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Janelle
Apr 5, 2004
Question for those will baby boys who circumcised. When were they circumcised and who did it? I've been reading different websites and it says within the first 24-48 hours and give a list of who can do it. Just curious as to what the norm was. If local matters, I'm in the states.

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AlistairCookie
Apr 1, 2010

I am a Dinosaur
/\/\/\
My boys were done by my OB--likely yours would too, but this could be area specific or something (I'm in the midwest). He used a topical to numb the skin for a local injection, so they're totally numb, and then did it. But different doctors use different things, so ask your OB what they do. He said both my boys slept through the whole thing, after the cold topical spray part. Midget was done on day one and Liam (we're calling him Lil' Cheesy on account of his diapers now :D ) was done in the morning on day three. Both were/are fine.

To add to the bra discussion, I'm loving the side sling nursing tanks from Target right now. They are awesome! I have a couple nursing bras from Motherhood Maternity that I like too. NO underwire! BTW, after the initial difficulties (okay, my pain) we had, nursing is now going really well. Better than I had ever thought it would! He nurses really well and also takes a (Advent) bottle well too. It is all I could have possibly hoped for!

Edit: Have a picture of the boys!

AlistairCookie fucked around with this message at 01:49 on Mar 27, 2011

Ariza
Feb 8, 2006
My old lady and I had a baby a couple of days ago and I have a question. I've been reading through google and can't get a straight answer. My wife is only going to be able to breastfeed for the week she has off (goes back next Wednesday the 30th) and then she's going to try and pump most of the time. She's started pumping the colostrum and I'm not sure how much there should be or if she should just completely hold off on using the pump for now. We're trying to make sure she's used to bottle feeding before it becomes not an option. We really really really don't want to use formula. She tried going through this with the lactation ladies at the hospital but never got a straight answer. They only seemed interested in making sure she was breastfeeding. I hope this makes sense, I've only slept 8 hours total the last 4 nights and am kind of out of it.

Ariza fucked around with this message at 02:12 on Mar 27, 2011

Crabsurd
Dec 19, 2006
Your wife only has a week off? :aaaaa:

There usually isn't very much colostrum, but you need to let the baby suckle as much as possible right now to stimulate the milk production. It'll be much easier to pump once her milk comes in properly. But for now, I would just leave the pump and let the baby do all the work. If she needs to, just sit on the couch all day feeding.

I would let the baby feed at the breast as much as possible. Maybe give a bottle or two a day once the milk comes in if you're concerned about the baby not accepting it later. I wouldn't worry too much about that though; I think it's easier to get them to take bottles the younger they are, and a week is pretty young. (Although this is just in my personal experience; someone may need to correct me.)

Good luck - I hope you figure something out!

peanut
Sep 9, 2007


Going back to work 1 week after childbirth sounds impossible to me. I could hardly go grocery shopping then. And babies don't sleep on demand.

Why are you against using powdered milk? The stress of working and pumping will be pretty hard on your wife. Pumping isn't fun. Without having the baby with her, she might not be able to pump enough. The hormones released by being with the baby are important to stimulate milk. Bug was in the NICU for two weeks and I couldn't get flowing well until she was home with me.

Powdered milk might save you. I think it's unreasonable for you guys to not consider it.

Dogfish
Nov 4, 2009
^^^^^
[edit] If they're committed to breastfeeding, formula just may not be an option for their family. Formula-fed babies are at higher risk for ear infections and upper respiratory infections, and miss out on all the sweet benefits from breastmilk like immunoglobulins and all the various proteins and fats that we haven't fully isolated and synthesized yet. I'm not saying that formula-feeding is bad, and it is definitely a lifesaver for some families, but if they really want to breastfeed, I don't see any reason to dissuade them.

Also Ariza, if you do decide to formula-feed, please DO NOT use powdered formula until your baby's older than a month; powdered formula isn't sterile and so liquid formula is recommended for very young babies.

Ariza posted:

My old lady and I had a baby a couple of days ago and I have a question. I've been reading through google and can't get a straight answer. My wife is only going to be able to breastfeed for the week she has off (goes back next Wednesday the 30th) and then she's going to try and pump most of the time. She's started pumping the colostrum and I'm not sure how much there should be or if she should just completely hold off on using the pump for now. We're trying to make sure she's used to bottle feeding before it becomes not an option. We really really really don't want to use formula. She tried going through this with the lactation ladies at the hospital but never got a straight answer. They only seemed interested in making sure she was breastfeeding. I hope this makes sense, I've only slept 8 hours total the last 4 nights and am kind of out of it.

