BFing questions

I have BFing questions for the BTDT moms. I'm EBfing DS, who is 2.5 weeks old. I usually BF DS from one side at a time. He nurses for at least 30 minutes. I got conflicting information from LCs about whether I need to switch sides during a nursing session. Does anyone else only BF from one side per session? Is 30 minutes a normal amount of time to BF?

BFing is very panful for the first minute or so, especially on the right side. It's not usually painful after that although it can get uncomfortable towards the end. Is this normal? I use Lansinoh cream after BFing, which helps somewhat.

DS doesn't always latch right away. Sometimes it takes him a while to latch and he gets frustrated. At the beginning, I'd give him a bottle of pumped BM if he was really hungry and getting upset. He got a little better about latching so I stopped giving him a bottle. If your DC didn't always latch on right away, did the latching issue ever go away?

I had to pump at the beginning b/c DS was in the NICU for a few days due to dehydration. The LC recommended pumping after each feeding until my milk really came in. I was eventually pumping 4-5 oz per session. I stopped pumping on a regular basis about 1 week ago. I pumped once or twice since then and only got about 2 or 3 oz per session. I'm wondering whether I hurt my supply by stopping pumping. Should I start pumping again or should I not worry about it for a while? I definitely want to build up a supply before I go back to work in April, but I'm not sure when I should start pumping and storing milk.

Re: BFing questions

i will try to answer your questions with my own experience - i am by NO means an expert!

first of all i highly recommend www.kellymom.com for breastfeeding advice.

when i BFed DS in the beginning, i let him nurse from one side (i always alternated) for as long as he wanted, then i would burp him and try the other side. sometimes he nursed more, sometimes he didn't. DS didn't always nurse for a long time but he nursed OFTEN - sometimes once an hour! but that tapered off when he was a few weeks old.

30 minutes for a BF session is very normal, IMO. that is how long DS nurses for now (from both sides total).

BFing was painful for me too in the beginning, especially if DS didn't have a good latch. if the pain is really bad and doesn't go away, try to take DS off your breast and get him to latch on properly.

i had flat nipples (sorry TMI) so i would kind of have to flatten them with one hand while getting DS to latch. now that i have been nursing for 4 months he doesn't have trouble latching. after a few more weeks (i would say by 4 to 6 weeks) your DS should have it down no problem. and i think that was a good call about not giving him the bottle anymore. latching, for us, was all about practice. the more he did it, the better he got!

as for the pumping, unless you are concerned about building up a supply, i wouldn't worry about it. your DS is getting what he needs from you, the pumping is just "extra." if you do want to build a supply of frozen BM, then just keep pumping after each feeding and your supply should go back up. plus it's good to keep pumping after your milk stops flowing - that signals to your breasts that they need to be producing more milk. it will take a while but your supply will go up again. you can also try mother's milk or fenugreek pills to increase your supply.

good luck - i think you are doing an amazing job so far! BFing is HARD work!

Re: BFing questions

ITA with the PP. I also wanted to add that if the pain is during the "let down" stage of BFing,then try putting a warming pad (non-toxic) on the top of the breast to aid with that, or use a warm washcloth.



I agree that Kellymom is a great resource.

Re: BFing questions

I always nurse DD from one side only. She had issues latching on the left side in the hospital, and I came home sore and bleeding. She grew out of that.

To me 30 minutes seems like a long time. Are you sure your DS is still eating and not just sucking for comfort?DD never spent more than 20 minutes (and that was rare) actually eating. Now that she is a year old nursing sessions last about 7 minutes (I only know b/c of the snooze button on my alarm ).

As for pumping, I would wait until DS is 4 weeks old, then pump one hour after you feed him to store.

