Time Management while BF

[diekatze]

Hi, it's me again. Just let you know, with your help, things are getting better. Thank you.

This time, I am just curious how you, breast feeding moms, manage time.

In my case, my DS feeds every 2.5 to 3 hours. Within that three hours, first one hour is for breast feeding, if he's up, hour or so to play and then 20 to 30 minutes get him to sleep. Then he takes quick nap and then time to feed again.

If he's asleep after feeding, still get him to sleep then put him in his crib(or play pan, or co-sleeper next to our bed). He takes nap but frequently wakes up so can't do much but to be around him.

Luckily, he sleeps good 4 hours at night after bath. I am not sure about you but I am exhausted and that is my golden opportunity to take some good sleep. Then again it's about 2 hour of light sleep.

Well, sometimes I find myself don't have time to even eat decent meal. Cooking is just way too hard unless it's something simple.
So I ended up drinking alot of instant oakmeal in the moring and soy milk or almond milk during the day time.

Book and people around me tell me that for breast feeding, I need to eat good meal, take good rest etc. Sleep while your baby sleeps...But how do you manage your time to do that???

When my mom was here for three weeks, yah, it was possible. Meal was all prepared, when I finish feeding my DS, my mom will come and take him to play or to sleep. So I had time to pump, eat, take a nap, take long hot shower, or write questions and read posts here.

In my case, I had low supply of milk so I had to pump each time I feed(I gave up on that after my mom left) then I really did't have time. Pump for 15 minutes then the cleaning also took some time)

Today my MIL volunteered(not all the time though) to get my DS to sleep so I quickly came down here to ask this question.

Also anyone having some depression??? Not having time to eat decent food is fine but I just don't have any appetite to get anything into my mouth. My stomach is growling but still can't eat!!! I try to think about my DS while forcing myself to eat but it seems to get harder.

I am drinking alot but I know that won't be enough...

My DS is going to be 8 weeks old this Wed and even though it got much better, still gets fussy with fast let down and low supply(one or two times a day) sometimes...I am still trying but my MIL and DH gets worried whenever my DS cries his lungs out while feeding.

Well anyone with good time management tips, help!!!

[COElizabeth]

It's normal to feel overwhelmed and exhausted. Newborns are pretty exhausting to care for! It will get easier, but it is definitely hard the first few months. When you say that your DS is screaming while feeding, is that because of the fast letdown? Does he stop after the flow subsides a bit? If he is still crying throughout the feeding or afterwards, he may be experiencing pain from reflux, and you can ask your ped about that. If the problem is just the fast letdown, that should get much better before too long, I think. It takes a while for the baby to learn to cope with the letdown, and it takes a while for your body to adjust, too. Eventually that problem should disappear or at least get much less difficult.

As for your nutrition, yes, you need to eat! Does your DH cook? Can he prepare some meals on the weekends that you can just reheat during the week? Or can you get a delivery service once in a while? And I think you should talk to your doctor about your feelings of depression. If you really feel like you can't eat and that it's not just a matter of not having time to do it, then your doctor should consider how to help you through this time. Don't be afraid to ask for help from anyone. You need support so you can be a good mom. Take care, and keep us posted!

Elizabeth, Mom to James, 9-20-02

[LisaMom2Allie]

You sound like me-well probably most of us. I had a hard time eating, sleeping and getting any rest. It all sounds good in theory but it is hard to do or at least it was for me. I had a hard time with BF at first and supplemented. But I still worked with trying to BF-the bottle just took some of the "edge" off (she wasn't screaming because she was frustrated and starving) and then we were both more relaxed-then things just clicked and it got better. I know that most people disagree with that but it worked for us-it gave me a little break and then I went back to BF full time. DD did not have any trouble at all switching from breast to bottle. This may be because I had to use a shield in the beginning I do not know but it really helped me physically and mentally.

My BF goal started out to be 6 weeks but I ended up going for 6 months-we stopped when she started with solids. It is a great bonding experience but I think that bottle feeding is also okay.

The first few months are really hard but it will get better. Good luck!

