I know this isn't your first rodeo, but one thing I found to work when I had difficult burpers in the hospital was to lay them on my forearm with their face in my palm and rub their back for 3 to 5 minutes. Then sit them up upright and usually you got a burp pretty quickly. Just be careful not to lay them completely flat because then they will throw up all over you.
I know this isn't your first rodeo, but one thing I found to work when I had difficult burpers in the hospital was to lay them on my forearm with their face in my palm and rub their back for 3 to 5 minutes. Then sit them up upright and usually you got a burp pretty quickly. Just be careful not to lay them completely flat because then they will throw up all over you.
Thank you for this. DD3 has not been too hard to burp but DD2 was miserable. I found rocking and laying helped a little, but then I might provoke the spit up. Will keep this trick for if DD3 gets difficult!
Post by hannahbear on Aug 18, 2016 23:39:05 GMT -5
I think my plan didn't quite work for today. Was going to try removing the supplement at every other feeding - but he still seemed so hungry so I ended up giving him what I had just pumped. Then I thought I might keep the supplements but make them slightly smaller. That didn't really seem to work either - sometimes he just seems way too hungry for my shenanigans.
Post by spicysalmonroll on Aug 19, 2016 6:50:15 GMT -5
I watch the clock only so I don't over feed him. He will be crying and my husband will be like "here- he's hungry" and I have to say "no he ate 30 minutes ago" and that's when he just wants to be rocked or held.
I watch the clock only so I don't over feed him. He will be crying and my husband will be like "here- he's hungry" and I have to say "no he ate 30 minutes ago" and that's when he just wants to be rocked or held.
I do a combo of demand feed and clock watching. Sometimes it is hard to get DD3 to take full feeds, so she genuinely is hungry 30 min. later. Sometimes it is obvious she just wants to comfort suck. Having a rough idea of feeding intervals is just one more tool we can use to figure out what our littles might need.
It is SO hard when the baby won't latch and I try so many different positions and he cries then we are up for a couple hours and both exhausted. Laid back nursing was working well as a way to get him to latch easily, but not anymore. It's so difficult when I know he can latch and he does for like a second then stops and can't get it again...I don't get it.
It is SO hard when the baby won't latch and I try so many different positions and he cries then we are up for a couple hours and both exhausted. Laid back nursing was working well as a way to get him to latch easily, but not anymore. It's so difficult when I know he can latch and he does for like a second then stops and can't get it again...I don't get it.
Ugh. I feel you - DS has done that several times today. Sometimes he eventually gets it with side-lying. Also what has helped me a little is hand expressing a couple of drops to help keep him focused when he does finally latch.
Question - DS is only 6 days old. Today I've pumped for a few min on each side after a few feedings - I think I'll have over 2oz by the EOD. Can I pleeeeaaaase sleep through a feeding and have DH give him that bottle or would that be stupid to do so early on? I don't want to mess with my supply or screw up his latching abilities, but I am getting desperate for more than 2 hours of sleep at a time...
It is SO hard when the baby won't latch and I try so many different positions and he cries then we are up for a couple hours and both exhausted. Laid back nursing was working well as a way to get him to latch easily, but not anymore. It's so difficult when I know he can latch and he does for like a second then stops and can't get it again...I don't get it.
Ugh. I feel you - DS has done that several times today. Sometimes he eventually gets it with side-lying. Also what has helped me a little is hand expressing a couple of drops to help keep him focused when he does finally latch.
Question - DS is only 6 days old. Today I've pumped for a few min on each side after a few feedings - I think I'll have over 2oz by the EOD. Can I pleeeeaaaase sleep through a feeding and have DH give him that bottle or would that be stupid to do so early on? I don't want to mess with my supply or screw up his latching abilities, but I am getting desperate for more than 2 hours of sleep at a time...
I always go with the rule that for every bottle I give, I have to pump to let my supply know what my baby ate. Plus nighttime is the most important for supply building.
