FEBRUARY HEARTS Due in February 2015 , open group all welcome!

[MissEyre]

Breastfeeding is rough! I've been dealing with a super strong let-down and oversupply. It may sound like a good thing, but my poor baby is constantly gulping down heaps of air which makes her super gassy and uncomfortable. It made for some really long night feedings trying to get all of those air bubbles up.

I was so sleep deprived that I was pumping one extra bottle a day some my husband could take a feeding, but I quickly realized that the pumping was what was creating the oversupply. Anyway, breastfeeding is tough but it's worth it.

 

[MiniBump]

Have you tried to feed in a laid back position MissEyre as gravity can slow the flow a little or take baby off at letdown and put her back on when it slows? Might help just until your supply settles.

You're welcome Captain, I hope you feel a bit better about things!

I should say, I'm totally pro-choice and only advised against top-ups because you said you wanted to breastfeed. If you'd said you wanted to formula or combination feed, I would be totally behind you and the advice would've been different. I'm so scared of coming across as a breastfeeding bully because that's absolutely not my intention!

 

[SurpriseBub]

Not at all, minibump! I (and I am sure everyone!) really appreciate all of your tips and insights. You definitely aren't coming off as a bully in the slightest!

 

[MissEyre]

Have you tried to feed in a laid back position MissEyre as gravity can slow the flow a little or take baby off at letdown and put her back on when it slows? Might help just until your supply settles

Hi MiniBump! Yep, have been taking her off at letdown (seriously catching almost an ounce that sprays out during letdown) and nursing with her on top of my breast so gravity is on my side and she has more control. Things are finally getting better after doing that for a week. I appreciate the tips though!

 

[MellyH]

Unfortunately the 'let them feed as long as they want when they want' approach is severely impractical with twins!! The couple of nights we let them have free rein on the boob I got literally no sleep. And days like today, it's 2:15pm and between them they've been feeding (combination of breast, expressed milk and formula) since 6am. They've both only cat-napped for an hour each in that time (and not at the same time!). I've finally escaped to the bathroom for a shower and am hiding in here with my phone for a few minutes! I am planning on attending a local LLL meeting tomorrow night to see if anyone has any more ideas about little girl's latch, since I'm out of solutions. She seems to latch worse with the nipple shields, even when she occasionally does get a big mouthful, she mostly slides off the silicon until she's just on the nipple part anyway, so it hurts less with the shield but still isn't a good latch and she's not getting milk effectively and I'm still getting mashed. Little boy latches fine, but will feed for an hour, slowly take a 2oz top up of expressed milk or formula over a half hour or so, and then want another half hour back on the boob! I am at my wits end with trying to find a spare second.

 

[MellyH]

PS. I'm sorry all I seem to do these days is come here to whinge about how hard breastfeeding is!! I am reading everyone else's posts too

 

[MiniBump]

Aww Melly, the 'rules' are the same for however many babies but, as you say, not necessarily practical! (Same can be said for anyone with older children or other commitments too - if only we all lived in an ideal world!) I'm sorry you haven't worked out your latch issue yet but good on you for persevering, you're doing an amazing job! A LLL meeting is a great idea, I really hope someone can observe a feed, go AHA! and give you the answer. If I wasn't thousands of miles away, I'd be happy to try and help!

Thanks SurpriseBub, I just know it's a very emotive subject that makes mums very protective and defensive of their choices and I would hate to offend anyone.

Glad it's working out for you MissEyre!

 

[Megamegan]

For what it's worth, I am breastfeeding (yay finally it works lol!) BUT I am also giving between 3-5 oz of formula per day, and for me it's more like an emotional break and I don't mind at all. At first I did, but now, when I feel like my back/stomach/boobs are killing me from breastfeeding, I get too overwhelmed and totally don't mind that daddy will feed him some formula and let me go take a shower. Yes, if I had tons of milk, I would pump and feed that instead. But he gets majority breast milk and we now enjoy our nursing sessions... it has gotten so much better. I hear you all on the breastfeeding advice, and I believe that it's all correct... but for me (and I'm sure for others) I'm quite happy that my baby will even take a bottle and god forbid if anything happened to me and I had to stop BFing, he already knows what formula tastes like and would have no trouble switching. I'm sure that sounds silly but it gives me peace of mind lol.

