hi there mommies

thank you all for your inputs. It's me back again with more questions (sorry!). I have been surfing kellymom :: Breastfeeding and Parenting and reading the articles. Very informative. But now i got another dilemma. Have read that we should pump to "empty" our breasts shud our baby not emptying it properly. Question is, how exactly do we KNOW if our breasts are emptied? Becos i also read, after our milk ss is established, breasts arent hard , full and lumpy anymore. It's jus gonna be soft. But there will still be milk inside. So how exactly can we tell if baby has emptied it sufficiently and if not, we need to pump to empty it so dat the breasts can go on to make "new milk"? Becos i read as long as there's still milk left inside the breasts, the breasts wont go on to increase and make new supplies, rite? Someone pls correct me if i'm wrong. Thanks!!

if your baby has a good latch and is nursing often enough, your breasts are being sufficiently emptied to keep on making more milk. a baby who is not emptying the rbeast enough will not be taking in enough milk, and it will be apparrant, the baby will not have enough wet and dirty diapers etc, and will not be growing.

also, for many of us, you will still feel a little bit of a difference, it just won't be as obvious as the first couple of weeks when you were getting engorged all the time. you'll still likely feel a little fuller before a feeding, and a little squooshier (i know it isn't a word, but it is all i'm thinking of at the moment) after a good nursing session.

hth.

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When my boobs are fuller than I would like...in other words I'm ready for Addi to eat...I feel a tingling sensation and soft lumpy fullness. Not engorged and hard, just less squishy like Mamabear said. It takes months to get totally comfortable with the whole process, just keep at it and you'll get there.

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so does tat mean i dont hv to pump? cos in kellymom...it said to pump cos pump = empty breast=more milk.

sorry wat i meant was...if bb feels like she didnt really empty the breasts ie she dozed off (which happens pretty often at nite) and i jus cudnt manage to wake her back up again...do i need to pump out wats left inside or shud i jus leave it there for her next feed?

it really is up to you. just remember that havign too much milk can lead to some problems as well- ie hindmilk/foremilk imbalance, and can make it more likely that you'll get plugged ducts/mastitis etc.

i would say since you really seem to have doubts about your body right now that pumping would not hurt, as long as you're not doing it every feeding, and it will give you peace of mind to not worry about an emergency having a freezer stash- but remember, not all moms pump well, even with a good pump. that doens't mean their babies don't get enough milk directly frmo them.

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hi kara

my little princess is definitely spitting up lots now. Wat kind of wedge u're talking about? If i put it under her cot mattress, wouldnt she slide down? I've to resort to let her sleep in the rocker we bought cos it's slightly tilted but she's still spitting up lots.

Here is a good page on spitting up: kellymom.com :: Spitting Up & Reflux in the Breastfed Baby Most babies spit up and there isn't much you can do about it, it's just the way their little bodies are.

A wedge under the mattress can be nothing more than a bath towel rolled up to elevate the end of the mattress some. Putting another rolled up towel below her feet can keep her from sliding, but it doesn't have to be elevated very much. While you're feeding her, keep her head higher than her hips, that can help, too.

Both my babies spit, and it is annoying as anything, but not anything unusual or worrisome. I just have to wash bibs and sleepers a lot, LOL!

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hi kara

thanks again for the advice. Sigh...i know spitting up is normal for babies, i am not worried if it's jus regurgitation for my her, but at times, my baby's vomitting is quite forceful, altho it's not textbook projectile at 2-3ft, it certainly is quite forceful. U know those drinking water fountain? There was once she threw up like dat, defying gravity and simply jus shoot out from her mouth as if she's the fountain and someone pressed a button! It was non stop until i reacted and quickly lift her up...momentarily i was dumbfounded there and close to tears looking at her shooting out milk like water fountain!!

Do your babies make those "urgh" sounds all the time like he's in discomfort? Initially my mom told me all babies make these sounds cos they're "growing up" but now aft doing some research and reading up on the net on reflux and colicky babies, i am convinced these are the symptoms of her in discomfort or even in pain...she usually will scrunch and twist and turn till her face turns red while making these sounds and it really really pains me greatly.

I've seen a PD lately and she prescribed Motilium, but to my horror, after doing a quick search, i found that this med can cause neurological side effects for young infants whose brains are not fully developed yet! HELP!