CharlieB
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Post by CharlieB on Feb 17, 2019 9:17:58 GMT -6
Re: bottles - we had a similar experience to TashaLa with DS1, but not until 8 weeks. We’d been giving him one bottle every day since he was 2 weeks old with no issues, then he suddenly went on bottle strike and refused all nipples that weren’t attached to me. So in a nutshell, we had problems, but they didn’t impact BFing. (My phone changed “nutshell” to “it’s hell,” which is the most apropos autocorrect I’ve seen yet.) k You have a unicorn baby! Could she please have a chat with mine and let him know that sleep is actually a wonderful thing?
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Post by strawberrykiki on Feb 17, 2019 11:47:18 GMT -6
k I’m doing the same thing like is he okay is he sleeping too much, do I not have as much milk coming out as before. We could drive ourselves crazy! Thanks everyone for the bottle advice!
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CharlieB
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Post by CharlieB on Feb 17, 2019 17:17:16 GMT -6
@amc Great news!!
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TashaLa
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Post by TashaLa on Feb 18, 2019 9:48:53 GMT -6
DD latched right on! She seems to be doing well and transferring milk. Her latch needs a little work, but will likely get better as she grows and her mouth becomes slightly less tiny. Overall, not bad at all for our first nursing attempt in over 3 weeks! That’s a great start!!!
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dashook
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Post by dashook on Feb 18, 2019 10:45:52 GMT -6
My boobs are having a tough time RN. I’m kind of venting with this post but open to suggestions or anecdotes if anyone has had a similar experience.
V has had a weird couple days/nights. He has been nursing slightly shorter, spitting up a lot, pulling off more often, etc.
It’s a vicious cycle because I already have forceful letdown and tend toward oversupply, so when he nurses less frequently and for fewer minutes, there is more milk and force when he does decide to eat again. Then he gets full faster and only nurses a few minutes. Then my breasts aren’t emptied and the cycle repeats. And he’s spitting up more because of the milk shooting down his throat. He doesn’t seem bothered by it but I feel bad for him and am getting tired of changing both of us multiple times a day.
Last night was weird too; he kept waking up crying in the night (like every 45 minutes) which isn’t like him. Usually if he wakes he is just grunting/rooting and not actually crying. Last night it was crying, it was frequent, and he wasn’t hungry, so I basically gave him the paci and shushed/bounced him for a minute til he fell back asleep.
So idk if something else is going on with him or maybe I ate something that bothered him or what. But just now I had to pump because I was super uncomfortable. He last nursed on the left side and the right side (which actually is my “dud”) filled the 5 oz pump bottle in 7 minutes. So there’s a lot and I don’t want to make it worse by pumping but I’m not sure what else to do right now.
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tngrl3
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Post by tngrl3 on Feb 18, 2019 11:41:00 GMT -6
dashook,I have had similar issues as you described. My kids have always only eaten off one side at a feed and I found that using the block schedule for nursing really helped regulate my supply, help with forceful let down and keep me from getting too uncomfortable. My LC also says that if you do need to pump for relief, just do it until comfortable or for a few minutes because if you pump off 5oz then you signal your body to make that amount again. DD2 seems to be way more sensitive to gas and is affected more by what I eat than my other 2 every were. she will do this high pitch shriek when gassy. Not crying but definitely uncomfortable.
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Post by strawberrykiki on Feb 18, 2019 12:16:46 GMT -6
dashook no real advice but solidarity here. My milk comes out fast and furious and he gets choked and then spits up. When I’m particularly full I’ve been using the manual pump for just a minute or two before he feeds to try to regulate things and that’s been helping. I also have this little gadget I’ve been using on the side he isn’t nursing from to catch the let down and I’ve been collecting an ounce or so to store that way. He’s been unhappy since last evening though. He fights sleep and he’s been nursing nonstop. I’m so tired and I know he is too.
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CharlieB
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Post by CharlieB on Feb 18, 2019 13:25:33 GMT -6
dashook I had to pump with DS1 because of forceful letdown that caused issues with latching and gagging. I know that most LCs advise against pumping, but it’s what worked for us. Like tngrl3 said, I would only pump until letdown before nursing. This made things easier for DS without causing oversupply issues. I also block fed to avoid triggering more production. You can always try hand expression or a manual pump if you don’t want to go the full-on pump route.
