Breastfeeding General Chatter #13

[MantaRay]

Hello all!

This thread has been created as a general chatter thread for those who are breastfeeding their babies. It's designed for those who want to support each other in their breastfeeding journey, however long that may be. So let's start a cheersquad for all those who would like to support one another, for as long as they decide to breastfeed.

To view the previous thread, please click here.

Some other useful breastfeeding websites include:

Australian Breastfeeding Association
KellyMom (USA)
Australian Lactation Consultants Association
Register of IBCLC's (International Board Certified Lactation Consultants)

[Persephone1]

Subscribing to the new thread...

Things are going well here, and I'm very grateful for that. One of the Mums who was in my antenatal class has had all sorts of problems and I think Mr A and I are lucky we've had it so easy. We make a good team

We're now lying down for all night-feeds, which is so nice. Only problem is...Mr A falls asleep too quickly on the boob, then wakes an hour later for more boob. I don't like waking him when he looks so content, but I'm thinking that we might have to go back to some sitting-up feeding to get him to wake up a bit more. And we're using BBH night nappies to minimise the number of nappy changes at night, so can't use a nappy change to wake him up anymore! The last few days he's fed hourly between 4am and 8am and it's killing me!

And witching hour is challenging - feed/fart/feed/burp/fuss/feed/burp...it goes on and on! Hoping we can settle down a bit soon.

to all the beautiful bfing mothers!

[HotI]

We're now lying down for all night-feeds, which is so nice. Only problem is...Mr A falls asleep too quickly on the boob, then wakes an hour later for more boob.

Yay! you sound like the two of you are going great! Have you tried playing with his ear whilst he is feeding? It can be enough to keep him sucking.

[human bean]

It's about time I say hello and stop just lurking about the thread Going well here and really happy about it - one question though - does one's nipples become more sensitive to the cold when BF? When the temp drops and I haven't rugged up or getting out of the shower etc I can get real chills right in my nipples. I've never felt it before BF, and it actually hurts quite a bit. Goes away as soon as I'm warm, and I have no other complaints, but I'm guessing it must be they are just more sensitive atm?

And Persphone, I 2nd Kate's suggestions of playing with his ear, it's enough to prompt my DD to keep sucking.

[HotI]

I have heard breastmilk is pretty good for lots of ailments. Bub has a bit of cradle cap and also a red rash on her face. would breastmilk for any good for these? do you just squirt it on or do you put it on with a wipe?

ta

[Shanti]

I have heard breastmilk is pretty good for lots of ailments. Bub has a bit of cradle cap and also a red rash on her face. would breastmilk for any good for these? do you just squirt it on or do you put it on with a wipe?

ta

Yep BM is wonderful for lots of things!! It's truely liquid gold Depends if you have a good aim or not you could squirt it on.... or express some first into a cup and apply it that way? I haven't thought to use it on my DD's cradle cap. She is 17mo now and still has it...

[Shanti]

It's about time I say hello and stop just lurking about the thread Going well here and really happy about it - one question though - does one's nipples become more sensitive to the cold when BF? When the temp drops and I haven't rugged up or getting out of the shower etc I can get real chills right in my nipples. I've never felt it before BF, and it actually hurts quite a bit. Goes away as soon as I'm warm, and I have no other complaints, but I'm guessing it must be they are just more sensitivy .

This sounds to me like you may have what's called Vasospasm of the nipple. Reason I say this is because you describe it exactly how I did when i had it in the early months BF. It's nothing to worry about and quite a few women do experience this at some point.
Mine seemed to come on in the cold months too when my DD was about 4/5mths old and I would have to cup my hand over my nipple to keep it warm straight away after she pulled off and sometimes even used a heated wheatpack to warm it up! Showers helped too.... eventually it went away after probably 6-8wks i can't quite remember how long it lasted but it was a few weeks. An LC diagnosed mine. I also had a bit of thrush also at the time too.....
I also remember trying to keep a close watch on having good attachment as that can really help too... even babies at 3 or 4mths of age can get into habits where the attachment may not be quite right and that may cause it perhaps.
Have a look at a website called Kellymom (google that) and look up in the breastfeeding section..... vasospasm. It will give you some info on it to help better explain it.
You may not even have that so i'm only suggesting what it 'could' be. Best speak to a GP or LC about it if you are worried or if it persists.

everyone else!! No news from me.

[Lily Dust]

Just found this thread and cant wait to join in and support everyone out there!

[Persephone1]

Just wanted to say that my nipples have also been a bit sensitive to cold since bfing, but not to the extent of vasopasm. Our bathroom is very cold, and I notice an uncomfortable tingling whenever I get undressed to take a shower. It's been improving as time goes, it was much more sensitive in the first two weeks.

Um...tell me about green poos! DS has had green nappies for 24 hours now, and lots of wind. If this is oversupply, am I meant to do anything to change it? I've been feeding him on one boob at a time to try and make sure he gets the hindmilk but no change yet.

[wysiwyg]

My DD was a winter baby and for first few months my nipples were very sensitive to cold, I don't think was vasospasm they just hurt and tingled a bit when cold. When weather changed all went away, now is winter again they are a bit more sensitive again but as only two feeds these days is easier to make sure am warm for those feeds. Another reason to want return of some warmth.

[con:)]

Persephone- My dd had lots and lots of green poo's as well. She still has green poo's at three months. I believe it is quite normal, although i don't know what exactly causes it. I don't stress too much about it, my midwife said it's perfectly fine!

