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Post by sarahandben108 on Oct 27, 2017 10:18:40 GMT -6
First of all, it doesn't matter how you feed your kid as long as you feed him/her! And I hope I don't come across preachy because that is not my intention. If you are planning on formula feeding, great. If you plan on starting breastfeeding and switching to formula, great. But for those who are planning or hoping to breastfeed I thought I would post a couple of websites that I found helpful when I had N for any FTMs out there. I breastfed N until he was just shy of his 2nd birthday. It wasn't easy, many times it straight up sucked, and was one of the more challenging aspects of being a mother for me personally. I didn't always love it and it took a good 3-4 months before I felt we were in a decent place. There were many times I wanted to quit but I put a lot of pressure on myself to make it work. There were definitely times when I should have gotten help but didn't because of my pride. That being said, I am planning on breastfeeding this little man. I'm hoping for a better experience this time around and am planning for asking for help if I need it. I'm lucky the baby nurses at my hospital are breastfeeding trained. I think I read and tried just about everything out there but here are a few resources I personally found helpful. S+TMs please feel free to add any you have as well. KellymomNatural BreastfeedingDeep Latch TechniqueFlipping Nipple Technique
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jrun2013
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Post by jrun2013 on Oct 27, 2017 18:53:50 GMT -6
Thank you for posting this! Breastfeeding did not go well with my first and I'm hoping to have a better experience with jt this. Watching some videos to educate myself has been on my to do list.
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Post by sarahandben108 on Oct 27, 2017 19:31:30 GMT -6
I'm definitely going to refresh these techniques for myself as well
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Post by sarahandben108 on Oct 27, 2017 19:39:36 GMT -6
Also, the homemade recipe for APNO (all purpose nipple ointment)
Mix equal amounts of Lotrimin AF, Hydrocortisone, and bacitracin. Apply after every feed. No need to wash off before next feed
I found all the ingredients right at my local drug store and mixed it myself. I kept it in an air tight container. I tried a lot of store bought nipple creams and this was by far the best for me personally.
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rooskie
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Post by rooskie on Oct 27, 2017 22:23:59 GMT -6
Random question - should I plan on bringing my pump to the hospital, but leaving it in my car? I have heard mixed things about it, but maybe having a lactation consultant show me how to get it all set up will be helpful...?
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Post by sarahandben108 on Oct 28, 2017 7:10:11 GMT -6
Random question - should I plan on bringing my pump to the hospital, but leaving it in my car? I have heard mixed things about it, but maybe having a lactation consultant show me how to get it all set up will be helpful...? I don't think it would hurt to bring it in and have them show you how to use it. I didn't bring mine the first time. My hospital gave me a hand pump to take home. Your milk won't come in for a few days anyway and you won't want to start pumping too soon (unless baby ends up in the hospital for some reason). It might give you over supply. If you don't want to drag it in and want one less thing to worry about while you are there, then you can always make an appointment to meet with a lactation consultant at a later time.
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ldubhawksfan
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Post by ldubhawksfan on Oct 28, 2017 8:42:23 GMT -6
I would also recommend to use all of the LC resources in the hospital and after. My hospital does a LC session every wed for a few hrs that was free and so helpful to reinforce the techniques and a place to ask questions. They were weighed feedings to I could see how much she was actually taking from each breast. Find out what resources you have before the baby because it's so easy to run into a problem and not know where to go to ask for help.
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rooskie
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Post by rooskie on Oct 28, 2017 11:18:45 GMT -6
I would also recommend to use all of the LC resources in the hospital and after. My hospital does a LC session every wed for a few hrs that was free and so helpful to reinforce the techniques and a place to ask questions. They were weighed feedings to I could see how much she was actually taking from each breast. Find out what resources you have before the baby because it's so easy to run into a problem and not know where to go to ask for help. My hospital has LC hours three days a week and I have a screen shot on my phone with the hours. I think it’s $50 the first time but after that it’s free. I plan on taking 8 weeks off and work from home 2 months so I’ll be able to go a lot if needed.
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jrun2013
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Post by jrun2013 on Oct 28, 2017 11:31:39 GMT -6
I'm not 100 percent sure on this, but I think insurance is supposed to cover lactation consultant visits under the ACA. I didn't know about this for DD1 (or it wasn't a thing), but I had been told about it and looked into it while preparing for DD2.
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sizzleb
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Post by sizzleb on Oct 30, 2017 20:00:27 GMT -6
I'm not 100 percent sure on this, but I think insurance is supposed to cover lactation consultant visits under the ACA. I didn't know about this for DD1 (or it wasn't a thing), but I had been told about it and looked into it while preparing for DD2. ^This! I recommend calling your insurance now to get a list of "in-network" providers, but they are required to cover the visit at no cost to you. I had to fight my insurance for it last time, but it was eventually cleared up. And the LC visit was so worth it.
