4/17 Newborn-3mo Check In

[lilyelayne]

Welcome! Please join us!


How old is LO?

How's everything going?

Questions/concerns/cute stories to share?

0-1mo:
What positions/props are working for you?
What are you struggling with?

1-3mo:
Getting through growth spurts okay?

If you're pumping, how is that going? When are you returning to work, or are you SAH?


GTKY: salty or sweet?

[sterl724]

How old is LO?
6 weeks tomorrow

How's everything going?
Ok. Still combo feeding, but it's working for us right now.

Questions/concerns/cute stories to share?
I've had a few small smiles from C, but they've been the gas/half asleep/kind of a smile type smiles. Last night I got a legit, wide awake, big smile.

1-3mo:
Getting through growth spurts okay?
We've had a few, but they haven't been bad. During the day I notice it a lot more. He sleeps pretty awesome at night regardless.

If you're pumping, how is that going? When are you returning to work, or are you SAH?
Pumping a little, especially when he gets formula. I'm not too worried about a stash at this point...I'm a teacher and am off until fall. C will be almost 6 months by then, and depending on my schedule at work, pumping may be difficult at work so I may start weaning prior.

GTKY: salty or sweet?
Depends on mood, but sweet usually wins. Both is the best though!

[amandamh2]

How old is LO? 3 weeks

How's everything going? Really well! She was already 3 oz above birth weight at her 2 week check so I'm really happy about that.

Questions/concerns/cute stories to share? Any tips for dealing with leaking? I didn't really leak with my son but this time I'm regularly soaking through reusable nursing pads and sometimes multiple layers of clothing.

0-1mo:
What positions/props are working for you? Cross cradle and side lying are my go-tos.

What are you struggling with? Nothing really, things have been much easier the second time.

GTKY: salty or sweet? Sweet!

[lilyelayne]

amandamh2 & jennykat the disposable breast pads are more absorbent than the reusable. I was able to switch to reusable around 6 weeks. I liked tucking a washcloth or burp rag, especially a simple prefold cloth diaper, into my bra when nursing (so, stick the washcloth in left side, nurse right, move cloth to right side, nurse left.) it's not a long term solution because it doesn't wick away moisture from your nipple, but it's better than soaking a brand new set of breast pads just during a feeding session. You can look into Milkies Milk Savers if you want to catch the other side leaking for storage purposes.

At that age I couldn't sleep without a bra without being super uncomfortable, but if that's available to you, for nighttime leaking you can put down a folded towel in the bed & cover it with a t shirt (for softness). Of course that may interfere with your safe sleep surface if bedsharing.

It gets better as your supply regulates. Often worse when your supply jumps up during a growth spurt, like the 3 week growth spurt :-)

[jellykat2]

jennykat BF sessions seem all over the place, but last anywhere from 10 min to 30 min, with the occasional hour where she feeds non stop.

[jellykat2]

How old is LO? 3 weeks on Wednesday also

How's everything going? Pretty well. I think we're hitting 3 week growth spurt. Latch has been pretty good, but then she'll have a random day where she's super lazy. She's also seemed more unsettled after meals lately - like maybe gassy?

Questions/concerns/cute stories to share? I'm loving that she's more alert now.


0-1mo:
What positions/props are working for you?
What are you struggling with? We usually just do cradle. She doesn't like to be squished at all.

If you're pumping, how is that going? When are you returning to work, or are you SAH?
Not pumping yet, but using the silicone breast pump occasionally while nursing to start slowest building a stash.

I hope not to return to work until August, but am still working on the details.


GTKY: salty or sweet?[/quote] sweet

[iqeb]

How old is LO? 7 days

How's everything going? Pretty well I think. He was down 5% at 24 hours, and weighed 0.2 ounces more at the next check at 72 hours. We don't have another weight check until his two week appointment, but he's peeing and pooping like crazy.

Questions/concerns/cute stories to share? I haven't tried nursing him at the same time as his 20 month old sister yet. I think I'm going to try tomorrow because she seems to be wanting to nurse for very long stretches of time, I think to prevent it from becoming his turn? I'm hoping that if I don't turn her down when he's nursing she'll get bored and nurse a little less. Right now I feel like one of them is constantly on the boob. I'm also trying to figure out how I'm going to nurse when I'm out with both of them alone. I'm thinking I'll have to just tell her she has to wait until we're home in situations where I need to wear him. And I guess I'll need to learn to nurse him while I wear him, which I never did with her until very recently. It's a little intimidating.

