Well, my baby girl is now 3.5 weeks old and we’re still struggling with breastfeeding. Hoping some of you Doper Moms can help because I really don’t want to give up.
Is it normal for an infant to eat continuously (back and forth, emptying each breast) for five hours at a time once a week, usually Wednesdays? Is she just upping the production or is she not getting enough? Can I produce more milk in just 10 minutes?
Why does it hurt like major hell for the first 10 seconds after she gets a good latch? I’m talking excruciating pain.
How can she latch on at night without having me turn on the light? Any tricks?
When is the best time for me to pump? Any tips for successful pumping?
I have a little clogged duct. How do I get rid of it?
I’d love to hear your experiences with this baffling ordeal, I had no idea it would be so hard. She is gaining weight and has tons of poopy diapers so I know she’s ultimately getting enough.
P.S. I did contact the La Leche League here after we came home from the hospital and the leader only returned my call 8 days later and couldn’t see me for another 3 days. She also promised to e-mail me info about meetings and I’ve heard nothing. :wally
I had clogged ducts several times when I was tandem nursing. What I found worked best was to take the baby to bed and nurse frequently, in a variety of positions, trying to set her so that her little chin pressed into the quadrant where the clog was.
Latching in the dark just takes practice. It comes with time.
I don’t remember pain if the latch-on was good. If the baby didn’t open wide enough and got the edge of the aureole, that was painful, but the pain didn’t go away until we tried again.
Babies will up their nursing and seem to be nursing continuously during a growth spurt.
The book that I found the most useful was Nursing Mother’s Companion. It has loads of good advice, detailed instructions, and lays things out by stages of development.
You’re right - she’s upping the production. These “marathon feeds” will start slacking off when she’s not growing so fast.
Does is feel like a weird tingling, lancing, burning, ohhellthathurts! hot pain? But goes away after the 10 seconds? That might be the letdown. It hurt me horribly. Other women don’t report pain. We’re all different.
Practice. Also, stop trying to help her so much. She’s not relying on sight, anyway. Get her in the general position and she’ll find her own latch. It’s like trying to put a cork in a wine bottle someone else is holding in midair. You move the cork left, they move the bottle left, it’s all a mess.
The best time to pump is whenever you can. Really. Just like those marathon nursing sessions increase your milk, so will pumping. I encourage moms to pump every two hours (every hour if they’re not great producers) and store the milk. This is assuming you want to build up a good milk bank. If you don’t, pumping every two hours for about two days and then once a day at the same time (like during her nap) will net you about half a serving a day. (Half because she’s more efficient at getting milk out than any pump.)
Warm compresses help. Soak a washcloth in warm water and wring it out. Put the compress over the clog. Continue nursing. Nurse even more, if you can. She’ll pull the clog out. I’ve also heard that oatmeal applied to the breast can help, as well as a steamed cabbage leaf. YMMV.
If it gets worse, if you get a fever, if you notice red streaks on your breast, get off the computer and call your doctor. A clogged duct isn’t that big of a deal, but mastitis can be.
It sounds like you two are doing a great job, then! I know it’s tiring, but it’s so much healthier - for you and for her, then any other option. And it does get easier, I promise. You’ll really enjoy not lugging around bottles and formula and clean water whenever you want to take her out.
I’m personally not a big fan of LLL. I’m not crazy about their militantcy. But, some women swear by them. YMMV.
Drink lots of fluids, eat protien, especially cheese and milk, healthy good foods to make healthy good milk. Probably a growth spurt and working on upping your production.
I knew I was going to have to go to work and pump, so I started about 5 weeks in, gradually, to build up a stash and get me used to pumping. My oinker would take up to 20oz a day when I went back, so I needed the stash and to get my body used to pumping.
Eventually I started popping fenugreek - see kellymom.com for more info, and let your practicioner know you’re taking it.
Any options other than LLL? a referal to a consultant from your midwife or OB?
Pain yah. Sorry. Sometimes a little teething gel on your nipples helps, I’m told. Just a smidge. Or try to deal. Breathe deep and try not to flinch.
Massage and lots of nursing on the side with the clogged duct. You want that OUT. You can take Advil for pain and to help with the swelling. Massage, hot showers, hot wet wash cloths.
I agree with most everything WhyNot said. I just want to be the voice to say that my local LLL is awesome. They are always available by phone. The same day I called, they photocopied and mailed me a ton of scientific info all for free when I had to have general anesthesia and my doctors were being schmucky. And I’m not even a member. And most of all they’re not militant (my local group, that is)! I’m sorry that you guys had bad experiences.
