The Hungry Thing - AKA the feeding thread

[FunniBunni]

Shields: My LC gave me one. I absolutely could not BF without one due to pain on my part, and frustration on hers. (Holy nipple confusion, Batman!)

From my journal: "I had an exciting morning! Despite working with my LC, we've been unable to wean from the nipple shield. Today, I took J to his counseling appt- and Baby declares she's hungry. Guess where the shield was? At home, across town! So, we tried to nurse, and she latched 1st time with ZERO problems. Then at my LC appt today, latched again. Mild state of (thrilled) shock. 3 weeks, 5 days and we're FINALLY breastfeeding with no aids!!!"

They can be a pain to wean, but if you need them, you need them!

Boppy: Greatest thing ever. Love mine, and had one for all my kids. (Super glad they have covers now!) It's going to the hospital with me. I just washed it on delicate (separate from the cover) without a tennis ball/shoe. Looks/feels great.

[SheilaTheTank]

Mar 18, 2016 3:49:05 GMT -5 FunniBunni said:

Shields: My LC gave me one. I absolutely could not BF without one due to pain on my part, and frustration on hers. (Holy nipple confusion, Batman!)

From my journal: "I had an exciting morning! Despite working with my LC, we've been unable to wean from the nipple shield. Today, I took J to his counseling appt- and Baby declares she's hungry. Guess where the shield was? At home, across town! So, we tried to nurse, and she latched 1st time with ZERO problems. Then at my LC appt today, latched again. Mild state of (thrilled) shock. 3 weeks, 5 days and we're FINALLY breastfeeding with no aids!!!"

They can be a pain to wean, but if you need them, you need them!

Boppy: Greatest thing ever. Love mine, and had one for all my kids. (Super glad they have covers now!) It's going to the hospital with me. I just washed it on delicate (separate from the cover) without a tennis ball/shoe. Looks/feels great.

When the hell do you have the time to keep a journal? Like seriously are you super woman?

[carissa325]

How long should they be spending on each side? It feels like she should be nursing longer but I can tell she's getting full so maybe not?

[jewel441]

Mar 18, 2016 16:32:26 GMT -5 carissa325 said:

How long should they be spending on each side? It feels like she should be nursing longer but I can tell she's getting full so maybe not?

At first when my milk came in she was only eating for 10-15 min and only one side. Now at 2 weeks she is eating more like 25-30 min and takes both sides at a good number of feeds. As long as she seems satisfied, is gaining, etc I don't think there is a right answer.

[carissa325]

Mar 18, 2016 16:54:06 GMT -5 jewel441 said:

Mar 18, 2016 16:32:26 GMT -5 carissa325 said:

How long should they be spending on each side? It feels like she should be nursing longer but I can tell she's getting full so maybe not?

At first when my milk came in she was only eating for 10-15 min and only one side. Now at 2 weeks she is eating more like 25-30 min and takes both sides at a good number of feeds. As long as she seems satisfied, is gaining, etc I don't think there is a right answer.

Ok, sounds like she's on a good track then. My son never latched so having a baby that actually eats and breastfeeds successfully is a whole new experience.

[sunshineshades]

Mar 18, 2016 16:32:26 GMT -5 carissa325 said:

How long should they be spending on each side? It feels like she should be nursing longer but I can tell she's getting full so maybe not?

When dd was brand new my mw told me to cut her off after 20 minutes a side because she was a lazy eater. Really though keep a close eye on is she swallowing or just sucking.
Some babies are really efficient at nursing and emptying the breast so she's probably good!

[adorebel]

carissa325, my DD eats in really short spurts: 7-12 minutes per feeding, usually just one side (and turns down the other when offered). I also still have to wake her to eat about a third of her feedings day and night.

And yet by day 16, she had gained 15 oz over birth weight and 22 oz total!

[rosetyler72]

So I'm confused about introducing a bottle. How do I do it without screwing with my supply? I've been pumping after our morning feed and have enough for one meal I think.

[SheilaTheTank]

Mar 18, 2016 20:53:47 GMT -5 rosetyler72 said:

So I'm confused about introducing a bottle. How do I do it without screwing with my supply? I've been pumping after our morning feed and have enough for one meal I think.

I get the most out first thing in the morning, Usually close to 6oz. MH uses this to give her her last bottle of the night and we usually have some leftover. I pump at night while he is feeding her and that goes to her first bottle in the morning. I breastfeed during the day and MOTN other than the first and last feed.

Does that make any sense lol.

[rosetyler72]

SheilaTheTank so every time we give a bottle I need to pump at the same time?

[zombiesquad]

Mar 18, 2016 20:53:47 GMT -5 rosetyler72 said:

So I'm confused about introducing a bottle. How do I do it without screwing with my supply? I've been pumping after our morning feed and have enough for one meal I think.

I pump around the same time a bottle is being given. For now, we're only doing one bottle a night. H gives it to him and I leave the room and pump.

[SheilaTheTank]

Mar 18, 2016 21:38:18 GMT -5 rosetyler72 said:

SheilaTheTank so every time we give a bottle I need to pump at the same time?

Pretty much or at least around that time. If your off by an hour I dont think it would be a huge problem.

I have to admit though I have the most fucked up feed and pump schedule. Like I pump when I feel I need to and some days not at all.

[FunniBunni]

Mar 18, 2016 10:08:58 GMT -5 SheilaTheTank said:

Mar 18, 2016 3:49:05 GMT -5 FunniBunni said:

Shields: My LC gave me one. I absolutely could not BF without one due to pain on my part, and frustration on hers. (Holy nipple confusion, Batman!)

