Jessyann - well, how is it going

Jamison'smama wrote: By this time you have probably fed Alyssa a couple of times, how is it going?

Big Big Hugs to you! This is a great thing, you will love to nurse her even if it doesn't seem that way now--my first 3 weeks included a lot of tears, lanolin cream, dribbling milk over my breasts to tempt her, pumping, more crying, calling the lactation consultant, going to La Leche League, crying some more, middle of the night frustration --the football hold every time until my nipples couldn't take it etc. etc. But after that it was wonderful. Some people have babies that just take to the breast right away--sounds like Alyssa did so I hope that it stays that way--if not, it is okay and you will get through it


Best of luck--you are in for a great ride! Keep us posted!

Maddie&EthansMom replied: You are so sweet! I don't know if you will be an inspiration to JessyAnn...she may be having it easy, but you sure are an inspiration to me!! It was hard for me to BF Maddie, too. I'm hoping little Ethan is so much easier to BF. It is so good to know that most of you have been there and that I have all the support I need right here! Sorry to butt in, but I had to tell you how sweet that was!

MommyToAshley replied: Adding some more good luck wishes, even if you don't need it. The first couple of months are the roughest, but it is sooo worth the extra effort. Hang in there! And, let us know if you need anything.

5littleladies replied: I hope everything is going well. My first nursing experience was just like Jamison'smama's. It took me a full month before everything worked right. It's so worth it though! Let us know how it's going!

A&A'smommy replied: Okay now its hard she has gotten use to the bottle and she CRIED and CRIED when i tried to feed her this morning im going to keep trying but so far it hasnt worked. I was at my MILs all day and she slept the whole time so i havent gotten the chance to try again im hoping to try again when i get home tonight (im at work with dh). Anyways keep wishing me luck it is really hard and emotional right now....


edited to say: thanks for thinking about me this is harder than i thought it would be.

5littleladies replied: Hugs!! I'm sorry you are having a hard time!! Have you tried expressing some milk and putting it on your nipple before offering the breast? She will recognize the taste and maybe that will encourage her. Hang in there! You are doing great.

Schnoogly replied: Another option to try is a nipple shield. It makes your nipple shaped more like a bottle. You can buy them at BRU (medela makes them) or online.

At some point you'd have to wean off the shield but it might help to transition her.

Seriously, check out kellymom's site. Like this page
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/back-t...-to-breast.html

tells about how to switch back to breast when baby has nipple confusion. I really know how hard this is--Iain was used to the bottle too by the time I could BF. Just keep trying, every feed, before you give a bottle.

Here is the nipple shield I was talking about
http://www.medela.com/NewFiles/nipshield.html

Is the problem now that she won't latch on? You might try holding her extra close to your breast (the cross cradle hold worked best for me--baby on opposite arm, with same side arm holding baby's head) and make a nipple sandwich--compress your nipple between thumb and forefinger and get your mom or DH to help baby open wide by tickling or holding her chin down and the just SHOVE the nipple in while you really shove the baby's head onto your breast. We had to use the nipple shield a few times but then he did OK without it.

I'm so sorry you don't have LCs in your area--that sucks!!!!

Maddie&EthansMom replied: I had to use the nipple shield, too. It worked really well for us. Maddie didn't want to latch on at first, either. Keep trying! You will be so glad you did! You are doing great!

MommyToAshley replied: JessyAnn, I would recommend that you call your hospital and ask if they have a lactation consultant on hand. I think all hospitals do, and they are usually free. You may have to take Alyssa to see the LC, but it would be worth the trip. I think a LC would really help you out right now.

A&A'smommy replied: i figured out why she wasnt nursing, its because im not making much milk and she is use to getting the milk fast. She latches on real good but she gets frustrated when she cant get anything out..so for now im pumping EVERY three hours, like a dummy i wasnt doing that before so im paying for it now im going to keep trying until i can make enough milk for her...which may take a while but i believe with all my heart it will be worth it!

mummy2girls replied: From a mom that didnt breat feed for much at all..out of frustration and stressand such....Please keep trying to breast feed. I wish i would of been more persistant. Plus it is expensive to be formula fed, expecially if she eats alot..jenna costed me close to 200 a month on formula....UGH!!

Im sure it will be worth it when you and alyssa get into a more better schedule of bfeeding.

MommyToAshley replied:
Do you mind if I make a suggestion? I am not an expert, but I would recommend trying to BF her first and then supplement with formula if needed. The baby is going to drink more milk than you could pump. The more milk she takes, the more milk you will produce. At this age, they usually nurse every two or three hours, so I would recommend nursing her instead of pumping. Unless she of course won't nurse at all, then I guess you have no choice but to pump. I remember that Ashley used to get a little impatient waiting for my let down. WHen she got a little older, she used to change sides a lot until my milk let down... so she never became any more patient, she just changed the way she showed her impatience.

Hillbilly Housewife replied: Also maybe pump for a minute BEFORE nursing her.... then at least she can latch on at the let down...(I'm not an expert) so that she doesn't have to wait...then you can give her whatever you pumped mixed in to a little bit of formula...at least maybe then she'd get more bmilk...?

That's what I did for a while back when I actually did breastfeed.... and I'd pump EVERYHOUR. For quite some time, I was pumping every hour, on the hour... and after like 3 weeks, I could easily pump 2 to 3 ounces everytime I pumped. (both sides together, not individual boob )

It might help. it's supply/demand...so the more demand there is, the more will be supplied.... the more you pump, the more there will be...

DansMom replied: I've been thinking every day about your situation, JessyAnn. You're doing a great job trying to make the BF work, and I know how frustrating it can be. If I were in your shoes, I would be worrying if I don't supplement am I going to underfeed my baby, or if I do supplement, will she then never get used to the breast? It's so hard to know what to do and how to do it, when you're trying to get them to switch from bottle to breast.