0-1mo:
What positions/props are working for you? Cradle/cross cradle. I've never been much for pillows because my kids are quick eaters but I've been using a firm foam pillow for support in the glider in the motn.
What are you struggling with? This is only sort of bf related, but just generally feeling like there isn't enough of me to go around with 2u2.

If you're pumping, how is that going? When are you returning to work, or are you SAH? Just using one of those silicone milk saver suction "pumps" a bit. I really don't want to pump any more than that because I'm pretty engorged and I'm already concerned my toddler is going to cause oversupply. The goal is to have H take a shift at night and feed one bottle then. I SAH.


GTKY: salty or sweet? Both!

[Deleted]

How old is LO?
12 weeks on Friday...last Newborn check in.

1-3mo:
Getting through growth spurts okay?
So far their growth spurts haven't proved too difficult.

If you're pumping, how is that going? When are you returning to work, or are you SAH?
Right now I've been pumping after the babes go to bed at night and get around 3oz doing 5 minutes rash side. I know I should be doing a full 20 each side but just lack the energy. I go back to work Friday with a freezer stash over 100oz. I'm very nervous about how long that will last as well as now maintaining supply for two.


GTKY: salty or sweet?
Funny thing is before kids sweet all the way now post pregnancy I prefer salty.

[onesweetworld]

How old is LO? 10 days

How's everything going? She isn't a fan of nursing. We struggle with positions. She wants to do her own thing with hands everywhere and I'm sick of fighting with her. I'm going to go to BF support class next Tuesday to try to get some help. I am pumping and my supply is great so I'm starting to freeze some and store some. I'm really trying to nurse during the day and then give a bottle if she still is rooting after we give it a shot.

Questions/concerns/cute stories to share?

0-1mo:
What positions/props are working for you?
What are you struggling with? All of the positioning struggles. This morning we nursed in a modified cradle where she could have her legs free and was almost "sitting" and that worked for a bit.



If you're pumping, how is that going? When are you returning to work, or are you SAH? I'm pumping, it's great. Returning to work in July.


GTKY: salty or sweet? Both. I'd much rather have savory than sweet but when I was carrying M I wanted all of the sweets.

[iqeb]

onesweetworld mine does the crazy hands as well. Sometimes I nurse him swaddled.

[lilyelayne]

onesweetworld hope hands on support helps! Swaddle? Side lying?

[mosdub]

Hi! First time posting here!

How old is LO? 13 days old

How's everything going? Pretty good. Little man only sleeps 1-3 hours at a time and is gassy, but can usually be calmed down.

Questions/concerns/cute stories to share? I've been hesitant to post anything because I know a lot of people are struggling with supply issues, but I'm having the opposite problem. I finally found online what I think we are dealing with which is oversupply and forceful let-down. L has been choking, sputtering and generally pissed at my nipples who keep LITERALLY SPRAYING HIM IN THE FACE LIKE A FIRE HOSE. I didn't know that could even happen and was shocked when I looked down and saw my boob spraying all over his screaming face.  Because of this, he's been extra gassy/burpy and it's been keeping him up at nights it seems.  It's also messing with his latch because he only want to clamp onto the nipple because the milk is coming out too fast and/or he just gums the nipple sporadically like he's afraid it's going to spray on him.  The advice I read online was to recline significantly and have him on top, or to side-lay. Both positions seem to help dramatically. I'm hesitant to pump because I don't want to tell my boobs to make more milk, but at the same time I want to have a supply for H and others for when we introduce bottles - which I plan on introducing tomorrow.

0-1mo:
What positions/props are working for you? Side-laying, football hold (when my boobs aren't exploding) and reclined with him on top.

What are you struggling with? See above.

If you're pumping, how is that going? When are you returning to work, or are you SAH? I don't return to work until September, but I want to have a supply for some events this summer (weddings, etc.) as well as just to have a bottle on hand for when I want to take a shower or run an errand and H can feed while I'm out.


GTKY: salty or sweet? BOTH!

