Need some advice & support!! New breastfeeding mother....

[Georgi]

Hi ladies.. I though I would let you all know how Ren is going. She's been flat out with Ava, she just loves to be held. The LC was & has continued to be excellent. She has telephoned Ren plenty of times since her visit. Ren felt Ava's attachement was all wrong though the LC showed her how to get Ava to attach herself plus how to feed laying down, she is feeding much better now & Ren's supply is on the up. She expressed 80mls this morning & the LC has advised to stop expressing now. It seems Ava had a good night feeding every 4 hours though she hasn't been too interested in sleeping today. Once she finally went to sleep it was almost time for another feed & It took 15 mins to wake her for her afternoon feed.

After talking to Ren on the phone a few minutes ago, she seems much brighter & much more confident then when I saw her at lunch time yesterday.

So to sum it up... Things are going soooooo much better. Not sure how the cracked nipples are today... I forgot to ask.

[Snacks]

Thanks for the update, Georgi.
Ren, so glad to hear that the LC is helping you out and that Ava had lots of good feeds overnight. Congratulations

[Shanti]

Hi girls!

Georgi - thank you so much

I'm sooo very sorry I haven't literally had the chance to get online since yesterday morning!! Ava just loves to be held.... she's a very clingy bub and I suppose being a newborn that is quite normal too. She needs alot of help getting settled and rocking to sleep. It can take from one feed to the next just to settle her down especially with wind pain. She isn't sleeping much during the day but I suppose that means she will sleep better at night! Just got her down now after a BIG feed on both sides. So it's "ME" time now!!

The LC that Barb gave me to contact, is excellent! She came over at 12 yesterday in time for the next feed and she showed me a new way to attach. Cradle and lying down. For now, I am just lying down for each feed to help heal my damaged, cracked nipples. They are slowly feeling a bit better.... she could tell by looking at them that the pain would have been a 10. And she was right. Now the pain when attaching is about a 7.... hopefully will continue to get better if i stick to what she shows me. She is calling me morning and night to see how it is going so it's wonderful having that phone support...she is visiting again Thurs to check my attachment is still correct and to show me cradle position hold attachment.

LC weighed her yesterday and she only weighed 3560g which is what her weight was on Monday prior! So she hasn't gained or lost in a week. That was disappointing to find out however they are different scales too. Anyway at least we are onto it now.... not later.

If i had my time again, I would have called a LC in to see me in hospital on day 2 rather than just letting the midwives help me...... but never mind!! We learn don't we! turns out the way the midwives have shown me is sooooo different to how I'm now attaching.....I found out by the LC that her head bobs around because it's looking for the nipple and I was waiting and waiting for this big wide mouth (special K) and tongue down before I would put her on the nipple and i found she was getting so frustrated with me and her hands would get in the way etc. Midwives told me her head bobs around cos' she is fussy and impatient baby! however thats not the case... the LC has now told me thats just what newborns do!!! Now, I just bring her to my nipple and as soon as she lines up with the nipple, she's on. No mucking around. and somehow she knows how to get her mouth around the nipple. Its simple. before, there was too much thought put into it....iykwim? the LC is teaching me that there isnt a great science to it. Babies know what to do. Follow babies lead.

I am more relaxed when feeding lying down and I find like last night, I can drift in and out of sleep a bit while she's feeding so I'm resting aswell.... I'm not dreading each feed like I was before I saw the LC. It was so bad each time she was due for a feed I would cringe and get so worked up before she even got on and that wasn't helping!

I am no longer expressing as my milk appears to be up again (phew!!) and I just have to keep religiously waking her to feed every 3-4hrs.

Had a close friend visit me today and Georgi visited me yesterday (thanks Georgi ) so I have plenty of support around me. You girls have been so wonderful thank you for surrounding me with your support and help and encouragement as I sure need it..... and I still feel I have a long way to go but each day will get easier.
Will hopefully touch base tomorrow let you know how it is going!

eta - no dirty nappies yet today still waiting.....

[sneakysparkle]

yay Ren thats so wonderful things are better!!!

[MantaRay]

Ren, that sounds so much better hun. I am so proud of you for overcoming your difficulties. You have done a really fantastic job. The good news is that the hardest part is over. You can do anything now!

[Shanti]

Thanks girls.

Forgot to mention before, when I expressed this morning I got 50ml from the L side in 10mins!! And R side 30ml in 10mins! 80mls total. LC said that was wonderful and a great indication my supply is coming back!

[Maruschke]

Ren that sounds fantastic! You are such a wonderful mummy, I'm sure it will get easier for you from here, you are a natural!

