RE: Got Mommy's Milk, Take 6 (Full Version)

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thisistheday -> RE: Got Mommy's Milk, Take 6 (5/6/2008 2:05:29 PM)

Back when my first was born 17 years ago I got bad breastfeeding advice, so it didn't go well. I'm so thankful for the exchange of information that can occur on forums such as this and the availability of info on the net in general.

My youngest lost a full pound (at least) before she started gaining. Thankfully my doctor remained supportive of my breastfeeding. She was 9 lb 3 oz at birth. It took 3 full weeks for her to get back up to birth weight.

Dee



3cappuccinosmom -> RE: Got Mommy's Milk, Take 6 (5/6/2008 2:15:59 PM)

****DISCLAIMER**** the following is not intended to disrespect mothers who didn't/couldn't bf or their children.

My dad sent me this article this morning (breastfeeding and IQ).

I'm so lucky to have parents who are so supportive of our parenting practices. [:D]
Well, mom did bring me a couple of negative articles on co sleeping when Asrat was a baby, but since we haven't smothered any of our kids, she's calmed down about that. [8D]



peculiar_lady2 -> RE: Got Mommy's Milk, Take 6 (5/6/2008 2:19:00 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: PrudentWife

Sarah, I've had positively horrible experiences too. This last time was so aweful I think I finally understand why women choose homebirths. I feel as strongly about breastfeeding as some women feel about natural childbirth. And if experience tells you that the medical professionals will do everything they can to contradict your wishes, you decide to 'do it yourself.'

With Reagan I went through 4 peds in those 1st weeks trying to find one who supported BF. This time we simply didn't take Lincoln in until he was 2 months old. Saved me a lot of frustration!

in the hospital with Jack the nurses tried to convince me of all sorts of bull about BFing and about babies in general....some stupid stuff that is simply NOT true (like that the "stuff coating his skin"...they didn't even know to call it "vernix"... would eat through his skin if they didn't wash it off IMMEDIATELY. Um....ok, yeah, I guess it's SOOOO toxic to the baby's skin and that's why a lot of people actually rub it INTO their skin!!!! DUH!!!!). They tried to tell me that nursing him was not an option for the first three hours of life...that babies don't need to be nursed then. They also tried to tell me that his body temp would go down if I nursed him instead of having him under a heat lamp. I really felt horrible about the whole thing, and ultimately we signed out of the hospital early because of their stupidity they were trying to push on me. Luckily I was not stupid enough to believe any of what they said. My dr allowed us to leave, so we didn't have to go AMA...but we were prepared to if they hadn't let us go.



SweetLittleErin -> RE: Got Mommy's Milk, Take 6 (5/6/2008 2:35:22 PM)

I am so thankful for this thread, I dont think I am going to have much (if any) real life BF support other than my MIL. My mom has already made fun of me since I mentioned getting a good breast pump - she went and pulled out her milking machine for her goats, she thought it was just hilarious.[:@] My cousins all tell each other that "women in this family just cant breastfeed so why try?" They claim they are going to try but give the baby a bottle of formula before he/she is even an hour old. So I am pretty much on my own. Thats why I am subbed here and read (and have been for a while) every morsel of info I can get!



Mrs.Wifey -> RE: Got Mommy's Milk, Take 6 (5/6/2008 2:37:46 PM)

quote:

she went and pulled out her milking machine for her goats, she thought it was just hilarious.


Well, I would agree with her. My medela pump seriously does look like a milking machine, especially when you see how it actually looks. Your nipples pop in and out of the clear flange. Micah and my Mom got a good laugh out of me pumping in the hospital.



SweetLittleErin -> RE: Got Mommy's Milk, Take 6 (5/6/2008 2:40:03 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Mrs.Wifey

quote:

she went and pulled out her milking machine for her goats, she thought it was just hilarious.


Well, I would agree with her. My medela pump seriously does look like a milking machine, especially when you see how it actually looks. Your nipples pop in and out of the clear flange. Micah and my Mom got a good laugh out of me pumping in the hospital.


