Thirsty Thursday 7/16

[dogmama22]

BF check-in

How old is LO?
Do you feel like you're dealing with a growth spurt right now?
What's going well/ what's your favorite thing about BFing?
Any questions or concerns?
Do you have any short-term or long-term BF goals?

For your entertainment...

[megeliz1]

LO is a month today
No, although she was up hourly for a while last night.
it's going pretty well but I absolutely hate BFing this baby. I never felt this way with DD1.
My goals are monthly milestones. I'm happy to have made it a month and my next goal is to 2 months.

[wormgerm]

4w3d

He's sleeping in short bursts and as of motn last night only on my chest. His head and face look bigger so I'm thinking this baby is busy growing right now.

As far as what's going well he is certainly growing and having enough wet and dirty diapers. Pretty cool that he has been sustained for a whole month solely on my milk. My favorite thing is when he has a good latch and we are both just totally relaxed.

My nipples are pink and sore. I think it's just from friction from his latch. Any tips for getting him to open his mouth wide? He either lunges on with a small mouth or opens nice and wide but with a hand in front of his mouth. It's so frustrating.

Eta goals: I would like to do a year and reassess.

[billyhorrible]

How old is LO? 5 weeks, 2 days

Do you feel like you're dealing with a growth spurt right now? no

What's going well/ what's your favorite thing about BFing? it's portable. I never have to worry about "bringing enough" with me. I can go anywhere for any length of time, and when he's hungry, I've got it covered.

Do you have any short-term or long-term BF goals? I'd like to make it at least a year again. Last time I went longer, because a year put me right at the start of flu season. That isn't the case with a June baby, so beyond a year, I'm going to play it by ear.

[dogmama22]

5 weeks 2 days as well
Not really. He's eating for a bit longer than normal, but he lost weight last week so I think he's trying to catch back up
I like that he's been making eye contact with me and usually if he falls asleep and falls off, he smiles.
No questions for now
I'm trying to take this day by day, but I really would like to nurse a year or more.

[dogmama22]

Also, forgive the typo in the above meme. I just noticed that.

[bendherova]

LO is 2w4d.

re: growth spurt: Let's see... I took him to the pediatrician yesterday who confirmed he has thrush. I didn't think we'd had a growth spurt, but, Babe gained 1.5lbs in 7 days. What in the heck?!?! (nursing every 2-3h in daytime and every 4 at night)

fave thing-- snuggles

questions-- those who've dealt with thrush, did your baby become fussier/gassier/different at the beginning of treatment? Did it abate? How long until you saw improvement in symptoms?
He's on oral fluconazole (sp) and I have nystatin cream for my nipples.

Goals: I BFed DS1 until 15 mo. I'd like to duplicate that.

[jessila]

He's 3w1d.

I think we're at the tail end of one. Monday he was eating every 45 minutes all day long. Tuesday was more like every hour. Yesterday was closer to every hour and a half or two hours. Last night we actually got in two 3 hour stretches which was nice after 4 nights of two hours max.

He seems to be getting better at eating and latches more quickly. I've just felt like a cow the last few days so I hope he slows down a little so I can feel more human.

Since birth he's only ever eaten from one side. During his first MOTN feeding last night he ate from both and proceeded to do so every time he was up. Is that a normal thing to happen?

As for goals - I'm hoping I can start pumping between now and next week so someone else can feed him. Plus I want to make sure I have a good stockpile when I go back to work.

[erbear]

LO is 4 weeks + 3 days.

she has to be in a growth spurt. We went through periods in the past week where she was nursing every hour & taking her off, even if she fell asleep, led to hysterics. She's been taking two pumped bottles a day to supplement, too. We're 98% off the nipple shield - I only have used it to give my nipples a break twice.

She's been nursing so much that my nipples hurt SO much, especially against clothes. Aside from nipple butter, any other ideas for relief?

My goal is to get to another month BFing. Our first month was rough, but I think we've got the mechanics down now!

