wow! have i come far!

in the begining i thought i wouldnt be able to keep up with my lil one

i was barely getting 2-3 oz at each setting and now 2 months later im up to 7oz!!! (both sides total combined) nd this is with having mastities/being on the mini pill!

dont give up ladies!

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Michelle (24) and Brad (28)

HOST OF TTC 2+ YEARS
HOST OF Alternative/Herbal/Non-Traditional

That's great! I am in awe of moms who pump!

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wtg!

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That's great! what did you do to increase your supply? When and how often do you pump?

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DD Born 2/18/2008

i pump at 8isham (sometimes not till 10) 12ish, 3pm, 10pm and 5 am then i nurse her every 2 1/2-3hrs.

i pump ant where from 15-30 min. i pump both breast at the same time as well. at 5am im soo engorged that even after i nurse her i still pump 5-6oz!

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Michelle (24) and Brad (28)

HOST OF TTC 2+ YEARS
HOST OF Alternative/Herbal/Non-Traditional

Are you building a stash for when you return to work, or are you pumping just to increase your supply. I used pumping as a way to increase my supply and ended up with a deep freezer full of milk. But I hardly ever let her have it cause I wanted her nursing all the time. I did take and entire diaper box full to a friend. I don't pump anymore and don't miss it!!

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i did it to increase my supply...

im a sahm but i will be returning to classes in aug. im going to take night classes so dh can stay with her while im in class a few nights a week.

also i only planned on BF'ing her until she was 6 months old or her teeth came in. id like a lil stash incase shes not ready to wean when i am. i have a nipple shield incase she still needs night time feedings when her teeth start to come in.

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Michelle (24) and Brad (28)

HOST OF TTC 2+ YEARS
HOST OF Alternative/Herbal/Non-Traditional

tai, you *might* find that even when her teeth come in, that there isn't a problem. they don't bite when they;re actively nursing, and the mechanics involved in it protect mama. their tongues cover their bottom teeth while they're actively suckling.

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we shall see!

the more i think about it i might just let her self wing, we plan on starting rice cereal at 6 months and going from there to other solids gradually

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Michelle (24) and Brad (28)

HOST OF TTC 2+ YEARS
HOST OF Alternative/Herbal/Non-Traditional

*wean lol

you've still got lots of time and you may find you wanna rethink the cereal ..

great first foods are smooshed bananao, sweet potato, avocado etc. commerically prepared rice cereal is pretty nutritionally empty, though solids are more for learning than nutrition until closer to a year. the primary source of nutrition should be human milk for the first 12 months.
i have more info on it, if you want when it is closer to time.

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im going to mostly do it for night time reasons.

if my milk stays and she wants the boob then i will keep on trucking

i have a "cook book" for babies first meals i plan on making them

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Michelle (24) and Brad (28)

HOST OF TTC 2+ YEARS
HOST OF Alternative/Herbal/Non-Traditional

"im going to mostly do it for night time reasons"

As in you think it'll make her sleep longer?? No such luck in this house!

Wanted to second that teeth doesn't mean you have to quit. There can be some rough spots but they can be worked through. I won't tell my story cause it'll scare you but we're still at it and our "incident" seems like forever ago!

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ever feel like your being eaten out of house and boob?

i feel like she is on a constant growth spurt! im just hopeful that the cereal will give me a lil break. i swear i can tell time by her feedings/diapers!

do you all have pain with letdown? when my milk starts to flow it hurts!!!! im not getting engorged any more thankfully...

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Michelle (24) and Brad (28)

HOST OF TTC 2+ YEARS
HOST OF Alternative/Herbal/Non-Traditional

the most common averages for growth surts are 2 wks 3 wks 6 wks, 2 months, 3 months and 6 months, they generally space out a bit as they get older.

i dind't have actual pain with letdown unless i wasn't actually feeding, then it was VERY tingly (kinda like when youre arm or foot etc goes to sleep). it stopped hurting at all when i didn't have such a massive oversupply of milk.

the rice cereal really doens't do much most of the time for night time. good info at kellymom :: Breastfeeding and Parenting though i don' thave the link handy right this second.

rice ceral also tends to "constipate" babies, and not only that, the extra iron it is "fortified" with can actually displace the iron that is easily bioavailable in human milk. there isn't a lot of iron in mama's milk, but it is balanced just right so that it is absorbed, iunlike in aim or fortified things where they cram tons of iron into it so that some gets absorbed.

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dh wants to start cereal or rice at 4 months...i think im going to have to have him go to the doc with me at her next appt. his mil has pretty much convienced him of this...she started him at 2 months....

my pedi started her son at 4 months, and she was telling dh that story. but i think he took it as though what hismom was saying was ok. she did it cause she couldnt keep up. and formula just wasnt enough for him. but she dosnt recomend it for us...she wants us to wait until at least 6 months before deciding.

the oply thing that makes me want to stop...is the fact the longest we can stay out is 2 hrs. with or with out her. even if i take my hand pump, i just cant get enough out....

letdown dosnt hurt while she is nursing, well it does on the opposite side shes on. when i pump i duel pump so i dont hurt then either. its mostly when im just sitting there and then BAM!

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Michelle (24) and Brad (28)

HOST OF TTC 2+ YEARS
HOST OF Alternative/Herbal/Non-Traditional

Her feedings will space out. All I say is play it by ear and re evaluate at each goal, for you 6 mos.

Mil's don't always have the best advice...

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ITA with Mamabear and Kenda. Feedings will space out. Re-evaluate at 6mo and see how it goes.

*1ht

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michelle, i have info you can share with your dh, that may help :0 it'll take me til probably tomorrow to get it posted though, i have so much to do today, i need to be closing the puter and get going...

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take your time!


ok today she is a sleeping beauty! she wakes long enough to be change/ get the boob...she passes back out after a few sucks! i can get used to this! i gave her a 3oz bottle of ebm earlier cause shes just been eating a few min here and there...

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Michelle (24) and Brad (28)

HOST OF TTC 2+ YEARS
HOST OF Alternative/Herbal/Non-Traditional