PS Mommy Thread-Newborn to 12 months!

[cdt1101]

Date: 1/24/2010 8:02:24 PM
Author: Mandarine
Anchor, I always give them all the milk at room temperature....but they drink formula. When I was pumping, I would just put the bottles under hot running water to take most of the cold out.


Viz, I added you in FB!!!!Nice to ''meet'' you

So question:


Freaking out after eating 1 oz


What is up with that????????


It''s a new thing, but they are both doing it. Not surpirsed as they ALWAYS do everything at the same exact time (including pooping!). Any who...they are HUNGRY, start eating and start FREAKING out after 1-2 oz....eitehr that or they start playing around with the nipple (pushing it to the sides). Sometimes it takes like an hour to feed them...specially because I have to do one at a time...rock them, sing, etc...to get them to eat.


Are they telling me it''s time to switch to eating every 4 hours? (they are 3.5 months, about 14 lbs and eating every 3 hours now).


Or did they suddenly develop some sort of reflux or something?


It''s so annoying. Today it happened at EVERY feeding. It''s exhausting

Thoughts?

Lex started doing this too around the same age (3-4 months). It will mostly stop

I think they are just discovering the world around them more and get easily distracted. For awhile, I had to just make sure I was in a quiet room w/ him, no TV or computer near. I couldn''t even keep the curtains open because if he noticed something out the window than he would just refuse the bottle

We still have days where feedings are more of a challenge because he just would rather look around (he''s soooo nosy!!), but I know he''s hungry because he gets so excited/frantic when he sees the bottle, but after 2 oz he''s like "gotta run!!" Annoying for sure! I will NOT miss the bottle when it''s gone

 

[Dreamer_D]

Baths Prior to about 3 months, Hunter got a bath once a week. He didn''t look drity or smelly, so I thought, why bother???

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 1/22/2010 6:28:25 PM
Author: sunkist
Here''s my Friday pic of Wesley. As I said it''s been raining here allllll week. And I guess it''s unusual cause we are in So Cal. Anyways, after being stuck in the house for 4 days I decided we needed to get outside. So I put the rain cover on Wes''s stroller and we went for a short walk! It looks like the plastic is smothering him, but I promise it''s not!

Fiery love miss Sophia! She is like one of those ladies that always wakes up perfect, beautiful and ready for anything

He looks like the Bubble boy! haha... cutie patootie.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 1/23/2010 11:01:05 AM
Author: sunkist
Ooo way to go Blen! Attempting a haircut on a baby, heehee! It looks great

Help Regarding Breastfeeding- I think I have a boob that could feed the world. Seriously this thing will not stop producing milk! Wes has not been feeding till empty the last couple days and I still feel slightly engorged on one side. Then when he does feed on that side, he gets upset and pulls off, I''m assuming cause it squirts and sprays. So I try to hand express till it stops spraying, but it never stops!! What should I do?

My main concern though is that Wes is getting enough to eat. Can he be getting enough if he''s not feeding till I''m empty? Sometimes he''s only eating off one side now.

Sinkist, I did single side feedings from when Hunter was about 2 months until he was about 6 months, when he wanted more milk than one side would give. It is a good thing to do when you have ample supply because it allows him to get more hind milk.

 

[littlelysser]

Cello - First off, Congrats!!! Love the name and can't wait to see a pic or two of the little guy.

Second off, I've been where you are. Calvin was born at 7lb14ozs. By the time we went to the pediatrician, he had lost almost 10% of his body weight. He had orange crystals in his diaper because he was dehydrated. His little lips were dry. It was awful. At the doc's advice, we gave him two ozs of formula in the doctor's office, which he SUCKED down. I really wanted to exclusively breast feed, but it was more important that he eat and get hydrated and get some calories. Ped recommended that after every other feeding, we should supplement with an ounce or two of formula or BM.

I went to a lactation consultant the next day - long story short, Calvin wasn't getting enough milk. After a full feeding he'd only gained about 2 ozs. He was a lazy eater and I didn't have the greatest supply. So I started doing exactly what you are doing. Feeding, pumping afterwards (getting close to NOTHING), and supplementing with formula. Initially, you really aren't pumping to get milk, you are signaling your body that it needs to make more milk. When I pumped, I got little to nothing. Really frustrating. I was lucky that my LC was really good - and was completely on board with supplementing with formula.


