Here is what this amateur has learned but there is still much I'm learning each day!
GET A LACTATION CONSULTANT TO COME TO YOUR HOME, better yet skip the bonding time at the hospital and get the breastfeeding help instead--- just kidding! I must say that the lady at the hospital only wanted to rent me a pump and answer any questions... at that point I didn't know what questions to ask... not helpful. The consultant from our hometown that came to our house and watched everything I did... I could have spent hours with Dr. G.oogle and not learn what I learned in that thirty minutes!!!
Most important thing I learned in that amount of time...
- Latching on: Support the baby's neck, hold your breast with the other hand and bring the baby to the breast. Rub their lips with the nipple and wait for a big wide open mouth before you fill it with boob... and get all that you can in there! Make sure their tongue is down and the lower lip flanges out. If you feel instant pain, put your finger in the corner of their mouth to de-latch and try again. If this part doesn't go well, breastfeeding may not even be an option because the nipples can become cracked (this happened to me in the hospital) or lead to lots of pain.
Next I want to figure out a time for pumping and how to store breastmilk for future feedings. But will that only make my oversupply problem worse? The tummy issues aren't completely resolved either so I'm not sure what else to do if those problems continue. Whew! No one could have told me how much work breastfeeding is! But I know it's good for our little man and "nothing good comes easy!" Back to the
Happy New Year!
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Interesting to hear how it's going... And making me thankful our doula is a lactation consultant :) xx
Hi , I dont usually comment , but came by your post . I had the same issues , I finally started block feeding . spoke to my OB and pediatrician who were pretty clueless on this issue and were of no help as baby was gaining a lot of weight .
Hang in there , it does get better . block feeding helped , expressing a bit after let down helped . feeding on belly against gravity helped as the baby has to work harder . Try not to pump initially as the body things its the baby wanting more and thus supply keeps increasing.
I so wish I could find a lactation consultant to come to our house and help me! I'm so glad you did that! I have read that if you have an over supply to only feed from one side each feeding (alternating sides) and then you can pump your other side to store milk. Good luck, I know all about the troubles of breast feeding!
Where did you find the lactation consultant to come to the house? I ended up with masitis and a huge crack :( Still breastfeeding but it's painful no matter what I try.
My neighbor is a lactation consultant and she said that when you want to start pumping to build up a stash, to start by doing ONE pumping session a day, in the morning, right after the baby's first feeding. I did that this morning for the first time right after Stella did a 15 min. session on each breast, and I got 2oz (1 from each breast). Apparently that's normal for the beginning, and with time, I'll get more and more. You shouldn't pump more often/at random times of the day or you can cause more oversupply/engorgement issues unless you're going to continually pump at all of those times.
Also, I agree with the other ladies - when i'm having oversupply issue, I do the side-lying feed with a burp rag underneath us. Helps with rest as well. :)
You are SO right about the importance of a good latch - BFing shouldn't hurt! (I say that even as my nipples are sore b/c I don't always make her do a good latch. *bad Josey*)
It is so comforting to hear that other people are having trouble breastfeeding as well.
I saw two lactation consultants while in the hospital (though admittedly only for a short visit), and then we went to see a private LC the other day for an hour and a half consult. It helped some, but we are still having major issues with very painful breasts (I've been using the APNO cream, but they still hurt), over production/let-down which drowns my baby in milk and makes it hard for her to stay latched on, and poor latching in general.
She is all lined up and everything, but she often won't open her mouth wide enough (possibly because each time she does she gets hosed), she hurts me, and then after one or two strong gulps, she starts nibbling and falls off to sleep or gets frustrated and screams so we have to comfort her and then re-position and try again.
At this point, we are supplementing with bottles just to keep nourished (particularly at night so we can all sleep). She's a big baby and VERY hungry (drinks up to 4 oz and she is only 12 days old), and otherwise I literally spend 22 hours a day with my boobs out trying to get her to do more than nibble.
Also, I've read lots of varied advice about WHEN to start BFing and introducing a bottle.
http://kellymom.com/
GREAT website of BFing info. B/c of Stella's recent fussiness and my exhaustion issues, we decided to start pumping today to start a supply (3w4d) and my husband is going to try to give her a bottle on Thursday evening for the first time (4w). You definitely don't want to do either until BFing is well established though!
Hey - thx for your comment. I was going to say that no way am I doing CIO at this age! People who suggest that amaze me - I couldn't just let her full on cry when she is less than a month old, not when a diaper change, boob, or SOMETHING will fix it! Good luck to you as well!
I loved my lactation consultant when I was breastfeeding. We always had issues to work through too. I could only feed my daughter on one side at a time, as I had oversupply issues too. It was actually my LC's recommendation, but she also saw how much I was able to pump. Enjoy your baby and Happy New Year!!!
Three cheers for lactation consultants! My mom is one, and although bf has come pretty easily for us, she was able to prevent a few problems before they ever started just by being there to observe from the start.
For the ladies who are having trouble finding a LC, try calling your local WIC (women Infants children) office... They have LC on staff for their clients, and might be able to refer to you to a private lactation consultant (or their LC's might be willing to make a home visit on the side for a private pay client.)
I hope that it gets easier for you!
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