Post by lilyelayne on Mar 23, 2015 11:24:29 GMT -5
We've got folks coming back to the board, so fyi this is a weekly breast milk mama check in.
How old is your baby?
Are you nursing, pumping, supplementing?
Have you survived any growth spurts? Learn anything?
Questions?
GTKY: what's your favorite vacation you've taken? I was gonna steal the formula check in's GTKY about sex positions but it's a long four and a half weeks til my pp appointment & I'm feeling deprived
Are you nursing, pumping, supplementing? Nursing mostly, pumping like 3 times a week for a stash
Have you survived any growth spurts? Learn anything? Yes, the 3W growth spurt. I am guessing the 6W growth spurt is coming up any day now!
Questions? None at the moment
GTKY: what's your favorite vacation you've taken? probably our honeymoon to Sandels Emerald Bay in Great Exuma, Bahamas. I'd love to return to the Bahamas again someday!
Post by mommadozer on Mar 23, 2015 11:37:54 GMT -5
LO is 9 weeks on Wednesday.
Nursing and pumping.
I have survived a few growth spurts. He's following that so called pattern of spurts at 3, 6 and 9 weeks. This last spurt, he's up to 4 oz every 3-4 hours.
My favorite vacation was our delayed honeymoon to Hawaii last year. We had 9 weddings including our wedding and we decided to delay our honeymoon because it was an expensive year. Best decision ever! We split 10 days between Maui and Kauai. Very relaxing and we wouldn't plan the day's activities until the day of. Day after we got home (our anniversary), we found out we were pregnant!
Nursing, pumping, supplementing? Pretty much just pumping at this point. She was switching between breast and bottle pretty well up until last week. She would get picky about which boob and what position she was in and now won't take the boob anymore at all. We are still trying but we end up both getting frustrated and me just giving the bottle.
Growth spurts? In the middle of one right now.. super fussy all the time, not really sleeping, and never really satisfied after the usual amount of bottle. I try the paci to see if she is really still hungry. If she is I give another 1/2 ounce at a time until she is satisfied.
Question s? Vitamin D. Are you using it? Public health nurse asked if I was giving her any vitamins but didn't push that I should ask the dr about anything. I didn't even think about it until seeing something on a thread here. Is it over the counter or do I need a prescription? Her dr knows she is only getting breastmilk and hasn't said anything.
GTKY- favorite vacation? Road trip with my mom and nephews from Wisconsin to florida. It was about a 24 hour car ride and we pretty much drove straight through. we stopped at rock city in Chattanooga on the way home which was pretty cool.
Are you nursing, pumping, supplementing? Nursing. We intro'd a bottle this past week. He's taken 2 with no issues.
Have you survived any growth spurts? Learn anything? I think we have survived the 3 week growth spurt. It was 3 days/nights of madness but last night he was magically back to himself. Let's hope it stays that way.
Questions?
GTKY: what's your favorite vacation you've taken? Our honeymoon in Italy. We visited lots of different cities/towns but Florence was my favorite.
Post by cloe111479 on Mar 23, 2015 11:44:04 GMT -5
How old is your baby? 6 weeks today
Are you nursing, pumping, supplementing? Exclusively pumping after latch and other issues.
Have you survived any growth spurts? Learn anything? Had a growth spurt around week 3. I felt like she was non stop eating but it finally passed.
Questions? To the person asking about vitamin d. Yes. We are using it. Doc suggested it. It is over the counter near the other vitamins for kids. It's a little dropper. You can put in their mouth directly or in a bottle.
GTKY: what's your favorite vacation you've taken? I guess our honeymoon. We went to disney. It was the first time DH had been in like 10 yrs. he was s total kid.
How old is your baby? Will be 10 weeks on Wednesday... where on earth did the time go??
Nursing, pumping, supplementing? Currently pumping and supplementing with one bottle at night.
Any growth spurts? Eh, at 6 weeks we definitely hit one. Luckily because we are feeding her my pumped milk with a bottle it wasn't too bad. We did have to take one bag out of the freezer stash though!
