BFing back ache

[newmommaamy]

My little guy is almost 4 days old and we are trying to exclusivly BF (he has ran me dry a few times now and following hour long feeding sessions we supplemented with a little formula). My problem is that my upper back, between my shoulder blades, aches terribly. Is this from bad positioning BFing or could it be left over from labor?

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

Probably a little of both. I remember my back hurt there after birth a lot. I think it is from being tense during the birth and all that goes with it.

Have your tried different positions, lying down even to get more comfy??

I hope you dont mind me saying so but nursing for a hour at a time is normal for a newborn even longer than that is normal as well, till your milk comes in. Not sure yours is or not right now. The first month especially is marathon nursing some days it feels like you have had a boob in the babys mouth all day long and for the most part you will.

But giving formula can really mess up a bfed babies tummy, make them constipated and it can really hurt your supply this early on as well since every oz you give of formula that is a oz your body dosnt know it needs to make. Not to metion nipple confusion.

[newmommaamy]

I don't mind at all. This is our first and we are really struggling with the feeding. Help is much apprieciated. Things that are going well: he latches on easily and the lactation consultant said he has an excellent suck. He is nursing both sides until they are dry about every two hours. Most of the day and night this goes fine, but about once every 24 hours wants more and there is nothing else in there and he screams. He is over 9 lbs and very active. My milk is not in yet, we are hoping that when it comes in it will be more satisfying to him

The first night we were home from the hospital he only wet one diaper and the pee looked like it had blood in it. I called the hospital nursery (frantich) and was told that it probably isn't blood, but some crystal buildup from him being dehydrated. She said just keep nursing it will eventually go away.

So now I am so worried he is dehydrated, I keep drying up, he is sucking hard on anything he or I can get in him mouth. I am worried about the nipple confusion, we didn't by any bottles or pacifiers so that we wouldn't be tempted to use them early on, I finger feed the formula.

Wow- now that I have it written down I realize how much this is stressful for me. It is very important to me that we breastfeed, I read books, went to LLL meetings, but didn't prepare for what to do with hungry, screaming baby when nothing else was coming out of me. It's going to get easier- right?

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

The best thing about the breasts is they never truly run dry. You make milk/colostrum constatly 24/7 (or you will when your supply comes in fully) Your milk can take up to 10 days I think to come in but more usually it is around 3-4. The more he sucks the more you will make and the faster your supply will come in.

That is good that you used your finger. Smart mommy

Yes it does get easier. I was always worried about the dehydration to because my milk always took 4 days to come in. But babies are made to survive well without a full supply of milk for many days.

Just keep switching breasts for however long it takes to get him to be happier. Remember to that their little tummies are so tiny it dosnt take much at all to fill them up in the very begining. I bet your milk will come in very soon and then things will calm way down. But be prepaired when it does he will probably want to nurse even more for a few days to get your supply to were it needs to be.

A big to you. Those first few months are a real challange.

[pilllowhead]

You are doing well, don't think that you aren't. It can be so tiring at times but the more you let him suck right now, the more signals you are sending to your body. I second the nursing lying down suggestion. I did that right from the start and it means that you can fall asleep nursing. I would also suggest experimenting with pillows. I don't have an expensive wrap around one but bought somehting equivalent which was just an L-shaped readng pillow. Gotta go play with the 5 year old now, but I'll come back later

[jee'smom]

i second everything melissa said. (good advice!) He's a big boy and every time he sucks now, it's teaching your body how much milk to make. boy, i don't envy you when your milk finally does come in! you're going to have alot, girl! btw, their bellies only hold about 1/4 tsp. in the beginning. you're doing fine... your body can do this, trust in it.

[bdavis337]

Yep. The backache is probably a combination of the way you're sitting while he's nursing, your stress and tension about bf'ing and how hard you worked during delivery. It's sooooo important to relax when you're nursing. Both physically and mentally, the whole thing works so much better if you're relaxed. I can't tell you HOW to do that, but it's really important (trust me, I'm a bfar mom and I have to fight being scared that's he's not getting enough every single time he latches on.

Go back to your lc if you're still uncomfortable. You can do a before/after weight check to see that he's really getting milk, and you can keep count of his diapers (*wet and poop) so the lc can tell you if that's a good number. And yes, supp'ing with formula, even with an eye dropper, can sabotage the supply you're trying to build. It's NORMAL for him to nurse as often and as long as he is - he's helping you establish supply.

[Mel L]

When you are sitting up to nurse, make sure you have a ton of pillows to help prop up the baby. Most nursing pillows are too low for newborns. That should help some of the shoulder pain. I notice I get it when I get lazy and stop using props even though she is almost 7 weeks old now.