Lisa
Mom to Allie Nicole
3-10-03

[diekatze]

Well, he doesn't cry all the time but like today, he wasn't really eating much through out the morning. My breasts were bit engorged... then I tried to feed him then after couple mimutes he sucks then he pulls the nipple(I use nipple shield) then he tries again, then after couple times I can see that he is getting frustrated. He tries again and I can see that whole shield is full of milk...This happened couple times, sometimes he gets okay and like today he was frustrated and refused to latch onto the breast again so I had to suppliment.(pumped breasted milk)

Then feeding after that, I pumped a little bit ahead to avoid the fast let down but I think I pumped bit too much...He sucked for 30-40 minutes...His sucking was getting harder and harder and got really frustrated...I guess this time, it was the low supply...

My DH knows how to cook but rather buys take out food and deliever to me. He works odd hours so it's hard to ask him to cook. He tries to help alot. In early weeks, he took one feeding at night so that I can sleep but that actually decreased my milk supply.

Delivery??? From where?? I live in Orange County, CA...I will look into that.

I think this depression thing is temporary and also coming to this board and getting support by many nice people is actually helping me alot! Thank you to you too.

[diekatze]

That makes me feel much better about supplimenting...My DS is 8 weeks old and he doesn't seem to have problem switching from breasts to bottle either.
I still use nipple shield since I had hard time latching him at the begining and somehow he got addicted to it. I still try to latch him without the shield here and there when he's not too hungry but no luck yet.
When did thing get better for you???

also for nipple shield, how did you clean it???

I clean it with hot, soapy water then rinse in cold water(as recommended in the instruction). Only thing, I can smell soap after I rinse it well and that kindda concerns me. I clean it like that after each feeding for a day and switch to new one till I put them all in the dishwasher...

Yes, nothing makes me feel better than watch my DS's satisfying, sleepy face after feeding...(once in a while) But whehever problem occurs, emotionally I get so depressed. I would like to see his happy face more often...

[deborah_r]

About the nipple shield-

I used it for a while in the beginning. It sounds like you are cleaning it very well, much better than I did, so I wouldn't worry about that.

If you want to try to get him to eat without the shield, I was told to try getting him to start sucking then while it's still pretty early in the feeding, quickly pop him off of the breast (stick in your finger to release suction) and pull off the nipple shield and put him quickly back on. You may have to do it many times, but eventually he should latch on without it. You want to do it while he is still pretty hungry. I think it works good this way because as he sucks on the shield it draws your nipple out which might help him latch on.

I have heard of people using it for the length of the breastfeeding relationship, though, so it's not like you HAVE to get him to stop using it - I just think it might be one less thing you have to worry about keeping clean :)

I think you should definitely talk to your doctor about feeling depressed and not wanting to eat. And as far as finding time to eat, maybe stock up on frozen dinners and things that are easy to make. Also, try keeping yogurt, raisins, crackers, granola barsamd things like that to have a quick healthy snack. I used to eat a granola bar and some soy milk when I needed a quick boost.

Sounds like you are doing great, and you should be really proud of all you have accomplished so far!

[LisaMom2Allie]

It got better for us around 8-10 weeks. The hospital LC gave me the shield to use and it really helped but when we had the home visit the nurse that came out said that we needed to quit using it. It was so much easier with the shield I wondered why I couldn't keep using it-after all does it really matter how they get the breast milk as long as they are getting it.

That is funny that you mention the soap smell. I was/am very diligent about washing her things and I would wash it in hot soapy water after each use and could still smell it but it didn't seem to bother her. My DH said that it was just my hypersensitive sense of smell.

I used to sit and cry with her in frustration. I don't want to sound like a dork but I really thought that this stuff was supposed to come more naturally. You know women have been doing this forever-why couldn't I do it? What was wrong with me? I thought it was hard trying to manuever her around into positions etc. I could never just flop her around the way that the doctors and nurses do with babies so we definitely had some anxiety going on that probably didn't help things.

Sorry to just keep going on but I still have time issues. Allie ate every three hours-people told me that she should be going longer in between feedings but she started sleeping through the night at around 13 weeks and that was a big relief. So if eating every three hours or sometimes a little longer allowed her to sleep all night then I was not going to upset the apple cart.