Long story longer, after I got my supply up, I'd pump an hour after I fed him so we could still supplement with an oz or two of milk after every other feeding.

Long story EVEN longer - those first few weeks were tough. But we got through it. Calvin is four and a half months and he is EBF. I still pump at night, but that is only to build a freezer stash of milk and to allow his dad to give him a bottle of milk before bed. After we got the knack of things, it wasn't a problem at all. And it got much easier. I've taken fenugreek pills when I felt my supply was a bit low, but otherwise, pretty smooth sailing. I'm glad I was able to do it and if it is something you feel strongly about, just try to stick with it - but really, the most important thing is that your baby is getting what he needs.

Geesh, I've written a novel here.

ETAAnchor - CONGRATS!!! Your little guy is precious. As for milk...my understanding is that if the baby will take it cold, that is A-Okay.

 

[lizzard]

Question regarding teething/sleep regression…


Our LO is 14 weeks today and for the last two days has been a complete nightmare to put to sleep. He usually falls asleep pretty easily. I’ve noticed in the last few days that he has started to drool a lot, blowing little saliva bubbles and constantly shoving his hands in his mouth. Could he possibly be teething this early? He doesn’t have any of the other symptoms – low grade fever, diarrhea, etc., and I didn’t feel anything sharp along his gum line. If he teething, how long does the fussiness/lack of sleep usually continue? Until the tooth pops through...?

Congrats Cello!

 

[Mandarine]

Date: 1/24/2010 9:41:47 PM
Author: lizzard

Question regarding teething/sleep regression…

Our LO is 14 weeks today and for the last two days has been a complete nightmare to put to sleep. He usually falls asleep pretty easily. I’ve noticed in the last few days that he has started to drool a lot, blowing little saliva bubbles and constantly shoving his hands in his mouth. Could he possibly be teething this early? He doesn’t have any of the other symptoms – low grade fever, diarrhea, etc., and I didn’t feel anything sharp along his gum line. If he is fact teething, how long does the fussiness/lack of sleep continue? Until the tooth pops through?

Sounds like my guys....when was your LO born? Mine were born 10/11

Sleep regression
Refusing bottle
More fussy
Shorter naps (they were always short, but now they''re even shorter!)
Drooling
Blowing bubbles

I didn''t think it could be teething this early, but was googling tonight and it seems like maybe that''s it??. I''ll be checking their gums tomorrow...


CDT Thank you!. I''m thinking that''s another possibility because they get so easily distracted...

 

[lizzard]

Mandy- our kiddos were born on the same day!

and it sounds like they are experiencing the same symptoms. Maybe it''s NOT something we''re doing wrong and instead is due to some weird growth stage they''re going through?!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 1/23/2010 12:48:09 PM
Author: ChinaCat

QUESTION: Those of you that have stopped BF, how did you wean? Cold turkey? I can''t decide if I should feed him till 6 months and then just stop pumping and only feed him while I''m home till the milk dries up? Or slowly start by not pumping for 1 feeding each week, until he gradually goes to all formula?

I am not doing this yet, but want a plan for when I do. And if you did go cold turkey, how long did it hurt? I can miss a pumping, but more than one and I get engorged and it''s kinda painful still.

Depending on how your body reacts to less frequent feedings, you can probably keep nursing him in the morning and evenings if you wanted to. I have been surprised at how my body is able to go 12 hours without feeds at night and then still produce a tonne in the day for him -- he is 11 months but does not drink milk or have formula. I plan to start him on milk in a month and at that time I will just cut one daytime feed and nurse him 3x per day instead.

 

[Mandarine]

Date: 1/24/2010 9:52:18 PM
Author: lizzard
Mandy- our kiddos were born on the same day!

and it sounds like they are experiencing the same symptoms. Maybe it''s NOT something we''re doing wrong and instead is due to some weird growth stage they''re going through?!

DUHHH, I could have read your signature!!!! hahahaha. I swear I have like 2 brain cells left!!!

I''m glad to know my boys are not the only "weirdos"

Did your LO also start sleeping worse at night?. Mine were going from 7pm to anywhere from 4am to 6 am...then all of the sudden they were all over the place...10pm, midnight, 2am, 4am...