Well it would have been one thing if she was doing it purely in a joking manner, but she was doing it making fun of me...you'd have to know my mother.



peculiar_lady2 -> RE: Got Mommy's Milk, Take 6 (5/6/2008 2:41:41 PM)

well laugh anyway at Ryanne's wonderful picture analogy and ignore your mother....she doesn't know what she's talking about



SweetLittleErin -> RE: Got Mommy's Milk, Take 6 (5/6/2008 2:54:51 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: peculiar_lady2

well laugh anyway at Ryanne's wonderful picture analogy and ignore your mother....she doesn't know what she's talking about


Oh, yeah, I did pretty much ignore it, its just obvious there is no support coming from her.



peculiar_lady2 -> RE: Got Mommy's Milk, Take 6 (5/6/2008 2:56:36 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: SweetLittleErin

quote:

ORIGINAL: peculiar_lady2

well laugh anyway at Ryanne's wonderful picture analogy and ignore your mother....she doesn't know what she's talking about


Oh, yeah, I did pretty much ignore it, its just obvious there is no support coming from her.

yeah.....you will unfortunately find that a lot.



Mrs.Wifey -> RE: Got Mommy's Milk, Take 6 (5/6/2008 2:58:03 PM)

Ya know, Erin. I have both sides of the spectrum with my MIL(a strict breastfeeder) and my mother(who forumla fed all 6 of us) and in the end, it doesn't matter one lick whose support you have because it is a decision that has to be made by you and your husband. They aren't the ones who are going to be up with you at 2am when the baby won't latch correctly, and they won't be the ones to see how hard pumping is emotionally. Your support will mainly(and correctly) have to come from Klay. So as long as he is supportive, then you are golden.



Georgia-Peach -> RE: Got Mommy's Milk, Take 6 (5/6/2008 3:44:40 PM)

I agree with Ryanne! All that matters is that hubby is supporting your decision because one lesson I learned real fast after becoming a mother (ok well the minute I knew I was pregnant to be honest) was no matter what choices we make as parents we will never please everyone. Someone will think they know better and yes sometimes they will even let you know that.

Ryanne, nice visual with the pumping...I was laughing [:D]. It is definitely an experience using an electric double pump.



SweetLittleErin -> RE: Got Mommy's Milk, Take 6 (5/6/2008 3:46:42 PM)

quote:

I agree with Ryanne! All that matters is that hubby is supporting your decision because one lesson I learned real fast after becoming a mother (ok well the minute I knew I was pregnant to be honest) was no matter what choices we make as parents we will never please everyone. Someone will think they know better and yes sometimes they will even let you know that.


I'm working on learning that....



Mrs.Wifey -> RE: Got Mommy's Milk, Take 6 (5/6/2008 3:51:08 PM)

quote:

Someone will think they know better and yes sometimes they will even let you know that.


In my experience, they will tell you more often then not. Our parenting choices are much more crunchy then the rest of our siblings and we do get some funny looks but we make our decisions based on what we feel is best for Gabby and that is what matters.



manda59 -> RE: Got Mommy's Milk, Take 6 (5/6/2008 3:51:25 PM)

I didn't even tell my mother how I was planning on feeding my baby. I figured the less information I gave her, the less she could use against me.



peculiar_lady2 -> RE: Got Mommy's Milk, Take 6 (5/6/2008 5:11:51 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: SweetLittleErin

quote:

I agree with Ryanne! All that matters is that hubby is supporting your decision because one lesson I learned real fast after becoming a mother (ok well the minute I knew I was pregnant to be honest) was no matter what choices we make as parents we will never please everyone. Someone will think they know better and yes sometimes they will even let you know that.


I'm working on learning that....

luckily God doesn't plop a baby down in your lap the next day that you find out you will have one....and luckily their first year (or so)of life is generally not well remembered by them. There are a lot of things that just come with them growing and you growing right along with them.



Tea-Tea -> RE: Got Mommy's Milk, Take 6 (5/6/2008 5:22:12 PM)

Erin, it's great you're getting educated beforehand. It really helped me to read up on breastfeeding ahead of time. Does your hospital offer a breastfeeding class?

I agree...hubby has to be supportive. I wouldn't be here today is Austin wasn't supportive. He says, "Even if breastfeeding cost 3 times as much as formual, I would say we need to do it. It's just so much better for the baby." Thankfully he gets it!!

My mother knows I'm pursuing breastfeeding; Austin's family does not. His mom and grandmother are wonderful people and I couldn't ask for better in-laws. However, they are completely ignorant regarding breastfeeding. They insisted I shouldn't breastfeed Josie right after surgery because of her stitches. Her surgeon used special stitches so I COULD breastfeed! His grandmother also insists I'm not feeding her enough. [8|]

I just listen to them, smile, and do things the way I feel is right. While I did that somewhat with Pediatrician #1, I wish I had done a WHOLE LOT MORE of it! But you live and learn.



