various niggly questions on BF

[melsy]

My brain is soo fudged but need some help with answers , as my heads going round and round with them, Ive looked on kellymom, but cant seem to find info, well its probably there , but Im overwhelmed by so much info!!!!!!!! :

1. Diet does nothing to change qaulity of milk, your milk is your milk? I cant change it by drinking mackesons or eating fibre rich food for eg? I was told by BF expert at hospital that anemia can reduce qaulity and ability to BF ?
2. If I cluster feed every 2hrs or so or less , do I keep dd2 on same side each time, or change each time? She tends to go on and off for half an hr - 40 mins or so (obv not actively sucking the wholetime, sometimes just pacifying).
3. If I keep her on one side each time and express on the other , will I get enough hindmilk in the EBM?
4. Ok so the watery bit (when ebm I can see about an oz of it), is that the foremilk ? and then the next thicker layer hindmilk , or is there 3 layers?
5. How long do I cluster feed her for in the evenings? , dd is 5wks , does it continue like this for months?

Im sure there are other questions, might have more soon, please bare with me , feel like a newbie this 2nd time around , as it feels more successful, well it is compared to dd1 as stopped at 3wks (anemia , bi lateral masititis, mental health stuff) and Ive felt like stopping several times last week or so. My anxiety level are vvvv high ,as I can see myself obessing a bit about things.

Melsy, I'm sure someone more expert will be along soon, but at 5wks it can still be tough. I didn't feel like things really settled down until at least 7weeks, maybe later. Ds would just suck and suck, especially in the evening, and the advice I was given was that if he had fed but wanted more again within the hour, go back on the same side. But if your dd has fed on one side then starts fussing, maybe switch sooner. It's all a bit trial and error at this stage but I think the frequent feeding builds up your supply.

From what I have read on here before, I don't think you need to worry about foremilk and hindmilk, or milk being affected by diet (but I don't know specifically about anaemia.)

I know it's hard, but try to just go with the flow, don't doubt yourself and things will smooth out eventually. HTH

1. Don't worry about your diet. Even starving mothers seem to be able to feed their babies - it's as if the body puts everything it has into the milk. Not a good idea to drink too much alcohol etc so obviously there is some impact however.

2. If I cluster feed every 2hrs or so or less , do I keep dd2 on same side each time, or change each time? Doesn't matter. I would usually feed on both sides at each feed even if they were 2 hours apart. If they're feeding for ages as small babies often do you just can't remember as it feels constant so don't worry about it.

3. If I keep her on one side each time and express on the other , will I get enough hindmilk in the EBM? May be don't bother expressing unless you have to. It's a dreadful nuisance. If you feed on one side the milk letting down on the other side should follow the consistency and kind as the milk coming out on the other so should be just what you want if you keep at it for say 15 mins.

4. Ok so the watery bit (when ebm I can see about an oz of it), is that the foremilk ? and then the next thicker layer hindmilk , or is there 3 layers? 2

5. How long do I cluster feed her for in the evenings? , dd is 5wks , does it continue like this for months? Up to you and how you feel and what she needs. You might want some breaks if you're tired or sore.

i think they get a 6 week growth spurt and suddenly suck a lot more to build up more milk in you and then stabilise and then etc growth spurt so it comes and goes a bit

your body only makes one kind of milk. the longer it sits in the boob the more it separates with the fat molecules clinging to the walls of the milk sinuses. So the watery content leaves first. when your baby is cluster feeding in the evening the milk has no time to separate like this. just full on fatty stuff is what she gets.

just feed your baby when she wants feeding, your baby and body will work in sync to give her just what she needs. miracle, isn't it.

ps: too many bleedin' 'experts' have wittered on too much about this foremilk/hindmilk malarky.

ahh so basically it mixes together kisi.

No worries about alcohol intake , I have like an inch in a glass here and there of the mackesons (V low alcolhol too 3%), mum suggested it was good for my iron and nutrition, thought it was yuck at 1st , but quite like the taste ! But Im not drinking wine or anything strong at the mo , really miss it.

Im expressing so I can go to bed early say 10 ish and dh can do a last late night feed , anything between 11 & 12. I will not stay sane otherwise. Although yes expressing can drive yer insane too !! lesser of 2 evils , as Im trying to feed and express at same time, so Im not with boobs out all the time!

sorry kiski not kisi

i couldnt have expressed at 5 wks. everything was still way too traumatic for me. i found that by going to bed with my dd at say 7 pm, i would feed her to sleep. whenever she woke up, i'd just feed her lying down. sometimes i would get a 2 hr sleep the two of us snuggled up. then i'd get up say at nine, eat and shower and when she woke again, i would feed her and put her in her cot and go to bed again. i would have died without those early night and also midday naps together.

anemia is a cause of low milk supply - get levels checked out if you think this

back in a moment....