Lisa
Mom to Allie Nicole
3-10-03

[KGoes]

I don't know about time management tips - it feels less like time management and more like survival! As far as eating, I lived on cereal, soy milk, granola bars, goldfish crackers (made me drink more water) and milano cookies (hey! it's hard work being a mom and I deserve them) for weeks. I also splurged on tasty frozen food, like CPK pizzas, now that I live hours away from the nearest CPK. Eating well, drinking lots of fluids and squeezing in naps will make you feel better.
DD cried while feeding for a couple weeks. In her case I think it was gas. My theory is that she had a painful gas bubble, but didn't want to be pulled off of the breast to burp. So, there was screaming until finally we got a burp, and then everyone settled down.
We finally turned a corner about 8 weeks when DD slept 4-5 hours at night (sometimes more when she loaded up on feedings before bed) and then went back to sleep for a good nap after her first a.m. feeding. We don't co-sleep, but I would feed her in bed for that first feeding and then fall asleep with her. That gave me between 7-8 hours of sleep, which made the world seem better, but more importantly, I didn't have to nap during the day, so I could get more done.
Hang in there. I heard this a million times, but it turned out to be true - it does get better!
Kelley
Mom to Grace and her two dogs

[amyinNC]

It's so hard in the beginning, but hang in there. My husband travels during the week. I think that for almost the first 12 weeks he had a call from me breaking down crying everyday. It really gets easier. I'm still shocked at how much time it takes to take care of a baby (I used to get SO much done - not anymore)... but it really will get easier each day.

I'm still using a nipple shield. At 6 weeks, I was determined to get him weaned off, and ended up with a terrible case of thrush. I think in part due to nipple trauma from trying to wean him. Now, I'm just sticking with it. I have a neighbor who used the shield for 4 months. It seems a bit more daunting to nurse in public, but otherwise it doesn't really bother me (well, the washing is a pain too). I have a fast letdown too and my son would choke and sputter alot, I found that laying down to nurse really helped with the flow - and it's oh-so relaxing for me.

Hang in there - and like the other posts said, have some healthy snacks on hand. I drank lots of drinkable yogurt, ate oatmeal breakfast squares and fruit, and other easy and quick foods. The depression is normal and will get better!!!

Wishing you some easy days...
Amy
mom to Andrew 7/9/2003

[houseof3boys]

Everyone has already given you fantastic tips but I wanted to stress how important it is for your supply to make sure you are eating enough. With me, the amount of water I drink (I am now drinking about 20-24 glasses of water a day) and the amount of food affect my supply.

In the beginning I found that easy one handed snacks were the best! My favs were cheese and triscuits, those milk and cereal bars since they seem the most nutritious and tastier than protein bars, cut up pieces of apple, soybeans, carrots, nuts (almonds and shelled pistachios), and anything else I saw in the grocery store that would require no preparation. This way you can just go to the kitchen holding her when she wakes up and grab something. I always kept a cereal bar in my nightstand too! Just remember that you are providing her nutrition so it is important for you to keep up your own.

You are doing fantastic and all those litte things with fast let down and supply will magically straighten themselves out in the next week or so and you won't even remember them!

Keep up the great work :)

[stillplayswithbarbies]

I have three time tips for you.

1. Don't wash your pump between pumpings, just put the bottles with the horns still attached in the refrigerator. Take them out and pump directly into the same milk the next time. When you have enough in the bottle, take it off and put a new one on. Wash everything just once at the end of the day.

2. Learn to do the side laying nursing, and co-sleep with baby in your bed. That will let you sleep while the baby eats. You can do this for naps too. When you get more practice at it, you will be able to latch the baby on without even waking up all the way.

3. Get a sling. You can carry the baby with you while you do things, like make your lunch. Baby can nap in the sling, or just hang out there content to be close to you while you move around the house.


...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[sadie427]

I thought I responded to this already but it didn't show up so excuse me if you get almost the same message twice!

