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.
Hate growth spurt days! Last time we took family photos with DD, she was having one. We are getting them done at 3 weeks this time (on my birthday). Hope it doesn't coincide this time.
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.
Okay, well this explains a lot! For some reason I had it in my head to not expect a growth spurt until about 2 weeks, but it feels like DS is insatiable for the past 24 hrs (he's 7 days old today). He fed for an hour and 5 minutes a while ago, was off the boob for about 30 min and then wanted more! I don't mind because he's latching well and my mom was over all day and cleaned the apt for me, but I hope he gets over this little phase soon!
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 introduced bottles on day 8 in complete desperation. It was the right decision for us. So far no problem latching during the day and the extra sleep has really helped my sanity AND my supply. My babies latched well from the beginning though. My pedi said try it and if they don't latch as well the next day, stop. She also said to use slow flow nipples - it's not as much about nipple confusion as flow confusion, if the milk comes out of bottles way easier they may not want to go back to the breast.
Post by frodabaggins on Aug 21, 2016 8:11:11 GMT -5
This was a hard night for sure. My milk came in, that's awesome - but I am dreading each time I know I need to feed her. My boobs are huge and painful with burning nipples even when not feeding, even when just thinking about it. The first 15 seconds of her getting on is still unbearably excruciating - then the rest of the feed is just regular painful. So there is kind of no relief. Definitely need to call the LC who helped me two years ago and did a great house call.
frodabaggins someone here recommended the earth mama angel baby nipple butter, it's wayyyy better than the Medela stuff I was using. Feeding was super painful for me at first too, and still can be a bit rough. But it has gotten easier, and I really hope it gets easier for you too!!
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 introduced bottles on day 8 in complete desperation. It was the right decision for us. So far no problem latching during the day and the extra sleep has really helped my sanity AND my supply. My babies latched well from the beginning though. My pedi said try it and if they don't latch as well the next day, stop. She also said to use slow flow nipples - it's not as much about nipple confusion as flow confusion, if the milk comes out of bottles way easier they may not want to go back to the breast.
Argh. Tried again with a bottle for a MOTN feeding last night but no success. He drank about an oz from the bottle but then still cried and fussed until I put him on the boob. I'm thinking maybe we should try to introduce it at a time when we don't think he wants to eat a lot (like, when he wakes up due to a dirty diaper, not necessarily to eat), and once that starts working well, we switch it to a bigger bottle at a time after he's slept for a few hours?
I have a clog I'm in full remediation mode to get rid of it before it gets infected. So far I am nursing through it, pumping after to make sure it's empty, massages and hot shower with comb. Anything else I should be doing? I reallllllly don't want mastitis
I have a clog I'm in full remediation mode to get rid of it before it gets infected. So far I am nursing through it, pumping after to make sure it's empty, massages and hot shower with comb. Anything else I should be doing? I reallllllly don't want mastitis
Hold a warm rice sock on it while you nurse. And hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
I have a clog I'm in full remediation mode to get rid of it before it gets infected. So far I am nursing through it, pumping after to make sure it's empty, massages and hot shower with comb. Anything else I should be doing? I reallllllly don't want mastitis
Are you massaging during feeding or pumping? Also pointing baby's chin to the clog.
I can have clogs without mastitis, but if I have clogs and am stressed I am done.
Post by hannahbear on Aug 21, 2016 11:53:15 GMT -5
Can someone explain letdown to me? I definitely have milk... But I don't feel anything? And I never feel "full," or have any idea of how much milk there is. I've noticed patterns (I pump more and have better feedings in the morning or after any sleep and pump very little in the evening) but I can't feel any difference at all.
Can someone explain letdown to me? I definitely have milk... But I don't feel anything? And I never feel "full," or have any idea of how much milk there is. I've noticed patterns (I pump more and have better feedings in the morning or after any sleep and pump very little in the evening) but I can't feel any difference at all.
For me it feels like tingles in my boobs. And the boob he's not on starts leaking everywhere. It happens to me a lot when I'm not feeding too. For some reason it happens every time I i take my clothes off to shower. Apparently my body thinks showering is a big deal... Lol
hannahbear With my first baby it took me months to feel a letdown. Then I started feeling a burning in my boobs and a few seconds later the milk would start dripping out. This time around I feel the letdown a lot stronger. I think it's slightly different for everyone. You can also notice letdown by watching your baby. When he first latches, he'll do quick shallow sucks. After a few seconds when your milk lets down, he'll switch to longer deeper sucks and swallows.