 

[Dreamer_D]

Staying at home For me, staying home for 10 months was a really long time. I was happy as a lark for 6 months, and then spent 4 months feeling bored and tired and opverwhelmed by the day-in-day-out job of caring for Hunter. Now that I am back at work I feel much better and am a more involved and probably fun parent. That said, next time I will still do a full year at home. I think since I can, it is a good thing for the baby to be with mummy for that period of time. Anyways, my point is that a year was about as long as I want to be a SAHM, but I didn''t really know that until 6mo had passed! Before that I thought I could do a couple years, easy. I was wrong. So if you are able to stay home for 6 months it would really help you make your choice. My other mom friends also mentioned that 6 months was about the point where they knew full time was not for them.

 

[fieryred33143]

Anchor-I''m sorry that I don''t remember, are you bf or ff? Some babies can take a bottle straight from the fridge. When I was bfing I always warmed it up bc I figured she gets it nice and warm from me. With formula, I just do room temp.

Cello-congrats again! Please do whatever makes you feel better. If that means supplementing with formula then definitely keep at it! As for pumping, if Soren is doing a good job at draining the breast and assuming you don''t have over-supply issues, then the most you should get from pumping is 1oz. BF is all about supply/demand so pumping after a feed will teach your body to produce more. Another tip is to let Soren comfort suck. Nothing helps produce better than baby at the breast so letting him hang out at the breast can really be beneficial.

Sunkist-I had oversupply issues in the beginning and did as DD mentioned-single side feedings. It corrected itself eventually.

Lizzard-Dont think its teething. At that age its normal to drool and the hands in mouth comes with discovering that the hands exist lol. It could be that he''s a lot more aware of his surroundings and is having a hard time falling asleep. Sophia went through that around that age. Keeping a consistent routine helped us out a lot. GL!

China-I didn''t have a choice when it came to stopping but we started her slowly on formula (1 to 2oz) and then replaced a bottle until she eventually went a whole day on formula.
***************

Sophia had a meltdown tonight. It was a combo of being overtired and getting startled awake by the neighbors. I can''t stop thinking about it. She screamed and nothing I did made her feel better. At one point I held her up to my face so that she could see that I was there for her but she just kept screaming. I ended up taking off her clothes and putting her across my chest (I took off my shirt) and after a few mins she calmed down enough to go back to sleep. But I feel so awful. I keep thinking does she know how much I love her? Did she fall asleep feeling like no one can take her tears away or that she''s alone? It was so sad and I can''t shake it

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 1/24/2010 7:10:19 PM
Author: cellososweet
Hi everyone!

This is my first post on this forum. I had a son almost two weeks ago. Søren is doing ok after a sad episode where I wasn't producing enough milk and he lost WAY more than he should have the first week (he went from 8 lbs 4 oz to 6 lbs. 14 oz).

So, we supplemented with formula. 2 oz. after every feeding for a few days to get his weight back up. Now that his weight is up and my milk is in, we are trying to exclusively breast feed. I've tried to pump after every feeding, but nothing comes out at all! My doctor wants me to supplement with my own milk, but nothing is coming out. So, we are still supplementing with formula.

Has anyone gone through this? Did you continue to do breast/bottle? Any pros or cons?

I wanted to exclusively breastfeed, but it doesn't seem like it's working and I'm frustrated. The lactation consultant is a breastfeeding nazi and makes me feel inferior for even supplementing and my ped is great, but is a little too 'leave it up to the parents' I just want some non-biased guidance.

I had the same issue! My milk took a week to come in. And pumping doesn't work for me very well. I only had to supplement for a couple of days and then Hunter was back to within 10% of his birth weigt, at which time we went to exclusively BFing and montored his weight gains. He gained well so I just exclusively BF for the rest of the time! I still BF him at 11 months.

If pumping is not working, then do not sweat it and keep supplementing with formula. Just be sure to give him boob first so that he is stimulating your supply. When he is closer to his birth weight I was told that we had more "room" to experiment, and exclusive BFing was fine.

Is his weight up close to his birth weight? If it is, then you may want to ask about trying to EBF and forget about the pumping to take the pressure off. BFing is hard, no doubt, but it is also a natural process and if your milk is in and Soren's latch is good, then you should be able to EBF. If he keeps gaining that way, then I don't see why you would need to pump at all! Obviously, not a doctor here, but those are my thoughts based on my expeirence.