Hang in there! There have been some good suggestions. I wanted to add that you shouldn't feel obligated to play with the baby everytime he's awake. I think they benefit from just being around you when you do stuff. A bouncy seat helps with this, as does a front carrier or sling. My son is about the same age as yours, and he sits in his bouncy seat in the kitchen while I cook dinner--I talk to him about what I'm doing, and he can see and hear me, and usually it works out well. He also likes to ride in the Baby Bjorn when I pick up around the house, or take a walk. He sleeps well in that, which would take care of the 20-30 minutes you're spending getting your son down for a nap, if a carrier works for you.

I don't know if your DH can help more than he is--but mine gives a bottle of EBM at night, and also helps out when he's home on the weekend, and in the evening. One key thing has been to have my husband put him to bed at night--we do a bath every other night, then we dress him and I nurse, and then I go straight to bed and my husband takes over, so even if it takes an hour for the baby to fall asleep I get the full 4-6 hours until the next feeding.

As for food, I think it's already been said here--I am able to cook some, and I have things like sliced turkey and cheese, canned soup, nuts, cookies, fruit. If you have a Trader Joe's store in your area, that's a really good source of healthy snack food, cheese and frozen food.

But if you're really having trouble eating, and feeling very blue, and losing a lot of weight, you may be depressed. It could be "baby blues," or true clinical depression, I of course can't tell from an email, but not being able to eat is worrisome. If you feel like that might be the case it might help you to talk to your doctor.

Good luck!

[diekatze]

Well, his fussiness happened last feeding and reading your response, I am wondering whether it is gas...
He was farting(^_^***) alot while feeding and smostly explosive BM. He was feeding fine on my right side(weak side) then I switched him to main course, my left side.. He was feeding for good 15 minutes or so then he got fussy and fussier...finally loud, uncontrollable cry.
While crying, he will suck again couple more times then won't latch again. I burped him (one loud one) then latched him to my right side again... still cries.
So, I changed his diaper...He was actually happy and through couple smiles at me.
Back to feeding again at my left side...He sucks couple times and started to cry his lungs out again...Gave up and feed him 3 OZ of formula.
Do you think this is due to gas??? I was wondering, well, lack of milk...

I see you have two dogs...me too.
Do you let them near your baby???
I thought I would but I decided not until he gets his 2 month shots.
What about you???

[diekatze]

I've tried laying down position too but with shield I found it hard. My DS likes to move his hands alot and while feeding him with cradle hold, I still have to adjust shield constantly.

How did you start feeding your baby in bed???

I do not mind shield either but some said that it actually decreases the milk supply...

[diekatze]

With shield, I found it hard to feed my DS in laying down position. I try to put him onto my stomach to take a nap during the day when I am tired. So far worked well. He won't even wake up for three hours.

I also tried sling couple times especially when he is in good mood but didn't work. As soon as he gets into the sling, cries.
Any tips on this???

For pumping...That sounds like good deal. Only thing, I read a post here before on that issue and someone said cold to cold, warm to warm...Is it safe to put warm milk into cold directly?? What do you think???

[diekatze]

But wouldn't your baby cry when you don't hold him after a while?? My son plays for good 15 to 30 minutes when he is in good mood but most of the time he gets very fussy when he doesn't get hold... I tried bouncer but he didn't seem to like it. Only place that he will stay and actually sleep, will be the swing. I tried to get some stuff done when he sleeps in the swing.

My DH does bottle once in a while too. Only thing, he comes home around 1 o'clock at night and my DS's long sleep starts at 10 pm. My DH suggested that he will bottle feed him when he wakes up from 10pm long sleep but that's the easiest feeding time for me. He feeds in short time and sleeps right after..

Another thing is that if I do that my breats get engorged and I normally find my DS get fussy with fast let down in next feeding.

And about the depression, it's on and off. I try to tell myself that it's temporary, hormonal thing...Sometimes it helps.

[diekatze]

Well things got much better than the start for sure. I hope it gets better soon. I hope I can feed 100% BF and without shield(even though I don't really mind as long as he gets feed).

I hope to learn laying down position too so that I can get some rest at night.

