Harvest Babies Weekly Chat 12/5-12/11

[naura]

toddler issues - get pretty bad around bed time especially if i've not napped with him. i just yell but ds doesn't know how to fall asleep... he can't sleep with the lights on but he can't sleep without nursing, but I want a small light source on for when I have to change and feed myka in the middle of the night so I don't have to get out of bed... drives me crazy. I just wish he could fall asleep whenever, wherever!! (he was never able to since birth. its short of a miracle that he can nap.

he has tantrums too, more than before. he hates to walk when he used to have no problems because he wants me to hold him. I need to get a stroller but we have one in storage so I'm holding off and I hope I can for 3 more months.

[Duckduckfish]

Nichole- I didn't nurse my first ds much (like 5 weeks max with like 1-2 feedings a day) and the other day I had a bottle of leftover breastmilk sitting on the coffee table. When he went over and picked it up, I thought it would be funny to let him taste it to see his "yuck" expression. Nope. He liked it and drank the rest of it and asked for more. I feel bad bc I didn't nurse him and now am nursing this one so if he does ask for some of the baby's "Juice" if I have any available I will put it in a cup for him. He's not getting the boob or a bottle. I thought maybe it was just bc it was for baby, but I let him have some formula and he did not like it at all.

Isn't freezer stored breastmilk only good for 6 months?

Bottles- My ds2 is only 9 days old and we have been using a bottle since about day 3. He doesn't seem to mind the change up.

Pumping- I get no pleasure at all from breastfeeding. It hurts, it's uncomfortable, and I just don't enjoy it. I have talked with LC and his latch is good, but my nips just aren't tough enough. The ped. told me that the first month is the hardest so I'm trying. I have the Milkies Milksaver and a manual pump. I can catch about 1-2 oz in the milksaver on one breast while pumping the other breast and then switch sides. I like that I can see how much he is eating as well. If I do let him drink straight from the tap, I can at least pump the other side and kind of see how much he is getting.
I've got a double electric pump outside in storage. When dh is home this weekend, I want him to get it out for me. I would go out there myself, but I am SO afraid of the black widows we saw out there last weekend!!

Toddlers- Oh my. My 2 yr old used to be so sweet, what the heck happened? He does NOT listen at all. He refuses to use the potty with me (but will when DH is here!). He does everything he knows he isn't suppose to do. I've tried cuddling more with him and asking him to help me out with things, but I find myself yelling at him a lot.
Last night I was loading the dishwasher, and he asked for a fruit cup. He's normally very good about not spilling any of it. I turn around and he has spilled the juice all over the floor and is skating around in it!
Then later on, he is in the refrigerator and taking handfuls of flour out of the bag he has ripped and throwing it on the floor. He realizes I've seen him and goes and wipes his hands on the basket of clean laundry sitting there. I lose it and burst into tears which freaks him out completely so he starts crying. oh, hormones, please go away.

My aunt is coming over today to spend the day with us so maybe I won't go completely postal. And the speech therapist is coming today so we get to meet her. And tomorrow is Friday so DH should be coming home. So I've almost survived my first week!

[shortdrawbryant]

rachel - from what i read regular freezer stored is good for 6-8 months nd deep freezer stored is good for up to a year - i store mine in my deep freeze

[ChelseaGirl7]

Rachel- if you are in pain there is a reason, not just that you aren't tough enough. If you are still in pain I would find help elsewhere, LLL or another bfing support group. Hang in there, my first I had pain for over a month until I got the help I needed (but I should have called LLL earlier).

[Azrael]

So how long do you guys think is too long for nipple pain? I still have pain on latch at 2 weeks. They look fine, and *usually* I don't feel pain the rest of the feeding, though I do normally have to support my breast. I keep hoping they'll toughen up/heal soon, but should I also be calling a LC or LLL leader?

[ChelseaGirl7]

Originally Posted by Azrael So how long do you guys think is too long for nipple pain? I still have pain on latch at 2 weeks. They look fine, and *usually* I don't feel pain the rest of the feeding, though I do normally have to support my breast. I keep hoping they'll toughen up/heal soon, but should I also be calling a LC or LLL leader?

Are they blistered? If you think they are feeling better/improving I wouldn't worry about it. Usually if the pain is only right when baby latches it means your latch is ok but there is damage or something. However if it is not clearing up in the next few days you may want to seek help.

[Sally's Red Meadow]

Originally Posted by ChelseaGirl7 Are they blistered? If you think they are feeling better/improving I wouldn't worry about it. Usually if the pain is only right when baby latches it means your latch is ok but there is damage or something. However if it is not clearing up in the next few days you may want to seek help.

This is exactly what I was thinking.

[Azrael]

No, the right one was blistered in the beginning, but it healed. They still hurt, so I had a friend come look. She says latch looks great. bah. I contacted another friend who is a LC, she'll be coming to look early next week. In the mean time she gave me the recipe for a nipple cream to help them feel better. I'm worried he has reflux too, but he's been gaining weight really well, so of course it isn't an issue the Dr cares about.

[rainydaysunshine]

Hey, ladies. Just catching up. FB is so much easier for me. Quicker, I guess.

[ChelseaGirl7]

Originally Posted by Azrael No, the right one was blistered in the beginning, but it healed. They still hurt, so I had a friend come look. She says latch looks great. bah. I contacted another friend who is a LC, she'll be coming to look early next week. In the mean time she gave me the recipe for a nipple cream to help them feel better. I'm worried he has reflux too, but he's been gaining weight really well, so of course it isn't an issue the Dr cares about.

Does he spit up a lot? Does he "clamp down" or feel like he is biting your nipple while nursing? Do you feel like you have a lot of milk? Just asking, b/c this paragraph you wrote sounds a lot like me when I was nursing my first. I had oversupply and didn't know it for some time, but after we figured it out, things got much better. Basically he was trying to slow down the milk flow by clamping down on my nipple, which was causing me pain even though it looked like he was latching ok. That and sometimes he would slide back on the nipple to comfort suck. Also, you may want to look into what is called an "asymmetrical latch". Go to kellymom.com and look for it, I believe there is a video there, and it is much easier to learn from pics or a video than from a description. Hopefully you can get things figured out.