[mosdub]

amandamh2 my boobs are constantly exploding and these pads are AMAZING. It's kind of shocking how much they absorb. I know they aren't reusable, but might be worth it while your body is figuring out its supply. Make sure they say "maximum" on the bottom.

smile.amazon.com/Lansinoh-Ultimate-Protection-Nursing-Nighttime/dp/B0179BQBP0/ref=smi_www_rco2_go_smi_g2609328962?_encoding=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0&ie=UTF8&th=1

[lilyelayne]

mosdub welcome! Oversupply can be just as troublesome as undersupply in its own way. HIGHLY recommend waiting until at least after the 3 week growth spurt to begin pumping, ideally until 6-8 weeks when supply begins to regulate, to avoid further exacerbating the oversupply and accompanying overactive let down. Same guideline goes for introducing bottles when possible, as the younger the baby the more prone he is to get bottle flow preference.

I like this laid back nursing video if you're looking for more tips about positioning:
youtu.be/KYRg8DTbZCc

[onesweetworld]

Apr 19, 2017 12:51:11 GMT -5 lilyelayne said:

onesweetworld hope hands on support helps! Swaddle? Side lying?

She's lazy. She will latch well, suck a few times and stop when we get in a position that doesn't make her scream. I will try side lying again tomorrow morning. I'm going to try to nurse all day since we are home alone.

[mosdub]

Apr 19, 2017 21:08:38 GMT -5 lilyelayne said:

mosdub welcome! Oversupply can be just as troublesome as undersupply in its own way. HIGHLY recommend waiting until at least after the 3 week growth spurt to begin pumping, ideally until 6-8 weeks when supply begins to regulate, to avoid further exacerbating the oversupply and accompanying overactive let down. Same guideline goes for introducing bottles when possible, as the younger the baby the more prone he is to get bottle flow preference.

I like this laid back nursing video if you're looking for more tips about positioning:
youtu.be/KYRg8DTbZCc

I can't believe he's already at the 3 week growth spurt period! Thank you for the reminder. I've been pumping only one breast once in the morning due to engorgement, otherwise just letting my breasts express themselves as needed when doing a feeding. I read somewhere that if you wait 6-8 weeks they may be less likely to take a bottle? Do you think if I just do one bottle a day starting at 2 weeks that I could still cause an issue with him refusing the breast?

[lilyelayne]

Apr 20, 2017 1:56:03 GMT -5 mosdub said:

I can't believe he's already at the 3 week growth spurt period! Thank you for the reminder. I've been pumping only one breast once in the morning due to engorgement, otherwise just letting my breasts express themselves as needed when doing a feeding. I read somewhere that if you wait 6-8 weeks they may be less likely to take a bottle? Do you think if I just do one bottle a day starting at 2 weeks that I could still cause an issue with him refusing the breast?

Around 12 weeks it can become harder to intro a bottle.

Many babies get bottles early on and do fine going back and forth but some do not. Some moms who have to early intro a bottle despite nursing going well (going back to work at 6 weeks or earlier, for example) give only an oz in the bottle and then finish at the breast. Some choose to replace an entire feeding with a bottle, but then you must pump at that time.

Really the most important thing is that every bottle is paced fed with a slow flow nipple. Ideally if you turn the bottle upside down, no milk comes out, but very few are actually that slow flow. But if you turn the bottle over and milk streams out, that's too fast.

Pace feeding is a technique so a bottle feed more closely mimics a breast feed. It is about how you feed the bottle, not when, as babies should always be fed on demand.

General rule for bottle size is 1-1.5oz per hour since last feed, though babies under 1mo may take less. Breastfed babies generally top out around 3.5-4oz in a bottle excepting perhaps during growth spurts. This won't change as they get older.

kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/feeding-tools/bottle-feeding/

youtu.be/UH4T70OSzGs

[kartish]

How old is LO? 9 weeks

How's everything going? Seems to be going well

Questions/concerns/cute stories to share? I'm loving the milky smiles A gives me mid nursing.
1-3mo:
Getting through growth spurts okay? So far okay

If you're pumping, how is that going? When are you returning to work, or are you SAH? Back at work, pumping sucks. I set myself alarms for tomorrow, hoping that will help keep me on a better schedule. I hate the irregularities with pumping. I can be doing just fine then a lackluster session can put me in a mental tailspin.


GTKY: salty or sweet? Sweet most of the time