That said, others may have heard/done differently had no issues! This is just me. ((Hugs)), the broken sleep is hard.
Post by hummingbird125 on Aug 19, 2016 18:30:40 GMT -5
Thanks gratefulgirl and @suesposa - if tonight is anything like last night, even if DH gives a bottle for one feeding I won't go more than 4-5 hours without nursing. Just wanted to make sure it wasn't totally crazy to try this only six days in...
Thanks gratefulgirl and @suesposa - if tonight is anything like last night, even if DH gives a bottle for one feeding I won't go more than 4-5 hours without nursing. Just wanted to make sure it wasn't totally crazy to try this only six days in...
I'm 4 weeks in and still have never slept more than 2.5 hours. It's rough and there have been so many nights where I say I can't do this anymore but you just make it through somehow and push on! Good luck with whatever you choose.
hummingbird125 and @suesposa, I'm glad I'm not the only one who deals with a baby that knows how to latch and sometimes just won't, although I feel sad for us all! One friend suggested maybe it's also due to fast flow, which could be the case for me. Sigh, but nothing makes it better when you're tired and feel like you're trying everything. DS also does sometimes tire out and fall asleep, but for like five minutes and then he gets upset again. There's no reckoning with a mad baby.
dc2london our original long stretches were due to LO being sleepy from my meds. Now he's just a lazy bum. I don't put stock in it. I know it could change in the blink of an eye. His long naps are during the day, which I like because I can get stuff done. I shower 4 times a day. He's up every 2-3 hours at night but I pop him on the boob and we go right back to sleep. He caused enough trouble in utero so I'm thankful for the break, no matter how short-lived.
If I woke her up after she fell asleep eating, I could probably get longer stretches but.....meh.
Post by frodabaggins on Aug 20, 2016 4:19:09 GMT -5
Hey all. DD is now almost three days old and I'm in a tough place with bfing. I can't remember what it was like with DS honestly. I am not 100% sure if my milk is even in - her poops have changed and sometimes I think I see a drop of more milk-like stuff on her lip when she's done nursing, but she's at 7 lbs 2 Oz today at the pediatrician down from 7 lbs 11 Oz when she was born, so I'm not sure if the milk is flowing enough for her to start gaining yet. I saw the lactation consultant at the hospital before we left, and I felt frustrated by it - Oh yeah, look, if you're in this exact position with this exact pillow and I'm here helping you look how you did it, great job! When she latches on its still really, really painful. Sometimes excruciating! I try to take her off and attempt the latch again, and sometimes I just power through until it goes from excruciating to just regular painful. I haven't had one session on either side that was not painful. We go back to the pediatrician on Monday and I will ask to make sure there's nothing going on physically with her like tongue tie, etc? Going to continue powering through with the world's most sore nipples :-( Oh and I haven't slept more than 45 minute chunks since 8:30 and my cramps during/after nursing are GNARLY!!!
frodabaggins I'm so sorry you're off to a rough start, but I would bet things will get easier soon if you can ride out the awful beginning stage. The night before my milk came in fully was the worst because I felt like she was up nursing alllll night.
As for the sore nips, even after we got tongue tie clipped, mine hurt so bad. Have you heard of soothies gel pads? Lansinoh makes some, and they are the only things that kept me going through the pain. You can do it!!
Post by hummingbird125 on Aug 20, 2016 4:42:43 GMT -5
frodabaggins - I met with a pretty good LC on Thursday, who showed me how to look at my nipples after each feeding to make sure they still look round (not like a new lipstick or a ski jump) and to make sure I wasn't developing any sort of ridge. She said of my nipple looks good, and if I see that his bottom lip is curled out and if he is opened wide, DS is *probably* latching well. If you are experiencing a lot of pain with each feeding even after your milk is fully in, I would get help from another LC. I will say that DS's latch definitely improved, and I was able to help him latch better, once my milk came in. Days 1-3 were miserable for us but it has gotten better and better from then on. Good luck!
