posted
Hey, Jenny G, I was late-night web-window-shopping and saw that this breast-binder is on sale at the BabyCenter Store. It's designed to help suppress lactation and make the transition more comfortable. I just thought I'd mention it. I've never tried it and wouldn't know if it would make things more comfortable or not.
(Out of curiosity, that page mentions "prescription medications" to suppress lactation that are no longer available. Never heard of it, has anyone else?)
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
My mom mentioned to me that she was given a prescription when I was born to suppress lactation since she didn't want to breastfeed, but she doesn't remember what it was.
Posts: 1777 | Registered: Jan 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
The drug she took is most likely off the market now. There was one such drug still in use but it was deemed not safe some years ago.
A breast binder really isn't necessary, in general. A firm supportive bra that doesn't put unneccessary pressure on any particular spot (to avoid a plugged duct) is best.
Posts: 5771 | Registered: Nov 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
Hmm. I beginning to wonder how in the world I'm going to cut back the formula supplement. Everything I've read says you can tell when to cut back because baby will begin taking less of the supplement. However, Space Space Baby eats if it's there. I could probably make that kiddo a 10 ounce bottle and he'd finish it.
I know he's getting more from me because it's taking longer and longer for the level of formula to begin going down in the bag. I can also hear him swallowing occasionally during comfort nursing without the lact-aid. I think once I can begin pumping out at least 1 oz. I'll go see an LC to discuss cutting the supplement down correctly. SSB's doc won't be any help - he seemed...umm...freaked when I mentioned relactating.
quote:SSB's doc won't be any help - he seemed...umm...freaked when I mentioned relactating.
I'm really glad you have a lactation consultant, then. Maybe you can change his mind with your success.
A google search found one drug that "can be used to stop lactation", but it seems to be an off-label use, and looks like it would only be used in people who are not stopping lactation normally (Boon mentioned somewhere that she's had her youngest weaned for quite a long time and her milk still lets down, I'm thinking something like that might qualify if it was to the bothersome point.) It has some nasty side effects, so I can see why they would usually "let nature take its course."
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
| IP: Logged |
When Nathan finally weaned, my milk continued to let down at odd moments for the next year. And years later, I swear that a crying baby (one that has been crying for a long time) will still produce that tingling/let-down sensation.
Posts: 5609 | Registered: Jan 2003
| IP: Logged |
edit: Oh, we finally told the dr. about relactating this week. He just threw his hands in the air, smiled, and said, "He looks good, mama." Posts: 2578 | Registered: Apr 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
rehashing an ancient conversation in this thread -- When my nephew was born I remember my sister saying that she couldn't take antihistamines for her allergies because they'd supress lactation. So...would simply taking a benadryl supress lactation?
Posts: 4089 | Registered: Apr 2003
| IP: Logged |
SM - maybe a little ... enough to avoid benadryl if you're worried about your milk supply, but not enough to dry you up if you're super lactating woman and you're ready to quit.
Posts: 1522 | Registered: Nov 2005
| IP: Logged |
SM, IME having a cold (or drippy allergies) is somewhat drying. So I always had to drink lots extra, with or without an antihistamine. I'd be hesitant to take one when I had a newborn (or was otherwise concerned about establishing supply), but not otherwise. Even if I planned to continue nursing for a long time.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Here is a planning ahead question -- I know that newborns nurse every 2-3 hours. Does that schedule continue until they start eating solid food, or do their larger tummies eventually allow them to go longer between feedings?
Posts: 9866 | Registered: Apr 2002
| IP: Logged |
Boon
unregistered
posted
It varies. All three of my kids were sleeping 4-6 hour stretches at night by 5 weeks though.
quote:Originally posted by dkw: Here is a planning ahead question -- I know that newborns nurse every 2-3 hours. Does that schedule continue until they start eating solid food, or do their larger tummies eventually allow them to go longer between feedings?
Even before they start on solids, most babies stretch to 3-4 hours. In fact, early solids are more for "practice" than actually filling up. So they don't make all that much difference in terms of a baby's frequency of feeding until at least 6 months, and more likely 9.
And I know at least one mother who breastfeeds exclusively until 12 months, and she told me her babies stretched out between-times as they got older. I don't remember exactly, but it was very comparable to my kids who started on solids at more typical ages.
Of course, every baby is different. So planning this long is advance is awfully likely to be an exercise in futility. Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
It's not really planning as much as marshalling my arguments for baby-in-a-sling at work until we're spacing the feedings 3-4 hours. So, 4-6 months, probably?
Posts: 9866 | Registered: Apr 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
IME, after about 4 months, taking a baby with you to work (or in my case, classes) becomes very difficult. Not so much because they can nurse less often (which they generally do), but because they SLEEP less.
A two month old in a Snugli (which I vastly prefer over a sling, but YMMV) is likely to snooze most of the day away. A four month old spends much of the time awake and alert, makes shy (or not so shy, depending on the kid) eye contact with everyone else around them, gurgles and sings, and is generally a huge distraction. (Lots of fun, but don't expect to get much done.)
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Hmm. As long as we can space feedings at 3 hours or longer before the mongoose is too squirrely to have at work, I think this is a possibility. I can schedule my day so that I can work in 3 hour blocks and come home for 45 minutes to an hour between them and still be productive. Anything shorter than that would be a major pain, so either baby comes along or we have to start dealing with pumps and bottles.
Posts: 9866 | Registered: Apr 2002
| IP: Logged |
It's a good idea to have a decent pump on hand anyway, and a few bottle of frozen breast milk just in case. (The two of you may want to go to a movie or something and NOT rush home, every so often.)
