Mumsnet Breastfeeding Club

[Llondbol]

Hi!

I can't find a thread for breastfeeding chat; so thought I'd start one.

I'm a new Mum to Jac (10/4/19) and he's my first baby. I haven't made it to a local breastfeeding group yet, so would love the chance to chat here. It was a difficult start and I still have so many questions...

Anyone want to join? Introduce yourself - I'd love to hear from you 😁

@avocadoincident I will keep feeding on me first. But after that feed, she was screaming. Losing her little voice she screamed so much! We tried but some water, and she gulped it, and was still rooting. Wouldn’t go in breast and ended up drinking 3 Oz of formula! Now she is settled. It was awful seeing her like that!

I will definitely go to the support group though! Xx

Trying to reply quickly so can't tag everyone as I can't remember usernames well and scrolling back is a sure way for me to delete my comment!

Do not give a small baby water, that was outdated advice by that person to you unfortunately. Breastmilk takes care of actual thirst (it being a liquid? I don't understand the point she was trying to make) as well as comfort or the other million reasons they feed, giving a baby water can make them less inclined to take milk therefore hindering their weight gain and your supply.

Feeding every 2 hours is totally normal, 4 hours is more a formula thing because they need such a large volume of formula to match breastmilk that it keeps them very very full.

Bf support groups yep will answer questions but also help to get mums used to feeding in public, you get all sorts of tips and handy info.

Oh and yes disposable pads can stick to sore nipples, nipples aren't always sore or raw though and then the pads are fine. Soft fabric reusable ones are great, and multi mam balm is brilliant.

@BeHereNowx32 I wonder if she needs a little wind half way through? I remember the horrific blood curdling screams and it stopped me going out as I couldn't stand it in public. But it'll get better.

Do you have lots of positive support?

@Falafel19 I work with babies and didn’t think they needed water so young either. Won’t give her any more.

@avocadoincident we did try winding her, and she was getting more and more upset, until she was fed. She is feeding on me again now. Has barely napped. Feeding so exhausted! Not sure how much longer I can carry on with breastfeeding! (I think this every day though).
I wouldn’t say I have s lot of positive support. My family don’t think I should breastfeed, and tell me I will feel much better if I switch to bottle. I have a friend who is a health visiter and brilliant to chat to. However, her baby is formula fed. He sleep all night and is thriving. I know other people who breast fed but they don’t have much advice for me tbh. Xx

Welcome to the thread @PatrickMerricksGoshawk 😁

In the first two weeks I found nipple pads did exactly what you said - ouch!! I stuck to nipple shells (about £10 on Amazon I paid for Mendalla ones) and if you wash and sterilise them, you can freeze/use the milk 👍 My sisters's started a business hand making baby clothes etc and she's got me testing fabric ones at the moment, which are WONDERFUL!

@BeHereNowx32 Gutted to hear you're having such a tough time. Echo everyone else's advice to just keep feeding on demand - even when it feels ridiculously frequent - and swap boobs between each break in the feed as well as for each feed. That's what I did and we are slowly getting into more of a pattern as my milk has established to just what the baby needs. My family have been the same... they think they're helping, but I want to feel confident not defeatist!! It's tough but I promise you it's worth it x

I've just found this and love to join! I tend to lurk / find it difficult to keep up with threads, but I do like reading everyone's experiences and will try to contribute with my own.
I'm a FTM to M, 6w. EBF. First in my friendship group to have a baby so really learning on the job, but so far so good. We've really come in to our own little pattern. I feed on demand but have noticed it's roughly every two hours during the day and three to four at night.

I'm gonna go see if I can catch up on the thread now

Thanks for everyone’s advice and support x

Thanks for joining @lookingatthings ! I'm the same with keeping up with threads 🤦🏼‍♀️ Feel free to dip in and out with questions etc x

Thanks @Llondbol. There's some really great advice on here.
M is a generally easy going baby, but quite sicky. Doesn't have reflux in that hes not in pain- he just brings up milk a fair bit. Any one else have a baby like this? I'm forever doing washing!

@lookingatthings my second was like that in the first months, he has posterior tongue tie so basically kept losing his latch, taking in air, puking everything up later! So nothing really wrong with him, just a "happy puker". I'm not exaggerating when I say we constantly had towels ready in the sitting room, and the floor, couch and coffee table legs were frequently splattered in it

The worst was when we went on holiday when he was 5 months, in 24 hours we went through all mine and his clothes for the week, all towels in the apartment and 2 sets of bedding!

@BeHereNowx32
It's so exhausting but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

You are already feeding the baby so you know you can do it. The top up formula is a tiny percentage of what that baby is fed so you can stop it whenever you want. Your body will respond in time.

I would surround yourself with positive role models (like you are already on here) get yourself to the support on Thursday and join Facebook natural parenting groups and breastfeeding groups too.

In the meantime why not have lots of skin to skin...whole afternoons or mornings in bed cuddling that baby and your milk will flow.