GTKY Fav vacation: Our honeymoon was pretty awesome. 2 weeks, first week exploring London, Paris, and Rome, followed by a 7 day Mediterranean Cruise. Pretty awesome! Second place is all exclusive Mexican resort last May... we came home with an awesome souvenir growing in my belly!
I would love to travel around Europe for our honeymoon. F wants to do a cruise for our anniversary instead of a honeymoon after the wedding this year. It has been an expensive last few months!
Post by lilyelayne on Mar 23, 2015 12:07:30 GMT -5
How old is your baby? 2w4d
Are you nursing, pumping, supplementing? Nursing
Have you survived any growth spurts? Learn anything? Not yet.
Questions?
GTKY: what's your favorite vacation you've taken? Every year until I was 22 we went to Ft Walton Beach with my mom's sisters snd their families, which were always my favorite vacations. My cousins & I are trying to pick a week this summer to go back. My honeymoon at Sandals resort in Antigua was pretty perfect, though.
Post by misshart00 on Mar 23, 2015 12:12:19 GMT -5
how old is your baby? 7 weeks tomorrow
Are you nursing, pumping, supplementing? Mostly nursing. Some pumping. Just a bit of formula.
Have you survived any growth spurts? Learn anything? Growth spurts are awful. Lately, he's been wanting to eat nearly every hour. But I can forgive a lot when he gives me 6+ hours of sleep at night.
Questions?
GTKY: what's your favorite vacation you've taken? Probably my honeymoon. We went to Disney world. But I'm super excited for our cruise next year.
Post by mrsclark731 on Mar 23, 2015 13:32:48 GMT -5
How old is your baby?
3 weeks 6 days
Are you nursing, pumping, supplementing?
I'm exclusively nursing, but pumping when I can to get a stash. We have introduced BM bottles recently with no issues. She was a NICU baby, so she did get a few bottles of formula at the hospital.
Have you survived any growth spurts? Learn anything?
3 week growth spurt, for sure. I've learned H is really good at trying to soothe her, and my encouragement has made him really proud. It's cute :-)
Questions?
GTKY: what's your favorite vacation you've taken?
St. John, USVI Salt Pond Bay = heaven on earth. I love the USVI and the BVIs. All of the Caribbean, basically. H and I are planning our next big trip to an island we've never been--St. Bart's. Has anyone ever been?!
Post by cougarette on Mar 23, 2015 13:49:32 GMT -5
How old is your baby? Almost 4 weeks. Can't believe he'll be a month old on Wednesday!
Are you nursing, pumping, supplementing? Nursing and pumping.
Have you survived any growth spurts? Learn anything? The 10 day spurt was brutal. I think we dealt with the 3 week one recently too. It seems he's being a little more cranky and fussy these days. It's not after eating or really any kind of pattern, just general fussiness. It's hard to know if I should try to feed him, give him a pacifier, rocking, singing, etc. I guess that'll just come with time.
Questions? So many!
1. We started giving DS a bottle on Saturday. How much should we be preparing? We've done 3 oz so far on Saturday and Sunday, but he seemed to want a little more when he finishes.
Because of an over supply issue I only nurse one side at a time - should I only pump the one side that's "due" or should I go ahead and pump both sides while he takes the bottle?
Also, I've been pumping a little after his morning feed, but I wonder if that's the best time. I was reading on a thread somewhere that prolactin is highest in the evening, so maybe I should switch and pump after a MOTN feeding. The problem with that is I can't maintain that schedule when I go back to work. We're giving him a bottle as his evening feed so I am pumping around 9-10ish already.
2. I feel like I keep talking about burping and spit up, but seriously - how to control it?
I know spit up is normal, and he's gaining weight from what I can tell, he isn't in pain, the volume isn't a lot, but it seems to be after every feeding. It's not always right away either, and I feel bad if I hand him off for someone to hold him and then he lets loose. I try everything except keeping the meals shorter or stopping him more frequently - which is where my question comes in.
