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Breast feeding letdown reflex question.



 
 
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  #1  
Old November 17th 03, 06:55 PM
na
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Breast feeding letdown reflex question.

How do I have a (letdown) before I nurse? I have trouble doing it. I do it
while I nurse but not usually until I switch breasts... On the first breast
I never get that full and emptying feeling.

I have heard that you should just think about feeding your baby but that
doesnt work for me because I hate breast feeding. I prefer bottle feeding
but I know whats best for my son so I just do it... any advice would be very
helpful.

Thanks
K-K


  #2  
Old November 17th 03, 07:57 PM
Ilse Witch
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Posts: n/a
Default Breast feeding letdown reflex question.

na wrote:
How do I have a (letdown) before I nurse? I have trouble doing it. I do it
while I nurse but not usually until I switch breasts... On the first breast
I never get that full and emptying feeling.

I have heard that you should just think about feeding your baby but that
doesnt work for me because I hate breast feeding. I prefer bottle feeding
but I know whats best for my son so I just do it... any advice would be very
helpful.


It's not clear to me why you are asking this. If you nurse your
son, you don't always have to feel the letdown. And it doesn't
always occur before you nurse either. In my case, I never had
a letdown before DS started to nurse, but plenty of milk anyway.
I never leaked either.

It's great that you have decided to go for it, even though you
don't like it. Take it easy, and you may come to enjoy the
intimacy that goes with it, even if the feeding itself is not
a pleasure.

--
-- I
mommy to DS (15m)
guardian of DH (32)
War doesn't decide who's right, only who's left

  #3  
Old November 17th 03, 09:22 PM
lynn
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Posts: n/a
Default Breast feeding letdown reflex question.

In article 1Y7ub.416103$9l5.399225@pd7tw2no, "na" wrote:

How do I have a (letdown) before I nurse? I have trouble doing it. I do it
while I nurse but not usually until I switch breasts... On the first breast
I never get that full and emptying feeling.

I have heard that you should just think about feeding your baby but that
doesnt work for me because I hate breast feeding. I prefer bottle feeding
but I know whats best for my son so I just do it... any advice would be very
helpful.


You don't do it on purpose. It just happens as you nurse. The baby's
nursing triggers letdown, but you might not even feel it. I hardly ever
felt letdown, but I was clearly making milk. Is the baby getting milk?
Do you hear swallowing sounds? Then it's all working.

Give the nursing thing time. I think you just had the baby last week?
It'll get more comfortable, until you hardly need to think about it, but
at first it can sure seem awkward.

Once you've got the mechanics of nursing down (e.g. the baby's latching
on correctly), the best thing is probably just to relax while he nurses.
If thinking about feeding the baby does it, that's great, but if not,
try a different way of relaxing. Turn on the TV and take your mind off
nursing, let the baby suck while you watch your favorite sitcom. I
watched a lot of TV, or chatted on the phone, while baby nursed.

- lynn
  #4  
Old November 17th 03, 09:26 PM
na
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Breast feeding letdown reflex question.

oh ok, well in still sort of new to the world of breast feeding... I just
notice that my breasts are 'relatively' empty when I start on one side, and
while i nurse on one side I feel the letdown and my other side fills up. I
guess I shouldnt worry about how full they feel and just pay attention to
how many times he swallows.

LOL at the guardian of DH comment, it was priceless!


"Ilse Witch" wrote in message
...
na wrote:
How do I have a (letdown) before I nurse? I have trouble doing it. I do

it
while I nurse but not usually until I switch breasts... On the first

breast
I never get that full and emptying feeling.

I have heard that you should just think about feeding your baby but that
doesnt work for me because I hate breast feeding. I prefer bottle

feeding
but I know whats best for my son so I just do it... any advice would be

very
helpful.


It's not clear to me why you are asking this. If you nurse your
son, you don't always have to feel the letdown. And it doesn't
always occur before you nurse either. In my case, I never had
a letdown before DS started to nurse, but plenty of milk anyway.
I never leaked either.

