Breastfeeding General Chatter #12

[MeganH]

Woohoo Sterla thats awesome. A HUGE congrats to you. I used nippleshields in the beginning too and like you every now and then tried a feed without them. I found that if i took it off halfway through a feed Emily would then attatch onto my nipple whereas if i tried starting the feed without the nippleshield it didnt go too well. I had almost resorted to having to use them indefinately but then iy just started to work. Its a great feeling isnt it, and so much easier not having to use them too.

[onthefly]

Huge WooHoo Sterla! That's awesome.

How's things LizJ? Has your DS been checked for tongue tie - sometimes they miss that. My DS couldn't latch without causing damage till he was about 11 weeks. We used nipple shields for 7 weeks before that. One LC we saw commented on a slight tongue tie, but we were told by docs that it was fine and didn't need snipping. I think maybe it did. My technique was always perfect and it looked like DS was feeding well.... but it wasn't painfree till nearly 3 months.

[Gigi]

congrats Sterla, your patience paid off, great news for you.

[Shanti]

Hiya girls!!! It's been a while since I posted here.... not on BB as much these days! No time! We just moved house.... loving our new home.... geez it's alot of work moving though! Especially with a baby! Luckily Mum stayed for 3 days and helped with DD heaps. Was so good having her help... someone else to change pooey nappies hehe

Breastfeeding going great here.... just a few comments from my Mum and MIL recently got me feeling annoyed more than anything.... Sitting at the table having morning tea and both Mum and MIL there (were here helping with the move) and I mentioned about DD getting her first two teeth cutting through (they have in the last week!!!) and MIL says "well as soon as she bites you know that's when you stop breastfeeding" *tisk* *tisk* !!! how annoying those comments are..... not very supportive are they?
And my Mum AGREED with her is what annoyed me too and said "yes in my day, most women weaned babies after about 8/9mths breastfeeding"... and I said, "well Mum these days times have changed and WHO recommend feeding to 2yrs and beyond" and she just looked at me.... Mum BF me til I was 10mths and MIL didnt BF either boys.

I'm so frustrated by people's lack of knowledge !!! Grrr.... vent over. Who cares really, as long as I'm doing the BEST by DD, then nothing else matters right!??

Hope you're all keeping well!!! Happy Breastfeeding.........

Must go to bed... DD has been soooo unsettled tonight.... woken a few times.... her teeth are giving her pain Teething SUCKS!!!!!

[sloane]

shanti - hope the teething is getting a little bit better. those comments must have been frustrating - esp with your mum & MIL both saying it!

sterla - a very belated from me as well!

lizj - i've been wondering how you're going. hope all is going well & those cracks are healing

it's amazing how the BF gets better & better. i am loving my MCHN centre & esp my nurse - at DS' 4mth appt she made a point of saying that he may have teeth before the next appt & he may bite, she wanted to reassure me that this does not mean i need to stop BF & she told me some strategies & also said to call if i had any problems. i thought that was a real positive considering some people's horror stories!

DP's grandma was over yesterday & was asking when we'd start solids, i explained current guidelines are 6mths. she commented that DS was obviously thriving without them & didn't need anything extra. awwww

[Arimeh]

Who would have ever thought I could pop my little nose into this thread?! Yet - here I am

So yeah,

[Shanti]

Hey Mel!!! Welcome to one of the best threads in BB

[Sterla]

Yay!!! Hi Mel .

[tk1999]

Hiya Mel!

A little whoo hoo for me... I have volunteered to visit the new mums in 3 hospitals around my area on behalf of the ABA to give out info on the ABA and our local ABA groups meetings etc and the lady who was showing me the ropes has suggested that she believes I "have what it takes" to be an ABA counsellor... she is going to get me some info on the training etc!!

Very excited!

[Arimeh]

Omg what a shocker of a night - I was thinking of the tin of the formula in the pantry at 3am let me tell you!!!

