Breastfeeding questions

special shout to plumie - those midnight texts were invaluable xxx AAAWWW :) Thanks Hun xxx And a special shout out right back at you!!! I always admired your determination, commitment and complete love for Motherhood! Sam is very lucky to have you as a Mum x

ILW so happy to read where you are at now, and I know what you mean, after all the initial hard yards, breastfeeding just become so easy for me too, and when I finally stopped, it was at 22 months and almost 5 months into my current pregnancy, much longer than I had planned and far far longer than I could have ever imagined in those awful early days. I was tearful at stopping, and look forward to a hopefully smoother ride with baby number two!

Thank you. I just read on kellymum re: what breasts feel like and im at ease. My son feeds well so im not going to worry about it any more. My LC suggested i feed 15min per side but it doesnt work for us, so what i've been doing is a breast per feed - LC said thats fine too. Ds has never indicated that he wants more, except the odd occasion where he then takes 5mins on the second breast and is off to lala land. Ive worked on the premise that 15mins and more is a 'full feed' and anything less is only a 'top up' and, i will start on that breast at the next feed. R Ds definitely prefers left breast over right. He latches well but its more painful and he spends less time at R breast. I got really good advice from plumie the other day about changing positions etc so ive been doing that. Thanks again kiwispiers x Neither of my two fed for more than 10 minutes and weren't ever interested in a second breast. I got so worried to start with that DD was a Snacker (shock horrror - BAD HABIT AHOY), but she wasn't... it was just a combination of her being an efficient feeder and me being an efficient provider... so she fed for 5-10minutes every 3 or 4 hours and clung to the 98th centile like there was no tomorrow! I always alternated breasts from one feed to the other. The guidance of set amounts of time per breast are just that - guidance. Some will need longer feeds - which is normal - and some will need shorter ones. The guidance is based on averages, after all, and few people are spot-on average. As for a full feed - with DD, I could tell, because my rock-hard melons would look like a 70-year old's (woah, not a nice fast-forward!), but with DS, they remained at what I consider a normal firmness throughout - never engorged, never flabby. Just goes to show, only bubs can really be the judge of a full feed!

Its impossible to answer that ilovewine, even the term "full feed" is a tricky one. Basically what you are asking is "has your LO had a balanced feed (foremilk and hindmilk) and the answer is that every boob is different ;). It will partly depend on how much milk is in the breast, partly depend on how long it has sat there and even then the separation into foremilk/hindmilk happens in some women and not in others. Some women have a forcefull letdown and some babies are very effective feeders so it might take 5 minutes or 45 minutes to get the same amount of milk and either would be within the realm of normal. If your baby seems happy at the end of the feed then they most likely took enough. I don't think you really need to time the feeds or worry so much so long as your baby is gaining weight and has normal poos. A far as a full/empty breast. In the beginning (first 6 weeks or so) your breasts often get overfull (engorged), thats when they feel like they are full of lead, are hard to touch etc. They feel soft after they are somewhat emptied, but there is still lots more in the breast (to be honest they don't really get 100% emptied as your body is constantly producing more milk) they just get "less full", For me anyway that was only in the beginning and aftre that I had completely soft breasts all the time while my baby was still EBF and climbing up through the centiles. I am still breastfeeding and never have hard full breasts even in the morning (good news since I'm a tummy sleeper) Even right before a feed my breasts feel like normal boobs. So not a sign you are running out of milk, especially if your baby is refusing the second breast after drinking the first, that would suggest to me there is quite a lot of milk as lots of babies will take both breasts every feed. Its pretty normal for there to be a difference in milk capacity between breasts and I would guess probably force of letdown too. Also your baby might latch better on one breast and get better (faster) letdown so I wouldn't worry, if you see a consistent pattern of longer on one side then you can figure you have a fast boob and a slower boob :) If you find that after 15 minutes on righty, your LO is happy to drink from lefty as well when offered then you might conclude that your R breast maybe wasn't making as much milk as your L. <em>edited by kiwispiers on 28/01/2012</em>

so pleased for you ilovewine, I told you an LC was worth their weight in gold!! LIKE. LIKE

I have excellent news. Since my last post we have only had successful latches, no shields at all! My LC expxlained it to me in a mailbox scenario i.e. a mailbox looks like this - and you mail a letter through that slit as - you can try to stick the envelope through by turning it .. l ... it'll go through but it'll be damaged. So, if ds is facing my boob and depending on the position im holding him in, if his mouth is - then i should pinch my n1pple into the - shape. If he is facing me and his lips are in the l shape then i pinch my n1pples into the l shape. Does that make sense? Anyway, it did to me and helped me so much. Ds is feeding like a champ and i no longer suffer from cracked and bleeding n1pples. Fab LC, MOM AND BABE. (())

I am so, SO happy for you! Good work, mama! :)

so pleased for you ilovewine, I told you an LC was worth their weight in gold!!

