Tips for Breastfeeding and Milk Supply

Just reporting back to say that I had my appt this morning with the LC and it was FANTASTIC!

I'm armed with a new feeding hold, a new nipple shield and lots of tips and voila - she fed like a pro! I know we aren't out of the woods yet, my nipples still need to heal and hopefully we can remove the shield in the next week or so and I may need another appt yet, but I'm feeling so much better about it and I'm so very glad I was able to express these last two weeks and keep going

Thanks so much again everyone for your help!!

Oh that is fantastic!!! Couldnt have asked for a better result! Make sure you keep us posted! Well done you! Ah, Im so pleased for you!

Me again!

Just wanted to pop in again to say thank you again so much for your help and encouragement in the last few weeks! We have absolutely turned a corner when it comes to feeding, since seeing the LC we have been feeding with next to no issues whatsoever (the odd pinch when latching but I guess that's normal). DD was weighed last Monday and had put on 460g in 8 days - the week before she had lost 20g but she is now back over her birth weight and I am so stoked that it was all Mumma milk Expressing for all those feeds was so worth it and so was persevering with the feeding! I actually look forward to spending the time feeding now rather than dreading the time and cringing/crying through it.

I'm so happy it's all worked out, thanks to my fabulous MW, my awesomely supportive DH who just kept saying 'try one more feed and see how it goes' knowing I didn't want to give up and letting me sit in bed doing lots of skin to skin and trying to feed while he took care of DS. And of course you lovely ladies who gave me hope that it would work out!!

Sorry for the long winded speech haha, I'm just so stoked that I am able to give DD what I believe is the best start to life

Hi Guys I have a question re breastfeeding twins. I have previously been feeding then topping up with EBM and expressing between feeds. However in the last couple of days I have not had the opportunity to express and as a consequence the twins are now fully feeding from the breast, should I try to express now and then to keep the milk up or continue with the new routine or the original routine? Its taken me 9 almost 10 weeks to get to the point where they will feel satisfied and settle off the breast alone.

How do you keep going when everyone around you is going on bottles?

I'm happily BF DD at 8 months and would like to continue till she weans herself which I'm aware could be anywhere between 18 and 24 months.

Where do you find support?

Why does them going to bottles affect you? (not ment to sound harsh, just wondering why)
Some have gone to bottles, but not as many as I would have expected, Im proud to still be breastfeeding tho, and I enjoy it, so I dont worry if someone else has an issue with it (I was sitting in a park in washington DC two days ago BFing DD who was up to her usual antics of doing handstands while feeding.. I expected to get a few funny looks considering im in the states and the only one other person Ive seen/heard about BFing did it in the parents room as she couldnt imagine feeding in public! but I didnt! I got a couple of smiles and nods, but that was it! totally not what I was expecting, but thats a bit off topic, sorry!)
There is LLL as well, do you go to their meetings?? The ones Ive been to have been awesome, with lots of women EBFing. Ive also found places like babywearing groups have women who BF (Im not saying everyone, but foudn they seem to have a higher percentage).
I havnt had any comments from my family, my mum BFed my sister and I till we were 21 months, my aunt BFed my cousin till she was 4 years, so its one thing Ive had a lot of support from them from

Im not really a stand out person either, Im really shy and hate attention being drawn to me, but for some reason (maybe all the sh*t weve gone through to BF) Im determined to not be put off by anyone else? And I guess a lot of the people I know are BFers or even if tehy bottle fed then they dont really say much (although i do get some comments about your not going to let her feed till shes 4 right? I just say yep! she can come home at lunch time for a wee drink )
LLL locations, im not sure which (if any) are west auckland, but tehy have a few in auckland so there might be one close? Also they are on FB as are breastfeeding NZ which can give you some support too.
Do people who switch to bottle say things to you? link to some cool comebacks from when people say stupid stuff. I got a chuckle out of it anyway!
Just remember that your the normal one.. its totally normal to feed your baby with milk 100% designed for her, and you shouldnt feel out of place by it. I guess I fake it till I make it, in that I want others to see BFing as normal (which it is!) and feel that tehy arnt out of place, so if I feed any where and everywhere then hopefully it will enable someone else who is a little less confident to do so too

DD will happily take a bottle and she's well established on solids, I can easily leave her for a couple of hours with a bottle of water and a jar of food. She's started dropping her midday/lunch feed in favour of solids this past month.

One of the Mum's in my coffee group made a comment about me getting my boobs out this time next year, while I may well have weaned her by then its not out of the realm of possibility that we will still be going with it.

phantom- its your baby not plunkets. Dont take everything they say to heart, alot of it doesnt work for every baby. Do what works for YOU and YOUR girl and forget their nonesense

Caliandjack there is LLLKelston

They do coffee morning and meeting on Tuesday.

Edited by Richtea