Hi ladies! I do not think I have ever posted here before but I have been a member for about 5 years.
I breastfed my daughter until she was 4 years old with no problems what so ever. I am 31 weeks pregnant with twins and plan on breastfeeding. I was just wondering if any of you gals out there have any experience with nursing twins and if you could offer me any advice....

Any help would be appreciated!

Thank you ~ Cindy

Don't know if this is the right place to post this, but you're all very knowledgeable, so I thought I'd give it a go.
I have a friend who's just had her 3rd baby. He's now 7 weeks old and not gaining weight as the health visitors would like, and she's coming under a whole load of pressure from them and members of her family to supplement him with formula. Now, she's already successfully breastfed one child (her 2nd) with no issues, but her 1st was a slow gainer too, and from what I can remember was a fairly similar physical type to her new baby (long and lean), and she was pretty much pushed into bottle feeding him because she 'didn't make enough milk'.
Now. Here's the thing. I watched her breastfeed that baby at the weekend. He latched on well (she feels no pain), he suckled well (fed for nearly an hour then slept for 2 hours, although apparently that's Too Long, and How Can She Be A Mother To Her Other Children while he's feeding so much, I mean wtf?). I don't think there's anything wrong with his, or her, technique at all, and he looked satisfied after his feed, and settled during it. She had him weighed today, and he put on 3 oz in a week, which (despite a wet and dirty nappy just before he was weighed) apparently is far too little, and she's been told to give him 3oz of formula after every feed. Any advice on what she can do to get the stupid health visitor who said that off her back? They're not even offering to refer her to a lactation consultant. Just straight out 'give him formula' and telling her it won't interfere with her breastfeeding. Also, any tips on boosting her supply? I already told her to put him on more, and eat lots of oatmeal. Am I right in thinking breastfeeding more at night increases prolactin production and hence increases milk production? Been a long time (21 months) since my breastfeeding was tied to the stupid growth chart. She did ask whether she should pump to increase, but I told her it was better to put him on than to pump. Right thing to say? Help! I'm worried she'll give up if she doesn't get enough support soon, and she really really doesn't want to.

I forgot to post this a few weeks ago:



We made it to two years! You know, when I was pregnant, I said I'd go for 6 months and maybe even a year. When she was born, though, I said we would do it until she was done. It's been 2 years and I still feel that way. I get a lot of "advice" about weaning her. Whenever we have a rough night is the hardest, or when she's sick and she's more clingy. I've been a SAHM and there's lots of stuff to do. It is very hard to sit back and tell myself it's okay, that she needs me right now. She *needs* me, the kitchen doesn't, or the carpet, or whatever. That it can wait, but this time with her is precious and sacred and there will never be another time like this in my life. It becomes such a regular thing, especially after 2 years, and I don't always stop and think about that. This is one of the greatest gifts I'm giving to my girl. It hasn't been an easy journey, we've had a couple of plugged ducts and mastitis twice. I had a stomach bug once and I remember being worried that nursing would aggravate it but it didn't, thankfully. When I get sick, she usually doesn't get it, or if she does it is far less extreme. We still cosleep with her little mattress attached to ours on the floor. That definitely makes it easier. We'll see what happens when she eventually has her own bed!

2 years has been good to us, and I'm looking forward to what the next year has in for us. :)

xposted

We rented The Curious Case of Benjamin Button the other night.  Yes, I know we are way behind in movies but that's what happens with a toddler around.  Anyhow there is a scene just after Daisy gives birth to her daughter, in which she's cuddling in bed with the newborn and she sticks her finger in the baby's mouth to calm her.

So, my husband nonshalantly says to the tv, "You should be giving her your boob instead of your finger, duh."

I seem to recall hearing that when a baby is nursing, their saliva goes into the the breast thus causing the moms body to adjust the components in the breast milk to serve the current needs of the baby.
Can someone link me to an article stating such a thing?

TIA

Today I took a call at work, one of many. I work in a Children's Centre as an admin, which is basically a local government-run centre with services for under 5s and their parents, including a health visitor/weighing clinic for babies.

The mum was asking about the weighing clinic and mentioned how she'd been told to keep feeding her little one baby milk for a few months after his 1st birthday. Reason being that he was "bit underweight". Cue me suppressing my first twinge of anti-health visitor crankiness, as several HVs here think that anything below the 50th centile is "underweight" rather than "below average" - TOTALLY DIFFERENT THING!! - but happy that this meant more baby milk for baby.

Anyway, a few seconds later and the convo turns to whether we have any advice for switching baby from "baby milk" to "cow's milk" now that he's 18mo. "Do I alternate each bottle or mix them together?"

Um. *twig* A couple more sentences confirm that for her, "baby milk" = formula. It's got a baby on the packet, dontchaknow.

So much for my initial happiness, and also because I'm a lowly admin I'm not supposed to wear my boob nazi hat at work *phhhhbt* I couldn't even point out her misuse of the English language.

