Hi There, Just wondering if anyone is exclusively pumping, as I am considering it, even a bit more then considering, I have been pumping only since yesterday morning having done a bit of research on it. My little man is 2 weeks and 3 days old, and i desperately wanted/want to breast feed, but have had major sore boobs and nipples, so much so that when he feeds from them i freeze up and am in tears, which is not good for him and is not good for me, Im afraid if it continued PND would set in. The communtiy nurese said pumping till my breast are healed is a good idea, but Im now just thinking of puming full stop. I have a doc appointment today and will see what she says, but Im now almost afraid of the pain of breast feeding before it even starts ! Anyway, anyone else in a similar situation or pumpimg full time or even part time ?? Susie
BridgetQ
Posted - 06/10/2008 : 13:37:34
Hi Suzie,
I just wanted to empatjise with that awful pain when they first latch with sore nipples. I found nipple****ds got me through the very sore days and after 3rd week I was grand. I went on to feed for 5 months.
Sounds like you are doing everything right and well done for getting so far in such discomfort.
Sorry I can't answer your question but wanted to empathise...
12novbaby
Posted - 06/10/2008 : 14:43:39
Susie2 I exlcusively pumped for a week but I was knackered from it. I did not have a big supply but would have to wake up and pump during night before babies feed. If you have a bigger supply and can pump all you need during the day see how you get on. I had v sore nipples and really got tense when DS tried to latch on. After about 3 weeks I out him onto bottle and I could not cope. I did end up with PND but could not definitely confirm if it was related to my inability to breastfeed. If I have another baby they are getting a bottle straight away as I could not handle that stress again.
wee bump
Posted - 06/10/2008 : 14:48:55
Hi suzie. I tried pumping and didn't get very much out, but then I only had a little portable pump. I remember that pain when feeding too, and the crying when feeding, but I have to say it got better over time, and I went on to feed for 6 months. If you are determined to stop, though, I think pumping is a fantastic idea, as your baby will still be getting breast milk. I think you'd be better off with a decent hospital grade pump in order to get good quantities of milk out. I'm sure your phn or doc could recommend one. Hopefully someone will come along here who has done a lot of expressing. Best of luck.
Mullbury
Posted - 06/10/2008 : 16:47:10
Hi Susie2,
I was the same as you when I had my dd2 it was so painful. I used to be jumping off the couch trying to latch her on and they say that breastfeeding is natural!!! I had to pump like you and did it for 3 weeks (was afraid to latch her back on in case it was painful) but thankfully all went well and I'm now feeding her for 9 months and loving every minute of it. Don't be too hard on yourself as I was told that I was doing the wrong thing by pumping as it would mess up my supply etc but it worked for me
poupee
Posted - 06/10/2008 : 16:48:46
Hi Susie
I ended up pumping and giving formula to supplement as I had loads of problems getting bf established. My baby was in hosp for 5 days when he was 1-2 weeks old and I found taht rally mucked up my supply of milk just as it was coming in, and then I also got an infection in my uterus, which also restricted my milk supply. Anyway, I got into expressing in the hospital and if you're going to do a lot of it I would strongly recommend renting a hospital grade pump as they are much quicker and more effective than the little handheld ones - I got the Medela Symphony and found it great. I rented mine from medicare and it was about ?150 for a month. And I totally sympathise with you re the pain - I was in agony and the pump was great respite! However, it is really not a substitute for proper breastfeeding as it takes up so much time - pumping then feeding the bottle of expressed milk. And you need to do all the sterilising so get none of the convenience of bf. In my case I changed to formula after 6 weeks and I reckon the pump helped me give the baba breast milk until then, as I would have given up sooner without it. But if you want to give bf a real try, then I would persevere and try to get through the pain as expressing exclusively isn't practical in the long run. HTH
Susie2
Posted - 06/10/2008 : 17:33:53
Hi, Thanks for all your replys. I went to the doctor this afternoon and it turns out that I have mastitus on one breast and a bunch of blocked milk ducts on the same side, so that hasnt been helping the situation. Im now on antibiotics, so hopefully they will kick in soon. In the meantime, she said to continue to pump for another couple of days and see how the breasts/nipples feel then. So, my plan is to do that and see how I get on with him latching on after that. I do have a very good pump, its the Medela Pump In Style Advanced, which does douple pumping, so its not too time consuming, but yeah the steriling is constant ! For those that got through that awful pain of breast feeding, did it gradually get better or how did it ease ? Did your nipples turn to leather ?!