From my journal: "I had an exciting morning! Despite working with my LC, we've been unable to wean from the nipple shield. Today, I took J to his counseling appt- and Baby declares she's hungry. Guess where the shield was? At home, across town! So, we tried to nurse, and she latched 1st time with ZERO problems. Then at my LC appt today, latched again. Mild state of (thrilled) shock. 3 weeks, 5 days and we're FINALLY breastfeeding with no aids!!!"

They can be a pain to wean, but if you need them, you need them!

Boppy: Greatest thing ever. Love mine, and had one for all my kids. (Super glad they have covers now!) It's going to the hospital with me. I just washed it on delicate (separate from the cover) without a tennis ball/shoe. Looks/feels great.

When the hell do you have the time to keep a journal? Like seriously are you super woman?

Lol! I have the livejournal app on my phone. So nursing time is a good time to write. It's cathartic for me. Plus, I love looking back. I started keeping it during my 3rd pregnancy... in 2004. Lol

I used to nurse for 15 min a side.

Last time with DD2, I only nursed on one side per feed. She seemed to prefer it that way.

[megrae12]

Somehow I the last 12 hours, Superman turned into a bottomless pit. My poor nipples. Also, he only slept for 3 hours total last night! How much coffee can I drink again? I need all the coffee!!

[SheilaTheTank]

Mar 19, 2016 12:05:34 GMT -5 megrae12 said:

Somehow I the last 12 hours, Superman turned into a bottomless pit. My poor nipples. Also, he only slept for 3 hours total last night! How much coffee can I drink again? I need all the coffee!!

How old is he?

[rachelilly23]

In the first couple days, I was offering both sides and she would nurse for about 15 minutes per side. Now she only takes one side and is usually done after 15-20 minutes. This is how I fed my boys and it's nice since my nipples get more of a break and they get more hind milk.

[megrae12]

Mar 19, 2016 12:59:44 GMT -5 SheilaTheTank said:

Mar 19, 2016 12:05:34 GMT -5 megrae12 said:

Somehow I the last 12 hours, Superman turned into a bottomless pit. My poor nipples. Also, he only slept for 3 hours total last night! How much coffee can I drink again? I need all the coffee!!

How old is he?

He's in that 3 week growth spurt. He will be a month old on Wednesday. Where did the time go?

[SheilaTheTank]

Mar 19, 2016 15:20:36 GMT -5 megrae12 said:

Mar 19, 2016 12:59:44 GMT -5 SheilaTheTank said:

How old is he?

He's in that 3 week growth spurt. He will be a month old on Wednesday. Where did the time go?

This was K on Monday and was when she was waking up every 45 minutes. It sucked. I feel your pain.

[iwubrory]

Both of my kiddos settled on 10 minutes or less, only on one side most of the time. When they were newborns there'd be much longer sessions and I'd offer both sides.

I wish I could journal like I did when I was younger. Last year I bought myself one of those one line a day type journals and haven’t even managed a single entry.

[SheilaTheTank]

How wide my child opens her mouth directly correlates with how much she can move her hands. At night in the sack it means negative on both fronts. I HATE nursing at night. Im going to take a video next time I nurse to show the LC what she does and that im not crazy.

[megrae12]

My kid is much lazier at night too. He's also twice as impatient.

[Deleted]

Mar 20, 2016 1:56:15 GMT -5 SheilaTheTank said:

How wide my child opens her mouth directly correlates with how much she can move her hands. At night in the sack it means negative on both fronts. I HATE nursing at night. Im going to take a video next time I nurse to show the LC what she does and that im not crazy.

We get him naked down to diaper for nearly every feed - keeps him more awake.

[rosetyler72]

Mar 20, 2016 2:23:26 GMT -5 megrae12 said:

My kid is much lazier at night too. He's also twice as impatient.

+2 on this. He refuses to open wide at night. During the day his latch is improving though.

[SheilaTheTank]

It has nothing to do with being tired or lazy. I think she's so hungry at that point that she doesn't open wide and instead does pacman mouth. She can't calm down enough to open all the way.

[megrae12]

Mar 20, 2016 7:58:09 GMT -5 SheilaTheTank said:

It has nothing to do with being tired or lazy. I think she's so hungry at that point that she doesn't open wide and instead does pacman mouth. She can't calm down enough to open all the way.

I get that too. Thanks to that, my nipples feel like they are on fire. But, he is actively feeding longer than he ever has, I will take the small victory!

[rachelilly23]

I think I might be in beginning stages of mastitis. Wtf.

My boobs are lumpy and veiny. This isn't good, right? My nipples feel decent but my whole boob hurts or both sides.

I had mastitis once before and they looked a lot worse, but what I'm feeling is similar to how it felt when I had it before.

[Deleted]

Mar 20, 2016 7:58:09 GMT -5 SheilaTheTank said:

It has nothing to do with being tired or lazy. I think she's so hungry at that point that she doesn't open wide and instead does pacman mouth. She can't calm down enough to open all the way.

Baby Pacman Keira!!

[SheilaTheTank]

Mar 20, 2016 12:49:06 GMT -5 rachelilly23 said:

I think I might be in beginning stages of mastitis. Wtf.

My boobs are lumpy and veiny. This isn't good, right? My nipples feel decent but my whole boob hurts or both sides.

I had mastitis once before and they looked a lot worse, but what I'm feeling is similar to how it felt when I had it before.

Could it be clogged ducts? Can you try a hot shower and warm compress?

[SheilaTheTank]

Anyone else's baby squeal and scrunch up when feeding? Could it be gas? She delatches a lot and I don't know its because of my forceful letdown or if its the opposite.

[megrae12]

Mar 20, 2016 13:05:42 GMT -5 SheilaTheTank said:

Anyone else's baby squeal and scrunch up when feeding? Could it be gas? She delatches a lot and I don't know its because of my forceful letdown or if its the opposite.

It's prolly gas. W does this and once he either burps or farts he goes back to nursing.