Feeding frustrations - help! suggestions anyone?!
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Feeding frustrations - help! suggestions anyone?!
| Fri, 07-15-2011 - 6:49pm |
The AFM Update on the feeding situation... if anyone has any thoughts, suggestions, encouragement etc. I'd love to hear!
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Thank you all for your encouragement and suggestions! You all are a wealthy of experience and information, it's been so helpful!!
We're still muddling through with a weird mix of BF'ing, pumping and supplementing with formula, but I did buy a baby scale and some supplements, am pumping more frequently and doing little pumping tricks (power pumping, compressions, etc), and trying to nurse them more. I am going to continue to try, but am working on accepting whatever the outcome may be.
It sounds like you've gotten great advice and are doing a great job, so I won't give you any more except to say trust your milk supply (easier said than done, I know) and IGNORE whoever talked about your boob shape. I hate when people say things like that--it's only discouraging to new moms. I had a NICU nurse tell me that it was okay if I couldn't breastfeed, she couldn't either, and I could always try with my next child. This was after one of the less-than-successful "nursing a preemie" feeds of the beginning and I wanted to punch her. It only made me more determined, and here I am 11 months later. You can do it! :)
Oh my gosh, I just remember the marathons...40 minutes to 3 or 4 hours.
I second what Andrea said; you have to forget what the LC told you. I had one tell me right after Peter was born that I would always have to pump one side because the nipple was too big. I wound up exclusively pumping for a month because it freaked me out. I found another LC to help me get him back on the breast, and that worked.
So, to build supply...this is what helped me when we had the two month period when Peter quit gaining:
1. Nurse as much as he wanted when we were together (I hang out topless as long as we don't have/aren't expecting company). If he wants even just a quick drink, he has easy access this way. I've continued this for the last six months.
2. Pump more often. It's different since I'm at work, but I was pumping every two hours. This is more realistic to how a breastfed baby eats. Going four hours will hurt your supply. I know it's tough to pump this much with two babies, so even changing up the schedule and nursing every two hours would help.
3. Offer bottles one oz at a time, and pace the bottles. This means holding them more upright and letting them suckle a few moments, then removing the nipple for a few seconds. And since bottles flow so fast, offering small amounts at a time makes it easier to see when they are full.
4. I take domperidone, 90mg a day. Many OBs won't give an RX for this (mine won't), but I order it from New Zealand. PM me if you want information. It's bought me several oz of pumping output a day, and we went from supplementing with 8-10oz of formula every day to only needing 2oz on daycare days.
I know how hard it is, and how hard it is to reach out. Please PM me if you need to talk/vent. I don't know preemies, and I don't know girls, but I know how hard feeding can be. I spent a lot of time in tears that I was failing my baby, and it's only been recently that I've calmed down and come to terms with doing the best I can do.
:)
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The Breastfeeding/Lactation consultant board here on IV Is fantastic and I would suggest posting over there for more ideas. They have a IBCLC that posts on a regular basis as well as other LLL moms and nursing moms. Good luck!!
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