Thank you for your support.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

yes it is safe. See this:
http://www.breastfeed-essentials.com/storagehandling.html

I found that through http://www.kellymom.com which is a great resource for breastfeeding.

at first my baby would only like the sling if she was already asleep. But now she likes it anytime.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[lizajane]

i had a terrible time breastfeeding for the first 6 weeks and cried from day 11 to day 14. so i understand how terrible it can feel. i know you are a little farther ahead at 8 weeks, but i just want to say that a lot of moms feel the way you do. it definitely got better for me very quickly as soon as things starting getting better. (does that make sense?) i mean as it gets easier, it gets A LOT easier.

i OFTEN have trouble getting enough to eat. here is my tip: FROZEN ENTREES. seriously. you may feel like frozen meals are as healthy as fresh food, sure. BUT SOME FOOD is WAY BETTER than NO FOOD! and you can get a balance of meat, veg, etc. i buy lean cusine and smart ones (i don't like healthy choice, myself) when they are on sale. i load up! and you can eat them anytime of the day. i sometimes eat one at 10am, one at 12pm, etc... they servings are small cause i happen to like the low cal/low fat ones best.

here is rest tip: take a day off. get into bed or onto the couch. bring a pitcher of water and a glass. bring a box of cereal to munch on, or crackers, get a banana, an apple... stock up on snacks. get the remote, your fav magazine... bring baby to the co-sleeper or basinet by the couch. and just STAY THERE all day. really. i did this for a WEEK.

and finally:
i felt like i always had to be giving schuyler my undivided attention when he was awake. but ya know, you will be more attentive if you take the time to get a snack or take a bath, whatever you need, than if you wear yourself out. i also thought that as soon as he made a noise, he needed me. but ya know, he didn't. babies are noisy sleepers. make sure he is really awake before you rush to his side. he may just be grunting or squirming. maybe try swaddling him while he sleeping?

i also waited a bit longer in between feedings. i was having trouble getting him to open his mouth wide enough to latch on. well, duh, 8 lactation consultants later one says, "maybe he isn't hungry yet." and remember, crying will not hurt your baby. if you need to put him down in a safe place like his crib for 2 minutes while you go downstairs and get some lunch out of the microwave he will be ok when you get back. i am not saying leave him by himself to cry whenever you feel like it! i am just saying that if you need something, get it and come right back.

and i think it may be a good idea to ask the dr about reflux. i don't have any experience with it, but it just sounds like a good idea.

hang in there!!!

[mom2kandj]

Hi! We've got a BBB SoCal moms group(moms from Thousand Oaks down to San Diego!) on Yahoo that might help you out! We had our first get together at the beginning of October and are planning the LA Zoo for early November. I know that we have several moms with babes under 6 months that can give you valuable tips on nursing, CDs, slingwearing, sleeping, etc. Also, depending where you delivered, your hospital may be able to provide low cost mommy groups that deal with nursing to general mommy/baby stuff. If you ever need to talk, just PM me! I'm in OC, too!


Rose
mom 2 Katie (34 months)
& Jack (18 months)

[diekatze]

Thank you for the great tip.

I especially like rest tip. Staying in the couch all day..renting 5 favorite movies sounds great too. Only thing, wouldn't your baby want to be hold??? As soon as I put him to co-sleeper or play pan, he wakes up and cry to be hold... Also, he likes whoever holding him to either rock him or walk around. He doesn't like the person to be sitting down.

Yah, I kidda figured out whether he's really awake or just dreaming. Also hunger cue to pacifier cue...

I guess it will get better. Thanks again.

[KGoes]

Sometimes the gas crying lasts awhile. For example, last night when DH was giving DD her nightly bottle, she howled the whole time. This could not have been due to lack of milk because it was a full bottle. I would periodically appear and burp her while walking around. Each time, I got another burp. Finally, she settled down. I still chalk it up to gas, but what do I know . . . .
Quit doubting yourself - you sound like a great mom!!
Both of our dogs are allowed around the baby and have been from the first day. Our dogs are large (85 pound Rhodesian Ridgeback and a 45 pound Belgian Malinois) and I wanted the boundaries set for them from the beginning, and the only way to do that is to introduce her to them. The RR pretty much ignores her and the Malinois has added DD's welfare to her list of chores. (As an added bonus, she alerts to dirty diapers, pretty much demonstrating why she flunked out of drug dog school). Our dogs are healthy, up to date on shots and received a clean bill of health from their vet prior to DD coming home. Also, they are inside dogs, so I have a great deal of contol and knowledge about what they can get into. Apparently, there's nothing in dog germs that prevents a baby from thriving . . . .
Kelley

[stillplayswithbarbies]

Do you have a swing? If he likes to be rocked, the swing might be a good place to put him for a little while.

