Nursing help!!!!!!

[diznynurse]

So here we go again, nursing issues. I really do not want to EP again. I can get him to latch, and latch correctly (I think). Problem is I think he's impatient when it comes to nursing and wants it NOW!!!!!! He doesn't ever fully empty my breast, and as the days go on, he doesn't stay latched as long. So of course I give him EBM from a bottle. I guess the good news is I'm producing more milk with this lil guy then I did with DD.

Any tips on how to make him stay latched and continue nursing! I told dh we are not going to disney until he's nursing properly, I do not want to take the pump this year! lol

[Elaine]

My guess? The bottle is causing the problems. It's a catch 22. It's easier to get milk from a bottle than from your breast so he prefers that but if you don't give him the bottle he gets impatient, freaks out because he's hungry and in the end doesn't eat enough so you have to give him a bottle.

For the first few weeks it's not odd for a newborn to eat almost constantly. It's only been the last two or three weeks that Thomas has stopped eating erratically. Before that he'd eat at any given time.

Are you sure he's not satisfied? Can you soothe him some other way? It might just be the suckling motion that he needs.

Is there any chance you can spend a day or two doing nothing but nursing him? Tough with 2 other kids, I know, but that could possibly help a lot by getting him used to the breast as opposed to a bottle.

Good luck!!! :support:

[Leah]

I agree, if at all possible try and ditch the bottle for a little while and see if he starts nursing better. I had problems with Talon anytime I used a bottle; it's like I had to re-establish him with the boob so that he forgot about the bottle. :rolleyes:

also, if he is impatient for your letdown, you could try and put just a couple minutes before nursing him so that you will already have your let down when he latches on. Try your best to stay relaxed while he's nursing, maybe drink hot tea..I know easier said than done, right? Talon was super impatient and a quick nurser. I felt like I nursed him constantly in the beginning.

[Sign Of The Fish Burger]

We generally do not encourage Mom to start with a bottle until at least 4-6 weeks. The reason being is that your milk supply is based on supply and demand so when you give a bottle you are telling your body that you don't need to be making milk right now (unless of course you pump to replace the feeding at the breast- which you may be doing).

Having said that, are you using the slowest flow nipple on the bottle? If you are not (I think they are called size 1? or newborn... not sure never used them) I would start there. It will bring it back to a slower flow, more like the breast. If you are already doing that, I would strongly encourage you to ditch the bottles altogether and just encourage him to feed from the breast.

If his latch is good you shouldn't feel any pain. Some mild discomfort is normal, but pain is not. If you experience pain I'd have his latch checked by a lactation consultant at the hospital where you delivered.

Another thing you can try to do is to manual express or use your pump to illicit a letdown before latching him on. That will get him used to nursing on the breast without the frustration of waiting for your milk to come down. It can be a pain but it is a start- and as he gets better at nursing you can stop manually illiciting a letdown and let him do it by nursing.

Let me know if you have any other questions. Unfortunately I'm at my parents house so my text books are all at home. I'm just going off memory here right now.

[Sign Of The Fish Burger]

Here is a great article about bottle feeding the breastfed baby. It may provide some additional information for you:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/bottle-feeding.html

[lilbunnygirl]

Is there an lactation consultant or an LLL chapter you can visit near you? I was having the hardest time getting Cash to latch on properly and without pain, and I went to see an LC (for free) through our local Healthy Start. She watched what I was doing & showed me two tiny adjustments, just a different angle to hold his head at and and different way to hold my boob when I offered it to him and it made every difference in the world, no more pain, no trouble latching, 18 months of easy BFing followed. I never could have figured it out without someone actually seeing what I was doing and showing me how to change it so it worked better.

[diznynurse]

Hey ladies! Thanks for the imput. I guess I'm kinda stuck with the well if I let him nurse all day, when do I pump. I'm so afraid my milk supply will decrease if I don't pump during the day as well. My supply was very low with DD that I ended up EPing for 6mo and I don't want to do that again. I plan on seeing an LC, I just can't drive yet so was kinda waiting to be able to drive.
The nipples at the hospital were a faster flow, I think I have a slower flow here at home, but will check the store also and buy a couple of new ones. He only takes like 20cc from bottle after nursing so I know he's getting some, he's just not getting all. Any way, will keep at it! Thanks ladies!

Edited to add, reason for starting bottle was because of NICU....they of immediately stuck a bottle to his mouth to increase his fluids due to his jaundice, etc.

[Heather]

You're doing great Mama! I know it can get frustrating. And I know they say that it's not supposed to hurt, but I say BS. I had 2 different LC's help me with latch with Cohen. Both said it was great, and it still hurt like a mother in the beginning. I kept thinking I must be doing something wrong and worried about it constantly until several Mamas told me that it just hurt! Just hearing that made me feel so much better and within a week the pain was gone. I had the same pain with Aven and again it lasted about a week, but I didn't stress this time.

Anyway the girls have had some good suggestions. I see that you're worried about supply and want to pump, but honestly baby is much more effiecient at getting milk out so I would just feed at that time instead of using the pump. Good luck sweets!

[Elaine]

Ditto to Heather. A baby is much more efficient than a pump at extracting milk. If you can nurse him you don't need to worry about pumping. If you had no issues EP'ing for your daughter then my guess is you have an amazing supply. IMO being able to supply enough to feed a baby through pumping means you've got loads in there to feed a nursing baby.