Seconding the :aaaaa: - one week? One WEEK off? Yikes.

Two options that I would consider right away, if you have the resources for it: first, contact La Leche League in your area. They will probably be able to put you in touch with someone who can provide your wife with better breastfeeding support than she's getting from the hospital. How useful LLL is to a particular family is really dependent on who's running the local chapter and also on what particular personalities and orientation toward breastfeeding you guys have, but they are often very helpful. You might also consider looking for an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (the ones who have IBCLC after their names); they have thousands of hours of clinical practice under their belts and have generally seen just about every breastfeeding situation, so if it's feasible for you to consult one, go for it. (The ILCA has a directory for parents.)

It sounds from your question like you may be concerned that she's not getting a lot of volume when she's pumping. As colostrum transitions into mature milk, volume gradually increases to keep up with baby's demand and feeding patterns - that is, generally speaking, the more baby breastfeeds, the more milk your wife will produce, and the more she'll be able to bank for when she goes back to work. Like Miss Shell said, the more breastfeeding, the better right now. Because of the low volume of colostrum, and because pumping is usually not as efficient as actual baby suckling, pumping may not be the best option for her while she's still at home and able to feed right from the breast.

Some babies do have difficulty adjusting to a bottle, but be aware that there are other options like finger- and cup-feeding if that's the case for you guys. (My sister never took a bottle and started cup-feeding as soon as my mom went back to work, long before you'd usually think about introducing a cup. She just hated bottles, but was very happy to learn to take little baby cup sips.) Going back to work a week postpartum is stressful enough without worrying about what will happen if baby doesn't take to a bottle right away.

Good luck to both of you!

Also Janelle, this is a discussion you'll probably want to have with your care provider before birth, because there are some who don't do circumcisions themselves and your timeline will depend in that case on what referrals are like in your area.

Dogfish fucked around with this message at 04:22 on Mar 27, 2011

Moms Stuffing
Jun 2, 2005

the little green one

peanut posted:

Going back to work 1 week after childbirth sounds impossible to me. I could hardly go grocery shopping then. And babies don't sleep on demand.

Why are you against using powdered milk? The stress of working and pumping will be pretty hard on your wife. Pumping isn't fun. Without having the baby with her, she might not be able to pump enough. The hormones released by being with the baby are important to stimulate milk. Bug was in the NICU for two weeks and I couldn't get flowing well until she was home with me.

Powdered milk might save you. I think it's unreasonable for you guys to not consider it.


Why are you trying to discourage her pumping? Pumping is really hard work, the last thing she needs is someone telling her to not even bother.

On the other hand, if pumping exclusively is something that IS too hard for you to do emotionally/physically etc, formula is a life saver.

dreamcatcherkwe
Apr 14, 2005
Dreamcatcher
Here's some good information about pumping:

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/maintainsupply-pump.html

The http://www.kellymom.com website in general is great for breastfeeding questions.

bamzilla
Jan 13, 2005

All butt since 2012.


Dogfish posted:

Formula-fed babies are at higher risk for ear infections

I think this is more to do with the fact that people prop bottles while their baby is laying down flat and let their babies go to sleep laying down with a bottle, than the fact that it's formula.

Anyway, to chime in, definitely breastfeed on demand while you can to establish a decent supply. If your baby is like a lot of babies I know of (including mine!) this can also mean every hour/half hour through the night.

bamzilla fucked around with this message at 04:37 on Mar 27, 2011

peanut
Sep 9, 2007


Maybe what I wrote sounded like that because I didn't use the word "supplement." I didn't say "don't bother pumping."
I encourage breastfeeding and pumping. But I don't want anyone to think that supplementing with powdered milk is bad. Especially if the mom is expected back at work one week later. Pumping is time consuming and a lot of stress.

"Breast is best" and all that but a lot of people need to supplement too. I don't think it's something to be stubborn about if the family is going crazy because no one gets to sleep.

My hospital used powdered milk for all the NICU babies. Breastfeeding isn't sterile either.

