Community Posts, Tips & Support on Breastfeeding

Honest, unfiltered, and in real-time: what women like you are talking about. Peanut group chats, support, and posts on Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding & Pumping

Apologies for the long post.

My baby girl is nearly a month, we had a great start to our breastfeeding journey and she picked up more than her birth weight in 10 days.

I’m finding it harder to get a deeper latch with her now, and find she is popping off more, I think my let down is really fast as well as she almost comes off for a break then wants to be put straight back on. I am hand expressing initially and leaning back while feeding to try help this - sometimes it does sometimes she’s still gulps and chokes. But she also seems to ‘lazy’ to open her mouth wide and it takes a few tries.

She’s also a very gassy baby, sometimes I have to de latch her a few times to burp her so she feeds more comfortably but the she sometimes will just fall asleep and won’t go back on the breast which I’m assuming is fine as she is content after a feed. I have started her on infacol to see if this helps.

Now at night, she wakes up maybe once and then I wake her up, purely just because of how full my breasts get and I’m so anxious about getting blocked duct- it was working fine and we were feeding almost every 3ish hrs at night, however now she is too sleepy and I can’t latch her or if I do she doesn’t stay awake that long and her latch hurts. My nipples are feeling so raw in the mornings.

So should I just leave her to sleep? I feel she is hurting my nipples more at nigh with her sleepy latch but then do I then need to pump? I don’t want to create an oversupply and I don’t want to get a blocked duct - such a balancing act to juggle with and I’m feeling so overwhelmed.

I would like to start a mini stash of milk so if I’m away there is milk for her but I don’t want to get into a heavy pumping regime.

She is an emergency c section baby (if that is relevant for anything) we are going to a chiropractor this week to see if this helps with tension. We also have been referred to check for a tongue tie but from what I’ve read and seen of a tongue tie she doesn’t seem to have one, but I’m no expert.

I’m going to drop into our local breastfeeding peer support group in the week but thought just to ask here.

Thank you,

Sincerely a very overwhelmed FTM

Baby breastfeeding while asleep?

My 3month old has started to keep drinking while she falls asleep? As in, Im nursing her, shes suckling, and then she nods off but...just keeps suckling? Lazily, but definitely still chomped on. She fights me when I try to break the seal, and if I dont remove the nipple from her she'll sleep-suckle for 20, 30min easily. When I do remove it successfully she wakes a few minutes later, absolutely furious!

Is this a 3month thing? My poor nipples 😢

It hurts!!!

So I’m only two days postpartum with my handsome baby boy and I’m suffering from breastfeeding.
So I’ve only been breastfeeding for two days and on day two (today) things got bad.
My breast feels heavy, it’s leaking, my nipples hurt, and my breast feel soft but not fully soft after feeding when I touch it
What can I do to help the heaviness?

San Diego moms: need an excellent IBCLC for low supply + nipple trauma + relatching — who actually gives a clear plan?

Hi moms 💕 I’m 3 weeks postpartum in San Diego/Chula Vista and struggling with very low milk supply after nipple trauma, painful pumping, and a difficult latch. I’m looking for an excellent local IBCLC or breastfeeding medicine specialist who can assess latch, pumping, pain, and give me a clear plan. Any recommendations from personal experience? Feeling a tad bit helpless as I have seen few consultants but getting mixed information. So much gratitude if you can help me as my supply has tanked during pumping too 😭

Cracked nipples

Anything to help cracked nipples? I’m in agony! Even wearing a bra is painful. I’ve had to start combi feeding as latching on is incredibly sore. Lanolin is just about working to help heal

who else is still nursing?

anyone?😅

How's your colostrum collection going?

I'm a FTM, 37+3 and I am trying to collect colostrum and it's daunting! I am not getting anything, and I am starting to spiral because my body is not doing what it's supposed to.

Was antenatal colostrum collection always such a big thing as it is today? Or is it part of the social media driven optimizing/maxxing culture? None of my friends who had babies (latest 3 years ago) have done it or knew much about it.

My OB simply said "you could start hand expressing colostrum at 37 weeks onward" and gave me a little kit.

I would really love for this to work for me, because who wouldn't want to give their babies the "absolute best"... But it's really starting to mess with me mentally. Any tips, tricks, words or encouragement is welcome.

No appetite

5 weeks postpartum now and appetite has dropped since 2 weeks postpartum. I have got PPD so that could be the main reason but it’s really getting me down not eating because I’d like to continue breastfeeding (I’m combi feeding) but I’m not producing enough milk. Can’t help it when I’m not feeling like eating which is most of the day. Only eating breakfast at this point. Any other tips to increase milk supply quickly?

