Breastfeeding Problems

**Biciclista** · 06-01-2009, 09:08 AM

Apparently babies need to suck MORE than they need to eat.
That became apparent to me when my sons thrived while seemingly spitting up half of what they consumed.

Congrats on having a good night. I remember how frantic I was back then
and now when I look back the nursing days seem rather idyllic clouded by the mists of time.

**BleeckerSt_Girl** · 06-01-2009, 09:42 AM

Originally Posted by Biciclista

Apparently babies need to suck MORE than they need to eat.
That became apparent to me when my sons thrived while seemingly spitting up half of what they consumed.
Congrats on having a good night. I remember how frantic I was back then
and now when I look back the nursing days seem rather idyllic clouded by the mists of time.

+1! Totally agree.

Limewave, sounds like yesterday was actually a victory day for you- if you can do a couple more days of that, your milk production will be way more within the next 48 hours- sounds like you are now tipping the scales more towards breast milk at this critical point. Keep it up, you are getting it down now!

All it takes is 2 or 3 successful days to get it well established.

Breast milk is SO good for your little boy- good for you for sticking with it!

**nolemom** · 06-01-2009, 10:23 AM

That is wonderful news - sending positive thoughts your way that today goes even more smoothly.

**BikeDutchess** · 06-01-2009, 10:32 AM

Originally Posted by limewave

Thanks for the advice and support, everyone! It seems like everyone I know had an easy time breastfeeding. They can't relate to any of the problems I've been having.

...

I really needed the encouragement here. DH was trying to be supportive but in all the wrong ways. I think it upset him to see me upset and so he kept telling me it was fine to quit and to just use formula . . . which, I know it would be fine. DD was formula fed and she's a beautiful, healthy little girl. But I really wanted to make breastfeeding work this time.

I can totally relate to this! You can feel so alone & overwhelmed, despite well-meant advice from those close to you. With my son we only lasted 2 weeks before we switched completely to formula. During that time, my mom, seeing how much I was hurting, kept telling me formula was just fine. With my daughter, I was able to make it work (although I do not remember what, if anything, I did differently) and I nursed her for a year. Both my kids grew up very healthy, but I was so happy to be able to nurse my daughter.

Hats off to you for persisting, it sounds like you're turning a corner!

**Tuckervill** · 06-01-2009, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by nolemom

That is wonderful news - sending positive thoughts your way that today goes even more smoothly.

+1!

Karen

**northstar** · 06-04-2009, 11:09 AM

Hang in there Limewave - I'm nursing my 10 m.o. daughter exclusively - it is so overwhelming in those early months!

Kellymom pretty much saved my sanity. DD nursed pretty much around the clock. No 2 hours or 3 hours between feedings for her - it was more like 45 minutes, tops. And when we let them nurse, it's so cool how our bodies respond by kicking up production.

Keep it up - you're doing the right thing. It's so much more work on the front end - sooner or later it becomes so easy. (At least that's our story here!)

And mallotpois, I'm relieved to hear your child could take or leave solids until into her second year - DD just isn't really interested and we've tried spoon feeding and finger foods. She's a nice 21 lbs right now, so she's definitely thriving though.

**malkin** · 06-05-2009, 06:41 PM

Hang in there limewave!

Let'im suck all he wants,needs, (or all you can stand).

I nursed my baby on demand, and for a while I used to tell nosy disapproving people that she was feeding on a schedule...of course it was an hourly schedule, where every feeding lasted an hour, but that's a schedule, isn't it?

She grew up fine, by the way.

Baby your baby.
My great gramma was fond of saying, "Children are the guests of the human race and should be treated as such."

**malkin** · 06-05-2009, 06:42 PM

You too, northstar!

Nurse on!

**Irulan** · 06-07-2009, 06:31 PM

I'll ditto the la leche league. Breastfeeding help is what they do. It's all they do.

http://www.llli.org/

Wow, great site. I haven't nursed a kid in 18 years, but the site looks like a wealth of information.

**Tuckervill** · 06-08-2009, 03:57 PM

My great gramma was fond of saying, "Children are the guests of the human race and should be treated as such."

Awww, that's so lovely!!!

Karen

**ilima** · 06-08-2009, 04:26 PM

First thing: stop feeling guilty. Then throw away the Dr. Sears book. STAT.

The scientific evidence for the benefits of breastfeeding is tenuous, at best. The garbage just gets repeated over and over and over again.

Decide what you're willing to do breastfeeding wise, then move on. No apologies. You've got plenty of other stuff to worry about that really will have an affect on your kid(s).

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/20090...-breastfeeding

http://warner.blogs.nytimes.com/2009...mped-the-pump/

**ilima** · 06-08-2009, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by northstar

Keep it up - you're doing the right thing.

Please stop perpetuating this garbage. There is nothing right or wrong about breast vs. bottle. There is only what works.

**Irulan** · 06-08-2009, 04:48 PM

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/20090...-breastfeeding

http://warner.blogs.nytimes.com/2009...mped-the-pump/

Good lord, what horrible whiny rants! It takes fifty paragraphs to get to the science? (which still says there are substances in breast mile that you can't get from formula) There are lots of different ways to breast feed that don't all involve mommies' clubs and ladies who may judge you based on whether you do attachment parenting or not.

**Crankin** · 06-08-2009, 04:55 PM

I haven't wanted to chime in, but ilima said what I feel.
Do what is best for you. I didn't want to breast feed and the thought of nursing 24 hours a day would not have been even been in my thoughts. My kids both had solid food at 3 months and guess what? They are healthy, normal adults.
No flames, please. I knew myself and I was not willing to give up everything to nurse, most especially sleep. My DH did the middle of the night feedings, so i could get up at 5.
I know I am in the minority, but it worked for all of us, especially since my husband was a stay at home dad for the oldest one.

**tulip** · 06-08-2009, 04:58 PM

Originally Posted by ilima

Please stop perpetuating this garbage. There is nothing right or wrong about breast vs. bottle. There is only what works.

+100!! My former SIL insisted on breast feeding, even though it wasn't working--for months. It wasn't until the baby was rushed to the emergency room with liver failure that she understood that getting nourishment was the most important thing, and that baby was starving. Once on formula, the baby thrived.

Breast feeding is great if it works, and I agree that it should be the first choice, but formula shouldn't be knocked. Sometimes it's the only thing that works, and there is no shame in that. And sometimes there is no choice. My brother was adopted, and so formula was the only way to go.

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