EDIT: If she can pull it off, then she's amazing and I'm totally jealous of her boob power. But I want to be realistic. And no one should feel guilty about supplementing with powdered milk.

peanut fucked around with this message at 07:50 on Mar 27, 2011

Crabsurd
Dec 19, 2006
Yeah, liquid formula has only really been a thing here (in NZ) for the last two or three years I think. Powdered formula is BY FAR the most widely-used here, so I wouldn't worry too much about it being unsafe.

bamzilla
Jan 13, 2005

All butt since 2012.


peanut posted:

My hospital used powdered milk for all the NICU babies. Breastfeeding isn't sterile either.

I slathered hand sanitizer all over my hands and chest when I was breastfeeding. :colbert:

(not really, but imagine how loving cold that'd be)

Dogfish
Nov 4, 2009

bamzilla posted:

I think this is more to do with the fact that people prop bottles while their baby is laying down flat and let their babies go to sleep laying down with a bottle, than the fact that it's formula.

Well, that and breastfed babies may have higher serum concentrations of IgG antibodies that are specific to a bacterium that often causes ear infections...

[edit] Nevermind, yes, the powdered formula obviously will probably not do any damage; it's often recommended to parents here to avoid it and so I thought I'd mention it.

I agree that every family needs to choose the option that works for them, but maybe not second-guessing people's parenting choices is a good policy too?

Dogfish fucked around with this message at 04:50 on Mar 27, 2011

Eia
Nov 5, 2003
For Americans reading this: the foreigners here talking about using powdered milk are talking about using what we call formula here. They aren't actually talking about feeding newborn babies powdered milk. Don't feed your baby powdered milk, kkthx.

Exelsior
Aug 4, 2007
I pump exclusively (four months now) and it is an enormous, time consuming bitch. The midwives at the hospital hardly ever saw EPers, so they weren't any help. The internet was my only resource.

If you can afford it, get a double pump and a pumping bra so she can have her hands free. It cuts pumping time in half. If you don't have a dedicated breastmilk freezer, buy/borrow one. It is easier to establish a huge oversupply, stash heaps of breastmilk in the freezer then stop pumping at a few months (if she wants) than it is to try and match supply with the baby and continue pumping for six months or so. You can buy breastmilk bags to go in the freezer that are supposed to attach to the pump, don't do this. I lost who knows how many mils when the bags fell off the pump, just pump into a bottle then pour the milk into the bag and freeze it.

Your wife will have to pump every three hours for the first six weeks in order to establish supply. That includes during the night. That means she will not get more than 2.5 hours sleep at a time for six weeks at least. This means that you, dad, will have to do more work than most dads in order for your wife not to go crazy. You will probably have to do most/all of the feeds during the night.

Frequency is more important than length of time pumping. Also have her 'cluster feed' every once in a while, that is pumping every hour or hour and a half for a few hours, a few days in a row to imitate a growth spurt. It will increase her supply. A lot of the websites say to pump for 40 mintues a breast, that is stupid long. I pumped 15 minutes a side, but I only had a single pump. If I had a double I would have done 30 a side.

Pumping is pretty hard emotionally, not going to lie. It ties you to the house, you end up living in 3 hour blocks. I felt like I spent more time pumping than actually caring for my child and I got all sorts of butthurt if I had to pump and she needed to be fed. Be nice to her and constantly tell her how proud you are of her to still give your child breastmilk. Walk the fine line between encouraging her to keep pumping and not making her feel like a failure if you have to end up supplementing/ she stops at n months.

Be on the lookout for plugged ducts and mastisis, they seem to be more prevalent in pumpers.

Otherwise, good luck!

Ariza
Feb 8, 2006
Thanks everyone for the good advice. Pumping from birth has been the plan the whole time, we figured it would just work. We bought a Medela in Style because it had the best ratings across the board for a non-hospital grade double pump. She doesn't seem to be too bothered in using it, I'm just getting worried she won't be able to make enough before she has to go back. I don't really voice those concerns to her, though I am now gently broaching the idea of maybe using formula as supplement as need be. To be honest, that idea had never really crossed either of our minds. It was either all breast milk or all formula. She has been waking up every two hours or whenever the baby is crying and breastfeeding. I change diapers and burp and try to rock her to sleep if she's not wanting it. I'm thinking the pumping with her 50 hour weeks is going to catch up with her and I really really don't want her to feel bad about having to use formula.

