Ashleigh

Your breastfeeding questions, answered! šŸ¤±

This week weā€™ve teamed up with Krystal Duhaney, a nurse and lactation consultant, to answer your questions! From the basics of breastfeeding to overcoming challenges, please do share any questions you may have. To submit your questions, either post below or message me (Ashleigh, from Team Peanut!) privately. Weā€™ll be sharing her answers on Wednesday, 15th July.
Your breastfeeding questions, answered! šŸ¤±
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How can I ensure my 10 month old doesnā€™t wean herself early?? Sheā€™s been feeding a lot less frequently during the day. I offer regularly but she pushes me away and wants to sit up and continue being a busy girl. She still feeds every three hours through the night but we are down to maybe 2 feeds during the day in total. Scared this will affect my supply too!

What is the best way to stretch feeds for overnight and when can you start implementing this or howlong is it better to remain feeding on demand? My son is almost 3 months old. Also, my husband provides a bottle of expressed milk at 10pm so I can go to bed earlier, this is milk that i express at circa 3am and 7am together, would this have the same amount of hindmilk and sleepy hormones compared with if I breastfed at 10pm?

2 replies

I agree with Bethany! My son is 6 months, and sleeps through the night, but we just feed on demand.

I would keep feeding on demand. 3 months is still very little to be expected to sleep all the way through the night. Going 5 hours straight is awesome at that age!

Do the supplements or tea's that are supposed to increase your supply really work? I tried to breast feed with my first and didnt really produce a lot. I'm hoping to be able to breast feed my second but am afraid that it will be a similar situation where I just don't make enough

4 replies

Yes boobbix cookies and hot chocolate have increased my supply loads

I would like to know this too. As my little girl needed more during her first growth spurt and I couldnā€™t keep up. As I supplemented with formula Iā€™m producing a lot less now which makes me sad.

Would a calcium supplement help me while breastfeeding? I have been feeding my son for 5 months now and have notice the enamel on my teeth thinning and now one has cracked! Canā€™t get in at the dentist because of Covid and am worried that my calcium intake combined with breastfeeding isnā€™t helping? I already take vitamin D daily

3 replies

Yes, Iā€™m following slimming world who are very keen on getting all of those in for breastfeeding mamas xx

Make sure your having your daily intake of fruits and veg as well as your 2-3ltr water plus dairy daily

How do I stop my 5 month old chewing on me whilst feeding? Iā€™m taking her off as soon as she starts doing it but she continues to do it. I donā€™t want to give up breastfeeding but itā€™s becoming very painful and my nipples need a break!!

How do I stop my pre teething baby (almost 4 months) using my nipple as a teether?? She had no teeth yet but it really hurts.

Is it normal to start lactating again 10 months after stopped breastfeeding?? Been happening last 3 weeks keep getting full feeling & leaking. I havenā€™t tried to start breastfeeding again or anything to stimulate.

1 reply

Yes you can lactate many years after stopping and some never stop lactating

We are combi feeding due to low supply. My son is nearly 6m and arching his back away from the breast and clenching his mouth shut. Can I get him back to breastfeeding?

2 replies

Same issue here! I'd love to be able to breastfeed more but I feel like I'm losing him to the bottle. :(

I had this with my son now 3, keep going with offering breast BEFORE a bottle and lots of skin to skin, make sure you eat loads of oats and drink loads of water a day too

Are there any tips or tricks to increase milk supply?

1 reply

Eat your calories. Lots of healthy fats. Lots of water. šŸ™‚

Is it possible to go 12hours without feeding? Iā€™m going back to work when little one is 1year old and want to continue feeding morning and evening but have nowhere to pump in between

My baby, just turning 4 months at the end of this week, has been fed expressed breast milk in bottles, as well as directly breast fed. In the past few weeks she wanted to not be held near on hot days so we began direct breastfeeding only when she was sleeping, and bottle fed her expressed breast milk when awake and refusing. Now, for the past few days she wants only the bottle even with her eyes closed. Doesnā€™t want the breast at all. My question is, is there any disadvantage to my 4mo taking only expressed bottle feed? Is it true that direct breastfeeding creates a feedback loop so milk contains antibodies tailored to her needs? Thank you.

Hi, I'm expecting my 2nd baby and as I breastfed baby#1 would like to do the same but worried about my supply and time for pumping. I've heard you can express milk in later stages of pregnancy near due date and store milk (freezer). Is this true? And if so from when is reccomended?

Hi Krystal.. My 13 week old has recently been stopping at 3 mins into a feed and coughing and spluttering. What could this be and how do we make feeds more comfortable for him. Also, he wakes once or twice in the night and only feeds for a couple of minutes maybe 3 or 4 minutes and refuses anymore and falls back to sleep. He doesnt cough or splutter at night but he does slip off alot. These are both new issues we didn't have before šŸ˜– What could be going wrong? Thanks

Any advice for a woman with flat nipples hoping to breastfeed? Iā€™m due in September and extremely keen to breastfeed but Iā€™m nervous baby will struggle to latch. Is there anything I can do in preparation, or when baby arrives, to improve this?

