Newborn to six weeks breastfeeding has it's own set of challenges doesn't it? So let's check up on any new moms lurking around
Tell us how old your baby is? How is nursing going? What's something you struggle with that maybe we could help with? If it's a very long and involved problem it's ok to make a separate post. Is there anything you can tell another new mom that you think would really help her out? What do you wish someone would have told you before you started breastfeeding?
So many of the newborn questions tend to repeat so it might be nice to keep this same thread going for a little while but if it gets too long to search well have to start a new one with some new questions. K?
BF is going well. I'm finally reaching the point where I'm actually enjoying it almost all of the time, as opposed to secretly wishing I'd have to give formula some so that I didn't need to be the one to do every feeding. Baby is more easily latching on his own, which helps.
We just finished up the six week growth spurt. I noticed that my breasts were constantly engorged (I do single breast feeding in general) and things were starting to hurt. Not just my nipple, but a dull throbbing throughout my entire breast.
I'm pretty sure I figured out the problem. I was back to wearing my pregnancy size nursing bras, which were fine once the girls weren't full. I have a larger size I wore when my milk came in and exclusively for the first two weeks. Turns out I needed to go back to that larger size, especially at night.
I am certain I would have given up on breastfeeding had it not been for Amy's constant attention on my BMB. There is something about knowing I could post a question and it would be answered within a few hours that was so reassuring. The same for having the ability to read other people's questions. It seemed so straightforward when my husband and I took a BF class ahead of time, and I read the book they gave us. Then reality hit. My baby wouldn't latch or eat. We ended up using a shield in the hospital. I have a forceful let down. Then baby weaned from the shield (thanks to some advice and support here) and we had to learn how to do this the old fashioned way. It's not easy, but now I'm so glad I'm able to do this.
Tell us how old your baby is? 4 weeks on Sunday How is nursing going? It's going well for the most part. My supply is good and I'm able to feed my baby. What's something you struggle with that maybe we could help with? Weaning from the shield. I can get him to latch on without it for 5 minutes at most before he gets frustrated. What do you wish someone would have told you before you started breastfeeding? How hard it is. I went into it thinking my baby would latch right away and things would be perfect. I also wish I would've kept trying to latch in the hospital before using the shield but the LC took one look at my flat nipples and immediately handed me on. She didn't even try to work with me.
Post by firelizard8367 on Feb 7, 2015 9:36:18 GMT -5
Tell us how old your baby is? 2 weeks Monday How is nursing going? Going fairly well. He latches fine (although there is still some pain associated with that). Sometimes I'm frustrated by him having smaller feedings when I'd like him to have longer sessions. Had one brief cluster feed session already too. What's something you struggle with that maybe we could help with? my nipples are uncomfortable between feedings, but I'm thinking maybe I just need a bigger bra? Is there anything you can tell another new mom that you think would really help her out? Watch out for the early signs of plugged ducts/mastitis. I've been lucky enough to get that dealt with before it got out of hand. Surprisingly, cabbage leaves do work ! What do you wish someone would have told you before you started breastfeeding? Nothing, I feel I had a realistic view of how this works.
How is nursing going? Going well. Dealing with some issues but overall it's going well.
What's something you struggle with that maybe we could help with?
In the hospital she had a really shallow latch that I didn't work hard enough to correct and she was nursing constantly. Needless to say ... I have some nipple injury going. Her latch is improving. I'm using lansinoh soothies pads most of the day and lanolin for the other times. Any other suggestions to promote healing?
Also, I'm having some major engorgement going on. It happened with ds too but he ended up in the NICU and so I was pumping not long after so I never experienced it fixing on it's own with my first if that makes sense. She's mainly only eating on one side at a time now and isn't even able to drain the one side. So far, I've pumped to comfort twice now. Taking Advil, using brief heat right before nursing and some ice packs occasionally after. Anything I'm missing that would help?
I had a HUGE oversupply issue with my first after his NICU stay and the pumping I did there. It took about 3 months to become manageable so I'm a bit wary of doing anything to cause it again.
Is there anything you can tell another new mom that you think would really help her out?