So your plan seems reasonable, as long as you are prepared to be flexible.
Good luck!
(Oh, and were you or any of your sibs colicky? How about Bob and his sibs?)
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
It totally varies by kid. Ems ate every 1 1/2 to 2 hours, 15 to 20 minutes a side, day and night, for the first two months or so, then went to every 2 to 3, and stayed that way until she started solids (4 months-- she'd doubled her birth weight and was just chomping at the bit to eat "real" food.)
Bridget, on the other hand, has very strong circadian rhythm instincts. She sleeps 4 to 5 hours at a stretch at night (like, as soon as the sun starts to go down-- in time for us to have an uninterrupted dinner) but eats more frequently during the day. I have a feeling that she'd be more amenable to scheduling when she's a few months old, too-- Bridey is a lot more laid-back than Ems ever was. So you might have to wait to see what the kid is like before you make solid plans.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
(I also found that if I'm really engorged, I can hand express a little, but every time I pump, I get mastitis. So my kids get a little formula unless I've been engorged lately if I want to go out. I never planned on that, but it happened.)
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
(Of course, there's 1 1/2 oz. in the freezer right now from when I was engorged the other day. That's from one side. When I get engorged, I get really engorged. So there was always something in the freezer for Ems, even if it had to be mixed with formula to be enough.)
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
dkw, you probably know this, but be prepared for the fact that your babe might nurse a lot more often than every 2-3 hours at first. When your milk comes in they tend to do a lot of cluster feeding (feeding very very very frequently) in order to help establish your supply. Some babies nurse every 45 minutes. If it helps any, SSB is 6 months old, just began solids last week, and nurses every 3 hours. But...he sleeps about 10 hours a night without waking as well.
And yay for slinging at work! We still use our slings tons.
posted
Dana, I have to concur with those who say you have to wait and see what your baby is like. You might find moms at the La Leche League forums who have faced similar situations - try asking there.
A friend of mine who was a religious school director at a synagogue took all her babies to work, cause she was able to work it out with the synagogue administrators to do that.
Definitely, start marshalling your arguments, but don't count on the baby spacing out feedings a certain amount, cause you don't know what your baby will be like, and you can't necessarily count on your baby spacing out feedings to 3-4 hours at 4 months.
Posts: 5771 | Registered: Nov 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
I forgot to add this yesterday - if you get the right kind of sling it won't matter how often baby needs to nurse, because you'll be able to nurse in your sling very discretely. A lot of people have success nursing in wraps.
posted
Or you could have a baby who hates slings altogether. By the time Aerin was 2 months adjusted, she refused to go in her Maya Wrap for even a second - the most she'd gone before that was 2 hours when she was in the PICU. I tried Nojo/Ultimate Baby Wrap type slings and she hated them all. She'll go in her Baby Bjorn now, but only if I'm moving and only if she's facing out.
I'm a big believer in plan for the worst and hope for the best, so you might want to schedule as though you'll have a very fussy, demanding baby. That will leave you with lots of room to maneuver when the baby turns out to be a laid-back angel.
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Ems hated any kind of confinement from the first, too... The only parenting conflict I ever got in with my mother-in-law was when I refused to leave the (public) room we were in to breastfeed her and refused to put a blanket over her-- because I knew she'd stop eating, throw the blanket, and scream bloody murder if I did, and I felt no shame or need to leave (no one was looking but my mother-in-law anyway.) But Bridget loves being swaddled, luckily; it's so nice to have a way to soothe her! (She doesn't like to be covered up when she's eating, either, though.)
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
I am lucky in that I can have Squoose here at work (at least for a while). He doesn't have a regular feeding schedule. He eats as soon as he wakes up. It doesn't matter if he slept 30 minutes or 3 hours. Basically he sleeps, eats, is awake for an hour and goes back to sleep. He really doesn't like being awake more than an hour.
I do have a sling which I use quite freguently at work. Today is great, he is taking every nap in the port-a-crib. There have been days when he will not sleep in there and he has spent the whole day in the sling. Those days are not so great.
Posts: 399 | Registered: Sep 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Well, it's a small company. I had to work a little almost immediately. I am the only one authorized to do payroll which is every other week. When I had to come in I brought Squoose. When I started back full-time I kept bringing him with me. It was a couple of days before I had a chance to talk to the boss. He said it was good for Squoose to be here. He said it was better for him to be with me for now. There is no agreement on how long he can stay here with me. I think Superstation was at work with me until 4 1/2 months. I do feel very lucky.
Posts: 399 | Registered: Sep 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Oh, and the only other person to have a baby since I joined this company took 6 months off. I went back to full-time at 6 weeks.
Posts: 399 | Registered: Sep 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Cool. When I was in my previous appointment, I would have had no problem just taking the baby with me. In fact, when we got married people started asking if we planned to have kids and if I'd bring them along on home and nursing home visits.
Here we have a larger staff, and staff meetings, and a more "business" like office atmoshpere. And I have a senior colleague who did not handle the initial news of my pregnancy well. He apologized later, but it's been a shock to his system. He's been surprised, I think, by how supportive/happy/excited the congregation has been since we announced the pregnancy. (We had a few people who were very anti-female pastor when I first came, so he was afraid that pregnant pastor would put them over the edge.)
Posts: 9866 | Registered: Apr 2002
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Maybe you can change his mind with your success. ![[Party]](graemlins/party.gif)
Good for you!
![[Cool]](cool.gif)
He's gaining weight and drinking less formula every week.![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[ROFL]](graemlins/rofl.gif)
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
If it helps any, SSB is 6 months old, just began solids last week, and nurses every 3 hours. But...he sleeps about 10 hours a night without waking as well.
