Pregnant

[Aleida]

I am 20 weeks pregnant with my second child (1/2 way already!). My first child was born in 2006, and will soon be 3. With my first child, from the get-go I was set out to exclusively BF, however, after 5 days and no milk coming in, I was advised to supplement and pump and nurse (oh my!). I did, and I also used the SNS later (wish I had used it first). I also sought help from LLL here, and they were truly wonderful. But, truthfully, I did not produce enough milk and was basically formula feeding, as the cycle of supply and demand was such that the less she got from me, the less I produced.

Now, I know the next one may not at all be like the first (who, by the way, had a perfect latch and was a great lil sucker). But, worry does creep in now and then, and I am happy to find this kind of support.

I plan to exclusively BF for this baby (no matter what!) but of course do not want to harm the baby if, for the same reason, I cannot seem to produce enough early on.

Besides doing some yoga, relaxing, and remaining relatively calm, are there some suggestions and advice anyone has to get BF off to a really great start? I will nurse as soon as possible, after the birth, and will just nurse, nurse, nurse, and not accept offers of bottles and soothers.

I just feel that the formula supplementing last time was the main culprit to my BF dilemmas. I was quite upset about having to resort to formula, and it is something, to be honest, I still have a hard time accepting. So, moving onward and upward, being positive and not letting the past experience determine the future experience, I am wanting to know all I can so that this won't happen a second time.

Sigh....

Still a while to go, as I don't have to worry about any BF till Jan, but I would rather be armed with all the advice and support I can by then!

Thanks in advance,

Aleida -a new member

[cctaylor]

i was also set on ebfing my baby. when my baby was diagnosed with jaundice, my mil "forced" me to use supplment because she gave me the guilt trip about "starving" my baby. so i did end up giving her maybe a couple bottles of formula, but thankfully my hubby was supportive and told mil that we wanted to ebf and each time the baby was crying or just needed soothing with a pacificer, i just put the baby to my breast. for the first weeks, she was literally attached to my breast every minute she was awake. sometimes she'd be on my breasts 2 hrs straight, sleep for 2 hrs, and then on my breasts again. i believe that having her attached to my breast for that long really helped get my milk production going. but beware of sore nipples! also, after i breastfed her (30 minutes each side), i pumped afterwards for 15 minutes. in the beginning, after i pumped, i'd only get 1/2 oz total, BUT it did help increase my milk production. eventually, i produced more and more milk where my baby was able to nurse 30 minutes each side per feeding and afterwards when i pumped i'd get 1-2 oz from each breast so i knew my milk supply was up. just keep at it even when it seems hopeless. and don't forget to eat, eat, EAT and drink lots of water. i noticed with myself, the more i took in, the more milk i produced that day. there are also other herbal supplements u can take to increase your milk supply like mother's milk tea or fenugreek (sp??). i hope this time around bf will be a more enjoyable experience for you.

[tifttu]

With my first it took 5 days for my milk to come in, but it was much faster with my second. They were totally different deliveries which could have made the difference, but it could have been that my body just had a better idea of what to do the second time around.

I think that being relaxed and keeping your positive outlook is the best thing in the world for you to do. Keep educating yourself so that your prepared for whatever may arise. Keep coming here. The ladies here have BTDT with pretty much everything and can offer a world of support.

I think you're doing great and contrats!

[Aleida]

Thanks for your suggestions and experiences. I tried fenugreek, but realize now I wasn't taking enough (I think I took 3 a day, as opposed to 2-3 up to 3 times daily).

And, good to hear that in the beginning you did nurse for 2 hrs just to stimulate the breasts to promote milk production. I remember one time I nursed all night (well, at least 5 hrs of her on the breast, where she was dosing on and off). So, persistence pays off, it seems.

It is a great support and informative network, so thanks again!

[crystal555rose]

Some things I was taught at a BF class that I felt were very misleading...
CLASS LESSON:Infants nurse every 2-3 hours.
TRUTH: Infants nurse all the time! Feed on demand and be prepared to nurse A LOT.
CLASS LESSON: Breastfeeding is not painful. But be sure to buy Lanolin and Ibuprofen for pain.
TRUTH: Your nips are working hard and therefore get sore. Get help with your latch if things are unbearable, but just stay committed to breastfeeding no matter what! Yes, I nursed while crying at times...then had my latch evaluated and corrected.
CLASS LESSON: Feed 10 minutes on one side, then switch to the other.
TRUTH: Feed on one side until baby unlatches, then offer the other side.

I also struggled with wondering if I was doing things right (since I was told he would eat every couple of hours and I was spending most of my time breastfeeding), if my baby was getting enough, etc. That last myth led to a foremilk/hindmilk inbalance for me that I fixed with an LC and this website.

Two good things I got out of the crappy class was brushing his cheek to stimulate suckling, that way I could get him to suck-swallow while basically asleep/semi-conscious and breast compressions to empty the breast when they are so little and have a hard time emptying the breast.

Trust your body to take care of your baby. Follow baby's cues and feed on demand. My time spent nursing those first few weeks led to an incredible supply! If you are really concerned you do not produce enough talk to an LC about pumping to try to boost it...but be careful what you wish for! ; )

[Aleida]

Yes, it makes sense that we should follow babies cues, nurse on demand (even if it means that it is round the clock) and basically trust our bodies. Thanks for your breakdown of the class lessons vs reality- quite accurate!

I remember timing, writing log books, pumping, and wasting soo much precious energy (that I could have been using to sleep or rest) on all the numbers and minutes instead of relaxing and just nursing.