it's 4:39 am here and I'm up because baby is like wide awake now...she's become a nite owl in the last few nites.... /sigh hehe
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it's 4:39 am here and I'm up because baby is like wide awake now...she's become a nite owl in the last few nites.... /sigh hehe
Good luck Rosie xx
Yes, I know! Believe me, I spent a lot of time in those pre-days where the milk had not regulated hand expressing, either in the bath or into a breastpad pre-feeding. My boobs were seriously huge!Quote:
Originally Posted by spinningmadly
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shellbelle
Family do that as well, too, though! It's madness! Husbands, the mother's mother, aunts, friends, etc. Support is SO crucial in breastfeeding. So, so crucial. My mother and my husband both knew I did not want them to ever say that to me, ever... that we would persevere and get through it, even if I felt like I couldn't... I needed their voices to keep encouraging me.
Even if the mother is sobbing and at her wit's end, the *last* thing to ever do is tell her to "take a break and give formula, just this once..."
It's all it takes to create a spiral away from a successful breastfeeding. And when doctor's say/do those things, they are in a position of trust/power and a lot of people will follow what they say without finding another way.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrshonyez
Allergic to your breastmilk? From what I understand, that's not really possible (though doctor's have told mother's that often.) What can be the cause is the baby can have extreme sensitivity or allergy to things you eat, but that can be hard to pinpoint. So it isn't *your milk* per se, it's likely other things.
Also, I know in the UK they do it, but do they use 1 chart for weight gain in infants there or are there two? Here there is a growth/weight chart for formula fed infants and another one for breastfed infants, because both will grow/gain completely differently. The UK used to use a standard formula-fed infant one for all infants but then that made breastfed infants seem to be slow gainers and smaller so they went back and looked into it. For all I know, in the US it's likely possible they're still using a very general chart that may not correspond accurately for breastfed baby weight gain and growth.
Your milk will always make the right calories for your baby. The calories adjust constantly - they're never the same. Breastfed babies will not gain as fast nor as much as formula fed.
Did you feed as long as the baby required, even if it was for an hour? My son seriously would feed an hour sometimes... and I just let him. I suppose I lucked out because (my midwives were surprised), he didn't lose any weight at all... he only ever gained. He did have a syringe of my hand expressed milk once (oh, those early latching learning times!) but that was it.Quote:
Originally Posted by mummypink
Another suggestion for women having trouble with weight gain but that still want to breastfeed... a great thing to use is an SNS... (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supplem...nursing_system) because you can feed your child whatever - formula, breast milk, but the baby is still "feeding at your breast" so you breasts will always be stimulated... and hopefully it can lead to you not needing to use it and the baby able to feed from you directly. The stimulation is what helps get the milk going and in the early days, even though you are WHOA WHOA tired, feeding nonstop and being near your baby at all times is the best thing to do.
Did any of you use soothers from the get go, as well? That can cause latching issues, just like early introduction of a bottle, as well. Breastfeeding gets stimulation when it is used as a soother and for food. You can introduce a soother once breastfeeding is going well and firmly established, but it is probably best to not use it in the beginning... especially if you have a history of struggling with breastfeeding in the past. *Anything* that could get in the way of the baby's constant, round the clock access to the breast should be discouraged if possible. For some women, a dummy/pacifier/soother or early bottle introduction/pumping won't affect them at all... and for others, it can sometimes make breastfeeding that much harder to get going.
I was part of a breastfeeding group before I gave birth and I read about it heavily. I read about common concerns I'm reading here in breastfeeding communities and in articles, so they were always in my head when I began on my breastfeeding journey... and it helped me always find a way to correct what was seeming not right. I credit the immersing of myself in it to helping me carry on so successfully.
I need to STOP reading about symptoms going away. Ugh. :( I feel almost normal today, for the most part... it's freaking me out. Not that my symptoms have been that awful to begin with. :/
The midwife is coming over to my house tomorrow because two of the blood samples they took last week were rejected and they have to do it again, so I guess I'm just going to let them know I'm nervous. I know I won't get an ultrasound (it's only a couple weeks until I'm 12 weeks... just waiting for an appointment for that) but maybe they can tell me I'm most likely fine. :/ I have this horrible fear of the 12 week scan showing bad stuff... like a missed miscarriage. I cannot shake this paranoia!
Suregena, I completely understand the paranoia! I won't feel comfortable until I hear the hb in two weeks. I'm just refusing to look things up on google, because I know that whatever I find will make the fear worse.
I hope you feel more reassured after your visit!
Thanks for the support ladies, I am really hoping I am wrong in thinking I will hear blue today. Will update later in the afternoon.
Good morning, ladies! I've been more a lurker than a poster since I've been on this site, but it's still been a great help for me. So I'm gonna jump in today...need some emotional support from some gals that understand! Struggling with whether or not to find out the gender these days; I had no intention of doing so, until I made the mistake of trying the Intelligender test yesterday...it said a very clear "boy" result, which has bummed me out far more than it should have.
Now, I'm tempted to take a "brief peek" at our 12 week NT scan in two weeks of the nub, just to get a general idea, without anyone saying anything to me. That way, if there's a clear nub, I can absorb the news without being directly "told". My DH thinks I'm crazy. Sigh. I will be blessed with a healthy baby of either gender. :)