Im a new mom, and i have a few questions about breastfeeding and some other things...?

Question

ok, i breastfeed my baby exclusivly, and lately if im breastfeeding him, my other breast starts to hurt, and i cant figure out why, i made an appt. with a lactation consultant, but i was wondering if anyone else had this happen, i mean, its a strage sensation, almost as if he is sucking the milk out of both breast at the same time?

another thing im worried about, is he is three weeks old, and very seldom do my breast get engorged, although i heard this happens (where they stop) becuase milk finally regulates, but i use to pump too, well i went to pump the other day, and when he was 2 weeks i could easily pump 4 or 5 ounces out of one breast, but now i can barley make 4 using both breast, he is still eating every 2 hours, and so im worried that maybe im losing my milk? is it possiable, or is he maybe just eating more at his feeding so im not getting as much out...

thanks for help

any other things you feel i should know, feel free to add on

ps. im going to a LLL meeting tongi

Answer 1

the other breast hurts because your milk is letting down and it is probably leaking some when your baby suckles on the other side. its normal and will eventually even out.

he is eating more at feedings than you think. 3-4 weeks there is a huge growth spurt, which is why you are prob still feeding every 2 hrs.

my second child is 3 months old and it doesnt even look or feel like i breast feed but i do. just something about how your body regulates in response to baby's needs. dont worry..you will know when he isnt getting enough when he is fussy for long periods of time and wont calm down.

be sure to be drinking alot of extra water while you breastfeed. dehydration can cause poor milk production and actually taking sips while you are feeding can help stimulate milk let down.

good luck and le leche league is an excellent resource. go to your meeting tonight and discuss your concerns, i know you will get the right answers to your questions.

Answer 2

First, the sensation in the other breast is probably just your milk "letting down". Letdown is when the milk starts to flow, and it is usually stimulated by your baby nursing (although it can also be stimulated by hearing your baby cry or even just thinking about your baby sometimes!). Often the breast that isn't being nursed on at the time will leak when this happens. It will happen a little bit less when your baby gets older, but it still happens to me, and my baby is 15 months old! So I still wear nursing pads in my bra for that purpose.

As far as losing your milk, I don't think that is happening to you from the details you gave. Pumps are not accurate measures of how much milk you are producing, since a baby can empty the breast better than a pump can. It is possible that you were making too much milk when your baby was two weeks old, and your breasts are just now regulating better so that you only produce what your baby needs, which is less than you produced before. But if you are exclusively breastfeeding from the breast with no bottles (which is the ideal situation if it is possible), then your body will know exactly how much milk to make and it will most likely make that amount. You will know when your baby doesn't get enough because he will continue to cry after feedings and he won't wet enough diapers every day. I put a link below to help you know if he is getting enough milk and another link that helps you determine if your supply is truly low (again, I don't think it is, but perhaps this will ease your mind).

Finally, good for you for going to a LLL meeting! It took me until the birth of my second child before I finally went to a meeting and I wish I'd gone when I was still pregnant with my first. They helped me out so much and I'm glad to hear that you are taking advantage of the wonderful resource they can be for you.

Answer 3

You may be feeling letdown in the opposite breast. Is it kind of a pins and needles sensation?

Yes, it's normal for engorgement to go away. Remember that early on your body doesn't know how much milk to make. It doesn't know if you had one baby or triplets so the milk making factory is turned up to full speed! The amount you are pumping may very well have went down due to your supply regulating.

3 weeks is also a very common growth spurt time, which means frequent feeding is normal right now.

Normal for him to still be eating every 2 hours. Remember his tummy is tiny - size of his fist - and breastmilk digests in about 90 minutes.

You'll love the LLL meeting and I'm sure you'll get tons of information and support there!

Answer 4

First, the other breast hurting is the milk "letting down" in it. Sometimes it will leak a few drops of milk, or even pour. As for the milk drying up, the baby is only three weeks old. You should b/f exclusively for the first four weeks, with no pumping. It can affect your supply. Stop pumping now. Just breasfeed as often as your baby will eat, for the next few weeks. Good luck at your appt. I had a lot of trouble with b/f but stuck it out for 10 1/2 months until doc said to quit because of complications with my unexpected second pregnancy. Take care and don't give up!! Drink plenty of water, eat dairy, take your prenatal vitamin, and eat oatmeal everyday. Those are some ideas to help build the milk.