Arghhh I'm so frustrated, I thought her attachment was getting better (which is why I haven't gotten in contact with the LC yet) because we have had some pain free feeds etc, but now its like she's taken a jump backwards, and won't open her mouth again, she just sucks my nipple into her mouth. It doesn't hurt that much because I'm still using the nipple shields, but she turns her head back and forth (I don't think she likes the feeling of the shield in her mouth) and screws the shield up, so it falls off, milk goes everywhere, she starts screaming, I get frustrated cos I just want her to attach properly!!! But sometimes she won't suck enough to start the milk flowing through the shield, so she gets all fussy and tosses and turns her head and doesn't attach properly, just has a half-a$$ed attempt at sucking so it doesn't do ANYTHING to get milk out... arghhhh...

So last night she fed 4 times in a row from 1am - just kept wanting it - but then when I lifted her up to burp her, she would vomit it all over me (my poor bed). So she vomited 3 times, and did 3 explosive poos that I had to change so I ended up saying NO to more feeds at around 3amish and just trying to rock her to sleep. Didn't work, so she eventually passed out at 4am on my chest.

Pass the matchsticks for my eyes!!!

[Shanti]

TK1999 - way to go!!! That's awesome!!! You should! You can train alongside me.....

** I have submitted my application papers a few days ago after talking about doing it with my group leader and ABA rang me yesterday to confirm that my starter pack to train will be sent out very shortly so i will be training to become an ABA breastfeeding counsellor too!!!! I'm so excited..... was going to let you girls know soon anyway!!!! I was keeping it hush hush until my papers were submitted!
I feel I will be able to help other women breastfeeding as we had so many probs we overcame in the first 4mths that i really do feel i will be able to help other mum's with the knowledge and experience and love of breastfeeding that i have.... i just love it! Such an advocate!!

Mel - oh Mel those early days/weeks are hard aren't they..... I remember those moments MANY times.... you are doing GREAT. Don't be tempted by the formula, it sounds like you have plenty of milk and these are just normal hiccups along the way.... she's learning as much as you are. Keep relaxed as best you can because getting all upset and stressed about it only makes her not want to feed (that is what happened with DD and I ALOT!!! so many tears etc) and because Eden is only so very little, as painful and tiring as it is, you have to keep letting her feed as often as she wants to establish your milk supply hun... it's so important. I never had mine established in those early weeks as we had so many probs with weak suck etc but we got there in the end. Have you tried feeding Eden in a warm bath so you both can relax?

My advice for you, see an LC. Have one come to your house... an IBCLC. that saved us and I am so glad i paid the $$ to have home visits because we needed that specialised care and attention..... (for weeks!). And also call ABA as often as you need to, that is what they are there for.

Barb can recommend an LC in your area most probably?

[Shanti]

A little story I want to share with you all about my gorgeous DH

He told me when he got home from work yesterday that a customer had asked him "is your wife still BF'ing?" and my DH told the customer "yes and will probably keep going until our DD is at least two as she is loving it" and the customer just said "oh ok".... and then he said to my husband "is she in her own cot?" and DH said to him "nope we co-sleep and she probably will until she's 18yrs old!!" haha I was so proud of my DH for saying that....and the customer said to him "oh you better stop that!"

What business is it of the customer's anyway?? (the guy is about 60!)

[Arimeh]

Shanti - I do let her feed whenever she wants, we are demand feeding, but in my experience, when a baby vomits up after every feed - its not usually food they are after, just comfort sucking - well, my other two were like that, so I imagine a third one can't be that different - no matter how you feed them.

Not to mention that I was up from 1am to 4am - and I have two other kids to take care of during the day so no time for napping, so I guess I do have to try and limit her feeds more than a person who only has the one child.

[Shanti]

Shanti - I do let her feed whenever she wants, we are demand feeding, but in my experience, when a baby vomits up after every feed - its not usually food they are after, just comfort sucking - well, my other two were like that, so I imagine a third one can't be that different - no matter how you feed them.

