Breastfeeding and giving birth...?

Question

Hello all,

My situation: 26 weeks and 2 days pregnant with my first baby; it's a boy =]

My problem: thigh/hip cramps and had sore feeling in my pelvic/lower tummy area for 2 days. Did this happen to anyone during their 6 month? Did your baby come early (if this was your first baby)?

My worry/concern: Seems like a lot of women are lactating now (in their 6 month) and I'm not yet. I know that it may happen after delivery but I'm just really afraid that the milk won't come. Not for any particular reason, it's just a concern. I really want to breastfeed but if I can't is there a formula out there that is really close to breastmilk as far as vitamins and nuturients go?

Please answer these three questions if you can. Thank you for all your help =]

Please answer the questions at the top also, not just the one about breastfeeding. Thank you!

Answer 1

Around this time, your baby is beginning to gain weight pretty fast and is thus putting moe pressure on your pelvic floor and the surrounding bones and muscles. It'svery normal to feel the way you described and doesn't necessarily mean your baby will come early. Your uterus is also starting to protrude outwards and upwards and is approaching the height of your bellybutton)...this will cause your previously unstretched muscles to cramp and become sore.
As long as nothing you're feeling is accompanied by any sort of vaginal bleeding or gushing, you're fine~

On the breastfeeding front: what your friends are experienceing is NOT milk, it's colostrum and by no mens indicates the ability to produce milk for your baby. There's may just be leaking but that doesn't mean you have none....you'res just isn't leaking out yet..no biggie.
Once your baby is born, you need to nurse the baby frequently around the clock to bring in and establish your milk supply.
I strongly suggest you start researching breastfeeding....so you'll know what to expect. Attend a breastfeeding class is possible.
Don't leave yourself in the dark, there is a good bit you can learn ahead of time to help your afterwards.

Answer 2

Somewhat random-seeming aches and pains are completely, completely normal. I had something akin to what you describe, and had my baby after 41 weeks.

Good rule: don't worry about aches and pains unless two Tylenol isn't any help. Or unless it completely triggers some "something is NOT RIGHT!" instinct of yours.

I didn't leak at all until after I gave birth, and I am a bit over-active in the milk production department.

I cannot recommend "Dr Jack Newman's Guide to Breastfeeding" (in Canada; I think it is "The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers" in the States) strongly enough; it contains some really good explanations of why formula isn't comparable. And discussion of common problems, and how to fix them. Along with a lot of explaining away of myths. See also http://drjacknewman.com/

Nobody has been able to prove long or even short-term benefits of formula over straight cow's milk, so don't stress over choosing a formula.

Just don't choose one at all. I've never touched the stuff; I have three younger siblings and I've never even seen it up close and in person. Get some good information and contact info for a lactation consultant as a back-up, not a can of Nestlé junk. I always assumed that if I ran into some problem where I couldn't nurse my daughter, that constituted an emergency and I'd be on the phone if not in an ER looking for help.

I have nothing nice to say about giving birth, but late pregnancy is really not that bad, and babies are fantastic! Best of luck!

Answer 3

I did have some hip pain during my pregnancy. My doctor actually sent me to a physiotherapist to work on strengthening the muscles in the area. It really helped to lessen the pain. He used heat, massage, stretching and strengthing exercises.

For the sore feeling, it could just be the way the baby is resting. He could be compressing a nerve. I remember different pains and cramps that came and went. You should check with your doctor if it's very painful or for an extended period of time.

My daughter did come two weeks early (first baby). If anything, there may be some correlation to your labour and the size of your baby to your situation when you were born and your mother's experience.

Some women do begin to lactate before birth, but it's not as though their milk has come in. I didn't really lactate at all before birth, maybe at 8 months or so if I compressed the tiniest bit would come out but that's it. A woman's milk usually comes in a couple days after birth and before that it's colostrum, which helps the baby's gut after birth. Babies will lose up to 10% of their body weight in the few days after birth, this is normal, and they begin to gain weight again after their mothers' milk comes in. I am still successfully breastfeeding my daughter at 10 months.