It's great that you have decided to go for it, even though you
don't like it. Take it easy, and you may come to enjoy the
intimacy that goes with it, even if the feeding itself is not
a pleasure.

--
-- I
mommy to DS (15m)
guardian of DH (32)
War doesn't decide who's right, only who's left



  #5  
Old November 17th 03, 10:27 PM
Ilse Witch
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Breast feeding letdown reflex question.

na wrote:
oh ok, well in still sort of new to the world of breast feeding... I just
notice that my breasts are 'relatively' empty when I start on one side, and
while i nurse on one side I feel the letdown and my other side fills up. I
guess I shouldnt worry about how full they feel and just pay attention to
how many times he swallows.


I noticed just after replying that you posted a birth announcement,
or I would have been a bit more specific, sorry. Congrats anyway!

BF-ing is different for each woman, and so are the feelings and
sensations that come with it. The first weeks can be pretty hard,
they were for me, but in general you will get the routine within
2 weeks or so. You both have to learn. An excellent place for
advice is misc.kids.breastfeeding.

Don't worry if you feel empty, as long as your baby is drinking,
there should be milk flowing. A baby is far more efficient than
anything else in nursing, even when I had pumped, DS managed to
get some milk from me. And after the initial engorgement, your
breasts may feel emptier, but they are most definitely not!

LOL at the guardian of DH comment, it was priceless!


Yeah, what can you do? Men would be lost without women...
But I must say, DH was a great support during the first weeks
of BF-ing, without him, I would most likely have given up!

--
-- I
mommy to DS (15m)
guardian of DH (32)
War doesn't decide who's right, only who's left

  #6  
Old November 17th 03, 11:27 PM
HollyLewis
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Posts: n/a
Default Breast feeding letdown reflex question.

oh ok, well in still sort of new to the world of breast feeding... I just
notice that my breasts are 'relatively' empty when I start on one side, and
while i nurse on one side I feel the letdown and my other side fills up. I
guess I shouldnt worry about how full they feel and just pay attention to
how many times he swallows.


Wrong again! I am now picturing you sitting there trying to count
swallows....what a recipe for frustration! :-)

Sure, it's good to try to determine whether the baby is swallowing, because
that's one sign you've got a proper latch going. But it isn't always easy to
tell. And, of course, at this stage, even pure comfort sucking (when the baby
is latched on and sucking a bit but not swallowing much) is all to the good --
it helps bring your milk in and establish your supply.

Let your baby nurse whenever he seems hungry, and whenever he is fussy for no
other reason you can determine. Let him continue nursing until he falls asleep
or lets go, and then offer the other side. (He may or may not take it; either
way is normal.) Don't watch the clock, don't count swallows, and don't worry!
:-)

IF you should have any concerns about whether your baby is getting enough milk,
the first thing you do is count diapers. You don't get output without input.
For the first week, baby should have at least the number of soaking wet diapers
each day as he is days old, and thereafter it should be 6-8 per day. You
should also see the meconium transitioning to softer, more yellow poop soon.

But low supply problems really are quite rare. Don't freak out when you stop
feeling your breasts "fill", which typically happens somewhere around 6 weeks.
That's normal and all it means is that your body is switching over from
hormonally-driven oversupply to a better regulated supply=demand system.

Learning to breastfeed can be a really awful experience. Chances are you will
like it a whole lot better in another couple months, if not before. :-) Hang
in there.

Holly
Mom to Camden, 2.5 yrs
  #7  
Old November 18th 03, 12:38 AM
Ericka Kammerer
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Breast feeding letdown reflex question.

na wrote:

oh ok, well in still sort of new to the world of breast feeding... I just
notice that my breasts are 'relatively' empty when I start on one side, and
while i nurse on one side I feel the letdown and my other side fills up. I
guess I shouldnt worry about how full they feel and just pay attention to
how many times he swallows.



Yep. And that "filling up" feeling is really illusory.
It has nothing to do with how much milk your baby will get from
that breast.