Answer 5

Congratulations to your new baby!

It seems to me as if your breastfeeding is working very well. The "let-down" sensation that others have told you about is very normal. I had it with my kids until I stopped breastfeeding.

If you don't like the feeling (or the fact that you might be leeking) there is a very efficient way to make it stop: Press on your nipple with your index finger until the let down stops.

It works!

May I ask why you're pumping? If you have to, because you have to leave your baby to someone else go ahead, otherwise, consider not doing it. It takes a lot of time, and fo rfor most women, they'll have jsut enough milk anyway.

Of course, if your baby is ill some time and has a really low appetite, it can be smart to pump to keep the production up.

You asked for more tips; check out http://www.easybabylife.com/

for tips on both breastfeeding, baby sleep, how to feel good as a new mom and more.

I wish you all luck!

Answer 6

the other breast starts to hurt bc it is too full happened to me sometimes i would do a couple min on one then the other just so they would stop hurting then get down to serious feeding lol

your breasts should not be getting engorged anymore at least not too much your baby at the start eats lots and lots to get your milk supply up so he makes sure he gets enough milk even if it may be pain ful to you lol once he got your milk up you could pump alot because he made sure you had more then you needed its all supply and demand sounds like you took a break from pumping and your milk supply lessened because there wasn't the demand any more plus he probably is eating more don't worry your not losing your milk believe it or not eventually you won't even have to wear breastpads bc your body will make exactly enough milk for baby no leaking yay!

something else is babys will go through growth spurts where they eat alot i think there usually one around 6 weeks or so i don't remember the other time bc its soo different for every child but around 6 weeks he'll start eating like crazy like he did at the start and for a day or 2 you'll feel like thats all you do is feed him again he is growing so hes preparing your milk supply to grow with him its natural and don't worry your body knows what it doing

Answer 7

It sounds like your baby is hitting a growth spurt and your body is working to increase it's milk supply. He is probably "draining you dry" more than he used to. If he seems hungry, try breastfeeding him every 1 1/2 hours instead of every 2 (or something like that) because more feedings will help stimulate your milk production.

I went through a phase with my son where he was nursing every 45 mins! (it was pretty miserable for me lol) I called his pediatrician and she told me it was natures "supply and demand" and once my body caught up to his consumption needs, he would be able to eat more at each feeding and eat less frequently. She was right, three days later I felt like a fountain of milk lol and he was back to eating every 2-3 hours.

That's great that you made an appointment with a lactation nurse and are attending a LLL meeting. They should be able to offer some good advice and put your mind at ease :)

Answer 8

For me I "let down" in both breasts at once. It can hurt, particularly if really full. Over time your body will learn how much milk to make for baby. This may be why you are pumping less. If you want to produce more milk than nurse baby more often or pump more often.

Answer 9

this is all completely generic. The engorgement is happening because of the fact suitable now your physique does not understand how plenty it has to produce and is merely making a team of milk. In some weeks your physique gets the draw close of all of it and the engorgement will end. I used to get so engorged i'd be in soreness and have to hand exhibit a splash. I additionally went by using maximum of breast pads it wasn't even humorous. i ended making use of them at 3 months and only mandatory them see you later because of the fact previous to that I were pumping some right here and there and that i tousled my grant (I brought about an oversupply), you will no longer want them continuously. I under no circumstances used cleanable ones yet i does no longer placed funds into them because of the fact they don't seem for use for that long. while toddler is latching on, is your nipple demanding and erect? My daughter become a brilliant nurser from the get pass so I under no circumstances had sore nipples yet while she become 3 weeks previous and working with a strengthen spurt she have been given a lazy latch and that i had to get my nipple demanding and erect to make it less demanding for her to latch. seems such as you're doing super however!

Answer 10

breast feeding works like supply and deman. the more you pump the more your breast make milk. if you dont feed over night you will be huge in the morning. i had to suppliment feed. breast sometimes and bottle others because i didnt make enough when i went to work to feed her all day.

the best thing to do is consult with someone.

the burning is the milk dropping. you might even feel it pulse as it flows

relly cool feeling