Please don't fall into the formula trap! It is so easy to do, and that is why formula companies target ebf moms! Your milk should be in sooner than later since he is nursing that much, but it can still take a while. Ds took 5 1/2 days, but super nurser and 2nd baby Bella took 2 days. When your milk comes in, you won't feel like your baby is dehydrated, but your baby is doing fine now, too. He also may just be a sucker baby! Bella had 2 blood blisters on her finger where she sucked in the womb. That may also be the way he calms himself, and that is normal at this age as well. Good luck! You just have a few more days to go!

We had a very difficult start with my son since he was pre-37 weeks, didn't know how to suck at all, and needed lots of formula in the hospital because of severe jaundice. I found that it was much easier to have a great bf relationship with my son once we threw out the formula and really knew that he would have to get everything from me. Once my milk came in, things were 100% better. It still took us about 6 weeks to get everything right, but things will look much better to you after your milk arrives!

[bdavis337]

Amy, I also wanted to mention that you can try eating oatmeal, chicken noodle soup and malt-0meal cereals. These are all foods that can help increase your milk supply. I'm eating one packet of instant oatmeal every day, and when I get some oatmeal cookies made I'll be well on my way to the extra 500 nursing calories we're supposed to eat! I really do think it's helping, so give it a try!

[newmommaamy]

yeah an excuse for cookies!!

Thank you all so much, I was really feeling overwhelmed this morning and I am really feeling a lot better now. The encouragement helps so much- even if it is making me sit here and cry as I read it, I am ready for the hormonal swings to settle a little

[pilllowhead]

Amy, I feel like that SO often on this board. So glad you're feeling a bit more confident, you can do it!
Can I add milk thistle to the list of increasing breast milk? I think you take it as a tea

[manitobamama]

Originally Posted by newmommaamy

yeah an excuse for cookies!!

Thank you all so much, I was really feeling overwhelmed this morning and I am really feeling a lot better now. The encouragement helps so much- even if it is making me sit here and cry as I read it, I am ready for the hormonal swings to settle a little

Everything that you are going through is NORMAL! I agree with everyone that has posted! I have had the backaches too, get yourself a good bf pillow and try lots of different positions until you find the one that works the best for you and babe!
Just a warning you may get way more emotional when your milk comes in lots of weepy days and being emotional can make you feel really frusterated at times! Keep at it mama you can and will produce everything your baby needs!

[jee'smom]

Originally Posted by newmommaamy

The first night we were home from the hospital he only wet one diaper and the pee looked like it had blood in it. I called the hospital nursery (frantich) and was told that it probably isn't blood, but some crystal buildup from him being dehydrated. She said just keep nursing it will eventually go away.

it's called (something like) brick dust or brick red dust or something. it's uric acid crystals and is normal. my ds had it and i freaked b/c i thought someone had retracted his foreskin. i later found out that alot of babies have it.

[sleet76]

Just wanted to pop on and say that my son Owen had a few diapers with uric acid crystals in his first week. It is normal and okay. Also, with my first, my milk took 5 days to come in, so it can take a long time.

Also, nobody else mentioned this, but I think it could be helpful---he may not be crying from hunger--many babies cry a lot, even when not hungry. My first cried all the time, and I know she was getting enough milk. Newborns also often root if anything is even near their face because of a reflex, not necessarily hunger. Keep at it, and don't let yourself get too worried about how much he's getting. Your body is taking care of it in all likelihood.

[bdavis337]

I just realized this morning that Jeffrey roots and NEEDS to suck right before he poops! They just have to suck to do EVERYTHING!!!!!

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

My ds also had the brick dust for the first week. I freaked the first time I saw it called the ped who blamed it on him being intact : The next day he had a checkup with the mw's nurse and had the brick dust again and she told me exactly what it was and it went away shortly after when my milk came in.

[newmommaamy]

We saw the ped today, he confirmed the brick dust and that it was just fine. One our way to the office my milk came in, by the time we arrived I felt about twice the size I was when we left Mark has been very happy with the milk- he feeds and his eyes roll back in his head and he looks so happy in "milk comma" I had a few very wild mood swings today- I hope they are from the milk coming in. I also have had a few strong unterine cramps today.

Now that I have huge breasts Mark is having a little bit of trouble getting latched on. Is that normal? I was thinking of pumping a little before I start feeding to relieve the pressure, does that sound like it will help?

[jee'smom]

if he's having trouble latching on, you could pump a little (but only a little, b/c if you pump, you'll make more milk), or you could take a warm shower and massage first and let some leak out. good luck, it'll all even out within 1-2 weeks.