She's a third year medical student finishing up her last two rotations of the year. If she were to miss more than five days of her rotation, she would end up having to repeat the year and taking out private loans to do so. Taking the extra year would have repercussions for her down the road looking into the residencies she would like to do. This may all be bullshit, but she was dealing directly with the Dean at her school and that's how he laid it out for her. She's doing Peds now and her preceptor has been pretty understanding of the whole situation. It's all very annoying but I have to stick by her decisions. I quit working and am only attending school part time for now so we can avoid a daycare as long as possible.

AlistairCookie
Apr 1, 2010

I am a Dinosaur
Excelsior hit the nail on the head--I agree whole-heartedly with every single thing. I exclusively pumped for Midget as well. It is a huge, ALL consuming pain. I double pumped with my Medela for 15-20 minutes, every three hours, around the clock, and STILL didn't make enough milk not to also use formula. I was able to keep up until he was about 2-3 months, and then he was more hungry and my boobs remained the same, despite the cluster pumping she referred to. I grew to hate the pump. It ties you to the house big time. I felt like all I did was pump, and work around my need to pump. Pressure, feelings of failure, burdensome...bah!

Ariza, one week off is a huge burden; I feel sorry for your wife (and you). She will be going back to a demanding schedule right about the time her hormones crash. :( Be on the lookout for heavy duty weepies--the hormones will only amplify her feelings about leaving her newborn so soon. I offer all the encouragement in the world for your wife to pump as much as possible, but as a third year, I seriously doubt she will have the time to do it as much as necessary to build up and maintain a supply. I don't mean to be a downer, but it is my realistic opinion. This doesn't mean she has to stop nursing all together or anything! Plenty of working parents, and non working ones as well, nurse AND bottle feed formula or EBM and their babies do just fine. I'm doing this right now and am very satisfied. Liam has no nipple confusion and it's awesome to be able to have my husband feed him sometimes as well.

Formula isn't poison. It isn't failure. It doesn't mean you are a bad parent who doesn't love your baby. Sure, breastmilk is awesome and any milk at all she can give your baby is a benefit. But even though "breast is best", what is really best is a sane Mommy who isn't beating herself up over not living up to unrealistic expectations. Soon enough, you both will figure out by necessity whatever it is you have to do.

Good luck to you all and keep us posted. I am much more concerned about her emotional and physical health going back to such demanding work after only a week post-partum than your baby-feeding options. :(

Fire In The Disco
Oct 4, 2007
I cannot change the gender of my unborn child and shouldn't waste my time or energy pretending he won't exist

AlistairCookie posted:

Good luck to you all and keep us posted. I am much more concerned about her emotional and physical health going back to such demanding work after only a week post-partum than your baby-feeding options. :(

Fully agreeing here. It saddens me to hear that there is no alternative to an exceedingly unreasonable demand, for a woman to be back at work a week after giving birth.

McStabby
Jun 26, 2007

LANA!!! CRUUUUUSH!
Is she even going to have time to pump at work? If the dean is demanding she be back that quickly, I'm wondering how much they'll accommodate her pumping needs. The issue is more than the time she'd need to pump, but where she could pump and how she could store the breastmilk. It's something she seriously needs to look into if she wants to keep her supply up.

bilabial trill
Dec 25, 2008

not just a B

Ariza posted:


She's a third year medical student finishing up her last two rotations of the year. If she were to miss more than five days of her rotation, she would end up having to repeat the year and taking out private loans to do so. Taking the extra year would have repercussions for her down the road looking into the residencies she would like to do. This may all be bullshit, but she was dealing directly with the Dean at her school and that's how he laid it out for her. She's doing Peds now and her preceptor has been pretty understanding of the whole situation. It's all very annoying but I have to stick by her decisions. I quit working and am only attending school part time for now so we can avoid a daycare as long as possible.

This is so sad. Why isn't there maternity leave for school? Not to be a downer, but she might not be able to go through with this, if not physically then mentally. Good luck!

Kubricize
Apr 29, 2010

Panne posted:

This is so sad. Why isn't there maternity leave for school? Not to be a downer, but she might not be able to go through with this, if not physically then mentally. Good luck!