I don't think I have an OALD, but it can come out pretty fast. Should I stop him after a set amount of time to try and burp? If so, how long? Or should I wait for him to slow down some? Then when I do stop to burp, how long do I try to burp? He doesn't always burp for me but I'm sure he needs to.
Just how long should I keep him upright after eating? I usually hold him up for about 20-30 minutes, but then after I lay him down in the PNP he'll spit up. Not every single time and not right away, but frequently enough. This is hard to do in the MOTN too when I just want to get back in bed.
3. We talked about the lipstick nipple the other day. I still see that after feedings. It's not too bad (not pinched) and it doesn't hurt while he's eating. His mouth appears to be wide and his lips are flanged out - how do I make sure he's getting a deeper latch? Or is it likely fine because it does round back out quickly after he lets go. I just want to make sure he's eating effectively.
GTKY: what's your favorite vacation you've taken? This is tough. Our honeymoon was great! It was an 11-night cruise to the eastern caribbean. We visited 5 islands and had 5 days at sea - so relaxing!
However, a couple of years ago we went to California and that was amazing! We spent a couple of days in Napa and Sonoma then drove down the Pacific Coast Highway and ended up near San Diego for a few days. My BIL was stationed at Camp Pendleton so we spent time with my sister and the kids.
While we drove down we stopped in Paso Robles and loved the wineries there! That was our favorite stop and we wish we spent more time there. We enjoyed Napa, but it was actually our least favorite. Sonoma was a lot better and more laid back. We also stayed at the Windmill hotel (which is actually a Days Inn) and ate at The Hitching Post, for any Sideways fans! Sadly we didn't visit any of the wineries around there. Next time!
Post by lilyelayne on Mar 23, 2015 13:52:55 GMT -5
mmarie our pedi recommended Enfamil D-Vi-Sol which is an over the counter vitamin d supplement. Formula is fortified with vit D but breast milk doesn't have enough & modern medicine cautions against babies having a lot of sun exposure. The Enfamil is 1 ml once a day. DS seems to like it - I give it when he's awake but not at a feeding because if he spits up it makes his spit up sticky. There's another kind that's just one drop a dose that you can put on your nipple just prior to latching - was gonna ask my pedi about it if DS didn't like the Enfamil but thus far that's not an issue.
Vitamin D is recommended now for all breastfed babies. There are pros and cons but overall it's probably a good idea esp if you live somewhere there isn't a lot of sun. Like here is Phoenix it's already 85 and sunny and I'd probably skip the Vitamin D.
Most prefer the 1 drop Vitamin D, like Carlsons, because it's one drop and not full of artificial flavorings and sugars. read the ingredient list of any you think about buying and contemplate whether it's too much artificial stuff for a teeny baby.
Have you survived any growth spurts? Learn anything? Yeah, the 3w and 6w (which she seemed to hit at 7w, but she was sick at 6w so maybe that delayed it.. I don't know.. babies are weird )
Questions? None at the moment
GTKY: what's your favorite vacation you've taken? Our honeymoon in Hawaii. We spent 5 days in Waikiki, took a 7 day cruise around the islands which included 2 days in Maui, 1 in Hilo, 1 in Kona and 2 on Kauai, then spent another 5 days in Kona. Man, that was a sad flight home lol!
mmarie, I use Carlson D Drops. I used them for DS as well. I bought them on Amazon and you give one drop a day - you can put it on a bottle nipple or pacifier for now until they're old enough to open their mouths on command. They don't taste like anything so neither kid ever spit them out. Anyway, 1 bottle lasted me the entire 16m that I BFed DS.
How old is your baby? Almost 4 weeks. Can't believe he'll be a month old on Wednesday!
Are you nursing, pumping, supplementing? Nursing and pumping.
Have you survived any growth spurts? Learn anything? The 10 day spurt was brutal. I think we dealt with the 3 week one recently too. It seems he's being a little more cranky and fussy these days. It's not after eating or really any kind of pattern, just general fussiness. It's hard to know if I should try to feed him, give him a pacifier, rocking, singing, etc. I guess that'll just come with time.
Questions? So many!
