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[Lauki]

I have never understood the 'baby should be heavier or lighter at this age' unless they are WELL of the chart and there's something going on there's nothing to worry about!

My baby is completely average on the 50th centile. That doesn't make her any healthier than a baby on the 9th or the 91st centile! All babies are different, some are small, some are big, some are tall, some are short, some have big feet, some have small feet, some are blonde, some are ginger.. You get what I mean right?

As long as his nappy output is fine, he gains weight steadily enough and he's alert then he's perfectly fine.

 

[Lilly12]

So ur saying he gained 2 lbs in a month??
Wow I don't know why your doctor is worried, that's insane !!

 

[summer rain]

Do you think maybe the HV is getting a bit confused converting between imperial (lbs) and metric(kg) measurements, as 14.02lbs is actually 6.35kg not just 6? Looking at the chart again he is probably just below the line of the 9th but he was only between the 25th and 9th to begin with so its not a huge drop at all, it isn't even classed as a full centile drop according to the child growth foundation (they are the organisation who actually write these charts for the NHS based on the WHO data as well as training health professionals on their correct usage).

Also if the HV thinks there is an underlying health issue-which could include allergies or anything else in which using formula would not be a wise choice they are meant to rule out anything else first before suggesting formula top ups. Otherwise you get the scenario (all too common unfortunately) where a baby is given top ups; these don't agree with them due to an allergy or what have you but by the time it is realised mum's breast milk was fine and nothing to do with anything; it is too late to get back to EBF, HV whistles and looks the other way; or they say something which in some ways can be worse, 'oh nobody forced you to give formula-it was just a suggestion'. I also don't want to pour any scorn on male HVs as they do an amazing job but when it comes to BF matters they just don't have the same personal experience as a female HV who has BF; even if it was for a short time (same problem goes for female HV who have never BF). xx

 

[babyjan]

Sorry I didn't mention it properly he is 6.43 kg and was 5.61 at 12 weeks x

 

[babyjan]

So ur saying he gained 2 lbs in a month??
Wow I don't know why your doctor is worried, that's insane !!

That's exactly what I thought, his worrying me over nothing

 

[summer rain]

Well he will be above the 9th centile line then, basically he is on the same centile as before and is tracking the centile 'space' between two lines as the red book mentions is the most common thing to happen in the first year. Personally I'd go to your GP and show them the red book, more than likely he or she will wonder what on earth this HV is banging on about! Xx

 

[cranberry987]

my lo is pretty much the same percentile, some ppl/babies are just small, no need to make them all the same size or itll just be extra/not enough fat

 

[Leids]

Hi ladies! I'm very new to this breastfeeding business, my little boy was born on May 21st. I see a lot of conflicting ideas/thoughts so I thought I would ask for advice/opinions.

1. I've heard a lot of different things regarding switching to a different boob or keeping him on one. I'm more comfortable, and so is he, with staying on one breast for an entire feed, then switching to the other breast for the next feed. I've seen people saying to switch after 10-15 min, and others saying to do it how I'm doing it. I don't mind giving switching a bigger shot, as it is now he has no interest in the other breast after he's done with the first. I've tried doing it at 10 min, but he's stubborn and keeps his mouth closed no matter what I do. I've tried sticking my finger in his mouth, etc. He feeds a lot longer and seems more content with one breast per feed.

2. Pumping! Since my LO is feeding every 2 hours my lactation consultant told me to pump and have someone else feed him at night. She told me that a lot of people say to wait 2 weeks, but that she's seen my little guy feed and thinks he'll be ok with this. He's using a pacifier as well and has no issues latching, but I use the paci very sparingly. If he's hungry he just spits it out and gets really mad anyway. And, so as to not interrupt with feeding, how long should I pump? I've only been pumping right after feeds and to relieve engorgement, so usually about 5 min worth of pumping.

3. Feeding on demand - I don't like feeding on a schedule. I like to feed him when he's hungry, again I see conflicting advice. People saying that he may comfort feed too much this way. Is comfort feeding bad? I like to know that he's content, and he seems very content with being able to eat when he wants. As it is, the only day this was a problem was yesterday when I was very engorged. He fed every hour on the hour, but I knew that it was due to engorgement. He's been much better today and is feeding every 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

I'm sure I'll have a lot more questions. Sorry for the huge post. This has been a rough week of getting adjusted!

 

[TheNewMrs]

Please help!
So we went from relactating to building a supply which is what were doing now. LO still needs help with her latch. We had a housefull of visitors today. Where I'm from nobody breastfeeds, seeing a woman BF is like seeing the circus come to town. It's just assumed you will bottle feed. The attitude if you do bf is that you just do it for a few wks then on to bottles ASAP... Anyway it takes us a few goes to get her on and stayed on. So showing nipple is almost impossible.

