I don't know too much about breastfeeding and so far with Zane it has been going really well. I tried with Karlee but it was horrible and I hated it.
I have some questions so if anyone has some answers I would love to hear.
-How much water should I be drinking everyday?... If your only drinking water, will your milk still be filling for baby or will it be watery? This might be a dumb question but for some reason in my head I feel like I should drink milk or something else.
-When is the best time to pump? I feed him about every 4 hours and after I feed him, there is hardly anything to pump. I am only trying to pump because every-once in a while I will be going in office for work and will need to leave a bottle for the babysitter. At this rate, It will take me 2 days to have enough for 1 tiny bottle.
-Are their certain foods that help build your milk supply up? My mom seems to think that lettuce used to help her.
-If I feel like I have a sore throat or might be getting sick, should I stop nursing? Will my baby get sick if I keep nursing?
Dont laugh at me. This has been a rocky road for me. I know that breast feeding is good for my baby so I am willing to try and put my best effort into it. I hated it with Karlee and swore I would never even try with my next baby. Zane has been really good but its still not an easy thing to do. I like that it is convenient and I dont have to wake up and go make a bottle, or that I get to have time alone with my little guy.... but, sometimes it makes me feel like a single parent. Sometimes I wish I could just have a break and Allen could feed him.
Any tips or words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated right about now.
8 comments:
Try this website. http://www.breastfeedingbasics.com/html/Nutrition.shtml
okay, so i'm kind of pissed. i just wrote a huge long comment, and it didn't post. so i'll try my best to say the same thing again...
http://www.kellymom.com/
is a great website for breastfeeding.
i drink about 3-5 bottles of water a day. your milk won't be watery if you drink lots of water. just remember cows drink water, not milk.. so you don't have to drink milk to make milk! :) but i do understand that logic. you just have to drink liquids to keep your body hydrated to make the milk. obviously, try to avoid soda and things like that.
the best time to pump is when he does his long stretch of sleep. if he is consistent nursing every 4 hours all day long, then at one point, or a couple times, during the day pump at 2 hours. your milk supply will increase to make this happen. your body also knows the difference between the pump and the baby, and will work harder to make milk when he is on. it might be slow, or he might get a little frustrated the first couple of days, but your milk supply will increase and then you'll be fine.
always keep protein in your diet, but i don't know about specific foods. things that do help, is keeping zane close to your boobs. your boos are smart big guys. so having him in the sling is a great thing, if you keep him close to you, your milk supply will stay good. also, i don't know if he has a binky, but even if he does, sometimes (as annoying as it is) let him do a binky suck after he's done nursing, that'll help your supply too. did that make sense?
and if you're getting sick, the best thing for him is to keep nursing! your milk has tons of nutritions and everything in it. just because you're sick, doesn't mean he'll get sick too. he's less likely to get sick if you keep nursing.
and if this posts as Nate, it's not him, it's Malerie... don't think my husband is a creep.
oh, and those are things that worked best for me... i don't know how many of them are true actual facts. but i am pretty sure most of them are right anyway! :)
When you figure it all out, let me know because I have no idea what I am getting myself into!!
Go to the natural foods store and ask them what teas you can by that increase milk supply. I think one is called Mothers Milk or something. Or Fenugeek? haha
When I was "attempting to breastfeed" the LS told me to try breastfeeding and then right after pump, it will trick your body into thinking it needs to make more milk. I remember I wouldn't get anything either just like you said and then one day I became a cow and could pump like no other. Kingston never breastfed off me but he drank my milk from a bottle for about 3 months. The bigger Zane gets the more milk he'll drink and your body will know that.
Suz- I did everything .. and I mean EVERYTHING to get enough milk to nurse Lincoln. I would only get 2 ounces every 4 hours. I went to many LS and they told me to pump more frequently, drink lots of water, eat healthy and make sure to get enough sleep. They said to make sure to keep a nursing/pumping schedule - even if your baby is sleeping. So make sure to get up in the middle of the night (if he is sleeping longer than the 4 hours). Try nursing every 4 hours and pump every 2 hours. Like Mal said - it will take a few days to get your milk on a schudule. BUT at this point - you could have lost your milk like I had. I was on the vitamin Fenugreek and it didn't help. I also got on a prescription to help inhance my milk supply but it didn't work. I also started getting some shots to help increase it - it did nothing.
At one point you may just need to stop because It won't be worth it. And if that is the case - do it. DON'T LET ANYBODY TELL YOU YOU ARE A TERRIBLE MOM FOR NOT NURSING! for me it just wasn't possible anymore. Look at it this way - if it gets too stressful and hard and your milk starts to decrease, at least he got the colostrum :)
Suzie,
Don't feel dumb about asking questions like these. My advice. DON'T WORRY YOUR DOING A GREAT JOB. I have witnessed many people worry too much and end up loosing their milk because they are dieting a certain way. I stick to the diet that my mother did and my sister did... NO DIET. :) So I'm no pro. but I've been nursing Sylvie for almost ten months straight and I'm quite proud of that:)
So I drink enough water. But I don't measure how much or count the glasses... and I have 1-2 32oz caffinated drinks a day!!! So did my sister and mother. u should drink as much water as you can. But I am also pregnant and still I drink as much as my body craves... :) I don't really listen to the DRINK SO MUCH or what not. I drink lots of milk too. I take like a HUGE milk jug to bed with me everynight!!! mmm milk. But I have done my research drinking so much water doesnt make ur milk watery. or whatnot. U cannot control the consistency of ur milk. I have tried. And learned u can't. But if your body is craving milk DRINK IT. your body will tell you what you need.
-I didnt really pump and don't really pump still. Best time to pump so your not GETTING MORE MILK or not pruducing enough is when you are at the office. . . or if he skips a feeding (like in the middle of the night) I know it sounds dumb but they say to pump during a time when baby should be eating but isnt. so... thats all i got there.
-I wouldnt be too concerned about a diet or certain foods. I have known a couple of girls that got so worried about this they lost their milk supply because they weren't eating enough. Just get ENOUGH CALORIES to supply ur milk. But I still have a large supply and i'm nursing and pregnant and I don't feel like I eat enough. Lol. But your baby will get what he needs. When I was doing my research on nursing while pregnant they offered alot of information that really helped. My baby in my belly is a leach and will take everything what would suffer is me and my milk. So they reccomend to get enough calories to supply for u and ur baby and also get enough calcium. they said take calcium suppliments if u don't get enough. But i eat alot of high calcium foods. so drink all the milk you want:) oh and they said lots of water, take ur prenatals EVEN IF YOUR NOT PREGNANT and make sure to get enough sleep!!! You can loose your milk due to lack of sleep and stress. Your baby wont get sick from nursing. But you just need to watch what you take and don't take anything that says NOT IF YOUR BREASTFEEDING.
believe me I'm not laughing. Alot of people struggle with this. I did alot at first. Its a battle... eventually you will become pro!!! MY GREATEST ADVICE. DON'T STRESS. don't worry too much about what your eating or what your not eating... if you aren't drinking enough water and what not. You will do fine!!!!! and some people are kinda crazy about this stuff. Just know that me and megan and my mama... didn't worry too much about this kinda stuff and we have been able to nurse all our babies... my mom even nursed her last one till she was 3!!! ewww. she's gross. lol. I sooo love nursing! I hope all is well. If you have any more questions for me. Or just wanna talk. Gemme a call or send me a message!!! 435-668-1268! i'm a good listener:)
oh and remember. it is such a natural thing. he will get all he needs. don't worry about that. ur body was ment to do this. don't give up!!
Post a Comment