X-post in BF: Baby born today, need help already

[GinaRae]

So much for the seasoned mom of four - I feel incompetent.

Baby was born 6 hours ago. For the past 4 hours he's been BF'ing or screaming to BF. My nipples are so sore, my hands tired from holding my breasts away from his nose and I am, exhausted from being awake almost 36 hours now.

I can squeeze some colostrum, not a ton. I don't know if he's just unsatisfied, traumatized, or pacifying. I am exhausted and sore - please help.

[chrysalis]

oh my, gina! there you are!!! i've been looking and hoping to see a new post from you and here you are! what is his name? i'm so sorry you are so tired......hugs mama........hugs hugs hugs. i h ope you get some good good sleep tonight... i must be having sympathy 'pains' from you cuz i am just BEAT today for some reason. slept from 8:30am til 11am and then from like noon til about 2pm. i am still absolutely beat. i can't even imagine how you must be feeling... love to you.

what do your MW"s say about baby's behavior? was he born at home? i guess if i knew more about the birthing maybe i could give better input... gosh i don't know what to tell you except call a lactation specialist/consultant who can help you out better...my milk came in right away surprisingly w/ meghan despite all the meds i had and for being under general for the ceserean...so we never had an milk delays or shortage...ever. oh sweetie i really feel for you and i'm so sorry. have you tried laying down alone w/ baby in bed...will he sleep long? are you sure he's latching on correctly? don't want to get him in a bad habit to start out, that is for sure...hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. maybe drink some mommy milk tea......and go lay down and sleep and side nurse...tht is my FAVORITE way to nurse. put some relaxing music on or some static from a sound machine like i do and oh i'm sure you have your mom there so that is probably adding to your staying up...? oh gina.........HUGS. what else can she do, mamas???

[Kontessa]

((((HUGS))))


I wish I knew what would work for you guys. Have you wrapped him up tight and had DH walk the house holding him and even outside? My baby loves me walking her in the house, she gets all quiet and forgets she is not sucking!

Big congrats hun. It says alot that you have not posted before now. (((Loves))) thinking of you and trying not to worry.

[Avani]

Yes, swaddle him and pull him close, let him nurse and go to sleep! He should tucker out soon. If you have to hand him over to your dh for awhile so you can relax. Congratulations!

[monocyte]

nak

baby?? where have i been?? congras!!

skin to skin - let him guide a bit.

ds also took a while to latch, i was freaking as well. he came fast, and was a bit like a deer in headlights. and when he did, he sstayed for almost 3 hours going non stop, from sidet oside.

my guess is probably a bit shell shocked, maybe jsut haveing a hard time transistion. just go with it for now. birth isnt easy.

[ComfyCozy]

Gina!!!! Congratulations!!! I defer to the other Mamas here as we have to supplement from day 1 due to my deficient BFAR boobies. Just wanted to send my heartfelt congrats to you and let you know I've been thinking of you all day! Much love!!

[chrysalis]

hopefully this is gina and her son: and hopefully we won't hear anything more til the morning after they rest.....

[chubbycheeks]

Just hugs and a big congratulations mama!!

[Isaac'sMa]

Congrats, Gina!! Another boy. Wow. Try the skin to skin. If that doesn't work then maybe swaddle.
Some things that come to mind...
-Try to get more of your nipple in his mouth
-You shouldn't need to hold your boob away from his face, babies noses are specially designed so that they can still breathe when they have a big ol' face full of boobie
-Have you tried a football hold instead of the traditional cross body hold?
- Don't worry about the colustrum (not being able to express it) I was worried about this too at first, but I think my LO was just sucking it all out and that's why there was none to express. It's probably the same for you ( as long as he's passing enough urine and meconium)
- A little lanolin on a breast pad after every feeding can help with tenderness (at least it helped me with ds1...I was *so* sore at first) and prevent chapping/cracking


Sore boobs is no picnic. I hope they feel better soon and you're able to get some rest.

[*Lindsey*]

Congrats on your baby boy, Gina! I hope you are both snoozing now.

Great advice! One more thing is to take baby into a warm bath with you and try to nurse him there.

[lisalulu]

I don't have any advice to add but wanted to send and a big congrats. I hope you are all resting!

[wwisdomskr]

Congratulations, Gina!
Hope you and baby get some much needed rest and settle into a groove. Remember that he doesn't need a lot right now (size of his tiny fist) and that he can get more from your breast than you or any pump. I agree with pp that he may be working hard to stimulate milk production and probably just trying to integrate everything and "get himself right." This is common with relatively fast births...

[Curlita]

Seconding all the other great suggestions and adding this one: send hubby out for some Soothies. They are great on sore nipples.

