Are there any breastfeeding groups here?

[BMeehan]

I'm looking for support for breastfeeding here. I am breastfeeding two kids, one is 17 months and the other is 3 months. TIA!

[momof9]

we should start one since there are so many atkids being born.

[Funshine Bear]

I'm currently trying to breastfeed and low carb but unsure about my milk supply at the moment.

Starting a group is a great idea, I definately need support!

[sbarr]

I'll be ready to join you a week from tomorrow if we last that long!

[Potaty]

I'm in!!!!

[momof9]

we need someone that is sucessful to lead. how about the lady feeding two at once (lol) i am in i would like to have all the advice i can get.

[emslight]

hey ladies. i'm bf'ing and low carbing too. hasn't affected my milk one bit - in fact supply seems to have gone into overdrive. my little one going great too. nearly 16 pounds at 3 months!

i do have a Q though. are you needing to eat loads? even on atkins induction i still need to consume at least 2,000 calories to come even close to satifying my hunger. everyone else on this woe seems to find that their hunger is diminished so i'm wondering if this can be explained by BF? pretty sure i'm doing everything else to the letter and drinking a tonne.

[Kerri_Jo]

Hi guys,

A breast feeding group. What a great idea!
Brigitte, amazing that you are breastfeeding two kids! I hardly have time to do anything, and I'm only breastfeeding one.
Momof9 - WOW! 9 kids.. I think thats great. I stay too busy w/ just 3. DH said we should have one more. I don't know if I could handle it.
Next month I'm going to wean my 10 month old, but I sure could have used a support group a few months ago.
Anyway, for what it's worth, just wanted to say that I've been doing lc since I had my baby, but not really counting carbs or restricting calories. I just started tracking my calories 10 days ago, and was very suprised how much I ate. I have not lost much weight but I was worried about milk supply, just as Funshine Bear is. Now that my baby is eating solid food, it's not a concern.
Best wishes to all of you! I'll be lurking.

[emslight]

hi ladies. i reckon everyone needs to try it for themselves but my milk supply has not diminished one bit and i have been keeping to around 20 carbs a day for the last 10 days. i make sure i'm drinking loads of water as i know this can impact on supply. my babe is really happy and gaining weight marvellously and if anything, i think all the protein and fat is having a positive impact on my milk. i know this goes against the grain in terms of the arguments out there against BF and induction but i just keeping thinking, what's the alternative? well for me, that would be a cycle of binge eating, then skipping meals, taking in too much sugar etc. how does that even compare to the full diet i have now of eggs, fish, meat, veggies and olive oil?

love the fact there's a BF support group here! would have been brill to have you guys in the early days when i had problems with cracked nipples etc.!

[4devochki]

My babes are 6 months old now and taking some solids. Ive onlystarted lcing in the last 10 days and feel loads better. Before that i was on the sugar binge cycle mentioned above. Would be glad to trade tips. I also have 5 and 3yo.

[emslight]

my tip for making sure i get plenty of fluids is to make lots and lots of herbal tea. i have a million different flavours in my cupboard and drink mug after mug in one sitting by making up a big teapot of the stuff. there's something really comforting about a hot cup of tea and i know that i am ticking the box of geting in my fluids by doing this.

the other thing that keeps me sane is expressing. i did it with my first daughter and have done with this wee one since she was 2 weeks old. means dad does the night feed and from about 7.30 pm i can say, right that's it, i'm done for today.

[sbarr]

Wow - I just hit day 5 after birth. Milk came in yesterday with a vengeance - feels like tumors all over that are terribly painful. Baby is still in ICU under observation for an apnea episode and won't be home until Tuesday, so I've been express milking. I have to laugh a bit - Friday, I worked so hard for 30 ml, took almost 4 sessions of agony - and I was able to do 60 ml in about 10 minutes tonight and don't feel like I got it all - I wasn't trying to drain, just relieve a bit of pressure so I can go back to sleep.

I do look forward to hints and ideas - I'm disappointed that my weight didn't drop much in the past several days - I'm only down about 10-12# from before the baby was born and now I have about 45# to go - 20# to get back to pre-baby weight and 45# to get back to goal. I haven't eaten very clean this week and need to really buckle down, start eating more healthy - it's been difficult with my parents here and eating out a lot, etc.

Interesting to see how each person has different results in terms of LC eating - sounds like YMMV LC madness that you see on the other threads - we're all different. I do look forward to getting to know you, learning as much as possible.

My areas of interest:

Not just LC, but strategies on maximizing nutrients so milk is as healthy as possible
What not to do

Look forward to lots of life in this thread - as we continue to give life to our babies.

Sandra

[emslight]

Congratulations Sandra! Brilliant that your babe arrived safely. Is it a girl or a boy and what's its name? The first few days of breastfeeding - apart from getting the knack - are also tough because you feel ravenous all the time. I wasn't lc'ing at that stage with my little one and found it handy having cereal bars next to my bed for night feeds when I'd feel starving. If I was doing it now I'd substitute these with the go lower bars - totally natural and packed full of seeds and goodness. Think they're about 3.5 carbs a go. Have you tried these? Worth checking out.

