advice needed on breastfeeding

B

bellybutton

Member
hi I need some advice on breastfeeding.
My 12 week old baby is always fussing and tugging at my breast when I latch her off after 15 mins. Does this mean that my milk is not enough?? But when i tried to supplement with EBM right after that, she refused and just keeps on fussing until I latch her on again, even though my breasts are already dry. She will suckle and suckle for like 30 mins on each breast and nursing takes forever...

What does this mean, and what should I do? Has anyone encounter this before?
 


possibly comfort nursing...
bb still small.. just let her suckle a while then she will be comforted and can rest well thereafter..
 
She's definitely sucking for comfort...you can either let her suck for comfort so as to stimulate more breastmilk or give her the pacifier. I gave mine pacifier and she decided not to latch on my breast anymore.
 
Bellybutton: your breasts will never be 'dry' until you have actually stopped breastfeeding for a couple of months. As long as you are nursing, your body will continue to produce milk, be it for 5 or 50mins.
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It is very normal for a 12wk old to nurse for 30mins; sometimes it is for comfort, sometimes it's actually for nutrition as she will be getting lots of yummy hindmilk. Personally, I am fine with my bb latching on for longer periods (he can still occasionally latch on for 1 hour at 10 1/2m), but some people don't like it or don't have the time for it. Like angie has suggested, you can try introducing a pacifier to your bb.
 
thanks for all your advice. At least now i feel better and know that I'm not getting this totally wrong!
coz someone told me a 12 weeker should not take more than 20 mins to nurse and I was like.. hm.. perhaps i'm doing it all wrong coz mine takes forever! thanks again!
 
Hi bellybutton, whoever told you that is definately wrong. Every baby is unique in their own ways. The longest that my girl latch on was 40mins! And that is for one breast only.
 
hi bellybutton.. i agree with wendy and leng leng!!
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my bb can latch for an hr or longer so lying on ur side u can doze off.. and EBM has a smell and taste that is different from fresh BM.. my bb hates tat.. and worse she dun even wan pacifier... so i let her latch or suckle as long as she wants for the 1st few months.. and if u use silicon teats she wont even want and my girl cant suckle well from normal old type silicon teats.. latex teats offer almost the same as feel and touch of your breast.. and if u're working, really need to train her on bottle feeding of BM... of coz bb will cry or fuss when u start... but u really need to train her if not EBM not of much use and you'll be more frustrated to breastfeed successfully.. i breastfeed my gal untill she's 2yr plus till she almost turn 3 tis year and i've just recently introduced powdered milk for 3+.. she initially reject but i need her to move on to milk powder as it's better when she goes to school and she wont keep asking for BM..
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actually if u read up on breast feeding, our body supplies how much the bb wants to drink. doesn't matter if your baby doesn't have enough today, the body will adjust and produce more. overtime bb takes shorter feed n a full tummy
 
the more your bb suck he's actually helping your body to produce more. just be patient. i have a bigger problem. my in-laws always think i don't have enough milk n i don't know how to explain anymore. they are simply old fashioned n doesn't want to read n find out from correct people
 
If you manage to get some friend to tell them the fact of the body supply of BM, then they will accept. like my mum also doesn't like me to breastfeed my baby. Till my sister in law, told her is good for the baby & mummy. From there she stop saying anything. Just ask me to eat more & nutrition food.
 
I let 2mths+ bb latch on as long as she wants but my milk supply getting very low. Taking Fenugreek supplement. Maybe body dun have enoughh estrogens to meet demand.Feeling stressed as she refuse bottle and going bk to work. Tried NUK latex teat also no help. Using Dr brown's level 2 teat.
 
Supply = demand
Try pumping more.

eat well, rest well, sleep well too.
stress = no milk

Do latch on BB as often as possible.
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HTHs.
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yes correct.
Invest in some good pump so that you can pump more. eg. dual electric pump.
For myself, my baby refuse latch on. The way that I increase my milk supply is I pump more & slightly longer.
example:
normally pump about 10-15 minute will empty the breast. I will pump it from 20 to 30 minute.
You will see the difference of 15 minute & 30 minute output. Pump every 4 hourly , you will see the result.
If you looking at the budget cost of pump.
May purchase 1 electric & 1 manual.
I'm using 1 electric on the left breast & manual on the right (as I'm right handle)
Dual pump, the milk supply will be more & faster.
 
I did take More Milk Plus. It's work on me increase by 20 to 40ml last time.
Now I stop taking any. What I did is to pump 30 minute. As when you pump it just like the baby latching on. Also mid night express is the most important.
eg . last pump at night @ 11.00pm, the next express will be 3 or 4am. Keep on for 2 days, the milk supply will be increase. That's what I did when the milk supply start droping.
 
Currently still do not need,
still on maternity leave.
I'll have enough supply with enough sleep & good food.
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Have you tried eating more fish?
 
