yeh ive got some heavy duty ab's but not sure if i should take them cause it goes throught breast milk but i cant have much else cause im allergic to a lot of it.
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yeh ive got some heavy duty ab's but not sure if i should take them cause it goes throught breast milk but i cant have much else cause im allergic to a lot of it.
:hug: just wanted to send BIG hugs your amazing hun try to rest xxxx
Hope you're feeling better soon :hug:
Hun, you can call Mothersafe in NSW and they can tell you about the safety of the abs while bfing. Most are fine and if the doc knew you were bfing he should have prescribed safe ones.
I hope you are feeling better today.
You are having a terrible time hun :hug:. Hope you feel better very soon xx
Hope you're feeling better soon, hun. :hug: It can make it just that much harder to cope with looking after kids and dealing with your bfing dilemnas when you're so unwell.
Ok, took the AB's and today feel a little bit better. How ever got a tooth ache now cause of the sinus infection. Typical.
Anyway, I got the breast pump today that Maz very kindly organised for me. But I would only get 25mls our from both sides after half an hour. I couldn't get a proper let down. But could if i hand expressed. So not sure how to get it going with the pump. I was relaxed and in a quite from, so i dunno. Any suggestions?
I'm going to make some of those lactation cookies soon. Does anyone know if they actually work?
They never worked for me babe, only Motiluim worked for me lomg term...
With the feeding babe.. If J is "suckling" all the time he may be only getting the fore milk, the watery stuff that comes first, so would be "full", but not getting the all important hind milk, which is full of nutrients and fats.
If you can keep him off in between, feeding ONLY on the 3 hrs for a while might make feed him for longer, and get that hind milk from both breasts at each feed..... if bub doesnt take the hind milk, then you will also start to make less, starting a vicious cycle.... good luck sweets, you are determined and strong, and noone can parent your baby like you you can.
Wish you lived closer, i would certainly come visit and help if I could... xoxoxo
That makes sense Jodie. But how long should i leave him on there before taking him off? The only reason i keep him attached a lot is because i thought he'd get plenty then because i never know how much he's getting, he usually just falls asleep after a while.
That's great news that you are feeling better.
T, I would suggest feeding for 20mins on the first side, doing a nappy change then 20 mins on the other side. This should help maximize the hind milk. Sometimes spacing feeds can help, like waiting 3 hours, but if you are concerned about supply this might not be the best option for you to start with. I would start by trying the 20 mins per side first and see what happens.
What sort of pump do you have? Often it can take a lot of tries to get a let down with a pump. You could try putting a warm cloth on your breast for 5 mins before expressing, and also squeezing your breast gently while expressing (in fact doing this while you feed can help the baby get more milk too). I used to find I let down more easily if I watched tv or read while expressing too. Watching the bottle can make it harder to relax. Also try expressing in the same place you usually feed.
It is great that hand expressing is going well for you, that's a great achievement. You are doing so well hun. I hope it gets easier soon :hug:
So what do i do if he falls asleep before 20mins? He usually doesn't last longer than 15 minutes. He's not lethargic but i take him off, change nappy or just wake him up any way i can and he usualy wakes quite quick and seems alert. But as soon as the boob is back in his mouth he closes his eyes again and drifts off.
Hopefully if he isnt full from suckling so much he will WANT to take a good feed.. after one side is done, and you get a good burp and a change, he will actually want to take the second side.. dont panic if he doesnt do this right off the bat, it might take a few feeds for him to get into the pattern, but he should.. good luck.. xoxoxo
So is there anyway to know that he's emptied one side fully?
I don't think you ever fully empty the breast- because the breast is producing milk at the same time as bub is feeding- however if i feel the breast after a feed it is much softer than it is just before a feed. I can tell which side to start from just by feeling which is firmer.
I used to keep bub awake by tickling her ear while she was feeding.
Hi,
20 mins is just a guideline. Your baby is a bit older now - 7 weeks or so? he is probably a pretty efficient feeder and can empty a breast in no time. If he falls asleep a bit earlier than 20 mins take him off (put your little finger in the corner of his mouth and gently break the suction - his eyes will spring open and he'll suck like crazy - as though to say "please don't take me off" but do anyway. Burp him and change his nappy to wake him up a bit and then give him the other side - same - no more than 20 mins. It's probably more important that he gets more feeds, rather than longer feeds - most babies need at least 8 (even 12 or more is normal) If he still seems unsettled you could give him both sides again - often babies stay a bit more "interested" that way.
If you pump after the baby has fed it will stand to reason that he's finished most of it - so you won't get much then. If your baby is keen to feed it's usually not necessary to pump.
Glad you're feeling better - you've had a very hard week. Look after yourself.
Not really, but you can always try putting him back on that side if he wakes within the three hours.
It doesn't sound like you need to be alarmed yet, hun, just monitor and put in place some ways of ensuring he's feeding adequately. :hug:
Yeh i tickle his chin which makes him suck a bit but he still keeps his eyes closed lol.
Honey I am so proud of you :clap: you are doing such a fantastic job!
Im so glad that the breast pump has arrived.
When I was at the RCH the lacto there told me to express an hour after a feed to help get my supply up and it worked a treat for me. I didnt have a great deal from expressing..maybe 30ml's at the most but after doing it 4 -5 times the day I had enough for a good night time feed were I could rest and let the nurse feed him.
He was 6 weeks old at this stage.
Please remember that in the morning your always going to have 'more' milk then later at night due to the feeding demands through the day.
Please start believing in yourself babe...you are doing such an awesome job :hug:
My supply is deminishing rapidly because im so sick. I can barely function today so he's only had 3 BF, the rest formula.
