Breastfeeding Support Thread

[Tina & Gabs]

Hi Girls

I have been feeding Gabriella since birth now and I still don't feel like there is a real pattern with her feeding. I find that during the day it feels like she is constantly feeding.; Just trying to get out of the house is a real task in itself

She has also started to pull away and cry and arch her back when feeding; this doesn't happen at every feed but generally early evening. She really seems like she is in pain. I laid her across my legs on her belly and rubbed and patted her back and this seemed to help but I think it may be colic. I am going to try her on infacol and see if that helps.

Gabriella has also been sick a few times; sometimes it seems like a whole load is coming up and other times it is just a little bit. Is it common for breastfed babies to be sick?

It's definitely hard work but so worth it; I just hope a pattern emerges soon as I am not sure if I am coming or going.

Take care all

 

[skatty]

Thanks Lucy

I do have a sling which I put leorah in and she loves that but no yesterday she was being a real piggy! it seems much better today though she's been really sleepy so I hope she's not awake all night

Hi Tina! I would definitely try the infacol, it seems to be working for Leorah. It takes a couple of days tpo really work but she hardly ever seems in pain now

Leorah also spits up sometimes especially when I change her nappy. I did read that as long as they are gaining weight it is ok. even though it looks a lot its probably only a tiny bit, like when you spill a drop of milk and it seems to go everywhere.

I can't wait until Leorah settles into more of a pattern and can drink more in one sitting! My life seems to be an endless cycle of feeding, burping and changing! That little bit of time when she naps is so precious

 

[Tina & Gabs]

Thanks Lucy


Hi Tina! I would definitely try the infacol, it seems to be working for Leorah. It takes a couple of days tpo really work but she hardly ever seems in pain now

Leorah also spits up sometimes especially when I change her nappy. I did read that as long as they are gaining weight it is ok. even though it looks a lot its probably only a tiny bit, like when you spill a drop of milk and it seems to go everywhere.

I can't wait until Leorah settles into more of a pattern and can drink more in one sitting! My life seems to be an endless cycle of feeding, burping and changing! That little bit of time when she naps is so precious

Thanks Skatty.

I have started Gabriella on the infacol today so I hope it helps her.

I agree that the time when they nap is so precious. We will get there.
Glad you are getting on well.

Take care

 

[Lucy]

Tina - Do you go to any breastfeeding support groups? I found these were really useful in the first few months, we all had so many questions and having a qualified and experienced breastfeeding councellor to answer and give advice was very reassuring. Your little one is at the typical growth spurt period of 6 wks and the frequent feeding is normal.

Their little tummies can't hold much yet and because breastfed babies control how much they take they will stop when their wee bellies are full. They're growing at such a fast pace at the moment, seeing how quickly Olivia grew and changed was amazing, couldn't believe that I was always putting away clothes that she had outgrown and getting all excited when she had mastered a new skill.

I was really close to giving up breastfeeding when Olivia was young, I thought bottles would be so much easier but my friend has a 4 month old boy and his feeding has been a nightmare. She is still feeding him 2-3 hourly during the day but he often only takes an ounce (which stresses my friend out and means she's making up loads of bottle each day ). He is very unpredicable and often is screaming for a bottle but she's not always somewhere where she can heat the bottle and sometimes gets caught out with how many he'll need whereas at least I could just latch Olivia on and away she went.

I found out the other day that a breastfeeding group up the road from me irons 20 pieces a week for the mums that attend! They realise how time consuming it can be and offers help that way to help encourage the mums to stick with it. Shame, all I got at my group was a cuppa made with horrible cheap t-bags!

Lucy

 

[Tina & Gabs]

Hi Lucy

No I don't attend any breastfeeding support groups but will find out if there are any out there.

Thanks for you advice. I am definitely not going to give up with the breastfeeding but it is hard sometimes.

Take care

 

[skatty]

Good luck with the infacol Tina, I think its definitely helping but Leorah did have some pains when having poos in the night after 2 days and nights without

I also find the breastfeesding hard sometimes but I have tried leorah with one bottle of formula and she was really sick so I don't think it would make it any easier. I even look back to the first week and can't believe how much smoother BF is already!

Good luck to us

 

[Tina & Gabs]

Thanks Skatty.

I got Gabriella weighed today and she is 8lb 10oz, (gained almost 1lb in 10 days) I am so happy. She is obviously getting enough (one of my fears).

I think infacol takes a few days to kick in but we shall see if it helps her.

Well done on keeping up th BF Skatty.