I think my iron has come back up to normal now , was taking ferrous up until 10 days ago. Hb was 10.4 , havent had levels checked again though 6wk check nxt wk will ask for full bloods.

I was able to express anyting from 4-6 oz , but I was overproducing, I think its now leveled out , as can only get 3oz - 4oz at most. She seems to only take 3oz EBM if from bottle.

If I go to bed around 10 ish , I can get 4-5 hrs sleep straight , as she can be up at 3am , thing is Im normally feeding every 2hrs from then on, so she sleeps next to me. Dh sleeping on our sofa (his choice due to disturbance), thnk gawd its size of a single bed !!!

for the on & off bf - try to keep to one breast per feed - including all stopping & starting.

expressing as you're bf is good as you'll have the letdown from your baby feeding on the other side. expressing milk doesn't equal the amount your baby got whilst bf. Your baby will be able to get the milk in great amounts than the machine!

the milk separtes in the bottle - will vavry from feed to feed. The watery part could be the foremilk but the consistency will change each time.

bf on demand whenever your dd wants to - try bf even when she is just fussing.

it wont continue for months - needed reminding of this myself with my kids!! there is light at the end of the tunnel xxx

PHEW at it not continuing for months ! Although as so tired read it as WILL continue for months and my stomach churned !!!!

What is it that makes them more efficient in feeding than using pump, just interested ????

Thank you girls for yuor help , I am calmning down a bit , have been very much on verge of stopping , Ive been feeling way to stressed and drained.

just expressed for tommorow from the right (was feeling very very full) and it looks quite watery in comparison to other EBM in the fridge from earlier today, does that mean its more foremilk????. With cluster feeds tonight I kept her on the left at each feed to make sure it was emptied as such.

chill melsy

your overthinking again babe, shes getting enough as long as you feed on demand and shes putting on weight, which you are now and she is.

foremilk is not useless, it serves a purpose just like hindmilk does and the quantity of each that she receives in a feed will differ from time to time whether feeding or expressing.

as for the cluster feeding, you'll find as she gets older she will automatically start taking bigger feeds at longer intervals if you let her set her own pace..... it seems like forever now but honestly its not that far off

lol was gonna say I think Im thinkng too much, its been one of those days.How did u find me here pink, u MN surfing too!!! Going to bed now ,dd's fussy feeding period is over and shes sleeping, so out comes hypnotherapy cd to calm me down good and proper!!!

good going melsy xxx

the way the baby feeds - getting the nipple to the back of the mouth, massaging the areola, the pattern of sucking - all help the baby to be able to get the breastmilk really efficiently. The expressing machines set out to do this - can't compete with nature though!

best wishes

Melsy, lol, at the last bit
Anyhow...yes aneamia could interfere with your milksupply, so can drinking alcohol (in some women) and probably some other htings...but on balance, yes you will make the milk your Baby needs at whichever stage he or she is
Just feed on demand, and many women just feed on one breast at the time, but this is really an individual thing...but once your child unlatches by themselfs and you have maybe burped or changed them ow what not and they seem to want some more then , yes do try the other breast...especially if you have long sessions
Basically the "emptier" your breasts feel the more they are going to supply, well, if that emptyness is cause by feeding/expressing anyway...a full breast will signal to your body that you need less milk!
As for EBM...it's jus thte fat bit that seperates...nothing to do with fore and hind milk, as that will be mixed, as far as I am aware anyway! Just shake the bottle gently to mix it up
Cluster feeding in the evening is pretty normal in the first 3-4 month and then can happen mainly in grothspurts or when they are coming down wiht something or when they are teething ;) But it won't ever last forever

As for your milk looking different from yesterdays in the fridge, that is normal. Your milk is not exactly the same 2 days in a row anyway and if you stood my expressed mikl next to yours it would look different again.
Don't stress too much about it just go with the flow. Do not try to time cluster feeding in the evening just feed on and off as baby wants it or else you end up getting into the cycle of trying to feed baby more to get more sleep and it always ends in tears.
You are doing well so just keep with it your body will give your DD what she needs.

ok.. firstly chill you're doing fine!

Diet - eat what you like, this has no effect on milk supply (a normal balanced diet). As long as you feed on demand you will make good quality milk and enough of it.

Cluster feeding - just feed on demand, if baby starts fussing take them off. if your one breast becomes engored put them on that one.

You will have plenty of hindmilk in the EBM!

The watery bit is foremilk. But see previous post about it seperating!

No it doesn't continue like this for months! They get a 6 week and 10 week growth spurt usually then feeding will settle.

Just to add I found expressing difficult at the best of times with dd1 (bf until 12 months) and with dd2 (11 wks) I have just started using an electric expressor which is fair less stressful.