ETA I want to add that getting 1oz total from both is considered a lot if it is after nursing. If you want to BF, you will be able to it sounds like. Your milk is in, that's half the battle.

 

[lizzard]

Date: 1/24/2010 9:55:59 PM
Author: Mandarine

Date: 1/24/2010 9:52:18 PM
Author: lizzard
Mandy- our kiddos were born on the same day!

and it sounds like they are experiencing the same symptoms. Maybe it's NOT something we're doing wrong and instead is due to some weird growth stage they're going through?!

DUHHH, I could have read your signature!!!! hahahaha. I swear I have like 2 brain cells left!!!

I'm glad to know my boys are not the only 'weirdos'

Did your LO also start sleeping worse at night?. Mine were going from 7pm to anywhere from 4am to 6 am...then all of the sudden they were all over the place...10pm, midnight, 2am, 4am...

He has been sleeping through the night (9p-6a - which he has been doing for a few weeks), but it's the whole getting him to fall asleep before naps/bedtime that is disasterous. My DH and I have been taking turns to rock him to sleep and it has been taking HOURS to get him to fall into a deep slumber. This afternoon I put him in his stroller and had to power walk through the house, in and out of rooms, in order to get him to fall asleep. I think the aggressive turns and motion finally zonked him out

I'm going to give this "change of behavior" a few more days and will call his doc if it doesn't improve.

 

[Mandarine]

I had to break the "rocking" habit a few weeks ago because I spent more hours than I care to admit rocking babies. I would sometimes rock them 45 minutes for a 20 minute nap. It was brutal...and well, there is two!....so it had to stop.

It was easier to break than I ever thought! Literally took like 3 days with a bit of letting them cry. The most they cried was like 10-15 minutes with me going in to pat their butts or hold them for a few seconds. Now they go down for naps and at night without any rocking at all. If they cry is for like 2 minutes while they fall sleep.

 

[sunkist]

Date: 1/24/2010 9:46:03 PM
Author: Mandarine

Date: 1/24/2010 9:41:47 PM

Author: lizzard

Question regarding teething/sleep regression…

Our LO is 14 weeks today and for the last two days has been a complete nightmare to put to sleep. He usually falls asleep pretty easily. I’ve noticed in the last few days that he has started to drool a lot, blowing little saliva bubbles and constantly shoving his hands in his mouth. Could he possibly be teething this early? He doesn’t have any of the other symptoms – low grade fever, diarrhea, etc., and I didn’t feel anything sharp along his gum line. If he is fact teething, how long does the fussiness/lack of sleep continue? Until the tooth pops through?

Sounds like my guys....when was your LO born? Mine were born 10/11


Sleep regression

Refusing bottle

More fussy

Shorter naps (they were always short, but now they''re even shorter!)

Drooling

Blowing bubbles


I didn''t think it could be teething this early, but was googling tonight and it seems like maybe that''s it??. I''ll be checking their gums tomorrow...



CDT Thank you!. I''m thinking that''s another possibility because they get so easily distracted...

My Wes is doing this too, same sypmtoms exactly! and he''s 10 weeks2days. Well actually sleep regression, if you count going to sleep at a later time. He''s still OK on length of sleep at night. (oh shoot I hope I didn''t just jinx myself!

) I have heard/read that teething at 3 months is really early for babies. So I don''t think Wes is teething. I think the saliva is just getting into gear. As for waking up after sleeping for 5 mintues, my guess now is that he''s just having a hard time transitioning from one type of sleep to another.

 

[sunkist]

Date: 1/24/2010 9:31:26 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie

Date: 1/23/2010 11:01:05 AM

Author: sunkist

Ooo way to go Blen! Attempting a haircut on a baby, heehee! It looks great

Help Regarding Breastfeeding- I think I have a boob that could feed the world. Seriously this thing will not stop producing milk! Wes has not been feeding till empty the last couple days and I still feel slightly engorged on one side. Then when he does feed on that side, he gets upset and pulls off, I''m assuming cause it squirts and sprays. So I try to hand express till it stops spraying, but it never stops!! What should I do?


My main concern though is that Wes is getting enough to eat. Can he be getting enough if he''s not feeding till I''m empty? Sometimes he''s only eating off one side now.