I'm having a problem expressing from the right side. My nipple is a weird shape. Sort of half flat half not and its half the size of the left one which looks normal. So i can't express anything from it for some reason. Jackson also doesn't like that side as much as the other. But today from the left (normal) side i got 100mls in one sitting. Woo!
Now tell me, what colour is BM suppose to be? Is there any chance that i just do not have enough of the fatty milk? Because it honestly looked pretty much murky clear. Not really white at all. So could he maybe be getting enough but not putting on the weight because there isn't much fatty content?
I dunno. I think i'm clutching at starws here to continue to BF...
Half flat nipple sounds like bad attachment maybe? It may be that that side's got a slower flow/lower volume on it, which would explain why your DS doesn't like it so much.
100ml is great!
Colour.... um, you know I can't remember exactly but it is watery looking and shouldn't be white.
I hope you can shake this bug off soon :hug: :clap: to you for working so hard
Babe, you can feed from one side if need be.. it can compensate for both!
Milk can all look different.. the best way to look at is after its been in the fridge.... once cold, does it seperate? Like a creamy on top, watery underneath? To mix again never shake, just gently swirl....
My milk has looked like water, lumpy and off, yellow and a touch greeny too!! Your milk changes as bub grows too.... but it is still perfect.
If you like, there is a medication you can take for your supply... after 36 hrs from having it I was back to like when my milk came in!! And it stayed for almost a year too... just a thought if it a path you would like... xoxoxo
:cheer: 100ml's you go babe!!!!!!!
that is awesome stuff honey!!! bloody awesome!!!!
:redface: Ive still got some EBM in the freezer I cant part wiht and yep its murky looking. Take into consideration your on medication and not well either.
You are doing SO SO WELL!!! Look how far yourve come this last week!!
Marcellus, my nipple has always looked like that, so it's not bad attachment. He can attach pretty well to it considering. Its just harder to get a let down from that side. Sometimes he's ok with it sometimes it frustrates him.:
Jodie, Do you mean motilium? I tried taking that with Orson but it never made a difference. I would give it another go but the only GP who is willing to give it to me is 45 minutes away from me now since ive moved. Everyone else just thinks im a crack head for suggesting it, saying theyve never heard of it increasing milk before and don't believe me.
Thanks Maz for the encouragement. *hugs*
What a shame babe.... Some say you can only take 40-60ml per day.. but the mothercare nurse line said 90ml per day was fine for Motilium, and thats the amount I needed....but like all things, it doesnt work for everyone...xoxox
You are doing a great job sweets, and have treid so so hard!! I hope things ease up sweets... xoxoxo
Ok, maybe it's your slower side. My left is the same. Sounds like your lefty is doing well anyway.
motilium will only work if your problem is low prolactin levels, so perhaps that wasn't the issue before?
:hug:
Your doing a great job :clap:
Hope u feel better soon.
Hun, I would say that your supply is still ok. 100mls is a great amount to express. Also a full breast will have a lot of foremilk which is one reason why frequent feeding helps a baby gets lots of hind milk. Your milk sounds perfect hun and you are doing a great job. Illness doesn't affect supply in itself, but it can slow down let down, and also mums sometimes feed less often when they are not feeling well and that is what affects supply.
Be kind to yourself hun. You are feeding a newborn, with 3 older siblings and you are sick. That is a pretty huge deal hun and you are doing a fantastic job. Once you are feeling better it will hopefully get easier for you. Hang in there :hug:
I wonder.....
have you got a nipple sheild babe? My SIL used them for the first 3 months due to inverted, large flat nipples.
It was a bit of a pain having to have them clean ect BUT she successfully BF him that was for 3 months until his mouth was big enough and now no more nipple sheild...normal nipple in mouth :dance:
This just keeps getting worse. I'm getting sicker and just having a real hard time breastfeeding at all. I'm so tired (no sleep because i have a really bad cough) and run down. I have a massive migraine from the constant coughing. I cant concentrate on anything. I've tired expressing to keep my milk up but im only getting like 50mls a day now even though my boobs are busting. Jackson has 1 maybe 2 breastfeeds at the most a day at the moment. It's all i can manage. I don't want to give up! But i don't know what to do? I can see an end in sight. An end to my breastfeeding :(
Jackson on the otherhand is going well. Looks chubbier and is pooing more at least.
Antheia,
You are making milk just fine. Just feed him, and feed him often. Take to your bed and breastfeed him. You are sick, but this won't impact on your milk supply. Not breastfeeding him will impact on your milk supply. Stop expressing and breastfeed him. Everything is hard when you are sick. You are having a really hard time at the moment, but thankfully it won't always be like this
I can't go to bed. Laying down makes me cough worse and coughing upsets him so he wont feed anyway and my fevers are making him really hot and uncomfortable. Im not sure how to remedy that.
can you take panadol or ibuprofen to help with the fever?? Both are safe for breastfeeding.
Stress really screws with your ability to express - much more than it does with your actual supply. So the more jackson sucks the better things will be. Put a towel between you and him to avoid overheating him if you have to - or try the patented minimal contact bf, where you find a lowish chair, put bub on a table, sit down and plonk the nipple in.
If you are having trouble breathing, some of the nasal sprays are also safe to use while feeding, as are some cough suppressants. See here: Breastfeeding and medications
for more info.
can you try BFing him in the shower hon? I only say this as I was pretty sick at one stage and I found that I was able to relax myself and him more in there.
You are doing such a fantastic job trying so hard honey..please dont think that your unable to do this...look at how hard yourve worked over the past weeks.
:hug: throwing you one of these guys cause I think you could do with one IRL but Its a little to far for me.
Antheia, horrible thought but I'm wondering if some of this fever is mastitis since you have suddenly reduced the number of feeds quite drastically.
Please, please encourage J to feed as much as you can and see if you feel any better.