Breastfeeding questions :)

[RebeccaR19]

I breastfed my son for about 6 months. I plan to nurse this one even longer.

But I was wondering if any of you breastfeeding experts could answer some things that I'm curious about.

1.) Does baby #2 have an easier time nursing than the first one because of a better flow?
I'm already leaking colostrum and even when I hand express a tiny amount, it comes out so easy. This is much easier than it was when I did it with my son (and I also didn't leak for him). I was wondering if it will mean the 2nd baby will have an easier time nursing at the beginning because she won't have to work as hard as my son did to get it out.

2.) Do you know what makes colostrum change?
My colostrum seems to be much "better" this time around like thicker and more yellow. Last time it was more watery. And there also seems to be a lot more of it this time (but maybe that's because it's just coming out easier).

3.) How soon after birth should the baby start nursing?
So, basically, my son was taken away from me right after birth and brought to me about an hour later. I knew that baby should nurse very soon, but I wasn't given that option with him. They weren't sure his lungs were functioning properly at first. When he came to me an hour later, all he wanted to do was sleep, of course, and that was a struggle to even get him to wake up to eat. I want this one to go better. Can I just demand that I have the baby to nurse right away? Basically what is the ideal window of time that the baby should start nursing?

Thanks to anyone who can help!

 

[alexspargo]

1. Yes! Breastfeeding gets easier with each child although I suspect it is because you have more experience rather than increased milk flow. Maybe it's both. I had a really hard time breastfeeding my first but the last two were a breeze. I do not expect to have any problems feeding this time around.

2. Not sure but I also noticed that with my second, third and fourth (current) pregnancies I produced more colostrum and each time earlier than the last. I assume it's just your body understanding what to do. This time around with my fourth pregnancy my colostrum is super thick and yellow and I have a lot of it!

3. Immediately! With my first they took him away, gave him water in a bottle and a pacifier without my consent. About an hour or two after birth I tried breastfeeding for the first time. I think this greatly added to our difficulty with establishing breastfeeding. With my second and third I popped them on my boob literally within minutes of birthing them. It helps you deliver your placenta and helps the bleeding stop quickly. Any doctor worth his salt will encourage you to breast feed as soon as baby is interested which is basically right away since it is instinctual and also they just had a traumatic experience as well and could use the comfort. Don't be shy about getting them latched on right away.

Breastfeeding is one of the things I look forward to the most as a new mom. I breastfed my first only for about a month and my other two I breastfed for 12 months both times. One of my biggest regrets with my oldest is that I didn't try harder to get breastfeeding to work. My other two naturally weaned themselves at 12 months. With this baby I plan to breastfeed for at least 12 months but if he/she wants to go longer then I have no problem with that either. Since this is definitely my last one I might go a little longer just because I know I will miss it once it is over.

One last word of advice to you and anyone else: AVOID NIPPLE SHEILDS AT ALL COSTS! They make it much harder in my opinion and also one of the best parts about breastfeeding is that it requires nothing other than yourself. If you get dependent on a nipple shield it makes it much harder to spontaneously nurse and more likely that you will bottle feed if it is misplaced or dirty.

Good luck mama!

 

[mrs_park]

1) I felt much more confit the second time round and knew what correct latch felt like and what was normal for breastfeeding a newborn. So yes it was easier. Keep in mind, babies have to learn too and some have a easier time than others. It isn't always easier the second time if the baby has latching issues etc.

2) I produced more collostrum the second time round. I'm not sure why that is.

3) Straight away! In a perfect delivery, immediate skin to skin should take place and baby should have a first feed as soon as possible (skin to skin enables baby to move toward the breast and initiate the first feed on their own, which is amazing to see).

 

[PregnantKitty]

I have questions, too.
I tried to bf with my first and she just could not latch and had a lactose intolerance so when she did get milk she spit it right back up.

With #2 I breastfed sorta for the first couple weeks but he would feed for a half hour to an hour at a time because he was a very slow eater and then would be hungry again an hour later and it became too hard to constantly have him on my boob. He also had issues latching because he was tongue tied or whatever (he would stick his tongue in the way).

This time around I hope to both breastfeeding and formula feed but plan on breastfeeding exclusively for the first week or so to make sure she gets the colastrum and to establish a good milk supply.

Has anyone here ever done both?
Also, how long should LO bf for in one sitting?
Last, how do you get comfy? I've always had the issue getting comfortable while BFing. Like, even with a nursing pillow I couldn't get LO at a comfortable angle. :/

 

[OnErth&InHvn]

Even though you are pregnant, you CAN and SHOULD call a La Leche League leader- they will talk with you and even visit you after birth for FREE. They have FREE monthly meetings as well.

https://www.llli.org/search/groups

They have LLL in US and internationally.

