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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Please can I get a quick answer about expressing?

35 replies

MoosMa · 02/03/2007 19:38

I've been told by my mw to feed exclusively from one side and express the other for a day to let a nastily cracked nip heal, I've just got about 1.5 ozs out, is that good? DD is 10 days old if that makes a difference...

OP posts:
vinorouge · 05/03/2007 11:24

thanks, i used my pump this morning and got 2oz from sore side so please dbut now not sure I can use it cos got treatment for thrush and antibiotics for poss infection in boob. Aaaaggggghhhh. I got a bit carried away pumping and wanted to get more int he bottle so nip was just the same as if I'd fed from it. Think I'll try hand expressing next. I looked at those silverette things but wasn;t sure about them. I'm using jhnsons breast pads haven't heard of the ones you use so will look for them although just bought a new box of johnsons!

shonaspurtle · 05/03/2007 11:37

Ask your hv/doctor/midwife about the hydragel breastpads first as they're pretty pricy. I got mine on eBay for abou £5 but they do last for a good while as you rinse them out and reuse them. I also only needed to use one at a time so that helped make them last as well.

The reason I'm saying ask first is because apparently you can get them on prescription.

Not sure about the thrush but I had to use ab cream for a nipple infection and was still able to use the expressed milk safely. If they are oral abs then that's fine too.

Original poster
MoosMa · 05/03/2007 13:38

Well the cracks have finally just about healed up so I'm not in pain all the time anymore, mw is coming tomorrow morning and we'll see if I can try again at latching her on...

OP posts:
shonaspurtle · 05/03/2007 13:48

Fantastic!

Original poster
MoosMa · 06/03/2007 06:56

4.30 this morning I got her to latch on perfectly and she fed painlessly from both sides for an hour until I seemed empty. But she ws still hungry so I gave her some EBM which she puked up all over me! We both went back to bed and she appeared to settle but my nips started really hurting, then I started leaking so obviously wasn't as empty as I had thought.

I'm now sore on both sides and she's woken up hungry again and is having EBM as I type. Also she's woken DD1 up with her crying

I'm not sure this bf lark is worth all the stress it causes. I think we'll stick to expressing, it seems to work for both of us.

OP posts:
vinorouge · 06/03/2007 07:36

EBM went down a treat, DH gave it to her and I felt a bit redundant really, kind of jealous cos feeding her has been my job and mine only. I guess if it helps my boobs recover a bit its worth it and DH LOVED doing it. Ellen guzzled the 2oz I had expresed though. Going to try expressing a bit more after next feed.

Started a/bs and thrush treatment. Boob v sore. Had a few tears this morning - I must be strong! Got baby cafe this morning so will get MW there to look at me as she has helped me since my first crack.

shonaspurtle · 06/03/2007 07:42

Oh no! I saw the first line of your post and thought yaaay!!! Sorry you're sore again .

I did read on here before that babies will pretty much always take a bottle (EBM or formula) after a direct bf whether they're hungry or not - I think just as a comfort sucking thing. As she brought it back up again it suggests that she maybe wasn't hungry? (I know that's not necessarily the case and you know your baby best).

Ds would have fed for hours at first if I'd been able to but I was too sore. I found that if I gave him my finger to suck after a while then he was just as happy with that (was comfort sucking,not hunger). If he complained about the finger he was still hungry so I fed him more. A dummy would do the same job. I think I would have given up otherwise.

shonaspurtle · 06/03/2007 07:44

vr - dh loves feeding ebm to ds too. Was the only positive to come out of the whole expressing because of soreness nightmare for me!

Original poster
MoosMa · 06/03/2007 09:09

I realise now that she probably wasn't hungry but she didn't look like she would have settled at all and at 5.30am I wasn't up for an arguement with her!

I'm quite happy to keep expressing and topping up with formula when I don't have enough EBM as I get the convenience of bottle feeding (I know that's the opposite of what most people say but I have to add gaviscon to her feeds and it's a PITA when bfing) and I also get the reassurance that she's getting the goodness of my milk - best of both worlds!

It was nice to have our last feed this morning and I don't feel too sad now that I'll never bf again. I think I'll be a lot saner now!

OP posts:
shonaspurtle · 06/03/2007 11:50

That all sounds very positive and like you say, it was lovely that you've got a nice memory of her last bf.

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