Iā€™m going back to work in a few months when baby is 10 months old. He is ebf and has a Sippy cup for sips of water at meals. Concerned about him not taking to a bottle whilst at nursery and also wanting to be bf there. Do most babies adapt to not wanting boob whilst away from mum and just have their daily intake when with mum?

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I never pump more than 7.5 oz a day. Iā€™ve tried ā€œliquid goldā€ and ā€œmothers teaā€. They donā€™t work. Iā€™ve also tried pumping 8x a day during newborn stage. My daughter fired my Nipples when she was 3 months. She only takes bottles now. Any suggestions?

3 replies

Boobbix have really helped me increase

I'm not a LC. But... any kind of fenugreek can tank your supply. Oatmeal, eat your calories, and lots of water and fluids is the only thing I've noticed helped me.

Iā€™m due to have a c-section in 10 days time and have now started colostrum harvesting for the hospital. Wondering if I wanted to express only - had real issues breastfeeding last time, when I need to start the process going? Also do I need to take bottles and my breast pump with to the hospital when I go in?

Inverted nipples and baby doesnā€™t latch without hurting the hell out of me. Breastfeeding with a shield and had to give her a bit of bottles too so I could sleep as I had not slept more than 7h in 3 days and was exhausted. Sheā€™s only 8 days old and will take the bottle no problem but is being fussy with the shield now (recommended by midwife until my nipples healed) and she wonā€™t take my breast at all and Iā€™m desperate to get her back on.

2 replies

Have her checked for lip and tounge ties

Thanks Ally, already have and she doesnā€™t have one. Changed position today and she took it without hurting ā˜ŗļøā˜ŗļø

I'm currently expressing milk for my 8 week old, but my supply seems to be dwindling, is there anything I can do to increase it?

Hi there Krystal, I am breastfeeding and formula feeding my little one. I sometimes worry that sheā€™s not getting enough breast milk. Sheā€™s 6months and she gets two formula feeds of 240ml and 4 feeds dispersed throughout the day as well as two food meals. How do I know that she is getting enough breast milk? And how do I keep up my supply? Thank you šŸ™

Hi Krystal, my 19 week old daughter doesn't take a bottle or a dummy but uses me to comfort suck. She can suck up to an hour and half to go to sleep but this isn't practical as I have a 2 year old son too. Do you have any tips on getting them to go to sleep without the breast? Many thanks

My son is nearly 5 weeks old and we are still persevering with breastfeeding, we've had quite a journey so far. I'm suffering my second bout of mastitis in the left breast we've both had Thrush and we had very slow weight gain so I'm currently doing top ups three times a day with expressed breast milk in the bottle, at one point he didn't put any weight on in 5-days nor did we have any point nappies. He is feeding very frequently, every hour to hour & a half and feeds for 30 to 40 minutes and very rarely unlatches he just becomes very, very sleepy and flutters and so I unlatch him. He also clicks when feeding but not all the time and so I've had three different people investigate tongue-tie both anterior and posterior to which all have confirmed he doesn't have. I have had endless links sent to me of how to breastfeed babies and I believe it simply is down to the fact that we can't get this deeper latch, the ironic thing is that my nipples are not sore at all. I'm at my wits end as to what the problem is???

3 replies

Fenugreek can tank your supply. šŸ™‚

*poohy nappies We have also rules out low milk supply, but I'm also taking fenugreek tablets and eating high fats just in case.

My baby is 14 weeks and refuses bottles. She doesn't sleep though and the sleep regression has hit us hard. She has been waking 3 or 4 times a night for the last week and wants to nurse back to sleep each time. I worry I will fall asleep feeding. How can I convince her to either sleep longer or take a bottle from Daddy?

I breastfeed but topoing up with formula every now and then or with my ecpressed milk but i find that my baby 3 weeks old is alwayd doing the ques does that mean shes hungry or just wanting to use me as a dummy

Is there some best practices to prevent chapped or breakage of nipples?

How do I get rid of milk blebs/blocked ducts. I've tried a warm cloth, hand and machine Expressing, I've even gone as far as trying to pop it with a needle. Feeding on that boob is painful more so at first latch though.

How do you know when youā€™re baby is ready to give up breastfeeding? She is 6 months, eating solids - 3 meals a day, and is less and less interested in breastfeeding, except her bedtime feed and a short feed in the night. Want to know when to expect her to give up and just have solids during the day. Thanks!

1 reply

I'm sort off on the same boat, but my baby is 8 months. He took the bottle at sleep tome, but now that I tried to increase is refusing it all together. What to do?

Hey Krystal, Iā€™m an expecting mom due next month and have had so many concerns about breastfeeding. I really am excited to breastfeed, but what are some ways to deal with a baby who doesnā€™t latch on? (if that were to occur). Iā€™d appreciate any advice ā¤ļø

Does my baby feeding more frequently (every hour/hour and a half from three hourly) mean my supply is low? Daughter is 6 weeks old ā˜ŗļø

3 replies

A few have said on another post that itā€™s normal around this stage and called cluster feeding, apparently it should slow back down soon. Hereā€™s hoping!

