Stupid questions from first time mom

It's really your preference. If you want to be able to have stored milk, that's a good point at which to do it, but know that your body will continue to produce the same amount that it thinks the baby is eating. If you want to be able to sleep through the night when Izya does, then you'll have to suffer through it. You could just pump a teeny bit to relieve the pressure, but if I were already up and pumping, I'd probably want to just pump.

[HouseofWool]

Kris, just knowing that many others have been in my shoes and have some suggestions of what worked for them, helps tremendously.

Got another BF question. Last night DD slept for 6 hours again, I on the other hand kept waking up several times wondering if I should pump or wait for her to get hungry and nurse. In the end I just couldn't wait anymore and pumped. In the future should I just pump as soon as I feel the need or keep waiting so that my boobs can adjust to the new schedule? They get very uncomfortable after 5 hours and hurt like hell after 6. I've also noticed that at night, being in horizontal position promotes milk production. Going same 5-6 hours between feeding/pumping during the day is not as painful. Should I try to sleep sitting up (like in good old prego days)?

Julie - if she is sleeping that long regularly, I would try your best to suck it up. In a few days your supply will regulate down.

Like Jenn says, if you want to relieve the pressure, go ahead. In that case, I have found that hand expressing worked the best for me because it did not trigger the let-down reflex. This way the supply could down-regulate and I could have some relief.

[Deebs]

It's actually not the horizontal position that makes more milk at night - it's hormones. Milk making hormones are their highest at night! I would say that if you're trying to build up a store of milk supply, go ahead and pump. If not, pump when you're uncomfortable just enough to relieve the pressure (if you pump until empty, your brain will get the signal that you're not making enough milk, and actually make more), and your body will end up regulating your production down over time.

[MrsK]

It's actually not the horizontal position that makes more milk at night - it's hormones. Milk making hormones are their highest at night! I would say that if you're trying to build up a store of milk supply, go ahead and pump. If not, pump when you're uncomfortable just enough to relieve the pressure (if you pump until empty, your brain will get the signal that you're not making enough milk, and actually make more), and your body will end up regulating your production down over time.

Ditto. BabyK has decided that sleeping through the night is for babies and now that he's in the big boy crib, he's waking up at 12, 3, and 5 every night! So, I'm nursing all night and I don't get a chance to pump in the evenings. That was prime time to make milk for daycare! I always managed to pump 6-8 ounces at night. Now I'm struggling during the work day to find time to pump about 3 oz at a time. I highly recommend having a stash of frozen milk. That's the only thing that got me through the flu when my production dropped.

[Vishenka69]

So I shouldn't get used to sleeping, is that what you're saying? I really don't want to go back to every 3 hours at night. Now that it's been officially determined that she's a fatty (95th percentile), I can't imagine her eating even more often. She seems to have gained the same 3 pounds that I've lost over the past month. It's getting harder and harder to clean between all her folds and creases. I constantly feel that I missed something and then feel guilty for not keeping her adequately clean.

[HouseofWool]

Don't get used to sleeping. She will probably maintain some sort of routine until a big developmental milestone/teething/illness comes along. Then it all changes. You may or may not go back to the previously established good pattern. Parenting is a crapshoot.

What is her height to weight comparison? Is she tall or not so much? Just do your best with the creases. Once she starts moving they will decrease a bit.

[Vishenka69]

She's taller or rather longer than average, 75th percentile. I wonder if it's something I' eating that's making my milk extra fattening.

[MrsK]

Probably not. BabyK is a little twirp and I'm eating everything in sight.

She's taller or rather longer than average, 75th percentile. I wonder if it's something I' eating that's making my milk extra fattening.

It's not "fattening", it's mama's milk, and some babies are prone to being chunks, some aren't. None of mine ever were, and SueC (the skinniest person on the planet who is still able to walk on her own volition) churned out chunky monkey babies. Once she gets moving she'll start to lean out a bit, but if she's 75% for height and 95% for weight, she just sounds like a healthy, super cute ball of baby! Let go of your guilt about "not keeping her clean" -- as long as she doesn't have festering sores, you're doing great.

[Deebs]

My babies were all chunky monkeys, as we fondly call them. When I was pumping with DD, I would maybe get 4 ounces per session, and be really frustrated. One day, another mom (who always got about 14 ounces pumping and had a skinny baby) and I compared milk. Mine literally looked like cream, and hers was almost blue and looked skimmer than skim milk. This must just be another crazy variable.

[alison]

This is the only time in her life when ankle pudge is cute, so let her be, Julie! Don't worry about her weight. Seriously, this is better than if she's underweight or has feeding issues.

Kudos to you on the BFing! I remember when I was working on stopping my supply, and the mere sound of anyone's baby would make me leak!

[Vishenka69]

Thanks for making me feel better. I would say that my milk is probably the consistency of whole milk, def not skim.

Alison, honestly the main reason I'm BF'ing is because DD has such a good latch and I've got tons of milk. I wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't easy. But there are many days I wish I could leave her sight for longer than a couple of hours or not to rush home from the park to feed. She's such a messy eater that I can't feed in public because I'd be covered in milk and will have to rush home to change anyway.

[Vishenka69]

Some stupid BF'ing questions:

- I have about the same amount of milk in each breast but one pumps super fast and the other takes almost twice as long. Is there a way to equalize them? When DD nurses it takes her about the same time to do each, so the difference is only with pumping. I can't figure out why.

- How do I make sure she doesn't get distracted and latch off? Lately she's been latching off and on several times on each side. It's super annoying and takes her longer to feed and spills milk all over the place. She can't see anything except for me and the boob, so I have no idea what she gets distracted by.

- At what point does something I ate starts affecting my milk? If I'm trying to figure out why she's super gassy, how far back do I need to remember what I ate (a few hours, previous day, etc.)?

[MrsK]

I was told that one breast will make the amount your baby needs and the other will make about 2x the amount needed. Our LC told me that attempts to even out are futile.

Perhaps she's coming off because she is full or taking in milk too fast?

I was told that if the baby has a problem/allergic reaction/gas, etc. to trace back 4 hours.

[ladymoreta]

My pediatrician didn't mention that. He just said that babies' skin can still burn, even with sunscreen, and they can't regulate their temperature well enough yet, so they might overheat.