quote:Originally posted by Christine: Fortunately, I have it on good authority that breastfed poop doesn't need to be touched -- just thrown in the diaper pail no rinsing involved.
This is true. And when they start on solids I highly recommend the "Potty Pail" sprayer system. No touching, scraping, swirling, etc. You set the bucket on the toilet, hang the diaper in it, spray off the poop, and it goes right into the toilet to be flushed away.
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quote:Originally posted by Christine: I'm going to do a bit more reading on pumping in the next couple of months, because I swear sometimes I must have been doing it wrong when I did it with my son. I do realize that occasional pumping with an exclusively nursed baby doesn't work all that well, but the pitiful drops...the lonely, pitiful drops I got!
I never could get the pump on right. Forget hands free, I just never felt, for lack of a better word, as if the pump were latched on right.
Sounds like your pump wasn't a good fit for you in some way. I strongly recommend a chat with a lactation consultant.
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quote:Originally posted by scholarette: We discovered that monster needed to wear diapers a size bigger then we would think. And despite being breastfed, her poop was extremely stinky. And she could shoot it across the room (we were changing a poopy diaper and she decided she wasn't done- the distance was pretty impressive. As I was standing there covered in poop, calling for my mom, she decided to impersonate a boy and she peed all over me- also managing impressive distance and height).
Yeah, we've consistently had our son in a size bigger than he should be. Right now, he's 25 lbs and we have the biggest box of Huggies (27+) for his Kids' Day Out. Anything smaller explodes overnight and it's been that way all along.
I've never heard of projectile pooping. That's pretty impressive. I don't think the stinky nature of it has anything to do with the washing factor. It's just supposed to dissolve so easily that there's no need for a pre-rinse. May be a need to wash every day, though, so they don't stink up the room! I'm hoping this next baby's poops smell as nice as my son's. I could barely smell a thing until he started solids -- except for the time we put him on an iron supplement for a few days. Yuck! I'll never do that again.
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quote:Originally posted by Christine: Fortunately, I have it on good authority that breastfed poop doesn't need to be touched -- just thrown in the diaper pail no rinsing involved.
This is true. And when they start on solids I highly recommend the "Potty Pail" sprayer system. No touching, scraping, swirling, etc. You set the bucket on the toilet, hang the diaper in it, spray off the poop, and it goes right into the toilet to be flushed away.
Thanks! I'll check that out.
quote:Originally posted by rivka:
quote:Originally posted by Christine: I'm going to do a bit more reading on pumping in the next couple of months, because I swear sometimes I must have been doing it wrong when I did it with my son. I do realize that occasional pumping with an exclusively nursed baby doesn't work all that well, but the pitiful drops...the lonely, pitiful drops I got!
I never could get the pump on right. Forget hands free, I just never felt, for lack of a better word, as if the pump were latched on right.
Sounds like your pump wasn't a good fit for you in some way. I strongly recommend a chat with a lactation consultant.
I was thinking about doing that early this summer. I may have more need than before to have pumped milk available which is why I've been worried about it.
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Yeah, my kids are almost always in a size (or even two!) up from what they "should" be in weight. It's their long torsos and skinny legs and funny shapes...
Currently we have to buy size 7 diapers for Bridey. 7. She weighs about 30 lbs. But the 6s leak. They don't sell size 7 diapers in the bulk boxes around here, all they carry are the little tiny packages, which are something like $0.53/diaper ON SALE WITH COUPONS. So I have to buy them in bulk online, which brings them down to something like $0.42/diaper, still more than I want to pay. *sigh*
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Christine, what kind of pump were/are you using? That can make all the difference. Some women have much better luck with a hospital-grade pump. You can rent one from most hospitals and some pharmacies for about $60-70 per month. When you pump 8X per day, it's a necessity. Plus, it's tax-deductible.
quote:Originally posted by lem: What is a diaper service? As someone with a 6 month old I would love to know.
This is the one I used to use. They deliver clean cloth diapers to you once or twice a week, and pick up your dirty ones. They usually provide diaper covers too, as well as a free diaper pail and deodorizing discs.
I used them for all three kids and was really happy with them. There may be a similar one in your area; try looking here.
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Bridget is 30 pounds?! And in 7 diapers?! Good gracious! Poor Aerin is only 27 pounds and in size 4's.
Actually, feeding is a huge issue for us and it's the first time I've strongly disagreed with a medical professional. We went to a feeding program for an evaluation b/c of Aerin's feeding issues (she'll only eat smooth baby food and cereal). They told me that she's in danger of developing an eating disorder when she gets older, she needs to gain at least half a pound a month, and she needs weekly feeding therapy. There's a big gap in her weight and height percentiles (25th for weight, 75th for height).
