Tata Tuesday check ins 1mos to 6 mos, ie we missed Mon 5/25

[seamonster]

ahayden1230, yes he's my first. He had a lip tie and deep posterior tongue tie. I saw the lip tie and asked about it at his two week appointment. GP agreed and gave me the name of two doctors who did revisions but were slow to get me a referral as they didn't think it was a big deal. Hospital LC didn't think he had a tie at all, but the private LC I hired diagnosed the lip tie and tongue tie. The private LC also thought they were severe enough that she contacted a pediatric dentist to get us into the next revision clinic and the pediatrics dentist thought the lip tie was severe (he would need it eventually revised for teeth and speech development) . Hospital pediatrician said they normally don't think lip ties are a big deal.

I'm not sure if we'd gone to one of the other two doctors if they would've done anything. It seems to be really subjective. I'm glad we did it and just wish we'd had it done sooner. I think next baby I'll have a private LC consult from the beginning.

[bnizzlebizzle]

How old is baby? 8 weeks

Gaining weight ok? Totally. I had to break out the 6 month clothing we have from DD1 because the 3 month stuff is getting tight.

Any breastfeeding problems nagging you still? I haven't introduced the bottle yet. Am I screwed? @amyg DH would have to feed her and we haven't found time in the evenings. I'm not keen on adding another pump session either.

Are you returning to work/have you returned to work? How's it going? I go back partially in August and full time in September. I'm also a teacher. I've been pumping once a day to purely build a freezer stash so I don't have to worry as much about keeping up during work. DD1 I didn't have a problem doing that until 10 months and I wasn't as conscientious about the freezer stash. I've got 64 ounces right now which is a good start.

What did you do this past weekend? Anything fun? I watched the kids while my husband stained our porch. The girls and I went out for ice cream. Nothing too eventful.

[woodwork]

May 27, 2015 12:52:27 GMT -5 ahayden1230 said:

jesster88 and woodwork When you started supplementinf during day did your supply stay stay ok to nurse in evenings and during MOTN? What about weekends? Did you give bottles on weekends? I also have this complex about giving him a bottle. I personally have never given him a bottle. Only DH or daycare. I'm worries that if I give bottles to him he won't want to nurse anymore?? Can anyone help me with this fear? My goal is to nurse with with him but just in case I want to know giving him a few bottles won't hurt our nursing relationship

I don't think my supply shifted until he stopped nursing at 11 months. I kept the same pumping schedule and nursing schedule and he seemed to do well. Although as I am typing this I recall we added in a nighttime bottle before nighttime nursing at some point so likely my supply took a hit for the bedtime hour. We added it in hopes it would help him sleep longer. It didn't .

All of your fears make sense and I shared them too. It really is a darned if you do darned if you don't adventure. I was so worried about it with my first and now I am begging my second to take the bottle. Funny not funny. I learned our breastfeeding relationship had to define itself and comparing it to anything else caused me angst. I set my goal of one year and found out how we accomplished it was a dynamic and unique process. Now I am trying to remind myself of this lesson as I go another round. Despite the challenges it is still one of my most favorite time with my babies.

[amandamh2]

How old is baby? 5 weeks

Gaining weight ok? Yep! We had trouble early on but at our MW appointment last week he was up 7 oz in a week so it seems we've got things figured out for now

Any breastfeeding problems nagging you still? Little guy had a couple days earlier this week where I had to really fight to get him to take/stay on the right side but he was fine on the left. Not sure why that was but he's gone back to normal again now

Are you returning to work/have you returned to work? How's it going? I'll be going back to university in the fall to get my second degree. Fortunately I only have 3 full days and a half day a week so I'm hoping it won't be too hard to make bfing work.

What did you do this past weekend? Anything fun? Just a quiet weekend at home for us

[Deleted]

May 26, 2015 20:59:49 GMT -5 jesster88 said:

How old is baby? 5.5 months

Gaining weight ok? We didn't have a dr appt this month but he finally seems to be outgrowing his clothes.

Any breastfeeding problems nagging you still? My pumping output is dropping. I have dropped a few oz the past 2 weeks. I am trying to get about 100oz of water, eat a lot, and made lactation cookies. I have been running so I'm not sure if that's it? Pretty sure I'm not pregnant, period hasn't returned, membranes are new, so I'm not sure what it could be.