1. We started giving DS a bottle on Saturday. How much should we be preparing? We've done 3 oz so far on Saturday and Sunday, but he seemed to want a little more when he finishes.
Because of an over supply issue I only nurse one side at a time - should I only pump the one side that's "due" or should I go ahead and pump both sides while he takes the bottle?
Also, I've been pumping a little after his morning feed, but I wonder if that's the best time. I was reading on a thread somewhere that prolactin is highest in the evening, so maybe I should switch and pump after a MOTN feeding. The problem with that is I can't maintain that schedule when I go back to work. We're giving him a bottle as his evening feed so I am pumping around 9-10ish already.
2. I feel like I keep talking about burping and spit up, but seriously - how to control it?
I know spit up is normal, and he's gaining weight from what I can tell, he isn't in pain, the volume isn't a lot, but it seems to be after every feeding. It's not always right away either, and I feel bad if I hand him off for someone to hold him and then he lets loose. I try everything except keeping the meals shorter or stopping him more frequently - which is where my question comes in.
I don't think I have an OALD, but it can come out pretty fast. Should I stop him after a set amount of time to try and burp? If so, how long? Or should I wait for him to slow down some? Then when I do stop to burp, how long do I try to burp? He doesn't always burp for me but I'm sure he needs to.
Just how long should I keep him upright after eating? I usually hold him up for about 20-30 minutes, but then after I lay him down in the PNP he'll spit up. Not every single time and not right away, but frequently enough. This is hard to do in the MOTN too when I just want to get back in bed.
3. We talked about the lipstick nipple the other day. I still see that after feedings. It's not too bad (not pinched) and it doesn't hurt while he's eating. His mouth appears to be wide and his lips are flanged out - how do I make sure he's getting a deeper latch? Or is it likely fine because it does round back out quickly after he lets go. I just want to make sure he's eating effectively.
GTKY: what's your favorite vacation you've taken? This is tough. Our honeymoon was great! It was an 11-night cruise to the eastern caribbean. We visited 5 islands and had 5 days at sea - so relaxing!
However, a couple of years ago we went to California and that was amazing! We spent a couple of days in Napa and Sonoma then drove down the Pacific Coast Highway and ended up near San Diego for a few days. My BIL was stationed at Camp Pendleton so we spent time with my sister and the kids.
While we drove down we stopped in Paso Robles and loved the wineries there! That was our favorite stop and we wish we spent more time there. We enjoyed Napa, but it was actually our least favorite. Sonoma was a lot better and more laid back. We also stayed at the Windmill hotel (which is actually a Days Inn) and ate at The Hitching Post, for any Sideways fans! Sadly we didn't visit any of the wineries around there. Next time!
I would probaby just pump both sides when you pump, because that will be what you do when you return to work. I would pump both sides right after the first morning feed, prolactin is high then and supply is usually high. I wouldn't pump motn cause um, sleep! Just expect the side he just ate from will yield a smaller amt of milk but more hindmilk.
If you are dealing with oversupply don't pump more than about once a day for now. oversupply often comes with over active let down, there is a lot of milk andit sprays out fast. this causes baby to gulp and take in more air. you can try burping about half way thru, or if you hear the gulping start stop and let milk go into a towel or cup, burp at that time and then relatch. also try positions where baby's head is higher than the breast may help with gulping air and then spitting up.
some babies if you pat too hard to burp they spit up more. some it's when you throw them over your shoulder, the pressure on their stomach makes them let loose. some burp better sitting up ad pat their back from bum up toward neck sort ofmoving the air bubbles along. one of mine would only burp if I laid them down for a minute and then sat them up and pat on the back and they'd burp like a guy who chugged a beer and if they didn't do that they'd spew everywhere. it took trial and error to see what worked best. Nighttime burping may not beas necessary if you are side lying nursing the flow may be lower and less air taken in. you'll have to play with it and see. there is not just one answer here.
Vitamin D is recommended now for all breastfed babies. There are pros and cons but overall it's probably a good idea esp if you live somewhere there isn't a lot of sun. Like here is Phoenix it's already 85 and sunny and I'd probably skip the Vitamin D.