Aerin has always been slow to gain weight and she has a lot of mouth issues due to her extreme prematurity. I don't think they took that enough into account. Also, no one looked in her mouth during the 3-hour eval. My pediatrician and the neonate we see at the developmental follow-up clinic are backing me up, but I can't shake the worry.
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Mrs M, we had John's 18 month appointment today and he's 25% for weight and 75-90th for height. The doctor wasn't at all concerned, he just said he's tall and skinny.
John doesn't have eating issues, though -- he eats pretty much anything he's served. (And near-adult sized portions if it involves pasta.)
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I have no medical knowledge so just my own experience. Monster hasn't gained any weight for like 4 months and our doctor isn't concerned- she's 15 months old and almost 20 pounds (and in size 4s). Her height is much taller then her weight (similar to Aerin's) and she went from 75th percentile in weight down to 10th between 9 and 12 months. But she looks healthy so until we see something else negative, we don't worry.
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Yeah, I had a developmental eval for Emma and freaked out. As I've watched her I realized that the doctor was WRONG. So much that I refused to schedule the follow-up. I think they see so many problems they tend to see them even when they're not there sometimes. Aerin may need some OT help, but I doubt they took, as you said, everything into account. I know the developmental specialist didn't for Emma.
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(And yes, Bridey is 30 lbs.-- probably a bit more-- and 34 inches tall last we checked. She is almost the same size as Emma! I get asked all the time if they are twins, especially when they are in matching clothes. Bridey will be 2 next month and is in size 3T dresses and approaching that in shirts, the only reason she can still sometimes wear 2T pants is that she's skinny enough that some of the width is taken up in length. Emma is now in a 5, sometimes a 4T for the same reasons.)
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quote:Originally posted by Christine: I'm going to do a bit more reading on pumping in the next couple of months, because I swear sometimes I must have been doing it wrong when I did it with my son. I do realize that occasional pumping with an exclusively nursed baby doesn't work all that well, but the pitiful drops...the lonely, pitiful drops I got!
I never could get the pump on right. Forget hands free, I just never felt, for lack of a better word, as if the pump were latched on right.
Sounds like your pump wasn't a good fit for you in some way. I strongly recommend a chat with a lactation consultant.
I agree with rivka. A La Leche League Leader might also be able to give you some tips.
Keep in mind that it's normal for most women to produce no more than drops when pumping occasionally while totally breastfeeding a baby. It takes practice and a regular pumping schedule to get pumping going - which you only need to do if you have a need for expressed milk on a regular basis.
Another thing to remember is that those standard size pump flanges do not work for all women at all times. A lactation consultant will be able to help you figure out if you need a larger or smaller one.
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You might want to have a speech therapist check Aerin out. I know they can help with feeding issues.
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quote:Originally posted by Ela: Another thing to remember is that those standard size pump flanges do not work for all women at all times. A lactation consultant will be able to help you figure out if you need a larger or smaller one.
*nods vigorously* And help you get little inserts to improve the fit.
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Hmm, the little inserts aren't used so much anymore. I haven't seen them in years. We just have different size flanges in our lactation office - larger than standard and smaller. But most women need to go up in sizing, not down, IME.
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I'm so happy the thread is back on topic. I was getting depressed that "my" thread was being spoiled by arguments. (I know, nobody really owns the threads they start, including me!)
I wanted to do cloth diapers, but I don't think we're going to. I haven't spent anything on diapers yet, though, just wipes. I have about a half a pack of Pampers and a few Huggies left from gifts I got. I like that the pampers has a mesh that seems to trap the poop, but I don't like that the mesh sticks to her bottom. I think I like the huggies best, so far, but they have leaked. I don't know whether to blame the diaper or me.
I tried some generics we got as a gift, but I stopped using them after nearly every one leaked.
I haven't tried Luvs yet. Nobody gave us any.
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quote:Originally posted by Mrs.M: Christine, what kind of pump were/are you using? That can make all the difference. Some women have much better luck with a hospital-grade pump. You can rent one from most hospitals and some pharmacies for about $60-70 per month. When you pump 8X per day, it's a necessity. Plus, it's tax-deductible.
I used a Medela Symphony. I liked it much better than the Lactina.
I have a very good pump. It's a Medela Pump in Style. We rented a similar one for a month before purchasing it and they both worked about the same, which is to say not very well. I pretty much just chalked it all up to exclusive nursing not giving me much left over to pump, but it was still kind of depressing.