[Farah]

You're doing great Mama! I know it can get frustrating. And I know they say that it's not supposed to hurt, but I say BS. I had 2 different LC's help me with latch with Cohen. Both said it was great, and it still hurt like a mother in the beginning. I kept thinking I must be doing something wrong and worried about it constantly until several Mamas told me that it just hurt! Just hearing that made me feel so much better and within a week the pain was gone. I had the same pain with Aven and again it lasted about a week, but I didn't stress this time.

Anyway the girls have had some good suggestions. I see that you're worried about supply and want to pump, but honestly baby is much more effiecient at getting milk out so I would just feed at that time instead of using the pump. Good luck sweets!

:ditto: It hurt like a mother both times and their latches were fine. My nips just had to toughen up. Also, I agree it may be the bottle.

Try not to stress about supply (I know easier said than done) and remember that right now you're never going to feel "empty" because your hormones are in charge of your supply.... Not his needs. If you can just keep flipping him from side to side to keep him going

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[Farah]

Oh and a way to help get your let down to come faster is to twiddle your other nipple while he's eating from one. Also, I've found closing my eyes and visualizing let down it would come down faster, too.

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[bella_bella]

Sounds like these ladies have you covered.

Just wanted to add...

For me I did have pain in the beginning - just from tender nipples....nothing was wrong latch wise.

And I agree, I would ditch the bottle as much as you can. You're better off feeding around the clock than to pump, your baby will produce more milk and induce a higher supply than any pump.

Hope you find a way to work things out and that you can ditch the pump! :support:

[diznynurse]

Ditto to Heather. A baby is much more efficient than a pump at extracting milk. If you can nurse him you don't need to worry about pumping. If you had no issues EP'ing for your daughter then my guess is you have an amazing supply. IMO being able to supply enough to feed a baby through pumping means you've got loads in there to feed a nursing baby.

with DD, I did have to supplement with formula in the beginning because I didn't have enough supply, but I think her latch wasn't good therefore she wasn't nursing well enough to produce. Once I was EPing, for a few weeks, I produced just enough to supply her! lol No extra!

Pumping is all I know really since that's what I did with DD. I did pump until my let down, he did suckle pretty good, and finally went to sleep! So far only one bottle today and it was only 20cc less than 1 oz. Next week I'm going to go to the LC and let them weigh him after he nurses to see what he's getting.

[diznynurse]

Oh and a way to help get your let down to come faster is to twiddle your other nipple while he's eating from one. Also, I've found closing my eyes and visualizing let down it would come down faster, too.

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I actually thought about pumping the breast he just nursed to see if that would speed things along on the other side! lol

[Farah]

Do you nurse from one side or both? I find that one boob stimulates let down more easily than the other. I always nurse from both sides. Five mins on the first side, burp him, then put him on the other side for as long as he wants. Then the next round I start on the opposite side.

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[Jojo]

You're doing great Mama! I know it can get frustrating. And I know they say that it's not supposed to hurt, but I say BS. I had 2 different LC's help me with latch with Cohen. Both said it was great, and it still hurt like a mother in the beginning. I kept thinking I must be doing something wrong and worried about it constantly until several Mamas told me that it just hurt! Just hearing that made me feel so much better and within a week the pain was gone. I had the same pain with Aven and again it lasted about a week, but I didn't stress this time.

Anyway the girls have had some good suggestions. I see that you're worried about supply and want to pump, but honestly baby is much more effiecient at getting milk out so I would just feed at that time instead of using the pump. Good luck sweets!

:ditto: It hurt like a mother both times and their latches were fine. My nips just had to toughen up. Also, I agree it may be the bottle.

Try not to stress about supply (I know easier said than done) and remember that right now you're never going to feel "empty" because your hormones are in charge of your supply.... Not his needs. If you can just keep flipping him from side to side to keep him going

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:ditto: to both of them!

[Jojo]

Try some warm compresses!!

[diznynurse]

Do you nurse from one side or both? I find that one boob stimulates let down more easily than the other. I always nurse from both sides. Five mins on the first side, burp him, then put him on the other side for as long as he wants. Then the next round I start on the opposite side.

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I nurse both sides, then when he's done nursing I pump for 10min to con't stimulating milk production

[Leah]

Sounds like you are doing great and hopefully seeing the LC will help. It helped me tremendously. Talon would nurse for such a short time that I was so worried that we wasn't getting enough. Once I saw the LC I was proven wrong. We weighed him before and after a nursing. She said to nurse for 10 or 15 minutes, well after about 4 minutes, he was done. She was even shocked that he ate like 4 oz in those 4 minutes. Turns out he was just a efficient eatier and my supply was good and forceful. It was such a relief for me and helped me relax with the BF'ding after that.

[diznynurse]

Thanks ladies. Nursing is improving. If i can get him awake really good he's improving with his patience, I can actually feel the let down. That's a first for me. I do still pump but not near as much. I'm basically topless all day if I can and just put him to the boob as much as possible.

[Heather]

That's wonderful Cheryl!! :hula: :hula:

[Elaine]

Yay!!! :hula: That's great!!!