SweetLittleErin -> RE: Got Mommy's Milk, Take 6 (5/6/2008 5:28:58 PM)

I dont think our hospital has BF classes, they are small and dont have many resources.
Hubby is 100% on board, he knows its best and totally supports me in doing this for our child.
I probably shouldnt have even mentioned it with my mom, but she was talking about helping buy baby stuff and a good breast pump is pricey so its on the list!
MIL is great, totally supportive, she didnt have any BF support either when she breastfed, her first was formula fed because she says "I didnt even know thats what they were for!!" She did later BF the younger two.



PrincessDonna -> RE: Got Mommy's Milk, Take 6 (5/6/2008 5:52:59 PM)

Erin, have you looked into the cost of a rental pump? I found that was more cost efficient for me with Noah. Also, if you can find one used, you can buy new tubing and such and it's just as good as new. A friend of mine did that with a $20 garage sale Medela pump.[:D]



Georgia-Peach -> RE: Got Mommy's Milk, Take 6 (5/6/2008 6:03:48 PM)

quote:

I agree...hubby has to be supportive. I wouldn't be here today is Austin wasn't supportive.

I wouldn't have made it either without hubby's support. I remember the first time I really got to nurse Hunter after he was born he wouldn't latch or stay latched long. I got so frustrated and I looked at hubby and said "just give him a bottle". My MIL was in the room too and he got really upset, he said "I just watched you go through 40 something hours of labor and you pushing for 3 hours. Now you are going to let something like this kick you in the butt. We are not giving him a bottle!" I was shocked, but I needed him to get stern with me and I also think it was good for my MIL to see that he was 100% on board with this.



Mrs.Wifey -> RE: Got Mommy's Milk, Take 6 (5/6/2008 6:32:25 PM)

I wouldn't have made it through the first 48 hours home from the NICU without Micah, let alone the 4 months that we did nurse. He was a huge support, and really, so was my mom although there were times when she just didn't "get it".



TwinCityGirl -> RE: Got Mommy's Milk, Take 6 (5/7/2008 12:42:56 AM)

Erin:

Since you are looking for advice, and as someone who BF's about 7-8 times a day and night at present, here are things that work for me (and something to maybe think about; may or may not work for you):

- Two pillows. This is what I use to prop the baby up and keep him in place. I put a hand towel on the top pillow (just in case). I would not use your regular bed pillows, well, depending on WHERE you end up nursing.....I have two extra pillows I use and our bed pillows stay on the bed. (I nurse on our couch.)

- Where you're going to nurse. Remember your baby is going to be almost 2 feet long so you'll have his/her little mouth attached to one side of your front, and then the rest of him/her dangling somewhere. I can't imagine nursing in a rocking chair or similar. I like the big expanse of my couch.

- Supplies. Our baby doesn't need any supplies for nursing but I did/do. I have a small zippered bag (about the size of a Kleenex box) that I keep breast pads, lanolin cream and clean washcloths in. After applying lanolin cream (which I don't need much anymore), I wipe my finger off on the washcloth (those get washed pretty frequently). It's nice to have all the BF supplies right there and I can just grab that bag and stick it in the diaper bag when we're on the go. Ooops, I just remembered that I always have a burp cloth to throw over my shoulder handy, and a little rag to wipe him off should he have any spit up. It is not fun to go scrambling for something to wipe his face with when he's got white milk smeared all over. (Doesn't happen often but it does happen.) Oh, one more thing is if you're like me and you don't cover up at home when nursing (when it's just you and baby and Klay in the house) you might want to have a receiving blanket big enough to cover baby nearby in case someone stops by....and when I say this I mean if you decide that you would like to be covered while nursing in front of others that are not your husband. That might not be an issue for you, but if it is, it's nice to have something you can grab when you hear your husband coming through the back door with your father-in-law and a couple inches of your breast are exposed.

- A clock or watch you can look at during nursing is helpful so you can mentally remember when baby last fed. I feed on demand but I do like to know when he finished feeding because I can plot running errands or household things or phone calls based on "Okay, he just ate and I have roughly 3 or 4 hours till he needs to eat again." Whenever possible I like to offer him the breast BEFORE he gets crabby for it because he's really hungry.