Periods

When did everyone get their periods back and how was it when you got your first one? I’m 15 months pp and just got mine back today (breastfeeding)

Deaf breastfeeding question

I'm asking on here as i don't want to be judged or make anyone uncomfortable. I am HoH Deaf and have to look at someone to have a conversation.
I went to a mummy and me class with another mama and she started breastfeeding there.
Doesn't faze me but I wondered where i look when communicating. I have to look at her when speaking but I want to give her privacy.
Advice please

Re-lactating

Hey all,

I had my baby boy in July and 3 weeks after he was born I was admitted into hospital with gallstone related acute pancreatitis for 10 nights. During this time I was unable to pump and dump due to pain or being out of it on pain relief. I then got mastitis in hospital and was treated for this as well.

When I left hospital I was hardly producing much milk and little man wasn’t interested in breast feeding anymore as he had formula the whole time I was an inpatient. My milk finally dried up completely 2 weeks ago even though I was pumping regularly to add to his formula 😣

He’s 9 weeks old now and I would really like to try to re-lactate and pump milk to add to his formula so he’s still getting some breast milk.

Has anyone been successful with re-lactating again? If so, would you have any tips?

Just to add… I’m on a low fat diet (to prevent further gallbladder attacks) but having extra protein at present.

Boob issue (Breastfeeding)

I’m currently expressing with a double breast pump and then bottle feeding my daughter (2weeks old) my left boob isn’t producing as much as before which I’m worried about , my right boob is producing enough to feed her , any advice? Or suggestions to make my supply more

Underwire Nursing/a pumping Bra

Hey ladies! Any recommendations on bras that have an underwire? Idk what it is that every freaking brand is like 'wire free' blah blah blah. I don't want my boobs to sag lol

The only time my baby doesn’t cry is when she’s on the breast??

She’s 9 week old and EBF & the only time she doesn’t cry is when she’s on the breast. Even then she occasionally cries when she’s on the right boob. We get maybe 15 minutes here or there, but in general it’s boob or cry.

I want to stop BF as I’m finding it so intense but I’m terrified to stop because that’s the only time she’s not screaming at us.

Anyone else gone through this/stopped bf? How do I do it?

Breastfeeding symptom taboo subject!

Has anyone else experienced down below burning and soreness due to breastfeeding I never knew this was a thing until I went to the doctors! Does anyone else deal with this? I’ve never heard of it but they have said it’s due to hormone levels and that it’s very common!

Combi feeding HELP!

I would like to start giving baby atleast one bottle in the evening. I EBF and will aim to pump to give to her.

How are people going about this? Are you building a stash? Filling a pitcher and pouring into a bottle or are you just pumping once a day and giving baby that bottle (if that makes sense)

Also, how am I supposed to know how much she takes? I'm breast feeding on demand so I don't actually know how much she takes lol

Biting

My daughter is 7 months old, has two bottom teeth and eats anything ik she either can't choke on, will dissolve, or she can still breath around if she does choke on it. But she's also breast fed...

I've heard how breastfed babies are more likely to bite but how do I get her to stop??

Ive tried taking away my tit when she bites it, I'll stop holding her if she bites me, I give her teether biscuits, offer food instead, I'll offer different types of toys

I can't tell if she's teething again or not, she doesn't seem like she's in pain, she's not crying unless she's mad I'm not holding her

I just want to make sure this won't be a problem in the future when she starts to understand what she's doing and has more teeth

Breastfeeding stigma from family

Hi everyone, looking to share my recent experience to see if anyone has had the same/any advice to share. I’m based in the UK but grateful for any shared experiences.

I am EBF and my husband is helping with feeds using expressed milk and bottles overnight so I can get 4-5 hours of sleep. I have been getting more confident breastfeeding in public but have family members that are judgemental about women who BF in public (my mum and sisters didn’t breastfeed).

My baby is 8 weeks old and currently 13lb 10, health visitor is not concerned and had friends tell me how well I’m doing as she had a tongue tie which was snipped last week. When meeting my family for coffee today, I had to feed my daughter and take a cover up because they would make comments and make me feel more uncomfortable. They commented on the weight of my baby, said I should move her onto bottles to check how much she’s having, insinuating a problem with her weight, and tried to tell me how long to feed her for as “I don’t want to be feeding her until she’s 3”.

I did not confront them about this at the time because I would have got upset and embarrassed in a public place. As a first time new mum I question whether I’m doing the right thing and this has upset me. Sorry for the long message/rant.

Baby is refusing the breast now 😭

I had to pump and dump for 2+ weeks while taking antibiotics/hospitalized.

Now my baby refuses to take the breast and only takes the bottle even tho she nursed for 2+months. She doesn’t even latch or suckle. Just completely rejects the breast so it’s not the flow.
I ordered some nipple shields and will see if its that helps. And I’m going to start offering the breast more often. But she screams and cries every time.

This is mostly a heartbreaking vent 😭 I really enjoyed nursing and the way she use to look at me while nursing.