Breast Feeding

I only leak occasionally now. I mostly leak on the days that I've been pumping.

I've had supply issues from day 1 so I never really leaked. I used to leak out the other side for his first nursing session in the morning. Rarely I might leak a tiny bit on the opposite side now.

How is everything going Shauna? Is it getting any better?

I only leak in the morning on the rare occasions that Ethan has slept longer than usual. I have just started wearing pads through the night just incase but have never worn any during the day.

Q -I have just started expressing last thing at night to build up a store for going back to work. Guidelines here say it can stay frozen for 6mths. However, I can only get 2oz max anyone got words of wisdom to increase this? I would love to be able to get maybe 5/6oz!

Rachel, things are going alright. He hasn't had formula in a month! I slowly stopped pumping/supplementing and I now only pump in the middle of the night. I tried one night going all day without supplementing (with bm) but he was up every 2 hours at night, so I'm still using the lactation aid with about 1.5oz bm the last time I feed him at night. He used to eat every 3 hours but now it's more like every 1.5-2 hours. I am soooo glad to not have to pump in between each session. It was getting near impossible. I still find it very difficult to trust my body. If D cries at all I assume he's hungry, so he's pretty much attached to the boob all day long. It's become a bit of a problem, as it's beginning to become a crutch to stop him crying. I just don't know his hunger cues anymore. He also tends to get hungry around the same time he'd get tired for a nap, and falls asleep while nursing. He gets just enough zzz's then to wake him up so he won't nap, but not as much as he needs so I think that's adding to his fussiness.

Charlie, I've heard that it can take a while for your body to get accustomed to pumping. Although it seems like a small amount, 2 oz isn't that bad. Early morning is best for pumping output. Your supply is at the lowest in the evenings. Things to up your supply: fenugreek, lots and lots of water, flaxseed, oats (oatmeal is great!). On the tww side there's a sticky with a recipe for lactation cookies. They are absolutely delicious and work wonders!

Shauna that's great you haven't needed the formula in a month!! I am actually the same with Ethan. He cries, I give him boob. It's hard to distinguish hungry cries now because I don't ever let him get hungry. I'm quick to feed! I don't think you should feel guilty about it at all. He isn't old enough to self soothe yet. Maybe if he was a lot older and still needing boobie it would be different. But you are doing a great job!

This may be totally random.. But does anyone else have majorly whacked dreams? I stopped BFing my first DD after a month(i didn't have the knowledge i do now) and i didn't have any crazy dreams like i do now a lot of nights. Could be something hormonal with BFing?? And most of my crazy dreams are scary, i just had on that was kinda like clover field and i had Kat with me...needless to say i woke up with my heart pounding about to pop outta my chest.

jamiemarie wrote:Question for you ladies: is anyone else still leaking?

I was finally able to stop sleeping with a bra on and manage not leaking at night but whenever I feed Jacob the other side always lets down and drips all over me. Is that going to stop or am I stuck with leaky boobs for the next 8 months or more?

Yup. I leak ALOT at let down. I should start pumping the other side when I'm feeding Scarlet.
Or if it's time to feed her when we're out or something, I will leak, and I know that if I don't wear pads out in public, I will leak.

I just started going bra less at nights because I've missed not wearing a bra 24/7 and I do fine. I just put a burp cloth over my other boob at let down.


Anyone else get really engorged if they skip a feeding?
Scarlet rarely gets bottles, but I usually bring one if we're going to a cookout or party & I know I'm going to have a drink. If there is a day that Scarlet gets a bottle, I get so engorged till the next day

Krystina85 wrote:
I just started going bra less at nights because I've missed not wearing a bra 24/7 and I do fine. I just put a burp cloth over my other boob at let down.

I do the same thing with the burp cloth! I get engorged if Jacob misses a feeding but I'm fine after I feed him.

jamiemarie wrote:Question for you ladies: is anyone else still leaking?

I was finally able to stop sleeping with a bra on and manage not leaking at night but whenever I feed Jacob the other side always lets down and drips all over me. Is that going to stop or am I stuck with leaky boobs for the next 8 months or more?

I still leak sometimes for no reason lol. I also always leak from the other side that Emma isn't eating from when my milk lets down, I to miss sleeping without a bra BUT I found a tank top with a built in shelf bra at walmart in the pj section and i have been wearing that to sleep in it is so much more comfy then a bra to sleep in and it holds my nursing pads in place for the most part I just love it.

Kiarah wrote:This may be totally random.. But does anyone else have majorly whacked dreams? I stopped BFing my first DD after a month(i didn't have the knowledge i do now) and i didn't have any crazy dreams like i do now a lot of nights. Could be something hormonal with BFing?? And most of my crazy dreams are scary, i just had on that was kinda like clover field and i had Kat with me...needless to say i woke up with my heart pounding about to pop outta my chest.

Didn't know how to quote 2 things in one post lol so i just made another post lol.
Anyways I have been having CRAZY dreams lately also never thought it could still be hormonal or something lol. But i just have vivid dreams all the time and thats not like me.

I know...i thought i had crazy dreams while pregnant but these ones are NUTS!

But for those of you who knew that i was going to be pumping for a friends baby they are adopting...well they told me 'never mind' the father thinks i'll be dried up regardless of what i try to tell him that its supply and demand..you don't dry up over night. And that FF is just 'easier'....so i guess its no use trying to force something upon someone..saddens me tho..

