Intro and a few questions

Hi everyone! I've been lurking here for a while and recognize many of you
from misc.kids.pregnancy.

Had my little guy on St. Patrick's Day, and we've been working out
breastfeeding ever since. I am trying to feed on demand, but have resorted
to offering my pinkie/a pacifier (which he hates and usually won't take)
once or twice after some really intense cluster feeding. For the most part,
it has been going pretty well, but recently, we've started having a few
problems. Advice/suggestions would be much appreciated!

1) Lately, it seems to take the critter a few tries to get a proper latch
and settle into nursing. The first couple times, he will bite instead of
latch, or latch and then pull his head back hard, taking my nipple with him.
OUCH! I unlatch him as quickly as I can when this happens, and I do try to
keep a hand behind his neck/head to prevent him from pulling back, but he
still manages to catch me somehow. Also, I've been hand expressing a little
bit at the beginning of each nursing session, since my breasts seem really
full. Any other suggestions for helping him get the latch right the first
time?

2) Is Tylenol safe while nursing? My doctor's office is closed today, so I
can't call, and I really could go for some pain relief. The lanolin just
isn't cutting it today.

3) Critter tends to stay latched for quite a long time if I let him stay on
until he decides to let go...usually 40 minutes or longer. After about 30
minutes, though, he falls asleep and only sucks every couple minutes. When I
try to unlatch him, he starts sucking again. Should I be unlatching him when
he falls asleep, or should I just wait until he lets go himself?

4) Every other feeding or so, Critter sucks too quickly and ends up choking
on the milk. We both find this stressful. Is there anyway to prevent this?

Thank you so much in advance for all of your help!
Michelle

Oh, I can tell I am tired, because I forgot to include my biggest
question...

I think my little guy has colic. He wakes up each night at about 10 and
cries constantly until at least 12:30, sometimes longer. He also cries a lot
the rest of the day when he is awake. He probably has about 2 hours of happy
awake time during the day (and this might be an overestimate) - the rest of
the time he is either sleeping, nursing, or crying his eyes out. Sometimes
he cries while he nurses (I think this is when he isn't really hungry, but
is comfort nursing). We have tried all of the colic tricks we can find
(tummy massage (he hates it!), walking, dancing, vacuum cleaner, drives in
the car), and none works for more than a few minutes. Now, I pretty much
just hold him close, walk him and tell him I love him during that time and
he cries himself out.

I'm trying this week to cut things out of my diet that could be disagreeing
with him. I'm avoiding veggies that might make him gassy, and today is my
second day of cutting back on milk (I'm having a hard time cutting milk
products out entirely, since I am vegitarian, and dairy is such an easy way
to get protein in during the day, but I am trying to stick to just yogurt
for a few days). Are there any other foods I should consider cutting out?
Could spicy foods affect hime? I love spicy food, and have had quite a bit
of it lately...

Thanks for any suggestions
-Michelle

Hi Michelle. What a neat birthday your son has. I don't suppose you're Irish?


I've been hand expressing a little
bit at the beginning of each nursing session, since my breasts seem really
full.

I had to do this too at first. Sometimes I was so full that it was impossible
for DS to latch on if I didn't express quite a bit.

When I
try to unlatch him, he starts sucking again. Should I be unlatching him when
he falls asleep

I would suggest trying to unlatch him as soon as you notice he is not
swallowing...he will likely protest that and if so, try humming and rocking or
whatever until he goes to sleep. If all else fails latch back on and let him
nurse for comfort a bit more. In my experience, the longer they get accustomed
to nursing themselves into a deep slumber, the harder it will be to get out of
that habit.

My son would nurse at bedtime until he was so full that he was uncomfortable.
He couldn't get to sleep b/c nursing more only aggravated the situation. Now he
is 8 months and he will nurse about 10 mins when we lay down, unlatch himself,
toss and turn a bit, and I rub his back until he falls asleep. Its not a
perfect bedtime ritual, but works for us.
~Tracy

No doubt you'll get any number of good suggestions from the group here, but
I highly recommend "Happiest Baby on the Block".
It's a jewel, and will likely give you some really helpful tools for dealing
with your little man.

Good luck

--Deirdre

"Shelly" wrote in message
...
Oh, I can tell I am tired, because I forgot to include my biggest
question...

I think my little guy has colic. He wakes up each night at about 10 and
cries constantly until at least 12:30, sometimes longer. He also cries a lot
the rest of the day when he is awake. He probably has about 2 hours of happy
awake time during the day (and this might be an overestimate) - the rest of
the time he is either sleeping, nursing, or crying his eyes out. Sometimes
he cries while he nurses (I think this is when he isn't really hungry, but
is comfort nursing). We have tried all of the colic tricks we can find
(tummy massage (he hates it!), walking, dancing, vacuum cleaner, drives in
the car), and none works for more than a few minutes. Now, I pretty much
just hold him close, walk him and tell him I love him during that time and
he cries himself out.

I'm trying this week to cut things out of my diet that could be disagreeing
with him. I'm avoiding veggies that might make him gassy, and today is my
second day of cutting back on milk (I'm having a hard time cutting milk
products out entirely, since I am vegitarian, and dairy is such an easy way
to get protein in during the day, but I am trying to stick to just yogurt
for a few days). Are there any other foods I should consider cutting out?
Could spicy foods affect hime? I love spicy food, and have had quite a bit
of it lately...