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Post by kensie5226 on Oct 31, 2017 11:15:12 GMT -6
My only thoughts are to remember in the early days even if it's easy (my milk came in, she latched, etc.) it is still hard. Cluster feeding, nipple pain, leaking. It kind of sucks. It gets super easier and it can be worth it, but don't kill yourself over it. There are clear benefits, but nothing that doesn't fade away over time.
Don't be afraid to reach out for help. Make a couple nursing nests around the house (phone charger, nursing pillow, straw water cup, one-handed snacks). Don't waste money on nursing outfits, just get a few nursing camis and throw them under your looser fitting shirts. Don't buy nice nursing bras until your milk settles down. Your size takes time to adjust and I found that underwires were the devil so my nice MM ones were a mute point. Blue Gatorade (any Gatorade, but blue moreso) will help boost your supply. It was a really helpful tip from my LC. Oatmeal is good too. I prefer it in the form of cookies. Don't be surprised if you gain weight. BFing made me SSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOO hungry that that whole "the weight will fall off" thing was bullshit. If you can; wait to buy a nursing pillow. The hold you use will determine which one will be the best fit. I hated Mybrestfriend, but others think its a lifesaver. You would have to drink so much alcohol you would die before you get your baby drunk. You can have a couple glasses of wine and rest assured that your baby will not get any more alcohol than they would in juice. Don't quit on a bad day. Your kid may reject it at some point (for us it was 9months, food was more interesting, teeth). Her strike ended, but I made it so much more stressful than I needed to. Feel free to tag me in any questions. We BF until 14 months, fairly easily and I read pretty much everything possible.
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ldubhawksfan
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Post by ldubhawksfan on Oct 31, 2017 16:48:33 GMT -6
kensie5226 🙌🏻 +1 to all of what she said. It's hard, but doable. I made lactation muffins and ate them daily. I had to wear a nipple guard at first but made it to 13 months bfing. My daughter also would refuse the boob when teething sometimes. And eating for 2 when pregnant is nothing like eating for two when nursing. Give me all the food!!
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sizzleb
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Post by sizzleb on Oct 31, 2017 22:10:01 GMT -6
kensie5226, I forgot about ALL the oatmeal! I ate it religiously for the 13 months I breastfed my DD, and got so sick of it I haven't touched it since. Good reminder to stock up.
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Post by sarahandben108 on Nov 1, 2017 7:18:56 GMT -6
I hate oatmeal with a passion but I did make no bake cookies with it in order to help my supply, specifically with pumping after 9 months. I also read a lot about Brewers yeast but I had a difficult time finding it. Once I had introduced solid foods, my milk supply normalized and I got my period back. I really needed a lot of help to pump enough milk to make it a year. I relied a lot on my frozen stash at the end of a year. Then I just breastfed In the morning and at night until N was almost 2. He basically gave it up on his own.
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sizzleb
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Post by sizzleb on Nov 1, 2017 7:28:01 GMT -6
I hate oatmeal with a passion but I did make no bake cookies with it in order to help my supply, specifically with pumping after 9 months. I also read a lot about Brewers yeast but I had a difficult time finding it. Once I had introduced solid foods, my milk supply normalized and I got my period back. I really needed a lot of help to pump enough milk to make it a year. I relied a lot on my frozen stash at the end of a year. Then I just breastfed In the morning and at night until N was almost 2. He basically gave it up on his own. I bought brewer's yeast on Amazon and used it in my lactation cookies. Since I was doing all the things, I'm not sure which one really helped (or if it was the combo), but will likely do the same this time around.
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rooskie
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Post by rooskie on Nov 1, 2017 8:46:12 GMT -6
Memo to self: add oatmeal to the next Sam’s club trip....
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ldubhawksfan
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Post by ldubhawksfan on Nov 1, 2017 8:55:06 GMT -6
I hate oatmeal with a passion but I did make no bake cookies with it in order to help my supply, specifically with pumping after 9 months. I also read a lot about Brewers yeast but I had a difficult time finding it. Once I had introduced solid foods, my milk supply normalized and I got my period back. I really needed a lot of help to pump enough milk to make it a year. I relied a lot on my frozen stash at the end of a year. Then I just breastfed In the morning and at night until N was almost 2. He basically gave it up on his own. I bought brewers yeast and flax seed for my lactation recipes at sprouts. The brewers yeast was in the supplement section, not baking
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