Hi Mummies,

need ur advice..

i hv a 7 wk old bb gal (1st child) and currently giving her EBM, followed by FM during bed time (so that she can sleep longer)..

i try to pump every 4 hrly and plus sometimes i latch her on (usually 20 mins per breast) once/twice a day.

not sure if i'm doing it wrongly cos i read somewhere that doing partial bottle feeding and partial direct BF has some negative effects. The source did not elaborate though.

i'm also getting a little tired from all the pumping/washing/sterilising + preparation/feeding.. wonder if it is possible to switch to TBF now n then train her bottle feeding one mth before going back to work?
 
Sandra (spritzer08),
I think it's "nipple confusion",
but not all BBs will have nipple confusion,
if you BB can accept TBF latch on, why not?

My son's on TBF (latch on) now, he's born on 19th June (around your gal's age?),
I'll switch him to bottle when I go to work too.
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I'm a lazy mummy,
don't like to wash bottles... hehe...
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Leng Leng,

My gal was born on 23 Jun..
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I heard of nipple confusion.. but do u know if it can happen now or only at later stage (like when baby reach 2 mths or more)?

It seems like she doesn't mind bottle feeding n latching on now.. just worried that she suddenly develop a preference..

Read in other threads about mummies training their little ones to accept bottle feeding.. sounds really tough..

I'm really keen to partial bottle feed and partial direct BF.. just worried that nipple confusion sets in later though she seems ok now..

When r u returning to work?
 
spritzer: nipple confusion starts from birth onwards, the normal advise is to intro the bottle only after the initial weeks of direct latch but if your girl doesn't have any issues then no worries. what you have to consider is your own supply dropping cos you are supplementing with FM, you have to ensure you keep up with pumping during those FM feeds to ensure your supply won't drop after it has stabilized in the 3rd or 4th month.

It is very possible to switch to direct latch on only for now but how long more is your maternity leave??
 
Sandra (spritzer08),
it can happen anytime.
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I switched my son to bottle at 16th month without problem.

Returning to work somewhere late September.
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sleek,
my maternity leave is 5.5 mths, so will return to work some time in mid dec..

i'm pumping 4 times a day (try to do every 4 hrly n each time last abt 0.5 hr). total no. of feeds a day is 7 (5 BM n 2 FM during bed time).

i mix the 5 times with direct latch on n ebm. after latch on, i try to pump out the excess also.. is this the correct way to keep my BM ss coming?

since my gal is ok with this combination, think i'll keep it this way then?

Leng Leng,
lucky you..
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Hi mummies,

I had just given birth on 10 Sep... My baby gal suckle between 45 mins to 1hr 30 mins during our stay in hospital.

However, ever since I moved to my mummy place for confinement (right after hospital), my bb doesnt suckle for long liaoz... like 10 to 15 mins on one breast only.. then doze off to sleep... I always have to pump out the rest of the milk.. if not engorgement... I am really worried that she is not getting enough.. any advice??
 
Hi Hazel, for me i feel tired latching my baby on too long, so initially i pump out and feed him BM using bottles, at the same time latch on at times. I hope you're not disposing the milk u pumped out! Its good in a way that you know the exact portion to feed her, rather than let her latch on for so long as its tiring for you and can become a habit for her.
 
Hazel, no need to worries. Bb knows when to stop. Does she latch often? my gal is a small eater even till now at 10mths. She will suckle for a while but needs to be fed every 3hrly. Even if i express out still the same. Bb of her age are drinking much more but longer interval. I guess diff bb behaves differently. but they are very smart, will sure be taking enough.

its a good idea to pump out if u hv excess, to keep as 'spare' or i call it emergency and also to build up ur supply.
 
Hi Tracy and S@L,

Thank you very much for your ensurance. I feel better after reading.. Ya.. she need to be fed pretty often.. if she suckle for too long at times, she will puke out the rest.. guess she has a small stomach.. I am keeping the excess.. should they be no use to me.. think i will donate out to mummies who need BM out there.. but have to wait and see first la.. haha..
 
A lady posted this on theAsianparent's forum..think she's from Breastfeeding Mothers' Support Group, and some other support helplines..prolly wanna take a look at it?

http://sg.******************/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=209
 
What is the best time to wean toddler off from breastmilk? I am working so diet wise may not be so healthy as compared to during confinement. I was sick one day and was advised by doc that I can actually wean kid off from breastfeeding cos breast milk after 1 year is not that nutritious as FM if you are not eating very nutritious food every meal and also, it is taking a toll on my health - dunno true or not when I heard this. My supply is dropping too. Is there anyway I can increase supply at toddler stage? Seems like very difficult right? Cos cannot pump frequently when back at work mah. HOW I wish I can feed till 3 yrs!
 
Hi,

I have a problem with my left breast in that the shape of the nipple is a bit off. It was inverted before and although that has been rectified, it can easily end up as a "V-shaped" at the end of latching on. So my 2 week old baby really dislike drinking from there, she latches on for like 5 - 10mins before protesting and crying. But when I try to pump out from there, I end up with very little milk! Like 20ml after 10mins of pumping.

My right side is OK, so have sort of been latching her on more there since she also comfort sucks!! Now I am worried about imbalanced breast sizes...

