Breastfeeding help and tips...
  Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 5:42 pm
Post subject: argh, it sounds like you definitely have thrush - the itchiness is part of it, especially if the pain gets worse after feeding - it wont be painful for your little one but will affect his ability to latch which makes them really restless. try and get to your gp asap and dont leave without treatment for both of you (usually daktarin cream for you and nystatin for baby, but sometimes daktarin gel for baby and fluconazole tablets for you) we had it for 2 months and it was absolute agony, nearly made me stop bf.....dont want to terrify you but it really does just get more and more painful so i would make an emergency appt cos the weekend will be awful if you dont
 Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 10:37 pm
Post subject: Hiya!!!
well me and Milly must be doing ok she was weighed yesterday and is 8lbs 6....she was 7lbs 7 when born. think having some AB reassurance has def help me relax bout the whole thing! i have a problem though...yesterday my left boob was engorged and sore, i assumed it was because milly is feeding every 2 hrs again and my boob is catching up. but its the same today and now ive got a red rash below my nipple covering half my boob. any ideas what it is?? 
many thanks ps cant wait til i know enough that i can give knowledge rather than just ask 4 it _________________  
 Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 4:20 pm
Post subject: heya
my only thought is it could be a blocked duct? i think they are pretty common, if it isnt like a shooting pain (like thrush) you might just have a sort of blocked milk pipe...i think one of the helpful things you can do is take a hot shower (when you get chance with a 2 week old haha) and massage the area, but feed as usual.......if you start to feel ill it could be mastitis which is more of an infection and can make you poorly and feel fluey - if its still there on monday either way i would get to the docs  well done at getting so far! Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2010 12:28 pm
Post subject: Thanks Mari hun,went to docs friday and we're both being treated now,he has drops and I have cream and tablets,and they seem to be helping,the sharp pain's gone but my nips are still soo sore
hopefully the cream will help with that.
I'm also on anti-b's at the mo for a water infection,so I feel like a pill factory! 
Mega chuffed with myself for carrying on BF even through the pain and all my fears of him not getting enough etc were for nothing because he's putting on weight brilliantly he was weighed on friday and was 7lb 12,he'd put on nearly 11 ounces in 11 days HV was really pleased.
He seems to be going longer between feeds at night as well,last night fed him at 10pm and he fed again at half 3,but he didn't actually go to sleep until 12  He also seems to want to feed from both sides at every feed now,whereas he was taking just the one,is that normal or a sign I'm not making enough milk?
With him going a bit longer between feeds,will that affect my supply?should I be expressing in between?xx _________________  
 Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2010 5:13 pm
Post subject: im so pleased you got it sorted! keep an eye on it cos im sure it was antibiotics which started our problems with thrush. once your tablets and things are done i would go back to using lansinoh (you can get it on prescription or its a tenner
 ) for your nipples, mine got really dry with the cream im really glad for you though
i vaguely remember for quite a while elijah would take both sides - he started with just taking one and went back to just one, but so long as you are feeding when he wants to be fed your milk supply should be fine - his tummy is a bit bigger so he is probably filling himself up really well from both sides and that makes him able to go longer, but your body will know that you need quite a lot of milk for when he does feed
it sounds like its going really well - that weight gain is fantastic
you might find in the next month or so he gets more efficient at feeding - elijah can go up to 4-6 hours and then just feed from one side for 15 minutes and be full - that made me paranoid! but he is still putting on weight so he must be getting a lot when he goes feed! sounds like you are doing great Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 12:51 pm
Post subject: Thanks hun
Have to say,am really not enjoying feeding at the mo,it's so painful and the thrush (if that's what it is) in his mouth hasn't cleared at all. 
I really dread every feed which probably makes me tense and it hurt more.I think he's having yet another growth spurt too,all he seems to want to do is feed,I don't even get a chance to go to the loo at the mo. It's really affecting me and my other LO,bless him,I never have time for him and it breaks my heart
How long is it normal for them to sleep at night?I read online to feed at least every 4 hours,but last night he went from 9 until about 4.30!!  I don't know if it was because he'd fed so much in the day or what but he's never done that before.
He also hardly sleeps during the day,so with the feeding and him not sleeping,I get nothing done at all,it's draining _________________
Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 9:50 pm
Post subject: i know what you mean - elijah hasnt been to bed before 1am this week, wont be put down at all during the day and is up every two hours between 1/2am and 9am when i give in and get up, im so knackered!
with regard the thrush, it takes a little while to go away, but if once you have finished antibiotics it isnt cleared go back for another round of treatment for you both because antibiotics can cause it - its hard to get rid of... i remember vividly dreading elijah waking up and being hungry and feeling awful for it but it was SO painful i just wanted to cry especially when he was fussing too, you have got really far and the end is in sight though, once the thrush is sorted out you will barely notice him feeding - its such a relief and sense of achievement
as far as sleeping is concerned i was told not to let him go more than 3-4 hours at the start, because he was very slow to regain weight and was very very sleepy (i think he was surprised by being induced early, not quite ready!), but that was only for the first few weeks. elijah will happily go 5 or 6 hours on a good night now and i still get worried he is thirsty or something but i was told by various ab ladies that up to 12 hours is ok. if you are worried he is getting dehydrated, you will be able to see that his lips look really dry - thats a sign that they need to drink and you need to wake him up. otherwise i would just go with it, i couldnt bare to wake eli up now when he is finally asleep! oh, and if you are expressing, the thrush stays in the milk so any frozen milk needs to be chucked (nightmare ), its normal to have these ebbs and flows with feeding and sleeping though, he might have been growing - also as the thrush clears you might find he feeds less because it is easier for him to get the milk Posted: Sat Dec 11, 2010 8:57 pm
Post subject: Arrrghhh,I feel like tearing my hair out! No idea what's up with Harry today but he hasn't slept since his feed at 12pm,that's 9 hours!
and in that time he has fed every hour-hour and a half!which is knackering me,do you think he's not getting enough milk?should I I try topping him up?
