are you in contact with lll? where are you?
here is info for lll in canada.
La Leche League Canada: View Local Group Information
Originally Posted by Niffle
Oh wow, lots of questions....okay, let me see if I can answer them all.
The LC mentioned the prescription for the dom stuff, but I don't have provincial health coverage yet (still a US citizen / resident), so the cost of the doctor visit + prescription is kind of ouchie right now. I'm taking 9 fenugreek pills a day, but I don't smell like maple syrup yet. It's funny when I told DH about the maple smell, his response was "you know you're in Canada when...."
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i'd definately increase the fenugreek. you're not taking enough if you don't have the maple odor. lol about what you dh said.
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I'm not sure what sns or aim is....I do have other kids to take care of. Granted they're older, but I was thinking of the nursing holiday thing sometime this week. I mean it can't hurt, right?.
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sns= supplemental nursing system
aim= artificial infant milk
as long as they're old enough to (safely) entertain themselves, or you have someone that can keep an eye on the etc for you, i completely agree that it can't hurt to spend some time cuddling and nursing and cuddling and nursing, etc.
I've been trying to drink alot of water. I don't have pop in the house that I can drink (sugar tolerance issues) so caffeine isn't a problem for me. I DO have hydration issues. I have a condition called Idiopathic Central Diabetes Insipidus. It's Idiopathic because they don't know how I got it. It's usually caused by head trauma, a tumor on the pituitary gland, or brain surgery on or near the pituitary gland...of which I've had none. Central comes from the part of the body it's in...there's central (pituitary related) or nephrogenic (kidney related). The diabetes part is that the symptoms mimic the symptoms of diabetes mellitus, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with my blood sugar.
What does this mean? It means I take a medication twice a day to keep my body from dehydrating itself. Without the medication, I drink 5+ gallons of water a day and pee approximately 20 or so liters....per day. So, I have to stay on top of my medication and drink alot of water anyways.
I also have low iron. When I delivered my iron count was 83, upon leaving the hospital it was 76. During pregnancy, they want your iron to be 115 or higher. Mine is so low due to the fact that I had a gastric bypass surgery 2 and a half years ago and have issues with vitamin and mineral absorbtion. When I remember (yes I know, bad Jenny), I'm taking 2-3 200mg iron suppliments in combination with vitamin c to help them absorb quicker..
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i'll admit my total ignorance in the first issue, but i know the anemia itself isn't affecting milk supply, however i wonder if the gastric bypass has anythign to do with it, approximately how many calories a day would you sya you're getting? it is possible you're not getting enough...
I want a sling. I have a pattern for a no sew moby wrap that I'd like to make as soon as I can find the appropriate fabric. Emily doesn't really like pacifiers and prefers to nom on her hands / my fingers when she has a sucking need. I'm not on any kind of birth control. I take the medication mentioned above as well as the fenugreek and iron suppliments.
My BF'ing issues started with a latch problem. We discovered Emily has a very mild tongue tie. I was taught proper latching techniques and told to come back in 2 days. 2 days later, she'd lost more weight and the LC was concerned. We were told at this time to give her 2-3 oz of formula in addition to offering her the breast first. The next LC we saw said that was too much formula and introduced us to the lactation aid tube thingy. She still gets 2 oz of formula, but she gets it while she's sucking on me. It appears that I'm one of those rare cases in which I actually do have a low supply..
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will your ped/doct/midwife go ahead and just clip the frenulum? it only bleeds a little bit, and the baby can go to breast immediately afterwards to cease the bleeding even quicker, and the latch is fixed almost instantly that way. some midwives even used to keep a long pinky nail, and if there was a latch problem at birth, and a tongue-tie discovered, they'd sweep it real quick right then latch baby on. as far as the lcs you're seeing, are they all board certified lactation consultants? or is it just a nurse who is being called an lc? i know nothing about the geography of canada, are you anywhere close to one of dr newman's breastfeeding clinics?
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As for the pump. I'm probably exaggerating a bit, but at the Babies R Us nearest to our house, DH and I saw the medela double deluxe electric ...does everything except change your baby's diaper for you....pump for $499. We bought a single electric first years pump for much much less. However, we were later told that single pumps are generally for very occasional use. Definitely not for someone who has to pump once a day or more. I found a pump online that I like and will probably get once DH gets his tax refund. I think I'm managing to pump maybe once a day. Honestly, I don't like pumping. It's noisy and uncomfortable and well....I'm making excuses. Heck, even DH says I need to pump more. I'll try, I really will..
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i'd DEFINATELY look online instead of close to your house. the double deluxe isn't even as good as the pumpnstyle, and it costs less.
just a quick google grabbed this one:
Buy Medela Pump In Style Original Breastpump Online at drugstore.com
Medela Breast Pump- Brand New - eBay (item 270226281420 end time Apr-15-08 22:07:44 PDT)
57027-SHOULDER BAG-MEDELA ADVANCED PIS BREASTPUMP-NEW!! - eBay (item 160228442700 end time Apr-16-08 14:52:16 PDT)
NEW...MEDELA ADVANCED BREASTPUMP...NEW - eBay (item 250237405654 end time Apr-16-08 15:17:29 PDT)
New 2008 Medela Advanced Backpack Pump In Style - eBay (item 120246836450 end time Apr-16-08 16:53:56 PDT)
medela new, Feeding, Baby items on eBay.com
and there are a lot more retail stores that don't have their prices published, (per medela policy ) but you can email or call them - and you'll find even better deals.
if pumping is hurting, it probably has a lot to do with the fact that it is a first years pump- they are notorious for either having such poor suction that they don't express well, or for such strong suction that they can damage tissue. either, a waste of money. pumps are one of the few things that i agree with the phrase "you get what you pay for"
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Canada doesn't have a WIC program like they do in the states, so if we do stop BF'ing, formula is very very expensive. Honestly, I'd rather BF my baby. Besides the medical benefits, it's cheap (free), portable, and always available when demand calls for it..
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still talking just about costs- you could probably BUY a medical grade pump (what would usually be a rental) for less than the cost of a year's worth of aim.
NEW MEDELA LACTINA ELECTRIC SELECT HOSPITAL BREAST PUMP - eBay (item 320238660425 end time Apr-15-08 19:02:09 PDT)
Medela Lactina Select Double Breast Pump Hospital Grade - eBay (item 330228059484 end time Apr-18-08 14:08:15 PDT)
Medela Lactina Breast Pump Hospital Grade - eBay (item 130213986460 end time Apr-18-08 17:14:12 PDT)
Medela Lactina Select Breast Pump - eBay (item 180233457125 end time Apr-19-08 18:31:11 PDT)
you could then in turn sell it when you're done with it, and recoup quite a bit of your cost.
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Oh and Emily isn't one of those babies that will pull off the nipple when there's a slow / no flow. She'll just sit there and chew me to death and be perfectly happy about it. In the end though, I know it's all about keeping her healthy and happy and fed. I have another appt with the LC on the 24th to check the baby's weight and see how we're progressing. I know she's going to push the double pump...which I hope to have before my appt.
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well, in a way that is a good thing- not the chewing but more that she'll stay at the breast even when milk isn't actively flowing. the more she nurses, the more milk your body will be signaled that it needs to make, barring that rare possibility that you're not taking in enough calories to make a full supply of milk.