Are you back plumie? Would love to introduce you and of course pick that brain of yours! Mum's leaving this weekend but DH has been fantastic! I love being a mum x Back - will text you to set up a visit! Can't wait and how wonderful to read "I live being a Mum"...aaawww :)

Wonderful, wonderful news!!! And that is the beauty of BF'ing - there is no need to suffer in silence, if the ladies on here cannot help you, then Professional help is only a phone call away :D Really happy that things are looking up for you and I am sure you have realized that breastfeeding is not a one-man-show...it is a family affair! It takes Mum, baby and Dad to develop a successful breastfeeding relationship! Looking forward to meeting Prince Charming once things have settled down for you guys x

How nice to come back and read your post, great news.

:) Great news. Don't hesitate to continue asking for advice - breastfeeding can be a long journey where all sorts of people can help you in all sorts of ways along the road. But only if you ask!

Congrats on your new arrival! Keep perservering with the BF - remember you and your baby are learning together! Just wanted to let you know that I struggled with BF and used shields with both my daughters. DD1 EBF with shields for 5 months and DD2 EBF with shields for 12 months. It is possible to do and for the baby to thrive as normal (and both of mine were big babies - 3.8kg and 4.1kg). Good luck. X Oh - and go with your gut instinct - mothers really do know best and you'll soon know what ever tiny murmur, whimper and holler mean! <em>edited by Banana on 10/01/2012</em>

Fantastic news, ilovewine! Keep up the wonderful, wonderful work. These early days are tough but they do pass and they do get so much better. Before you know it you'll be the one giving out the advice. There is a super steep learning curve when it comes to breastfeeding but once you get over that hump you become amazed at what you've learned in such a short amount of time. You're doing great! I am really happy for you. :)

thats great news!

ILW, just want to send you a hug and say you're doing great. I am bf-ing my third and I still cry at times, so normal, lets keep it real! Love BC

Just wanted to say good luck, ilovewine, and hang in there! If you need an ear to bend about the challenges of bf then I'm sure AussiePup would be more than happy to oblige - she went through h3ll feeding her DS to start with and I remain in awe :D. And what a lovely post, SweetLily. Exactly what new mums need in the blur of the first few weeks.

Hi Ilovewine, Busy days in the beginning, hey? :) I really would hope that you don't get bashed for using the shields. If you do there is no way that you should be paying attention to those comments anyway. Right now you are doing what is right for you and the baby, that's the most important. As you probably know, shields aren't fantastic because of the extra faf and you have to really pay attention to a few extra things but I know women who nursed for many, many months using a shield every time. SO if they are working for you right now that is the important part don't worry about them too much right now. Go with what is working for you guys. As far as your nipples go, please try not to worry about them too much. I know that is easier said that done. Many, many women with flat and inverted nipples nurse very successfully. The baby really takes in the breast tissue rather than the nipple so try no to focus too much on the nipple itself. There is no right or wrong type of nipple for breastfeeding. But there are a few things that you can do to help in these early days if the baby is having trouble latching onto the breast. That said, there are a few things that you can do that can make baby have an easier latch with flatter nipples. Have you tried making a 'sandwich' with your breast? "Use the 'breast-sandwich' technique to get more breast tissue into baby's mouth. Hold your breast well back on the areola, with your fingers underneath and thumb on top. Press in with thumb and fingers while at the same time pushing back toward your chest wall. This elongates and narrows the areola, which enables baby to latch on more easily." (from Dr. Sears: http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/breastfeeding/common-problems/flat-or-inverted-nipples) Another link that might be helpful: http://www.llli.org/faq/flat.html Also, do you have a pump? You could try to use it for a few seconds before feeding to bring the nipple out. That can often work also. There are also breast shells (different from a nipple shield) that is a hard cup type thing with a silicone backing on it that can help draw out more of a nipple. It sounds very much that you need someone to sit down with you and have a look at your latch. Don't stop trying to get hold of the LC. If you need someone in the mean time you can contact one of your local doulas and ask them for help. They are often trained in breastfeeding support also. I would say keep giving it a go without the shield once in a while and when your son isn't super hungry so that he doesn't get frustrated when you try. It is important to really focus on that latch and get that going before he settles into some bad habits that will get harder and harder to break as he gets older. Have you taken a bath with him yet? Very often babies nurse really well in a bath with mama. The water and relaxing atmosphere often helps relax baby so he opens his mouth and gets a good latch. You could also do a day where you lay in bed and just nurse and focus on skin to skin. Lots and lots of skin to skin is also a fantastic way to fix a latch. What does his tongue look like? Do you see him open his mouth and stick it out? When you look under the tongue do you see where it is attached? Sometimes babies have something that is called a tongue tie and this can make nursing difficult for them. It is easily fixed with a quick snip under the tongue and very often nursing becomes much easier after that. When you use the shields you do need to be cautious about a few things. One is weight gain. With the shield it is possible that baby won't draw out the same amount of milk as they would off of the shield. So monitor his intake by watching weight gain and wet and dirty nappies. Another is milk supply, because baby might not be taking in all of the milk needed this can decrease your supply. So it is often advised that you add a pumping session or two in during the day when you are using shields. This will make sure that you are maintaing supply and will decrease your risk of infections. Listen and make sure that baby is swallowing and seems content after feeding. That's another way to tell that they are getting enough milk. And as KW said below, wash the shields in hot water and dry fully to decrease risk of thrush. Here's a link that might be helpful: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/baby/wean-shield.html#precautions Keep trying with the LC, contact a local doula or give a call to one of the supporters in the links that I put below. It's important to get any latch problems nipped in the bud early on. I hope that helps. You're doing a great job. :) These early days are tough but they do get easier. I am so happy to hear that you are trying different things so that you can keep nursing. It is so important to be determined. Know that you're not alone and those super tough days do pass. Hugs to you, new mama. xx