There should be. I had to take a year off and postpone my masters, though I dunno how Ariza's wife will manage a residency one week post-partum. Your wife has balls of steel to even try that. You two should set up a system to watch for PPD though, if she can't miss more than five days, you'll really want to stay on it. Whatever ends up happening, just support her no matter what. I've run into a bog of trouble breast feeding the last month, and I would be a psychotic, weeping bundle 24/7 without my partner's support and love. Good luck, and congrats on the baby as well.

peanut
Sep 9, 2007


This is more extreme than I thought. My mom went to med school after I started kindergarten. She would go straight to bed as soon as she got home. If she had 24 hours between shifts she would cook dinner, but everything else my dad had to do. He was pretty much a Single Dad.

It sounds dangerous for your wife and the patients. Loans suck and you said she has residency goals but your wife is underestimating how intense it will be. Taking care of a baby between rotations... :psyduck:

Low Percent Lunge
Jan 29, 2007



Wife's at 6 weeks and her doctor has told her to avoid intercourse until she's at 12 weeks. This is odd advice right?

Fire In The Disco
Oct 4, 2007
I cannot change the gender of my unborn child and shouldn't waste my time or energy pretending he won't exist
It depends-- did they give a reason? While it's true that most women are ready at 6 weeks postpartum (and some before that), there are reasons why it should be avoided, which could be as simple as pain and discomfort for her.

Fionnoula
May 27, 2010

Ow, quit.
I'm reading that as she's 6 weeks pregnant, not 6 weeks postpartum. In that case, it still depends. Has she had any spotting? A history of pregnancy loss? A sort of funky-ish test result? There's all sorts of reasons for being told to not have sex. 12 weeks is a sort of magic number for miscarriage, your odds of spontaneous miscarriage just drop through the floor if you make it to 12. I got an order of "nothing enters your vagina." at about 14 weeks, which lasted until birth due to having lots of complications and a poo poo history with pregnancy. Fun, huh?

dreamcatcherkwe
Apr 14, 2005
Dreamcatcher

Fire In The Disco posted:

It depends-- did they give a reason? While it's true that most women are ready at 6 weeks postpartum (and some before that), there are reasons why it should be avoided, which could be as simple as pain and discomfort for her.

She's not postpartum. She's pregnant.

Yes, that is odd advice, Whitey, for a typical pregnancy. Was she bleeding or having some sort of issue? If she's not at risk for miscarriage, I don't see why you'd have to wait to have sex.

Papaya
Apr 4, 2005

I'm a creepy furry who feels entitled to other people's babies, but only if they are white. Yiff!
She's 6 weeks pregnant, not post-partum. (iirc)

My RE told us to increase the odds of a pregnancy with all this IUI garbage, to avoid high impact activities, things that would cause extra muscle work (doing a lot of situps, vomiting, etc) and sort of inferred that orgasm would be preferably not done until we get a good established pregnancy. Because apparently you can shake the egg off if you're convulsin' the uterus, or something. Some people might be at higher risk of miscarriage, I guess?

edit: I see what you did there, Fionnoula! Too fast for me. gosh even dreamcatcherkwe!

Low Percent Lunge
Jan 29, 2007



Sorry, 6 weeks pregnant

dreamcatcherkwe posted:

Yes, that is odd advice, Whitey, for a typical pregnancy. Was she bleeding or having some sort of issue? If she's not at risk for miscarriage, I don't see why you'd have to wait to have sex.
She has a family history of blighted ovum so she had an intervaginal ultrasound last Friday (5.5 weeks) that confirmed the egg sac is embedded in her uterus.

No history of miscarriage or bleeding.

Edit: Her sister obviously has the same family history and was not told the same thing through either of her pregnancies.

dreamcatcherkwe
Apr 14, 2005
Dreamcatcher

Whitey Ford posted:

Sorry, 6 weeks pregnant
She has a family history of blighted ovum so she had an intervaginal ultrasound last Friday (5.5 weeks) that confirmed the egg sac is embedded in her uterus.

No history of miscarriage or bleeding.

Edit: Her sister obviously has the same family history and was not told the same thing through either of her pregnancies.

Did she ask the doctor why?

chknflvrdramen
Sep 11, 2007
Making the world a better place... with cookies!
It might be because she and her sister have different care providers and hers is more cautious. It could be a combo of the family history and advanced maternal age if she's older. Could be due to a health condition she has. But if you really want to know, yeah, ask the doc.