He has sooo much wind aswell,nothing will shift it,any tips before I lose my mind?!  xx_________________
Posted: Sat Dec 11, 2010 11:19 pm
Post subject: argh...i know how you feel
elijah hasnt been in bed before 2.30am this week and has only slept 2 hours at a time, and wont take naps, im knackered!
sounds like a growth spurt really - if you feel giving yourself a break by giving him a couple of ounces i would go for it, its really hard when you arent getting a gap between feeds (especially with another little one in the house!) he might also be looking for comfort if he is getting overtired and not really hungry at all - usually you can tell that is the problem if he is being sick when you are burping him - overflow! as for the wind no ideas really, i still have to take eli off me when he starts making his windy noise, burp him, and put him back on in the middle of feeds! Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 2:24 pm
Post subject: Thanks hun,I think I might have to try unlatching him mid feed,I just worry then he won't take the rest cos he has a habit of falling asleep
Nothing we've tried for the wind works,no infacol,denitnox,not even gripe water,but only started it today so it may take a while. He just seems to fart so much but still have tons of wind,I'm not sure what the answer is?
Still feeding frequently today,but every 3 hours last night,seems to be getting in to a pattern there,just not during the day.He still won't sleep,as soon as he's put down,even if he's blotto,he wakes!I can't get anything done at all. I haven't started expressing yet,but thinking I should probably start trying him incase he won't take it?if I just wanted to express enough for say one feed a day or so,could I just leave it in the fridge or do I have to freeze it?how long can I leave it for? just trying to work out when I'm actually going to have time to express! But I'm going out next month and will obviously need him to take a bottle before then xx _________________
Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 2:51 pm
Post subject: Hi hun,
i honestly think BF babies are more windy. My LO is very he burbs quickly but there always seems more his very sicky too. He wakes about 3 times from 3:30- 8:30 because of his wind it wakes him up. I tried the bottle and the wind is so much better, going to start weaning him off the breast tho after crimbo. hopefully get into a routine as he has milk on demand . Char _________________ 
My beautiful little men filling up my world x Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 9:59 pm
Post subject: it probably wont do any harm if you try him with the odd bottle now, especially if you are going out - you can only keep expressed breast milk in the fridge for 24-48 hours (the number varies according to what source you read but you can smell when its off!), or freeze for up to 3 months, although until the thrush is 100% gone i wouldnt freeze it cos it will pass the thrush on again boooo at first it can be quite hard to get more then 1 or 2 oz through expressing so its worth starting early even if you arent going to use the milk, so you can get a decent bottle later on
as for farting haha elijah was worse if i had eaten beans (beanburgers are out! ), so it might be something you are eating! elijah is the same with sleeping though too, he can be fast asleep and the second he hits the mattress hes wide awake and more often than not either screaming, or really really cheerful - i dont know which is worse at 1am! Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 12:05 pm
Post subject: mariblake wrote:
it probably wont do any harm if you try him with the odd bottle now, especially if you are going out
I'm breastfeeding but from about 4 weeks old she's had one formula bottle a day (not always, but most days) as either a.) we're out and about and i'm not very good at bf in public - all boob and no decency! or b.) my husband will give her the last feed before bed just to I can have a bit of time to chill out. She's had no problems at all going between the breast and bottle, nor is formula the devils work!!! It actually made me feel so much better knowing she could have a bottle and just knowing that made me feel more relaxed and less tied to her if I had to go anywhere or do anything. _________________   Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 5:18 pm
Post subject: Thanks for the advice ladies
he still isn't sleeping in the day and now we have a new problem,he's being sick after his feeds,maybe due to the wind? I just hope he doesn't have a bug? he was also sick mid-feed earlier too,which doesn't seem right :/
It's really starting to wear me down now,I haven't been to the loo for hours,haven't eaten because he won't sleep.what am I doing wrong?
it def seems to be the wind keeping him awake.I'm not sure what else I can try,gripe water doesn't seem to work either.thing is though,he farts sooo much,I don't see how he can have any more wind in there. It must be something I'm eating,I just don't know what it could be,I don't drink caffeine,I don't drink fizzy drinks,the only thing I can think is that just this last week I've started eating eggs again.I wonder if maybe he's allergic?although haven't had any for a couple of days,so not sure that explains it? help,argggh!x _________________
Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 5:27 pm
Post subject: Is the sickness reflux? We went to docs and we're on baby gaviscon as after every feed she was being sick (more than the usual bits of sick that babies do). It thickens the milk. As i'm breastfeeding and she won't take it with just water, I bf her then finish feed of with ounce of that ready made formula in a bottle with the gaviscon in.
It's got so bad lately that we couldn't lie her down as it would make her gag. When you've fed, try keep him upright for at least 15 mins to see if it helps.... Wind might be an issue as it takes up room in tummy where milk should go _________________
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