unless absolutely necessary) for when the baby simply can't or won't latch on, due to premature exposure to bottles, or inverted nipples. I had never heard of using nipple shields when NOT nursing for inverted or flat nipples, but other than the risk of yeast (the shield would keep the nipple warm and moist, perfect breeding ground for thrush), using it that way shouldn't have an adverse effect on the nursing relationship.

I used breast shields with my DD (first child) at first. After a few weeks of nursing on demand and often I didn't need them any more. I never needed them again with my DS and from the looks of things will not need them with this baby, but they were a life saver for our bfing relationship.

I did not realize I was going to need these. My nipples were not inverted, they just didn't pop out from the rest of my breast. My DD could not latch on. The wonderful LC : at the hospital convinced me that DD's stomach was "flat" and needed expanded using glucose water so she would realize she was hungry, and then nurse. Needless to say this didn't work and my mom realized the problem and got me the breast shields and it was happy sailing from there.

[pinuchkin]

I haven't read all the responses yet, but want to throw a few things up while I'm thinking about it.

YEAST! Yeast was the bane of my world for 5 weeks and I had no idea ... I thought that the glass-shards-in-my-milk-ducts feeling was normal! If your breasts hurt even when kiddo isn't nursing, and if nursing feels like there are sharp/deep pains, definitely look up a good (GOOD) lactation counselor for help. Mine suggested:
1 - follow a candidiasis diet (google it) - basically reduce sugar & dairy
2 - white cotton underwear (top & bottom) & wash everything in HOT water
3 - make a little spray bottle with water & either cider vinegar or grapefruitseed extract (GSE - health food stores), spray your nips & let them air-dry after every session
4 - wipe out your babe's mouth after every session with a gauze pad
5 - if you have medical treatment, remember that the babe & your DH need to be treated too
6 - sterilize anything that touches your bbs, milk or babe's mouth (pump horns, pacifiers ...)

COSLEEPING/SIDE-LYING SAVED ME! Learning to nurse with the babe next to me in my bed was a HUGE sanity saver around week 3, because I could doze while she nursed.

BIG BREASTS = BOOB SANDWICH I'm heavy-chested, and esp. while I was engorged & DD was little, I *had* to hold my breast & do the c-grip sandwich hold on it to help her little mouth control it.

GROWTH SPURTS 3wk, 3mo, 6mo for us ... DD nursed nonstop but never seemed happy. She was working to build my supply, and also learning to nurse for comfort vs food.

MAGICAL 6 It was my goal to nurse for 6 weeks. At week 5-1/2, nursing suddenly got easy, almost overnight! I reset the goal for 6 months, and by that time it was second nature and a wonderful way for us to reconnect after work. (she weaned at 18 months!)

WORKING AND NURSING Continuing to nurse DD was actually a major factor in me staying happy when I went back to work at 8 weeks. I felt like I was a major part of her day because I was pumping for her. And when I saw her at the end of the day, it was a great time for us to reconnect.

[Island_Mama]

where can I find a sns/lactation aid? i hear they are expensive...