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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

Breast feeding blues

114 replies

Wills · 15/09/2003 23:13

Hi, I wanted to start this thread because I know that I'm having a crap time feeding dd2 on the breast and I can see that there are others out there also struggling. I'm hoping that others will join me on this thread that are also having a tough time so that we can all comiserate and support each other.

Becca - Spoke to the bf counsellor. She was very sympathetic and gave me help over the phone. Basically though the bad news is that I have to try and clear the thrush!!!! Which will take a lot longer using nystatin than the other stuff, however she's happy for me to phone her regularly - case of grinning and bearing it. The nystatin is unlikely to take away the pain for another 7/10 days so here goes!!!

Recently my lhs has started to engorge however I think thats because the rhs is finally picking up. However if my breasts feel limp, dd2 still manages a good feed so I shouldn't worry about the sensation. I do know they don't have to feel like they've been filled with cement to provide a good feed.

OP posts:

Beccaroll · 29/09/2003 18:44

Bunnyrabbit - how are you feeling now a couple of days have passed? Is baby taking well to feeding and do you feel much better?

Hope those nips have healed

becca
xxx

aloha · 29/09/2003 18:45

Wills, I really think that if you are in agony and feeling depressed then one bottlefeed a day so you can get some sleep has to be a better option for you than getting so fed up you stop feeding altogether as you so want to do it. I mixed fed ds and went on to feed for 14months - and had periods during which I breastfed 99% of the time, and other times when I gave two or even three formula feeds a day. If you have lots of milk I think this can work.

Original poster

Wills · 29/09/2003 19:48

Mears - just caught up with your advice properly, sorry. I'm still having problems satisfying dd2 with the right breast and normally have to finish her off with the left. The left then does the next feed on its own. I've done up to 1.5 hours on the right breast but as yet always have to finish off on the left. DD2 does have frothy poo but the bf counsellor feels that this is more related to the thrush which can also cause this than her getting too much foremilk. She's watched me feed and is happy that the right breast is simply weak. I'm not sure I'll ever get the right breast up and running on its own but don't want to stop on one side for fear of looking incredibly lopsided .

Well I spent my first afternoon out with both girls on my own and.... it went brilliantly. Although I'm completely shattered now the whole afternoon was great. DD1 has run herself to the point of exhaustion and DD2 happily slept next to my chest for the whole 3 hours. Carrying a baby and a changing bag though is knackering whilst attempting to keep up with the 3 year old but its inspired me to plan the next outing possibly Wednesday.

Aloha, my hv would also suggest a bottle but the bf councellor is against this as she feels it will aggrevate the thrush and I desperately don't want to do that.

Katherine - good suggestion I'm just waiting to see what others say.

OP posts:

mears · 29/09/2003 21:14

Oh I do hope things get better for you soon Wills - it is such a shame you are having to pay for Diflucan when you could have it prescribed for free. Is your B/F counsellor supportive of that treatment. Could she get literature for you to give to the GP?
Has anybody mentioned gentian violet to you? It is an old fashioned but effective remedy. Stains skin purple mind you (but not permanently).

bunnyrabbit · 29/09/2003 22:38

Beccaroll,
Thanks for asking. Coming to terms with it all now. Have been massaging my boobs everynight to make sure I don't get mastitus again. I'm still leaking everywhere, and would you believe that after days of trying to express and only getting a drip, a managed to get a full let down off righty last night when I wasn't even trying!! I'm not expressing as DH and I agreed it's best to let my milk dry up and get on with life. Least I'm ready for next time. What a waste though. I could feed triplets off these beauties.

We think DS has reflux, as he's been sicky since birth, (we have gaviscom from the DR) and formula poos are horrible, but apart from that, all is well.

What about you???

