Can I ask some general breastfeeding questions?

[Jalapeñomel]

Please feel free to add your own questions about breastfeeding here!

It seems that lately by the end of the day, my supply is low, especially on my right.  This just started happening.  Does this seem normal?  In the morning, the right is VERY engorged, so I know it's working, LOL. 

When will D stop needing me to sandwich the boob into his mouth?  Will he get the hang of it as he gets older (he used the nipple shield for a long time, but I am trying really hard to go exclusively on the breast unless one of my nipples is really torn up)?

I think that NIP in annoying, because my feet don't really sit flat on the ground with most chairs.  Normally, I sit cross-legged, but obviously this isn't do-able or appropriate for all places.  Any words of advice?

[Deleted]

Milk is higher fat but lower quantity at night than in the morning. Just keep swapping sides until baby is full.

Hard to say when you can stop the sandwich; very boob/baby dependent. It should be possible, just hard to say when. Keep trying.

Use your diaper bag as a nursing pillow if you need to. Nurse in your ring sling. DD naps in the Ergo a lot, so I nurse her in there a lot on the go.

[spk926]

Feb 17, 2014 21:12:07 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Please feel free to add your own questions about breastfeeding here!

It seems that lately by the end of the day, my supply is low, especially on my right.  This just started happening.  Does this seem normal?  In the morning, the right is VERY engorged, so I know it's working, LOL.  Yes, normal. Just because your breast isn't engorged or "feels" full doesn't mean your supply is low though.

When will D stop needing me to sandwich the boob into his mouth?  Will he get the hang of it as he gets older (he used the nipple shield for a long time, but I am trying really hard to go exclusively on the breast unless one of my nipples is really torn up)? DD started out on the shield too and I can't remember when but there will come a day when she will be able to just latch on and off without you doing anything but showing your boob. I can't remember when but maybe around 7 months? My memory is horrible so maybe it was even before that!

I think that NIP in annoying, because my feet don't really sit flat on the ground with most chairs.  Normally, I sit cross-legged, but obviously this isn't do-able or appropriate for all places.  Any words of advice? Sit lower (butt more towards the front) in the chair so that you can lean back some. That way you can kind of lean your son onto you as you hold him.

[countthestars]

My question: lefty is becoming a pumping dud, DD doesn't love to nurse from that side and it kind of hurts me when she does. Power through? Nurse only on the right? I don't want to be Giant One Boob McGee so I assume I have to keep going with both sides? If also like to continue nursing for as long as i'd like (no set goal at this point).

[geek96]

Feb 17, 2014 21:12:07 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Please feel free to add your own questions about breastfeeding here!

It seems that lately by the end of the day, my supply is low, especially on my right.  This just started happening.  Does this seem normal?  In the morning, the right is VERY engorged, so I know it's working, LOL. 

When will D stop needing me to sandwich the boob into his mouth?  Will he get the hang of it as he gets older (he used the nipple shield for a long time, but I am trying really hard to go exclusively on the breast unless one of my nipples is really torn up)?

I think that NIP in annoying, because my feet don't really sit flat on the ground with most chairs.  Normally, I sit cross-legged, but obviously this isn't do-able or appropriate for all places.  Any words of advice?

I am definitely engorged in the morning and that subsides by evening.

No advice on NIP. I run to the car or someplace private because I haven't felt comfortable enough to NIP

[Jalapeñomel]

Feb 17, 2014 21:17:56 GMT -5 @tokenhoser said:

Milk is higher fat but lower quantity at night than in the morning. Just keep swapping sides until baby is full.

Hard to say when you can stop the sandwich; very boob/baby dependent. It should be possible, just hard to say when. Keep trying.

Use your diaper bag as a nursing pillow if you need to. Nurse in your ring sling. DD naps in the Ergo a lot, so I nurse her in there a lot on the go.

I do try to use my diaper bag, but it slides off my legs (stupid short legs).  I wish I could get the hang of feeding him in the sling and/or the Beco, but it's hard with the whole sandwich thing (see issue #2, LOL).

[sookie]

Feb 17, 2014 21:31:37 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Feb 17, 2014 21:17:56 GMT -5 @tokenhoser said:

Milk is higher fat but lower quantity at night than in the morning. Just keep swapping sides until baby is full.

Hard to say when you can stop the sandwich; very boob/baby dependent. It should be possible, just hard to say when. Keep trying.

Use your diaper bag as a nursing pillow if you need to. Nurse in your ring sling. DD naps in the Ergo a lot, so I nurse her in there a lot on the go.

I do try to use my diaper bag, but it slides off my legs (stupid short legs).  I wish I could get the hang of feeding him in the sling and/or the Beco, but it's hard with the whole sandwich thing (see issue #2, LOL).

Can you put the diaper bag under your leg and sit cross legged or with one leg propped on the other? That's what I do if she comes with me to the office and I don't have her pillow.

[undecidedowl]

Feb 17, 2014 21:12:07 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Please feel free to add your own questions about breastfeeding here!

It seems that lately by the end of the day, my supply is low, especially on my right.  This just started happening.  Does this seem normal?  In the morning, the right is VERY engorged, so I know it's working, LOL. 