Not to mention that I was up from 1am to 4am - and I have two other kids to take care of during the day so no time for napping, so I guess I do have to try and limit her feeds more than a person who only has the one child.

Sorry Mel if I said the wrong thing before, was only trying to offer some help.... Could she have reflux perhaps? Sometimes feeding can be painful for bubs when they have reflux hence why they shake their heads and scream etc when trying to latch on.... an LC would be best able to tell if that is the case.
I'm sorry if I offended you. You are doing great. I can only imagine how busy you are with 2 other kids. I do know what it's like though in those early days/weeks trying to BF a baby, it's tough. I've been there and many of us have. You can do this.

[Jellyfish]

Hello everyone!

You are doing great, Mel

My little lady is 9 months today and we are still here

[tk1999]

TK1999 - way to go!!! That's awesome!!! You should! You can train alongside me.....

That would be great - I won't be starting my training until at least February as I haven't reached 6 months of breastfeeding yet but I have all the info and am busy getting it all together. for your DH!

Arimeh - those first few weeks/months are tough. I can't begin to imagine what it is like with another two little ones to look after as well. Just know that we are here cheering for you - not much help at 3am but it was often something that got me through!

Jitterbug - 9 months - stellar effort!

[Gigi]

wow TK, that's great news.

ARIMEH - for a bub that is posseting up the feeds

start each feed by laying a nappyfree time mat across you, (day) and put one on your bedsheet (when feeding in bed at night).

if you don't ahve a nappy free time mat, you can make do with this

- lay down something water repellant like a polar fleece rug, or a piece of PUL if you are a sewer, and have that sort of stuff
- lay down something absorbent like a bath sheet folded over double
- the proper nappy free time mats have a "stay dry" layer on the top part e.g microfleece

dunno how big yur bed is
dunno if your dh is sleeping there to
doing this bizzo with the nappy free time mat (really a mattress protector) is MUCH easier to do if it's just YOU and BABY in the bed - you need the room to do it.

milk goes off quick, yucky smell, and who needs to be constantly changing the bed, so the nappy free time mat, or mattress protector mat e.g swaddlebees make them, i swore by mine
they catch
- baby possets
- projectile you know what
- your own milk overflow
- nappy overflows too!
keeps your bedsheets smelling nicer, cos you just toss the mat into the washer in the morning (or after a bad session). much easier than remaking the bed and washing extra bedlinen.

if dh sleeps in your bed, while you're night feeding, i dunno what to say. my dh slept on the sofa, so i had the room i needed.

[Arimeh]

Shanti - thanks for the PM. xxx

TK - it is difficult with 3, I feel like I am always on the run!!!! Grabbing a few spare seconds I have to post as bub is in the swing, DD1 is drawing and DS is outside - probably playing with the dead snail I told him to stay away from

Gigi - we have a king size bed. But my husband is quite a big guy, and I'm not a small fry, plus we have DS in the middle of us for most of the night, so there isn't a heap of room to spare!!!! I usually just have some flat nappies around, and just use them to catch the spit ups and that.

The MCHN came around yesterday (woohoo to home visits!) and she weighed and measured DD2 - she's nearly 3 weeks old, still hasn't regained her birth weight yet (but she wasn't too concerned about it), gained 2cm in length and .5cm on head circ. So she is growing, just slow to put on weight (much like DD1 was, she didn't regain her birth weight till at least 3 weeks, but nobody said anything to me about low weight gains because she was on formula). So maybe my girls are just slow gainers (unlike me!!)

Night time attachment definitely sucks works than any other time of day, even DH was watching last night and telling me "gee she's really bad isn't she.."... lol... and I'm like.. uh.. YES.

The MCHN watched our attachment yesterday, said its not too bad (must have gotten a good feed I think!) but said that our problem is mainly because her mouth is really small, and my boobs are the opposite... so she just can't deal with all of it yet, have to wait until she gets bigger. All my kids seem to have small mouths.

Ahh well better go check on the kids!