As far as formula goes, there is not one that is closer to breast milk than another. Breast milk changes to meet a baby's needs as they grow and develop, formula, while produced to provide adequate nutrition, will be a standard recipe.

Congratulations and good luck!

Answer 4

Yes the pain in my hips and pelvic area happened with both my pregnancies (I am 34 weeks now with #2) My first baby actually came 11 days late.. not early, lol
I didn't leak or anything either with my first.. not even a drop until after my daughter was born.. I only was able to breastfeed her for about a month tho, but that wasn't because I didn't have enough milk... (long story) I had plenty of milk... leaked ALL the damn time until I dried up.
and now at 34 weeks pregnancy with our son, I again haven't leaked any... Every woman is different, not everyone leaks/produces milk(and actually its colostrum) during pregnancy.
Hope this helps.
Good luck and gratz on your lil boy!!

Answer 5

as far as the problem part of you question, I had that with all three of my pregnancies. my first was a tad late, my second was induced early and I'm still carrying #3. I wouldn't stress over it too much.
for the worry part. with my two previous pregnancies I didn't lactate or anything til after having the baby. there are lots of good formulas out there if you need them, but give your body time to produce before popping a bottle in if you really want to breastfeed. with my first I freaked because I wasn't producing right away and she ended up a formula baby with expressed milk when she could get it.
hth!

Answer 6

As for the first part of your question: I think it is quite normal to have some aches in the 26th week, but check with your doctor just to make sure.

The milk: I never lactated during pregnancy, not one drop, and I have no dificulties whatsoever with my milk supply, just the opposite, right now, 6 weeks after giving birth, I am trying to get an oversupply of milk under control. Don't worry about your milk supply now, it will come once the baby is born.

Answer 7

there is no formula that can even come close to comparing to a mothers milk because the milk that you produce is "tailor made" for your child, and it is specific to your baby's nutritional needs (meaning it changes as your baby's nutritional needs change) formula is just that, formulated and it is the same thing every time for every baby...as far as producing enough milk goes most women do not have a problem producing enough milk for their baby's as long as you put your baby to the breast at least every 2-3 hours after he is born then you should make plenty of milk...i did not lactate until 3 days after i gave birth and i was worried at first too but my baby still got plenty and she is thriving and doing exceptionally well...good luck with your pregnancy and i am very happy to hear that you want to do the best thing for your child by breastfeeding

Answer 8

Pregnant women feel lots of aches and pains. It never hurts to ask your doctor about it though. It will make you feel better to hear from him that it is normal, and that's what your paying them for.

I think most women don't lactate until after they give birth. At least most women I know didn't. I have 2 kids and breastfed both of them and I never lactated until they were born. Don't worry about that. Most women can breastfeed. It is very rare not to produce enough milk. The odds are you will be able to do it, so try not to worry.

While breast milk is by far the best thing that you can give your baby, I think that the major brands of formula (Similac, Enfamil and Carnation) are all just fine. If for some reason you are unable to breastfeed, don't feel guilty if you have to use formula.

Answer 9

Milk doesn't come in until after the baby is born, before that it's a secretion called colostrum and it's packed full of antibodies & nutrients....some women start producing it before birth, other right after....
....your ligaments 'soften' and there are temporary subtle changes to your pelvic girdle to allow the flexibility needed for the baby to sucessfully pass thru the birth canal...you may be sensitive to these changes or....it's not too soon for Braxton-Hicks contractions to be felt now that the tummy muscles are stretched and the uterus is larger..the uterus contracts all during pregnancy as it's 'praticing/getting in shape' for the Big Event..when it gets larger you notice it more however...call your ob/gyn...he/she may suggest seeing you just as a precaution and to alleviate your concerns....Happy Pregnancy.....Good Delivery...and Congrats

Answer 10

Don't even start thinking about formula. It should be a very last resort.
Most mothers do not start lactating in the sixth month. I don't know where you read that but I've had seven children and never did. All were breastfed. It is hard work. You need to stop thinking that you will turn to formula at the first sign of a problem. A lactation consultant would be a very big help for you. Make sure you locate one before the birth so you know who to call for help.