lily
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be a New Orleanian wherever you are
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Post by lily on Mar 12, 2018 7:17:18 GMT -6
Welcome! Please come in and chat!
How old is LO?
How's everything going?
Questions/concerns/cute stories to share?
0-1mo: Is this your first experience BF? What's one reason why you want to BF?
1-3mo: How do nights look at your house?
If you're pumping, how is that going? When are you returning to work, or are you SAH?
GTKY: what’s a meal you love but never cook?
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Post by alwayscheese on Mar 12, 2018 8:50:16 GMT -6
I started typing a post MOTN but of coursenever finished so I'll do this.
How old is LO? 4 days
How's everything going? S is almost 4 days old and we've had good and bad nursing sessions. I think I'm getting the hang of what I'm supposed to do. He will latch "easily" about half of feedings. Then the next time he'll have his mouth on the boob but won't close it and suck. Then gets screaming mad because he doesn't get anything. He'll suck on my finger to settle him down but gets mad if I try to stick my boob in then. Because of bilirubin levels and me losing blood at birth they've had me pumping so we give that in a syringe beside the finger to supplement or the times we've spent an hour and couldn't get him to latch.
Questions/concerns/cute stories to share? See above. I'm gonna call the lactation consultant this morn, but if anyone had suggestions/ideas, throw them at me. My SIL suggested corn syrup on the nipple so I'll pry try that.
0-1mo: Is this your first experience BF? Yes What's one reason why you want to BF? Health benefits for me and him
If you're pumping, how is that going? Well,I think? Finally got a pumping bra, phew! When are you returning to work, or are you SAH? SAH
GTKY: what’s a meal you love but never cook? Carne asada(for tacos) like dad made in California. I have the steak for it in my freezer, but doubt that'll happen anytime soon lol
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lily
Gold
be a New Orleanian wherever you are
Posts: 918 Likes: 2,277
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Post by lily on Mar 12, 2018 13:21:37 GMT -6
alwayscheese definitely a good idea to call a lactation consultant (IBCLC certification is the gold standard); your local La Leche League leader is a good contact to reach out to for basic latch support as well. Have you tried laid back nursing aka biological nursing/positioning? It helps both you and baby feel well supported, and gravity helps him latch and stay latched. It also activates baby’s natural rooting reflexes. Basically lean back well supported- a bed with pillows, a recliner, a couch, whatever- and put baby tummy to tummy with you so his thighs/tummy/chest are against you. Let his cheek rest somewhere on your breast. He’ll likely bob/root around- you can help him find the nipple if you want. This position also frees his hands, arms, feet.. well really his whole body to help him find the breast and orient himself for a feed. If you’re post C section and this position bothers your incision, just angle the baby across you. There are some good pics in the breastfeeding USA link below. www.lllusa.org/lie-back-and-relax-a-look-at-laid-back-breastfeeding/breastfeedingusa.org/content/article/some-ins-and-outs-laid-back-breastfeedingAs much skin to skin time as you can raises your prolactin level and gives LO easy access to nurse at his earliest hunger cues. Laid back positioning goes hand in hand with skin to skin. You can toss a light blanket over both of you if that is more comfortable.
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lily
Gold
be a New Orleanian wherever you are
Posts: 918 Likes: 2,277
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Post by lily on Mar 12, 2018 13:25:41 GMT -6
Oh, it’s the nipple hitting the roof of his mouth that tells him to suckle. So if he seems to be latching without sucking, it may be that your nipple is pointing straight into his mouth instead of at the roof. You want an offset latch- maybe start with the nipple at his nose level, then when he gapes wide he’ll get a big mouthful of breast and your nipple can roll in last, to the top of his mouth. Babies can be taught to suckle otherwise, which I only mention because I personally have inverted nipples and had to deal with newborn nursing without that stimulus, but that’s not so common or easy. This is a great video to show a latch technique called the Flipple alwayscheese
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Post by clementine on Mar 13, 2018 4:57:45 GMT -6
How old is LO? Almost 3 weeks
How's everything going? Overall, well, I’d say. There seem to be new issues every day with some resolving before I can even ask anyone for answers. L was back up to birth weight by his 2 week check up and he’s having plenty of wet and dirty diapers.
