problems...long (?pump resistance and ?thrush)

Well, my little Monkey is almost 5 months old and after some initial
typical problems (thanks for all the help!), bfing has been going
great! Until now that is...
I started work when she was 12 wks old and at first was pumping an easy
8-10oz in the am, another 6-8 in late morning, and another 6 just after
noon. She started out eating 12-18oz during the day at daycare
(7isham-4ish pm), so I was ahead of the game for a bit. However, in
the past few weeks she has upped her intake to as much as 25 oz in that
same 8-9hour time period, and my pumping output has decreased
dramatically (12 total for the day). I'm taking Fenugreek and eating
oatmeal, but actually I think it might be more about pump resistance
than low supply. When I pump more often during the day, I just get
less at each pumping, so the total stays the same. She sleeps 8-10
hrs, nurses once, and back to bed until it's time to get up for the
day. (Oh, FWIW I don't think the daycare is overfeeding her, I asked
all those questions and was satisfied at the answers).
So, should I set my alarm to pump at night? I would be using my Isis
manual instead of the Purely Yours I use at work.
She's been cutting her two bottom teeth, and the second just broke
through, so is it possible/likely that she'll start eating less now
that that's over? (until the top teeth of course)

I noticed this weekend that I'm having nipple pain during and between
feedings, however she does have two lovely new sharp teeth and has been
doing some biting. I had attributed the pain to that (I get teeth
marks when she slips off latch and bites down...lovely!), but noticed
some pimple like marks on my areolae (both) today. They are like
whiteheads, raised bumps with white in the center. I'm wondering if
this is thrush, although the descriptions I've been reading (kellymom,
LLL, Chozii's site) don't seem to quite fit. Since my nipples are
normally quite pink, that doesn't help either. As I sit here, I'm
getting a stabbing/burning pain in one nipple, but that could be the
power of thought!
I understand that OTC creams can be used for thrush....Lotrimin AF,
etc. Anyone have a particular brand preference or is there something I
should specifically look for?
Finally (thanks for getting this far), because my freezer supply is
looking pretty sparse I'm concerned that I'm going to have to
supplement if something doesn't change soon. Because she is having a
lot of "ready for solids" behaviors, I did try giving her a spoonful of
cereal yesterday. She was not impressed. Plus, as I told DH, she
might be ready for solids, but I don't think I am!
If the "worst" happens and I do run out of freezer stash, better to try
other types of solids that have more nutritional value than cereal or
formula? If formula, any that are similar in taste to breastmilk (it
would only be for when daycare runs out of breastmilk and I can't go
pick her up, so IMHO similarity of experience to breastmilk is more
important that similarity of composition)

Thanks anyone who waded through all that!!

Amy

V. wrote:
Well, my little Monkey is almost 5 months old and after some initial
typical problems (thanks for all the help!), bfing has been going
great! Until now that is...

Wow, time flies doesn't it ? :-)

snip snip

Finally (thanks for getting this far), because my freezer supply is
looking pretty sparse I'm concerned that I'm going to have to
supplement if something doesn't change soon. Because she is having a
lot of "ready for solids" behaviors, I did try giving her a spoonful of
cereal yesterday. She was not impressed. Plus, as I told DH, she
might be ready for solids, but I don't think I am!

You probably know this already but - the "ready for solids" behavior
includes the some or all of the following:
1. double the birth weight
2. holding neck up consistently
3. grabbing at food
4. teething

etc.
If she's teething already, maybe you could start her on some solids.

If the "worst" happens and I do run out of freezer stash, better to try
other types of solids that have more nutritional value than cereal or
formula?

Hmm, I would think that would depend on the child. I mean if the child
is clearly not ready for solids (can't digest solids, or can't swallow
them) then its obvious that formula would be the choice. But if the
child is ready to try solids, then *I* would go ahead and introduce
them. YMMV though. Plus, in the initial stages of introducing solids, I
believe kiddies react similarly if they don't *like* the solids, or
simply *can't* eat them.

I was advised to try single grain cereal, orange veggies, bananas,
peaches, pears, (the peaches and pears were for advanced eaters), peas,
and once she gets the hang of eating solids (and if you are comfortable
introducing dairy) yogurt after 9 months. No salt, no sugar, no honey
until the first year.