[human bean]

Persephone, I had oversupply issues about a month ago and DD had green frothy poos - they were awful! I had an oversupply in my R breast, because I'd had a blocked duct in it and had fed from it heaps to clear it and then keep it clear. I mainly fed from my L side for a few days, just feeding enough or expressing enough from the R for comfort, and after a few days it all calmed down and her poo went yellow again. I talked to an ABA counsellor and she said it was a balancing act, because whilst I needed to feed mainly from the L, I didn't want it producing too much, iykwim? I'm sure there's much more experienced and well informed people then me that can help you though! That was just our experience

ETA I'm not meaning you have to do anything, just saying our experience with green poos, sorry if it came across the wrong way

[MantaRay]

Green poo bascially means the poo is moving through the digestive tract more quickly. It is not a problem. One reason this might happen is oversupply, or changing sides before the first breast is finished. It can also happen if baby has a bit of a tummy bug. With no other issues it is not a problem so there is no need to do anything.

[deletedit]

Argh! Theo and I are sick, so he's basically sleeping all day and now I have an ubersore boob ... he falls asleep before he's finished I expressed a bit in the shower (pretty easy - just lean forward and insta-leaking) but nowhere near enough, apparently. My boob size difference is very noticable!

If I don't get him properly awake by dinner I'm going to have to make a concerted effort to express. Can you take a bath at 2.5 weeks post-birth? Expressing has never been one of my strong points, I rely on my little smelly sucking machines to take care of that for me.

[wysiwyg]

I share similar experiences with mothers group and am also in a very well educated area, and after reading recent other bf threads that got very heated think although it is true that alot of people don't bf through lack of education/understanding it is also a fact that plenty of people do understand and know benefits but choose to ignore them or don't believe them. For those of us who are pro bf it is impossible for us to understand this but there are alot of things people do which I can't comprehend. Spreading the education is still very important as I think unfortunately alot of people are just happy to follow the majority so if bf was the norm as it used to be years ago and is physiologically less people would stop bf so quickly.

My parents recently sent me an article called when breastfeeding goes on too long.I was a bit angry (will post when am home) as was full of ridiculous statements. My parents have always been pro bf but seems now DD is 16 months they think should give up. She only feeds first thing and before bed anyway, I am back at work full-time but even when am home shows no interest in the day. As I am working bf also makes me feel close to her still even though our time is limited so no way am I giving up until she refuses.

Persephone the first four aba meetings I went to was just me and the counsellors whose kids are grown up and I was a little disappointed as thought would be good for socialising but I persevered and now there are more mums coming along and I write the bulletin. I really like the meetings as are quite different to mothers group.

[jessicakate]

Hi everyone, only just found this thread, but I'm glad I have cos I really feel passionate about bf, not that I get to talk about it much, and I love the idea of being able to share experiences with you girls. Especially some of you who are feeling a bit bummed out about MG's etc, or are in the early stages of bf and not feeling overly confident or whatever.

I am very proudly still feeding my 26month old (albeit generally only once a day now, sometimes two, sometimes none - although she doesn't appear to be thinking about stopping completely anytime soon) and am 37 weeks pg with my second. I can only applaud my dd's tenacity as we went through what I am sure was very low supply during my second trimester when I couldn't even really squeeze anything out myself - although she's always been the expert in getting it out, lol. supply does seem to be building again now though as second baby is nearly here. It always proved to me that bf is about much more than just physical nourishment, the emotional nourishment is amazing as well. Anyway I am most definitely the only one in my mg still bf, and have definitely bitten my tongue at times, especially when at around 3 months one of the girls in my mg said she was changing to formula as her baby had reflux on breastmilk, and because formula was thicker it wouldn't come up as much. I think she just wanted to stop, but didn't want to say that.

I must admit that as much as I have loved bf my DD, the idea that with the birth of my next baby impending, my consecutive years of bfing will likely be at least 4 years probably 5, I am a little freaked out. It just seems like such a hugely long commitment, and there have been times that I have craved underwire bras and not being quite so tied to my little one, and just as she can skip a day here and there, and I can see a bit of bodily freedom, it is all about to start again. does that make sense?? Like I love it, and I wouldn't change it, or give my next child any less than what my DD has been given but another 2 to 3 years is a long way in the future and is tiring just to think about lol. So I guess no matter how long you've been doing it, you can always use a bit of a support from those around you, so I guess it's lucky I've found this thread now.

Persephone - my only thought is to try not to think about what the other mum's in your group are doing. Mostly if they are talking formula up as the way to go, it is because they are feeling insecure about their choice and are looking for everyone else's ok. I can promise you that when they are all complaining about their bubs having colds or excema or other allergies, or that their children are up all night teething and not being able to settle them with a quick bf, or having to use panadol to lower a low grade fever when you can do it with a quick feed, you'll be thinking how you are the lucky one. (I better clarify that yes I know bf babies can get colds etc but in my experience the bf babies in my mother's group and with other friends too, were far less likely to.) Also the more you get to know girls on bb the more you will find you aren't the only one. I have been lucky enough to know a couple of other girls (just through my first belly group) who are also still feeding their 26 months olds - and we've even met in person. We're like in the 1 or 2% (can't remember which) in Australia still feeding our children at this age, and without bb I might just think I was the only one... lol.

Anyway that's enough from me, I look forward to being a part of this thread in the future.

[jessicakate]

oh and I forgot, Jellyfish - your stories were so cute!!! I loved the one about your daughter, how sweet.

[deletedit]

This breastfeeding gig is making me hungry ... if I dare venture outside and do *gasp* physical work *shock horror* I have to stop really soon and shovel in a tonne of food. Its just silly ... and you should see the size of my evening meals. Which need to be followed by dessert, a post-dinner snack, and an evening snack. And yes, I'm losing weight.

Meanwhile Lump here is a great big barrel of roly-poly cuteness with rubber band wrists/ankles/everything and Michelin man legs. Geeee I wonder where all my calories are going