Also, since we had trouble as a newborn with dehydration and everything, we are a little extra sensitive to making sure this kid is fed properly. "just mom's milk" didn't cut it for him at the start and that probably affected my supply negatively. But it's all good.

By the way I LOVE how BF burps have no smell. Like to me, breastmilk doesn't have a smell at all. While formula is *gross*. I give him props for even eating that stuff lol. It smells like protein powder (gag).

 

[Wnt2beAMom]

I totally find that breast milk has a smell.....lol and I don't really like it!
I'm also having a strong letdown and a gassy baby. It was really bad about 5 days ago, so I thought I'd check my food choices....I cut out caffeine but that didn't help. Next, I cut out dairy...and about 2 days later ds was much better! He doesn't struggle as much to poop or fart, and his poop looks better too!
He still is gassy and wants to be held upright all day long! But at least he can get the gas out now. It just bubbled in him and caused him a lot of pain before! And he was only having one poop a day. Now more like 4-5/day. I'm gonna miss milk

 

[MellyH]

Well done for working it out though! Dairy is a tough one though

 

[Izzie74]

Breast milk has a smell when it is brought back up into your hair and on your clothes!

 

[bumblebeexo]

Isabella was weighed yesterday and is now 9lb 6! She was 7lb 7 at birth so I'm very pleased with her weight gain I was so sure I'd fail at breastfeeding (I didn't bf my first) so I'm very pleased it's going well!

 

[SurpriseBub]

Has anyone had their 6 week check up? Mine is later this week. What can I expect...? Do they do an exam?

 

[ttc126]

I agree breastmilk smells gross.when spit up in your hair

Surprise, at my 6 week checkup I got my pap smear and annual exam. She checked my incision and made sure my uterus was shrinking properly. We talked about birth control options (only a couple are ok for breastfeeding mothers) and talked about any questions...like I asked if I should even consider a 3rd... so think of any questions you may have.

 

[StefNJunk]

I totally find that breast milk has a smell.....lol and I don't really like it!
I'm also having a strong letdown and a gassy baby. It was really bad about 5 days ago, so I thought I'd check my food choices....I cut out caffeine but that didn't help. Next, I cut out dairy...and about 2 days later ds was much better! He doesn't struggle as much to poop or fart, and his poop looks better too!
He still is gassy and wants to be held upright all day long! But at least he can get the gas out now. It just bubbled in him and caused him a lot of pain before! And he was only having one poop a day. Now more like 4-5/day. I'm gonna miss milk

Cutting dairy worked that quickly? Did you cut all dairy or just milk itself?

DS is having big time painful gas / poop issues. Every time he eats and often throughout the day he struggles and cries to fart or poop, sometimes for 10-15 minutes at a time he will wiggle and cry trying to get them out. I was wondering if it could be the dairy I'm having.

 

[MiniBump]

Google 'gastrocolic reflex' - basically, food going in triggers the colon to push food out so babies start trying to poop during or straight after a feed. They're not totally in control of their internal organs so it takes a lot of grunting, groaning, straining and red faces to get anything out - it's normal though and gets better as their digestive system develops and they get better control. It makes my LO a very noisy sleeper!

Wnt2beAMom - are you going to try reintroducing dairy in a couple of weeks to double check it is that? I'd hate for you to go without if it's not!

 

[SurpriseBub]

I agree breastmilk smells gross.when spit up in your hair

Surprise, at my 6 week checkup I got my pap smear and annual exam. She checked my incision and made sure my uterus was shrinking properly. We talked about birth control options (only a couple are ok for breastfeeding mothers) and talked about any questions...like I asked if I should even consider a 3rd... so think of any questions you may have.

Thanks, ttc! I'm nervous!

(If you don't mind me asking): what was the answer on you having more babies?

 

[Izzie74]

My lo is on a major feeding frenzy today and very grumpy. I've ordered the wonder weeks book from the library as I think she is on a developmental leap. She's been feeding pretty much constantly for the last 4 hours. Am putting her down for bed after she's done on this side ... Fingers crossed I get some sleep!

 

[River54]

Can't recall if I posted here or not.
Theodore was born March 12, 12 days overdue. I had an induction, but normal vaginal delivery with some tearing.

Sooo enjoying him. First night home was rough, he basically cluster fed the whole night. Seems my milk didn't want to come in til day 4, then he was much more content! Everyday is getting a bit better than the last.

 

[MrsKChicago]

Congratulations, River! So many little Theodores!