[dogmama22]

megeliz1 so sorry you're hating it. I hope it improves for you as she gets a little older.
wormgerm no tips, but my little guy seems to like to put his hands in front of his mouth as he's trying to latch too. It's definitely frustrating.
billyhorrible 100% agree with it being portable. I'm an over-packer so I feel like I would be bringing a week's worth of heavy formula everywhere we go.
@babybean9 glad to hear things seem to be improving for you. Those smiles are priceless!
bendherova I hope the thrush clears very quickly for you
jessila sounds like he may still be trying to up your supply from the 3 week growth spurt by taking both sides, but I'm no expert

[dogmama22]

erbear warm wet washcloths may help. Rub them with breast milk and leave them bare as much as possible.

[mrskblack11]

6weeks 1day

He started cluster feeding again last night so we might be heading into a growth spurt.

Things are great. I love our SL feedings at night. It's a great bonding experience.

Long term goal would be to breastfeed for a year.

[mirage86]

6w2d
I think we are coming down from the 6 week growth spurt. I've been holding him almost constantly for the last few days, feeding every hour or more often during the day and every 2-3 at night. E really isn't a fussy baby but he has been for this. I can tell this spurt has been hard on him, too.
BF has been great, even with E feeding more frequently. He's getting huge and it's crazy to think that my body is supplying the nutrition that he needs right now.
I don't have any concerns, but I thought I'd share this article one of my FB friends posted. I haven't had any concerns thus far about a low supply, and most of these points have been made in prev BFing threads, but there were still a few things mentioned that I was glad to take note of. www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com/twitter-and-blog/low-milk-supply-101
I'm planning on BFing for a year as long as it keeps working so well.

[veggiemo]

How old is LO? 1 month 5 days

Do you feel like you're dealing with a growth spurt right now? Never really have. Some days I can tell he eats more than others, but nothing too crazy.

What's going well/ what's your favorite thing about BFing? Not having to prepare a bottle in the MOTN!

Any questions or concerns? I felt like when I quit breastfeeding with DS1 I lost a ton of weight immediately after. Any other moms who have been through this have a similar experience? Maybe breastfeeding made me eat more? My body kept the weight on to support the baby? Just curious.

Do you have any short-term or long-term BF goals? I would like to make it to a year this time and avoid formula all together. With DS1 I had to introduce formula at 5 months and was totally done at 6. Short term goal is just to keep up with my daily pumping and not skipping sessions.

[tulips114]

5w5d today (wut?!?! Where is the time going)

I thought maybe we were going into a growth spurt at the beginning of the week, there was one day he was eating more like every 2 hours than every 3 and eating for longer, but it was just one day. The next day he slept all day. Now seems to be back to normal. Not sure if that was a growth spurt or just a fluke.

I must agree with billyhorrible the portability of BFing is awesome.

We're dealing with thrush right now. What's the consensus about pumped milk? I have 36 oz frozen from when I'm sure I had thrush and another 36 oz that is from the week before that is questionable (because I had symptoms, but then they stopped so I didn't call, then they came back). We won't be able to use it all before treatment is over and I really don't want to toss it. Also should I stop pumping for now until we're done with treatment?
Another question, he's only gotten 2 bottles so far, of pumped milk. He took 2.5 oz each time. Does that mean that's about what he gets from me when he nurses?
Is it possible to over feed an EBF baby? He's gaining almost 2oz per day.

Long term goal is to make it to a year and hopefully have some stash in my freezer so he has breast milk a little longer.

ETA - kinda random. I hate my left boob. I had mastitis on that side twice while BFing DD1, I have thrush only on that side, I have already had a plugged duct on that side, even my babies seem to like the right better.

[tulips114]

veggiemo yes I think some women hold on to weight while breastfeeding, I have a cousin like that. If she tried to lose weight her supply tanked. Others lose weight while BFing since is uses all the calories. Everyone is different.

[billyhorrible]

bendherova - LBB got thrush a couple times, expressed as a diaper rash and it definitely made him fussier because he was uncomfortable, especially when he went to the bathroom. I don't know if it's similar without the rash.

veggiemo - I didn't have that benefit when I stopped breastfeeding, but I know plenty of people who did. The theory is that your body holds on to some fat stores to make sure you have them for milk production.