Sarah: It is a bummer that they chose formula instead but it is still noble that you were willing to do that for your friend My friends father kept telling her in the beginning to just give up on BFing because formula would be "easier" but now that she is almost a month and my friend can essentially sleep through the feedings he sees it is easier to BF

Sarah-that's a bummer about the pumping. I know you were really excited to be able to do that for someone. Too bad they don't want to accept what you've got to give.

I leak on occassion. When I feel the letdown on the opposite side, I usually just compress my opposite nipple and it doesn't leak. If I don't put pressure on it, it will leak. I don't really get that engorged anymore. Dh does one feeding a day in the AM...after that, I usually have one side that is engorged, but only because it has usually been 7-8 hours (or more) since Carter has eaten on one side. (He still only eats from one side) Not sure if that makes sense. if it has only been 4-5 hours though, I'm not engorged.

Holy engorgement I forgot what it was like. My little guy has been STTN the night now (10 hours woo!!!!) and I woke up and I was FULL. Ouch! I forgot what it was like! I almost woke him up just to empty me

Count me in with the crazy dreams. They are just as wild as when I was pregnant. Except there is no sex. All I dreamt about while pregnant was sex. Now if I dream about sex, it's probably a nightmare

In my dreams...i'll have a let down..and wake up SOAKED..sometime i sleep topless on a towel(just to save a bra and shirt!) and ill wake up with the towel totally drenched because i just had a letdown in my dream...

Hi ladies! I always forget to post here.

About the leaking, I have finally stopped leaking! Yay! I can sleep on my tummy again and no more stupid breast pads. I guess occasionally I might leak when Jackson is nursing on one side if the other breast is exposed for some reason, but usually not. I haven't felt engorged for a long time.

Sarah aww that sucks you won't be able to pump for her anymore! How frustrating.

Charlie, keep up the pumping and you'll probably get more. Try to pump at the same time every day, thats' what I did. I started at 1-2 oz at a time, and then could get like 8 at a time towards the end (in the morning, 4-6 in the evening). But I did read in my BFing book that 2 oz is very normal when you're also EBF.

I always have crazy dreams so I really can't blame them on BFing!!

This is a weird question, but does anyone feel like you have 2 different babies?? Jackson nursing and Jackson being playful and alert seem so different. I don't know why, when he's attached to my boob the relationship and everything just feels so different. NOT in a bad way at all. Does that make sense? Lol.

Laureen: Has Carter only ever taken one side at a time? Jacob took both sides from the beginning, and then for about a week at almost 3 months he took one side, and then went straight back to both sides. Flips out during the burp & switch, like I can't go fast enough. He's a piggy though.

Rachel: Um, I'm jealous...10 hours?! I finally just got Jacob to go back to 3 and 4 hour stretches at night. He actually slept 5 hours the other day and I woke up with my right boob totally engorged to the point that it actually hurt. I was like whoa I forgot what this felt like! I guess that will happen when it's used to being emptied every two hours like clockwork all day.

Sarah: Sorry to hear that pumping for your friend didn't work out.

Tori: I sort of know what you mean when you talk about the differences in him in different situations. I feel like daytime nursing Jacob and nighttime nursing Jacob is very different. During the day he's usually pretty alert and looking around, but at night he's so peaceful and relaxed. I love experiencing the differences, but my favorite is nighttime nursing because he is so cuddly.

Glad to hear I'm not the only one still leaking. DH thinks it's hysterical because I'll change into my PJ's around 9pm and Jacob will need to eat at least once before I go to bed and if I forget to put the burp cloth on my other boob I get a big wet spot...

We also only do one breast at a feeding unless he is super hungry then I will offer the second breast. But all my breastfeeding books said to stick to one breast because of the hindmilk/foremilk issue.

glad to hear I am not the only one still leaking

I think I've only offered the 2nd breast once! I only feed on one side for the same reason as babyjink.

Jamie - My husband and I are reading 2 sleeping books and then combining methods. I'm reading No Cry Sleep Solution and he is reading Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. I really recommend both. They are very opposite in some ways, but we are pulling idea's we like from both.

Jamie-He's pretty much always only taken 1 breast. I've been offering both the past few days with his PM feeding before bed and he seems to do well. I'm trying to get him to get more hindmilk, as I think this is a problem for us. His poops are usually green and he has issues with gas.

Rachel-I've heard great things about those books.

Sara-wow, you must leak a TON of milk to soak your shirt! When i did leak, it was usually only a few drops...with the exception of day 5PP when my bbs were as big as my head and exploding with milk!

Man i still leak..mostly its just when Kats nursing, the other side will leak..and its a powerful leak. I'm talking i could spray you with it if you sat right in front of me. (i've had a two foot stream before! NO LIE!) I only really leak once ever two hours like if she's napping thru when she would normally be eating if she was awake..if that makes sense..lol

Am I the only one who is still engorged in the morning??

Nope, if Kat sleeps all night (5 or more hours at a time i mean) i wake up really really full! If she pulls a 7hr sleep i get woken up by my throbbing breastacles!

My left boob was WAY engorged this morning but Alex only woke up once during the night so it was more than ready to burst LOL