I am finally linking up with the other great mommies for this weeks hop. I have been missing for a few months. The end of my pregnancy was exhausting and now the little man is here, I haven’t had two hands free very often. Our topic this week is free for all. Any breastfeeding topic we want.
First off, I will say how very lucky I am that both of my children have latched on like champs and nursed so well right from the start! I know many people have struggled with that and I am glad that’s one thing we could do effortlessly. Well, mostly effortlessly anyways. Charlie man latches good, but when he lets go, he needs a little assistance to find it again. In his defense, he isn’t even a month old yet, so I am sure he will figure it out. Maggie had a homing device on my boobs! She could find those babies from across the ocean, I swear! Charlie is so funny to watch. He is so gentle, sometimes I actually have to check to make sure he is really latched on. I can barely feel him.
I can say, this time around, my milk supply needs less help than with Maggie. I prayed so hard for this! With her, I had to feed him, pump, then the doctor wanted me to offer her formula. I felt like that was all I ever did was feed her, pump, feed her, pump. It was exhausting!
This time, I hardly ever pump and Charlie gets a full belly. My milk came in before I left the hospital. A day or so later, I was very engorged on the right side…sadly, I was somewhat excited! I knew I was making a lot more milk already! What a relief. After days of fighting with that, I don’t quite make as much milk on that side as it seemed like I was before that happened, but I still make plenty for the little man. He gets enough milk, that most nights, he will try to go without waking up most of the night. Right after we got home from the hospital, he pretty much only wakes up once a night. That’s not a bad thing, considering Maggie is 21 months and still wakes up at least once a night, but then I end up pumping in the middle of the night if I can’t get him to eat.
I am also tandem nursing which is going much better than the rest of the world seemed to think it would. Everybody was so concerned that Maggie wouldn’t share or would get mad. Mostly, she tells Charlie, boob Charlie, eat eat eat! Don’t get me wrong, there are times she doesn’t want to share or tries to demand it for herself, but generally only when she is tired.
I would love your advice though…..for those of you with a toddler and an infant, how did you ever find time to pump? I only need to pump enough to get me through an hour a week while I play softball, but finding time is so hard. I can’t really set him anywhere where his sister can’t get at him. She isn’t mean or anything, but she loves him so much and constantly wants to hug and kiss him or read him books or make him play with her toys. She’s so sweet, but not nearly gentle enough to be left alone with him. That leads to me having no chance to pump most days.
Want to link up with your breastfeeding posts?
Okay so I really need help with breast feeding. Last time I didn’t make much milk at all and since we had so much trouble with latching, we were supplementing before we left the hospital due to doctors orders. But because it hurt so bad, I never realized that I wasn’t having a let down or getting engorged at all. when I quit, i didn’t have any pain or leakage. I really want breast feeding to go better, so does anyone know of a way to get more milk flowing? I prefer natural ways but my doc isn’t helping at all.
I really hope this time works better for you! There are so many emotions that go through a moms mind when there are breastfeeding struggles, at least there were for me the first time. Did you try a nipple shield at all? I know a few people who have had to use them. You could follow and read all of the posts in the breastfeeding hop, or better yet join in. You don’t have to be breastfeeding at the time, you can post about your experiences that go with the weekly topic.
Did you try Fenugreek at all?
I also meant to say, do go to a La Leche League meeting. I have been encouraging my sister to go to a few before she has her baby. They were so so helpful to me when my daughter was born.
I’m glad things are going better for you this time! As far as finding time to pump, have you tried pumping while breastfeeding on the other side? Of course this option may be out if you have a double pump. I always have trouble achieving let down for a pump, so this is the only way I tend to be able to get anything. It’s a little tricky, but it gets the job done! The other option may be to just lay him on your lap while you pump, or put on a movie for your toddler and take him and his bouncy seat into your bedroom or bathroom to pump. ~Melissa
I haven’t tried pumping with him on my lap or nursing. With my pump, I could definitely do that. I am waiting on a hands free pumping bra that I will be reviewing. That will probably help a ton because then I would still be able to keep Maggie from loving her brother in her “I think I’m gentle but mommy doesn’t” way. It would definitely be easier if John was home every day. Thankfully, Maggie isn’t a big tv fan, but it would be nice if once in awhile she were. I have some what I think are awesome vcr tapes from when my newphew was little – Bear in the big blue house – maybe I will hook up the vcr and see if she will sit through those. Thanks for your ideas!