so breastfeeding has been going very well- the first day or so, getting her to latch on was almost impossible- i didn't know what i was doing & neither did she- but eventually we got it. we also used the bottle a few times.
after that, my milk has been INSANE! it came in on Monday morning & since then i am able to feed her MORE than enough and also bank close to a gallon of milk in the freezer....yes, almost a GALLON now! it boggles my mind that all that milk comes out of ME! nuts.
anyway- all was well except for my nipples. mainly my left one- the poor thing was so sore & tender & mangled. i mean, she would latch on & i would hold my breath & curl my toes for a good minute waiting for the pain to pass. it was aaaaweful. pumping wasn't bad, but she's a vicious latcher & it killed me every time.
so i talked to a nurse at the hospital who suggested that i ask my OB for a Triple Nipple Compound prescription. i guess this stuff is like gold for the nips. i also scheduled an appt with a Lactation Consultant.
i saw her on Fri and it was aaawesome! she watched Alex feed and said that her latch is "adequate"- this is because alex REFUSES to open too wide to latch on- but it's not bad enough that she'll destroy the nips- whew. she is, however, an AWESOME feeder with a very strong suck. the LC weighed her before & after a 10 min feeding and she gained 3 oz! she was very impressed & pleased. she said my milk supply is great & alex feeds awesome. however when she caught site of my poor left nip she looked pained- she suggested the Triple Nipple Compound as well & was quite happy to hear that i had already put in a request. YAY! she said that within 24 hours of using it, my poor nips will feel MUCH better. in the meantime she suggested that i give the left boob a break & simply pump from that side. since my right boob is pretty much fine, i've just been feeding alex on that side & pumping from both. whew!
she also said that there is NOTHING wrong with bottle & breastfeeding. it's ok to give the girls a break & feed her via bottle 1-2 times a day. fortunately, alex take the bottle & the boob just fine so that pleases me.
she also watch me pump for a minute & we determined that the 24mm soft breast flange was a TAD to small so i went & picked up some 27mm and i must say, even thought they're not soft cupped- they feel MUCH better.
so all in all, all is well! i can pump, feed & etc etc etc. i picked up the TNC (prescription) today and applied it after i fed/pumped. i'm going to give the left nip another day or so before i let Alex back at it- it should be pretty healed up by then.
so yeah! i HIGHLY suggest seeing an LC if you're having ANY problems/concerns with/about breastfeeding. they are so helpful & awesome!
6 comments:
That must be the most amazing feeling! It sounds like you are doing a fantastic job Mommy!! I'm glad you were able to get some nip relief :)
is your hand/finger behind her head? if so, she can't open wider. pump settings too high? wrong size funnel? local LLL and breastfeeding made simple book are good. could try cross cradle or clutch?great job!
Glad to hear everthing is going well. I know the early days of breastfeeding were rough! We bottle fed from the start too and my babies are still strong breastfeeders. I agree about the 27mm for the pump. I was using the 24mm soft cups too and my nips were hurting. So I went up and it is so much better! Just something my LC told me...the more you pump the more your body thinks it needs to produce milk, so if you don't need to pump, then don't. You don't want to be engorged all the time. It is so awesome that you are able to freeze so much milk already. Once they start eating more it is hard to freeze much, so keep it up! My babies eat 6 1/2 oz from a bottle each for each feeding now, so I can barely keep up with them with pumping.
You are doing an awesome job! Keep it up mama!!
pumping right from the start, it's true, can bring more trouble. BUT, pumping could protect the supply and make sure baby's getting milk until the issue is fixed.putting the nipple above the top lip, under the nose when starting helps babies tip back and open wide to get it! babies need mom's nipples to be deep in the mouth. another view by someone else could help alot. could it be tongue tie? pics on Kellymom. can't wait to hear it's all better! congrats!
Wow!! I can't believe all that came out of you in less than a week. Congrats on the success. I hope I'm as lucky.
Sounds like things are going well. When do you pump? Every feeding? Once or twice a day? I was pumping in the beginning at the hospital since he wasn't latching, but haven't since we got home.
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