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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

tiktok, bfing gurus, bfers, interested parties of all creed and colour... heyulp! bfing a preemie baby... top tips please

356 replies

Aitch · 12/09/2008 15:46

don't know where to start, really...

dd is two weeks old today (blimey) and put on her birthweight on wednesday so that's great. however of course she didn't start putting on weight until her formula top-ups, topping up with ebm didn't do the trick.

her weight gain today was only 30g (last few times has been double that or more) and i do put that down to the fact that i've been pumping more and therefore have been giving her more ebm top-ups than formula.

question is... what's the tipping point? she is gaining, i am producing more milk (not heaps, but volume-wise we are on target for the SCBU calculations). we were told to give dd 280mls per day in top-ups as well as bf, but with the formula it's been more like 350ml.

so do i accept the 'slow' weight gain and think of dd's longer-term benefits having protected my supply, or do i want her on formula but with more energy to feed, iyswim?

midwife has suggested one top-up of formula, and at the next topping-up with ebm, this seems like a reasonable compromise to me, but am i missing something.

OP posts:
jabberwocky · 17/09/2008 03:28

Ds2 was not terribly early - 36 weeks but only 5 pounds 3 ounces. Then he lost a half pound rather quickly while in the hospital (in addition to having more than the average jaundice) so the pediatrician was really pushing me to give formula. We tried a bit but I really felt that bfeeding on demand was the way to go. He gained a bit more slowly than ds1 (also bf but full-term) but was fine really. The only real specifications I remember were to feed at least every 3 hours round the clock. So he quickly got into the habit of waking at night several times

Good luck, Aitch! It does get easier

cmotdibbler · 17/09/2008 10:15

How are things today ?

Hope you are taking lots of the most important galactogoge - Green and Blacks. I think the sour cherry one is particularly powerful

Which pump do you have ? Some are less comfortable than others. Theres some really good advice about pumping on www.workandpump.com

There, see, you made me do it

laundrylover · 17/09/2008 10:19

CMOT - I found that Butterscotch really boosted the left side supply.

Original poster
Aitch · 17/09/2008 10:28

i told you didn't i that dd1 thinks one breast is hot and one cold? she keeps on telling people 'my mummy feeds by little baby sister with her breasts', which rather cutely she pronounces breastses.

dunno how it's all going. wish i could say i was massively engorged etc... i just never seem to have enough.

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 17/09/2008 10:32

Just because you're not engorged doesn't mean you don't have enough though. It can mean you're just efficient.

(DS1 used to call my breasts "special milks" because we'd told him DS2 was fed with special milk)

Original poster
Aitch · 17/09/2008 10:34

it might, but it's that not entirely rational thing of that at least if i was engorged i'd KNOW that there was milk. from what i've read it seems like the point at which your breasts settle down and aren't engorged etc comes later than this...

OP posts:
cmotdibbler · 17/09/2008 10:41

I was only engorged for about a day - if you are pumping, then you are removing all the milk that is there. You get engorged when you produce more milk than is removed by the baby - but between DD2 and the pump you are getting all of it.

You're fretting again aren't you ? I prescribe a huuuge hot chocolate. With cream. And sprinkles. And maybe marshmallows too. Dispatch DH to Starbucks forthwith.

And stop fretting - else I'll be forced to show you my rash. Am very depressed as I need to look my best by Friday pm for enormous conference in the US and currently I look like Henara the Harridan, and sound like I smoke 50 Woodbines a day..

SoupDragon · 17/09/2008 10:43

I was never really engorged. Thing is, if you are engorged you'd simply worry it was because DD2 isn't feeding properly. You can't win on the worry front.

Absolutely have a hot choc.

laundrylover · 17/09/2008 10:44

Aitch, I have NEVER been engorged (ohh apart from when I had 2 nights away from 2 year old DD2!!) and I have NEVER leaked more than a few drops and have NEVER used a single breast pad.

We just have more efficient breastses.

tiktok · 17/09/2008 10:46

Aitch - being engorged/not engorged is irrelevant. I have known many, many women who never got engorged, ever, and yet breastfed with no supply issues at all. Engorgement is common, yes, and some women (actually, a minority, I would guess) feel pretty full for the first weeks all the time, except maybe just after a feed, and then suddenly don't - all that has happened there is physiological, too.