We are all rooting for you and Alyssa! I think the more you try to nurse rather than pump the better---even every hour and a half to two hours. It will seem like that's all you ever do right now, but once things are working you'll be happy you stuck with it. Trying to switch breasts when she unlatches might help---going back and forth can stimulate letdown too. I honestly wish I could be right there to help you!

I was wondering what kind of pump you have? Is it a hand pump or electric? That can make a world of difference as far as how much milk you can produce for the pump and how quickly your milk lets down.

Good luck with everything---I've been thinking about you a lot! Keep us posted.

Schnoogly replied: Here is what you can do to improve supply. This is what the numerous LCs told me to do. She is young enough that you CAN improve your supply dramatically. Yeah, you probably should have pumped more often, but it's not too late!!

1. Take her to bed and nurse as often as she wants. Just spend the whole weekend in bed nursing, nursing, nursing. You will nurse way more often than every 3 hours. Don't worry about how often she nurses or for how long. Don't pump, don't give any supplements unless she is really really mad. Then just give an ounce or two of formula--no more. This will be very hard but your supply will definitely catch up! Make your DH bring you everything. Just spend the whole weekend in bed with your sweet baby!

2. Take fenugreek capsules --3 500mg capsules 3 times a day, until you start to smell like maple syrup. This will really help!

3. Get the mother's milk tea. You can usually find this at health food stores. Drink several cups a day.

4. Eat oatmeal, in any form.

5. Drink TONS of water. Rest.

Good luck! I have SOOO BTDT.

A&A'smommy replied: hey thanks SOOO much for the advice, support and encouragement..it gets kinda tough sometimes!! Things are getting so much better and my supply is starting to better too! Has anyone here heard of taking brewers yeast (i think that is what it is)? My mom says its a pill or something that you take...she said she took it and it helped her supply but im wondering if thats a good thing to do...anyways she says she is going to get me some if you havent heard of it im going to ask my doctor. But thanks again you guys are the best!!!

jcc64 replied: Sounds like things are improving for you in the nursing dept. I'm so happy for you- it sounds like you're doing everything right! And your baby girl is precious! As far as brewers yeast- I hadn't heard about this one. But I have observed that drinking a beer will increase my supply A LOT- like double or triple my normal output. I know, I know, it's alcohol, but my brother's a pediatrician and he gave the ok. Beer has a lot of yeast, so maybe your mom's info is correct. And the oatmeal thing really works too.

DansMom replied: Someone recommended Brewers Yeast to me too, and I took those capsules for a while, until the bottle was gone. You were supposed to take 12 pills a day! It is true that beer works, and Brewers Yeast might be the ingredient that makes it work. The person who suggested it said she increased her supply that way. I don't know if they helped, because I was taking Fenugreek and Mothers Milk Tea at the same time. Anyway, something worked in all of the things I was taking.

It does sound like things are getting better! That is great news.

Schnoogly replied: Yep, brewer's yeast. Also malt. You can put a spoonful of ovaltine (the malty kind) in whatever you're drinking (coffee is good...)

Yeah, you normally have to take a lot of any of those things to help with supply. Nothing works like nonstop nursing though!

Kirstenmumof3 replied: Just wanted to offer my support to you and to let you know that it is possible for you to breastfeed. It took my baby 10 1/2 weeks to finally figure things out and she is now 14mths and we are still breastfeeding. The most important thing to getting your supply up is doing a lot of pumping and drinking a lot of fluids. Also eat a lot of oatmeal products, this increases your supply as well. Good Luck and keep us posted as to how you are doing!

supermom replied: So sorry I haven't been here to offer my support as well. Everyone else has given such excellent advice, I really don't have anything to add other than to say that all you are doing will be well worth it, both physically, emotionally and financially..........it is such an awesome experience, and so glad you are giving it all you can to make it happen for you and Alyssa (hope I spelled that right?)......

Hugs to you and keep up the good work, and here's wishing you a long and sucessful BF relationship.

jem0622 replied: Brewer's Yeast is good. You could have a beer daily. Wouldn't hurt her. Bad me, but hey...do you know how many mom's have tried this and they are so relaxed and the hops is a huge help.

I put barely malt syrup in my oatmeal. A double wammy. That really helped.

Before nursing her...I would try taking a quick warm shower b/c it helps bring all the milk down into the breast and then nurse her. She is so young and trust me if you just bedded all day with her and did marathon nursing then you'd see it all bounce back in no time.

Eat plenty of protein and drink lots of water!

HUGS
Julie

A&A'smommy replied: how long before nursing her should i drink the beer? since i cant find brewers yeast around here i guess i will try the beer until i get to go shopping...

jcc64 replied:

About an hour or two.

supermom replied: There was one more thing that came to mind today - and I know it will be hard, but RELAX! It's so hard to do when you are new at it and trying to bring it back, I know, but really try.....I was a little stressed out today while waiting on Anders, and of course, Emily could sense it.......she sure did a little fussy bit of stuff while I was trying to feed her.

jem0622 replied:
ITA. And that is why I suggested the beer. Because the hops helps increase production and the will also relax her a bit. Like I said...you could have one daily...or just every few days. I am not trying to put you on a bad road, really! There are husbands who home brew and they have made special blends for their nursing wives and they put lots of extra good stuff in there to increase milk production.

You can actually find brewer's yeast (I think) and whole foods, coops, and also pet stores. I know...you are thinking...pet stores???!!!! But feeding it to your pets gives them a shiny coat and helps keep fleas away. Who knew?

Julie