Are you returning to work/have you returned to work? How's it going? I have been back a few months now. I am looking forward to not having the stress of pumping.

What did you do this past weekend? Anything fun? We ran a 5k with DS in the stroller and had a lot of simple family time. It was so fun just to play with DS.

There is a growth spurt that happens around 6 months of age.  we often don't realize it cause baby may have started solids, or we take it to mean baby needs to start solids.

It's also likely that while your period isn't returned that your hormones are adjusting and thinking about it.

So aside from what you are doing, and pump maintenance of changing membranes and checking for holes in tubing,

it may be a good idea to do a power pumping session in the evening for 3 days or so to reboost supply, like baby cluster feeding before bed.  make sure baby nurses a bit extra for those couple days too, and you may want to pump one time each day over the weekend to get ahead a teeny bit.

and consider adding a calcium and magnesium supplement to help stabilize the drops that occur with change of your hormones. 

[Deleted]

May 27, 2015 6:16:00 GMT -5 ccam said:

How old is baby? Just turned 6 months

Gaining weight ok? She's growing like a weed but her official weight check is next week so we'll see.

Any breastfeeding problems still nagging you? Nope! Going great. It's the pumping that nags me.

Are you returning to work/have you returned to work? How's it going? I've been back for 2 weeks. DD is doing awesome at DC and adjusting really well. Keeping up with pumping is the hardest part! I pump 3 times a day at work and once before bed to make enough for her 4 bottles the next day. I only get between 3 and 4 oz a pump....I guess I thought I'd be getting more than that and would only have to pump at work. I hope I can keep up with her!

Anything fun this weekend? We had a busy weekend of birthday parties, bbqs and a parade but it was lots of fun and so nice to have an extra day home with the kids.

Guess I'll moving up to the next check in next week!

3-4 oz is a normal sized pumping session.  It's important to focus on that. 

I know you hope to get more at a pump so you can skip a pump, but if I were nursing at home and tried to skip feeds(pumps) and try to make up the difference the rest of the day with nursing less often(pumping less often) it wouldn't work out perfectly right.  Some moms keep one or two of their weekend pumping sessions, esp the one first thing in the am, in order to get a bit ahead for the next week.  Also the extra nursing and pumping on the weekend raises supply enough so pumping during the week is easier.

Like I mentioned in the last post, there is also a growth spurt that occurs about 6 mos that we often forget about. 

[Deleted]

May 26, 2015 21:09:25 GMT -5 @lullaby said:

May 26, 2015 17:32:41 GMT -5 pooky08 said:

Also why did it take me so long to start taking lecithin? Holy hell that stuff is amazing. From multiple clogs a week to a week and a half clog free right now!

I ended up buying powder and weighing it out and mixing with some brewer's yeast in a big glass of chocolate milk each night.

Same here! I've started taking sunflower lecithin regularly to avoid clogs. Works so much better for me than the other methods I've tried.

How old is baby?
almost 6 months.


Gaining weight ok?
Yes for the most part - she seems to be staying around the 35th percentile


Any breastfeeding problems nagging you still?
I've started taking lecithin regularly, because anytime I've tried to stop taking it I seem to get clogs on a regular basis. They take a while to get out and almost always form a milk blister which is painful for at least a few days. If I start taking the lecithin again, the clogs usually gone within a day which is nice.


Are you returning to work/have you returned to work? How's it going?
 I've been back at work since baby girl was 3 months old and I'm considering easing out of pumping at work and giving her formula during the day while she's at daycare instead. I pump at least 5x a day right now to ensure she has enough fresh milk at daycare and it's consuming all of my time, not to mention I am insanely busy at work and can't always seem to fit in the 3 pumps I need to do in the time that I should. It contributes to clogs, which impacts my supply... sigh. I haven't totally decided what to do yet, but no matter what my decision I DO plan to breastfeed on nights and weekends through at least one year with baby girl, assuming my supply will stick around after I stop pumping at work. Feeling a lot of mom guilt about this, but I feel like it truly might be the best thing for our family right now.


What did you do this past weekend? Anything fun?
We took baby girl on her first road trip to visit family. It was a ton of fun and some family members got to meet her for the first time. However, it totally messed up her sleep schedule and it took us a few days to get her back on track.