Sinkist, I did single side feedings from when Hunter was about 2 months until he was about 6 months, when he wanted more milk than one side would give. It is a good thing to do when you have ample supply because it allows him to get more hind milk.

So DD and Fiery, you mean you only fed on the side with less milk supply? Then what did you do for the other side with lots of milk?? Or am I getting this the wrong way around?

I do have a BabyLine I can call at my hospital. They might help.

 

[sunkist]

Date: 1/24/2010 9:23:53 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie

Date: 1/22/2010 6:28:25 PM

Author: sunkist

Here''s my Friday pic of Wesley. As I said it''s been raining here allllll week. And I guess it''s unusual cause we are in So Cal. Anyways, after being stuck in the house for 4 days I decided we needed to get outside. So I put the rain cover on Wes''s stroller and we went for a short walk! It looks like the plastic is smothering him, but I promise it''s not!


Fiery love miss Sophia! She is like one of those ladies that always wakes up perfect, beautiful and ready for anything

He looks like the Bubble boy! haha... cutie patootie.

haha! That''s what my sister said

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 1/25/2010 1:06:17 AM
Author: sunkist

Date: 1/24/2010 9:31:26 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie

Date: 1/23/2010 11:01:05 AM

Author: sunkist

Ooo way to go Blen! Attempting a haircut on a baby, heehee! It looks great

Help Regarding Breastfeeding- I think I have a boob that could feed the world. Seriously this thing will not stop producing milk! Wes has not been feeding till empty the last couple days and I still feel slightly engorged on one side. Then when he does feed on that side, he gets upset and pulls off, I''m assuming cause it squirts and sprays. So I try to hand express till it stops spraying, but it never stops!! What should I do?


My main concern though is that Wes is getting enough to eat. Can he be getting enough if he''s not feeding till I''m empty? Sometimes he''s only eating off one side now.

Sinkist, I did single side feedings from when Hunter was about 2 months until he was about 6 months, when he wanted more milk than one side would give. It is a good thing to do when you have ample supply because it allows him to get more hind milk.

So DD and Fiery, you mean you only fed on the side with less milk supply? Then what did you do for the other side with lots of milk?? Or am I getting this the wrong way around?

I do have a BabyLine I can call at my hospital. They might help.

I just alternated boobs at each feeding. Your supply will adjust itself and eventually produce the right amout. I had enough milk so that he fed on the left at 7am, the right at 9am, the left again at 11am and so forth. So each side got drained every 4 hours. He fed on demand and it ended up being every 2-3 hours until recently, actually, where he went to every 4 hours.

Are you pumping as well as BFing? It may be messing with your boobies and making them make more than you need.

 

[sunkist]

Ok, I get what you mean, DD. I actually tried doing that around 6 weeks old, but I stopped after a couple days cause I was afraid it would decrease my supply and I was scared to mess with that. I just want to even out the milk supply so it''s not lopsided. No, I haven''t been pumping, but I did just get a hand Medela pump this weekend cause I want to start storing some in case I ever need to be away from the baby (needing a date night soon!). And so maybe hubby could give him a bottle now and then. So instead of decreasing supply on the full side, I want to increase on the small side.

I think maybe I''ll try starting feedings on the small side, offering the other if he''s still hungry and then immediately after pump only on the smaller side. I won''t collect much milk for a while

but hopefully it will increase soon. I hope this hand pump will be able to do the job. If I just pump for an extra 10 min with a hand pump, do you think it will make a difference?

On my fuller side I get 4 oz in like 8 mintues. On the smaller side I only get 2 oz. It''s sooo slow!

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 1/24/2010 7:10:19 PM
Author: cellososweet
Hi everyone!

This is my first post on this forum. I had a son almost two weeks ago. Søren is doing ok after a sad episode where I wasn't producing enough milk and he lost WAY more than he should have the first week (he went from 8 lbs 4 oz to 6 lbs. 14 oz).

So, we supplemented with formula. 2 oz. after every feeding for a few days to get his weight back up. Now that his weight is up and my milk is in, we are trying to exclusively breast feed. I've tried to pump after every feeding, but nothing comes out at all! My doctor wants me to supplement with my own milk, but nothing is coming out. So, we are still supplementing with formula.