I referred her to the health visitor, as per my useless job description.

On may 30th my little Ashur and I celebrated 3 YEARS OF NURSING!!! Woo-Hooo!!! We're doing the whole self led weaning bit, and so far we're nursing 2-3 times in a 24 hour period, yeah, ahahaha he still loves his nurse! I'm hoping to be done by 5 ;D

im tossing all sucking methods of feeding.. tossing fingerfeeding, syringe feeding, and dropper feeding cause he sucks on all of those. SO.. my question is, how do you know when hes had enough when you are cup feeding a 3.5 week old whos in the middle of a growth spurt? Also im gonna ask this in parenting as well but thought i would ask you ladies first, what kind of poops are abnormal in a baby who is three quarter formula fed and one quarter breastmilk fed? I have no idea what to look for here.. unique situation for me. this morning he had really green poop like a foremilk inbalance but can you have a foremilk imbalance when hes mostly taking in formula, i know what breastmilk he is getting is foremilk cause the pump only works well enough to get my initial let down, after that there is nothing, nada after the first two minutes.. (side note i think thats why im not having any luck building up my supply, never emptying the breast.. but i dont know how to get it emptied any more than that, hand expressing doesnt do it either, i wish i wish i wish my 4 year old would still nurse, but the one time i coaxed her to the breast she had no idea how to latch on and suck... and shes almost five so my husband would freak but i dont care if it would WORK... bleh.) anyway so hes only getting foremilk from me but shouldnt he be getting enough fat from the formula to prevent an imbalance? If not what the heck do i do?? and yeah im gonna crosspost in breastfeeding cause most of you ladies hang out there and lots more as well, but you guys have been there for me from day one 7 years ago so i know none of you will let me give up!

im over it.. well im not fighting it at the moment anyway.. but what i need is advice and encouragement for when i get him home.. how do i get it BACK... i know all the basics in my head but when they apply to me i get shaky on the basics... you know how it is... those who cant, teach... and ive failed more than ive succeeded on this front so i really need the support.. they are undermining my confidence in my bodys ability to do this.. like even though i nursed my daugher for 3.5 years, the first 9 months exclusively, they are still trying to tell me i cant make enough to feed my son because i cant get more than an ounce or so out of a pump at a time....and thats if im really lucky... usually its closer to 15mls... (about three teaspoons, ugh) ive NEVER responded well to a pump so i know in my head that is the problem but its hard in the face of people telling you you arent doing whats right for your son because you are trying to do whats right for him... they yanked the feeding tube i made them give him without my permission so nursing him then supplementing with the tube is out.. he is now officially on the bottle... which i refused to let them do with my daughter.. which is what i believe preserved our nursing relationship... but these people simply did it without my consent.. right in front of me!!!! short of grabbing her hand when i realized what she was doing and risking hurting him i had no choice but let it happen... (is still fuming) so now hes being bottlefed and overstuffed and they have dragged out the old "if he nurses and then sucks down a bottle you know he isnt getting enough from you" when we all know every breastfed baby will take more than he needs if offered a bottle, simply because their natural suck needs will keep them sucking long after their belly is full....and Michael has a high suck need... which they filled against my wishes again by stuffing a pacifier in his mouth when i was still hospitalized next door....by the time i was able to be by his side almost constantly he was already addicted to it... grrrrrrrrr. so all that is done.. cant go back in time and undo it.. so im concentrating on the future.. when he comes home and i get to be his mother again... how do i get him back to being solely on the breast? And how do i keep up with his now monstrously expanded stomach?? (they were pushing two ounces on top of my breastfeeding and when i was pushed into going home twice in seven days to sleep, they gave him an enormous FOUR OUNCES by bottle...) help??


((((edited to add.... THANK YOU! hes home now though still on the lights cause his hdn bili hasnt come down yet but he is out of immediate danger of a transfusion so heres hoping he licks it on his own.. its awkward trying to nurse with the bili lights but we are starting to work it out... he hasnt forgotten how to latch thank God but he only manages for about five minutes before falling asleep and being unable to continue... so then comes the supplementation.. ive got an order in with my ins. comp for an sns... until then we are cup/finger feeding.. we WILL get this

I thought you guys would appreciate this. My 2.5 year old tells me what breastmilk tastes like:

(Note: "Nur" is what he calls nursing, so "nurmilk" is breastmilk).



He also says it often tastes like, "applecars".

Lorelai turned 4 back in February, so I'm a smidgen late on this. I can't believe we made it 4 frickin years. She only nurses occasionally in the morning when I'm in a slightly comotose state. LOL. I said when I started that I would practice child led weaning. Well, my kid is no weaner!



Of course a pic or two!

( Read more... )

I feel like I'm going to explode.

I want to wean my 3.5 year old. She barely nurses, and when she does, that's not even the *issue* its the screaming "I WANT BOPPY" when she's tired, or in trouble, the pulling on my shirts/chest. I don't know what to do, time outs aren't working. I just feel like I'm actually DREADING nursing her or having her close to me anymore. I don't know.