What do I do when they are in my house, she needs fed and they're clearly uncomfortable?
Do I give them the opportunity to leave the room rather than me leave?
Or do I say nothing an just work away?

I really do not want to make people feel uneasy but Breastfeeding means so much to me and my baby I can't even consider not doing it after all we've went through to get this far!!

 

[cheese lover]

Hi ladies! I'm very new to this breastfeeding business, my little boy was born on May 21st. I see a lot of conflicting ideas/thoughts so I thought I would ask for advice/opinions.

1. I've heard a lot of different things regarding switching to a different boob or keeping him on one. I'm more comfortable, and so is he, with staying on one breast for an entire feed, then switching to the other breast for the next feed. I've seen people saying to switch after 10-15 min, and others saying to do it how I'm doing it. I don't mind giving switching a bigger shot, as it is now he has no interest in the other breast after he's done with the first. I've tried doing it at 10 min, but he's stubborn and keeps his mouth closed no matter what I do. I've tried sticking my finger in his mouth, etc. He feeds a lot longer and seems more content with one breast per feed.

2. Pumping! Since my LO is feeding every 2 hours my lactation consultant told me to pump and have someone else feed him at night. She told me that a lot of people say to wait 2 weeks, but that she's seen my little guy feed and thinks he'll be ok with this. He's using a pacifier as well and has no issues latching, but I use the paci very sparingly. If he's hungry he just spits it out and gets really mad anyway. And, so as to not interrupt with feeding, how long should I pump? I've only been pumping right after feeds and to relieve engorgement, so usually about 5 min worth of pumping.

3. Feeding on demand - I don't like feeding on a schedule. I like to feed him when he's hungry, again I see conflicting advice. People saying that he may comfort feed too much this way. Is comfort feeding bad? I like to know that he's content, and he seems very content with being able to eat when he wants. As it is, the only day this was a problem was yesterday when I was very engorged. He fed every hour on the hour, but I knew that it was due to engorgement. He's been much better today and is feeding every 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

I'm sure I'll have a lot more questions. Sorry for the huge post. This has been a rough week of getting adjusted!

1. I only fed one breast per feeding and we still do most of the time. Your supply will regulate to that feeding style. Eventually your LO might want to take both at one feeding.

2. I would not have someone else feed at night. I would only pump to build up a freezer supply if you plan on going back to work. At night your prolactin levels are at their highest. You need to feed in the night to help build your supply. If someone else does feed him at night you should pump very time they feed him. Personally I would just feed him.

3. I don't like feeding on a schedule, especially early on. As they get older babies tend to fall into their own schedule. I could never understand letting a baby cry if they were hungry just because it wasn't time yet.

 

[MissFox]

Hey girls. So the last couple weeks I have had sorness in my left breast. It would feel like it was healing and I would get bitten again or dd would pull away too fast and reinjure my breast. So now I have stabbing and hot pains shooting through my whole breast and into my nipple. I mentioned to my midwife I thought it could have been mastitis (feeling really run down and sicky) and she gave me antibiotics for it. But she also mentioned that mastitis comes with fever and I'm not really thinking that I have one. But achey all over my body. So do you think its mastitis or maybe a yeast infection in my breast. And if its yeast what do you think I can do naturally to help get rid of it?

Thanks!

 

[summer rain]

Hmm it could be mastitis, not every case of it ticks every box IYKWIM? Also there are different types of bacteria that can cause breast infections and presumably the symptoms may differ between the different types, just as you'd get with throat infections caused by different types of bacteria. It would be unusual to get other symptoms such as body aches from a yeast infection alone. Ductal thrush tends to be a very invisible thing, you usually can't see anything on the outside and pain is limited to the breast area (though in extreme cases the pain can go right into your underarms as I know from nasty experience!). I know
as well there are some types of staph bacteria that can mimic thrush infections but may not tick all the mastitis boxes it tends to only be discovered what it is when thrush treatments have no affect and a milk sample is sent off for testing. I know staph sounds scary due to its links with MRSA but it's a cause of many common bacterial infections including several forms of mastitis, common skin infections etc, and poses no risk to your baby. Also its very easy to nail once it is known it is that. If this treatment doesn't help I'd look into the possibility of maybe testing your milk to see if anything can be found? Xx

 

[Dragonfly]

have I earned one of these yet? for extreme breast feeder as the media would have me known?

 

[Ozzieshunni]

have I earned one of these yet? for extreme breast feeder as the media would have me known?

