Breastfeeding questions.............

WIC sometimes is able to offer advice on this matter.

I also have a book the hospital gave me on breastfeeding and can mail it to you, if you'd like? Just send me your postal address in a message. I would be more than happy to. :)

I was going to breastfeed, but have decided to formula feed instead.

Though, I have a question for you, your daughter looks very similar to my daughter, but only one problem, your daughter has a whiter complexion and my baby has a redder complexion... do you know why this is? Is this typical for a newborn?

I'm wondering if my newborn daughter has a problem I need to talk to the doctor about and why her complexion is a reddish tint?

Hayden is a VERY pretty name! :)

Have you tried icing them? Not directly, but maybe putting an ice pack on your breasts over your clothing.

With pumping, I believe you are supposed to try to do it just as often as you feed, in order to keep your supply up. If you want to try and up your milk production, you can try pumpming more, but wait until the soreness starts to abate.

I never breastfed, but from what I understand, your body will get used to it, and it should stop causing the soreness and cracked skin.

Oh and not sure if you are aware, some hospitals offer classes on breastfeeding. Peds normally know where to get advice on this too. ;0)

Ice packs sometimes help. The hospital gave me some ice packs.

Michelle, some babies do have a more reddish tint, but if it's something you are worried about, bring it up to your pediatrician. Likely, it's nothing, but it never hurts to ask.

How old is your daughter?

It'll get better...and you won't feel as sore or cracked....and it is SO good for the baby.

One other thing...it will save you A TON of money too.

My wife breast fed some of our kids. A Breast fed baby is a best fed baby. That how babies were fed before formula. Animals breast feed their young. I think some husbands are jealous and try to get their wifes to stop. Don't listen.

The nipple soreness goes away in a short time. Le Leche League used to call the first 6 weeks the adjustment period and the time from then on the reward period. I nursed 6 babies and enjoyed it very much.

all I did was breast feed. It is good for you and the baby. My son didn't get sick no colds,ear infections, nothing) till after I stopped nursing. The soreness wil go away like Janet says. Nursing is also very good for you, It helps to contract your uterus and tighten your abs up, at least that is what my doc said. There have even been studies that found that women who nurse had less likelihood of getting breast cancer.
I would also give the occasional bottle now because that will help down the line for introducing juice and water etc.

wow 6 babies?Good for you!! And themJanet!!

Yes, breastfeeding can be a real chore (especially in the beginning), but SO worth it! We saved a ton of money, too.

Actually, I'm still breastfeeding twice a day (once at noon and once before bed). Maddie is 19 months old. I was going to stop at one year, but since the World Health Organization recommends nursing for two years, I decided to keep it up a little more.

It will help you get your pre-baby body back, because it burns a ton of calories.

However, note that you cannot take any diet pills because they will go right to your baby. Also, make sure that your doctor knows you are breastfeeding so that he/she can prescribe whatever meds you might need.

Keep up your water intake and that will help your milk production.

I am so glad that you are breastfeeding! This is the best option for any baby!

The one child I didn't get to breastfeed of my four, is the one with allergies... back then we didn't know how beneficial breastfeeding was.

hi
i breast fed my first daughter for about 18 months.she never used a bottle,and went straight to a cup.she weaned herself when i got pregnat again my milk changed.
my second daughter was born 3 months early.i also breast fed.she was to small to nurse so i had to pump for her, they put it in her feeding tube.so with pumping i had great success,alot of mothers could not produce enough milk.they used to make fun of me and call me a cow(in a nice way)the most important part of pumping is to do it often.if you find your supply getting low add a few more sessions to your day.i would bring a pump with me when i would go out,even if i had no where to put the milk just pump and throw it away.remember women can brest feed more than one baby as long as the milk is taken out your body will make more.
for sore nipples they sell nipple shields,i had to use one to help sage latch on.it is a rubber nipple you place over your own nipple.it sounds strange but they work great.helps with soreness and latching on problems.
alot os women seem a little insecure about breast feeding.the best advice i have.trust in yourself.the most important thing is mom and baby are happy,however you have to feed your baby.

I'm so glad you made the choice to breast feed your baby. It sounds like you have been told the best hints. I wish you the best.

Give the soreness about 6 weeks - different people have different degrees of soreness, but it almost always seems to resolve itself in 6-8 weeks.
Also, go ahead and start pumping some now. The pumping won't make your nipples as sore as she will, and that way you won't lose milk supply. Your body will determine how much milk you make by how much your baby is using (or you are pumping). In the morning is a good time to pump a little extra b/c you have more milk in the mornings and the supply decreases throughout the day.
There is a tea called Mother's Milk that is supposed to help with lactation also.
Good for you for breastfeeding! It is so good for your little one and you!

