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01-09-2013 at 9:23 PM
bluejeanba...
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bluejeanbaby1217 is not online. Last active: 06-14-2013, 10:36 AMNewbie

Worried about breastfeeding baby #2

Hi, We currently have a 10 month old and my husband and I are entertaining (very mildly) the idea of when we should start trying for baby number 2. I had a wonderful pregnancy with baby #1 and our son is such a good baby that I really would be happy with another one at any time. My ONLY concerns about baby #2 is breastfeeding. With my son I had EVERY intention of breasfteeding, I went to the classes, bought the best pump...EVERYTHING. But after he was only about 12 hours old I had terrible bleeding nipples and when the Lactation consultant came to see me she said that since my breast had grown very little during pregnancy (hardly any at all, and I am VERY small chested) that my milk would probably never come in. long story short, I ended up with a breast shield giving him formula with a syringe until that just became a big waste of time and a mess. I decided to pump instead but could only get 1-2 ounces everytime....I pumped every 3-5 hours for 8 weeks and just couldn't keep up with my babys demands after that. Are there any women who have been successful at breastfeeding with very small breast? I'm really hoping that I will have a totally different experience with my next baby, just need some encouragment, 
 
01-09-2013 at 9:34 PM
MomtoH
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MomtoH is not online. Last active: 06-18-2013, 7:34 PMNewbie

Sounds like you were booby trapped. 

1. women with small breast BF every day

2. 1-2oz at the beginning is totally normal

3. You should have been pumping every 2 hours around the clock if you were EPing.  A baby who is nursing would be nursing about 12 times a day for the first 3 months.  Therefore, you want to pump 12 times a day too.

Good luck in the future. 


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01-09-2013 at 9:57 PM
JENandJEH
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JENandJEH is not online. Last active: 06-19-2013, 8:48 PMBronze

I agree with the PP...it is definitely possible! 

There is a great book, The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding.  Take a look at that.  Breast growth during pregnancy isn't an indicator of whether or not you will be able to breastfeed. 

In the first weeks, DS2 was latched on constantly.  It would seem like he wasn't getting enough but new babies "cluster feed" - they are helping to establish your supply.  Remember how small their little bellies are - the size of a marble at first.  It doesn't take much to fill them up AND they metabolize that VERY quickly thus being hungry right away. 

Good luck - I definitely think you can be successful...try to find good resources and support people.  Local LLL meetings can be super helpful...also, look for an IBCLC.  Not all hospital lactation consultants are IBCLCs and don't have the same knowledge/training. 


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01-10-2013 at 12:18 AM
oliversmom...
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oliversmommy32912 is online. Last active: 06-19-2013, 11:58 PMBronze
I'm not going to sit here and tell you what you should have done differently because I also had horrible difficulties breastfeeding my first and I know I don't like to hear people tell me what I should have done. It's not helpful and I know it just makes me feel guilt and regret. Unless someone is in your shoes they can not know how you could have done things differently. What's done is done and I am sure you have a happy and healthy 10 month old.

The more important thing to focus on is how you will do things differently for the NEXT baby instead of focusing on the past. I can definitely understand why you have anxiety about breastfeeding the next one. I think about it and worry about it often myself. The best advice I can give you is to arm yourself with knowledge. Read everything you can on breastfeeding. Watch videos of women breastfeeding, too.

PP is right, people with small breasts breastfeed every day. My SIL has very small breasts and only has half of her breast tissue on one side due to implants gone wrong and she was able to nurse until 17 months. It is definitely possible and don't let anyone tell you you're wrong.

Make sure you know what a good latch looks like. Also babies' tummies are very small at birth. They only need five drops of colostrum per feeding to sustain them until your milk comes in. Kellymom.com is a great resource if you run into problems. Also it has been my experience that private lactation consultants are more helpful than the ones on the hospital staff. That is definitely not always true but was my experience.

Bottom line is your next experience doesn't have to be like the first. Plenty of women have an unsuccessful breastfeeding relationship with their first and go on to nurse their second just fine. It sounds like what you have experienced is a failure from the system, not from your anatomy. There is no reason to believe you can't succeed!