I wasn't aware that the tubing came in different sizes. I'm going to have to check that out because it seems a very likely answer. It would have been nice if the lactation consultant who sold us the darn thing in the first place would have mentioned it....
posted
The pump-in-style is a great daily use pump -- it's the one I have and it was perfect for me -- but it's not a hospital-grade pump. I don't know what all the differences are, but you might try renting a hospital-grade and see if it works better for you.
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I've used both the Symphony (hospital grade) and the Pump in Style Advanced. The horns, tubing, etc. are identical. Both have the "let down" feature where there's a stimulation cycle to promote letdown before it begins the normal cycle.
The main difference is that the Symphony is a LOT quieter and ime gentler. I found the PiS painful when I first switched, even on the very lowest setting. I'm more used to it now, but I can generally only tolerate a 10-12 min. session, whereas I would do 20 on the Symphony. Luckily, I can usually get 5-7 oz in 10 min.
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Since I don't work outside the home, a hospital grade pump would probably be a poor use of money, especially since I already spent $200 on this one that I'm not sure I should have spent.
I contacted the company and they didn't have any brilliant words of wisdom on how to figure out which size I need. I'm going to do a bit more research...
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They don't absorb leakage, they are supposed to stop it from happening in the first place. I think that seems like a better solution than the pads that slip and have to keep on being replaced. They are almost $20, though. If they work well, they'd be worth it, and less than disposable nursing pads.
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I considered lilypadz as I leaked nonstop for nearly 6 months and needed pads pretty much until I weaned. I did not use them as I read a lot of reviews saying if you are well endowed they are uncomfortable and just don't work. The website said they have heard the complaints and are working to fix it, but I don't know if they ever did.
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Don't get the gerber cloth ones though. I think it was Ameda that made the ones I liked. The gerber were too small and I leaked through them ridiculously fact (of course, as I said, I had a very good milk supply so my problems might not be universal).
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I have some Medela ones that I like, although I use them with some plainer ones behind them-- double layers work best for me. I got lucky and my mom had saved all of hers and gave them to me (like ten gazillion of them. She still occasionally finds more in the garage and gives them to me!)
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(You can also make your own. I find that a layer of very thin fleece and a layer of prefold diaper-- recycled old ones are fine-- work well...)
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I have such a large pile of laundry from leaking. I am a bit large, more so now that I'm nursing--so I wonder if they would work for me. I wonder if there's a money back guarantee or something.
Do the reusable nursing pads really work? I would think that I would fill them up so quickly that I would need a lot in order to keep up with the laundry.
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I have found the cloth ones to be completely useless for me thus far. I like the Lansinoh disposables. I'd rather use cloth--cheaper, environmentally friendlier, more comfortable--but since every time I've used them I've soaked through the pad, my bra, and my shirt as soon as I nurse or have a let down, I've pretty much given up. Maybe I'll try doubling up--but not sometime when I'll be going out in public...
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Boon
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posted
They really do, but you're right. You do have to change them more frequently than sposies, just like with diapers.
Fortunately, most of the major leakage issues seem to clear up in just a few short weeks. Instead of buying enough cloth nursing pads to last until I was ready to wash them, I just used folded up washcloths in my bras at home.
I found the Bravada(?) pads I have are very comfortable to wear but you can definitely see that I'm wearing them due to the bulky edges. Dr. Brown's pads are very comfortable and trim, but not so absorbent...so I use them between the terry Bravada ones and my bra. Problem solved: invisible absorbency.
I'm still having lots of issues with Moose's weight. The doctor is very upset with me for not doing what she said, and said Thursday that if he doesn't gain at least 4 ounces by Monday she wants to put him in the hospital.
She wants him on formula for the entire weekend, to monitor how much he's getting. I asked her to help me get a scale so I don't have to do that and she said that at this point breastfeeding hasn't worked out and that it wouldn't matter how much he was taking since there's no way to monitor the quality of my milk.
Meanwhile, I've realized that Moose is in pain. He still nurses frequently, but pulls off crying and arches his back the whole time (unless we're side lying, but I think he just doesn't get a big letdown that way so can take his time and swallow when he's ready to). He vastly prefers not to swallow anything warmer than refrigerator temperature. Poor baby has a sore throat. I think this thrush is causing most of our problems, and I'm doing everything I can to get rid of it, but at this point I'm getting desperate.
And my husband got mad at me tonight because I was sitting on the bed just holding the baby and crying when he came home from work. He says I should just give up on breastfeeding this one and let it go. He says it's causing too much stress and I need to be more available to him and the other kids; that our new routine is taking too much time and effort.