E's only had bananas and cereal, both of which she hated, and it was
only to get her used to the texture and taste. Perhaps you could start
a little solids at the beginning of each meal (when kids are hungriest)
and then fall back on breastmilk after her initial hunger is satiated ?
This may reduce the volume of Breastmilk she needs as well.

If formula, any that are similar in taste to breastmilk (it
would only be for when daycare runs out of breastmilk and I can't go
pick her up, so IMHO similarity of experience to breastmilk is more
important that similarity of composition)


That would be Nestle "Good Start" according to E's pediatrician. I
imagined that I would be in the same position that you are in, and so
thought it prudent to let her taste formula once - to see if she had an
adverse reaction, and to see how she reacted. Its the only time I ever
tried to give her formula, and she hated it. I don't blame her though,
it tastes "metallic" :-(


Thanks anyone who waded through all that!!

Amy

No problem. I hope things work out for the best. I'll probably be
waiting to hear your experience with introducing solids anyway :-)

PK.

I'm surprised your pump output has diminished so early in your pumping, I
wonder if it is worth changing parts, I don't know which parts on the pump
in style deteriorate, but I suspect tubing, and is there a valve of some
sort? You could also try the Isis and see if you get more and the same time
and that could be a sign of a problem with the other pump.

The good news is that this excessive consumption of milk is fairly short
term, my DS only went to day care for 4hrs and for the few weeks before he
started solids he was eating 12oz, once he started solids that decreased and
my output didn't. For us, he did end up having formula, but our situation at
the time was complex we'd both been ill a few weeks previously and we'd
almost stopped breastfeeding, so I was basically relactating so he had
already been on formula, I can't remember the exact timing of when I got him
back completely to the breast, but we did.

Cheers

Anne

V. wrote:
Well, my little Monkey is almost 5 months old and after some initial
typical problems (thanks for all the help!), bfing has been going
great! Until now that is...

The year of the Monkey was 2004, you actually got yourself a little Rooster!

"V." wrote in message

the past few weeks she has upped her intake to as much as 25 oz in that
same 8-9hour time period, and my pumping output has decreased
dramatically (12 total for the day). I'm taking Fenugreek and eating
oatmeal, but actually I think it might be more about pump resistance
than low supply.

This is what it was like for me when I experienced pump resistance with
Luke. It was about the same time too. He upped his intake considerably at
around 4.5mos and my output slowly went down.

So, should I set my alarm to pump at night?

You could try that. It would probably take 2-3 weeks before you got a
significant amount from that pump session. I chose not to add extra pump
sessions during my non-work hours so I don't know much about the details of
that option.

so is it possible/likely that she'll start eating less now
that that's over?

Anything is possible. :-) Luke kept his bottle intake about the same from
4mos - 13 mos when I quite the bottle. He ate a lot of solids too.

I noticed this weekend that I'm having nipple pain during and between
feedings,

I'm clueless about thrush so I'll leave this part to others.

If the "worst" happens and I do run out of freezer stash, better to try
other types of solids that have more nutritional value than cereal or
formula?

When my stash ran out (Luke was 6mos) I chose to supplement with formula.
We did start solids then too and by 8 months he was eating a lot of them but
he still wanted his bottles and I was fine with that. Formula has more
nutrition then any solid and once I was adding a non-breastmilk item anyway
I have no problem with formula but it is an individual choice of course.
IIRC I used a formula that was low in iron because he didn't get that many
bottles of it and I didn't want to deal with any consitpation issues. I
felt he got enough iron from breastmilk and solids. I've never tasted any
of the formula or breastmilk for that matter. Luke didn't seem to mind the
formula although he probably did drink an ounce less of the formula bottles
then he did the EBM bottles.

Good luck,


--
Nikki, mama to
Hunter 4/99
Luke 4/01
Brock 4/06
Ben 4/06

Daniel J. Matz wrote:
V. wrote:
Well, my little Monkey is almost 5 months old and after some initial
typical problems (thanks for all the help!), bfing has been going
great! Until now that is...

The year of the Monkey was 2004, you actually got yourself a little Rooster!

Well, fortunately she resembles a Monkey more than a Rooster, hence the
nickname.
Actually, I started calling her Monkey because she was born with
Mon-Chi-Chi hair!