Have you read the book "The Happiest Baby On the Block"? It sounds like it is exactly what you need, based on what you have said about your baby here.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[ethansmom]

First, you sound like a fantastic mom!

I was in your same position of feeding, supplementing, pumping for low supply, completely exhausted and no time to eat. I remember yelling at my husband one day because he thought he'd solve everything by getting take out. Having the food was great, but I didn't know when I'd get to eat it!

First, it will get better. For us it was around 10 weeks. This was when we were able to put the baby down for short periods without him crying immediately.

The breastfeeding/time management issue was helped with a visit to a lactation consultant. When I told her my DS was feeding for 45 mins to an hour, she asked me how I had time to do anything else. She told me to feed him 10-15 mins per side for each feed - that he was using me as a pacifier. Now, my baby was a preemie and quite small, but he thrived after I limited the time at the breast. I would have quite BF had it not been for her advice.

Please remember you can't be a good mom if you don't take care of yourself! Sleep deprivation is incredibly rough, add in hormones and depression and life with baby just isn't enjoyable. Please talk to your OBGYN, primary care physician, or a therapist about what you are feeling. It's amazing how many people do suffer from depression (myself included) and don't say anything. I was amazed when I got help how many people I knew also sufferred.

Please feel free to email me anytime!

HTH,

[Ti Lung]

This may sound really lazy, but guess what? I managed it by ordering take out all the time, and using paper plates and plastic utensils for at least 4 months (still doing take out now). I know, very environtally unfriendly, but hey, you have to live and live well first.

I have been BFing for over 5 months and I know that I have been (and may still be) depressed at times. I have felt so alone in the world, even with the help that my own mother has been extending me. I used to be stupid and refused to supplement even when I couldn't get enough time to pump sufficient milk for DD. Therefore, another tip is, once in a while when you need a break, use formula, esp. if someone else is there who can feed your baby.

Another thing: I also hired someone to clean the house and do the laundry once a week. Yes, lazy and expensive, but hey, it's worth it! Now, I am not saying one has to get take out 2x a day and hire a cleaner; but at least you can consider one of the two options. I think doing take out even a couple times a week will relieve you big time! I then make up for the additional expenses by not buying any new clothes, shoes etc for myself.

Pls hang in there; things WILL get better, I promise. They will start to be more efficient eaters, and they will sleep a little longer. HTH! T.L.

[diekatze]

Thank you. Even posting here and getting replies help me alot.

About 10-15 minute feeding, what if he seems hungry or cry after that??

He sometimes look hungry after one hour feeding.

Especially when he's up and played for a 30 minutes, he starts to get cranky. I normally give him the pacifier. Sometimes it works but sometimes he rejects the pacifier and cry for breast.

What would you do??? In my case, if he cries right after feeding, I just give him 3 oz formula. He takes it all...Looks very happy and satisfied.

[August Mom]

I'll echo what everyone else has said: It WILL get better, even if it doesn't seem like it now. We had a rough BFing start as well. And, DS ate for an hour at a time every 2 hours. So, I know how you feel. It was frustrating at first and I almost felt resentful toward DS at times because it seemed that all he wanted to do was each, my nipples were sore, I was tired, etc. However, I finally just decided to go with DS's schedule instead of trying to fight it. I just resigned myself to not get anything done around the house while DS was very little. Yes, the house was a mess. I wish I had hired a cleaning person to help. However, I was less stressed. I did get some time to myself by putting DS in the bouncer. He LOVED the vibration and it would often put him to sleep, but it sounds like your DS doesn't like it. I would use the swing at least once a day if that's what he likes. I would not wake him up for any feeds (not sure if you're doing that or not). Also, why are you taking 15-20 minutes to get him to sleep again? Is he actually sleepy? Maybe he could "play" for longer before napping again (and then, hopefully, you'd get 1 longer nap instead of lots of mini naps). Definitely try wearing your DS. My DS LOVED the Baby Bjorn and would contentedly walk around with me for a long time, both inside the house and around the neighborhood.