Post by hashbrownnofilter on Aug 21, 2016 12:31:04 GMT -5
I have a call in to the LC at our pedi, but I figured I'd check here too. DD will pretty much only nurse side-lying - she screamed for a long time this morning while I tried everything else. Normal? DS only cared about eating, and didn't notice how - so I don't know if I'm doing something wrong with her or if she's just particular.
hannahbear With my first baby it took me months to feel a letdown. Then I started feeling a burning in my boobs and a few seconds later the milk would start dripping out. This time around I feel the letdown a lot stronger. I think it's slightly different for everyone. You can also notice letdown by watching your baby. When he first latches, he'll do quick shallow sucks. After a few seconds when your milk lets down, he'll switch to longer deeper sucks and swallows.
+1 Months after dd1 was born, I was like uh...what is this feeling? Mine was a bit painful. This time, I can feel it already, but it def took awhile with my first. Also, yes to noticing when baby starts taking long sucks, you'll know it's because he's getting milk.
It's all kind of hard and overwhelming, breastfeeding...but you're doing great!
I have a call in to the LC at our pedi, but I figured I'd check here too. DD will pretty much only nurse side-lying - she screamed for a long time this morning while I tried everything else. Normal? DS only cared about eating, and didn't notice how - so I don't know if I'm doing something wrong with her or if she's just particular.
Could be that she likes the flow rate better that way? Everything is confusing with babies' feeding even when it's not your first baby!!
I have a call in to the LC at our pedi, but I figured I'd check here too. DD will pretty much only nurse side-lying - she screamed for a long time this morning while I tried everything else. Normal? DS only cared about eating, and didn't notice how - so I don't know if I'm doing something wrong with her or if she's just particular.
Could be that she likes the flow rate better that way? Everything is confusing with babies' feeding even when it's not your first baby!!
That sounds right - she's a spitter and tough to burp, so it might have some connection? I wouldn't mind if I didn't have a toddler to chase too - he's not so thrilled with me having to be in bed with her so often.
Could be that she likes the flow rate better that way? Everything is confusing with babies' feeding even when it's not your first baby!!
That sounds right - she's a spitter and tough to burp, so it might have some connection? I wouldn't mind if I didn't have a toddler to chase too - he's not so thrilled with me having to be in bed with her so often.
hashbrownnofilter LO came out wanting left side cradle hold only. She wouldn't latch on the right side until about the third try with a football hold. I started her in her preferred position and then kept trying other positions. She eventually caught on.
Depending on how they were positioned in the womb, their neck muscles might be stiffer or less flexible in one direction.
Our pediatrician said to gently turn her head side to side (fingertip on the jawline) at each diaper change to help even it out.
hannahbear With my first baby it took me months to feel a letdown. Then I started feeling a burning in my boobs and a few seconds later the milk would start dripping out. This time around I feel the letdown a lot stronger. I think it's slightly different for everyone. You can also notice letdown by watching your baby. When he first latches, he'll do quick shallow sucks. After a few seconds when your milk lets down, he'll switch to longer deeper sucks and swallows.
+1 Months after dd1 was born, I was like uh...what is this feeling? Mine was a bit painful. This time, I can feel it already, but it def took awhile with my first. Also, yes to noticing when baby starts taking long sucks, you'll know it's because he's getting milk.
It's all kind of hard and overwhelming, breastfeeding...but you're doing great!
hannahbear, I nursed my first almost 22 months and never felt the letdown. Now with LO I feel it almost every two hours. It's borderline painful, pins and needles, swelling fullness feeling.
Post by frodabaggins on Aug 21, 2016 18:53:27 GMT -5
Hey all! Thanks for the continued words of encouragement. Today my boobs are super engorged and painful. Baby just isn't drinking enough to relieve the pressure, so I just busted out my new Medela pump in style advanced. I put it on the highest setting and started watching an episode of mad Men - I didn't keep track of how long I was waiting but he brought me a hungry baby and nothing had come out yet into the pump. Bonus is that it wasn't painful at all, though. Is this pretty common?
Hey all! Thanks for the continued words of encouragement. Today my boobs are super engorged and painful. Baby just isn't drinking enough to relieve the pressure, so I just busted out my new Medela pump in style advanced. I put it on the highest setting and started watching an episode of mad Men - I didn't keep track of how long I was waiting but he brought me a hungry baby and nothing had come out yet into the pump. Bonus is that it wasn't painful at all, though. Is this pretty common?
The pump is nowhere near as good at milk suction as baby. The fact that it doesn't hurt is good though! It takes a lot to get milk out with the pump. I haven't pulled mine out yet, but need to try it sometime this week.
A hot shower gave me some relief when the crazy engorgment happened.
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