Susie2
Posted - 06/10/2008 : 17:36:07
Forgot to say, BridgetQ, Im off to google nipple ****ds ! Thanks
Lalalala
Posted - 06/10/2008 : 18:23:01
I'm BF'ing DS2 and am using nipple shi**ds at every feed due to poor latch. On DS1 I didnt use them cos I listened too much to the phn, and I got really sore nipples and had a rough time for the first few weeks. My nipples were all blistered and I didnt look forward to feeding DS1 at all. It did get better a few weeks in and I BF'd for about 4 months in all. This time is sooo much easier with the shi**ds, there is no pain at all and DS2 gets a great feed from me. If he continues to feed well I'll keep going with it as long as it works for us. I got the Avent ****ds, you can get them in most chemists, mothercare etc. Give them a try before you decide just to express, cos if baby isnt actually latching on your supply will eventually dry up. Good luck!
Mistina
Posted - 06/10/2008 : 19:39:34
Hi, sorry to hear that your having such a hard time. I was reading through the other comments and just thought i'd add my 2c. I was very sore for the first 3 weeks with my ds, i tried the ****ds but i just couldn't get them to work on my nipples so i gave up on them (there were just to many tears), Then i was told about Lansinoh cream and that saved my life. It can be used before and after feeding, so thats what i did and after a week or so i was fine to feed without any aid. There is also a camomile cream that you can use after feeding and that is very soothing. Its not an instant cure but it definiatly made it more barable. How it gets better, my ds is nearly 9mths and i'm still feeding. I would swear that the first 2-3 weeks are the worst.
esdad
Posted - 06/10/2008 : 22:18:39
can't offer you much advise on pumping but wanted to sympathise. I had similar problems (bleeding at each feed, mastisitis, etc) with DD 5 years ago but have to say I perservered, got some help from local support group and ended up feeding her for 9 months and am now feeding 3rd baby (6 weeks old). But what I wanted to really say was would you consider a session with a lactation consultant? My biggest regret was that I didn't pick up the phone and call one with my DD - I think I was embarrased at the state of my nipples but looking back on it I really wish I had, it would have saved me so much heartache and pain. I have seen some ads for one on this website and in the Golden Pages. I hope things continue to improve for you but if you are still unsure about feeding and sore I would defo suggest trying a lactation consultant.
stef1
Posted - 07/10/2008 : 00:12:52
Susie2, just to say that yes it does get better after just a few weeks. With DS1 I was bleeding after only 4 days so can totally relate... I use to put him in front of B to start feeding but then pull him back as just the tought of it was terrifying. I got ****ds and it got better very quickly with them. With DS2 it was sore for a couple of weeks, didn't bleed so wasn't as bad but still the first couple of weeks it's painful. Fed them for 8.5 and 10.5 months in the end, it's worth it as it is so so convenient once established. Hope it gets sorted and you get to enjoy the benefits as much as your baba does.
stef1
Posted - 07/10/2008 : 00:17:40
if you had your baby in HSt they have a BF consultant you can visit at the out-patient clinic (it was on a Friday morning when I had DS1 4 years ago)... free.
lolomca
Posted - 07/10/2008 : 08:57:21
Hi I was exclusively pumping when I had DD. Had lots of problems for first week with BF and decided the only way I could continue to give DD breast milk was to express. I used the medala pump, I bought it in a local pharmacy it was great. I continued expressing for 5 months and only stopped because my supply was getting low. Would definitely advise you to continue pumping at night, if you don't your supply will not last as long. I stopped pumping at night when DD was a little over 4 months and gradually my milk decreased and I had to start topping up with formula. Good luck.