Most prefer the 1 drop Vitamin D, like Carlsons, because it's one drop and not full of artificial flavorings and sugars. read the ingredient list of any you think about buying and contemplate whether it's too much artificial stuff for a teeny baby.
if you're supplementing with formula (around 6oz/day) and live in a sunny climate, is this necessary?
Unless baby is getting more than half their food from formula I believe most drs would still say to give the vitamin D. Sunny climate would be your call, but ask your dr what they think.
Post by lilyelayne on Mar 23, 2015 14:17:42 GMT -5
cougarette I hope someone more experienced jumps in but here's my two cents.
Pumping - I've read it's good to pump in the morning because your supply is highest then, but I think as long as you are consistent with the time of day you are pumping you will teach your body that you need milk then.
Spit up / burping - I used to watch and when DS had switched from quick sucks to long deep swallows, I'd break his latch and burp him (~2 min after latch). After he burped I'd let him latch and go as long as he'd like. I don't do that anymore. Now I nurse until he stops & burp him then. I get pretty much the same amount of spit up now as when I stopped him mid-feed. I don't burp MOTN, but I do let him either lay across my tummy or put him up on my chest for ~10 minutes before I lay him down in the PNP. He's got a decent amount of spit up and it's not always immediately after eating, but no pain + good weight gain / diapers means I try not to stress about it. As far as other people holding him when he's spitty, I always give a burp rag and a warning as I hand him off (unless it's DH who doesn't need the warning) I don't know how long I try to burp before I give up. Baby 411 says anything after 10 minutes is unnecessary, but I doubt I last that long! I try longer & more earnestly if I hear his tummy gurgling. If he doesn't burp, I try to put him in a few positions (across lap, on shoulder, sitting up) before I lay him down in anything that would be a pain to clean up if he spit up everywhere.
If I see milk coming out of his mouth as he's nursing, especially at the corner or anywhere on the top lip, I unlatch and try again. I figure if milk is getting out, air is getting in.
Lipstick nipple - not sure about this one. Sometimes my inverted nipple looks a little lopsided after a feed, but it doesn't hurt and immediately rounds out again, and I'm just so grateful he can latch on that side at all that I don't worry about it! I can definitely tell when he has a bad latch that results in lipstick nipple; it's painful. Mouth wide & lips flanged are good; is his chin pressing into your breast? If DS is having a hard time getting a good latch (I tell him he has to take a big bite - my mother says I should change that wording haha) I try to 'roll' my breast into his mouth so he gets mostly boob first and the nipple last. I refuse to let him latch with a half open mouth, ever, at all. Sometimes I allow a bad latch on my inverted nipple at first, especially when my breast is really full, but he's got to open wide even if he fails at getting a mouthful.
Is there a LLL chapter in your area? If things are going well enough you don't feel the need to make an appointment with a LC but you still want another pair of eyes on your latch to make sure it's okay, LLL should be a good resource for that.
How old is your baby? Almost 4 weeks. Can't believe he'll be a month old on Wednesday!
Are you nursing, pumping, supplementing? Nursing and pumping.
Have you survived any growth spurts? Learn anything? The 10 day spurt was brutal. I think we dealt with the 3 week one recently too. It seems he's being a little more cranky and fussy these days. It's not after eating or really any kind of pattern, just general fussiness. It's hard to know if I should try to feed him, give him a pacifier, rocking, singing, etc. I guess that'll just come with time.
Questions? So many!
1. We started giving DS a bottle on Saturday. How much should we be preparing? We've done 3 oz so far on Saturday and Sunday, but he seemed to want a little more when he finishes.
Because of an over supply issue I only nurse one side at a time - should I only pump the one side that's "due" or should I go ahead and pump both sides while he takes the bottle?
Also, I've been pumping a little after his morning feed, but I wonder if that's the best time. I was reading on a thread somewhere that prolactin is highest in the evening, so maybe I should switch and pump after a MOTN feeding. The problem with that is I can't maintain that schedule when I go back to work. We're giving him a bottle as his evening feed so I am pumping around 9-10ish already.