Longpig
Nov 23, 2004

Hey guys I had a baby! Howell Davis H---- was born March 24 at 3:17 am. I was in labour for 25 hours including 1.5 hours of pushing before the doctor concluded that he was stuck and would have to be sectioned. So I got to have the joys of labour plus major surgery, hurray! In fact they only part of my birth plan that went right in the end was that I didn't get an episiotomy. After all that I didn't care though, because I still got my prize ham.



Brennanite
Feb 14, 2009
First, my Target totally sucks. They only had the Gilligan and O'Malley nursing bras, which all had underwire. I wound up ordering a bra similar to the Bravado one for $10 less online. I hope it gets here soon.

Second, since last night, I've been having pain in the cervical region (internal side). It's not constant, just like getting a sharp poke from time to time. There's no blood or discharge so I'm not particularly worried, just curious. Does this sound like standard expansion pains or has my kid found a terrible way to say hello?

A Serious Woman
Sep 9, 2010
Congratulations, Longpig! That's one fine looking baby you have there!!

Ok, Zoey is just over 5 weeks old and breastfeeding is still posing to be a huge challenge. She still wants to eat every 1 1/2 to 2 hours except during the night where I'm lucky enough to get 3-4 hour stretches. That being said, I feel like I'm tethered to both her and the house. I'd love to go out to see people or even just get a coffee and in theory, I have no qualms about breastfeeding in public. However, we're still on a nipple sheild (despite my daily efforts to get her off), I leak out the other boob that I'm not feeding her with, she eats for up to an hour at a time and I have such a forceful letdown about 5-10 minutes in that she chokes on my milk and coughs in routinely in my face. It's not a pretty picture. This just seems to make breastfeeding in public impossible. Everyone keeps saying that it gets easier after 6 weeks but they never say how it gets easier. Like, will my supply regulate and stop choking her? Will she not eat for an hour at a time? Because right now, I feel like I'm at the end of my rope and I really, really want to give up breastfeeding, switch to formula and have my husband help out with the feedings.

VorpalBunny
May 1, 2009

Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog
Congratulations, Longpig! I, too, went through the joys of both a labor and a C-section. Good times.

A Serious Woman posted:

Ok, Zoey is just over 5 weeks old and breastfeeding is still posing to be a huge challenge.

I joined a local private garden as well as the county arboretum, so I could have the ability to get out of the house and out in the world, while still having somewhere to sit on a bench and breastfeed if I had to. These places are usually pretty empty during the week, except for the random gaggles of older folks, so you'd probably be able to find some private places if you're worried about making a mess or anything. I have no idea if that is appealing to you, but it worked for me. I never breastfed with a nipple shield, though, so I don't know how it works logistically. I use an udder cover to cover up. And I leak as well, so I just make sure I have at least one nipple pad on when we go out.

We also got a backyard swing, so I could spend time outside and breastfeed. I also just walk him around the neighborhood, at least once a day. And if he gets fussy, we're only a block or so from home.

I'd say aim for the 6 week mark, and reevaluate how breastfeeding is working out for you. It seems breastfeeding is worth it to your kid in the long run, even if it's a pain in the rear end for you, so I'd say hang in as long as you can.

Have you considered pumping? Or supplementing?

Fire In The Disco
Oct 4, 2007
I cannot change the gender of my unborn child and shouldn't waste my time or energy pretending he won't exist

A Serious Woman posted:

Congratulations, Longpig! That's one fine looking baby you have there!!

Ok, Zoey is just over 5 weeks old and breastfeeding is still posing to be a huge challenge. She still wants to eat every 1 1/2 to 2 hours except during the night where I'm lucky enough to get 3-4 hour stretches. That being said, I feel like I'm tethered to both her and the house. I'd love to go out to see people or even just get a coffee and in theory, I have no qualms about breastfeeding in public. However, we're still on a nipple sheild (despite my daily efforts to get her off), I leak out the other boob that I'm not feeding her with, she eats for up to an hour at a time and I have such a forceful letdown about 5-10 minutes in that she chokes on my milk and coughs in routinely in my face. It's not a pretty picture. This just seems to make breastfeeding in public impossible. Everyone keeps saying that it gets easier after 6 weeks but they never say how it gets easier. Like, will my supply regulate and stop choking her? Will she not eat for an hour at a time? Because right now, I feel like I'm at the end of my rope and I really, really want to give up breastfeeding, switch to formula and have my husband help out with the feedings.