Thanks for any suggestions
-Michelle

I am trying to feed on demand, but have resorted
to offering my pinkie/a pacifier (which he hates and usually won't take)
once or twice after some really intense cluster feeding.

Don't feel bad about that at all. If he'll take the substitute, you'll get a
break and he'll be fine. If he won't take the substitute, you'll know he
really does need the milk! :-)


2) Is Tylenol safe while nursing? My doctor's office is closed today, so I
can't call, and I really could go for some pain relief. The lanolin just
isn't cutting it today.

I'm pretty sure Tylenol is fine, but I'd suggest ibuprofen. It'll probably
work better and it is definitely considered safe while breastfeeding. I took
an awful lot of it for a while. :-)

3) Critter tends to stay latched for quite a long time if I let him stay on
until he decides to let go...usually 40 minutes or longer. After about 30
minutes, though, he falls asleep and only sucks every couple minutes. When I
try to unlatch him, he starts sucking again. Should I be unlatching him when
he falls asleep, or should I just wait until he lets go himself?

Let him stay on if you've nothing more pressing to do. Unlatch him if you've
really got to pee. ;-) Basically, once he's asleep, if you can unlatch him
without causing him to wake and cry, go right ahead. My DS *never* let go on
his own, so I certainly never followed the guideline to let him nurse until he
let go! When I wanted to get up, I'd unlatch him. If he protested, I'd let
him back on; if not, I was good to go.

4) Every other feeding or so, Critter sucks too quickly and ends up choking
on the milk. We both find this stressful. Is there anyway to prevent this?

In time the problem will likely solve itself. But you can try nursing in a
reclined position with him kind of on top of you. That way, the milk has to
flow against gravity and that may slow the initial letdown enough for him to
manage better. Alternatively, you could try pumping or hand expressing into a
towel or burp cloth for just a moment before latching him on, as the flow
usually slows a bit after the initial letdown. The problem with that approach,
besides the hassle and the delay in starting the feeding, is that you could
wind up encouraging an oversupply if you pump too much.

Holly
Mom to Camden, 3yo
EDD #2 6/8/04

Let him stay on if you've nothing more pressing to do. Unlatch him if
you've
really got to pee. ;-) Basically, once he's asleep, if you can unlatch
him
without causing him to wake and cry, go right ahead. My DS *never* let go
on
his own, so I certainly never followed the guideline to let him nurse
until he
let go! When I wanted to get up, I'd unlatch him. If he protested, I'd
let
him back on; if not, I was good to go.

My problem with this is Morgan tends to throw up a bit if I don't burp her.
So, I have to burp her and lay back down, but then she wants to latch on
again...it's a vicious cycle!

~Carol Ann

My problem with this is Morgan tends to throw up a bit if I don't burp her.
So, I have to burp her and lay back down, but then she wants to latch on
again...it's a vicious cycle!

Well, if the throwing up doesn't wake or bother her, it's not a problem other
than the extra laundry. :-)

I generally burped DS (who was a champion spitter upper no matter what we did
or didn't do) between sides. If he fell asleep at the breast on the second
side, I didn't wake him.

Holly
Mom to Camden, 3yo
EDD #2 6/8/04

"Deirdre" wrote in message
...
No doubt you'll get any number of good suggestions from the group here,
but
I highly recommend "Happiest Baby on the Block".
It's a jewel, and will likely give you some really helpful tools for
dealing
with your little man.

Good luck

--Deirdre

Thanks, Deirdre. I'll check it out!

-Michelle

"All4meUC" wrote in message
...
Hi Michelle. What a neat birthday your son has. I don't suppose you're
Irish?


No, wouldn't that have been too perfect, though. He is half Palestinian,
the rest Polish/German...but we did end up giving him an Irish name for good
measure.


I would suggest trying to unlatch him as soon as you notice he is not
swallowing...he will likely protest that and if so, try humming and
rocking or
whatever until he goes to sleep. If all else fails latch back on and let
him
nurse for comfort a bit more. In my experience, the longer they get
accustomed
to nursing themselves into a deep slumber, the harder it will be to get
out of
that habit.

My son would nurse at bedtime until he was so full that he was
uncomfortable.
He couldn't get to sleep b/c nursing more only aggravated the situation.
Now he
is 8 months and he will nurse about 10 mins when we lay down, unlatch
himself,
toss and turn a bit, and I rub his back until he falls asleep. Its not a
perfect bedtime ritual, but works for us.
~Tracy

Thanks for the advice, Tracy. This is one thing I have been wondering
about... I have heard other Mom's I know say they don't want their babies in
the habit of nursing themselves to sleep. Why? Is it because they then have
a hard time sleeping when they are weaned? Since our little man seems to be
colicky and won't go to sleep before 1 a.m. most nights, I am happy to get
him to stop screaming and sleep any way I can... Am I setting myself up for
even more pain months down the line?

-Michelle

"HollyLewis" wrote in message
...
Let him stay on if you've nothing more pressing to do. Unlatch him if
you've
really got to pee. ;-) Basically, once he's asleep, if you can unlatch
him
without causing him to wake and cry, go right ahead. My DS *never* let go
on
his own, so I certainly never followed the guideline to let him nurse
until he
let go! When I wanted to get up, I'd unlatch him. If he protested, I'd
let
him back on; if not, I was good to go.


Thanks for the advice, Holly! So, it sounds like you let your little guy
nurse himself to sleep? Did this cause problems for you as he got older?

-Michelle