As far as food, would your mom or MIL be willing to cook up a bunch of stuff for you to freeze? I was 13 days late with DS and spent my time preparing large batches of soups, sauces and casseroles. I put them into individual serving containers and froze them. Then, during the first 3 months of DS's life, I reheated them. :) It worked out great. We also had take-out pizza, other carry out and some frozen meals too. Chicken Viola is pretty good BTW. I also like the yogurt smoothies - very easy to consume, even with 1 hand. And, I had my fair share of Milk 'n Cereal Bars and Quaker Oat 'n Cereal Bars. For an afternoon snack, I liked cheese and crackers or raw veggies a lot. Do try to eat and drink and remember to take your prenatal vitamins.

Best of luck. It really will get better.

[diekatze]

I just tried 10 minute for my weak side and 15 minutes for good side. When I tried to take him off, he cried so I quickly put pacifier and rocked him a bit to see.

Actually he calmed down. After 15 minutes I felt bad and didn't know whether he had enough so i latched him to my good side again. He wasn't really interested. He will suck but more like playing...

How did you teach(???) your baby to get feed within that 10-15 minutes??

Also 10-15 minutes for one side for one feeding or both sides for one feeding???

Please let me know. This will help me alot!! Will have more time to do other things if this works out.

[diekatze]

My DS will paly for 30 minutes then get cranky and cry a little to get attention...So normally when he does that, I will hold him and rock him for 20 minutes or so to get him to sleep...

If I just put him in the crib to sleep when he's kindda sleepy mode, he will wake up as soon as I put him down... That's why...

I tried to carry him in the sling but he hates it. I tried about three time, when he was sleepy, in sleep and in good mood. All three times he would cry as soon as I put him in there. Any tips???

[August Mom]

I have no tips on the sling. My DS didn't like the sling either, but he loved the Baby Bjorn. So, I guess my thought is to try a different type of carrier, perhaps a Kangaroo Korner fleece pouch or a Bjorn or a Wilkinet or a Baby Trekker. If you take a look on the carrier forum, you'll get lots of ideas.

[diekatze]

Actually, cleaning people comes to our house every other week and yes, when my DH is off from work, he's busy getting takesouts for me.
Last night my DH supplimented my son with formula so that I can sleep through the night...well for good 6 hours...

Now my main breast is engorged..I was kindda worried about fast let down so I had to pump a little on my main side and fully emptied my weaker side since DS won't need to feed from both side at night.
Yesterday and today he was very fussy while feeding and I think it's due to fast let down...does this get solved when time goes by???

Thank you for the tip.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

if you supplement with formula at night, your breasts will start making less milk. Is that what you want to happen?

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[egoldber]

I would continue to try the sling every so often. Also, once he's in there, start moving! Babies often like the movement! But once he starts to like, you'll be amazed at how convenient it is!

[cilantromapuche]

The first 2 months were miserable! The most important thing is to get sleep. I gave up trying to express BM (i hate pumping) and just give hime formula every once in a while (so someone else can give it to him) and i can get some sleep. but then again i had enough milk for the enitre state of NY.
now at 3 and 1/2 months it is cake. he doesn't cry as much (he had colic before) and i can eat (there were days that i only ate one small meal). DH said i needed to eat but i would rather spend my time sleeping than wait for a frozen meal to heat up.
GOod luck and get some sleep because that is the most important thing you can do for your child and yourself.

[diekatze]

No, but I was so tired yesterday...
I just wanted to sleep for one night, not every night.
My DH had 4 days off so I thought it will be good day to have bit of break too.