2. I feel like I keep talking about burping and spit up, but seriously - how to control it?
I know spit up is normal, and he's gaining weight from what I can tell, he isn't in pain, the volume isn't a lot, but it seems to be after every feeding. It's not always right away either, and I feel bad if I hand him off for someone to hold him and then he lets loose. I try everything except keeping the meals shorter or stopping him more frequently - which is where my question comes in.
I don't think I have an OALD, but it can come out pretty fast. Should I stop him after a set amount of time to try and burp? If so, how long? Or should I wait for him to slow down some? Then when I do stop to burp, how long do I try to burp? He doesn't always burp for me but I'm sure he needs to.
Just how long should I keep him upright after eating? I usually hold him up for about 20-30 minutes, but then after I lay him down in the PNP he'll spit up. Not every single time and not right away, but frequently enough. This is hard to do in the MOTN too when I just want to get back in bed.
3. We talked about the lipstick nipple the other day. I still see that after feedings. It's not too bad (not pinched) and it doesn't hurt while he's eating. His mouth appears to be wide and his lips are flanged out - how do I make sure he's getting a deeper latch? Or is it likely fine because it does round back out quickly after he lets go. I just want to make sure he's eating effectively.
GTKY: what's your favorite vacation you've taken? This is tough. Our honeymoon was great! It was an 11-night cruise to the eastern caribbean. We visited 5 islands and had 5 days at sea - so relaxing!
However, a couple of years ago we went to California and that was amazing! We spent a couple of days in Napa and Sonoma then drove down the Pacific Coast Highway and ended up near San Diego for a few days. My BIL was stationed at Camp Pendleton so we spent time with my sister and the kids.
While we drove down we stopped in Paso Robles and loved the wineries there! That was our favorite stop and we wish we spent more time there. We enjoyed Napa, but it was actually our least favorite. Sonoma was a lot better and more laid back. We also stayed at the Windmill hotel (which is actually a Days Inn) and ate at The Hitching Post, for any Sideways fans! Sadly we didn't visit any of the wineries around there. Next time!
I would probaby just pump both sides when you pump, because that will be what you do when you return to work. I would pump both sides right after the first morning feed, prolactin is high then and supply is usually high. I wouldn't pump motn cause um, sleep! Just expect the side he just ate from will yield a smaller amt of milk but more hindmilk.
If you are dealing with oversupply don't pump more than about once a day for now. oversupply often comes with over active let down, there is a lot of milk andit sprays out fast. this causes baby to gulp and take in more air. you can try burping about half way thru, or if you hear the gulping start stop and let milk go into a towel or cup, burp at that time and then relatch. also try positions where baby's head is higher than the breast may help with gulping air and then spitting up.
some babies if you pat too hard to burp they spit up more. some it's when you throw them over your shoulder, the pressure on their stomach makes them let loose. some burp better sitting up ad pat their back from bum up toward neck sort ofmoving the air bubbles along. one of mine would only burp if I laid them down for a minute and then sat them up and pat on the back and they'd burp like a guy who chugged a beer and if they didn't do that they'd spew everywhere. it took trial and error to see what worked best. Nighttime burping may not beas necessary if you are side lying nursing the flow may be lower and less air taken in. you'll have to play with it and see. there is not just one answer here.
Thanks! So would it be better to pump in the morning or in the evening while he gets the bottle?
Post by cougarette on Mar 23, 2015 14:36:36 GMT -5
Thanks, lilyelayne! Yes, his chin is on my breast and his nose is usually up and off, depending on how full I am at the time!
Good thinking about the milk coming out, I did notice that this morning so I'll need to keep an eye on it and re-latch.
I also need to get better about getting the dang pillows situated too. He starts to get impatient as I get myself all situated. I'm sure that leads to gulping in air as we're trying to latch. It's hard because he's acting mad so he'll start with the hands in the way and turning his face up, so it can be hard to wait for him to open his mouth nice and wide.