When will D stop needing me to sandwich the boob into his mouth?  Will he get the hang of it as he gets older (he used the nipple shield for a long time, but I am trying really hard to go exclusively on the breast unless one of my nipples is really torn up)?

I think that NIP in annoying, because my feet don't really sit flat on the ground with most chairs.  Normally, I sit cross-legged, but obviously this isn't do-able or appropriate for all places.  Any words of advice?

Normal.
I think DS got better around 4 months? I am guessing that's when because we couldn't nurse side lying until he could latch on his own better. They do get much better as they get older and their mouths grow.
I would sit with one foot on the floor and the other leg crossed with my angle on top of my thigh.  Then I would cradle DS on the side with the crossed leg.  Hope that makes sense. 

[Jalapeñomel]

I should just bring the yellow pages with me, LOL!

[Jalapeñomel]

Feb 17, 2014 21:20:51 GMT -5 countthestars said:

My question: lefty is becoming a pumping dud, DD doesn't love to nurse from that side and it kind of hurts me when she does. Power through? Nurse only on the right? I don't want to be Giant One Boob McGee so I assume I have to keep going with both sides? If also like to continue nursing for as long as i'd like (no set goal at this point).

I think you might be hot as Giant One Boob McGee.

[rupertpenny]

Could he be going through a growth spurt? I know sometimes B is insatiable at night and I get freaked about my supply, but it usually seems better after a few days and in hindsight I can recognize a growth spurt.

I don't have to help her latch anymore. I think that happened in the last month or 6 weeks? It's kind of disconcerting though because she sneak attacks me sometimes, lol.

I also like to nurse cross legged and have the same issue NIP.

[countthestars]

Feb 17, 2014 21:57:53 GMT -5 @applesauce said:

Feb 17, 2014 21:20:51 GMT -5 countthestars said:

My question: lefty is becoming a pumping dud, DD doesn't love to nurse from that side and it kind of hurts me when she does. Power through? Nurse only on the right? I don't want to be Giant One Boob McGee so I assume I have to keep going with both sides? If also like to continue nursing for as long as i'd like (no set goal at this point).

I nicknamed my left breast remedial boob. I still pumped both but I went to feeding her just from the right side. I assume that the better advice would be to power through though, and maybe massage the left breast and what not. Is it possible that you have a clogged duct on that side?

Were you still able to nurse for a while?  Were you a lopsided one boob mcgee?  

I guess it's possible.  I think I may try to see an LC (is that weird at 7.5 months?) because there is some pain there and I think it's lazy latch related but I have no idea how to fix a 7 month old latch!

[Deleted]

Feb 17, 2014 21:20:51 GMT -5 countthestars said:

My question: lefty is becoming a pumping dud, DD doesn't love to nurse from that side and it kind of hurts me when she does. Power through? Nurse only on the right? I don't want to be Giant One Boob McGee so I assume I have to keep going with both sides? If also like to continue nursing for as long as i'd like (no set goal at this point).

I had the same problem with lefty. I would NOT recommend giving up on lefty. Put DD on the left boob first at every feeding. She'll be hungry, and more likely to work to get the milk. Yeah she may be mad the milk is slow, but just keep re-latching her as long as she'll let you. After a few months doing that, my supply evened out.

[Deleted]

guess it's possible.  I think I may try to see an LC (is that weird at 7.5 months?) because there is some pain there and I think it's lazy latch related but I have no idea how to fix a 7 month old latch!

countthestars Not weird. I saw a LC at 10.5 months when DS starting biting me. As far as fixing the latch, it's probably funky because she's getting teeth. Might be what's giving you pain as well. With DS, his latch would get lousy for a week or so, then get better. During that week, I had to go "back to basics" with checking his latch. Check for wide open mouth, fish lips, whole areola in mouth, chin tucked down. If the latch was bad I broke it, and tried again. And again until it was right. Like I said, after a week or so the tooth would come in and his latch would go back to normal.

[curbsideprophet]

Boppy makes a travel nursing pillow that folds. I have not used b/c DD was fairly old when i first noticed it but I might buy it this time around if I think it would help.

My boobs slowly got smaller but I did not really notice any supply issues. I would not be too worried about supply issues based on one pump, especially if you do not pump regularly.

[Deleted]

Feb 17, 2014 22:05:42 GMT -5 countthestars said:

Feb 17, 2014 21:57:53 GMT -5 @applesauce said:

I nicknamed my left breast remedial boob. I still pumped both but I went to feeding her just from the right side. I assume that the better advice would be to power through though, and maybe massage the left breast and what not. Is it possible that you have a clogged duct on that side?

Were you still able to nurse for a while?  Were you a lopsided one boob mcgee?  

I guess it's possible.  I think I may try to see an LC (is that weird at 7.5 months?) because there is some pain there and I think it's lazy latch related but I have no idea how to fix a 7 month old latch!

For a 7.5 month old, I'd try LLL before a LC. LC tend to be really educated on newborn issues and often have little experience with older nursing babies.