[billyhorrible]

tulips114 - it's not possible to overfeed a breastfed baby at the breast. It is totally possible (and unfortunately very common and a reason many women have to give up breastfeeding) to overfeed when giving a bottle.

I don't know for sure if 2.5oz from a bottle = 2.5 oz from breast, but that's what BH is taking right now too!

[dogmama22]

Joolschweets I also get the feeling sometimes that my kid just sees me as food. It's not true because he also calms immediately just by me holding him, but I still feel that way sometimes.
mrskblack11 I'm glad to see you popping back in here and there. I miss your gif skills!
mirage86 it is so neat to think that our bodies are able to help our babies grow
veggiemo whenever I start thinking that formula might be easier, I always think about making a bottle MOTN and quickly reconsider
tulips114 I know I read a thread somewhere recently (may not have been this board) that said not to use milk that was pumped when you have thrush. I would say try to use as much as you can, but then you would just have to pump more that can't be used. I think maybe if you boil it before freezing it can be used, but I'm not 100% on that. Kellymom.com probably has more definitive info about that.
It's not possible to over-nurse an EBF baby, but they can be over-fed from a bottle.

[wormgerm]

He just handled my very full left boob like a champ! That's my bigger firmer more productive boob that he gets sprayed with frequently. A solid 24 minutes, no pulling off.

[tulips114]

Ok, well he's only gotten 2 bottles in his life so far, otherwise he's eaten totally from the breast, so I guess he's just a big boy!

I'll check kellymom for the thrush-milk issue. But yea, if I feed him the frozen milk now I'll still have to pump, and I over produce so I'll pump even more than he takes and I'll be in the same boat either way. I guess I will just stop pumping until we're over it and see what to do about the milk I already have.

[carolyngrace]

Jul 16, 2015 7:14:12 GMT -5 @babybean9 said:

Jul 16, 2015 6:47:54 GMT -5 wormgerm said:

4w2d

He's sleeping in short bursts and as of motn last night only on my chest. His head and face look bigger so I'm thinking this baby is busy growing right now.

As far as what's going well he is certainly growing and having enough wet and dirty diapers. Pretty cool that he has been sustained for a whole month solely on my milk. My favorite thing is when he has a good latch and we are both just totally relaxed.

My nipples are pink and sore. I think it's just from friction from his latch. Any tips for getting him to open his mouth wide? He either lunges on with a small mouth or opens nice and wide but with a hand in front of his mouth. It's so frustrating.

Eta goals: I would like to do a year and reassess.

I swaddled my guy for the first while since his hands were in the way. Also, I sometimes used to just take a smaller mouth and then just push on his chin to get him to open more. Not ideal but it worked. Ny nipples are pink and sore (but much less sore than before!) but I think it's from him being on the boob so much. Because it's hurting less I am just waiting it out.

I second the swaddle for the hands issue. My DB does the same thing.

To get a nice open mouth I make sure his head is tilted back then pinch my nipple flat and rub it on the tip of his nose. He usually opens wide to grab it and I put it in as far as possible.

[carolyngrace]

Things are going really well for us right now. Since DB gets full in 5-10 minutes (seriously I think he gets 3-4 oz in that time because I can get that much pumping and he's a vigorous sucker) I was taking him off the boob at that point. But I've found that if I let him comfort nurse a bit longer (and maybe he gets more hind milk too) he's much happier afterwards.

I really don't have a long term goal. I'm glad it's working well right now and will take things as they come!

[tiffbot]

How old is LO?
6 weeks today!

Do you feel like you're dealing with a growth spurt right now?
Got through one this week. She definitely grew at the end of it!

What's going well/ what's your favorite thing about BFing?
Things have been pretty smooth. She's not even a spit upper which has been a clean change from DS!
I just like BFing. It came pretty easily to both my kids (luckily, I know!), and this time around I'm more comfortable to be out in public doing it so I don't find the anticipation of outings particularly stressful which has made the newborn stage much better for me than with when learning a lot with DS.