I think we do have a LLL chapter here. Now that I think about it there was a whole sheet of resources the hospital gave us - I'll need to find it! I think it would be good to even go and get other perspectives too (kind of like here, but where others can see).
I guess for the spit up I'll need to accept that it's just how it is. I guess I'm extra concerned today since he projectile spit up this morning. The pedi wasn't worried since he wasn't distressed or fussy before, during, or after. His diapers are all good and normal, too.
I think I do need to stop him to burp, though. I'll try to notice when he starts gulping. I also haven't tried side lying yet; I'm not sure if I'm coordinated enough, haha. But we did work a little more on the laid back position and that seemed to be working ok.
Post by lilyelayne on Mar 23, 2015 14:41:46 GMT -5
cougarette I use the boppy breastfeeding pillow (Boppy Nursing Pillow, Thimbleberry www.amazon.com/dp/B00AH8F5G4/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_XUgevb0H7ZC46 ) which is different than the normal boppy - it has a firmer side and a softer side - it's seriously been a life saver. I could do the same thing with regular pillows probably, but this is fast with easily reproducible results.
Football hold is the best for keeping his hands contained if I don't want to swaddle. Of course DS has decided he'll only take my inverted nipple in cross cradle, but hey, worth a try.
Post by cougarette on Mar 23, 2015 14:55:28 GMT -5
I used to be pretty good at football, but for some reason it seems like I'm scrunching his belly too much. I figure with the spit up stuff I should stop using that one. It's like there's not enough room behind me or something.
Another reason to go to one of those lactation groups!
Post by cougarette on Mar 23, 2015 14:57:33 GMT -5
Oh and I use the Snoogle Mini as my main pillow. I should be able to use it as a nursing pillow, but I can't seem to get it snug against me. I spend so much time adjusting it to fit. I may need to check out the boppies!
Are you nursing, pumping, supplementing? Only nursing ATM.
Have you survived any growth spurts? Learn anything? No growth spurts yet, but today I learned that when DD nurses, lets go and cries, and then latches again it's because she is wet and needs her diaper changed. Every day is a new challenge...
Questions? Probably millions, but I can't think of a single one right now. Re: Vitamin D, we are using it, although I am really bad at remembering to give them to her. Trying to get better though!
GTKY: what's your favorite vacation you've taken? I was going to say our honeymoon to Hawaii, but then I remembered our trip to Fiji, which were the first time DH and I said "I love you". So I'm gonna go with Fiji!
I would probaby just pump both sides when you pump, because that will be what you do when you return to work. I would pump both sides right after the first morning feed, prolactin is high then and supply is usually high. I wouldn't pump motn cause um, sleep! Just expect the side he just ate from will yield a smaller amt of milk but more hindmilk.
If you are dealing with oversupply don't pump more than about once a day for now. oversupply often comes with over active let down, there is a lot of milk andit sprays out fast. this causes baby to gulp and take in more air. you can try burping about half way thru, or if you hear the gulping start stop and let milk go into a towel or cup, burp at that time and then relatch. also try positions where baby's head is higher than the breast may help with gulping air and then spitting up.
some babies if you pat too hard to burp they spit up more. some it's when you throw them over your shoulder, the pressure on their stomach makes them let loose. some burp better sitting up ad pat their back from bum up toward neck sort ofmoving the air bubbles along. one of mine would only burp if I laid them down for a minute and then sat them up and pat on the back and they'd burp like a guy who chugged a beer and if they didn't do that they'd spew everywhere. it took trial and error to see what worked best. Nighttime burping may not beas necessary if you are side lying nursing the flow may be lower and less air taken in. you'll have to play with it and see. there is not just one answer here.
Thanks! So would it be better to pump in the morning or in the evening while he gets the bottle?
Both. You pump in the morning to build your stash. If you ever give a bottle, you ALSO pump when the bottle is given or as close as possible so your supply doesn't go down.
