Assisted Conception and LTTTC - Due in 2013/2014

[Blue12]

My girls lost 9% after the first day and then maintained that weight for 4 days. At the 11 day mark they are both back at their birth weights.

 

[FirstTry]

Mo! my girls both lost 5% at the one week mark! but gained at week 2 and were over birth weight. I think that's normal.

Sweet, Blue, I agree that they really look more different as they get older. It's easier for us since one is blonde and the other a brownie. We are dealing with gas/colic right now. We switched formula and gas drops after meals is helping some. Hoping this passes quickly. 6 weeks tomorrow!

Have you tried probiotics? My personal belief is that colic is due to immature gastrointestinal system and good bacteria is needed for everything to work correctly.

 

[MoBaby]

I go back tuesday for weight check and 2 week appt. Hoping he is gaining because I do not want to have to start measuring my breast milk! I will eventually have to pump and nurse when I return to work but for now I am trying to keep up with the nursing.

 

[Mells54]

Mo! my girls both lost 5% at the one week mark! but gained at week 2 and were over birth weight. I think that's normal.

Sweet, Blue, I agree that they really look more different as they get older. It's easier for us since one is blonde and the other a brownie. We are dealing with gas/colic right now. We switched formula and gas drops after meals is helping some. Hoping this passes quickly. 6 weeks tomorrow!

Have you tried probiotics? My personal belief is that colic is due to immature gastrointestinal system and good bacteria is needed for everything to work correctly.

You're the second person to recommend probiotics. Do you have a certain brand you use?

 

[FirstTry]

Mo! my girls both lost 5% at the one week mark! but gained at week 2 and were over birth weight. I think that's normal.

Sweet, Blue, I agree that they really look more different as they get older. It's easier for us since one is blonde and the other a brownie. We are dealing with gas/colic right now. We switched formula and gas drops after meals is helping some. Hoping this passes quickly. 6 weeks tomorrow!

Have you tried probiotics? My personal belief is that colic is due to immature gastrointestinal system and good bacteria is needed for everything to work correctly.

You're the second person to recommend probiotics. Do you have a certain brand you use?

When I asked my pediatricianabout giving DS probiotics, she said people have started using it for colic, but no long term studies have been done yet. So, side effects are not known.

Anyway, I just went to Whole Foods and chose one of the baby probiotics. We mix it in with an ounce or two of pumped milk.

 

[FirstTry]

We are trying to settle in. Everyday is different. Good nights and bad nights. I feel like my milk supply is too low although he did get 2oz from one side at the lactation consultant appt. We go back next tuesday to make sure he is gaining weight because he didnt gain any from delivery to my appt (in 6 days) and was down 5%. I feel like my breast milk is fluctuating day to day and feed to feed. I need to figure out how to increase it and for also when I go back to work in 11 more weeks. Overall doing well

My DS lost a pound by day 3 and I had to push formula. But I kept giving him the boob before the formula and pumping after. My milk came in and I reduced the formula supplementation to none over the next several weeks. Now, I have plenty of breast milk, including 25 ounces in the freezer. So, it gets much easier!

Also, once you get the hang of it, the entire taking care of baby thing also gets much easier. At 9 weeks, we're doing great! You learn your baby's habits. And they start smiling, which is awesome

 

[MoBaby]

I think I am going to look into a nipple guard. Not because my nipples hurt because they do not but because baby has a hard time latching right now due to his palate. I've heard from several people that the guards help out because it makes the nipple "more stiff".. I pumped once and gave him the bottle and he took the bottle like a champ so I am wondering if that would help with the feedings. Right now a feeding takes 30-45 minutes...He wanted to nurse every 45 minutes last night so I would nurse, change him, put him down and he was back up within in 20-30 minutes for repeat. I think its because he wasn't latching very well so was only getting a little bit of milk. This morning he latched better and had a good feed so he has been asleep for about 1.5 hours now. The lactation consultant said it would get easier over the next few weeks as his palate moves somewhat. I think I forgot to say before his palate and chin are pushed back due to his positioning in my uterus (facing spine, smushed under my ribs) so his upper palate where the sensation for latching is is very high up and back. This will fix itself but will take time. The guard is supposed to help with that also.