Susie2
Posted - 07/10/2008 : 09:57:14
Right, Im feeling very confident about these nipples ****ds after reading your posts. Lalala, your right about the PHN, although she is very helpful and so nice, she is not very pro nipple ****d, its so hard when the pro's are telling you this that and the other. Im defo going to buy them today and give them a go later or tomorrow. Its so reasurring to hear so many of you had similar heart ache at the beginning, i just couldnt see it getting better. Like that, my nipples were bleeding etc. I had a c-section, so otherwise I'd be jumping in the car right now to go get the ****ds, but I'll have to wait to try and get a lift or else send an emabarrased DH to the chemist on his lunch break from work !! Lolomca, 5 mths was great for pumping. How often did you pump ? I have been pumping about every 3hrs, and get about 3-4 oz each go, which isnt alot, but i think thats because one side has numerous blocked ducts. Will let you know how I get on with the ****ds : ) Fingers crossed !
Susie2
Posted - 07/10/2008 : 09:59:04
Esdad, am off to google lactation consultants now, thanks : )
zucch
Posted - 07/10/2008 : 10:17:18
hi sus... i was pumping for two weeks full time,,, my boobs was the same, and i was so afraid to put baby on my breast again,,, and i think the full time pumping is much easier tnan feed stright from breast, because after the baby eats its hard to pump out what is left, couse its so sore, so better pump it all out with pump,, its the same breasfeed, just from bottle,, good luck to you,, hope this helped
Susie2
Posted - 07/10/2008 : 10:30:02
Hi Zucch, Mad that we are here on New Moms now ! Hope your getting on well with your liitle one. Did you choose to stop pumping after two weeks or did your milk dry up ? How much did you manage to pump each time and how often ?
zucch
Posted - 07/10/2008 : 11:53:42
Heya,,, i was breastfeeding and pumping for first two weeks,, then my nipples gone mad, had bleeding and very sore them,, then i choose to pump only, the nipples got better, so i did it for two weeks after,, now im pumpinp when breasts is full and very hard,,, at the start i had around 260 ml from one breast,, but now i have like 120 ml from both together,,, i use to not pump all out after, couse i wanted to finish but breasts got sore, so need to wait till its very full and then pump empty,, in those two weeks i use to pump every 4 hours and it was great,, baby never hungry,,, so if u want to keep breastfeed just pump it out every 4 hours and no matter how much milk, everyone have different, just make sure your boobs is emty after pumping, so they not gona get painful,, today i have one breast very painful, couse i probably didnt pump all out last nite,, its so horrible pain,,, now my baby is 1 month old and i choose to give him a bottle instead of breastmilk, couse i really want to get rid of that milk, u cant normaly go nowhere, couse breasts is leaking like hell,, but if u manage to pump after every 4 hours or u can choose your hours, then breasts i think will get used to that and not gona leak all the time,, but i had no time for that, now when im bottlefeeding, its more esier and have more time to do smth else,,, its drys up veryu slow,, i hope its gona be gone in next few days, just tired of that milk and painful boobs,, :(
Lalalala
Posted - 07/10/2008 : 11:57:37
good luck susie, hope you find something that works for you. I think it'll actually be great for you that baby is used to taking a bottle, means you can combine feeds from breast and bottle which is best of both worlds in my opinion. We introduced a bottle of expressed milk early on with DS1 so DH could feed him and give me a break, but I still had the skin to skin contact of breastfeeding other times of the day. Will defo do the same this time when DS2 a bit more settled.