Six months is marvelous!  pat yourself on the back for that.  Make sure you keep that in mind, by six months the majority of babies in the US are formula fed completely.  So you are doing just fine!!

There is a six month growth spurt, it's not always noticeable, but pump amt tends to start going down without some cluster/power pumping and some conscientious adjustments to pump schedules and feeding plans to stretch the milk out far as you can, and not drive yourself nutso with the pump.

 Like as you say, getting 1 oz at the end of the day is not worth it, many moms struggle to pump anything in the evenings.  so focus on the time of the day that works best for pumping. 

sometimes a little change makes a big difference.  First start by adding a calcium/magnesium supplement to your day.  it helps to smooth out the hormone fluctuations that effect supply.  Your period might not have returned yet, but your hormones are ramping up and thinking about it, especially if you are dropping pumps, your period may return soon, and the hormones can knock out supply usually around time of ovulation AND time where period would start. 

See how the day goes with baby.  Is there a way to add in a nursing session instead of a pump session?  Some moms around this time begin to feed baby in the morning, get ready, go to daycare and then feed again before heading off to work.  That adds in a feeding that might replace a bottle or part of a bottle.  similarly some decide to pump regularly at work, or drop a pump cause it's driving them nutso, and instead nurse as soon as they get to daycare to try to stave off another afternoon bottle. 

Some switch to pumping on the way to work and the way home from work instead of pumping 8 times at work, lol! 

Some find that keeping say a morning or lunch time pump on the weekends in addition to nursing boosts their supply so that pumping at work is easier thru the week.

Now also keep in mind, naturally as you go thru the year, if baby were nursing, they'd just get what they'd need from the breast, and you wouldn't know the amt.  If you look at studies with weighted feeds, you'll see that baby would naturally start to get less oz at the breast (usually closer to 9 mos to a year, but can start earlier) but the milk would be more concentrated in nutrition.  That's the natural weaning process, milk becomes more and more condensed, sort of like it returns to a colostrum state as baby takes in other things by mouth.  We forget that and tend to hyper focus on baby needs x number of oz a day and the amt goes up over time, when it really doesn't work that way if you weren't pumping and counting oz so closely. 

I'm not saying that you can all of a sudden give only the amt of milk you pump and baby can just do without or starve or reverse cycle or cry or something.  lol! 

But you can start to send just what you pump, and then you add in other things by mouth. 

Those other things may be nutrient dense solids like oatmeal, meats or avocado if baby is ready for solids.

or GASP formula! as a complementary "food".  It's just cow's milk with vitamins added, right? 

So give the formula, ask that it be given at lunch time maybe, and  as baby gets older start to give it with solids and maybe eventually in a sipper cup like a glass of cow's milk might be given when they are older. 

It's ok for baby to begin to experiment with other tastes and textures as they get past 6 mos.  You'l be fine and nothing to feel guilty about.  Pump what you can pump.  Send what you pump to daycare.  make up the difference with solids and formula. 

[Deleted]

May 27, 2015 9:58:21 GMT -5 woodwork said:

May 27, 2015 9:01:22 GMT -5 ahayden1230 said:

jesster88 and @lullaby I'm in the same boat as you. I'm thinking about supplementing during the day. I would still pump but just supplement enough to make sure I can keep up. My LO is growing and gaining and is a hungry guy... He wants 5 oz bottles of BM and would take more with not a problem if he had a choice. I know everything I've read has said an ounce an hour when moms away and that most don't ever take more then 4.5 oz every three hours but my guy demands it and isn't spitting it all up. So I'm not sure what to do. I too feel guilty about using formula and was reading on the formula feeding board about all the issues they are all having with constipation and freaked out and decided to wait and pump more. But I'm just not having success. Is anyone else's baby taking 5 oz bottles or more? I would atill nurse at night and through the nignt ... Ugh. Just feeling bad as I wanted to exclusively BF until he was ready to stop.

This aspect of breastfeeding/pumping was the most challenging for me with my first. I was really overwhelmed with trying to keep up and was emotionally draining. I ultimately supplemented with formula. I divided my available milk between bottles and added the balance in formula. We continued to exclusively nurse when together. Once I committed to doing it that way it was a huge relief. I told myself I would do my best this time but cut myself slack if I need to supplement and do so before I feel maxed out with stress. The effort you are putting forth is amazing!

it's actually better to give the formula separate and the breastmilk separate.  Breastmilk antibodies and lipase like to try to break down the formula.  And the iron in the formula interferes with the absorption of the more bioavailable iron in the breastmilk.  So give the formula as an extra "meal" as a complementary "food", esp for babies over 6 mos that are going to be taking solids now or soon. 

