Pregnant and Breastfeeding/Tandem feeding Support Thread part 2

[Vicku]

All you PG and BF mamas, please continue to chat here

Continued on from ... http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=54357.0

[*Ali*]

That's me.
DS is still feeding strong.

[tigerlilly905]

Me too.. LOL.. I think it's just you and me right now Ali DS bf'ed twice yesterday, twice so far today...

cute pic, btw!

[*Ali*]

cute pic, btw!

Thanks. It was a joke for DH's birthday card. I put a slogan at the bottom saying "Daddy, as it's your birthday relax and I will take care of the finances today". It was well received.
We BF about 7 times today, I lost count. DS is still sick so taking more boob than solids.

[sparrow]

Hey ladies!  I'm pregnant and bf'ing my 16 month old.  Do you plan to wean before your next baby comes or tandem nurse?  Are you finding bf'ing painful?  I only hurt on one of my nipples for some reason.  Only for the first few seconds though.  Going to see what my midwife says about it.

[tigerlilly905]

Congrats Sparrow!! How far along are you???

I'm still thinking I will wean DS before DS2 comes along in April, but I'm still not 100% sure.  I kind of think Tandem nursing will make the transition with the new baby more difficult on DS.  I do still plan on giving both DS1 and DS2 my milk though, so I will probably pump and give it to DS1 in his sippy cup while I bf the baby, kwim?

How has your supply been so far? Have you noticed a decrease at all?

I've gone through off and on pain with my nipples. Right now it's not so bad, but in the beggining it was REALLY painful.  It was also only for the first little bit... then it almost seemed like the pain went numb. LOL

Ali - how are you doing? Is Cadan still nursing alright?  How is your supply keeping up?

[*Ali*]

Hi Sparrow. Welcome and congrats on your pg. When are you due? I am due 8 Aug.
My nipples are definitely sore for the first 10 seconds ish, one more so than the other. All the other pg ladies I have spoken to have the same probs but I haven't actually asked my mw. Let us know what s/he says about it.
I am undecided about going tandem. I initially wanted to feed for 2yrs but DS will be 20mo when LO#2 arrives so I'm not sure. If he self-weans before that I will probably just let it happen. We are feeding 3 or 4x/day at the moment. I definitely want to have cut that down to just morning and BT by the time the new baby comes. But maybe he will start demanding more once he sees me feeding another baby. What are your plans?
I am still feeding Cadan fine thanks Rebecca. Not sure how my supply is. They never feel full but he has a good 15min feed in the morning and 3-8mins at BT and any daytime feeds we do. After nap especially is nearer the 8mins. It's hard to tell if he isn;t getting much as solids are his main source of food now so I guess he would just fill up on those anyhow.
I think Im too lazy to pump but maybe I'll change my mind nearer the time.
 

[sparrow]

I'm due August 15th.  I've noticed that if I don't drink lots of water my supply goes down more than it used to.  I've heard that around 20 weeks it goes down a lot and that the taste changes.  When I got pregnant she was nursing a lot, and asking for it even more.  I've been so exhausted (she doesn't sleep well) so I've cut back to 2 or 3 times a day.  This has helped the supply and I'm back to enjoying it rather than finding it too much.

I was also planning on bf'ing for 2 years but dd will be 23 months when the new bub arrives.  So it's tricky... not sure if I should try to wean her before.  The thought of tandem nursing seems overwhelming and exhausting but I also don't want dd to feel like she got kicked off the boob!  Weaning right before such a huge transition in her life would be a bit much so I'd probably want to do it a few months before.  I've also heard that often kids self-wean because of the change in taste, but I would be very surprised if dd self-weaned! 

I had never thought of pumping for her -- I was given a pump but I never used it much and she never took a bottle.  Now she uses a cup so she could get the nutrition but boobs would just be for baby. Hmmm now there's a thought...

[tigerlilly905]

I've heard that around 20 weeks it goes down a lot and that the taste changes.

YUP!! I didn't notice any decrease until that point.  Around 19 weeks it dropped dramatically.... THEN DS went on a nursing strike for almost a month (I think because of the taste...) but I kept pumping, taking supplements ect. and I still have my milk, though not as much. If you read back on the previous thread I've talked about it alot, so I won't keep talking about it now   DS has resumed nursing though, and I get donor BM from SIL and a close friend to help with what I can't produce.

