I don’t understand!

I don’t understand breastfeeding like… at all…
I have so many questions! 😭

If I wanted to breast feed and express feed, how do I know how much expressed milk to give my baby?

Is there a routine when it comes to breastfeeding, so I’d know when she’s ready for a bottle if I wanted to give her expressed milk instead?? The same way formula fed babies have a schedule? I’ve heard you just whip out a boob whenever baby is hungry and that there isn’t a set routine like there is with formula but idk how true that is!

Do I have to wake up and express my milk in the night if dad is doing an expressed bottle feed so that my supply keeps up? I’ve heard that before.

What about formula and breast feeding, how does that work? I know some people do a mixture of breast and formula feeding where they use formula for the night feeds and breast through the day. That sounds like something I’d want to try out.

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Yes baby feeds on no set schedule, to keep your supply you will need to pump/ express every few hours

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I breastfeed on demand. In the beginning I was told by a lactation consultant that I need to express milk in some way every 3 hrs at the most to establish my supply. Expressing meaning by breastfeeding directly or pumping. I exclusively breastfed for the first few weeks at least before I started pumping. I only started pump when I became engorged and my son wasn't emptying me enough.

Now I bottle and breastfeed with my milk. I breastfeed directly in the middle of the night so I don't have to get up and pump. I breastfeed and go back to sleep. Last pump at 1am, next pump around 7am. It's a lot but it's worth it.

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I would meet with a lactation consultant or take a breastfeeding class to help you understand a lot of it.

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I breastfeed on demand and baby will unlatch when they’re done. With pumping I pump every 2 hours if I’m not breastfeeding. I used to just nurse throughout the night instead of pumping. If you pump milk newborns drink 0.5 ml to 1ounce the first week then 2ounces by week 3-4 they drink 4 ounces and that stays consistent. Babies will tell you when they’re hungry by leading up to crying but I always did the 2 hour mark to avoid crying in the first few months. After that it’s like every 4 hours or so and you just learn your babies cues

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I am not sure where you are located, but you should definitely take a breastfeeding class. The hospital I gave birth at had these available. A lactation consultant could also give you this information, it can be overwhelming so getting guidance before you give birth will help.

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You don’t know until you don’t know!<3 (and baby, I’m sorry, but you don’t actually know everything).

Since this topic has been circling a lotttt on the feed lately…
hi! I’m Lu an actual trained advocate and recovery mentor! It’s a huge passion of mine for various reasons but primarily being an addict in recovery myself! Yep! I’m an ADDICT! You know what else I am? 9.5 mf years sober. You know what ELSE I am? A really fucking good person, and an even better mum.

I just want to extend some some extra tenderness to the parents who are struggling with active addiction. I’m here for any and every one of you, without any shame or judgement. And you absolutely can do this.

Being a recovery mentor myself & 9.5 years sober myself I have done lots of schooling & training surrounding substance use and misuse.
First, there’s a difference between MEDICAL DEPENDENCY and ADDICTION. Telling someone they cannot take their antidepressant while pregnant, would sound stupid. You just wouldn’t do that bc you would sound dumb. Anyone ever taken a VITAMIN while pregnant? Guess what the US doesn’t show studies on? The effects of vitamins in pregnant people. They show just as little studies on vitamin supplements and they do cannabis. Is anyone getting called an addict for taking their daily prenatal vitamin? No? Mm, okay. So we’re cherry picking?