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The soreness went away for me after several weeks. I only pumped occasionelly since I wasn't working and only had to do it if I was going to be gone for several hours. I nursed my daughter for 10 months. I wanted to nurse for at least a year, but she seemed to be losing interest and wouldn't stay still. I cried for days after I stopped nursing!

I didnt pump the idea of some machine sucking the heck out of me just qiver me,,
I did not breast feed one and did the other,, they are both fine and grew up the same except daughter had croup often and hospitalize for it,, son healthy except for ADHD all his life,., and I didnt breast feed him,,, so not sure of health issue the difference or not..
soreness I sugestt evvo or oil for baby tase be ok and smoth for you,,,

my nipples are so sensitive I could never breastfeed

I breastfed Elliott for six months. I was so sad when he wouldn't do it anymore, and started drinking out of a straw cup instead. I pumped a while longer, but it became too hard to keep on it, since I was working, and feeding him separately, so we had to switch to formula.

I went back to work when Elliott was 5 weeks old. I pumped every 2-3 hours while I was at work so I could keep up my supply. It worked really well for us. If you are overproducing, you can always freeze it. There were times when he was going through a growth spurt, that I would pump 8 oz from each side every 2 hours while I was at work!! That extra came in handy when he decided he was done nursing!

I've heard that the Udderly Smooth or Bag balm works really well. My sister used Bag balm when she would get dry and cracked nipples and then just wash it off before feeding my nephew

start early with the pumping. pump after as many feedings as you can. that way you can get your breasts to think they need to produce more. (you can freez breast milk, freeze it in 2 or 4 oz sizes, they make milk bags) get a good supply going for when you go back to work. (pull out milk the night before and it should be ready, just remember it's only good 24 hours after it's un frozen)

I wasn't so prepared so we've ended up supplementing a lot more formula then we wanted to. my breasts don't produce enough milk to pump and feed now so baby only gets about 6 oz of breast milk a day and the rest is formula (approx 24 oz, she's 3 months) which is a real bummer, but at least she's getting a little bit instead of none at all.

These sounds like good questions. I am pregnant with my first right now, so I really do not have any advice. I look forward (with caution) to breastfeeding!

My daughter turns 1 tomorrow, and I'm still breastfeeding her.
Your sore nipples aren't necessarily the baby's fault - sore nipples come with the first 2-4 weeks after giving birth. Keep using the lanolin after EVERY feed. The soreness will lessen with every feed just a wee bit, and in the next week or so, the soreness will be all gone.
WARNING: Around 2 weeks is your baby's first growth spurt. She'll be nursing a LOT more suddenly. Don't worry, it's normal.
2 more things: 1. Your baby is still learning to nurse. By around 6 weeks, you'll suddenly realize a nursing session is no longer 30 minutes, it'll drop down to 5-10 minutes! Your baby somewhere around 6 weeks (sometimes longer) starts to "get it" and becomes extremely efficient at nursing and will be done before you know it.
2. Pumping isn't that bad. It's not like nursing though! Start pumping once a day now to build up a little stash. Pump about 45 minutes after your first morning feed, when your breasts typically have the most milk. This will get your body used to letting down to the pump. I had to exclusively pump for my son, so if you have any pumping questions, let me know. Also, keep that lanolin handy when you pump! Your breasts are getting used to a baby's mouth, and will have to learn to get used to a pump too. Since you'll be pumping at work, I strongly recommend a hands-free halter/bustier from easy expressions: www.easyexpressions.com. This way, you can continue to work while you're pumping. It'll really help you!
Congratulations on your little one and good luck pumping! As we say on the pumpmoms email list: PPV! Positive Pumping Vibes! (groups.yahoo.com/pumpmoms/)

When I became pregnant for my first child I did a lot of reading on breastfeeding. I toughened the nipples up by going braless and also by working the nipple area between my fingertips. Even having done this, my nipples still were sore. I repositioned the baby and it helped.

My grandmother told me to put soaked teabags on my nipples to help them to heal. I raised my eyebrow at that cure, but it did work! She also told me to let my nipples airdry after nursing the baby. Another good tip from my grandma. She was an old pro having nursed her 7 children and wetnursed many other babies as well.

I won't be much help to you with pumping your breasts. I was a stay at home mom and didn't pump too often.

I breastfed my last two kids until they were 9 months old, and while there were a problem here or there, and some considerations (no caffeine!!), it's SO much easier and more sanitary than bottle feeding. It's already sterilzed, it's always at the right temperature, you don't have to make the baby wait ... breastfeeding was THE BEST for me!

My Daughter was in the NICU for 3 months as a preemie. She was never able to latch on and suck well, but I pumped for 8 months with her (I had such a supply built up we bought a separate deep freeze and she had BM for 2 yrs!) Plenty of water is a must and I pumped during all of my breaks at work. I would just pump as often as possible at work to keep up.