Contact a LC at the first sign of trouble!!! My aunt is one and she's awesome.
What do you wish someone would have told you before you started breastfeeding?
My mom had an easy time with nursing so she had this glowy view of it and that's what I was expecting with my first. I'm more prepared this time around!
Post by boxerrrmama85 on Feb 7, 2015 11:45:23 GMT -5
Great idea! Thank you Amy!
Baby is 2wks 2 days.
Nursing is going surprisingly great! I share the sentiment that it may be nice to be able to share the feeding responsibility but am loving that her and I are getting all this bonding time.
Right now I am struggling with when and how to start pumping! I am at a loss as to how to set up and when to pump? I am going back to work in 4 weeks and want enough of a back up supply and want to make sure that I am still getting BF time and pumping time. So if anyone has a great schedule for a 7:30am to 5:00pm work day that they used for pumping, I would greatly appreciate it!
For new moms I have no advice other than enjoy BF even through sleep hazed eyes
I wish I didn't listen to all the horror stories about milk not coming in and baby not gaining weight. My experience at this point has really been very natural and instinctual.
Post by Jellypepper on Feb 7, 2015 13:56:07 GMT -5
Tell us how old your baby is? Baby is 8 days old today. I am a STM but I EPed with DS for 10 weeks and then went to formula. I am a BF beginner
How is nursing going? So far so good. My milk is in and we are getting good latches most of the time(85%.) I can usually tell when she's going in for a shallow latch and either stop or unlatch right away. I spent 2 hours with the LC earlier this week and we made some positioning adjustments that really helped. I was able to nurse from each breast twice during our session and I'm feeling much more confident.
What's something you struggle with that maybe we could help with? I'm feeling anxious about feeding in public the first time. I have a cover but I'm not quite sure how to feed her without my pillow fortress. I'm open to all suggestions and tips.
Is there anything you can tell another new mom that you think would really help her out? Nurse as many times as possible during the first few days. It's really helping me to lay the foundation for our BF relationship even though it is exhausting to have her at the breast constantly.
What do you wish someone would have told you before you started breastfeeding? Don't get so caught up in the mechanics of breastfeeding. It's easy to be overwhelmed by all of the steps to get a good latch. Also, it is totally normal to be uncoordinated. You and baby are both beginners at this so be patient and kind with yourself.
Nursing is going well. We had our share of issues—flattish nipples (corrected themselves!), terrible engorgement that required emergency rental of a hospital-grade pump, nipple damage caused by poor latch, terrible advice from a pediatrician that set us back and severely damaged my confidence as a parent, and finally thrush! But I've had a ton of support from my husband and mother and a couple of lactation consultants, as well as this board. And even when nursing was toe-curlingly painful, I enjoyed it. I love the sweetness and intimacy of it.
My advice for new moms is to get help early. Have an LC watch you latch before you leave the hospital. I thought I understood it and we had a good latch so I dismissed the LC. Turns out I really had no idea. It took me a while to figure it out and get all the steps down, and in that time the poor latch caused some damage. And make sure you get help from a qualified professional. The first pediatrician we met with was awful and had no idea how to support breastfeeding. If you feel like something is off, trust your intuition.
Give yourself time and grace to learn. I read tons about breastfeeding, took a class, and had realistic expectations that it would take some time. But I've still been surprised by how hard it's been for me. If it's something that's important to you, have faith that eventually you'll figure it out and it'll be easier. People told me the first two weeks would be the hardest, but my mom said it would be six weeks before I really had it down and that's been my experience.
We are struggling. Ds1 is 7 and was in the NICU for 3 weeks and had formula supplementation from the beginning. Either I forgot how hard this was or we just had an easier time. I had a really great nurse in the hospital but we didn't quite get it (I know latch could be better and his positioning) the others didn't reinforce her advice. I have a lactation appt but it is over a week out though my doula is coming over Monday.
Trying to do lots of skin to skin and feed as much as I can stand as I want my milk to come in! Specific questions are: is side lying nursing ok with a newborn? One nurse implied it was not the best but was not specific as to why. How long should I be feeding from one side to be giving him enough colostrum and encouraging milk to come in? I have been detaching him after 5-10 min because of pain. Nipples are getting raw in a couple spots.