- Other supplies. Like the TV remote if you're going to watch TV, or the phone, or a book, or a glass of water or granola bar, put a CD in and turning it on.....get those within arm's reach because you might be there a while. Be prepared to hunker down for a good chunk of time. Not all babies can finish their meal (and be burped, and be kept upright to help ensure their hard-earned milk stays down) in 15 minutes. Sometimes my son can eat in 15 minutes but I still have to burp him (that can take a while or can be an immediate thing) and I like to keep him upright for a while so it is very often a one-hour event start to finish (feeding, burping, holding upright). It's not easy to answer the phone when it's across the room and your little one is suckling on you, and yes, you can pop the baby off and grab the phone or the water, but why not just plan ahead.

- Requoting Sarah's advice from a while back: Make sure to go to the bathroom before you start nursing. I don't recall knowing WHY, but now I know why *I* do this: again, you might be sitting there a long time so GO AHEAD OF TIME if you can.

- Be flexible. While I did tell you to have a watch or clock nearby, don't stress out about how long it might be taking. And if you're nursing before you leave the house (say, to have dinner with your in-laws at 6 p.m.), remember to be flexible. Plan ahead a good chunk of time to feed, nurse and keep upright (and maybe even get baby to sleep and probably a diaper change) before you leave (or to do at your in-laws'), but also make sure those close to you (in this example your in-laws) are aware you'll aim for 6 p.m. but you'll get there when you get there. If you've built enough time into your getting ready routine it shouldn't be a problem to get there on time but it's nice for you and for baby if you can keep realistic expectations. It is not a 15-minute ordeal (at least at 7 weeks out I am not there where he eats, burps and is changed within 15 minutes). Just don't get panicked if it seems to be taking a long time.

I think that's about all I can think of at present. I'm sure others have more, and you will develop your own style and your own methods of doing it. I have never read any books on breastfeeding and find breastfeeding more time-consuming than hard. That is *my* experience. I know every woman and baby is different.

Jeanie




Brandy -> RE: Got Mommy's Milk, Take 6 (5/7/2008 1:07:50 AM)

Jeanie you pretty much nailed all the things I've either gleaned or have been told all my life about breastfeeding.

Good post [:D]



Georgia-Peach -> RE: Got Mommy's Milk, Take 6 (5/7/2008 8:10:12 AM)

quote:

I can't imagine nursing in a rocking chair or similar.

That was the place that worked best for me the first month and mostly where I nursed him at every feeding. I think because our couch's are so soft that it wasn't giving me enough back support. The rocking chair gave me plenty of back support and it was just where I was most comfortable. Of course once he started getting longer and I started getting the hang of it my favorite way to nurse was laying down or on the couch.



peculiar_lady2 -> RE: Got Mommy's Milk, Take 6 (5/7/2008 11:07:05 AM)

wow Jeanie....you sure have learned a lot in this short time haven't you!!!!

quote:

- Requoting Sarah's advice from a while back: Make sure to go to the bathroom before you start nursing. I don't recall knowing WHY, but now I know why *I* do this: again, you might be sitting there a long time so GO AHEAD OF TIME if you can.

I think I said that because of post pardum bleeding....nursing makes you bleed more, so I think that was in context of that convo a few weeks/months ago. But yeah...even after you have stopped bleeding, it's a good thing to go to the bathroom before you nurse...in case you are sitting there a while. I don't know about others, but I always have to go to the bathroom after nursing anyway too....probably because I drink when nursing. Usually Paul changed diaper while I go to the bathroom and get a drink and sit down. If it's just me, then baby cries for a minute or two...or now that the kids are older they hold the baby or help me get a drink together...it works out.

as for where to nurse.....I have finally (on the fourth round of nursing) found the perfect chair to nurse in. I have short arms, so I always need at least two pillow under my arm to prop it up...sometimes more. Anyway, you know those chairs that fold up nicely to take camping or whatever, those are great cause you can put the arm rest as high as you need it. They are comfy enough to sit in for hours on end. They support your back well and make you sit up more instead of leaning so that helps my back not be so sore. I officially gave up the office chair for the computer and use one of those (sitting in one now in fact). It is great!!!



Mrs.X -> RE: Got Mommy's Milk, Take 6 (5/7/2008 12:01:23 PM)

Jeanie, you hit the nail on the head! I would always forget the remote or mouse before sitting down to nurse, but luckily Timmy knows how to hand them to me when I ask for them (silver rectangle and black oval). I wish he knew how to get me a drink, that would be cool. LOL!



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