What positions do you feed in? I ended up lying down to feed as exhaustion is overwhelming. Obviously in this position you are likely to get rest and fall asleep yourself. So here's a link to sage cosleeping guidelines drop the lullaby trust.

www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep-advice/co-sleeping/

I'm read a great (very small and manageable book) by a healthcare professional and bf expert and here's a good quote:
"Too many people still don't grasp the basic principle [of bf] that a woman's breast responds to the baby's behaviour and is not a holding chamber for a finite supply of milk. The breast is a gland not a bladder"

"The proportion of women who really cannot produce milk is so tiny that few of my colleagues have even met one case in a lifetime"

That’s a helpful quote @avocadoincident (great name btw, what happened?!). I think that is a common misconception that bf failed because of not enough milk, or milk never coming in. When actually baby hasn’t been at breast enough, or some anatomical issue has prevented baby removing milk effectively, so body doesn’t get the correct order. Must be so stressful when your baby is not gaining though.

Hello! I fed DD1 until over two and my milk dried up during my second pregnancy. Now feeding DD2, 7mo. Both have been tongue tied, high-palated shit latchers and feeding has been very difficult at times. Still not straightforward but I’m not getting blocked ducts all the time now, which I had done. I’m keen on doing some peer supporting in the future to use all my hard earned knowledge!!

I also have a question for those feeding older babies - we basically only do laid back feeding, as it’s the best way to get a wide latch, but I’m conscious we rarely vary the position on the boob, or only within a 90 degree quadrant of the boob, iyswim? What positions do any of you use with a big baby or toddler?

He stands up to feed if I sit on the doorstep We lie on the couch with him kind of half on me half beside me, don't think it matters though really. Dc1 only ever fed in cradle hold or beside me in bed up until he was over 2.

@Falafel19 that sounds just like my reality at the moment. I'm using flats as well so I've literally got terry / muslin squares everywhere: if they're not washing they are drying or waiting to folded- our house is a Chinese laundry. Upside is there's always a a cloth to hand for when hes sick.

Were going away in a few weeks so I shall bear your story in mind and take triple clothes for him!

@BeHereNowx32 I'm certainly no expert but I found that the less I think about breastfeeding the easier its become. In the beginning I timed every feed and worried constantly. As the weeks have gone on I'm learning to trust both my body and my baby. @avocadoincident has some really excellent advice re getting positive support around you and dropping that formula feed for more boob offering. You're doing a fantastic job.

Midwife came over she has put on 50 grams so they are happier and coming back on Friday to re weigh and make sure she is back to birth weight!

Hi I'm new to Mumsnet.

I've got a 9 month old ds and we LOVE breastfeeding!

He feeds to sleep and feeds for comfort.

First few weeks were so tough. I'm so glad I persevered.

I appreciate how lucky I am as I know it doesn't work out for everyone.

@Creas35 that's fantastic news. Keep on going

I just wanted to post a link to breastfeeding support in Ireland for countrychick and any other Irish posters. On the page below you can click on "find support in your area" and that includes local breastfeeding groups.

www.breastfeeding.ie

So glad I found this post! Was starting to feel very lonely and possibly thinking about giving the BF up. I'm a new mum to a ten day old baby boy. Whilst I love to BF I'm finding he only goes 2 and 1/2 hours between feeds during day then will except being put in his cot, which I can deal with . But at night he will cluster feed sometimes anywhere from 11pm to 3am and then will refuse to be put down in cot! So I am currently getting an hour or so tops sleep at night if I'm lucky and then trying to catch up in between feeds during the day - which is difficult when he feeds for nearly an hour and goes 2 and 1/2 hours between a feeds meaning if I'm lucky I get an hour and half at a time! I always new sleep would be tricky and I except that and I'm good at being able to nap it's just I can't keep going at night like that as I'm worried I'm going to fall asleep with him in my arms!
It's been Nice to read what all you other mums are going through and the support you have all received on this thread 👍🏼

Also forgot to mention that I struggle to keep him awake whilst on the boob! Anyone got any other tips for this as midwife says to blow on his face and tickle his toes but it has no effect on him!

Definitely try cosleeping/laid back feeding, easier for you to rest and get some sleep that way, and much safer than falling asleep sitting up feeding.

I used to read to mine to keep them awake while they were tiny babies as they would both drift off while feeding. I read Harry Potter to them, it was really quite nice!

When that wasn't enough though I'd just poke them in the face 🤣

@JLB7 I was the same. Baby fed all night long. I felt depressed and was hallucinating! It does become less. But I now bottle feed when I really can’t cope ☹️

Have been breastfeeding quite a lot today. But in-laws cane to visit and DH suggested baby had a bath while they were there. The now MIL gave her a bottle. I really wanted to do skin on skin. I could have cried 😔 I did say to DH but he said to do it later... baby is now breastfeeding again. But not sure whether to fo skin on skin now. She is all cosy and I’m so tired 🙈

How much skin on skin time does everyone do?

@avocadoincident @lookingatthings thank you for your info and encouraging words xx