I also take a real good multi vit. I had one of the cheaper ones at first which not only sent my wee bright green but also my milk (think it's one of the b vits it contains but not sure..) Was a little alarming to say the least!

The other thing I'm doing is trying to do wholefoods/natural as much as possible and limit the sweeteners (even though I have a massive sweet tooth.)

One great BF tip I have is try and master feeding lying down on your side - easier to do if you have a bigger chest like me! It's great for night feeds but also if you need a rest in the middle of the day. This has got me through the tiredness in the early weeks and now I always feed Ruby lying down at the same time that my 2 year old goes for her lunchtime nap. Means we all have 'quiet time' and usually a good old kip. Lifesaving.

Keep us posted on how you're doing... I found with both my girls that BF is definitely the trickiest thing about having a newborn in your life. (With the first it was the latch, with the second, the feeds were over an hour for the first few weeks!)

[4devochki]

big congratulations to you, Sandra. Pumping will be slow at first. But pump as much as you can to keep your supply up while babe is still in the NICU. Remember, nursing is a supply and demand system. Have you rented a hospital grade pump? They are so much more efficient, it is really worth it.

I also was quite disappointed with my immediate postpartum weight loss. After 5 days, I left the hospital only 17 lbs lighter--after TWINS. 12 lbs. of that was baby (they were born at 37.5 weeks). It took about 3 months after that to drop 30 lbs, and another 3 to drop 15, on WW.

It's taken me 6 months to find lc-ing, and I've lost 10 lbs in the past 2 weeks. I know the rate will slow, there will be gains, the usual story that I've read on these amazingly helpful boards. I have another 30 left to go to get back to where I was after dc#2, when we started trying for #3. But I'm not in a big rush.

I agree with emslight--all the protein and fat we're getting can only do great things for our milk.

Question, though--does dairy fit into any of your regimens? I'm so inured to drinking milk, I find it hard to give up. I've switched to cream in my coffee, and one greek yogurt at night.

[emslight]

you could try soya milk. there's a calcium enriched one (alpro i think?) that is really low carb. the other thing people talk about is almond milk (almond breeze). one thing i've been using in smoothies is sour cream. i prefer the sharper taste of it to regular cream - tastes more yoghurty to me.

[lowcarbgrl4life]

I would love to join in too!! My baby boy is just over 2 mths old now and I am BF'ing. I am starting low carb as of today and would love some support as I know its going to be rough after being off plan for so long!! Its nice to be in company w/ other bf'ing low carb mommies!!

[lowcarbgrl4life]

Originally Posted by emslight

hi ladies. i reckon everyone needs to try it for themselves but my milk supply has not diminished one bit and i have been keeping to around 20 carbs a day for the last 10 days. i make sure i'm drinking loads of water as i know this can impact on supply. my babe is really happy and gaining weight marvellously and if anything, i think all the protein and fat is having a positive impact on my milk. i know this goes against the grain in terms of the arguments out there against BF and induction but i just keeping thinking, what's the alternative? well for me, that would be a cycle of binge eating, then skipping meals, taking in too much sugar etc. how does that even compare to the full diet i have now of eggs, fish, meat, veggies and olive oil?

love the fact there's a BF support group here! would have been brill to have you guys in the early days when i had problems with cracked nipples etc.!

That is exactly my thinking too!! I would much rather eat low carb and healthy then all the crap I have been eating!!

[Kerri_Jo]

[quote=emslight;10211199]One great BF tip I have is try and master feeding lying down on your side - easier to do if you have a bigger chest like me! It's great for night feeds but also if you need a rest in the middle of the day. This has got me through the tiredness in the early weeks and now I always feed Ruby lying down at the same time that my 2 year old goes for her lunchtime nap. Means we all have 'quiet time' and usually a good old kip. Lifesaving.QUOTE]

This is such a great tip! Wish I would have learned this w/ the first one. I have a smaller chest, but it worked for me too. Baby gets really good at firguring out this system.
Oh I also wanted to mention that as your baby gets a little older your boobs wont feel so full all the time. Don't supplement formula (unless your baby is losing weight) it is normal. There were times when it seemed like my baby nursed constantly. I thought my supply was getting low, so I tried supplementing formula. I'm glad (now) that he refused it because, it wasn't getting low, he was growing really well, and gaining weight faster than average.

KUTGW! And don't rush taking off that weight. I was frustrated becasue it wasn't leaving nearly as quickly as it came. I just thought o-well, my baby needs me right now. But now that I'm starting to wean him, it's a different story.

[Potaty]

Originally Posted by emslight

hi ladies. i reckon everyone needs to try it for themselves but my milk supply has not diminished one bit and i have been keeping to around 20 carbs a day for the last 10 days. i make sure i'm drinking loads of water as i know this can impact on supply. my babe is really happy and gaining weight marvellously and if anything, i think all the protein and fat is having a positive impact on my milk. i know this goes against the grain in terms of the arguments out there against BF and induction but i just keeping thinking, what's the alternative? well for me, that would be a cycle of binge eating, then skipping meals, taking in too much sugar etc. how does that even compare to the full diet i have now of eggs, fish, meat, veggies and olive oil?

love the fact there's a BF support group here! would have been brill to have you guys in the early days when i had problems with cracked nipples etc.!