 

[Daggers]

Hello ladies! Just did a quick read up on both the CG (Colocynthis granules ) and the Infacol, might see if I can order some CG's - Skatty, the Weleda wedsite do them as well, however for infants (new borns) they recommend the Camomila Granules, not sure if they post out to Denmark though. Also they do a great range of baby products (bath, lotions, massage oils, nappy creame) which I got for the Oats mister!
Otis still goes a bit ******* when BFing (not when given the bottle), so will see if these granules do the trick, have also noticed that even though he hasn't got any teeth he can sure clamp them gums of his together when he goes into a spaz attack while BFing! OUCH !!
Skatty you been to see a reflexologist as yet for Leorah? I was going to do a course on baby reflexology myself but just never got round to it! May dive into some of my old books and see if I can find some useful points to treat on babies?!
Today we've also had a bit of spuwing session especialy this morning, actually just remembered I was bottle feeding Oats at the time, it went all down my top (both outside and inside! Nice!!!) luckily I hadn't showered as yet! Otherwise he's still an angel

 

[Melanie]

Tell me this breast feeding thing gets easier! We were off to a great start when it was just colostrum she was getting but my milk has come in properly now. Holy shit im in agony! Her last feed was worse than labour.

My boobs feel like bricks.

Im massaging them the way the nurses have shown me and i have to pump as soon as Thea is done feeding but omg its awful.

I just cried through the last one.

 

[Lucy]

Daggers - yes interesting that site recommended Camomila for newborns - the nurse had told me to get either as she thought I would have difficulty buying Camomila in the shops (she was right, couldn't get it so went for the Colyncinth). Are you able to go to a breastfeeding support group? I can't recommend them enough - a specialist breastfeeding councellor can watch your baby feed and give advice on Otis's arching back etc. The midwives and health visitors have some training but in my experience not a patch on the people that run these groups. I think support in the early weeks is what gets you through it to be honest. I used to post on the forum desperate for reassurance and advice that it would get easier and found it hard to believe that it would become 2nd nature and that my tops wouldn't get soaked in milk etc.

Tina - that's FANTASTIC weight gain If only our boobs had a wee ounce measure up the side it would give us the reassurance that our babies are taking enough milk. Olivia was a steady gainer (she was 7lbs 4.5oz at birth) and now she's 8.5 months old she's 17lbs 15oz and 72cm long so she's lean but very active and looks very healthy.

Melanie - congratulations on the birth of your daughter. The feeding does settle down. Your body is still adjusting to the changes after birth and your milk supply will take a few weeks to settle down. I wouldn't pump very much milk - just a wee bit to ease your discomfort otherwise it will send signals to your body you need to produce more milk and then you will have an oversupply. Olivia couldn't cope with my strong let down so sometimes I would pump some milk away or else let her suckle then when I felt the let down I'd let it spray into a muslin cloth then latch her back on.

Do any of your feed lying down in bed? I found this really relaxing. It was funny how if I'd lie Olivia on her back and laid beside her with my boob ready she would turn over and root to it! Even when she was a couple of weeks old!

Lucy

 

[skatty]

Hi girls! Firstly Mel, it does get better! You can read my posts from the beginning, its hell isn't it? What I found GREAT was massaging my boobs with warm olive oil, my boobs were so lumpy and painful but it only lasted a few days. You are doing great

Daggers I am definitely going to check that site out, I never heard of camomila either We haven't been to the reflexologist because leorah seems much better at the mo' and a friend of ours said although it works it gets worst before it gets better! We've put iton hold and are going to try and track down a homeopathic remedy.

Lucy I know I sound dumb but how exactly do you feed lying down? I am worried it will make Leorah worst with her tummy as she has started being sick after feeds if I lay her down. Its a real pain in the night because I have to delay changing her nad getting back to sleep as i have to keep her upright for 15-20 mins and then she's still sometimes sick.

 

[skatty]

My DH spoke to a homeopath in Denmark today and he is sending us out some magnesium plus for Leorah's pain. I don't know exactly how its menat to help but my DH said he seemed to know what he's talking about. Danish post is pretty good so I hope it will be here tomorrow and its meant to work with immediate effect so I'll let you know how it goes.

Leorah has been really unsettled today and just wants to be held and sleep. I have a feeling its her ears as she has most of the symptons and kept being sick after her feeds last night which is also a symton. I hope my little darling gets better soon

 

[Nicky_Jones]

Lucy I know I sound dumb but how exactly do you feed lying down? I am worried it will make Leorah worst with her tummy as she has started being sick after feeds if I lay her down. Its a real pain in the night because I have to delay changing her nad getting back to sleep as i have to keep her upright for 15-20 mins and then she's still sometimes sick.