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TashaLa
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Post by TashaLa on Feb 18, 2019 13:58:54 GMT -6
dashook I’ve been using the haakaa pump for that exact reason. I put it on boob 1 for a minute while I massage and get a little bit out. Then nurse boob 1, keeping the haakaa on boob 2 for the first few minutes. She still struggles a little with boob 1, but latches on right away to boob 2. It catches just enough to help not drown her in my forceful letdown but also doesn’t stimulate enough to contribute to an overproduction Between MOTN and 1st feeding of the day I collect on average 4 oz to store in the freezer
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cch
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Post by cch on Feb 18, 2019 15:42:56 GMT -6
Feeling a bit discouraged today. A was 8lbs 1oz at birth and 7lbs 10oz when discharged around 48 hours old. We had a checkup with her Pedi at 5 days old and she gained 3oz back so was weighing 7lbs 13oz (yay!). Today we had her 2 week check up (she’s 11 days old) and she’s back down to 7lbs 10oz so she lost 3oz in 6 days after gaining some back in those first couple days. Thankfully, her Pedi didn’t seem bothered by it and just said we’ll do a weight check in a week. I’m really glad she didn’t suggest formula and remember it took DD1 about 3 weeks to gain her weight back but it’s still a bit discouraging when I’m nursing her about 10x a day. Personally, I think it’s because I was so engorged at the end of last week so she was getting more foremilk, less hindmilk and getting full quickly because of how fast it came out at first. My supply has leveled off a bit in the last 48 hours and I’m feeling a lot less full so hoping that will help but it’s still hard to not worry.
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tngrl3
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Post by tngrl3 on Feb 18, 2019 15:47:45 GMT -6
cch it's hard not to get discouraged when that happens. Honestly that isn't that much of a weight drop, up to 10% loss is normal and it can take a couple of weeks to get back to birth weight. I'm glad your pediatrician wasn't too worried. Hopefully the weight check next week shows a good gain. Edited to fix tag
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cch
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Post by cch on Feb 18, 2019 18:31:54 GMT -6
tngrl3 @amc thanks for the encouragement. She was weighed with no diaper and on the same scale both times. It’s only a 5% weight drop so I know it’s not a lot I’m just wondering why she went up to 7.13 last week and is now 7.10 again. She didn’t poop quite as much yesterday/today either. Only one poop today so far (Opposed to her 4+ poops up until now) minus a couple little skid marks.. and 3 poops yesterday. She’s still having 7-8 wet diapers thankfully but I just can’t help but worry a little bit even knowing that everything is probably just fine. DD1 took forever to gain weight and was 5-6th% until 6mo when she went up to 10-11th% and A is definitely not that low so that makes me feel a little better but still hoping and praying she’s gained a few ounces by her next check up. I forgot after 3.5 years how much you worry in these early days about every little thing.
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k
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Post by k on Feb 18, 2019 20:01:08 GMT -6
tngrl3 @amc thanks for the encouragement. She was weighed with no diaper and on the same scale both times. It’s only a 5% weight drop so I know it’s not a lot I’m just wondering why she went up to 7.13 last week and is now 7.10 again. She didn’t poop quite as much yesterday/today either. Only one poop today so far (Opposed to her 4+ poops up until now) minus a couple little skid marks.. and 3 poops yesterday. She’s still having 7-8 wet diapers thankfully but I just can’t help but worry a little bit even knowing that everything is probably just fine. DD1 took forever to gain weight and was 5-6th% until 6mo when she went up to 10-11th% and A is definitely not that low so that makes me feel a little better but still hoping and praying she’s gained a few ounces by her next check up. I forgot after 3.5 years how much you worry in these early days about every little thing. Could you get in with an LC and do a weighted feed? maybe give her a bottle of pumped milk after she nurses once or twice a day?
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TashaLa
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Post by TashaLa on Feb 19, 2019 0:11:18 GMT -6
cch that’s super frustrating. Try to keep in perspective E’s growth path- maybe you just make babies that take their time plumping is. Keep feeding on demand and listening to A’s needs. Are you still using the haakaa? Maybe after nursing sessions, bottle that and feed her that milk too. It might take off the foremilk, allowing her to get more of the hind milk and you can top her off with it if she still doesn’t seem satisfied?
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Post by strawberrykiki on Feb 19, 2019 0:25:46 GMT -6
cch hugs for you. I can’t believe how much I worry about every thing too. I’m always analyzing how many diapers he has and if he’s getting enough. It’s so tough. You’re doing an awesome job though! I’m sure she will gain her weight back in no time. Finn is in the lower percentile too.
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cch
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Post by cch on Feb 19, 2019 3:04:18 GMT -6
k since I was hoping she’d wake up with poop MOTN but she just had a really wet diaper. So she’s now only pooped once in the last 24 hours. I may do a consult/weighted feed later this week to help me feel better and know for sure that she’s getting enough. She’s having plenty of wet diapers and DD1 got constipated around 2-3 weeks but A was pooping SO much a few days ago so only one poo in 24 hours along with the 3oz lost worries me a little. TashaLa I was using the haakaa for the first week and a half but I was so engorged I thought it could be contributing to my fullness/over supply so I stopped using it a couple days ago and have noticed a huge difference in supply. My boobs are much, much softer and a lot less full. I pumped a couple hours ago and only got 2oz instead of the 3oz I got when I pumped for relief a few days ago. I think I’ll start adding a pumping session first thing in the morning before feeding her. I’d rather have an over supply than undersupply. I also started taking the sunflower lecithin Sunday to help with this clogged milk duct and read it can help increase fat content so that’s nice too. As far as A taking a bottle after nursing, I’m not sure she would because she seems to be a lazy nurser most of the time and is done and seems happy after about 5-8 minutes. But I’ll give it a shot if she hasn’t had a BM by this time tomorrow! strawberrykiki I actually thought about you when I posted since I remembered you saying Finn was slow to gain and his Pedi recommended formula. Glad you stuck it out without supplementing and it’s encouraging knowing he gained at his next appointment. I’m such a worry wart too and know it’s not good to stress myself out- easier said than done though.