Hey all. DD is now almost three days old and I'm in a tough place with bfing. I can't remember what it was like with DS honestly. I am not 100% sure if my milk is even in - her poops have changed and sometimes I think I see a drop of more milk-like stuff on her lip when she's done nursing, but she's at 7 lbs 2 Oz today at the pediatrician down from 7 lbs 11 Oz when she was born, so I'm not sure if the milk is flowing enough for her to start gaining yet. I saw the lactation consultant at the hospital before we left, and I felt frustrated by it - Oh yeah, look, if you're in this exact position with this exact pillow and I'm here helping you look how you did it, great job! When she latches on its still really, really painful. Sometimes excruciating! I try to take her off and attempt the latch again, and sometimes I just power through until it goes from excruciating to just regular painful. I haven't had one session on either side that was not painful. We go back to the pediatrician on Monday and I will ask to make sure there's nothing going on physically with her like tongue tie, etc? Going to continue powering through with the world's most sore nipples :-( Oh and I haven't slept more than 45 minute chunks since 8:30 and my cramps during/after nursing are GNARLY!!!
All of these things you describe could be describing ou first two weeks, too frodabaggins. #solidarity
I think I slept 90 minutes on day 5 and it was mostly just disorienting. BF cramps are some of the worst cramps ever, but they do fade.
For the latch pain, the first 15 seconds are the hardest. Breathe through, go to your mental happy place and it will get easier.
Keep rubbing breastmilk on your nipples after baby eats and let them dry! Soggy cracked nipples hurt the worst.
Post by frodabaggins on Aug 20, 2016 5:52:39 GMT -5
annbuhdan,hummingbird125,eaglewife, I almost cried from relief reading your responses. That you are all up (4am here) and your wonderful advice and solidarity is so comforting - dang it A16 you are the best!!!!
annbuhdan,hummingbird125,eaglewife, I almost cried from relief reading your responses. That you are all up (4am here) and your wonderful advice and solidarity is so comforting - dang it A16 you are the best!!!!
Hugs, froda. It does get easier.
It might be time for us to start MOTN Roll call threads. They really helped with DD1.
frodabaggins yes, ditto PP's. Making sure your nipple looks round after she eats is the best indicator of a good latch for me. I think my DD just has a really strong suck bc, even with a correct latch, the first 20 seconds hurt like hell for a good 10 days. And IDR having that with the boys at all.
How long do the insatiable, constant eating phases last? DD has eaten at least once an hour since yesterday morning and I don't know how long I can keep this up. She's 8 days today.
How long do the insatiable, constant eating phases last? DD has eaten at least once an hour since yesterday morning and I don't know how long I can keep this up. She's 8 days today.
There's a 7-10 day growth spurt (and 3 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months - after that point you notice growth spurts in real food intake which is 100x easier). They last 2-3 days each or so.
@hummingbird what does it mean if the nipples look like a new lipstick? That's exactly what mine look like!!! Though I have to use the nipple shield, and I wonder if that's part of the problem
@hummingbird what does it mean if the nipples look like a new lipstick? That's exactly what mine look like!!! Though I have to use the nipple shield, and I wonder if that's part of the problem
You don't want them to be angled like that after a feeding, they should be round. But I have no idea if it's still a bad thing if you're using a nipple shield.
annbuhdan,hummingbird125,eaglewife, I almost cried from relief reading your responses. That you are all up (4am here) and your wonderful advice and solidarity is so comforting - dang it A16 you are the best!!!!
Solidarity!
Seriously though, we've had 5 nights at home so far, and I've been a sobbing mess for two of those. We're all going to have awful nights and better ones, and just need to keep hope that the better nights become more and more frequent. I somehow got about 5 hours of sleep last night and feel like a new person (I even made French toast for breakfast just now, FFS!)
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