I hadn't received formula samples in the mail for a very long time, but lo and behold, a huge container came in the mail today. I used to donate them, but I have learned enough at this point to know that I wouldn't be comfortable giving it to anyone so I opened the can right into the garbage bin by my mailbox and sprinkled the powdered poison all over people's discarded junk mail.

:-P

A Chinese new mother is producing so much breast milk that she baths her baby in the excess each day.

Mrs Luo, of Chongqing, says she is producing two litres of milk more than she needs to feed her six-week-old daughter Shan Shan.

Mother, husband and her mother-in-law had all been drinking the extra milk but she says they still have plenty left over.

Luo's mother-in-law said they were all beginning to feel like they were drinking too much milk: "Then I suggested why not give the baby a breast milk bath, and they took my advice," she said.

Luo said the milk bath makes her Shan Shan's skin really smooth and white, reports the Chingqing Times.

But she is looking for someone to donate her extra breast milk to as she feels that bathing her baby in breast milk is too much of an indulgence.

Source: http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_3236313.html

I seethed mutely today, to my shame.

My cousin made her daughter (11mo) a bottle at our family gathering. I have no idea where the water came from or its temperature, as I don't recall seeing her leave the room beforehand. I very definitely saw her tip the powder in, shake it up, and immediately hand to hubby so he could feed the baby. (I saw a paediatrician ex-bf do the same not so long ago, too)

This is a child who was admitted to hospital with meningitis at 5mo. Obviously she recovered, but there are some queries about her cognitive and motor development.

What irritates me the most is that S & D clearly didn't pick up any messages about the importance if bottle prep during that ordeal. Ok, so no one ever proved what sent 5 babies into the same hospital with the same mystery meningitis (bacterial v. viral tests inconclusive) at the same time, but GAH! Just goes to show that denial of risks runs DEEP... as does unwillingness to read around the topic even when your child becomes seriously ill.

Back when she was still debating whether to bf (H was 1mo when she switched), I was labelled "horrible" for sharing such information, so I'm afraid I kept my trap shut this time. I did manage to have a conversation about shifting H on to whole cow's milk though, which is apparently in progress. Better than nothing.

found on feministing  - there is swearing over there, just a warning.

the quote in question.

"Without regard to what you think about women who get off by behaving like sows by pulling out their you-know-what in front of everybody else in the world and letting their babies start sucking, whatever you think about that, you don't have the express it so crudely, well why not? It's a crude practice, given how adamant some of these sows are, that's an appropriate term, isn't it? It's..it's what a pig does and it does it in public, right? I mean, I don't, I - hehehehe..."

sounds like a nurse-in is in order.

Today, Bastian is 15 months old! I've been counting down to this particular birthday since he was born. Why? Because Declan nursed until he weaned himself at about 45 months old. So, as of today, I've been nursing 5 years:)...and hopefully a few more to go.



Here's a picture of the two of them together at the park, just cause they're awesome.( Read more... )

Xposted to breastfeeding

Traveling Mothers Face Hurdles in Pumping Breast Milk

By SARA J. WELCH
Published: February 9, 2009

No longer are there tales of airport security guards forcing a breastfeeding mother to pour a two-day supply of her baby’s milk into the garbage or another to taste her own milk. But a business trip still presents an array of challenges for breastfeeding mothers.

Expressed milk can be stored for later use, if a traveling mother can find a way to collect and transport it.

The first remains airport security. While the Transportation Security Administration has updated its rules since those well-publicized incidents involving rules about carrying liquids aboard a plane, the latest guidelines are purposely unspecific to give the security officer discretion. They allow women to take a “reasonable quantity” on board, said Christopher White, a T.S.A. spokesman.

But Caren Begun, a public relations executive in Jersey City who had a baby last year, said the lack of specificity made it difficult for her to figure out what to do. “On the Web site, they say you can travel with reasonable quantities of breast milk, but what does that mean?” Ms. Begun asked. “How much milk can I bring on board? What about ice packs? Will I have to taste the milk to show it’s safe? I got a different answer from everyone.”
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tuesday i took the kiddos to a jumping place (warehouse full of inflatable bounce houses) and saw a woman nursing a small baby.  i noticed her breasts looked lopsided - ah the things only nursing mothers notice.  she also looked like she packed the house so i was concerned there was bottles in there, too.  but later i saw her nursing her baby.  hurray!!

i had to say something:

me:  *big smile, walking around nursing my almost 2yo*  yeay!  it's so good to see women nursing their babies without those big stupid aprons on.
her: *big smile* yeah, i forgot it at home.
me *inner d'oh, smaller smile" the only people who "know what youre doing" are other mamas who nursed their kids.  no one else has a clue.


here's hoping she liberates her boobs and baby and can nurse without the damned boob-burqa.  summer's coming with a quickness and i couldnt imagine nursing a baby with an additional, unnecessary layer of material.