Welcome and congratulations!! Sounds like you are all doing great!
Just a note of encouragement and a few tips. I don't want to intrude to much and don't know it all -- so, take or leave it.
boxerrrmama85, I had a similar schedule with my LO, although I was only away twice a week until about 6m. For the stash: pick a time of day that works for you, and pump at same time every day. Morning is good for supply, but I was more relaxed in evening when DH was home to help. Don't pay attention to what you get. It might only be 1/2oz or oz at a time. That's fine. You'll get more when you are pumoing to replace rather than pumoing in addition. Our schedule: on demand overnight, nurse at 6am wakeup, nurse at 6:50am out the door, pump 9, pump 12, pump 4 [oops - meant 3], nurse 5:30 in the door, nurse on demand overnight. You'll need to pump 20 minutes at least every 3 hours when apart. Be firm about your time -- it's easier to do that than be lax and then try to get the time back. If pumping is going well, you can lighten up later. Don't skip feeds once back to work no matter how tempting.
@jellypepper, I was so anxious at the beginning! I'd go to my car (tinted windows, backseat, cover). Then I'd grab a changing room at target or in the mall. Then id cover up and face wall in corner or restaurant. As I eased into it,l I realized everyone was just going about their day. If anything, I was drawing attention to myself by all my nervousness. Layer a tank/camp underneath and a regular shirt on top so you can pull one down and the other up. No skin is exposed. The best advice someone gave me was to practice in front of a mirror. Once I saw how little anyone could see, I could relax a bit. And, it gets so much easier as lo as more efficient and less floppy. Deep breaths and practice. You might like this:
kcrosem, keep heart, mama. I'm sorry you are having a rough time. I think the worry with side lying early is that you might be so tired lo gets in an unsafe position and could roll off. There's also risk of losing good latch by sliding off. As tired as I was, tho, I was so so alert to LOs safety. In general, LOs will need longer than 5-10 minutes for those first feeds. For comfort, are you expressing bm, rubbing around nipples, and letting air dry after feelings? Using Earth Mama Angel Baby nipple butter? Sounds like the hospital LCs weren't much help. Seeing an ibclc now might be a good way to get some help with that latch and boost your confidence a bit. If no relief after you see your doula, perhaps you can ask LC to bump up appt or find another one -- that's way too long to wait for early-days help.
jmcbick, that initial latch pain is so normal, even if it is toe-curling. Mine faded in intensity and duration after the first few weeks. IDK when it was completely gone -- I think I noticed around 8-10 weeks "hey, this doesn't hurt in the beginning anymore." If it lasts longer than a minute, def see LC to check latch again.
The little shocks you feel are likely letdown. It can happen at beginning of a feed (I always felt on opposite side), when engorged, or when baby was crying or upset. I felt letdown most intensely from a few weeks in through a few months in. It was also one of those things I noticed was there sometimes and then faded out.
This thread is such s great idea! I have been lurking around recently reading your stories.
DD is now 6 days old.
Nursing is going ok. I feel like she has short feeds and slways falls asleep at the breast so it makes me anxious that she isn't getting enough. I strip her down to feed and change her between sides but I am lucky to get 10 min/side. The MW was out to check her 3X this week and as of yesterday she had regained her birth weight (+1oz!) and is having regular dirty/wet diapers so maybe I just need to relax? Also, being that DD has regained her bw we got the go ahead to switch from every 2-3hrs to on demand feeding. Last night she slept for almost 4.5hrs but I won't do that again. I ended up so engorged on one side that my letdown was drowning DD and I couldn't feed. I ended pumping that side and just feeding with the other. Lesson learned- I will wake her anyways.
I don't think I have any advice at this point? Other than to say as a FTM it's totally overwhelming to have this little person need YOU so much and it's tempting to want to quit. Make your first goal to do it for a week and re-evaluate then.
I wish someone had told me mentally getting going BF'ing will make you cry more than labour and pregnancy combined.
