Breastfeeding moms~ a place to chat

Birbitt, it sounds like you are doing really well. Well done!

Thank you HS and jgonz for your advice/support. I could dismiss some people saying it was time to stop, but the ABA (LLL) woman made me stop and think! Matt doesn't often request milk specifically, usually when he requests food at certain times of the day I offer milk. He really enjoys milk though (so do I) so I think he shows signs of wanting to continue. jgonz, thanks for the encouragement. I really hope to tandem feed, but I don't really know anything about it. My hopes have gotten me a few shocked looks from even my most vehment BF supporters! But my baby will still be a baby (17mo) when the new baby gets here kwim? My left is healing and Matt is now just as happy on the left as he is on the right. So things are improving for us.

Hi everyone, my little girl arrived 5 weeks ago, and Ive had a few problems breast feeding, the latest one being that she seems to want to feed every 1-2 hours in the day time and these session often last 45 mins to an hours, which means I dont have much time to do anything else. This is frustrating me a lot as I want to do things with my 4 year old as well but often he ends up having to amuse himself and gets frustrated.

Is there a way I can encourage her to speed up or not fall asleep in order to drink longer? I am using nipple shields which apparently means that feeding takes longer, but I have to use these as I have inverted nipples and she cant latch on at all if I dont use them.

Ah... it sounds like she's hit the 6 wk growth spurt (a tad early, but close). I'd give it 2 or 3 days and she should have your milk supply up to what she needs.

You know, I've read some LLL information recently that said that inverted nipples "work" just as well as regular sticking out nipples, they're just a different shape. Maybe it's time to start working with your baby to wean her off those nipple shields and onto your breasts directly....

Assisi, even my OB expressed a slight shock (and he is very pro BF after seeing how well our babies do on mama milk)at me suggesting I would tandem until Jonathan is ready to wean. I jokingly stated he for sure wouldn't be going to kindergarten still breastfeeding (it starts at 3), so there is hope.

The little guy has been walking and running around me in circles (which is not hard when you are seriously having major morning sickness), which changes how he feeds, but it is very obvious he is not done yet. He will be about 17/18 months when I am due to deliver, so we will just see.

I got a pump so I can express and freeze ahead for his stay with Oma and Opa while I'm in the hospital. I am just hoping that they will let him come at the least during the night to feed and see the new baby, but I am not sure how "family rooms" actually handle a child under 2 if I am stuck there for a week or more.

I've been rather sick the last 2 days, so I haven't been on much.

UPDATE: my little one is doing great at the breast, he's latching on well and it isn't taking as long for his feedings (because he's more coordinated with it) so now I can work on figureing out discreet nursing in public. He also no longer takes a bottle at night and will refuse any bottle I offer him so..I think I may have him off the bottle soon and completely on the breast! HORRAY! Thanks ladies for all of your support and help to get here I'm so glad we didn't give up at the hospital when they said I'd have to give him bottles.

I made it back to Germany everyone! Jonathan did well on the trip, I am really sore but am OK... We are still nursing lots, and Butterbean looks absolutely awesome on the ultrasound.

Wow - that's impressive sleeping Pegasus. Excellent. Congrats on getting to three months, that's a big milestone.

Well done Birbitt! It sounds like your hard work is paying off.

Hadassah, why so sore? I'm glad your new Bub is looking good.

As for me, it's still not going super great. I'm trying really hard, but it still really hurts on the left when we feed. Thankfully it's a little better in the football hold, but not perfect. We have latch problems big-time and I think the changes in my milk due to my pregnancy are making Matt frustrated, he is somehow getting his teeth into me without biting. Combine that with the bad latch and the tenderness due to pregnancy and wow - I'm very, very sore. On the plus side we've made it to 12 months! I am so proud of us both.

Assisi said:

Hadassah, why so sore? I'm glad your new Bub is looking good.

Click to expand...

Well... I did have to fly from Atlanta, Georgia to Frankfurt, Germany and I had about a 4 hour layover in Philadelphia... I didn't get to sleep the night prior, so I had been up over 24 hours with only mini naps between. I ended up having to fetch my own luggage (5 peices and 3 carry ons) and put them on the carts. I got all but the severely overweight one (70lbs) onto the carts. I waited almost an hour to get assistance, kept calling for a porter service and no one showed... and had been holding Jonathan most the whole time on the plane and during the layover and other waiting times.