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cch
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Post by cch on Feb 19, 2019 18:36:12 GMT -6
Alice had a HUGE poop this morning so I guess she was just saving it all up for me. Never been so happy to see poop and she’s been an eating machine today 🙌🏻
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TashaLa
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Post by TashaLa on Feb 19, 2019 20:37:34 GMT -6
Alice had a HUGE poop this morning so I guess she was just saving it all up for me. Never been so happy to see poop and she’s been an eating machine today 🙌🏻 Yay!!! 💩💩💩
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Post by thelittleredm on Feb 19, 2019 21:45:11 GMT -6
A almost pooped on my hand while I was wiping her butt. I do not miss this part of babyhood. 😑
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Post by strawberrykiki on Feb 20, 2019 12:44:29 GMT -6
cch woohoo!!! I never knew I could get such satisfaction from a baby poop lol
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Post by notagoddess on Feb 21, 2019 8:11:03 GMT -6
I really didn’t want to pump too much this time around but I can’t deal with the engorgement pain so I’m pumping small amounts around the clock. I forgot how painful and uncomfortable this all is.
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Post by thelittleredm on Feb 21, 2019 9:05:16 GMT -6
notagoddess, When my milk came in yesterday, I completely forgot how uncomfortable it could be until I tried laying down for a nap. Ouch.
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tngrl3
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Post by tngrl3 on Feb 23, 2019 16:53:43 GMT -6
Does anyone have nursing bra they love? I have some but they are 6 years old and not in as good of shape as I thought. Plus I swear myboobs are even bigger this go around. Not pregnant I'm a 36DD not exactly sure what size now but they feel out of control! I'd love to not spend a ton. I have a couple that will work for later on when I'm back to work but the have some side wires and I don't like them for early on.
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Post by strawberrykiki on Feb 23, 2019 17:48:28 GMT -6
tngrl3 I bought these on amazon. It was 28 dollars for a three pack and they’re super comfortable and supportive. My boobs are so itchy. I guess the skin is all stretchy from them getting so much bigger? Ugh I’m super uncomfortable and trying not to itch because I know that’ll just make it worse. 😣
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Post by notagoddess on Feb 23, 2019 19:19:18 GMT -6
tngrl3 I like Kindred Bravely bras on Amazon. They make a “busty” version of their sizes. Mine are still in good shape from my first baby.
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cch
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Post by cch on Feb 23, 2019 21:38:01 GMT -6
tngrl3 I bought these on amazon. It was 28 dollars for a three pack and they’re super comfortable and supportive. My boobs are so itchy. I guess the skin is all stretchy from them getting so much bigger? Ugh I’m super uncomfortable and trying not to itch because I know that’ll just make it worse. 😣 I had one bra from when I nursed DD1 that looks exactly like these and since my other two seem to be kind of tight/uncomfortable I went to Motherhood Maternity to get another one yesterday since these are super comfortable and provide pretty good support. Also, +1 for itchy boobs!
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Post by thelittleredm on Feb 23, 2019 22:17:08 GMT -6
Oh, I'm so glad bras came up. I'm not busty at all but I only have one good nursing bra that I got with DS2 and cannot remember where I bought it.
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Post by notagoddess on Feb 24, 2019 15:02:11 GMT -6
I’m still stuck in the nursing is painful as hell beginning period. My milk has been in for a few days, and my breasts hurt so much from engorgement still. And since they’ve been fuller, DD2’s latch has been more shallow and narrow and it’s killing my nipples. But I’m trying to avoid pumping too much because it caused oversupply, forceful letdown, and constant clogged ducts last time.
I may call the lactation clinic tomorrow. I was told this would be easier the 2nd time around.
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k
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Post by k on Feb 24, 2019 15:27:41 GMT -6
I’m still stuck in the nursing is painful as hell beginning period. My milk has been in for a few days, and my breasts hurt so much from engorgement still. And since they’ve been fuller, DD2’s latch has been more shallow and narrow and it’s killing my nipples. But I’m trying to avoid pumping too much because it caused oversupply, forceful letdown, and constant clogged ducts last time. I may call the lactation clinic tomorrow. I was told this would be easier the 2nd time around. I’m sorry...for what it’s worth it was really painful for me all 3 times. Nips were almost all the way healed by 2 weeks.
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Post by strawberrykiki on Feb 24, 2019 15:38:35 GMT -6
notagoddess I’m so sorry. Get the help! I’ve been using a nipple shield this entire time and I guess that’s what I do now. It’s kind of a pain but he doesn’t seem to be able to latch without it. Our bodies take a lot of hits for these LO’s. My boobs are not ever going to be the same!
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