Join Dana Czuczka, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, for a Q&A all about breastfeeding. Dana is here to answer your questions about supply issues, pumping, weaning, and more.
Welcome Tinyhood lactation consultant, Dana Czuczka, IBCLC! Dana is joining us to answer your breastfeeding questions about milk supply, pumping, weaning, and more, until 12pm ET.
Hi Dana,
I have a five week old and find that I get pretty engorged whenever I try to wear a real nursing bra (vs. a sports/sleep nursing bra). I would love to get out of nursing tanks/sleep bras and into more normal clothes, but I don't want to risk getting clogged ducts. Will the engorgement ever go away? Or is it maybe something about my nursing bras that is causing issues. I also note that I am on the verge of having an oversupply.
Thanks!
CJ
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Dana C.
Hi, CJ. Congratulations on your new baby! |
Thank you for answering questions! My baby is almost 10 months old and I am working on weaning. I am exclusively pumping now, and have gotten down to 2 8-10 minute sessions per day (night and morning), getting about 6-8 oz each time. How would you recommend that I complete the weaning process? Should I try just pumping once a day? Reduce the amount of time for each session? At what point can I simply stop pumping without risking engorgement/a clogged duct/mastitis?
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Dana C.
Great question! My best advice on weaning from the pumping would be to continue to reduce the time you pump at each session a bit more. You are still producing a lot of milk in a short period of time (amazing!), so let's go slow and give your body time to adjust. Perhaps try only pumping for 5 minutes the next few days. If you are feeling ok (no discomfort, clogged ducts, etc) then drop the evening pump and just hand express for relief/comfort. After your body feels ok, then drop the last one. You can take ibruprofen for any discomfort. Some moms feel great relief using ice packs (other moms hate it! go with what feels right). Green cabbage leaf compresses help relieve engorgement too. |
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Devon Thanks very much for the information and encouragement! |
I exclusively breastfed my 7 month old baby for 6 months. About 1 week ago, I started pumping. I am still breastfeeding for most of her feedings. She gets one bottle per day. She is not too excited about the bottle. She will either drink only 2 ounces or not take the bottle at all. What can I do to get her adjusted to taking a bottle?
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Dana C.
Hi, Angela - great job on the breastfeeding! My guess is she'll get the hang of it once she has a few more experiences with it. Try and pace the feeding like baby does at the breast. Let baby root for bottle nipple versus just sticking it in baby's mouth. Sit baby up more (versus holding her in a reclined position) and hold bottle parallel to floor (horizontal) versus straight up and down so baby can control the milk flow a bit easier. It may be more successful to start with freshly pumped milk versus cold/defrosted milk. |
My baby is 13 weeks EBF. Though I've been trying since 6 weeks, she won't take a bottle. Or a sippy. (Or a paci). I've tried EVERYTHING! Letting her chew on/play with the nipples, hard and soft nipples, hi and lo flow nipples, flat, small, big, bottle nipples. I've tried silicone and plastic sippies. Milk hot and cold. I've had the most success with a cup (doidy) but that is very slow going. My husband will be home with me daughter for July, and I go back to work on July 10th. Help!! She's a good sleeper and I do not want to end up reverse cycling!!
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Dana C.
Hi, Stacey -- I've been there...I know how stressful this can be. But, it really is important to stay calm and keep telling yourself "this too shall pass." It may take some time, but we'll work through it! |
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Stacey Thank you! I've tried feeding her at night and bait and switch with little success. Fresh BM is something I have not tried -- I'm curious, what's the reasoning behind this recommendation? |
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Dana C.
Milk straight from mamma is what your baby is most used to. Therefore, offering the milk as close to that as we can get, can be helpful when we are trying to teach a (wary) exclusively breastfed baby how to bottlefeed. I find that using freshly pumped milk eliminates any questions about the milk being too cold or too hot. Plus, breastmilk can taste a little different after storing/freezing. This is normal, but since we are trying to minimize any factor that will deter baby from taking the bottle, I usually suggest trying fresh milk. If it seems logistically impossible or stressful, then skip this suggestion! But, remember, freshly pumped milk can safely stay out at room temp for 3+ hours (research shows up to 8 hours under very clean conditions). |
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Stacey Thank you!! I'll definitely try that tomorrow!! I appreciate the explanation! |