I posted here before and got some great help so maybe I might get some again.
5 months ago I had my baby girl and tried breastfeeding because I really wanted to and had my heart set on it. But when it came to it she latched on perfectly, sucked but she got so frustrated because nothing was coming out for her. I even got my midwives to help me on a numerous amount of times. Still no luck. I tried expressing every 2-3 hours at regular intervals and all that was coming out was 1-4oz each time. I tried everything from relaxing in a hot bath to massaging my breasts. I kept latching her on and doing all of the above for about 7/8 weeks but nothing was changing. So in the end I stopped and just bottle fed the whole time. In the hospital she was cup fed a few times but somehow she became dehydrated and ended up under photo therapy for 5 days because of bad Jaundice, also her blood sugar was low a few times.
Anyway I just wanted to know if anyone had advice on how to plan ahead for the future. Planning on having another baby hopefully before my little girls second birthday (Autumn 2007). I know it's well in advance but I want it to work next time.
Also Could wearing underwired bras during pregnancy effect your milk ducts developing properly as I mostly wore my usual bras (underwired) through my pregnancy and didn't know about this until a friend told me she had read it in a magazine? ↓
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| Name: Andrea | Date: Mar 19th, 2006 7:36 AM |
Hi, Emily
Congratulations on having your little girl, I can tell from your post that you really enjoy being a Mom. I just gave birth to a little boy on March 14-my older son is 18! I had great success nursing, and the reason (I think!) is because I prepared my breasts for about 2 months before birth. I bought some nipple cream (pay extra for Lansinoh-it's worth it), and stimulated mostly the areolas just by rubbing and pulling a little bit. Also, when I bathed/showered, I expressed some colostrum each time, letting the warm water help. Get a doctor's advice before doing this, because sometimes nipple stimulation can bring on labor. Also-make sure that you take in ALOT of extra fluids. This makes a huge difference in whether your body produces milk. Drink lots of water and juice-it is so easy to become dehydrated that we don't even realize it, but our bodies do. And here's some funky info:I am Canadian, and when I gave birth in Toronto, the postpartum nurses gave me a can of beer with my lunch every day-beer apparently helps with milk production and that "letdown" feeling of milk release from the breasts. I know it sounds kooky, and this was 18 years ago-but it worked! I nursed-exclusively-for 2 years, and my son is wonderfully healthy. My new baby is a preemie, so I am pumping, and I know that having stimulated my breasts for a few weeks before birth made a difference. I don't know what to say about the underwire issue, I have small boobs (34B), so I never have needed underwire-but I wish I did!!! Lucky girl, you!
Anyway, I hope I have helped you, even if I didn't offer advice you would take, a little bit of encouragement goes a long way! And even if you cannot exclusively breastfeed, maybe supplementing the amount your body makes with some formula to fill your baby up may help. Combining the two could be just what's needed-you can bond and nurture while nursing, then fill her little belly so you can get some sleep! Good luck, Emily, enjoy your new daughter!!!
Andie ↑ |
| Name: sonia | Date: Mar 19th, 2006 5:10 PM |
| I think you should see a lactation consultant to rule out anything being wrong that won't allow you to nurse. ↑ |
| Name: 3 time nursing mom | Date: Mar 22nd, 2006 2:39 AM |
Hi Emily!
I don't know about underwire bras affecting the milk or not. But I say go ahead and stop wearing them, I guess I wouldn't be surprised. Personally I hate them and remove them from my bras as I find they dig painfully into my chest, lol.
It sounds like you did the best you could with your first, and are working on doing the best you can again. I hope it works out better for you this time around.
As for prepping, I double Sonia's advice on consulting a lactation consultant when you are in the last few months of pregnancy and seeing what they would advise at that time.
As for now, just continue becoming as educated as you can on the topic, take a daily vitamin with at least 400 micrograms of Folic Acid (to help your body prep for a healthy future pregnancy), and enjoy that beautiful daughter of yours!
Good Luck! ↑ |
| Name: 3 time nursing mom...again | Date: Mar 22nd, 2006 2:43 AM |
Oh I see that Sonia advises consulting a lactation consultant NOW, "to rule out anything being wrong that won't allow you to nurse. "
That's pretty good advice in my opinion. I'm not sure if they can help you or not, but it doesn't hurt to try.
Your ob/gyn should be able to recommend a lactation consultant to you. If not, many hospitals that are known for their maternity centers have one on staff. ↑ |
| Name: melinda | Date: Mar 23rd, 2006 3:14 PM |
| i saw 2 or 3 different lac. consultants. they all had something different to offer me. it took my daughter forever to get it. i pumped for 8 weeks and cried and struggled they whole time. she is 7 mo old and doing well. i sugest talking to more than one person about it. there are devises that will help you. good luck ↑ |
| Name: EMILY | Date: Mar 28th, 2006 1:05 PM |
Thank you all for your replys. Sorry I didn't get to reading them until now.
Some great tips.
ANMORE ARE WELCOME ↑ |
| Name: Fiona | Date: Mar 28th, 2006 3:58 PM |
| You're not supposed to wear underwired bras during pregnancy. I was told this by my midwife as I always wear them. I had to stop when I was expecting my son though. ↑ |
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