I say that breast milk is very, very important, and that our nursing relationship is in serious jeopardy. I say that it's not like he's the one making any effort toward the situation at all, and that if he can't be helpful, he needs to stay out of it. It's not like I"m doing this because I think it's fun. I say he's causing more stress by not being supportive.
Unfortunately, the stress of this situation is really getting to me.
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*hugs* That really stinks. Have you considered getting another pediatrician? I think you need someone who is more supportive and not so tied to the weight charts.
At the very least, you should get a second opinion. If that doctor backs up your doctor now, at least you'll know that there might actually be a problem with Moose getting enough nutrients.
If I had gone with my first pediatrician, my baby would probably be stuck on formula right now.
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Have they checked out his tummy issues? I know that was tummy screaming I heard the other day.
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I find it disturbing how often breastfeeding is deemed inadequate for a baby. I don't have any real statistics for this opinion, only what I've heard said by women who were told they couldn't breastfeed or who say that they didn't have enough milk. I'm not trying to say that they're all wrong, but it just seems that it seems to happen way too often to make any sense.
After all, isn't this supposed to be a natural function, and shouldn't problems be the exception, and a rare exception?
I wouldn't judge anyone who said they couldn't breastfeed--that's between them and their doctor and what do I know? But I feel like a lot of doctors are too quick to criticize breastfeeding and not to give it the respect it deserves--and are misinformed about the differences between formula-fed and breastfed babies.
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Oh, we go for Katababy's 4-week appointment next week. I think I'll have to look up that chart someone posted up thread of weights for breastfed babies.
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Boon
unregistered
posted
She isn't being helpful in the least, other than to keep telling me to put him on formula.
Unfortunately, I now agree with her that he HAS to gain some weight. I'm not sure that her amount is reasonable, but he lost 4 ounces last week. He'd actually stopped pooping for three days, and then had a GIANT poo Thursday morning. Seriously, there had to be about a half a cup of peanut-butter poo. I think he just couldn't eat as much as normal 'cause his tummy was already fullish.
I just don't think formula should be the first choice of "treatment," considering all the factors.
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Oh, Boon, I am so sorry. Are you able to get out to see a lactation consultant? Or can one come to your house?
"Quality" of your milk. Grrr. I'm sure it makes it worse that this is coming from a doctor you otherwise like.
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Boon
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Unfortunately, an LC is out of the question, at least until next Friday. WIC loaned me a Lactina Select, but that's all they'll do for us until the sixth.
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I won't say that problems should be rare, but problems that you can't get through should be rare, yes. Part of it, I think, is lack of support. The doctor, the family, the community, everyone have to be supportive for it to work the way it should for the majority of women. In most cases support is waaaay inadequate. I mean, think about it, in "olden days", most women would live with extended family around, so they could take over the care of the house and other children and meals and such while mama dealt with figuring out breastfeeding problems that might come up. Then, there's the availability thing-- if formula wasn't such a readily-available option (we have clean, cheap, easily-accessible water, most women can afford to buy formula even if it puts a strain on the budget, government programs will provide it for those who can't...), I think less women would use it. But because it's there to fall back on, it's often easier to fall back. And I'm not saying that's wrong-- especially because we deal with stresses (often working moms, etc.) that aren't always present in less-developed societies where formula would be less available. And again, without the extended support system. So for the emotional well-being of the family, sometimes it MAY be necessary to switch. But you're right. I think that a lot of the problems that could be got through in other circumstances, are not got through because of lack of support, information, and an easily-available second option.
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It kind of reminds me of an episode of House where they don't know why someone is sick, but they just start treating for something without verification.
How old is your baby, Boon?
And it was hard for me to defy my baby's first doctor about the formula feeding. If my baby was losing weight and I was in your situation, Boon, I know it would be very hard for me. So I feel for you. I wish you the very best, and I hope that you are able to find a doctor and a solution that works the best for your baby.
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EXACTLY. And if you've watched that show, you know that the treatments sometimes make things worse!
If they put babies on formula and then find out the problem is with the formula too, it can make things worse, not better.
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I don't think the stinky nature of it has anything to do with the washing factor. It's just supposed to dissolve so easily that there's no need for a pre-rinse. May be a need to wash every day, though, so they don't stink up the room! I'm hoping this next baby's poops smell as nice as my son's. I could barely smell a thing until he started solids -- except for the time we put him on an iron supplement for a few days. Yuck! I'll never do that again.
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I say he's causing more stress by not being supportive.![[Cry]](graemlins/cry.gif)