Katt hasn't been around for a while. Just get the blinkie off the front page

 

[summer rain]

Yep Katt has gone AWOL if you have any trouble adding the blinkie PM me I will send you the code so it links back to this thread (as it should) xx

 

[Ozzieshunni]

Maybe someone can ask to takeover the thread?

 

[summer rain]

I'm going to discuss with TL, should Katt not resurface in the next week or so, Katt was meant to change TigerLady back to the first poster in this thread but didn't arrange for this? If its not possible for the mods to have me or TL take over the thread then perhaps another option is to make a new support thread, have that stickied and this one unstickied, a bit long winded though xx

 

[Dragonfly]

What about starting a new thread? nice and fresh? copying the first post here and add new people to it.

 

[summer rain]

I did consider it but the mods would have to unsticky this one and sticky that one, like I said though if by a couple of weeks Katy doesn't resurface it's one of the things TL and I will look into xx

 

[caro103]

Hi ladies! I'm very new to this breastfeeding business, my little boy was born on May 21st. I see a lot of conflicting ideas/thoughts so I thought I would ask for advice/opinions.

1. I've heard a lot of different things regarding switching to a different boob or keeping him on one. I'm more comfortable, and so is he, with staying on one breast for an entire feed, then switching to the other breast for the next feed. I've seen people saying to switch after 10-15 min, and others saying to do it how I'm doing it. I don't mind giving switching a bigger shot, as it is now he has no interest in the other breast after he's done with the first. I've tried doing it at 10 min, but he's stubborn and keeps his mouth closed no matter what I do. I've tried sticking my finger in his mouth, etc. He feeds a lot longer and seems more content with one breast per feed.

2. Pumping! Since my LO is feeding every 2 hours my lactation consultant told me to pump and have someone else feed him at night. She told me that a lot of people say to wait 2 weeks, but that she's seen my little guy feed and thinks he'll be ok with this. He's using a pacifier as well and has no issues latching, but I use the paci very sparingly. If he's hungry he just spits it out and gets really mad anyway. And, so as to not interrupt with feeding, how long should I pump? I've only been pumping right after feeds and to relieve engorgement, so usually about 5 min worth of pumping.

3. Feeding on demand - I don't like feeding on a schedule. I like to feed him when he's hungry, again I see conflicting advice. People saying that he may comfort feed too much this way. Is comfort feeding bad? I like to know that he's content, and he seems very content with being able to eat when he wants. As it is, the only day this was a problem was yesterday when I was very engorged. He fed every hour on the hour, but I knew that it was due to engorgement. He's been much better today and is feeding every 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

I'm sure I'll have a lot more questions. Sorry for the huge post. This has been a rough week of getting adjusted!

firstly congrats on your new little man! the first week is def a big time of adjustment!
to try and answer your questions:
1.i'd continue to do whats working for you. So long as he seems contented after each feed and is getting wet and dirty nappies he's fine. You might find in a few weeks he still wants more after he's drained your first boob so then you'll start offering two. Then on the next feed make sure you start with the same boob you finished on last time (as he'll take more from whichever boob he has first)

2.I'd personally just feed baby at night for same reasons cheeselover said. If you want to build up a stash but not be 'empty' when he's due for the next feed try pumping straight after his first feed of the morning. Or pump the boob he didn't feed off straight after he's done, so its got enough time to recover before he feeds again. Still have baby feed off the pumped boob though next time as he's better than the pump! Also don't go crazy on the pump or you might end up with an over supply

3.yep totally agree with you feeding on demand. You'll find with time he'll more than likely set his own schedule

Please help!
So we went from relactating to building a supply which is what were doing now. LO still needs help with her latch. We had a housefull of visitors today. Where I'm from nobody breastfeeds, seeing a woman BF is like seeing the circus come to town. It's just assumed you will bottle feed. The attitude if you do bf is that you just do it for a few wks then on to bottles ASAP... Anyway it takes us a few goes to get her on and stayed on. So showing nipple is almost impossible.

What do I do when they are in my house, she needs fed and they're clearly uncomfortable?
Do I give them the opportunity to leave the room rather than me leave?
Or do I say nothing an just work away?

I really do not want to make people feel uneasy but Breastfeeding means so much to me and my baby I can't even consider not doing it after all we've went through to get this far!!

This one is a difficult situation , but I think you've answered your own question with your last sentence. You've worked too hard to give up now just because of other peoples opinions. I'd say either just ignore them all amd carry on feeding LO, or if that leaves you uncomfortable can you just slip out and feed in a different room? Or some people get on well with nursing covers, the ones with the gap at the top to see what your doing. Hopefully LO will get better at latching with time and you'll be able to do it more discretly xx