[diekatze]

Bingo!!! I put him into the sling just now when he was kindda sleepy.
Well, first he freaked out. But as you said I started to move and talked to him non stop. Took him out side, inside, upstair, etc...In 5 minutes, he's in sleep!!! I am carrying him right now as I type this!!! Thank you. This is great! I just have to watch for the bumps...^_^****


Only thing, do you dress him when you put him in the sling??? He has light, short sleeve one piece but still looks bit hot.
We live in CA...

Is it safe to put him with just diaper on, you think???

[diekatze]

I actually had 6 hours of sleep for the first time yesteday. After bath, I went to sleep and my DH gave formula next feeding and he actually slept for 4 1/2 hours.

I woke up before DS did since my breasts were all engorged...

I did pumping and slept for another one hour.

One question, did you have good supply milk from the begining or did you had to work hard in the begining???

[egoldber]

As long as the sling is washable, I wouldn't worry about it! :)

[egoldber]

Honestly, from all you've said, it sounds to me like your supply is fine! It is completely normal for your supply to fluctuate throughout the day, and to be especially low at night when you're most tired and stressed. And it is also very common for a lot of babies to be fussy in the evenings. I think that getting the occasional night's full sleep and just realize that this too shall pass. As long as he is gaining weight and having lots of wet diapers, he is doing fine!

I don't think anyone can truly prepare themselves in advance for how tough those early weeks can be and for how awful and sleep deprived you will feel. But it really, really does get easier!!

Good luck!!!

[ethansmom]

I fed 15 mins each side for each feeding - total of 30 mins. Then I gave him a couple ounces of EBM, then pumped to "empty" my breasts. We stopped supplementing at about two weeks.

I didn't do anything to teach him to eat in the 15 mins per side. I now know the feeling of when he is actually eating - I couldn't tell the difference before.

[jubilee]

Hang in there! I can understand that it feels like you're at the end of your rope, but it does get better!! I also have to use a nipple shield, and don't intend to try to wean from it now and my baby is six months old. I rarely breastfeed in public because the baby will sometimes stop nursing for a minute and the shield has to be repositioned- and all that would be embarrasing in public. So I feed at home or if I'm out I will breastfeed in the car's backseat. Just be proud of yourself for doing whatever it takes to give your baby the very best for as long as possible!! My son nurses every two hours for about 30-40 minutes, so he'll eat from 2-2:40, then from 4-4:40 for example. It doesn't give me much time between feedings, but I also have a low supply so the frequency makes up for the lack of volume. I have never had to suppliment, but I didn't have the pumped milk to even try to suppliment with either! Sometimes after eating the baby will get fussy right after eating and what I've found is that it's normally because he's needing to burp or he's just tired and wants to suck himself to sleep. As for positioning the baby while nursing with a shield, I use a boppy which the baby lays on and I have to hold the shield onto the breast, which gives me one free hand. With the shield I haven't been able to nurse in any other position, such as laying down or etc.
For time management, I normally finish nursing and run around like a crazy woman trying to do as much as possible before the next time to nurse. Somedays I start prepping for dinner by cutting veggies, chicken, etc the night before. That makes dinner the next day go faster. I also make large quanities so one meal lasts two days. Everything got much, much easier at about 8-10 weeks old. Then even easier at about 16 weeks old, when my baby started sleeping over 8 hours in a row at night. Soon you will enjoy a full night's sleep and it will make life more sane!!

[diekatze]

Wow, you sound like me except the feeding time...
I've also tried different position, especially the lay down, but failed... Football and cradle were the only ones. Football is bit hard now since he's big...
For the shield, I know it moves but when I put it in the hot water before use, it sometimes get sealed to my breast...Sometimes at night, i just wear it to sleep so that when he wakes up all hungry, I just put my bobby(the one that you wrap around).
Well, that's when he eats quitely....When he gets fussy, the shield is all over...
I do run around like a mad woman too. Especially whenever I get some help from DH or MIL...
Does your baby still feed every 2 hours??? I thought the time in between gets longer as they get older...

Well, thank you. I guess I am not the only one with low supply, nipple shield, bad latch at the begining and sleep baby....Many of them got much better with help from this board.

[jubilee]

yes, Logan still eats every two hours during the day! He has to eat often to make up for my low supply. It's difficult sometimes, but I really want to continue to nurse him. Best of luck with nursing,