I am currently pumping and would like to stop - how do you cut down without giving yourself mastitis or blocked ducts?

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My son is 4 months old and Heā€™s EBF. Iā€™m wondering if thereā€™s any tips to produce more milk so I can have enough to pump for when I have to go back to work? Right now when I pump after he feeds or between feedings I only get 1/2 an ounce each time.

1 reply

If your pumping after a feed 1/2 oz is perfect! You can power pump.

My son is 5 months old and has started to bite me while nursing what can I do to curb this?

1 reply

Take the boob away, and firmly say "No."

I quit at 3 days and am still leaking. My little is 2 1/2 months old, any suggestions?

My son is now 1 (June6), we are still going strong breastfeeding but not following a schedule and feeding as needed in supplement with solids. I would like to start the weaning process and breastfeeding has been taking a lot out of me. How would you suggest starting that process?

Lately Iā€™ve been breatfeeding, and if i breastfeed and eat...Iā€™m nauseous or my stomach feels terrible. My baby is 2 months. Iā€™ve been breastfeeding since she was born but this nauseous feeling has been there for a week or two

1 reply

Yes Iā€™m very nauseous as well itā€™ll come right before my milk let down! For a moment I thought I could be pregnant again, I also still get very bad cramps, could my uterus still be contacting even after 2 months?

How much much milk should you be pumping when your baby is 2 1/2 weeks old?

When does breast stop producing milk after breast feeding. Itā€™s been about 2/3 months now and there is a slight amount of milk still.

1 reply

have you tried wearing cabbage leaves in your bra? it's an age old trick to help them dry up. i did it when i weaned mine

How and when to start pumping to build a supply for return to work?

1 reply

6 weeks PP is when you should start. Pump after every feed or when baby gets a bottle.

Were at 13m. I have a small stash but.. When I unfreeze its soapy and smelly. What can I do not to waste it? Or waste future milk? Id like to keep pumping to wean her off.

2 replies

That sounds like high lipase. She may not mind it

I'll give it a try. šŸ’ is it a bad thing?

Does sunflower lechitin have any risk to supply or taste? I tried it for 24 hrs and I could tell immediately my milk was flowing smoother (my baby gets impatient with my letdown so I was hoping this would help ease her frustrations) but she seemed a little different at the breast and they seemed much softer throughout the day (almost like they werenā€™t filling up as much)

2 replies

I've been taking it my son's whole 5 months of life and only have issues when I don't take it

Soft breast are working breast! Nothing to worry about. šŸ§”

I had a (left) breast surgery when I was in high school to remove a begin tumor and didnā€™t have feeling in it for years I have a 7 month old and he only feeds from the right side because I have excruciating pain when he feeds from the right. What do I do?

1 reply

When he feeds from the left I meant

Iā€™d like to pump milk for the baby during the day and supplement with formula at nicht. Is this possible? And will I still have to pump every 4 hour?

1 reply

Yes. If you don't pump at night, you can damage your supply.

I have PCOS, and it negatively affected my breastfeeding journey with my son. I had a low supply and was never able to get it up even though I tried different foods and vitamins. Eventually my son started rejecting me. Iā€™m so worried that this will happen with my daughter who is due in a month. Do you have any recommendations on what I could do if I struggle with low supply again due to my condition?

How long does it take for baby to latch after birth?

1 reply

Immediately. My son did within seconds of delivery šŸ§”

i am about to have my second child. should we expect to experience and prepare for nipple cracks/tenderness or pain the second time around? i breastfed for 3 and a half years with my first but weaned 4 years ago. i just dont know whether i should expect it to be similar and buy lanolin cream or if they should be less sensitive this time

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also- i had hyper lactation with my first. lol s over-production something i should expect this time too, or is each time a different experience?

Baby is now 5 months how can I get her drink out of a bottle ? I need a nanny to feed her so I can work at home without her in my arms all day? Hopefully I gets a response I truly need help in getting her back on a bottle .

1 reply

I use the Kiinde Twist system and it's slow flow nipple works great

I think one of my breast might be drying up.. how can I get it back flowing again? Also, baby nurses a good amount but when she let's go shes still hungry to where I have to give her one of my stashes.. please help!

Hi! My almost 8 month old refuses a bottle so only breastfeeds. He has started only nursing when he wakes up and when he goes to bed at night and through the night. He refuses to nurse during the day. He has started solids and LOVES to eat real food. But I know breast milk is best at this stage. Should I be concerned about him? Is this at all normal?

2 replies

I would also love to know the answer to this

I have this same question!!!!!

I had to start breast feeding with a shield, it's only been about a week and I'm trying to ween her off the shield, she seems to latch for a suck or two and then that's it, she won't stay latched. How can I fix this problem?

1 reply

Wondering the same thing! Iā€™ve had a shield for a month & 1/2 though šŸ˜­

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