Good luck with everything. Sorry for the long post and for any spelling and grammar errors because I'm bumping mobile today.

Eta I wanted to add I agree with PP about LLL meetings. The leaders are very helpful. You can even attend meetings while you are pregnant. It might be good to get some encouragement!

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01-10-2013 at 5:54 AM
BreanneL24
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BreanneL24 is not online. Last active: 06-19-2013, 9:09 PMSilver
Hey I just wanted to jump in and say that I couldn't BF due to breast tissue issues. I never produced more than a couple drops on each side. And that was working for 2 solid weeks pumping every 2 hours around the clock, feeding with a SNS, taking fenugreek and blessed thistle, endless skin to skin, and hand expressing. It was a nightmare and it sounds to me like if you could produce 1 to 2 oz., you may not have had issues with your breast tissue. Of course I don't know that for a fact or anything but as someone who went through it, it was severe. I'd look into getting hooked up with an LC before delivery so you already have someone there to help you. GL!

ETA: mobile bumping

Married to the love of my life 8/14/09
Our sweet little Easton was born at home 3/15/12
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01-10-2013 at 6:46 AM
sunnyday01...
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sunnyday016 is not online. Last active: 06-19-2013, 11:54 PMPlatinum
MomtoH:

Sounds like you were booby trapped. 

1. women with small breast BF every day

2. 1-2oz at the beginning is totally normal

3. You should have been pumping every 2 hours around the clock if you were EPing.  A baby who is nursing would be nursing about 12 times a day for the first 3 months.  Therefore, you want to pump 12 times a day too.

Good luck in the future. 

This. It sounds like you were unfortunately given really bad advice by the LC at the hospital :(

Good luck next time around! If you are nursing on demand or pumping every 2 hours, it is very unlikely that your milk would not come in. 


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01-10-2013 at 8:30 AM
mben1119
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Your LC sounds like she was talking out of her azz. Go to kellymom.com to get some real, legitimate advice on breastfeeding, pumping, and everything.

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01-10-2013 at 9:03 AM
Mama2TwoBo...
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Mama2TwoBoys is not online. Last active: 01-31-2013, 8:15 AMNewbie

I'm sorry it was so difficult for you, and that you may have been given some not so great advice. But look on the bright side, now you know more about BF, and this second time around you can really tackle it head on.

I found the L&D nurses at the hospital much more helpful than the LC. The nurses all had kids themselves and had breastfed at one point. One nurse had breastfed 6 babies! I never went to LLL, but it may have been helpful, that first month was so challenging!

 When you pumped, did you do compressions? My sister had supply issues when she went back to work, and turned out she never compressed her breasts when pumping. When I was pumping, I massaged & squeezed every last drop out, and it really helped my output. In fact, I pumped often to relieve my insane engorgement, and it resulted in an over supply. Good or bad, I'm not sure, it was certainly a pain to pump between 2 hr feedings, but good to build a stash.

Don't let a not-so-stellar experience discourage you! Glad you have a strong mindset to get it down good next time around :)


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01-10-2013 at 9:11 AM
ninthgirl
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ninthgirl is not online. Last active: 06-03-2013, 12:21 PMBronze

Tiny chested woman here - have EBF (with bottles during the day 2x a week while I work) for 10 months and hope to continue for a year.  I have a great storage capacity and on work days have pumped up to 12 ounces in the morning, but during the first few weeks I was only pumping maybe 1/2 oz.  It took my body a while to learn to respond to the pump.

The first six weeks are rough for EVERYONE.  It's normal to have horrid pain.  Engorgement is normal.  Having a baby who knows how to latch sleepily not do it correctly so that you experience pain that makes your toes curl is normal.  Lanolin is your best friend.  The baby nursing every hour to 2 hours around the clock (maybe giving you a 4 or 3 hour stretch at night) and nursing for 45 minutes+ during growth spurts that happen thick and fast during the first few weeks is normal.  You have to go into it tell yourself that you will just. do. it. for 6 weeks and then evaluate.  Know that the nursing frequency will lessen as baby gets older and the length of time you spend nursing will lessen too.  One day you'll realize you blinked and your baby is now nursing for 10 or fewer minutes at a time every 3 hours or even less frequently.