I know Iam not Lucy but I feed lying down a lot of the time - mainly because I am lazy . Lay down on a bed (the firmest bed you have in the house TBH) on your side with pillows under your head, position LO on their side facing your breast, latching on is the same as any other position (nose to breast etc), and when they root, pull LO onto your breast. I started off feeding like that because I had stitches which made sitting uncomfortable and I had strained my arms from leaning on them during labour. It is especially nice to feed like that as night as I can just doze while she feeds (I do sometimes drop off completely). Do you have a breatfeeding clinic nearby, they can help with this if you do, they were the ones who recommended it to me.

 

[Daggers]

Evening! Yes I to do the lying down feeds during the night shift, and actualy Otis is most relaxed then - maybe because he's just sleepy or maybe it just agrees more with him? I also noticed since yesterday that once Otis has gine through his spaz stage he then suckles properly
again this isn't all the time that he freacks out).
On another note has any one experinece where one boob is more efficient then the other, my left boob used to produce loads and since this week it isn't producing half as much as it use to? However the right boob has now become the super boob? Go figure that??
Melanie, do persevere the hardness does go (thank god!), I used to find it amusing to see Otis get his wee mouth around my super balloon boobs! Poor little fellow!

 

[Jadie]

YOU ARE ALL DOING SO WELL!!! I AM PROUD OF YOU ALL

It does get so much better, I cant even remenber the pain in the first few weeks it was so bad, i have cut it out of my mind!! I remenber crying and saying i was going to stop tomorrow but i never did!!

I have a tip... I got thrush but nither Oliver or I had any visual signs of it. Which Is what they tell you to look for, so if your in a lot for pain ask for medication! it worked right away!

Daggers.. now i think about it one of the other signs is the baby fussing at the breast because it hurts in its month when feeding? Could this be your problem??

Jadie

( I am training to be a breastfeeding surport peer)

 

[Daggers]

Jadie, pain in his mouth? Not that I'm aware of how would I be able to tell -other than the fussing? He seems fine otherwise, he has also started throwing up a bit more this week that's why I've been looking at options like infacol and the homeopathy granules, thinking that maybe he's just getting bad wind. If it gets worse i will go to one of the BFing suport groups I know there is one around here (somewhere!?). Presently I'm not getting stressed about it as his weight is indicating he's getting enough food - he was weighed today and is 9pounds 11.5 (his birth weight was 7lbs 1).
By the way thanks everyone for all your suggestions and support, I tell having this forum is a god send in many ways can't imagine what I would have done without it both now and while pregnant, I've recomended this forum to so may other folk!

 

[Lucy]

Skatty - Nicky describes the lying down feeding really well. I was always really cold at night as I didn't have the duvet over me scared it would go over Olivia so I'd lay her (she was swaddled at night as it settled her better) and then I'd have on pjs with button up top so I unbottoned the top and so my boob was "free" - its amazing to see how just by stroking the babie's nose or bottom lip with your nipple will get the baby ready to latch on. This is the position I never followed the "baby to the boob" rule and positioned myself so that boob was close enough for baby to reach. Try it and see if Leorah likes it, it makes the night feeds so much more bearable when you're resting rather than sitting up.

Daggers - yes, I've always had one boob that produced more milk than the other! A bf councellor told me most people have a "preferred boob"! Just ensure you use one boob after the other and your milk supply will be fine, if you are using both boobs to feed then it'll be fine.
Olivia has always fed more calmly lying down. When she got to about 11/12 wks she got so distracted from feeding when people were round I'd take her upstairs and lie down to feed her! It's also a fantastic way of getting them to sleep when they get to an age where they fight sleep!

I remember Olivia being quite a sicky baby to start with, my Mum said she thought it was because she was taking too much milk and it was coming back up on her.

Well done everyone - you're doing great.

Lucy

 

[Jadie]

Daggers, You cant tell with the baby, unless he has white spots? But if you get alot of pain after feeding him deep inside your boobs its a sigh of the thush. I hope I have not made you worry? It just because its something I did not realise I had and was causeing alot of pain! I read it hurts the babys mouth when feeding too.

 

[skatty]

Oh no! I think I amy have thrush then. I get a tingley pain in my boobs about half an hour to an hour after feeding, especially if I've emptied a boob, does it sound like thrush?

 

[Jadie]

I dont know how to do a direct link but on this web site http://lactinv.com/tscreen.htm there some information for you!