Hi everyone! I'm fairly new to BFing too. LO is coming up on 3.5 months so technically we're just out of the newborn stage. I don't have a ton of advice to offer, but I'll help where I can
How long should I be feeding from one side to be giving him enough colostrum and encouraging milk to come in? I have been detaching him after 5-10 min because of pain. Nipples are getting raw in a couple spots.
Thanks!!
In my experience, it is best to watch for the baby's cues. I tried to let DD unlatch herself or really fall asleep before I felt she was done with a side. Then I'd burp her and offer the other side. Sometimes she would take it and sometimes she wouldn't. This is pretty much still how I feed her. In the early days, I felt like I needed to have a certain amount of time on each breast, but it really worked out best to just follow her lead.
For nipple soreness: Lansinoh gel pads, lanolin, and breastmilk and an air dry!
kcrosem I had a cracked, bleeding nipple on one side due to a flat nipple, and then a slightly shallow latch due to pain. My MW called in a prescription for all purpose nipple ointment and literally in 24hrs it is almost 100% healed. It feels so much better and I am able to get a deeper latch since I am not subconsciously pulling back in pain.
I'm not going to jump in and answer all the questions all the time because I don't want this to be the Amyg thread lol. I won't leave ya hanging if there is something not answered by someone else of course. -but - today was yard sale and goodwill and stuff with my sons and I've not really looked back on the thread I started. Oops.
Tell us how old your baby is? 10 days How is nursing going? It's been a struggle. LO lost a lot of weight, so I've had to supplement a bit, but the formula seems to really upset his tummy. I had a terrible latch at first, and too much underqualified help. He's still not gaining weight at the rate they want, so they're pushing me to supplement even though my gut says that is the wrong call most of the time (there have been a few times where it seemed necessary to me). What's something you struggle with that maybe we could help with? If it's a very long and involved problem it's ok to make a separate post. He falls asleep but continues to comfort suck... I think. I can't always tell. But if I break him off, he often wants to feed again ten minutes later. Is there anything you can tell another new mom that you think would really help her out? Be careful who helps you. Just because they think they can doesn't mean they actually know what they're doing. And fix LO's lips. I reasoned that if it didn't hurt, it didn't matter that his lips weren't properly flared. And then he'd feed for five hours straight because he was so inefficient. Just because it doesn't hurt doesn't mean it's a good latch. What do you wish someone would have told you before you started breastfeeding? It's really hard, and that's okay. You will need more hands than you have, but eventually you'll learn to carefully juggle and find a free hand. A good nursing pillow is gold.
Post by hollydfromtn on Feb 8, 2015 11:12:36 GMT -5
Tell us how old your baby is? DS is 10 days old
How is nursing going? Nursing is going, that's about it. He's gaining weight just fine and my supply is great. I'm just waiting on the "I enjoy breastfeeding phase" to kick in.
What's something you struggle with that maybe we could help with? I have very shallow nipples, which is causing DS to have a very shallow latch and lose interest quickly. We were given a shield at the hospital but not really told how to use it, for how long, or how to start weaning from it. I've been trying to take it off during every couple of feedings once my nipples are a little more erect. DS will latch and then slide back really shallow. It's excruciating and makes me want to use the shield forever, but I know that's not practical and will lead to me giving up too early.
Is there anything you can tell another new mom that you think would really help her out? Be sure to work with your LOs latch before you fall into the routine of using a shield. I think I might have been more frustrated in the beginning if I had done this but the. I wouldn't be dealing with this "security blanket" of a shield right now
What do you wish someone would have told you before you started breastfeeding? That it doesn't always come naturally. Everyone I had talked to about it had these amazing experiences where their LOs had great latches from day 1. I now call BS on that. Breastfeeding is a lot harder than I expected.
How is nursing going? Nursing is going, that's about it. He's gaining weight just fine and my supply is great. I'm just waiting on the "I enjoy breastfeeding phase" to kick in.
What's something you struggle with that maybe we could help with? I have very shallow nipples, which is causing DS to have a very shallow latch and lose interest quickly. We were given a shield at the hospital but not really told how to use it, for how long, or how to start weaning from it. I've been trying to take it off during every couple of feedings once my nipples are a little more erect. DS will latch and then slide back really shallow. It's excruciating and makes me want to use the shield forever, but I know that's not practical and will lead to me giving up too early.