Has anyone gone through this? Did you continue to do breast/bottle? Any pros or cons?

I wanted to exclusively breastfeed, but it doesn't seem like it's working and I'm frustrated. The lactation consultant is a breastfeeding nazi and makes me feel inferior for even supplementing and my ped is great, but is a little too 'leave it up to the parents' I just want some non-biased guidance.

Cello - I have to go out till this evening when I will answer more fully, but I had an identical situation with Daisy losing a similar amount of weight and my milk not coming in for nearly 3 weeks.

We supplemented with formula until 5 weeks since when Daisy has been EBF. Now, at 8 months she is eating some solids but the major part of her calories is still from breast-milk.

You totally can do it - don't let anyone make you feel bad about supplementing.

Lizzard - sounds like teething to me. Daisy started doing all that at about 11 weeks. Lasted about 5/6 weeks then stopped - then the teeth came through later. It seems to bother them way more when the teeth are deeper in the gums than when they come through. D's molars are probably starting up as she's being fussy again the last week or so and sucking her hands and biting things all the time. Hylands Teething Tablets are brilliant btw, never got anywhere with teething rings though.

Back later...

 

[fieryred33143]

Date: 1/25/2010 1:06:17 AM
Author: sunkist


So DD and Fiery, you mean you only fed on the side with less milk supply? Then what did you do for the other side with lots of milk?? Or am I getting this the wrong way around?

I do have a BabyLine I can call at my hospital. They might help.

I did blocked feeding until the oversupply issue was corrected. I would start off with my left breast, as an example, do two feedings on that side then switch over to the right and do two feedings from there. My left had the oversupply issue more than the right so I had her on there a lot. It seems like a weird concept considering you want it to produce less but I had so much foremilk that I needed her on it as much as possible.

Once it corrected itself, I would offer just one breast during a feed and offer the second if she had drained the breast and was still hungry. That almost never happened. She would eat from one and be satisfied.

The problem with oversupply is that they can''t get to the hindmilk which is the more fatty milk that keeps them full longer. That''s why it''s suggested to do the blocked feeding. I would only do it as much as a week because you can damage your supply by doing blocked feeding if you don''t have an oversupply issue.

I know, it''s confusing.

 

[phoenixgirl]

Cello, congratulations! I love the name Soren!

The same thing happened to me. Claire was 8 lb. at birth and dropped to 7 lb. 1 oz. in the hospital. They made us give her formula then and told us to supplement after BFing if she seemed hungry, but we didn't do it religiously. At two weeks she was only 7 lb. 6 oz., and I went to see a lactation consultant and started supplementing in earnest (I was always told to do 1 ounce per feeding, so we did what little breast milk I got from pumping plus formula). I hardly got anything when I pumped too -- sometimes only 1/6 ounce. And at my appointment with the LC, Claire only got 1.5 ounces from a full feeding. One of the LCs told me I could only skip pumping once a day on top of feeding Claire @10x a day for 40 minutes each. I was going insane! From that point on Claire gained 1.5 ounces a day, and the suggested range is 0.5 to 1 ounce per day. So I was like, why am I supplementing when my baby is gaining weight at 2x the suggested rate? My gut instinct was that before the existence of formula, babies just lost a lot of weight at first, and it was their hunger that got the milk flowing as it should. So after a few days of the pumping/feeding madness (which was making me want to give up BFing altogether), I just quit the supplementing. After I quit, Claire continued to gain 0.75 oz per day, and she poops and pees like a champ, so I know she is getting enough. Now I pump in anticipation of returning to work in a week.

So has Soren regained his birthweight? You said his weight is up, so I assume he's at least gained a lot since you started supplementing. Maybe you could try cutting the supplementing back to 1 oz. per feeding, or maybe just offer it if he seems like he's still hungry after a feed? My fear was that it was a vicious cycle -- I was never going to make enough milk if we kept using formula, and no one would give me an idea of how/when to stop supplementing. The crazy LC told us to keep it up for "a few more weeks" when Claire was gaining weight so rapidly. I really don't think she was seeing the big picture and was stuck on how much Claire should have weighed at that point if she had regained her birthweight by 2 weeks (she did it by 3 weeks).