Not sure how long I can keep up with TBF at this rate...
 
Hi,
mY case is like Hazel's case. My baby is 2 weeks old now, and he always suckle for a while, like 10 mins, and then will doze off at my breasts. Dun think he is hungry when he suckles for such a short while. after which, he will want to latch on again every 1.5hrs or so. It's very tiring esp at nite, as my sleep is very interrupted.

Do you think he is suckling for comfort?
 
sunshinekid, actually there is nothing wrong with the way your baby is nursing, that is the normal way for newborn babies to drink. Yes there are those who nurse and are able to go longer hours between each feed, but we have to remember that babies tummys are very small thus they need to have small frequent feeds.

more breastfeeding info can be found here, http://www.kellymom.com/ and here, http://www.llli.org//
 
If one breast has better milk yield than the other side, how to increase the amount of milk produced for both breasts? Anyone can advise? Thanks.
 
Smurfygal, sometimes there is nothing you can do to correct it. I used to worry about this too, but it's okay and rather common, as long as you latch on baby to both sides, it will be more than enough for baby.
 
I usually express out my BM for my bb to take in a bottle. Worried about how to increase my supply as my bb's appetite increases....
 
essentially your BM will change composition to meet baby's needs, you dont necessarily have to feed baby more milk like with FM. There will be an increase in quantity baby drinks, just don't expect it to follow the same quantity increase as FM.

If you want to increase supply, you need to pump more frequently and constantly, cannot be lazy and skip pumping. Most common problem for milk decrease in mums who feed ebm is usually when they start to pump less. supply = demand, so as long as you are diligent, the supply will be there.

jia you
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I usually express out my BM for my bb to take in a bottle. Worried about how to increase my supply as my bb's appetite increases....
 
Ladies
Need your advise. My EDD is March and intends to breadfeed my baby for at least 6 months but have some questions:

1. If I do latch on my baby successfully from the start, does it mean that everytime he is hungry I will have to latch him on? If so, then when do I use the pump to express the milk?

2. And when using pump to express milk, do I do it during the intervals when I am not latching him on? Approximately how many times do I have to pump a day if I continue to latch.

3. I heard that the flow is better if I latch but I can't latch for long since I will be going back to work. I intend to use the pump to express my milk at work and bring the supply back to bottle feed him. And when I do that, will the supply be enough to last him for a day before i bring back my BM at the end of the day?

4. For those mummies who express their BM using pump, usually how much do you get (from both breasts)? Enough to fill a small bottle fully?

thanks in advance
 
hi mummies who intend to bf or need help bf-ing, u can PM me wif ur Q if u have nt got e ans..i wil try my best to ans them..=)
i have tbf my boy for 10 months..though it's nt very long..but i think i been through alot to get to tis stage..haha
 
Hi mummies,
Need your advise. Everytime after latching on my bb, my breast area feels very sore. Don't know if it is my bb suckle too hard or what but I always feel it after breastfeeding. Anybody encounter the same problem as me? Is it normal? How can i make it go away else every feeding can be very torturing.
 
Librian_01: are you new to brestfeeding? If so and your latch-on is correct, you may experience some slight pain on your nipples for the 1st 2 weeks as they get used to baby's suckling.
 
Hi Mummies,
Thanks for sharing. I have been breastfeeding for 2months. But not full breastfeeding cos initially, my son rejected my breast and I keep feeling the sore so I kind of gave it up. But lately, he seem more willing to latch on so I am back.. but have to build up my milk flow again.. already not much now it is lesser when I express out.

If correct latching means covering the whole areolas, then I think my latching is correct. But dunno why I keep feeling something that feel like very aching on my breast after every suck
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Eversince I started bf, my nipples have been very sensitive.. can feel pain even during shower when the water hose spray onto my nipple.. mummies, is it always like that?
 
Librian,
the "aching feeling" is it always on,
or only after baby such a while & milk is "gushing" out?
If it's when milk is gushing out,
it may be a "let-down".

Side track a bit,
will you be returning to work soon?
If soon, you may want to totally express out,
it'll be easier for caretaker to feed him with EBM after you go to work.
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Hi mummies,

Will the nutrients of breast milk drop ofter 6 mths? coz currently I have 3 kids but oni the 2nd and third ones are TBF. My third one is gg 8 mths now and my MIL keep telling me to change to FM coz my girl not getting enuff nutrients as her meat is 'soft'. Previously, my 1st girl is on FM and true, her meat is bery tough. It happens to my boy (2nd one) last time but at that time, I refused. So wondering this time round..... Anybody can enlighten or advise?
 


annedrew,
not true, whether BB's "meat" is soft or not depends if BB is active,
"tough meat" for active BB, cause they kick & is exercising...

Read here for more information;
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/milk/milk-supplements.html
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/milk/index.html

This is our #3, he's 7.5mths old, 10.4KG, total breastfed...
You check if his "meat" is tough or not...
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When you BF your BB,
make sure you feed fully on one breast,
if not enough then switch.
So that BB get to drink the "hindmilk" which is more creamy, thus more full.
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