 

[lindblum]

I've breastfed 3 kids and the first two weeks are still a little sore while the baby learns how to feed properly. I'm not sure if that's just me though. I think it is easier though because you know what to do.

Apart from my third child, the other two nursed pretty soon after birth maybe within 30 mins. My third was not interested until after several hours somewhere like 15-20hrs? I did mention this to the midwife but she wasn't concerned.
edited to add: I breastfed my third child for 14 months, 10 months exclusively, no solids. So if the baby doesn't nurse straight away doesn't necessarily means you will have problems later on.

pregnantkitty - i found leaning back slightly with the back straight is the most comfiest and baby should be across your chest with legs under/near your armpit. I've not used nursing pillows.
I don't know how long a baby should nurse for, i think this might be different per child? Personally mine were done within 10-15 mins. If they fell asleep before that and my breasts were still full i would wake them to continue feeding. If they still refuse then I would let them sleep.

 

[Feronia]

You don't produce any more colostrum the second time around, it's just easier to get out since you've already nursed and your nipples have changed a bit. Colostrum is controlled hormonally and stops being produced once your progesterone falls to a certain amount after the placenta is delivered.

You should definitely try to nurse as soon as you can after the birth! If you nurse soon after, it increases your chances of being able to breastfeed successfully and for baby to know how to latch well.

 

[alexspargo]

Pregnantkitty, I would give bottles to my kids once breastfeeding was established at about 3 months old or so. Not all the time but maybe once every couple of days if I was having wine with dinner or if my OH wanted to be helpful and take care of the baby while I ran errands or something. As long as you have a good supply built up and the baby is used to latching well it shouldn't be hard to go back and forth.

I would say when they are newborn they eat for 5-10 minutes per side and then as they get older the feedings last longer and longer. If my kids fell asleep I would let them sleep and just try again when they woke up. I believe in feeding on demand and not on a schedule. It definitely means you are nursing more often (sometimes once an hour or even more frequently at first) but I think your baby knows better than you when it is hungry and wants to eat.

For the best position, I highly recommend you nurse laying down. I hardly ever nursed while sitting up. Laying down is easier on your back and it makes it less likely for them to wake up when you stop nursing. My kids co-sleep with me while they are breastfeeding so it also means I get much more sleep. I only have to wake up to latch them on and then I fall right back asleep while they eat. If you sit up then you have to stay awake until they are done.

 

[george83]

I'm just gate crashing to say thanks ladies, I bottle fed both my first 2 but I'm thinking of breast feeding this time but get so put off by the negative stories I hear and the thought of coping with two other children needing looking after but you've all made it sound very realistic, thank you

 

[RebeccaR19]

Thanks everyone! So helpful!

My next appointment is at 36 weeks, and I definitely plan on discussing immediate breastfeeding. It's really important to me to start off right, and I do feel like it made it harder with my son. It's not like I wasn't successful, but there were a lot of struggles teaching him to latch and getting him interested in eating at all in the beginning.
During the very first week, I was really needing help with breastfeeding, the nurses at the hospital were almost no help. The lactation consultant wasn't there because I had my son on the weekend. I called a LLL leader near me, and she didn't even mention coming to visit me. I felt very much in need of help. My son would scream and scream and not latch and the only solution I could come up with at the time was to give him a little bit of formula and then immediately stick him on the boob. It worked for him. I doubt anyone would advise that because it probably could cause latching issues. I never had any. I eventually did meet with a lactation consultant who gave me great tips, but that was over a week after my son was born. But I still think if this baby can just only know breastfeeding from the start, it will probably be easier.

PregnantKitty- I think getting comfortable probably varies a lot based on your body and your baby. I always preferred the boppy. It was the most comfortable for me for a seated position. Although I have to also agree that nursing while laying down is the best...especially during those long nights when the baby is having a growth spurt!

My doctor told me that the amount of time the baby takes to nurse varies by baby and not to worry if one baby is done in 5 minutes, but another takes 30. My son usually took about 20-30 minutes to nurse. And he would have plenty of times when he'd eat every hour. I also feed on demand.
I did end up supplementing with some formula after about 3 months with him. It didn't hurt my supply, but I gave him just 1 bottle right before bed and that was it. Any time he'd wake up after that, I would nurse him. I also pumped extra milk so he could have bottles of breastmilk as well. I'm thinking I might stay away from formula altogether this time, though. I'll play it by ear, but if this baby can not nurse constantly like my son did, I don't think I'll use formula.