Questions/concerns/cute stories to share? Pedi said we can let him go 4 hours between feedings at night as long as we are feeding every 2-3 hours during the day. If he’s awake, I feed on demand, but he seems to be so sleepy during the day and I have to wake him up to feed, which is sometimes really tough. He’s now nursing anywhere from 8-20 min per side, depending on how quickly he falls back asleep while nursing, sometimes only taking 1 side per feeding. Is this normal? I can’t tell if he’s getting less or getting more efficient. Positioning may also be an issue. I sit with the boppy on my lap and L laying on the boppy, belly to belly. I hold my right breast with my right hand and his neck/shoulders with my left to latch. Once he’s latched, I can let go of his head and let it rest on the boppy, but I still have to hold my breast otherwise he either unlatches or it becomes uncomfortable to me because my breast is pulling away from his mouth. Does this make sense? Anyway, holding my breast for the whole feeding can get really uncomfortable and I find myself hunching over a lot, which is causing some back pain.
0-1mo Is this your first experience BF? Yes. What's one reason why you want to BF? Health benefits.
If you're pumping, how is that going? Not pumping yet. LC said to start around 4 weeks. When are you returning to work, or are you SAH? Returning to work mid-late May.
GTKY: what’s a meal you love but never cook? Uhh everything. I hate cooking!
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lily
Gold
be a New Orleanian wherever you are
Posts: 918 Likes: 2,277
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Post by lily on Mar 13, 2018 8:37:04 GMT -6
clementine there’s a lot going on in these early weeks re: baby learning to nurse and your milk supply getting settled, so nursing doesn’t necessarily have a pattern yet. As long as diaper count remains good - 5-6+ wet diapers in 24 hours and 3-4+ dirty diapers in 24 hours, though around 4-6 weeks old many EBF babies begin to poop less frequently - then baby is getting enough. Weight gain will show this as well. Once baby is at birth weight, generally you don’t need to wake to nurse, though as your doctor pointed out many women wake during the day so any longer stretches of sleep are at night. It’s also okay to offer any time you want, like if you’re uncomfortably full or want to take a shower without fretting about baby. If baby is particularly sleepy and you really need to wake to feed, a diaper change is a good place to start. I used to unswaddle my son, change his diaper, then leave him on his back on a safe firm flat surface (as opposed to in my arms or a snuggly swing) to help him wake. He was very very sleepy newborn. For positioning, the guideline is bring the baby to the breast, not the breast to the baby. That’s not to say you won’t need to hold your breast, but you should be able to be relaxed while doing so. Have you tried putting more pillows under the boppy to lift it & therefore baby higher? Will a folded burp rag underneath your breast help prop it adequately? Do you need a pillow at the small of your back or behind your head? Have you tried laid back positioning as described in the post above?
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lily
Gold
be a New Orleanian wherever you are
Posts: 918 Likes: 2,277
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Post by lily on Mar 13, 2018 8:38:05 GMT -6
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Post by clementine on Mar 13, 2018 11:12:34 GMT -6
Thanks for the reassurance and tips lily! We’ve tried laid back positioning a few times but we haven’t been too successful. We’ll keep trying.
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Post by thechickencoop on Mar 17, 2018 19:56:49 GMT -6
clementine, have you tried other nursing pillows? With DS1 I used the My Breast Friend, I think it may offer a lot more support than a boppy; although, I've never actually used a boppy. But the MBF clips around your waist and is pretty rigid and thick. While I could lay him on it to nurse, I also had to support my boob or else it would pull a bit and he's lose his latch (ah damn saggy boobs 😂). But, just gwntle support, nothing that was uncomfortable. With DS2 I haven't used anything really. As a newborn I did have to give a little boob support again, but really not much. Just because he was so tiny and couldn't keep my heavy boob up by himself lol. Where are you? I have my MBF still that could use a new home.
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Post by clementine on Mar 18, 2018 9:48:43 GMT -6
clementine, have you tried other nursing pillows? With DS1 I used the My Breast Friend, I think it may offer a lot more support than a boppy; although, I've never actually used a boppy. But the MBF clips around your waist and is pretty rigid and thick. While I could lay him on it to nurse, I also had to support my boob or else it would pull a bit and he's lose his latch (ah damn saggy boobs 😂). But, just gwntle support, nothing that was uncomfortable. With DS2 I haven't used anything really. As a newborn I did have to give a little boob support again, but really not much. Just because he was so tiny and couldn't keep my heavy boob up by himself lol. Where are you? I have my MBF still that could use a new home. I haven’t tried any other nursing pillows, but I am getting more comfortable with the boppy. The most awkward and uncomfortable part is supporting my boob bc my elbow ends up pointing back toward the back of the chair/couch so I can’t lean all the way back... if that makes sense. I start out that way, but now I can adjust after he latches and it’s much more comfortable. Thanks so much for the offer of the MBF pillow, but maybe someone else can use it!