Any questions or concerns?
Not at the moment!

Do you have any short-term or long-term BF goals?
Not really. The 6 month mark is a nice goal to make. I breastfed for 8 months with DS and it felt perfect for our life so we'll see when feels right this time.

[sugarkissed]

How old is LO? 4 weeks, 3 days.
Do you feel like you're dealing with a growth spurt right now? I feel like she's been in a growth spurt her entire life. Haha. She's growing so fast and nursing what feels like constantly.
What's going well/ what's your favorite thing about BFing? I love the cuddles and watching her stare up at me.
Any questions or concerns? Not right now!
Do you have any short-term or long-term BF goals? I'm hoping to make it to a year, or maybe longer. I went until 13 months with DD1.

[honeybunches101]

LO is 4w1d

Not sure about a growth spurt. She has been pretty fussy from about 9pm-midnight lately and wants to nurse constantly, so maybe?

I am having a ton of pain this time around and it turns out LO has a tongue tie she needs to have clipped. Has anyone had this done? I am so sad about her having to subject her to pain, ug! She is a very efficient nurser and is gaining lots of weight, but the LC said she won't be able to take a bottle or pacifier, and I am in a lot of pain.

Aside from the pain, I love nursing again. I loved it with my son, much more than I thought I would, but I got crazy bad nursing aversion when I was pregnant with this LO (DS was 2.5 by then). I was really worried I would feel the same way nursing my newborn, but it didn't happen at all and I am so glad!

[bruunk]

3 weeks 4 days

Yes! Totally dealing with a growth spurt - will eat all day and night if I let him. Sleeping in short spurts during the day and then really hard at night! We were anti baby in the bed at night, and that's gone out the window, otherwise we'd be exhausted.

I love how, now that we're getting better, N hugs me with one arm and another hand on the boob, or playing with my collar bone.

[gigi3126]

Jul 16, 2015 12:47:46 GMT -5 honeybunches101 said:

I am having a ton of pain this time around and it turns out LO has a tongue tie she needs to have clipped. Has anyone had this done? I am so sad about her having to subject her to pain, ug! She is a very efficient nurser and is gaining lots of weight, but the LC said she won't be able to take a bottle or pacifier, and I am in a lot of pain.

My LO had to get this done. I didn't have any real nursing pain when we did it, but that might be because we were still getting the hang of breastfeeding at the time and supplementing because he was constantly hungry. It was a little traumatic (mostly for me), but the pediatric ENT we went to did it really fast and then handed LO back to me to nurse. He was totally fine by the time we left the office. In fact, DH said the worst part about the appointment was when he took LO to the restroom for a diaper change and LO peed all over himself and DH! Lol!
I will say that nursing has been way better since then. I haven't had to supplement at all and LO is gaining weight like crazy.

[pghtruelove]

ow old is LO? 3 w 4 d

Do you feel like you're dealing with a growth spurt right now? I think so, about every other day she wants to nurse every hour from 8am-8pm then the next day she wants to sleep all day and all night.

What's going well/ what's your favorite thing about BFing?
I have to agree with the portability. We are out of he house constantly and I wouldn't know what to do if I had to bring more things with me. Also her poops don't make me gag like formula poops!

Any questions or concerns?
She nurses at like 11-12pm then 5-5:30am and then 8am. At the 5ish feed she doesn't want to nurse from both sides so I am pumping the other side because I'm in so much pain and it leaks everywhere. Is this what I should be doing?

Do you have any short-term or long-term BF goals?
Short term to make it through the 6 week growth spurt since I've only ever heard terrors about it. Long term I'd like to BF until she's 2.

[dogmama22]

pghtruelove if you're pumping longer than just for comfort, you're probably making it worse. Hand expressing just until you're comfortable would be the easiest way to prevent clogged ducts/ mastitis without telling your body to continue to produce so much. You can also pump just until you're comfortable, but I feel like that's a bit of a pain to drag everything out just for a few drops of milk.