Re: BFing questions

Congrats on nursing ds even through a NICU stay . You are doing a great job mommy Now for the questions. I had pain at first too. I told myself it would get better at 2, 4, or 6 weeks adn when it was still there at 8 weeks I called a LC. It turned out ds had a bad latch and I had flat nips . We worked on his latch and we finally because pain free. So look on Kellymom as the pp's started. They can help you get the latch right and give you some advice for soothing sore nips. I use APNO (all purpose nipple ointment). I now nurse form one side but ds was small when he was born and needed a lot of milk. Pair that with a bad latch and we were nursing both sides of 30 minutes each every 1.5 hours. Once we got the latch right he would nurse about 30 minutes total. AT about 6 months he dropped to one side each feeding.
After the first couple weeks bf'ing should not be painful if it is then there is a problem (bad latch or maybe thrush). I highly recommend kellymom and if thatis not enough contact a LC. They will come to your house and help you get the latch right. If your nips are itchy or ds has white patches in his mouth that won;t wipe away consult the doctor bc it may be thrush.
I didn't start pumping until ds was a month old. And then just to build a freezer stash in case of an emergency.
I ran into quite a few issues during bf'ing but stuck with it. We are days away from the one year mark. I am so happy I continued to do it. However remember a happy mommy is essential so if it comes down to it and you have to supplement don't beat yourself up. You are doing your best. Good lucka nd I hope yu work through the latch issues

Re: BFing questions

Are you holding your boob when he latches? If you are doing footbal you hold your hand in a C shape-the LC told me match the shap of your boob to their mouth shape. If you are doing cross cradle you hold your boob underneath more...it should not hurt except for minute or so when they first latch on-there are videos online you can watch. I would still pump after he feeds though they say pumping output is not a good indicator of supply. Good luck

Re: BFing questions

i'm currently BFing DD#2 who is 6 weeks old tomorrow. my experiences have been different with DD#1 and DD#2 because DD#1 was colicky, DD#2 so far (knock on wood) is not ...

both times it took a good 2-3 weeks or so to no longer be in nipple pain and that hurts like a ******. i sometimes feel uncomfortable during a "let down" or if she's been sleeping too long and i'm slightly engorged (i've been pumping here and there but have yet to get back into a routine since the holidays), but pain isn't a word i'd use to describe the feeling at this point.

latching for us got easier as time went by. the first few weeks they kinda fumble along, now if DD wakes from a longer nap she's at my boobs like a piranha.

time-wise is varies for us. initially she'd take one boob at a time and then pass out. now (especially middle of night feedings), i'll feed her from one, change her, then feed her from the other. total eating time is now anywhere from 5-25 minutes. from what i understand, one wants to nurse long enough on a boob in order for the baby to get the hind milk. something i do now that i didn't do with DD#1 is start nursing with the boob i did last during the previous session (assuming i nursed from both). i was told to do this so that one boob doesn't get favored over the other...

when i pump it's usually in the morning when DD is taking a longer nap. i currently get 4 ounces total, 2 per boob. my milk supply diminished with DD#1, but looking back i think it may have had to do with her being colicky and me not drinking enough fluids, not sure though...hth...

Re: BFing questions

Posted by DancinBarefoot

I always nurse DD from one side only. She had issues latching on the left side in the hospital, and I came home sore and bleeding. She grew out of that.

To me 30 minutes seems like a long time. Are you sure your DS is still eating and not just sucking for comfort?DD never spent more than 20 minutes (and that was rare) actually eating. Now that she is a year old nursing sessions last about 7 minutes (I only know b/c of the snooze button on my alarm ).

As for pumping, I would wait until DS is 4 weeks old, then pump one hour after you feed him to store.

Re: BFing questions

Thank you everyone for your help. I worked with 4 different LCs during my hospital stay. I have flat nipples (left worse than right), which seemed to cause latching problems, especially at first. By the end of the hospital stay, DS seemed to be latching better and his latch has improved since we got home.

It has been very painful to BF from the right side. At the hospital, it was more painful to BF from the left side, but that seems to have changed since we came home. The first minute or so is extremely painful on the right side. It gets better after that, but it can be pretty uncomfortable during the entire BFing session. It's usually only painful on the left side during the first minute. DS's latch seems good, but maybe he's not latching correctly, which is why it's painful.