By the way, if I were you I would report that LC to the hospital.  Unless she had a good, evidence-based medicinal reason for telling you what she did she was crazy.  If you could pump 1-2 oz. your milk did indeed come in.


BFP #1: 06/21/2011 DD Born: 02/28/2012
BFP #2: 04/15/2013 EDD: 12/22/2013 MM/C diagnosed: 05/13/2013
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01-10-2013 at 10:04 AM
littlev
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IMO that LC is not qualified for her position.  I'm not an IBCLC (and my guess is she isn't either) but even I know that breast size has nothing to do with success in breastfeeding.  My breasts are small and I have had enough milk to feed DD for over a year.  My breasts didn't grow significantly during pregnancy either.  She really set you up for failure, and I'm sorry that happened to you.  Like others have said, if you can find a LLL group near you, go there for advice with baby #2 (or even before).  Read up on kellymom.com and check out The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding from the library.

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01-10-2013 at 11:18 AM
EMO-mamma
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I was unsuccessful at BFing with my 1st (ended up EPing + supplementing) and I have been able to BF baby #2 just fine.  My chest is not small but it did not grow during either of my pregnancies.  

One challenge of BFing 2u2 is that my toddler had a hard time in the beginning when I would have to sit and feed the baby for 30min every 2-3hours.  He would act out, demand food or attention as soon as I got situated.  He watched way more TV than I would have liked during the first 2 months, but it was temporary and now it's ok.   


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01-10-2013 at 12:25 PM
LalaMama81
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LalaMama81 is not online. Last active: 06-19-2013, 5:57 PMGold

BreanneL24:
Hey I just wanted to jump in and say that I couldn't BF due to breast tissue issues. I never produced more than a couple drops on each side. And that was working for 2 solid weeks pumping every 2 hours around the clock, feeding with a SNS, taking fenugreek and blessed thistle, endless skin to skin, and hand expressing. It was a nightmare and it sounds to me like if you could produce 1 to 2 oz., you may not have had issues with your breast tissue. Of course I don't know that for a fact or anything but as someone who went through it, it was severe. I'd look into getting hooked up with an LC before delivery so you already have someone there to help you. GL! ETA: mobile bumping

Do you have insufficient glandular tissue? That's what I have, too, and thank to 2 great LCs I was able to BF both kids. DD1 BFed until 22 months and DD2 is still nursing at 16 months. I had to supplement DD1 about 8 -12 oz a day for the first year or so, which was a pain but I'm glad I stuck w/ it. I supplemented at the breast w/ a homemade SNS of sorts. The amazing thing is, w/ DD2 I had a bigger supply and while it wasn't 100% I only had to supplement 4 oz/day for the first 8 months then I slowly backed off of the 4 oz until about 10 months when I stopped completely. Just thought I'd pass that on, I'd recommend Making More Milk by West and Marasco if you haven't read it.

To the OP, you got some great advice.  



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01-10-2013 at 12:51 PM
Ya Never K...
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Ya Never Know is not online. Last active: 06-19-2013, 12:47 PMGold

Just because it didn't work out for you with baby #1, doesn't mean it won't work out with #2 :) I have lots of friends who had a lot of trouble BF'ing their first children, so much so that they just stopped, and when baby #2 came around, they had no problem at all! :)

If you're nervous about it, I would recommend trying to talk to lactation consultant beforehand, maybe one that is known for good results? When we were in the hospital, the lactation consultant we had was terrible. She would just look at the baby, and my breast and say everything looks good, then she walked away. She also just kept repeating that it shouldn't hurt if I was doing it right and that was that.