ANGELMOTHER · 23/10/2003 10:59

Thought I'd revive this thread as I've only just come up against my first problem b/feeding.
I think it's mastitis but not sure I'd appreciate any advice......
The pain when dd latches on is akin to labour, although I don't have any blisters, soreness or inflammation. My boobs do sometimes feel as though they are on fire. I have been expressing a little most days to simply build up a freezer store, but last night expressing from "superboob" I got virtually nothing.
Dd just 4 wks now has a slight cold and I was inhumanely cold going to bed last night, blankets etc. Then woke up this morning feeling as though I've been run over.
Now I write all this down I realise it is prob mastitis, but do I need to see a gp?
Sorry if I'm covering old ground here...

lailag · 23/10/2003 11:15

Hi Angelmother, I would see a GP asap to confirm it is mastitis and to get some antibiotics (with flucloxacillin you can carry on bbf). I had mastitis with ds but didn't recognise the symptoms, with dd I knew straight away what was going on and started with antibiotics and paracetamol straightaway. This time the mastitis cleared up much quicker than first time.
good luck

mears · 23/10/2003 11:23

Definately sounds like mastitis. Make sure that you feed from the affected side to get the milk moving. Brufen (don't worry about what it says on the packet re breastfeeding)) is a good painkiller for mastitis and has actually been shown to be as effective as anitbiotics. Antibiotics have an anti-inflammatory action as well as killing any bacteria. Often mastitis does not actually have infection as such present.
You could try regular Brufen with frequent feeds to shift milk before seeing GP. However, if your temperature becomes raised and you feel worse, see GP for Fluclxacillin which is the antibiotic of choice.

ANGELMOTHER · 23/10/2003 11:34

Thanks for getting back so quickly guys. I really want to put off seeing gp if at all possible but will give myself till tomorrow. I've taken some ibuprofen but honestly if it wasn't for dh being at home today I wouldn't of got dd1 to pre-school, as I can barely move and feel too weak to go far at all (one of the reasons I'd never make it to the gp).
I'm really not that sore just incredibly weak and fluey
Is it possible that dd2's cold caused it, she's very wheezy and I have to pick bogies out of her nose in the mornings.
I'

mears · 23/10/2003 13:08

Yes it is Angelmother - if you feel as bad as that you probably need antibiotics. Get GP to visit.

lailag · 23/10/2003 15:23

just for arguments sake, considering Staph most frquently being isolated in (infective) mastitis, would have thought it unlikely a cold could have caused mastitis (or it would have to be because with a blocked nose it may be more difficult to suck properly)
Yes frequent feeds helpt me, it was sore whilst she was "at it" but felt much better once she had finished.
Sorry for rambling on; have dd sleeping on my lap thinking I am her dummie, so can't do much else than surf the net....

mears · 23/10/2003 16:02

lailag - baby can have bacteria in the nose and mouth which can be transmitted to mum's breast to cause mastitis, especially when they have a cold (which I know is viral). Equally could be what you have mentioned that milk removal has not been good enough because of blocked nose.

bunnyrabbit · 23/10/2003 23:23

My sympathy Angelmother. If you feel anything liuke I did, I'm surprised you've got the energy to type. Would recommend checking your boobs to see if you can find any lumpy bits that could be blocked glands and massaging them.

You should definitely see the GP if you have flu symptoms before it gets really bad. I ended up shivering in bed with a fleece jacket and trousers on trying to BF DS without shaking.

Original poster

Wills · 30/10/2003 20:59

Angelmother - not had time to read all the thread however for anyone desperate not to take antibiotics (i.e. like me and suffering from raging thrush etc) then my bf councellor said that it is possible to cure mastitis without antibiotics but that the key to this was draining the breasts fully i.e. expressing after baby has finished.

Well I've STILL got thrush! Phone the doctor to complain that it was getting very bad again and she asked when I'd given up taking the Nystatin. When I explained that I hadn't and was still religious taking the stuff she finally relented and put me on Fluconazol - Yippeee. I've been on it for 3 days so far and I'm not sure if its my imagination but it feels slightly better already. I've also cut down again on yeast, vinegar and wine. I'll post again on how well (if at all) it clears my thrush up. This has been a really hard slog and although everyone here has been very supportive I did not feel that supported by my gp. I always felt that she thought the easiest way of curing my pain was for me to bottle feed. Therefore I found it very difficult yesterday evening to be lectured by her on the importance of continuing to breast feed dd2 until she was a minimum of 6 months. (She'd just concluded that dd2 has allergies!) GRRRRR

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