A normal feeding is about 2.5-3 oz. Make sure you are using a slow flow bottle nipple, no milk should come out when you hold the bottle upside down. sit baby more upright, tilt bottle down so they have to work to get milk and it isn't just gravity fed. burp every 1/2 oz, and switch sides you hold them on like you switch sides when nursing(or most people do). a bottle should take about 20 minutes to give.
You figure bottle size in a couple ways, cause a breastfed baby when they first start taking a bottle may eat whatever is in the bottle, and seem to want more just because the flow is easier, and it's a new thing. they have to learn to hold their tongue in a bit different place with a bottle, and if they like to nurse, they may want to eat longer at the bottle just to get the sucking satisfaction. that's where you may find slowing down bottle feeds and offering a pacifier for more sucking will help keep their intake in a normal range. while it seems like a good idea to always just feed them until they stop taking in milk, some babies really will just eat til they explode--and if you can't pump enough for a feeding, overfeeding with a bottle may complicate pumping plans as you struggle to keep up.
You you figure a bfed baby takes in about 25 oz a day at the breast (range is 19-30 oz). avg is 1 oz per hour since last feed. also take 25 oz and divide it by the avg number of feeds in an avg day. so 2.5-3 oz every 2.5-3 hours for 8-10 feeds a day is a good range, but it can be slightly higher or lower depending on time of day and frequency of nursing and such.
I just thought of a question! @amyg or anyone else who has insight: The "my boob is a fountain" thing that just shoots milk into her mouth, does that stop? Is there anything I can do to help it or do I just need to wait for my supply to regulate?
I just thought of a question! @amyg or anyone else who has insight: The "my boob is a fountain" thing that just shoots milk into her mouth, does that stop? Is there anything I can do to help it or do I just need to wait for my supply to regulate?
This is a strong let down, or overactive let down. usually comes with high supply. try pulling her off when the spray is so strong, let the excess go into a towel or cup and the relatch when it slows so she doesn't gulp and take in a lot of milk fast with a lot of air and then spit up.
Also try nursing with her head higher than the breast, football hold with her sitting more upright, laid back nursing--latch on and then lay backwards quite a bit so she's sort of on top of the breast, or side lying. this keeps gravity from speeding the flow of the milk.
try making sure she nurses all she wants on the first side before offering the 2nd side as dessert. You may even want to nurse only on one side, kind of ignoring the other side so it gets the signal to lower supply just a bit. we are mammals and no other mammal switches sides at all. for some, switching sides means you make enough milk for twins and then you get way too much milk, which often comes with forceful sprays, upset cranky baby, fussy, gassy and you may end up with green poopies.
Thanks! So would it be better to pump in the morning or in the evening while he gets the bottle?
Both. You pump in the morning to build your stash. If you ever give a bottle, you ALSO pump when the bottle is given or as close as possible so your supply doesn't go down.
A normal feeding is about 2.5-3 oz. Make sure you are using a slow flow bottle nipple, no milk should come out when you hold the bottle upside down. sit baby more upright, tilt bottle down so they have to work to get milk and it isn't just gravity fed. burp every 1/2 oz, and switch sides you hold them on like you switch sides when nursing(or most people do). a bottle should take about 20 minutes to give.
You figure bottle size in a couple ways, cause a breastfed baby when they first start taking a bottle may eat whatever is in the bottle, and seem to want more just because the flow is easier, and it's a new thing. they have to learn to hold their tongue in a bit different place with a bottle, and if they like to nurse, they may want to eat longer at the bottle just to get the sucking satisfaction. that's where you may find slowing down bottle feeds and offering a pacifier for more sucking will help keep their intake in a normal range. while it seems like a good idea to always just feed them until they stop taking in milk, some babies really will just eat til they explode--and if you can't pump enough for a feeding, overfeeding with a bottle may complicate pumping plans as you struggle to keep up.
You you figure a bfed baby takes in about 25 oz a day at the breast (range is 19-30 oz). avg is 1 oz per hour since last feed. also take 25 oz and divide it by the avg number of feeds in an avg day. so 2.5-3 oz every 2.5-3 hours for 8-10 feeds a day is a good range, but it can be slightly higher or lower depending on time of day and frequency of nursing and such.
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