On Tuesday, January 4th Lucy will be 3 weeks old. Breastfeeding is very important to me. I breastfed Lizzie for 24 months and David for 14 months. I had trouble for the first 4-6 weeks with both Lizzie and David. With Lizzie, I had to use a nipple shield because she just would not latch. I never figured out why, but thankfully around 5 weeks or so she latched with no problem and we threw that shield away! David had a terrible latch at first. He gave me lots of pain when he put his tongue in front of my nipple instead of under it – he was trying to slow down my fast flow.
I was really hoping to have an easy newborn nursing experience with Lucy, but it wasn’t going to happen. My milk came in on day 2 – the fastest yet! But her latch wasn’t fantastic either. After I finally trained her to latch correctly, I dealt with the pain of engorgement. Soon as my engorgement went away around week 2, I still had bad nipple pain, and I noticed white stuff on her tongue.
So we went to the doctor.
And one quick glance into Lucy’s mouth solidified her diagnosis – thrush. We were given oral Nystatin for her and Newman’s Nipple Cream for me. And after a week of treatments I am so proud to say she and I are symptom free!
The worst thing about Thrush is the pain I felt even when I was not nursing. Newman’s nipple cream was a lifesaver and so were the hot showers.
After speaking with other moms I learned of a natural product used to treat Thrush and if my prescriptions didn’t work I was going to try it – Gentian Violet. The only thing I don’t like about it is how purple the baby’s mouth gets during treatments.
I breastfed my first daughter and plan to breastfeed my second (due in March). I’m hoping the second time around will be much easier. I had to use a nipple shield at first too. Then I lost it and had to start feeding without it. I was glad to stop using it though. I had just gotten so use to it.
BTW, I just started a Link Exchange. Let me know if you’re interested in exchanging links!!
http://www.marvelousmommy.com/2011/01/link-exchange/
You are so blessed to be able to nurse your babies. I nursed all five of my children–including twins. It isn’t easy, but so very good for them and YOU! Enjoy the time of closeness and know that one day they will be happy healthy teenagers! Mine are and I have no regrets!
Nursing twins! That is wonderful! I am enjoying this time. With all three so close together I will have empty nest real bad in 18 years. Enjoying it now 🙂
yes hot showers. when i got engorged i took hot showers and squeezed the milk out. this was so much relief. i don’t know what this does for milk supply tho. and stress really affects milk supply. and yes annie with having 2 toddlers you have more stress now. so watch this. its ok to not nurse… i found out the hard way. i love you.
mom
Thankfully nursing is going wonderfully. She is gaining very well and has more than enough wet/poopy diapers, plus her latch is perfect. Besides the trouble in the first 2 weeks, (which are now fixed) everything is panning out.
I understand why some people choose not to nurse and if I had physical or emotional troubles that prevented me from being able to breastfeed I would definitely give her a bottle if that was her only source of nutrition. But I am so thankful for not having troubles like that right now.
That’s a good attitude to have, Annie. I think some mamas get a little TOO militant about breastfeeding. I never had any problems other than a sub-par latch for like a day with my oldest, so it’s easy for me to say breast is best, you know?
Lucy’s a cutie. Congrats on being the first April 2010 mama to have a newb……..stretch that babymoon out as long as you can……..she’s precious!
Thank you Jenn!! Lucy was a huge surprise and I am so glad she is here. We are pretty sure she will be our last, so we are soaking up every single babymoon second 🙂
I have a love/ hate relationship with breastfeeding. After almost 4 weeks, I’m still having nipple pain. I’ve been using Newman’s since the hospital. His latch is perfect according to the nurses & the lactation consultant.
I never get engorged, not even when my milk came in. When Mayer’s awake, he wants to eat. Most of the time we are lucky to make it 1hr before he starts screaming for more. If he sleeps more than 2 hrs, it’s like he’s trying to make up for the feedings he missed. They have assured me he is getting plenty & he probably just wants to eat to soothe a tummyache. I’ve tried pacifiers, but can’t find one he likes. He is not the happiest baby on the block. 🙂
I love that I don’t have to pack bottles when we go somewhere & it has definitely helped with weight loss. I worry what it’s going to be like when I go back to work. Saving the extra money not paying for formula is a HUGE plus too; so I’m going to stick with it as long as I can. I just hope things level out soon!