First of all, you are doing awesomely. You really, really are.

Around 6 weeks, I remember nursing being easier because she had gotten the hang of it, and we got the hang of side-lying nursing since she grew a little bigger and stronger. That meant I could sleep and she could sleep and dream-nurse and we were both happy! I didn't have an oversupply issue (quite the opposite, sadly), but I do remember hearing that supplies start to normalize after 6 weeks or so.

Have you worn her at all? Do you have a comfortable way of wearing her that she could nurse in as well? I remember my sister doing that-- she'd wear her son in a sling and walk around Target or whatever nursing him the entire time. I never got to do that because of trying to juggle the SNS while having Cecilia in the wrap, but it should be possible for you. There are lots of videos on YouTube on nursing in various carriers and wraps, so maybe you can find one that will work well for you?

If you can stick with it, do it. Remember, it gets easier. As they grow larger, they generally either get more efficient with nursing, so it doesn't take a long time, or they go longer between sessions (or both). Cecilia was also a marathon nurser, but by 6 or so months she was still nursing every couple of hours but was down to 15 minutes tops per session.

Chickalicious
Apr 13, 2005

We are the ones we've been waiting for.

A Serious Woman posted:

Like, will my supply regulate and stop choking her? Will she not eat for an hour at a time?

Yes and yes. Both of these things happened for me at around 6 weeks. Nate choked on the letdown from my right boob a lot and it just stopped happening one day. And like FITD said, once we got side-lying nursing figured out, it became so much easier because I could nap while he ate. We still do that most afternoons. I don't blame you for wanting some help with feedings. I still wish I could do that some days even now, but my little dude refuses all bottles and I think pumping sucks balls. I told myself I'd get to 6 weeks and I did, and now I am trying to get to 6 months (only 3 more weeks!).

You are doing great! Hang in there!

chknflvrdramen
Sep 11, 2007
Making the world a better place... with cookies!

Chickalicious posted:

I told myself I'd get to 6 weeks and I did, and now I am trying to get to 6 months (only 3 more weeks!).

You are doing great! Hang in there!

Setting goals like this is something that really helped me stick with nursing through those tough early weeks and months. My ultimate goal at first was to make it to a year, but when things were really going rough like during a growth spurt and his birthday seemed impossibly far away I'd ask myself how far I thought I could make it. Can I make it another month? Another week? Til the weekend? And if even making it through the day seemed daunting, I'd make my goal to just get through one more feeding and then re-evaluate. I'm still nursing at almost 21 months and it's just routine for us now.

Fire In The Disco
Oct 4, 2007
I cannot change the gender of my unborn child and shouldn't waste my time or energy pretending he won't exist
Yeah, setting goals is an awesome thing. Cecilia turns one in a couple of weeks, and I am really amazed that we've made it to one and are still nursing what with all the difficulties of low supply.

CrispyMini
May 31, 2005
I wonder what the space baby thinks about all this.....?

If you can find mom & baby groups to get out to, that will help a lot. Bitching about your kid nursing every hour becomes a lot more tolerable and even funny, once you're surrounded with other moms with the same problem. A good nursing cover with a stiff top (so you can easily see down it) will help to make you feel a lot more comfortable nursing in public, even with all the shenanigans.

My second baby is a frequent nurser too, and I have to say, getting out of the house actually gets him to go longer between feeds. He's got other stuff to look at, so I think it distracts him a bit longer.

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AlistairCookie
Apr 1, 2010

I am a Dinosaur

Brennanite posted:

Second, since last night, I've been having pain in the cervical region (internal side). It's not constant, just like getting a sharp poke from time to time. There's no blood or discharge so I'm not particularly worried, just curious. Does this sound like standard expansion pains or has my kid found a terrible way to say hello?

How far are you? Yeah, it could be the baby has found a way to tell you hi. Liam was particularly fond of settling in down low and stomping the ever living Hell out me for a several week stretch. Then he got bigger (I think) and it stopped. He moved on to stomping on me in other places. :D

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