Okay, first of all, maybe a call to the hospital where you gave birth, to talk to the lactation consultant? Or, as was mentioned, a referral from your OB.
For the clog, I think warm washcloth, hot shower, damp heating pad, something like that, with massage, rubbing from the outside toward the nipple. And try to make sure nothing puts prolonged pressure on that spot. Maybe check your bra or whatever, to make sure it isn’t fitting wrong. And make sure you hold the baby differently at different nursing times, so she can pull milk from all the ducts.
And the big thing – remember that breastfeeding is not just feeding. Babies nurse for comfort, and for closeness to Mommy, and just because. Are Wednesdays, or maybe Tuesdays, more stressful than other days? Does she just need to be close to you at that time? If that’s it, it will pass. My middle one nursed for most of the evening every day for about the first six weeks. Just remember, it does get better as you both adjust to each other and she adjusts to the world.
And it’s worth it, in lots of ways. There’s something very special about nursing your baby, and in the long run it’s easier, too.
Try to relax. Sometimes things just take a little time to get settled.
My biggest help was to lay the baby belly to belly with me. If you hold her belly up then she’s turning her head to feed. Would you like to eat looking over your shoulder?
I had very sensitive nipples, so for about the first six weeks it was like being burned with a red hot poker every time the baby latched on. I toughened up eventually, but it’s not fun to dread the pain during the times when you’re trying to function on no sleep.
My LLL told me as long as you’re breathing, you’re producing milk. It may just be a trickle, but your baby is getting something, even during those marathon sessions on Wednesdays. Have you tried just holding her, or is she really hungry?
Remember, no matter what, you’re giving the best nutrition you can for your child. Good luck.
Do you have a good electric pump? I tried to use a manual but the only thing that worked was the electric. The electric was godsend.
I pumped for a while and found I was constantly thirsty. Are you getting enough fluids? I was told to drink at least eight glasses of water a day. Try keeping a pitcher of ice water in the fridge if you don’t like the taste of plain water.
Have you tried a boppy pillow? It was the only way I could position my daughter properly.
As for the at night feedings, do you co-sleep? Have you purchased a sidecar next to the bed? I found I could just plop the boob into my child’s mouth and then just drift off back to sleep.
Just keep at it. It sounds like you’re doing fine so far. Remember the first six weeks are the hardest when it comes to breastfeeding. It gets easier after that. Once you’ve gotten the hang of it, it’s certainly a lot easier to breastfeed than prepare a bottle of formula.
You’ve already received excellent good advice.
I just wanted to add something about the clogged duct. I agree that LLL can be a bit hardcore but they did help me with this by phone.
If you feel a clog developing, first apply hot compresses. Then have the kid help you clear it out. Hold her, while nursing, like a football, sort of under the breast until you reach a position to which the clog responds. It will feel like a spaghetti coming clear. I was able to do this several times with the same troublesome clog, although mastitis did get the better of me twice.
Latch-on hurt me so bad for those first few weeks that I had to sit there and work up the courage to let the baby do it. I just knew my nipples would glow in the dark, they were so raw and painful. “Letdown” was also pretty painful at first. It does go away eventually!
But anyone who says that nursing correctly never hurts? They’re either deluded or major liars!
Second, way to go hanging in there, I’ve known way too many new mommies that decided anything that hurt that bad wasn’t worth pursuing. It really does get better, not that that knowledge helps it hurt less right now. My son had issues learning to latch on well, and we were both frustrated for the first month until one day it just miraculously became easier.
My pediatrician was far more helpful than my local LLL, consider that resource as well. She advised me to air my nipples as much as possible during those first rough weeks, helps them to heal during the toughen up process not being rubbed by clothing between feedings. So when we didn’t have visitors, I simply went topless, feeling like some Amazonian earth momma, really seemed to help me. Vitamin E oil helped keep them supple when they started cracking, too.
Don’t over do everything else, either. You’re primary job right now is breastfeeding, and it’s a full time occupation the first 6 weeks at least. Concentrate on you and her, the vacuuming and thank you notes and whatever else will wait.
I perfer to beleive that it didn’t hurt for them and they missed the part where nursing is different for every woman.
Sounds like you are doing fine - just need the pep talk - which is - “you are nearing the hump! In the next week, maybe two, it will start getting easier!”
(Repeat every few weeks until child is an independant adult. Breastfeeding will get easier - enjoy the relaxed lull between up six times a night and toddlerhood,)
Let-down was kind of intense but latching on never hurt.
