hi..i posted before about my sagga to breastfeeding my newborn who is now 3 month old. i'd had a breast lift 10 years ago and didn't know if i could nurse this baby (nursed the previous 3 kids, prior to breast surgery, for 2 years each). anyway, i ended up having milk that came through to the nipple (still unsure about the quantity of my supply) but within days of leaving the hospital i suffered horrible nipple break down (cracks, bleeding nips) most likely from a poor latch and yeast. it was so bad i couldn't take the enormous pain after two weeks and quit....well i quit for about a week. my conscience set in and i realized i couldn't not nurse her and began to try again. with reglan and then motilium i was able to get a milk supply back and after 6-7 weeks of weaning her off the formula/bottle we are finally totally breastfeeding now and for the past 3-4 weeks.

my question is, when is the soreness going to end? i have healed the cracks and though the tissue has scars, i still suffer those first few moments or minute she latches.

another question..though i've gotten back to nursing 100% i'm still not sure i'm making enough milk to satisfy her. she seems to get frustrated sometimes at the breast (probably in part from nipple confusion still..)but it seems like she isn't getting satisfied and i never really feel very full..except a bit first thing in the am. i know if i give her the bottle that's bad because that could hurt my supply, but what if my supply is already inadequate because of my prior breast surgery and i just didn't realize it until now? what do i do in that case?

TIA

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3 months= another huge growth spurt time.

i'd had a breast lift 10 years ago and didn't know if i could nurse this baby (nursed the previous 3 kids, prior to breast surgery, for 2 years each). anyway, i ended up having milk that came through to the nipple (still unsure about the quantity of my supply) but within days of leaving the hospital i suffered horrible nipple break down (cracks, bleeding nips) most likely from a poor latch and yeast. it was so bad i couldn't take the enormous pain after two weeks and quit....well i quit for about a week. my conscience set in and i realized i couldn't not nurse her and began to try again. with reglan and then motilium i was able to get a milk supply back and after 6-7 weeks of weaning her off the formula/bottle we are finally totally breastfeeding now and for the past 3-4 weeks.

my question is, when is the soreness going to end? i have healed the cracks and though the tissue has scars, i still suffer those first few moments or minute she latches.

another question..though i've gotten back to nursing 100% i'm still not sure i'm making enough milk to satisfy her. she seems to get frustrated sometimes at the breast (probably in part from nipple confusion still..)but it seems like she isn't getting satisfied and i never really feel very full..except a bit first thing in the am. i know if i give her the bottle that's bad because that could hurt my supply, but what if my supply is already inadequate because of my prior breast surgery and i just didn't realize it until now? what do i do in that case?

TIA[/quote]
usually pain is gone after 6 or 8 weeks at the most, usually by then, latching is going well etc.

have you tried breast shells? you can get them through medela retailers, you wear them inside your bra, and they promote air flow and prevent bras etc form rubbing niples and causing further irritation. did you have similar pain with you other kids? if not, it may have somethign to do with either your nerves from the breast surgery, or it may have more to do with her latch- has she been evaluated for tongue-tie? this frequently causes poor latch (=pain, and poor milk transfer)


part of her frustration may be the nipple confusion, and part is possibly related to her growth spurt, how frequently is she nursing now? how is her output? if she is having adequate wet and dirty dipes, and hitting milestones, she is getting plenty of milk. if you're that concerned about it, why not have a weight check for her? most lc's have a scale that they can weigh the lil one for you, and some doctors will not charge for weight checks-. is that an option?

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I'm very sorry you're still experiencing pain. I will say I still do off and on at 11 mos. I had breast augmentation years ago and also worried I would not be able to breastfeed. I suffered a loss of supply around 10 weeks, in part due to a one bottle a day routine we started. I reacted badly to Reglan and switched to Motilium which I still take regularly. Like you, even with the drug, I rarely feel full except first thing in the am. But Addi is growing well and a happy baby most of the time. She still prefers nursing to all other food. After my big supply dip it took me about 2 weeks to get her back to exclusive breast and since that time around 12 weeks I can count on one hand how many bottles she has had. She now takes a sippy with water once or twice a day but that hasn't posed a problem for our nursing.

Are you still taking the Motilium? Maybe try taking a low dose to boost yourself or try pumping a little for more stimulation.

Good luck to you.

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yes, i'm sure she's going through a growth spurt about now, but my symptoms have been consistent for several weeks now. i have tried the breast shells in the past..in fact i highly recommend them too..they got me past the cracked nip stage when nothing else would. problem is i slept in them and got mastitis about 6 weeks ago because they put too much pressure on my breast...so i stopped using them then. they are great though, i'll try wearing them again with a looser bra.

the baby is not tongue tied. the ped checked, but i already knew she was okay (my son was tongue tied and the ped then..18 years ago..told me not to worry-he'd be able to nurse and he did just fine...so i knew what to look for). i never had problems that persisted like this with any of the other three kids...it baffles me why now.

i too think it could be related to the breast lift, because sometimes, on one side especially, it feels like a tugging or pulling under the surface of the nipple...maybe scar tissue?? not sure. i wonder sometimes though when i'm nursing and remember that my nipple/areola area is post surgical and not my whole original nipple. i am lucky to be able to nurse at all!

i am currently taking motilium and have for about two months now. i'm thinking pumping might be a good way to gauge how much milk i'm producting..at least to reassure me. because i really do have all good signs otherwise from the baby...plenty of wet diapers, soiled ones look very mustardy and seedy and yellow..developmentally she's amazing. the weight is good from what i know. during the two weeks we first stopped using the bottle she had two peds visits and gained a pound.

i'll try the breast shells and pumping.

thanks

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remember that a kiddo who is nursing well gets milk out lots better than even the best electric pumps

i hope things smooth over for you mama.

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