Secondly, research OUTSIDE OF THE US shows studies where it doesn't have a negative effect on baby and actually improves fetal and maternal health during pregnancy. Sooo, maybe our country just doesn't want us to know what would shut down big pharma, baby. They've been playing been this game for a while now, try and keep up.
Maybe do some actual extensive research before running your mouth bc not only are their NUMERIOUS positive studies in countries outside the US (can’t just google dot com it or ask your aunt or friend or whoever and think you know everything).
Our bodies naturally produce cannabinoids so you're putting an enhanced version of something that we already naturally produce. That's like saying "oh don't take vitamin D!!!! You can ONLY get it from the SUN DIRECTLY. Or Like girl what? Some of yall reaaally need to look into things before you finger triggering and slandering other mothers.
There's extensive studies out there showing the POSITIVE effects cannabis has during utero for mom & baby, supporting health and systematic function! but the US is not going to show studies like that, you have to dig.
You can't listen to every word of mouth you hear. Remembers the game telephone? Shit gets distorted along the way.
I'm an addict in recovery, but I’m also chronically ill and disabled, personally, I won't take pain killers. So I did smoke during parts of my pregnancy, and my 7 year old has the intelligence level of a 4th grader, and perfect health and growth based on family genetics. It actually is like kind of scary how smart the kid is for 7.
You know what DOES affect baby?
Pain killers. Those make baby go through A NASTY withdrawal.
Guess what doctors shove in everyone new mother’s hand? Mhm, pain pills, even if you tell them you ARE in fact an addict! Crazy right! They don’t care!
This perspective is dangerous, and indicating it would better to be addicted to chemically compounded pills, than to use a natural substance that is grown organically and also our bodies produce? You realize how mf silly that sounds? Do you know how HIGHLY addictive pain medication is? Do you know like 80% of c section mamas and 54% of natural birth mamas fill an opioid prescription? Do you know that statistically, THOUSANDS of mamas become addicted to opioids post partum? And this is NOT sat the fault of mama. Doctors are legal drug dealers. They shove these prescriptions in people’s hands and tell them THAT is normal. —and I just want to say if you DID need pain medication postpartum there is NOTHING wrong with that nor does it make you a bad mum! If you feel you’re struggling with or without them, please feel free to dm me. You’re not alone, and it’s not your fault.— They make new moms have to juggle not only being a parent to a newborn, but also sobriety, recovery, addiction and withdrawal. How fair is that? To make a newborn baby and a brand new mama already pumped to capacity with hormones, also go through an extremely gruesome withdrawal from a highly addictive substance? And doctors carelessly and recklessly put brand terrified vulnerable new mums in that position.
Why's that again class? *big pharma!* that's right!! Great listening ears. & can we use our grown up inference skills and remember what baby doesn't go through withdrawals from? *cannabis!* right again!!! Great job
Lesson: do your research before you run your mouth and make yourself sound like a complete idiot, kids 💋

It’s clear a lotttt of yall are wildly under and misinformed. I want to thank the mamas who have positive intention to other mamas on different journeys. Truly, I have so much appreciation for for how well your intention is, but you also should look things up before you even say “I didn’t want to risk it” bc that still inherently perpetuates shame to other moms, by telling them they ARE. You can harm the baby falling in the shower. You can harm the baby driving your car. You can harm the baby exercising too much. You can harm the baby by eating a fucking deli sandwich or having too rough of sex. You can harm baby by going to work and exposing them to illness around you. You get me?

While your intentions may be good being like “idc what other moms do but iiiiiiiiiiiiiii just didn’t wanna risk it …. but like other moms can, they can risk it! and love and light mama! you risk your baby it’s ok to each their own✨” …..that’s really not much better than the people directly shaming other moms. If you really feel “to each their own” you wouldn’t feel the need to defend yourself and be like “but but not me tho!!!” .. your intention maybe good but you are highly misinformed spreading misinformation, perpetuating a false narrative, and stilllll actually putting down those moms use did utilize cannabis during pregnancy. You’re normalizing the root of the hate by “but not me!” instead of destigmatizing like actual allyship.

If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, or substance abuse related shame like has been circulating lately, please reach out to me. I know it’s scary being vulnerable. But I am here any time just message me for my contact information 💕

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Why does my baby hate me?

My 7 month old has had a personality change in the past week. He just whinges all day and screams. I feed him, change him, let him nap on me, play, take him for walks and cuddle him. Give him his teething gel and his other medicines he's on. But nothing is ever good enough. He's fine for his Dad. What am I doing wrong? I feel like running away 💔

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At home soft play blocks

Has anyone bought soft play blocks for their home and have any recommendations? I’m looking at getting my son some for his 1st birthday but they all seem a bit rubbish

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Newborn stage!

What’s everyone’s fave part of the newborn stage ?

What’s the least fave ?

No judging just curious - I didn’t enjoy changing the nappy every 2 hours at night when she fed but I loved the little baby sounds they make when they are all brand new 🥹

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Newborn trenches

How are people coping with the newborn trenches? I feel like I’m just trying to survive!

Baby is now 4 weeks old and I have barely left the house with her, I feel too nervous to go out by myself - I’ve only just managed to go a quick walk with her in the pram! Luckily she just slept as she does enjoy her pram and I’d assume the sensation when moving. I’m a first time mama and just find myself completely overwhelmed when I think about taking her out to a coffee shop, restaurant, or to the shops etc! And not only that - being unsure on what to pack!! how many bottles,nappies, change of clothes?? I feel so guilty not taking her out much so we tend to stay in a lot and I think that’s making me worse mentally, I wish I could be better at this. 😢

I wonder if anyone else feels this way?

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Am I meant to get a 6 week postpartum check from the GP?

I have been seeing things on tik tok about a 6 week post partum check that mums are meant to get for the GP to check stitches and chat about mental health etc but I am 9 weeks postpartum and haven't been contacted yet? I am in Northern Ireland so maybe this is just for England/Wales?

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