 

[FirstTry]

I think I am going to look into a nipple guard. Not because my nipples hurt because they do not but because baby has a hard time latching right now due to his palate. I've heard from several people that the guards help out because it makes the nipple "more stiff".. I pumped once and gave him the bottle and he took the bottle like a champ so I am wondering if that would help with the feedings. Right now a feeding takes 30-45 minutes...He wanted to nurse every 45 minutes last night so I would nurse, change him, put him down and he was back up within in 20-30 minutes for repeat. I think its because he wasn't latching very well so was only getting a little bit of milk. This morning he latched better and had a good feed so he has been asleep for about 1.5 hours now. The lactation consultant said it would get easier over the next few weeks as his palate moves somewhat. I think I forgot to say before his palate and chin are pushed back due to his positioning in my uterus (facing spine, smushed under my ribs) so his upper palate where the sensation for latching is is very high up and back. This will fix itself but will take time. The guard is supposed to help with that also.

The lactation consultant in the hospital gave me a nipple guard. It helped a lot for the first few weeks.

 

[MoBaby]

Nipple guard fail! LOL. He wouldn't even put it in his mouth...He started crying! I guess I can try again later.

 

[Blue12]

Mobaby maybe your little guy is just cluster feeding. My dd was such a cluster feeder. It is so exhausting. The twins have been having some cluster feeding as well and it's so exhausting.

 

[Sweetness_87]

Had to post here is one of their 3 month ( really almost 4 month ) old pic

 

[Blue12]

Love it!!!!!

 

[Mells54]

Love it!

 

[L4hope]

So darn cute!

 

[Em260]

Mo - I used a nipple guard too for the first 4 weeks. DD had such a terrible latch and was cluster feeding nonstop in the beginning so my nipples really took a beating. The nipple shield was the only way I could continue nursing because it hurt so bad without it. The nonstop nursing was beyond exhausting but hang in there because like First mentioned it will get easier.

Mells - I also highly recommend probiotics. Gerber Colic Soothe brand is what we use. I got it off of amazon. It has L.reuteri bacteria which is supposed to be excellent for colic/gas.

Sweetness - aww your little guys are so adorable!!!

 

[FirstTry]

Mobaby maybe your little guy is just cluster feeding. My dd was such a cluster feeder. It is so exhausting. The twins have been having some cluster feeding as well and it's so exhausting.

Oh yeah, the growth spurts! I think they are roughly at 3 weeks, 6-7 weeks, 3 months, 6 months. But it varies by baby. They feed seemingly nonstop. It sucks for mommy (pun intended), but it also kicks your supply up to the next level.

 

[FirstTry]

One other ray of BF hope: eventually baby will be able to suck more efficiently and drain the boob more quickly. My DS is much faster now, at 9 weeks.

 

[Mells54]

Thanks for the info Em. I'll give it a try.

Is cluster feeding a BF thing only? I don't think my girls have ever doe that. They pretty much eat at steady 3-4 hour intervals.

 

[~Brandy~]

Breastfeeding has been a Rollercoaster for me. I am feeding right now but I will come back later to post the story and ask some questions... There's so many that around the similar age or just went through it.

 

[Blue12]

I think cluster feeding can happen with babies who are fed formula but that it's less likely to happen. Supposedly breast milk digests faster leading them to possibly need to eat more often. My girls though get breast fed each feed and offered up to 1oz of formula after each feed (sometimes they take .5oz and others they take none) but they still cluster feed so I'm not sure really Mels lol.

I started taking the herbal supplements for milk supply but ended up with such horrible headaches that I had to stop.