You are looking, understandably, for every possible sign you have milk, and then worrying it isn't there.

You have milk. You are working towards full and direct and exclusive breastfeeding. Engorgement is not an essential 'stage' on that 'journey'.

FioFio · 17/09/2008 11:22

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Message withdrawn

TinkerBellesMum · 17/09/2008 13:28

Aitch even if you was engorged you might not be able to pump it off because what's there and what you can get out are two different things. Just remember you aren't hiding bottles in your breasts, it's more like taps, you make it to order.

GTG my taxi is here.

FinallyGotDyson · 17/09/2008 13:55

Oh I must be in a minority then

I was also still wearing breastpads at night when feeding DS when he was 18 months old

i think I have valve ishoos

Whatever book you are reading about what the signs are for x y and z in terms of b/feeding....it's only a general guide based on averages. You know this. I know you know this. It can't possibly include all the variations in women's - and babies - physiologies, and you are no average lady. You know this. Think about all the advice you give about starting BLW.

Tiktok is right - whatever you see when looking for signs that she is feeding well has every chance of being read by you as a negative. Listen to tiktok.

Original poster
Aitch · 17/09/2008 15:06

laeky fraek.

will muse, ladies, will muse, many thanks. and oncec i have pumped AGAIN i will return with more questions.

OP posts:
Original poster
Aitch · 17/09/2008 16:01

such as... okay so rl intervened and dd1 needed me so haven't pumped since6am this moring. breasts since have felt... less bruised cos of no aggressive pumping, and generally more capable. dd2 latching better and feeding longer.

i should still pump, however, because: (answers on postcard pliz)

OP posts:
laundrylover · 17/09/2008 16:13

...the HPs tell you too, even though your instinct says that you're both doing fine??

Latching and longer feeding sounds really positive!

cmotdibbler · 17/09/2008 16:26

Personally, I'd ditch the pumping and topping up as soon as poss. Because: pumping is boring; pumping is not how your breasts were designed to give milk - therefore more bruised, likelihood of blocked ducts etc; using bottles to top up does tend to encourage a lazy latch; dd2 much more effective at removing milk than a pump; dd2 much more stimulating to your breast than a pump; life generally much more manageable if you strap dd2 to you and keep a nork out in the sling and let her get on with it than having to think about pump/bottles etc.

Am assuming you have a sling ? You get extra lentil points for it you know

SoupDragon · 17/09/2008 17:49

Why are you pumping?

FinallyGotDyson · 17/09/2008 18:05

Aitch - if DD is feeding and latching on well, I'd say that the only reason you should be pumping is to keep on stimulating supply. ie pump a bit at the end of each feed.

So, instead of topping up - just give her another feed or longer feed or swap sides again?

welliemum · 17/09/2008 23:07

What CMOT said. And the vacuum lady.

Looking forward to the day you can let the cobwebs grow over that pump.

Original poster
Aitch · 17/09/2008 23:34

i'm topping up, soupy, cos that's what the grown-up hcps keep telling me to do. aside from that, i dunno.

and i tried to feed dd when she was in the sling. how the FUCK am i supposed to do that, again?

OP posts:
AbricotsSecs · 17/09/2008 23:46

This reply has been deleted

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vlc · 18/09/2008 00:24

Took me aaaages to crack sling feeding, Aitch. TBH never did it very much. Feeding lyin down is the way to go, deffo. I used to leave dd latched on for days at a time whilst surfing, sleeping, watching TV and generally festering in my pjs. I'd find she carried on swallowing in her sleep, and every now and then I'd get a random let down.

I'd flip her over like a pancake from time to time to swap boobs.

Are you able to babymoon at all?

jabberwocky · 18/09/2008 00:42

I second breast compression. It really makes a big difference.

cmotdibbler · 18/09/2008 08:59

My rather long and tedious explanation on how to do it in a ring sling is here. I didn't find it that hard, but laying in bed with the laptop/book and occasionally flipping over is very restfull

A LLL meeting (times/dates here would be a great place for bf and sling support