The only pain I ever had was when I got mastitis, and it was really more like the flu.
One thing I do remember was reading that I should ‘prepare’ my nipples for nursing by kneading and pinching, and I did this a bit.
Can’t help on the clogged duct, was lucky enough to miss out on that experience. But the first month was really the worst, and then it was pretty much smooth sailing. They tell you not to tense up in anticipation of the pain because the baby will feel your tension and react badly. So I would sit in the rocker or on the couch and try very hard to keep my upper body and arms loose and not flinch. I’d try to focus all the discomfort on my foot…it sounds silly, but I’d stick my foot out and try to send all the tension down to my foot…held it stiff and rigid until after about five-ten minutes the pain would dissipate, and I could relax my foot. I should have done all the stuff they said to do ahead of time to “toughen up” your nipples, but I never did.
And the marathon nursing sessions do help build up your supply, but it takes a day or two for your body to respond, and then you may have an abundant supply…enough to pump! I could never pump in the first month, but afterwards it was fairly easy, once I was producing more than enough. Drink your fluids!
As to latching on in the dark, I would squeeze the nipple area a little to make it a bit smaller until the baby got her mouth open enough to get latched on, using my thumb to guide it in…it just takes practice for both of you. Maybe a nightlight instead of turning on a bedside light?
One thing you need to remember is that you need to drink enough liquids - especially milk and water. Your body can’t make more milk than it has water to add the good stuff to. That might also help with the clog problem.
Once milk production starts, your body is making a few drops every minute or so. This means that she can always get at least a taste. She may also be sucking for comfort. So long as you’re able to sit there and let her, do so. Babies who get enough suckling tend to be calmer and happier.
And enjoy this part of your lives together while it lasts.
Clogged duct: First look at your nipple. Is there any white spot visible? I had one that was a small white speck of something stuck in the opening of one duct. I gently lifted it out with my finger nails and was rewarded by a little fountain. Some report a little white bleb or blister on their nipples. If you can lift the edge of this blister or pierce the center lightly and not deeply with a flame sterilized needle (The skin should be quite thin. That rewarded a friend of mine with a huge fountain after she had had a clogged duct for a week and was about to go to the emergency room for the pain. I had a quite bad one that had no visible block at the nipple. I massaged my breast, showered with very hot water, had my daughter nurse from all angles, and what finally got it to let go was hand expressing milk after nursing. As i expressed milk I felt a little plop plop and saw two small fatty blobs land in the bowl. I then watched three ounces of milk pout out of my breast virtually unassisted. It was heaven.
General advice. If you have blocked ducts often, you may need less binding bras. You may also want to slightly reduce your saturated fat intake.
(Sorry, haven’t figured out how to link text yet).
My advice is to hang in there - things are a bound to get much, much easier. I breastfed all 3 of my children. The first 4-6 weeks were difficult, then they figured out how to find the breast and latch on and it was smooth sailing.
There’s nothing nicer than being able to feed a four-month-old by just picking up your shirt and letting Mother Nature do the rest. My kids had extremely healthy childhoods compared to most of their peers - no allergies, no lingering ear infections. (They’re also smart as whips). I credit breast feeding for that.
When my first child was an infant I worried about timing, and a bunch of other stuff like that. Till one day she was screaming from hunger after 3 hours and 50 minutes had elapsed and I was on an every 4 hour schedule. My first thought was “just hold on 10 more minutes” which was rapidly followed by “what’s the big deal about keeping things at equal intervals?” I fed her right there and then and from then on any time she appeared hungry. With kids 2 and 3, I never glanced at a clock, just plugged them in whenever they seemed to need it. My son (number 3) did what your daughter is doing. He’d have days when he seemingly nursed constantly, followed by days he hardly ate anything.
I think i would have lost my milk had I stuck to a schedule. The more frequently Loren nursed, the more milk I seemed to have. It does get easier. I found a battery operated book light gave me enough light so I could help her latch on but not enough to wake me up too much.
It is very common to have cluster feedings fairly frequently the first weeks and months. They do tend to help boost supply.
Is your daughter growing? Is her color good? Does she have at least 8 wet diapers a day and is her urine fairly light in color? Are her fingernails growing well and evenly? That is how to tell if she is getting enough.
My daughter started sleeping through before 6 weeks. I found that if I did not get up in the middle of the night to feed or pump, then my supply would decrease. I got up at 3 am and pumped until she was 6 months old.