[Deleted]

May 27, 2015 11:36:46 GMT -5 dashook said:

May 27, 2015 9:01:22 GMT -5 ahayden1230 said:

jesster88 and @lullaby I'm in the same boat as you. I'm thinking about supplementing during the day. I would still pump but just supplement enough to make sure I can keep up. My LO is growing and gaining and is a hungry guy... He wants 5 oz bottles of BM and would take more with not a problem if he had a choice. I know everything I've read has said an ounce an hour when moms away and that most don't ever take more then 4.5 oz every three hours but my guy demands it and isn't spitting it all up. So I'm not sure what to do. I too feel guilty about using formula and was reading on the formula feeding board about all the issues they are all having with constipation and freaked out and decided to wait and pump more. But I'm just not having success. Is anyone else's baby taking 5 oz bottles or more? I would atill nurse at night and through the nignt ... Ugh. Just feeling bad as I wanted to exclusively BF until he was ready to stop.

((hugs)) ahayden1230.  Doing what you need to do to make sure your little one is fed makes you a good mother, period.  

In response to your question, my LO (20 weeks) is a bit of a chowhound and I think he would pretty much take any amount that was offered to him at any given time if it's in a bottle.  I had been sending him to DC with four 4-oz. bottles, but I changed it to one 4-oz., one 6-oz., and two 3-oz. bottles a couple of weeks ago because they said he seemed hungrier in the middle of the day.  So he is getting the same 16 oz. of milk while I'm away from him but one of the bottles is a big one.  They always are telling me that he eats quickly and they seem to see that as a sign that I should send more milk, but I have refused to this point because I think 16 ounces is more than enough for those hours, and he's growing fine and doesn't seem ravenous or anything when I pick him up at the end of the day.  Really, you are the best judge of what your baby needs.

ahayden1230

This is what I would do. give bottles of varying amts and set an amt that makes sense to not go over at daycare cause some babies will eat everything in the bottle regardless of how many oz it is.  and then their stomach stretches out and demands that amt. Better to give more frequent smaller bottles than less frequent large bottles. 

I would give a large bottle first thing at daycare and then spiral downward from there.  That naturally matches how your baby would be eating at the breast, high amt first thing in the am, and lower amt thru the day.

5 oz bottles are large, but not unheard of.  Keep it in perspective.  the guide is 25 oz a day, which we equate to 1 oz per hour.  But it's not exactly 1 oz per hour.  It's 25 oz divided by number of feeds a day, avg 1 oz per hour since last feeding, and some feeds are going to be larger than others.

If your baby is not STTN they have all day to get 25 oz of milk, which is around 1 oz per hour.  If they are at daycare for 9 hours, the amt should be closer to 9 oz and baby just makes up the difference by nursing at the breast the rest of the day to get what they need in the day.

If your baby STTN for 8 hours straight, they need to get in 25 oz in only 16 hours of the day.  so they would be closer to 1.5 oz per hour, that boosts daycare 9 hours/ 9oz up to closer to 14 oz.

Also realize 25 oz is an average, the range is 19-30 oz a day.  so 30 oz a day is about 1 1/4 oz per hour, and with STTN 8 hours boosts it up to 1 3/4 oz per hour.

ok so if you want to have someone do the math for you to give you a range, Kellymom has a calculator.  give number of feeds a day, and she's give you an average and a range of size bottles as a starting point. 

[ccam]

Thanks @amyg ! I tried to quote you but was denied access? ?

The growth spurt might explain the fact that she went from waking up once a night to twice this week! Hopefully that will pass soon. I plan on fitting in some pumps on the weekend to get ahead for that week, too. Thanks!!

[jesster88]

@amyg Do you recommend taking calcium/magnesium supplements all the time or just during a dip?

[Deleted]

May 28, 2015 15:50:47 GMT -5 jesster88 said:

@amyg Do you recommend taking calcium/magnesium supplements all the time or just during a dip?

Some moms have to take them all the time. Others can just take them when their period starts and some twice a month at ovulation and period. As you know everyone's hormone levels are slightly different