Is there anything you can tell another new mom that you think would really help her out? Be sure to work with your LOs latch before you fall into the routine of using a shield. I think I might have been more frustrated in the beginning if I had done this but the. I wouldn't be dealing with this "security blanket" of a shield right now
What do you wish someone would have told you before you started breastfeeding? That it doesn't always come naturally. Everyone I had talked to about it had these amazing experiences where their LOs had great latches from day 1. I now call BS on that. Breastfeeding is a lot harder than I expected.
Welcome! Congrats on your LO
If the part of the problem is the shape of your nipples, you can manually pump before you latch him to help bring them out. It is my understanding that this usually will resolve itself and be fine in a few weeks.
Also, if LO has a lazy latch you can pop him off by sticking your pinky in the corner of his mouth and breaking the seal. Relatch him every time he's become lazy, he will get the hang of it.
I know there's no hard and fast rule on this, but how soon is too soon to start pumping? LO is 10 days old. And what's the best way to go about it? I already feel like I have A LOT of milk, to the point where it takes LO a few tries to latch because my breasts are so full, so I don't want to cause an oversupply situation.
LO is 4 weeks old today. I can't believe she's a month old already!!
Nursing is going well! DD is gaining weight wonderfully and my nipples are finally starting to look normal again. I still have a little twinge at latch-on but otherwise I'm feeling relatively pain free. Yay!!
Because DD is gaining weight so well (left hospital at 6 lb 4 oz and as of this Thursday weighed 8 lb 15 oz), I've been much more comfortable not waking her up to feed and doing a feed on demand "schedule". However, sometimes she just wants to eat for 5-10 minutes and refuses the second side, which results in green poop. I don't know if I'm just being an over-reactive FTM or if this is something I should actually be concerned with. Thoughts?
I think the most important piece of advice I could give a new mom would be: Don't be afraid to seek out advice when you have doubts or questions, no matter how small or silly you think it might be. Figure out the resources that are available to you and use them. You can't solve all your problems by just reading books, watching latch videos, and lurking on BF forums. Sometimes, your problem is unique to you and your baby and the only way to figure it out is to ask for help. That's also what I wish someone would have told me!
From what I've heard and been told, if you feel like your breasts are too full and LO is struggling to latch because of it, you can pump/hand express until the breast is soft enough for baby to latch. You don't want to pump/express too much because the more milk that's taken out, the more that is signaled to your body to make. Supply and demand type of thing.
Regarding true pumping, the recommendation I've been told is to wait until after the 3 week growth spurt. After that, begin pumping once a day after the morning feeding.
What's something you struggle with that maybe we could help with? If it's a very long and involved problem it's ok to make a separate post. He falls asleep but continues to comfort suck... I think. I can't always tell. But if I break him off, he often wants to feed again ten minutes later.
I needed an LC to show me the difference between a swallowing suck and a comfort suck. The BF instructions and videos all seem to take it for granted that we know how to tell the difference, or exactly *how* to get LO to have that perfect latch, when I needed a good LC to really hands-on show me how to do it and what to look for. After you know what to look for, and observe for a few days, it becomes much much much easier to tell.
How is nursing going? I wouldn't call it easy but I know it could be worse
What's something you struggle with that maybe we could help with? Is it normal for LO to change the amount he's eating? (example: one feeding take both breast and only one the next.) I always try and offer both but sometimes he passes out after one. Is there anything you can tell another new mom that you think would really help? See an LC before you leave the hospital. We did and she really put our minds at ease.
What do you wish someone would have told you before you started breastfeeding? It's physically draining. I see all these women in public feeding and it looks easy. But after this week it's definitely been a workout.
How is nursing going? I wouldn't call it easy but I know it could be worse
What's something you struggle with that maybe we could help with? Is it normal for LO to change the amount he's eating? (example: one feeding take both breast and only one the next.) I always try and offer both but sometimes he passes out after one. Is there anything you can tell another new mom that you think would really help? See an LC before you leave the hospital. We did and she really put our minds at ease.