Conrad blew threw my colostrum in the first day and then had not much to eat until my milk came in. Is that possible? I wouldn't think so after only 6 hours, but...

It's sore nipple city over my way, too. Hang in there.

[Googy]

Originally Posted by Isaac'sMa

Congrats, Gina!! Another boy. Wow. Try the skin to skin. If that doesn't work then maybe swaddle.
Some things that come to mind...
-Try to get more of your nipple in his mouth
-You shouldn't need to hold your boob away from his face, babies noses are specially designed so that they can still breathe when they have a big ol' face full of boobie
-Have you tried a football hold instead of the traditional cross body hold?
- Don't worry about the colustrum (not being able to express it) I was worried about this too at first, but I think my LO was just sucking it all out and that's why there was none to express. It's probably the same for you ( as long as he's passing enough urine and meconium)
- A little lanolin on a breast pad after every feeding can help with tenderness (at least it helped me with ds1...I was *so* sore at first) and prevent chapping/cracking


Sore boobs is no picnic. I hope they feel better soon and you're able to get some rest.

:
And CONGRATS by the way!!! How exciting!!!

[scheelimama]

Piper was the same way. Will he take your finger? I was able to doze a bit by keeping my finger in Piper's mouth. She seems so hungry and my milk hasn't come in yet. I'm terribly sore already as well. I really know how you feel. I'm guessing he's just hungry and ready for your milk to come in. Piper has not let up on the sucking. She eats her fingers, or someone else's fingers or a binkie or me constantly. Only when she falls into a deep sleep is she okay with not sleeping. She fell into a deepish sleep about 9 hours after she was born. Before that it was constant sucking. Then she woke after 6 hours or so and was back to constant sucking. And yes, I'm terrible and gave her a binky. I found with my last one that the Avent binkies were the best for a breastfed baby, they have them at Target or Baby Depot or Babies R Us, but not Walmart. Also, the new swaddling blankets are the best!!! They really seem to calm Piper down. I don't put her arms down, I let her keep them up by her face, but they are still swaddled so she can't startle herself awake. The Kiddopotamus brand is the best so far for us. There are several brands at Target and Baby Depot. I don't know if any of that helps. I hope he goes into a deep sleep for you soon.

[renaissanceed]

Congratulations Gina on your new baby boy!

I'll echo the lanolin on breasts after every feeding. My nipples were cracked and bleeding with DD and I was in agony, but this really helped. Also just taking my time and not freaking out when she was crying (easier said than done I know - my shoulders were in a permanent hunched position for the first 6 weeks).

You won't get much colostrum out when squeezing - that's perfectly normal. He's sucking a lot to stimulate milk production but you should get a break. If you can get DH to hold him and rock him for a couple of hours so you can nap, that's a great idea.

[marisa]

First of all, CONGRATS Gina on your little boy!!!! :

Originally Posted by scheelimama

And yes, I'm terrible and gave her a binky. I found with my last one that the Avent binkies were the best for a breastfed baby, they have them at Target or Baby Depot or Babies R Us, but not Walmart.

Yep, my midwives were pissed when they came two days after my homebirth and saw an Avent binky in my first son's mouth, but this was the only way I could stay sane. He never got nipple confusion or anything from it. I'm just the type of person that can't handle the overstimulation from being a human pacifier. :

Good luck with everything, mama! We're thinking of you!

[isosmom]

Not much more advice to add, but definatley another congrats! You did it, I'm so happy for you and your new addition.

[GearGirl]

Congratulations on your baby!!!!!!! It was definitely the same way with my first two, suck, suck, suck constantly. At one point I was all black and blue, bleeding into the babies mouth (yuck), and it was sooo painful. It definitely makes a difference when that milk comes in. The first two days without milk are really stressful for me, but it will pass. I second all of the suggestions to just get some rest and let others help soothe him.

[chrysalis]

Originally Posted by scheelimama

Piper was the same way. Will he take your finger? I was able to doze a bit by keeping my finger in Piper's mouth. She seems so hungry and my milk hasn't come in yet. And yes, I'm terrible and gave her a binky.

megh had a 'paci' as well (don't know how long after she was born that i gave her one...weeks maybe?) but she always always nursed great so i never worried. she also liked my pinky to suckle as well, in stores or wherever...that worked wonders. the pad part was up towards the roof of her mouth...

someone else pointed something out and oh i remember now, the boobie thing...i have large breasts and never needed to pull mine away.....don't worry about that if its cuz you worry he'll suffocate. that's why their noses are so flat...they can breathe. if they can't they will pull away. that could be partly why your nipples are so sore....... i really hope you are sleeping right now, mama and baby too. love to you both.