First off, this is something I REALLY wanted to do but was so afraid it wouldn't work. Despite not being able to BF right away (it was about an hour and a half before I could), my girl latched on no problem! However, I didn't feel like she was getting anything. Saturday afternoon, the lacation consultant came to visit us and wouldn't you know she squired collostrum clear across the room. This was the positive reinforcement I needed!
Saturday night, AR had been fed, changed, burp and was still being fussy. Matt and I didn't want to give her a pacifier because the BFing class we took said you had better success at BFing if you didn't use one. The nurse told us she couldn't take her to the nursery if she was fussy so I asked what to do and she said a pacifier. I was a bit irritated at this because the class we took was through the same hospital so it was frustrating to hear one thing then another. We made it the whole time at the hospital without giving her one but finally broke down and gave her one when we got home. Good news, it soothes her but she's not "addicted" to it. We're also trying to keep her from sucking on her hands which I think is just a natural reaction for her.
On Tuesday, my milk came in and despite what you read/hear, I didn't feel the "let down." I only knew it came in because I saw some rolling down her chin after a feeding! She feeds about 2.5-3 hours during the day and about 3-4 hours throughout the night. She likes to stay awake after her morning feedings but is passed out after her afternoon ones. Luckily, she usually heads back to bed after her night feedings although her 9ish one, she usually wants to stay up some.
Leaking, here's where I need some help ladies. I leak like CRAZY! I can tell when it's time to feed because I leak. She's doing about 10 minutes on each side, sometimes longer and sometimes shorter. I'm pretty sure I'm not draining each side but she falls asleep about 8-10 minutes and this girl is one tough cookie to wake up. Once she falls asleep and she's stopped sucking, I usually try to burp her and then give her kisses calling her name to wake her up (my favorite part!) then we start on the other side. I don't "time" it by saying, "Well, 10 minutes are up, you're done!" I let her go until she's done and she doesn't seem like she's hungry so I'm assuming she's getting enough.
The leaking isn't a big deal at this time because I'm not going any where in public but it's more annoying than anything! In our BFing class, it also says to wait until 4 weeks to pump to ensure a better BFing relationship. The lacatation consultant told me I could pump at 2 weeks. So my question is since it seems like I still have milk when she's done feeding, should I starting pumping that extra and stockpiling it for when I go back to work? I don't want to force her to eat more than she wants. I'm going to see how it goes over the weekend then just call the lacation consultant on Tuesday and see what they suggest.
The pedi also said we needed to give her a Vitamin D supplement with no iron. Matt stopped and got it yesterday, it's just a dropper and she took it pretty well. Of course, I got a coupon in the mail for it today. Thank goodness because the little bottle was $10!?!
My nipples are sore. I know the BF class said if you're doing it right, it doesn't hurt. Every time she latches on, there's a small pinch but other than that it doesn't really hurt...just SORE. Lanolin is my BF right now! Really the hardest part is just keeping her awake!
This is a side story, semi-related: Today I had fed her around lunch time but she didn't feed as long before she fell asleep. About an hour later, she was a bit fussy and I was trying to figure out what it was. Right when I figured out that she was probably just hungry and I'd feed her again, the urge came over me: I had to poop! I have to admit one of the things I was most terrified of after giving birth was pooping. Luckily, I have the past 2 mornings but not today. Of course, it would all happen at the same time!
I read books before she was here and thought I had a good idea how to do things but now that she's here, I feel like I have NO idea what we're doing. I'm not complaining, she's a good, easy baby and I'm learning to just roll with it as we go. She's learning me and I'm learning her. It's just hard to set her down when she's sleeping or try to wake her up when she's feeding because I just love to love on her ALL the time!!!
8 comments :
If you don't like the leaking, you can try breast pads, that's what I did. The brand I used was Medala I think...it was the same as my breast pump, I'm not sure if they have that brand down in the States or not....but they worked really well at keeping things from leaking into my clothes, and they weren't bulky at all! I wore them all of the time and just changed them after they got full.
I was going to suggest pumping and/or breast pads. Not that I know anything about this yet, but from what I've read, those are the two things I would try. Breast pads for sure.
First, sucking on hands is an instinct and an indicator she is hungry. It may not be something you can stop her from doing. :)
About the leaking...ugh, I HATED leaking, but the good news is it is way worse the first couple of weeks and then will back down a lot. Breast pads will help for sure. You don't want to pump until you are empty after every feeding, because breastfeeding is supply/demand, so if you pump to empty, your body will make more, and then you'll leak even more. Pumping once a day in the morning won't hurt and it a good way to get some stash built up, but unless you are engorged and hurting, I would definitely not pump more than once a day.
Also, sore nipples are ok. It's when there is stabbing or shooting pain that there is a problem. So it sounds like she's doing well!
Glad things are going well for you, girl!!
Sore Nipples, I was cracked and bleeding until I found Dr. Jack Newman's nipple cream. I tried everything and this stuff is amazing!
Leaking didn't stop till my baby was over 6months...Lansinoh breast pads, thin and very absorbant.
Lanolin was my best friend! There are actually breast pads out there with Lanolin in them (I bought some at Babies R Us this last time for Jackie). You could try pumping a little after feeding just to help if you feel too engorged. Maybe if you try feeding her when she wakes up instead of the times she's going to bed she'll eat & not fall asleep? Not sure, we just went by when the first one woke up got hungry then fed them all. Being a first time mom & 3 I was never comfortable to just breastfeed because I wanted to make sure that they all got enough to eat so they wouldn't wake up too early lol.
Hugs!! Just keep learning each other & you'll get it together :) That's what being a mommy is all about!
I was worried about not draining all the way too. The best tip I was given was to just offer one side. If you make an abundance of milk she might not need both sides. Here is what I do, I feed luke until he releases the latch on one side then I burp him and offer him the other. He never takes the next side. Also a tip that I found very useful that I was never told in any class is watch her poop. After her poop has turned yellow and seedy if she is having a lot of green flecks in it she needs to feed longer on one side. The green is caused by to much fore milk and not enough hind milk. Good luck!!!
Ps the sore nipples eventually goes away. I promise!!
First off, good for you! You're doing great!
What Beth said - offer only one breast per feeding. The milk the baby gets initially is more like water - thinner, thirst-quenching (foremilk) and then the milk at the end of the feeding is denser, richer in calories (hindmilk). She may not be getting enough hindmilk if you switch breasts in the middle of the feeding. I wear a bracelet to help me remember which side to offer.
I'd go ahead and pump as soon as you like - I pumped the day my milk came in. Like another commenter wrote, it WILL make you produce more milk, but a breast pump's latch is not as strong as a baby's, so it's not quite the same as when your baby directly breastfeeds.
I knew nothing about breastfeeding when I first started (my son is 7 months old now and we're still BFing) because my mom exclusively formula-fed me (and all of my siblings). I've ended up loving it, though!
I think someone else suggested feeding after waking instead of feeding before sleep - I'd also echo that. I used to feed before naps, but it ended up working out so much better to feed after naps. He was more likely to get a full feeding that way (and was usually hungry for it after sleeping). That said, I do still nurse before bedtime even if he just nursed a couple of hours beforehand.
It's a crazy journey, but it sounds like you know a lot more than I did when I first started BFing my son last fall.
don't forget, your supply has not adjusted to her demand yet. you can pump if you want but that will just trigger your body to produce more milk. i suggest using the breast pads b/c in a week or two your leaking will cut down on its own as your body adjusts. anonymous from STL too.
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