What do you wish someone would have told you before you started breastfeeding? It's physically draining. I see all these women in public feeding and it looks easy. But after this week it's definitely been a workout.
Regarding "changing" the amount he's eating - totally normal! Always offer the second side, and he may or may not take it. Trust that your body and baby know what they are both doing just start with the second side the next feeding. It all evens out in the end. Also - about NIP. Now that LO and I are a year into our nursing relationship, my friends are are having babies of their own and they say the same to me. They tell me I "made nursing in public look like a piece of cake" because I never used a cover and I did it all the time. Well what they couldn't see was the globs of sweat rolling down my back, or my nervous stomach in knots. I just pretended it didn't bother me at all, but I was terrified the first few times NIP. I never used a cover because I was already sweating SO BAD from nerves, there was no way I could have had an extra layer on. It took a good month for me to stop having anxiety about it! Keep working at it - you can do it too ;-)
ladybug15 DD is 1 week old and also has short feeds like you describe. The midwives are not concerned at all at this point but it still is worrying as a FTM.
Post by mapetitefamille on Feb 8, 2015 21:45:12 GMT -5
Tell us how old your baby is? 12 days
How is nursing going? It's a little rough. I had such an easy time with DD1 that this is a shock to me.
What's something you struggle with that maybe we could help with? We're dealing with multiple issues. In the hospital, DD2 had a shallow latch and I suffered enough damage that I needed to EP for a few days once I was home to allow everything to heal. The LC in the hospital had suggested I take her to a dentist to be evaluated for a slight upper lip tie if the latch didn't improve, so I took her at 7 days old. The dentist didn't feel that the lip tie was severe enough to be significant, but he did palpate a tongue tie that others had missed. He repaired it with electrocautery, and while her latch has improved somewhat since then, it's been difficult to get a consistently deep latch. We saw the LC again yesterday, and she pointed out that my oversupply and overactive letdown are complicating matters: DD won't latch deeply unless I manually express a little, and she sometimes withdraws to a shallow latch once letdown occurs. We've certainly made progress since birth (my nipples don't bleed anymore!), but there's so much to work on and keep track of that I feel very disheartened at times.
Is there anything you can tell another new mom that you think would really help her out? DH said to me today "you can't help how you're made, and she can't help how she's made." It helps to remember that when things get frustrating.
Post by boxerrrmama85 on Feb 9, 2015 15:25:10 GMT -5
Talk to me about growth spurts? DD is a little over 2 weeks and the past day has requested to nurse every hour to hour and a half. She is nursing for short spurts (5-8 minutes) and even if I try to wake her up she doesn't go back to nursing... Any tips?
Talk to me about growth spurts? DD is a little over 2 weeks and the past day has requested to nurse every hour to hour and a half. She is nursing for short spurts (5-8 minutes) and even if I try to wake her up she doesn't go back to nursing... Any tips?
Yes, this can be a growth spurt. they commonly occur about 7-10 days of age, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 mos etc. but babies can and do set their own growth spurt schedule.
During a growth spurt they'll eat more often, way more often. usually they'll eat a bit longer and be a bit more restless. and you won't be able to put them down.
It could also be that the really short nursing sessions 5-8 minutes, baby is getting less hindmilk and getting hungry again faster. Has baby regained their birthweight? If not I would nag for longer nursing sessions, use breast compression and massage to speed the flow of milk and keep her nursing longer, unswaddle, sit up at the waist, rub palm of hand, bridge of nose and cool washcloth on toes and such to wake her up between sides.
If she's gaining weight at a good rate I'd just try to keep her nursing longer to try to make your life easier but wouldn't panic about it. sometimes going with the flow is the best course of action, cause once you get used to one type of pattern, they'll be sure to change it up to keep you on your toes.
I would say not to worry too much since this will probably pass in the next day or so. However, if she continues that way, you'll want to watch out for a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance, since it's likely she's not getting a lot of hindmilk eating only 5-8 mins. Also, to keep your supply up, you may want to consider pumping a bit before or after each feed.
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