We did finally get help and customs just waved us on through, so I was happy and very relieved (And about to cry!!) when I finally saw my DH and FIL.

My BP was kinda scary when I got to the OB appointment on Thursday, 130/90, but from talking with my MIL who is a nurse, with me having been highly stressed prior and after the trip, slightly dehydrated and jetlagged, that was to be expected. Thankfully the urine test showed no proteins, so we haven't to worry, just watch and make sure I have no headaches and check my blood pressure while the doc is out on vacation at home. She has her own BP cuff, so I will likely go over there a couple times a week just to check and make sure we maintain some kind of balance.

Jonathan is practically all over the place since we got home, but considering we have him his own room now to play in, and are rearranging things so that 4 of us fit better into a 2 bedroom apartment for a couple of years, I can totally understand that. We swapped the area that was the combined bedroom for the living and dining room (so now those are much smaller areas) and are making the room that was to be Jonathan's into a guest bedroom and where our wardrobes are, since closets do not come standard in German homes or apartments (unless you build to your taste).

We are still arranging the combined baby room, but it is absolutely huge, which means Jonathan has a lot of running space, his own single bed, and we will put our desks in there so we can get things done (scrapbooking, computer stuff) as well. I am hoping to take on a few minor sewing projects, so I expect to start learning with my MIL how to do things, so maybe I can save some $$ in the long run crafting some toys, and maybe some of my own clothes.

I brought some upholstry fabric I bought 2 years ago on sale, so we can reupholster some chairs that were given to us for our dining room... I just hope my DH likes it. It does have blue flowers in it, so I have hopes he will get used to it, as it is a major change from the color and style his parents picked out originally 10 years ago.


Over all, I'm trying to rest and also find out where our clothes are, and get things back in some kind of order we feel comfortable with and also figure out how to further baby proof our house. There are a few things that need attention now that Jonathan is literally everywhere, and quickly.

We're doing ok as far as breastfeeding goes. He just is not sitting still, so I think the most breastfeeding happens at night, or closer to nap times. I do think though, once I am back to my normal eating schedule and gain a bit more weight back... he'll increase his nursing more... we're almost due for another growth spurt.

8 months and still going strong!

How are we doing mamas?

Hi guys,

25 months and still going! Mainly feeding from one side only though, so I'm a bit lopsided (but only obvious to me and hubby). Baby is very healthy, so I'm praising God.

Yay! Congrats you two!

We're still going strong here, on demand. Just hit 3rd trimester... Been slowly starting to talk more about our incoming little one and that Jonathan will have to share soon.. so he's not too surprised when the time comes. I don't think he quite understands everything, but he is getting more interested the more we point out that "Baby Teddy" is where he is laying, and if there is any movement to feel along and talk if he wants to, to the baby.

He's starting to get a lot nicer and not pounce on me all the time, but it is taking a lot of work. Now that he's figured out which outfits work which way to nurse him, we're having to work on nursing manners again.

Congrats Hadassah......are you planning on tandem nursing? I was all prepared to when I was pregnant with my third and then at the end of my second trimester, my milk dried up. My daughter was @26 months and she lost interest at that point and weaned herself.

Congrats to all.....my baby is nearly 7 and breastfeeding was such a gift to all of us. I still get tingly let down feelings when I'm around nursing mothers...and he's been weaned for nearly 5 years! It's a powerful connection.

Oh...and when my son nursed he used to always stick his hand in my armpit and scratch. It was soothing to him. Now he is a 1st grader and when he's tired or hurt...he wants to get in my lap and scratch under my arms....it hasn't left him! lol (we call him the pit digger...gross! I know! )

Yes, we're planning on tandeming as long as Jonathan needs nursing. So far, it looks like that is where we're headed. I figure up to 2 is ok, and if he needs it up to 2 1/2, that's ok too. We'll see what he does.

I know my inlaws think I'm outta my head to go that long, and most of my extended relatives have informed me I "better wean before you go to the hospital!" or "you're in for a world of hurt when that new baby gets here..."

I figure "whatever.." as none of them nursed past 6 months to begin with.

Jonathan gets most his nutrition from nursing, so I am not ready to cut him off. He does eat 3 solid meals, but I am afraid what kind of calories and vitamins he'd be dropping since he's not eating "everything" just yet.

He still doesn't say "milk", but he does sign for it, so that's good.