You're the mother, and your instinct is to nurture your child, so I would be wary of following any advice that seems contrary to that goal. If what is being suggested is making you crazy, then I'd gradually try to change it and watch to make sure you're still getting lots of pee and poop.

You could also try doing a feeding with just formula and then pump to see how much you get when it's been longer since you last fed him. That would give you a better sense of how much you're really producing (I've read that babies can get as much as an ounce more than the pump, so be sure to round up).

This period was really the low point for me -- I got the baby blues and was totally exhausted. Hang in there! Do what you need to do stay sane. And don't feel bad whatever you decide to do.

ETA: My SIL has a 6 week old, and she is feeding exclusively with expressed milk (due to the baby being too aggressive on the nipple). It took her several weeks of dry pumping before her milk came in at all, but it did come in, and now she is actually pumping 50% more than the baby needs. Your supply will increase, but it just might take a little while. I also take Fenugreek when I want to up my supply (and drink Guinness and eat oatmeal). Just beware -- Fenugreek makes you smell like maple syrup! You can get it at a health food store. It can increase your supply as much as 9x. I'm going to go back it on it next week when I return to work.

 

[Mandarine]

UGHHHHHHH

Again, freak out session and won''t eat. The thing is that now one ate 6 oz and the other one ate 1 oz. How am I supposed to keep them on the same schedule when they do that?????....and not having them on a schedule is just not an option when it comes to twins.

It drives me nuts. Not only throwing away full bottles but the fact that they won''t eat, yet they are crying from hunger.

This morning it was Lucas''s turn and now Alex...

 

[lizzard]

Poor Mandy. So frustrating! Our LO is doing the same thing. It takes over an hour to get him to drink his bottle, and he still doesn’t even finish it and the whole time I try to feed him he turns his head from side to side or pushes the bottle out with his tongue. I wish I had some advice (because I sure could use it). Between fighting him to get to sleep, fighting to get him to eat and really no other “red flags” (i.e. fever, etc), this new behavior has been a mystery to us.

 

[lizzard]

Date: 1/25/2010 5:48:47 AM
Author: Pandora II

Date: 1/24/2010 7:10:19 PM
Author: cellososweet
Hi everyone!

This is my first post on this forum. I had a son almost two weeks ago. Søren is doing ok after a sad episode where I wasn't producing enough milk and he lost WAY more than he should have the first week (he went from 8 lbs 4 oz to 6 lbs. 14 oz).

So, we supplemented with formula. 2 oz. after every feeding for a few days to get his weight back up. Now that his weight is up and my milk is in, we are trying to exclusively breast feed. I've tried to pump after every feeding, but nothing comes out at all! My doctor wants me to supplement with my own milk, but nothing is coming out. So, we are still supplementing with formula.

Has anyone gone through this? Did you continue to do breast/bottle? Any pros or cons?

I wanted to exclusively breastfeed, but it doesn't seem like it's working and I'm frustrated. The lactation consultant is a breastfeeding nazi and makes me feel inferior for even supplementing and my ped is great, but is a little too 'leave it up to the parents' I just want some non-biased guidance.

Cello - I have to go out till this evening when I will answer more fully, but I had an identical situation with Daisy losing a similar amount of weight and my milk not coming in for nearly 3 weeks.

We supplemented with formula until 5 weeks since when Daisy has been EBF. Now, at 8 months she is eating some solids but the major part of her calories is still from breast-milk.

You totally can do it - don't let anyone make you feel bad about supplementing.

Lizzard - sounds like teething to me. Daisy started doing all that at about 11 weeks. Lasted about 5/6 weeks then stopped - then the teeth came through later. It seems to bother them way more when the teeth are deeper in the gums than when they come through. D's molars are probably starting up as she's being fussy again the last week or so and sucking her hands and biting things all the time. Hylands Teething Tablets are brilliant btw, never got anywhere with teething rings though.

Back later...

Thanks for the recommendation on the teething tablets. If things don't improve over the next few days, I will try the tablets. Something's gotta give...

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 1/25/2010 3:45:05 AM
Author: sunkist
Ok, I get what you mean, DD. I actually tried doing that around 6 weeks old, but I stopped after a couple days cause I was afraid it would decrease my supply and I was scared to mess with that. I just want to even out the milk supply so it''s not lopsided. No, I haven''t been pumping, but I did just get a hand Medela pump this weekend cause I want to start storing some in case I ever need to be away from the baby (needing a date night soon!). And so maybe hubby could give him a bottle now and then. So instead of decreasing supply on the full side, I want to increase on the small side.