Susie2
Posted - 07/10/2008 : 21:13:48
Thanks Lalalala ! Well, Guess what, I got the Advent nipple ****ds and my god, they are the best thing since sliced bread !! I couldnt and still cant beleive the difference, I literally could not feel him latch on at all and yet I could see him sucking away happily. My nipples are a little sore now after, but nothing I cant put up with and not even close to the previous soreness ! So, my new plan is, like you Lalalala, to combine breast and expressed milk through a bottle. Fingers crossed it will all work out. Im going to go to a breast feeding support group tomorrow in the local health centre, i just hope they dont frown on the shileds, as I know some people dont recommend them for some reason. Speaking of the shileds, Lalalala or anybody else , do you know if its ok to use always use them when feeding or are they only meant for temporary use ? Also, there were no cleaning instruction with them, so i just rinsed them and put them in the steam steriliser, is that ok ? Thanks again for all the advice, i really feel like a new person now, even my DH is chuffed at how happy I am : )
Lalalala
Posted - 08/10/2008 : 12:21:50
So glad they work for you!
the support group will probably say they are a good short term solution until your nipples heal, but that long term its best to try to stop using them. The reasons they will give are outlined on this website: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/baby/wean-****d.html
You may well be able to wean off them when you're healed, but if not then don't worry about continuing to use them as long as baby is thriving. I think that if the ****ds are making it possible for you to continue to feed, then that can only be a good thing. Also I think the support group would be more favourable to you using the ****ds then pumping full time. It really depends on how hard-line the group is! Remember though that theie ideal scenario doesnt work for everyone and its about finding what works for you. If the ****ds and pump work for you, great!
I use them at every feed, as DS just doesnt latch on without them. I use them once, then give them a quick wash in hot soapy water, a rinse and into the steriliser before next use.Once I realised they did the trick for me I bought about 3 cases of them (so 6 ****ds) so that I only have to wash and sterilise them once a day and have enough for the next days feeds. I dont want to have to be rushing around sterilising one before a feed if I forgot to do it after the last one! Cost about 18 euro to stock up on them, but well worth it if you ask me.
Susie2
Posted - 08/10/2008 : 20:17:00
Thanks Lalala, was thinking I will probably buy buy a few more. The meeting went well today, was more of an informal chat with others, so no real mention of the breast ****ds. What I did find out though is that me little guy has thrush in his little mouth and so do I on my nipples ! I thought he might so asked the nurse to have a look and i was right. Flippin one thing after another, but on a good side, thats probably been contributing to the sore nipples too, so I have drops for him and am to rub it onto my nipples aswell, so hopefully there will be further improvment again from that healing. Did you or your baby's ever have it ?
Lalalala
Posted - 09/10/2008 : 19:45:21
Hmm not that i know of, but that's not to say we didnt have it and just didnt realise! what are the things to look out for?
Susie2
Posted - 12/10/2008 : 18:06:34
Its not very nice, but saying that I didnt know I had it until I went to my GP for the 2 week check up. My nipples have been so sore for all the above reasons, but also becuase I had/have thrush on them. They look red/pinkish and are a bit cracked. I thought this was just due to poor latching on or just until my nipples hardened up, but no, its thrush ! His tongue had a white film over it, again I though it was just milk residue, but no. He also had a few white spots on the inside of his cheeks. His has nearly all cleared up now, but my nipples are still very sore and I dont think they are getting any better. Thank god for the nipple ****ds !! I think I'll have to go back to the doc next week.
Lalalala
Posted - 12/10/2008 : 19:47:18
Ouch doesnt sound nice, you poor thing. The things that don't even cross your mind before babies arrive huh?! Hope it clears up soon. DS2 being a little bugger on the breast the last couple of days. Keeps falling asleep after 5 mins and no matter how many times I take him off, wake him and put him back on he keeps falling asleep! He's pretty much on an eat, activity, sleep routine so its not like he's due a sleep after his feed. He's getting less into him so looking for it more often which is doing my head in! Reckon I'll be introducing the bottle of expressed tomorrow to get a break.
Exclusively Breast Pumping
Posted - 06/10/2008 : 13:25:30
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