Thank you all for your great comments and advice. I am reading all your posts but cannot necessarily reply, you know how it goes ... But im not ignoring you! Like i said in another thread, i have flat n1pples and that makes things difficult too. In hospital i was using the medela shields and that seemed to help. One of the nurses, however, said i should go off them before ds gets used to the plastic shield. As a result i've been ditching them and thats caused many problems, painful breasts and PLENTY tears. I used the shield again last night and ds fed so well, was so happy and burping was a breeze. The breastfeeding time increased, i was relaxed, ds was relaxed and it was again an amazing experience. The difference was unbelievable. I have decided to stay on the shields for the time being. Without it i am definitely running the risk of giving up because its so painful. I figure its about the benefit of breastmilk, that special time with my son and giving him as much nutrition - quantity and quality - rather than puttitng us both through ****. I hope i dont get bashed for this on here, but for the time being its the best for me and my son. All the mums in dr jack newman's clips have super n1pples (now there's something i thought id never say!) LOL and i dont have that. There's some really good advice, tips etc on latching out there but my n1pples are just not right. I havent heard back from the lactation consultants that i've contacted, so until further notice the shield is the way forward. Thanks again to everyone, you are all fantastic and i really appreciate all your help/advice. Xxx Ps: apologies for any errors/sp mistakes! Ilovewine - you will be short of one hand for many months to come ;)) I mastered typing with one hand after some time ;)) Anyways, speak to LC, but flat nipples should not really matter as the bubba massage the areola and thats how the milk comes out, so hopefully it should not be an issue. I have seen Paula Miller with DDs and she was fab! She is open minded and gave me tons of confidence. x <em>edited by JoannaS on 09/01/2012</em>

I think you are doing the right thing, I was in the same boat but the shields didn't help us (and I bought every brand and size on the market), if I could have used the shields while my guy figured out his latch I would have in a second. :(. I knew a few women who had used the shields for the first few weeks, even months and then eventually found their babies did fine without them. The good/bad news is that your baby will eventually stretch your nipples out :\: (mine still don't look like the ones in the dvds though even after 17 months lol :) ) You def don't need long nipples to feed, but some babies seem to like the feedback of feeling the nipple in their mouth as they latch, which I guess is why the shields can help. There are some issues with using the shields like you need to be extra careful to keep them sterile as they can increase your risk of thrush and they can lesson the feedback to your breast, and obviously the baby can get used to the feeling of the shield and need convincing to feed without it, but if you are getting good letdown and baby is feeding from well from them, I'd say the benefits are far outweighing that. Ultimately you need to fix the latch, sooner rather than later and once you do it won't be painful as your nipples will be far back in your babies mouth rather than being pinched and mashed by the gum ridge and so keep persevering with the LC, worth their weight in gold!. <em>edited by kiwispiers on 09/01/2012</em>

Ah, so you started that. I'm a member of that group. Great job. :) Yay! No great job really (and I don't do modesty, let alone false modesty!)... it just seemed necessary and in a bout of bad planning, I created the group and only afterwards found Breastfeeding Q&A! I just really enjoy getting projects going - anyone who knows me in real life will now be rolling their eyes in recognition because finishing projects is another matter entirely! Anyhow, point being, is that it needs to keep going and I officially now hand that torch to you guys. Make it what you will!

They run a bf support group there, which inspired me to create [url=https://www.facebook.com/groups/277564193389/'>Breastfeeding Mums in Dubai[/url'> Ah, so you started that. I'm a member of that group. Great job. :)