Best wishes,
Ericka

  #8  
Old November 18th 03, 02:20 PM
Linz
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Posts: n/a
Default Breast feeding letdown reflex question.

On Mon, 17 Nov 2003 17:55:09 GMT, "na" wrote:

How do I have a (letdown) before I nurse? I have trouble doing it. I do it
while I nurse but not usually until I switch breasts... On the first breast
I never get that full and emptying feeling.


I don't feel a let-down until I'm actually feeding, then I get it in
both breasts. And it's not something one does, actively, it's
something your body does.

I have heard that you should just think about feeding your baby but that
doesnt work for me because I hate breast feeding. I prefer bottle feeding
but I know whats best for my son so I just do it... any advice would be very
helpful.


Well done for doing it, if you dislike it so much! Be pleased and
proud of yourself, and you may find that that helps you. I have to
admit that I don't just think about feeding my baby. I think about how
my glass is always just out of reach, how he always ends up on the
right breast at dinner time and while I can nurse him one-handed, I
find it very difficult to feed myself with my left hand, how I need to
write email, how it's hard to sleep with him pulling back frequently
and my partner snoring...
  #9  
Old November 18th 03, 05:41 PM
daisy
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Posts: n/a
Default Breast feeding letdown reflex question.


"na" wrote in message news:1Y7ub.416103$9l5.399225@pd7tw2no...
How do I have a (letdown) before I nurse? I have trouble doing it. I do it
while I nurse but not usually until I switch breasts... On the first

breast
I never get that full and emptying feeling.

I have heard that you should just think about feeding your baby but that
doesnt work for me because I hate breast feeding. I prefer bottle feeding
but I know whats best for my son so I just do it... any advice would be

very
helpful.

Thanks
K-K



IF you hate it so much, then maybe you should concider pumping. That way he
gets your milk, but you dont have to breastfeed. I pump 6-7 times a day for
10 minutes and the only time my son doesnt get breastmilk is his feeding
right before bed. For all those that are probably cussing me out right now
for not actually breastfeeding, please know that I didnt do this by choice,
my son can't eat normally (he has an NG tube) but it worked out well because
when I did try to breastfeed I didn't like it either! If you choose to do
this, make sure that you get a really good pump.
HTH



  #10  
Old November 18th 03, 06:14 PM
daisy
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Posts: n/a
Default Breast feeding letdown reflex question.


"Ericka Kammerer" wrote in message
...
daisy wrote:


IF you hate it so much, then maybe you should concider pumping. That

way he
gets your milk, but you dont have to breastfeed. I pump 6-7 times a day

for
10 minutes and the only time my son doesnt get breastmilk is his feeding
right before bed.



I know you don't have a choice in the matter, but I
would recommend against exclusive pumping if possible. Even
the best pumps aren't as efficient at regulating supply as
a baby is, so many women find that over the long haul they
just can't keep up despite their best efforts. Also, you
limit the ability of some of the cooler features of the
nursing relationship to work, e.g., the mix of foremilk to
hindmilk and the custom-tailored antibodies and such.
Using EBM is certainly beneficial, and it's fabulous that
you're able to do that under difficult circumstances, but
it lacks some of the benefits of actually nursing. Also, nursing
is likely to get easier and less distasteful to the OP
over time as well (and kudos to her for hanging in there
when it's not her favorite thing too), while pumping
just continues to be tedious and time-consuming.

Best wishes,
Ericka


I agree completely that its great that shes hanging in there. If Robbie
didnt have such a difficult time swallowing I would have as well, but he
couldnt get the suck swallow breath down which is probably why I didnt like
it too much, it was too frustrating to both of us.
I try not to think that pumping is tedious and time consuming because I
know that its worth it, Robbie is doing really well and I like to think its
because of my time spent pumping : ). Is it true that because I pump Im not
expressing the foremilk and hindmilk? if it is then how can I get that
milk? no one has explained that to me


 




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