Lucy eats about every hour too, so I know what you mean. I can’t get anything done (except nurse her) and when I am visiting people I am always nursing. FUN. I know Lucy is getting enough because of the # of dirty/wet diapers plus not only is she gaining well but she stops nursing by coughing up milk. I too have tried pacifiers but I only have a 25% success rate. Sometimes she takes it, most of the time she makes an awful grimace and spits it out.
I am hoping things get easier for you. I have some Motherlove nipple cream I can mail you. I bought it brand new to soothe my nipples and never used it since the Newman’s worked for me. Email me and let me know if you want to try it 🙂
Sarah, You sound exactly like me. I never got encourged ever. Well, one time i had a plugged duct, but in the begining i was never engorged even when my milk came in. I had terribly sore nipples and the looked bad too all ripped and cracked. i used lanolin and hot showers and i pumped when he was sleeping. I too had to go back to work after 8 weeks and i pumped until he was a year. It can be stressful, but so worth it. I hated my pump and i hated to actually breastfeeding all the time. I did have a supply issue when he was 6 and 9 months old and i found that mother’s milk tea (drink at least 3x a day) and blessed thistle and fenugreek (also take 3x a day)really helped alot. I would get 12+ ounces at each sessions. also, if you can find the time, join a message board for pumping/breastfeeding mama’s like on Babycenter.com or webmd.com. it was helpful to me
ouch! I’ve heard thrush is pretty painful 🙁
BF Ethan was really difficult for the first 3 months. Endless problems….I had constant plugged ducts for a while which were really painful.
I’m hoping my experience with Cole is better, but I’m prepared for anything I may have to go through!
I have heard that the first 6-8 weeks are super difficult. Just read some of these other comments…..the first 3 months…then things get better. I really hope Cole is better for you. I would hate for you to go through all that again.
Hope it gets easier soon! I understand your pain. We found out my son was tongue tied when he was 5 days old. By that time I had blisters and wanted to cry every time he nursed. We used a shield, which helped a lot but as soon as the blisters healed I got a clogged milk duct! The first 7 or 8 weeks was really hard, but I’m so happy I stuck it out and had a good LC! He is now 14 months and in the (slow) process of weaning
My 8 week old has never been able to latch on without a nipple shield. The nipple shield has been great. However, We have tried to wean it off, but with no luck. Any suggestions?
The way I weaned Lizzie was this: I used the nipple shield when she was alert and hungry. Then, as she began to sleep at the breast I offered her my breast without the shield. If she was sleepy enough sometimes she took it. If she woke up mad and wouldn’t latch I’d just try again next time. Eventually she took my breast at the end of feedings when she was really sleepy. Then, I started to offer her my breast at the beginning, without the nipple shield. It took a few weeks for her to take my breast at the beginning but she eventually got it.
I assume you have seen a lactation consultant – but if not maybe you can. Perhaps the LC can offer some insight? But if you have seen one then I just want to encourage you. The nipple shield is a very useful tool – I would not have breastfeed my oldest without it!
You are doing a great thing by breastfeeding. I bet your little one will be weaned off soon, by 12 weeks you should see even more improvement. Let me know how it goes!
I do have a LC. Thanks so much for your help too.
PS- I am a friend of your sister Bethany. I love your blog! It’s been really helpful as a first time mom! Thanks again!
So glad it worked out for you both! She is adorable! You are so blessed!
I was only able to nurse for the first six months with my oldest (now 3). I was working and going to graduate school so pretty much full time pumping. By her 6 month growth spurt I just couldn’t keep up. My second is 11 months now and we are still nursing. I thought she might be starting to wean when she went a week last week with only nursing twice a day, but this week we are back up to 4-5 times a day.
I do have to say I am uber-lucky. Both my girls took to nursing immediately with great latches. My milk came in 48 hours after giving birth which helped too.
Yup! Having your milk come in so soon really probably helped. I bet you are loving your nursing relationship with your second daughter, so happy to hear she is going strong at 11 months! 🙂