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Post by alwayscheese on Mar 18, 2018 9:57:48 GMT -6
clementine, have you tried other nursing pillows? With DS1 I used the My Breast Friend, I think it may offer a lot more support than a boppy; although, I've never actually used a boppy. But the MBF clips around your waist and is pretty rigid and thick. While I could lay him on it to nurse, I also had to support my boob or else it would pull a bit and he's lose his latch (ah damn saggy boobs 😂). But, just gwntle support, nothing that was uncomfortable. With DS2 I haven't used anything really. As a newborn I did have to give a little boob support again, but really not much. Just because he was so tiny and couldn't keep my heavy boob up by himself lol. Where are you? I have my MBF still that could use a new home. I've gone back and forth on whether I want a MBF. I have a boppy and it works reasonably well.... Don't you have a buckle or something to attach behind you with the MBF? Not sure if it would be easier or harder than a Boppy to position while holding a squirming baby. I may go to a LLL meeting this week or next and I know they have some there that I could try.
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Post by thechickencoop on Mar 18, 2018 11:48:19 GMT -6
clementine, have you tried other nursing pillows? With DS1 I used the My Breast Friend, I think it may offer a lot more support than a boppy; although, I've never actually used a boppy. But the MBF clips around your waist and is pretty rigid and thick. While I could lay him on it to nurse, I also had to support my boob or else it would pull a bit and he's lose his latch (ah damn saggy boobs 😂). But, just gwntle support, nothing that was uncomfortable. With DS2 I haven't used anything really. As a newborn I did have to give a little boob support again, but really not much. Just because he was so tiny and couldn't keep my heavy boob up by himself lol. Where are you? I have my MBF still that could use a new home. I haven’t tried any other nursing pillows, but I am getting more comfortable with the boppy. The most awkward and uncomfortable part is supporting my boob bc my elbow ends up pointing back toward the back of the chair/couch so I can’t lean all the way back... if that makes sense. I start out that way, but now I can adjust after he latches and it’s much more comfortable. Thanks so much for the offer of the MBF pillow, but maybe someone else can use it! So you're holding the right boob with your right arm? Then babies head like across his body and under? Or he's just solely laying on the boppy? So, I would try to use the boppy as support for your arm holding him. Have his head in your right elbow, belly to belly, then your left arm can go kind of between his chest and your belly to support the boob. I think that makes sense? ETA because I get what you mean as hunched over so I'm picturing you holding the boob with the same.arm.
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Post by thechickencoop on Mar 18, 2018 11:51:34 GMT -6
clementine like, try the kind of first pic here, then your elbow isn't making you mean forward
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Post by thechickencoop on Mar 18, 2018 11:54:58 GMT -6
clementine, have you tried other nursing pillows? With DS1 I used the My Breast Friend, I think it may offer a lot more support than a boppy; although, I've never actually used a boppy. But the MBF clips around your waist and is pretty rigid and thick. While I could lay him on it to nurse, I also had to support my boob or else it would pull a bit and he's lose his latch (ah damn saggy boobs 😂). But, just gwntle support, nothing that was uncomfortable. With DS2 I haven't used anything really. As a newborn I did have to give a little boob support again, but really not much. Just because he was so tiny and couldn't keep my heavy boob up by himself lol. Where are you? I have my MBF still that could use a new home. I've gone back and forth on whether I want a MBF. I have a boppy and it works reasonably well.... Don't you have a buckle or something to attach behind you with the MBF? Not sure if it would be easier or harder than a Boppy to position while holding a squirming baby. I may go to a LLL meeting this week or next and I know they have some there that I could try. The MBF goes all the way around and the back 'arm' (it's cushy so it doesn't get in the way) clips to the front part. The clip is on the side. I don't remember having an issue with getting it on, baby is hungry, loop around, snap, get baby. I can't imagine it's any more difficult than grabbing a boppy 🤷 The hospital that I delivered at used the MBF, which I had already bought anyway, but it was nice to be able to get used to it there too.
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Post by clementine on Mar 18, 2018 14:13:16 GMT -6
I haven’t tried any other nursing pillows, but I am getting more comfortable with the boppy. The most awkward and uncomfortable part is supporting my boob bc my elbow ends up pointing back toward the back of the chair/couch so I can’t lean all the way back... if that makes sense. I start out that way, but now I can adjust after he latches and it’s much more comfortable. Thanks so much for the offer of the MBF pillow, but maybe someone else can use it! So you're holding the right boob with your right arm? Then babies head like across his body and under? Or he's just solely laying on the boppy? So, I would try to use the boppy as support for your arm holding him. Have his head in your right elbow, belly to belly, then your left arm can go kind of between his chest and your belly to support the boob. I think that makes sense? ETA because I get what you mean as hunched over so I'm picturing you holding the boob with the same.arm. Yes, holding right boob with right arm and he lays on the boppy on his side so we’re belly to belly. I will have to try holding the boob with the opposite hand and cradling him with the other arm.
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