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breastfeed, feeling drained, especially at night

  1. #17
    Gracey is offline Registered User
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    BTW, your baby will not starve to death -- definitely not silently! They scream when they are hungry.
    But serious -- moms have BF their babies since the beginning of time. Unless you have a major medical problem, there is no reason you can't produce enough milk for your baby. It sounds like you're also being held back by worry and a lack of confidence.
    There is no need to worry.


  2. #18
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    Oh, actually the OP is a friend of mine. Since she might be quite busy struggling with her 4 week old baby girl, and taking care of her 21 month old toddler as well, I might try to answer some of the questions for her.

    According to her, her baby hasn't gained lot of weight, and although the baby was regularly wetting the diapers, the diapers are usually scarcely wet. At the MCHC, the doctor was a little bit concerned about that, and suggested that she should feed, or at least, complement with formula.

    I suggested her to contact LLL, and see some lactation consultant before giving up. She did called some LLL leaders for advices, and also went to see Mrs Chee. At Mrs Chee office, she tried to pump milk from my friend, and could hardly get 1 oz of milk out. Mrs. Chee did think that she indeed has too little milk, and gave her some medication (probably domeridone) for increasing her supply.

    From what she told me later, the medication wasn't helping a lot, and she has started giving more feed with formula.

    As a note, my friend is in care of a Chinese confinement lady, who is making sure that she gets a healthy diet and plenty of rest. In fact, she told me that sometime her baby would wake up in the middle of an afternoon nap, and her confinement lady would not allow her breastfeed the baby, stating that she need to get more sleep. Her confinement lady would then rock the baby back to sleep..............


  3. #19
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    And actually I wanted to say that it is common for baby to get fussy at night. And if the last breastfeed doesn't keep your baby happy for too long, a solution might be to do cluster feeding: http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/fussy-evening.html


  4. #20
    zozorro is offline Registered User
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gataloca View Post
    At Mrs Chee office, she tried to pump milk from my friend, and could hardly get 1 oz of milk out. Mrs. Chee did think that she indeed has too little milk, and gave her some medication (probably domeridone) for increasing her supply.
    Same here, I get very little milk out with pump alone, even when engorged. The only way for me is to nurse my baby and pump on the other breast at the same time. You'll be surprised how easy and the amount of milk you get pumped this way. Also by doing this, breastfeeding is not only mommy & bb's time, my husband can have his by feeding bb the milk I pumped after i breastfed bb on one breast.

  5. #21
    evgreen is offline Registered User
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    The best advice I ever got from a lactation consultant was knowing the key to successful breastfeeding is confidence. Trust your body to provide for your baby. You did it thru pregnancy and you can still do it now.


  6. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gataloca View Post
    .

    As a note, my friend is in care of a Chinese confinement lady, who is making sure that she gets a healthy diet and plenty of rest. In fact, she told me that sometime her baby would wake up in the middle of an afternoon nap, and her confinement lady would not allow her breastfeed the baby, stating that she need to get more sleep. Her confinement lady would then rock the baby back to sleep..............
    Well there's part of your problem right there. She should've been allowed to nurse the baby when the baby was ready. That way her body would've kicked up the milk production on cue from baby.

    I have to imagine being in a stressful, uncomfortable setting, being pumped by a strange lady would not be very conducive to let-down hence the lack of milk.

  7. #23
    thanka2 is offline Registered User
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    Quote Originally Posted by erina320 View Post
    Well there's part of your problem right there. She should've been allowed to nurse the baby when the baby was ready. That way her body would've kicked up the milk production on cue from baby.

    I have to imagine being in a stressful, uncomfortable setting, being pumped by a strange lady would not be very conducive to let-down hence the lack of milk.
    Yep. That's what I was thinking as well. If the confinement lady is interfering with the baby's feeding schedule this is probably affecting her supply as well. Since the baby is so little the first weeks and months are spent building up a milk supply and getting your body into a rhythm. If the baby doesn't feed frequently enough your milk supply will go down for sure. Yes, you do need rest when you're post-partum but...the reality is that you're not going to have normal rest as you would if you weren't breastfeeding your child--you just have to bite the bullet and feed the baby no matter what.
    “Many women have described their experiences of childbirth as being associated with a
    spiritual uplifting, the power of which they have never previously been aware …
    To such a woman childbirth is a monument of joy within her memory.
    She turns to it in thought to seek again an ecstasy which passed too soon.”

    ~ Grantly Dick-Read (Childbirth Without Fear)

    Mother of Two
    JMW, boy, born November 29, 2007, 9:43 pm, USA
    MJW, girl, born March 17, 2011, 4:14 pm, HK

  8. #24
    bonita is offline Registered User
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    I fired my confinement lady with my first baby within 3 days because (1) she told me to eat first before nursing while me baby was crying of hunger (I think I, as an adult, can wait, but not the baby); and (2) told me to rest and she'd rock baby back to sleep if she's hungry; and (3) kept on pushing formula feeding at night while we agreed on exclusive breastfeeding during the interview (when I told her I didn't buy any formula and there wouldn't be any in the house, she offered to go buy it for me)! Confinement ladies can be godsend, but can also be an enemy when you are tired, vulnerable and don't feel like fighting.

    Exclusive breastfeeding is a tough job at the beginning when both you and baby are learning the way to suit both of you and to get accustomed to each other. But don't worry, it'll get easier. If you have your mind set on it, with some practice and positive support, you'll get over the hurdle.

    Think positive thoughts while nursing because you are giving something precious to your baby that nobody else can replicate. It's a special bonding time that no one can interfere. And I swear all babies have a special look/ facial expression when they look up at their mother when they are at the breast, that contented satisfied look is oh so sweet and heart-warming.


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