[Janie]

Ren, fabulous, fabulous news Lying down to feed is brilliant, I'm glad you can do this now. Your LC sounds fantastic, I'm so pleased. And I'm so pleased you saw her and got things sorted before going to see the nurse. Don't worry, parenting is full of things you wish you'd done, in hindsight LOL. What matters is that things are going well now, it won't be long before you are feeding with no pain, and feeling like an old pro

And don't worry, that poo will come

[Laranna]

Ren, that's fantastic news! I'm so glad that you have a brilliant LC and things are improving. They are only going to get better from here on in. It's also great that you learnt to feed lying down. It is my favourite position. We still do all our feeds when we're at home lying down, sometimes in bed, sometimes on the couch, sometimes on a rug on the back lawn on a sunny day - very relaxing!

Keep up the good work, you should be very proud!!

[alioops]

Well done Ren!!! Good on you for seeking the help when you need it. Parenting is a learning curve, and none of us are experts, we all just do our best and hope it sticks!! Your LC sounds like an excellent woman, and I am glad you are finding her helpful.

Weight staying the same is better than weight loss hun, sometimes they do a huge weight gain one week and hardly any the next, so don't get too worked up about it just yet. But yes it is better to be aware that she has had no gain and work on making sure she is feeding enough, than not knowing. You are doing a good job hun. You have noticed where and when you need help and you are doing what needs to be done.

Hang in there hun, it does get easier.

[Barb Glare]

Hi,

What a fabulous story! It's amazing how the right help at the right time can turn things around so dramatically. it sounds like your LC is fabulous - and really knows her stuff

[onthefly]

That's fabulous! I'm so happy that you've worked through this
And that LC sounds absolutely marvelous!

[Jennifer13]

Well done Ren. Sounds like you got some good advice and knew what to do with it! You're the one doing all the work, so give yourself a huge pat on the back!

[Shanti]

Hi there,

Thank you for your posts!!

I rang LC this morning advising her that DD had been really hungry all morning and constantly wanting to feed at the breast!! She asked me to come in and see her at her pharmacy (she runs the baby clinic every weds there) so I thought ok. Our first visit in the car alone without DH! I was so nervous but managed successfully..... now I'm not afraid to leave the house anymore as I've done it now! hehe
Visited her and she weighed her. Still same weight as Monday. She watched our attachment in cradle position and said she's attaching brilliantly. Problem lies with her sucking.... she isn't effectively sucking all the time at the breast and this is why she can sit at the breast for up to 1hr and I don't realise she's not sucking properly! So not getting half as much as she should be. The L side is the worst she favours the R nipple for whatever reason.....

So.... she has put me on another action plan.... this time top up feeds of EBM so after every 3hrly feed, I have to feed her 40ml EBM top up (or whatever she takes) and then try and put her down so I can express for the next top up feed. This keeps me rather busy!!!!

We're getting there.... and had a nice big dirty nappy today YAY!!!! Thought it would never come..... I was so pleased to see that one!!!

I finally got her to sleep today (normally she doesn't sleep and cries all the time) so she must have a nice big full belly! And I finally got to sleep myself too for a bit!!! All the crying she's done the last week has meant she's always hungry!!! I feel so bad..... at least we are fixing it and I wasn't to know any better. This BFing sure is hard work but I'm determined to stick with it....

Gotta go wake her up for her next feed - wish me luck!

[Maruschke]

I finally got her to sleep today (normally she doesn't sleep and cries all the time) so she must have a nice big full belly! And I finally got to sleep myself too for a bit!!! All the crying she's done the last week has meant she's always hungry!!! I feel so bad..... at least we are fixing it and I wasn't to know any better. This BFing sure is hard work but I'm determined to stick with it....

Gotta go wake her up for her next feed - wish me luck!

Ren, don't feel bad. You aren't a good mum, you are a great mum! You are pouring in absolutely everything you have order to get the best for your daughter.

[alioops]

Keep going hun!! Let me promise you, it is much easier to do the topups and expressing with 1 bubba

Well done for getting out of the house on your own with her!! It will help your sanity!!

Good luck on this new action plan babe, She will soon master this sucking thing

[~Trish~]

You are doing such a fantastic job Renee, I'm very proud of you for your perseverence .

I just know that you'll be up and running wonderfully with b'fing really soon, it sounds like you're both nearly there . This is such a short period of time that you'll have forgotten all about it in another month or two

Keep going, you are doing so well

[Shanti]

Thanks girls.

DD has put on 60g in a day! LC came over to weigh her today. She mentioned formula top ups if no more weight gain by Saturday and I started crying at the thought of the word! LC encouraged me and said we are doing so great..... I think I just cried cos' its been a full on 2 weeks & I have no help during the week days as DH hasnt had time off. Although when he gets home evenings he is wonderful help....so so great. However LC is right, we will have to do that because DD needs to be at her birthweight soon and she is still 100g from it and over 2wks old! But LC is confident I won't need to do that if we keep going with what we are doing.
Expressing with top ups in between feeds.
DD is sleeping better and is a different baby the last 24-36hrs!! I'm so proud of the two of us. We are getting there.....

Anyway must go lie down while I still can..... thanku for your ongoing support girls!

Oh and another stinky nappy today YAY!!!!