You have me thinking of starting induction now. I am relieved to hear your supply was not affected. Any thoughts on the ketones passing to baby? My son is 2 months so I think I will wait another month or so and make sure my supply is established.

[emslight]

Originally Posted by Potaty

You have me thinking of starting induction now. I am relieved to hear your supply was not affected. Any thoughts on the ketones passing to baby? My son is 2 months so I think I will wait another month or so and make sure my supply is established.

I read around and found that milk is naturally ketogenic for babies anyway because of it's high protein and fat content.

"Breast milk, with its high-fat, low-carb content, is ketogenic for the baby NATURALLY....Before your baby was born, ketones were natural food for her or him. As soon as your baby starts suckling, he or she actively maintains the state of ketosis."
Special Diets: diet for breastfeeding mom

I decided to give it a go and if my baby was unhappy would stop immediately. My baby is doing just great though and, as I mentioned, so is my milk. I'm up this morning (she's still asleep) and have just expressed 2x 8 ounce bottles!
Like you I waited until she was 3 months before starting this so that milk supply was really established etc.

[Potaty]

Originally Posted by emslight

have just expressed 2x 8 ounce bottles!
.

Holy cow! That's a lot of milk! Thanks for the info!

[sbarr]

Depressed here.... Lindsey doesn't want to latch - I've tried several times and it just makes me want to cry. If I try at the beginning of a feeding she just screams and later on in the feeding, she locks her mouth shut or just lies there, not sucking. She spent her first week in NICU because of an apnea episode and I didn't want to fight her over nipple confusion in the hospital, especially in NICU.

I've been expressing since Saturday - and early on, went well, where I'd have enough for 3-4 meals, but now I'm chasing her. I only have enough for 1 1/2 feedings so even with expressing tonight - I might have to go to formula since I'm only getting about 60-70 ml per session and she will drink as much as 100 ml.

Went to the store and got brewers yeast, fenugreek and a breast milk promoting tea - but not sure if it will work and how fast.

I've pretty much given up on BF (I HATE my nipples - just the wrong size and shape)....now I worry I won't be able to express enough milk. And each time I have to express, I just feel like a failure - this was something I wanted so bad - and now I worry that I won't even be able to express enough for my poor little baby.

Off to bed...just sad sad.

[4devochki]

Sandra, please don't give up. Call your local La Leche League chapter tomorrow, and a volunteer will help give you tactics. If there is an LLL support group you can go and people can show you correct latching. Or get recs for a certified lactation consultant either from LLL or your hospital. Go back to the hospital if there is one on staff. Here in NYC, there are plenty who will come to you, but I don't know about where you live...Seriously, there is a lot they can do for latch issues. They can observe the babe nursing (or not), and walk you through it.

Don't beat up on yourself--it doesn't always come naturally, especially if you have to be separated for a time after birth. You can really do this, and so can she.

Other resources are the "kellymom" website, and Dr. Jack Newman's info sheets, some of which are posted there. It is most helpful to get someone to observe you and assist, though.

All the very best,
Cassandra

Here, I googled it for you: La Leche League of New York East
And here are the numbers for the LLL leaders in your area. You can call them for help!:
Patty
(518)283-6360 Chana
(518)482-2721 Traci
(518)459-0180 Tracie
(518)283-3032 Pat
(518)439-9104 Delmar LLL

[Potaty]

Sandra, I am so sorry. Have you met with a lactation consultant? They can help you try some different things to help her latch on. I had a very hard time getting Tucker to latch onto my left side, the nipple on that side is kind of flat/inverted. It took probably four weeks before he would willingly latch, and now he prefers that side.

Try to relax while you pump, getting upset will only inhibit your milk flow. Look at pictures of Lindsey and just go to a happy place. The supplements should help, but the pump is not as efficient as Lindsey so you probably won't get as much as you would like. Keep trying! I know how important this is to you and the sooner you see a LC, the better! Lots of hugs for you! Breastfeeding is HARD!

[emslight]

hey sandra. please don't give up! it is really really hard as both you and the bubs are on a learning curve but you can do it. my first didn't latch on well either. in the end i used nipple shields which were a godsend. health visitors over here in the uk have mixed views on them but this was a last resort for me and they worked a treat. by 3 months i'd weaned my babe off them and went on to bf her for a year. have you tried using them? also, another tip for helping you through those stresful feeds/pumps is music. when i was getting het up over the nightmare feeding sessions music really helped calm me.

[momof9]

sandra try and have her with you when you pump just seeing baby will help with let down. also if she eats with a bottle let her try breast then give bottle and finish with breast when she is not so hungry and upset. you guys will get the hang of it. good luck