addymac
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Newbie Q
Aug 24, 2017 21:05:38 GMT -6
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Post by addymac on Aug 24, 2017 21:05:38 GMT -6
Hey ladies! New mom over here with a BFing question:
Baby boy is five days old and I think my milk came in today. Baby has been sleeping closer to 3 hour stretches today and tonight my boobs feel kind of hard and warm. He just ate on the right side and it stopped being hard, so I switched him to the left bc it felt hard. Not hard as a rock, but hard and warm. A few min of feeding and the hardness went down a little but he started choking so we stopped, rested, and are letting DH do a diaper change. If he doesn't want to eat more- my left boob is still a bit hard- what do I do? And the choking- is my milk coming in too quickly for him suddenly? And from now on- if they're hard, but he's asleep, do I just wait it out or try to pump (isn't it too early to start?) or hand express and lose some?
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Post by violajack on Aug 24, 2017 21:12:20 GMT -6
If it's just hard, I wouldn't worry about it, start with that one at the next feeding. If it's uncomfortable, you can hand express or pump a little for comfort. Be careful not to pump too much too soon as you can create oversupply issues. If it's hot and red, and you have a fever, call a doctor right away, that's mastitis and no fun at all. Choking can be a sign that you have an overactive letdown. Your baby will learn to deal, or you can hand express into a towel first to let the crazy spray calm down before latching baby.
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loony
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Post by loony on Aug 24, 2017 21:22:19 GMT -6
I never "filled up" or had hardness at all and have been breastfeeding pretty much continuously since 2013.
I also never once was engorged or leaked.
I had other issues, like MPI and no dairy for years, but you can get your milk in and not have the porn star rock hard boobs.
Watch for diapers. 1 wet and or poopy for the first 7 days and then 7ish wet/poopy per 24 hours after that.
Baby's output is a much more measured supply "measure" than most anything else.
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loony
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Post by loony on Aug 24, 2017 21:23:59 GMT -6
Oh yeah. At 5 days, do not pump. Let babes and you figure out a schedule.
Hand express a little bit in a hot shower if uncomfortable, otherwise, put the baby on to nurse if willing.
BF is really supply and demand. The more you pump, the more your body will produce and the more engorged and uncomfortable you can get.
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addymac
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Newbie Q
Aug 24, 2017 22:59:29 GMT -6
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Post by addymac on Aug 24, 2017 22:59:29 GMT -6
Thank you violajack! No fever , not red so phew! I was worried the hardness would lead to mastitis but blanked on the exact symptoms.
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addymac
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Posts: 12,713 Likes: 54,196
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Newbie Q
Aug 24, 2017 23:00:50 GMT -6
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Post by addymac on Aug 24, 2017 23:00:50 GMT -6
loony thanks - I didn't think pumping was the answer but wasn't sure what the answer was.
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vvvvvfee
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Post by vvvvvfee on Aug 25, 2017 8:22:14 GMT -6
to echo what others have said- yep, try not to pump because you can create an oversupply. if LO is choking on milk, hand-express/let down into a towel just for a minute to make it easier for him to latch. you can try cold compresses on your breasts to help with the discomfort. lansinoh makes nice gel packs that you can freeze.
is LO very sleepy? if he's going long stretches without nursing or falls asleep before he can really finish a feeding, try to keep him awake by stripping him down and doing skin-to-skin, or putting a cold washcloth on his forehead.
also, depending on your LO and the milk storage capacity of your breast, LO may not want both breasts at every feeding. just make sure you are alternating breasts. you can switch a bracelet back and forth from wrist to wrist if you have trouble remembering which side he fed from last.
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Post by gimmesugar on Aug 25, 2017 10:09:44 GMT -6
You have already gotten a lot of great advice. In the early days, H always did a diaper change when switching sides to make sure DS stayed awake long enough. It was also an opportunity to check for wet/poopy output. It also gave me an opportunity to use the bathroom, get more water, rinse off in a hot shower real quick, etc....so, helpful in many ways.
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