I think maybe I''ll try starting feedings on the small side, offering the other if he''s still hungry and then immediately after pump only on the smaller side. I won''t collect much milk for a while

but hopefully it will increase soon. I hope this hand pump will be able to do the job. If I just pump for an extra 10 min with a hand pump, do you think it will make a difference?

On my fuller side I get 4 oz in like 8 mintues. On the smaller side I only get 2 oz. It''s sooo slow!

Are his poops green by any chance? I only ask because that was why I started single side feeds. Green poops mean too much foremilk so nursing only on one side helps baby get more of the hind milk.

 

[vizsla]

count me in with the same feeding issues! at first c did this on the breast, now that i have to pump and give him a bottle, he does the same thing. bubbles, hands and all. c is 12 weeks so it could be a stage. i have to feed him in a darkish room, no tv, etc. in order to get him to eat. also ive tried using the hooter hider (like i am bf in public) and that has helped too.

mandy, my lo is in a sleep regression phase too (perfect, just in time for me to go back to work) and i wish i could say that he was a good sleeper before (not so much) so this new habit of waking every 45mins at night is even more of a challenge. dark circles r the new look for spring.

cello - i want to jump thru the computer and give you a huge hug!! BF was/is so difficult for me, and i saw more LC than i care to admit... but i was so darn committed to BF i couldnt accept (and still dont to a degree) that formula is not poison. what made me feel better was to mix whatever BM i have w formula so C got the benefits of BM and a full feeding. whatever you do, do not let those lactation ladies bully you or feel bad. i ran into a few who made me burst out into tears. i finally found one who was on my side and it made all of the difference. i cant give you enough love right now... the first month was the hardest thing i have ever done in my life, and i cried more than i thought possible. bottom line is that your baby will still BF later even if you have to give him a bottle now, formula is not poison and we r all here for you.

thanks for posting all of the positives about going back to work. i still wish that i could stay home just until c is 6 months old. he just seems so little and fragile to be in daycare right now, plus my commute is awful! ill b away from the house for a long period of time everyday

but mommy makes the buck for right now... no choice. silver linings, silver linings... thats all im thinking about.

thanks amber! off to FB

 

[Mandarine]

so faster nipples seem to help!!!!

At least they ate more!

 

[ChinaCat]

Post eaten. Short recap version:

Vizla- Back to work: Just wanted to add that despite how much you will miss Charlie, work may provide you some relief. Your insane pumping/eating schedule sounds like it's killing you and at least by going back to work you will get some respite from that. Also, C may get on more of a schedule by being in daycare, which can only make your life easier. I look at my nanny as my professional childcare consultant/assistant. It is so helpful to have someone who is experienced have a second opinion and also to provide back up and consistency for my little one. I hate to admit it, but he does so much better on the days she is there b/c she is so consistent. It helps keep me on his schedule too. Just be prepared that the first few weeks may be miserable, but it gets so much better and you will find a lot of positive things about working. Wishing you the best! Question: do you like your job?

Mandarine, Lizzard- O started doing something similar at around 3-4 months. I was nursing though and he started refusing to nurse, but would take a bottle. It was miserable. Now occasionally he will do it with the bottle. Either they are just not hungry OR they could have stomach aches or something. What I do is try to be patient and wait a few minutes, make sure he burps, pump his legs a bit and then try again. If he just won't eat, then I just let it go. He usually makes up for it later. Remember that they grow in spurts, so they not only eat more at times, but eat less at times. Mandarine, I know this is doubly frustrating for you. FWIW, when O does this during the day, it doesn't really affect his sleeping at night.

Faster nipples??? Is this something that all babies need? Do we always need to change out the nipples? Never even thought about it.

Cello- You've gotten great advice on the BF. Just wanted to say welcome and we are here for you if you need support for anything. The first few weeks are so hard, but they DO get better. Hang in there.

We gave O rice cereal this weekend and it was a hit. He kept trying to take the spoon out of my hand and do it himself, which of course he can't do. So cute. Here's a picture:

ETA: Nevermind, file is too big. Will try later from home.