I was seriously thinking if this was what breastfeeding was there was no way I could keep doing it. When we got home, I called another lactation consultant. She came to my house. She assured me that for some women, it is very painful for the first while (like 2 months for me), but it gets better. She was able to show me lots of techniques that worked for DD and I, and assured me that though it feels like DD was not getting enough, just keep at it, and I would produce more, and as long as DD was gaining weight, filling enough diapers, then everything was fine. Eventually everything fell in to place, and after 2 months, the pain was gone, and my supply came in. I do not have big breasts, and this size of your breasts really doesn't have much to do with it.

I wish you good luck with baby #2, I hope it's the complete opposite for you next time! :)

01-10-2013 at 2:59 PM
BreanneL24
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LalaMama81:

BreanneL24:
Hey I just wanted to jump in and say that I couldn't BF due to breast tissue issues. I never produced more than a couple drops on each side. And that was working for 2 solid weeks pumping every 2 hours around the clock, feeding with a SNS, taking fenugreek and blessed thistle, endless skin to skin, and hand expressing. It was a nightmare and it sounds to me like if you could produce 1 to 2 oz., you may not have had issues with your breast tissue. Of course I don't know that for a fact or anything but as someone who went through it, it was severe. I'd look into getting hooked up with an LC before delivery so you already have someone there to help you. GL!

ETA: mobile bumping

Do you have insufficient glandular tissue? That's what I have, too, and thank to 2 great LCs I was able to BF both kids. DD1 BFed until 22 months and DD2 is still nursing at 16 months. I had to supplement DD1 about 8 -12 oz a day for the first year or so, which was a pain but I'm glad I stuck w/ it. I supplemented at the breast w/ a homemade SNS of sorts. The amazing thing is, w/ DD2 I had a bigger supply and while it wasn't 100% I only had to supplement 4 oz/day for the first 8 months then I slowly backed off of the 4 oz until about 10 months when I stopped completely. Just thought I'd pass that on, I'd recommend Making More Milk by West and Marasco if you haven't read it.

To the OP, you got some great advice.  



Thanks for the book rec! I'll definitely look into it. I believe that is what my LC said I had but I can't remember for sure. It was such a blurry horrible mess! I'm going to be talking to her before baby 2 is born so ill figure out the specifics then. Thanks!

Married to the love of my life 8/14/09
Our sweet little Easton was born at home 3/15/12
Suprise BFP! 09/20/12 natural m/c 10/09/12
BFP! 12/1/12
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01-10-2013 at 6:04 PM
Nel11
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I'm so sorry you went through that.  I know how it feels.  PP have given you good advice, although I doubt it is as cut and dry as "If you had seen a different LC/gotten different advice you would have been fine."  Anyways, my advice is to a) meet with an IBCLC(s) before you have your baby so you can work out a plan of attack.  If you aren't comfortable with one, go to another.  Find someone who will be available to you as much as you need in the beginning.  And b) have your IBCLC do weighted feedings and weigh your baby frequently to ensure he/she is getting enough.  With the weighted feeding you will know how much your baby has taken in, and the weighs in's will give you peace of mind that you are, indeed, making enough milk.  And if you are not producing enough, you will know that too, and can remedy it. 

 Oh, and I agree with the PP who said that many hospital LC's don't have it together.  We had some serious issues that should have been caught before we even left the hospital, and not one LC there (and we saw many) picked up on them.  And my hospital is known for a strong pro-breastfeeding program. 

GL!


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01-11-2013 at 11:00 PM
bluejeanba...
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bluejeanbaby1217 is not online. Last active: 06-14-2013, 10:36 AMNewbie
Thank you all for the support. We have moved to a different state since we had our first and I currently work at the hospital (i'm a nurse) where I will deliver baby #2 someday, so I am definately going to check out the LC in advance to see what i'm up against, and also try going to some LLL groups as well. Just since we've been talking about trying for baby #2 i've already learned SOO much more about breasfeeding just from simple research then I ever knew when we have our first baby. I can't even express how angry I am at that LC from the first hospital. Oh well, better luck next time :)
 
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