I also read on the kellymom site that milk usually starts to change into colostrum between the 4th - 6th mth of pregnancy. Although I have noticed a really dramatic change in my milk and I *thought* it was changing to colostrum, it still hasn't yet. I'm in my 7th month now.. I wonder if I should be concerned?  I really want DS2 to get the benefits of colostrum!  I see my OB on Monday so I will be sure to ask him (but TBH I don't think he's ever had a preg & bf'ing mom at his practice)  I'm sure he's learnt about it in school though and will have some thoughts.

I had never thought of pumping for her -- I was given a pump but I never used it much and she never took a bottle.  Now she uses a cup so she could get the nutrition but boobs would just be for baby. Hmmm now there's a thought...

Yes, I plan on pumping for DS1 until he's at least 2.  Why not right?  I pump every morning anyways (as that's always when my supply is the highest).  And I would like to give DS2 milk for at least 2 yrs as well... thinking about it, that will be a LONG time to be lactating, but hey, it's worth it for the health of my boys

[*Ali*]

Hi ladies, how's things? It has been quiet on here lately.
I am REALLY suffering now with sore nipples, the left one especially. Is has gone all dry and peeling and is so raw when Cadan feeds from it. I literally have to curl my toes and count until the pain subsides, usually about 30 seconds. I rubbed some nipple ointment on it a couple of times few days ago and it did help with the driness but it is still really sore. Ladies who are further along please tell this gets better...?
I was wondering how much milk I actually have an whether it has dried up as we are only feeding 3x a day now for 25, 15 and 5 mins normally. I squeezed the nipple just after DS fed and some spurted out easily so I guess there is some there at least. I am 14w4d now so not long until it turns I suppose.

[sparrow]

Oh it's good to hear I'm not the only one... my left nipple is also SO sore for about 30 seconds.  Toe curling, yes!  I don't know if this will help you, but I find when I nurse her lying down (lying on left side because that's the one that hurts the most) the pain is significantly less. When I nurse her sitting up it's almost unbearable.  I don't know why but it really helps. I hadn't done lying down nursing since she was way younger but it's almost all I do now.  I really hope this pain subsides ... I'm also 14 weeks along.

[tigerlilly905]

Hi Ladies!  Yes, it has been quiet! I think it's only the 3 of us here!! We're still plugging along... will most likely be weaning DS in the next month or so though, as I really want to try and make the transition for the new baby that much easier.  I still don't think we'll be tandem nursing here, but even once DS1 is weaned I will keep pumping away...

Sorry to hear about the sore nipples ladies.  I've found it to be a bit better lately, but I'm also 30 weeks now, so I don't know how encouraging that is... its still a little sore, but I think the first and second tri were way worse.

I spoke with my OB about still not having colostrum yet... he was a bit clueless... argh, men   He did say that he thinks once the placenta is delivered, that's when there's a HUGE hormone change so maybe it might happen then? I just don't get why it hasn't started to change yet.  My milk seems a bit thinner... less fat, I guess you could say, so maybe it's slowly changing still?  Maybe I will see the change once I wean DS??? I have no clue?!

[sparrow]

I think colostrum comes at different times for every woman.  My friend was leaking colostrum from the beginning of her 2nd trimester, I only noticed a tiny bit towards the very end of my pregnancy.  I wouldn't worry about it, I'm sure it will come in time for the new baby!

[*Ali*]

Thanks ladies.
I imagine the lying down nursing is more comfortable as the mouth rubs on a different bit of the nipple maybe? I might try it but also haven't really done it since Cadan was about 6mo.

[timmysmommy]

Hi ladies!  I just took a pregnancy test this morning and it was positive.  Has anyone ever gotten a false positive?  Af never returned, but my supply has dropped and I've been feeling really crummy and hungry so I thought what the heck take a test.  I am too afraid it's a false positive to be excited yet.  DS had just dropped his night feeds, and last weekend, I had my first 24 hrs away from DS, and then I got food poisoning, so I didn't eat much for a few days while my tummy was healing.  This past weekend I've been feeling really really tired, nauseous, and hungry, so I thought I would pick up a test.  What do you all think?