Breastfeeding 101

Sounds stressful! In addition to the sleepy nursing sessions are you also pumping and bottle feeding? Can you share what a typical day looks like in terms of nursing/pumping/bottle feeding/etc...

Hi, Jeanie -- sorry you are in so much pain. It could be thrush -- baby wouldn't necessarily show any signs since baby isn't latching. I would recommend calling your OB/midwife in the AM for an exam. In the meantime, I would also check the online fit guide associated with your pump to make sure you are using the correct size breast shield. Is it a medela? https://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/assets/file/1908488_RevA%20Breastshield%20Sizing%20Tool.pdf

Hi, Sana -- congratulations! Usually nipple soreness peaks around day 3-7. Have you tried expressing a little colostrum/breast milk and rubbing on your nipple and air drying?

Yes! But, I can't give you an exact timeline since every baby is different (no matter how they feed!) It also depends on how we define "sleep through the night."

If you're looking for baby to stretch at night, it's important to make sure you feed baby at least every 3 hours during the day so they get their calories in during day. Also, do your best to differentiate the daytime feeds from the nighttime feeds. Nigttime feeds should be BORING :) lights dim, no talking, no engaging with baby no matter how many smiles baby gives you!

hmmm!

is the pain in the nipple of the breast?

have you tried to switch the way you position/hold baby to see if that helps? the good news is it resolves after a few seconds! that's why i'm thinking it may be a latch issue that fixes itself?

mastitis would come with bad flu-like symptoms and a fever. and yeast infection is usually on both sides but without an exam it's hard to say! does that nipple look different (pink, flaky?) from the other?

Oh, no! I'm so sorry you are in so much pain. Soreness can be normal in the first few days but pain at week 3 signals us that we need to recheck/work on the latch. And the compressed, lipstick shaped nipple also tells us that latch is too shallow.

I would recommend having an in person appointment with a Lactation Consultant so they can observe a feeding and take a look at latch, baby's mouth, etc. You can find a certified, local LC here: http://www.ilca.org/why-ibclc/falc

Until then, one option is to give yourself a minor break and pump for next 24-48 hours and bottle feed babe. This will allow your nipples to heal + protect your milk supply + get babe the milk he needs.

Congratulations, Christina! And, great job nursing baby #1!

Exclusive pumping vs breastfeeding...great question! Much of the research to date on the benefits of breastfeeding was done with babies who were breastfeeding from the breast versus exclusively drinking breastmilk, so this is an evolving discussion.

Here are some differences/advantages/disadvantages to consider:

One difference with pumping is less skin to skin bonding. But.. if you pump, you can just make sure you get in lots of skin to skin cuddling!

Another interesting difference to keep in mind is that when we store milk and then heat, we change the composition a bit.

Certainly you will hear different opinions from different twin moms about what strategy works best for them. Some will say it's easier to tandem feed both at breast and skip the pumping, washing and bottle feeding! Others will say it's easier to get help with feedings + measure how much the babies are eating each day. Some moms feel supply diminishes without latching. Other moms have abundant supply!

I would recommend keeping your options open at beginning so you can make the decision for yourself!!

Dana thank you so much for your input! I really appreciate your professional advice. This helps set my mind at ease.