2 quick questions

I am BF'ing for the first time and I think it's going pretty well. They had given my baby formula in the special care nursery without my permission and now he's down to pretty much all breastmilk, he got formula 1 time yesterday and that's it. Anyway, I don't know if this has been asked in here before but he is pooping a LOT. Every time I BF him, he poops and I am BF'ing him quite often. I read that this is normal with BF babies, but I was wondering how long it will last? His poor little butt and scrotum are raw and without a doubt every time I check his diaper he has pooped. Is there any way to get him poop a little less to give his poor butt a rest, like is it something I'm eating that's making him go so often?

2.) My breasts are really sore, especially when I take off my bra or am in the shower. Do most of you sleep with your bra on the entire time you are breastfeeding? Is this soreness going to go away? I don't really like sleeping with my bra on.

TIA!

 

Congrats on your new baby!!

Sorry, I can't really help too much with your first question, mine were in the NICU and BM's were the least of my worries in there - haha. Plus we had the opposite problem when they came home, they would go days without a BM. However, my sister had a baby on MOnday and she commented about how many poo's the kid is taking! Sorry, I can't get ahold of her to ask any questions right now, if I do I'll repost.

I always wear a bra. I bought a couple sleeping bra's and they are so fricken comfortable I'm in them all the time. I think it will be weird the first time I sleep without one!!!

 

Congratulations on your little guy! How exciting!!!

I'm sorry about the issues in the hospital. :hug: That is great however that he is on all breastmilk/colostrum right now! :clapping: It sounds like he took to breastfeeding (along with yourself) very well.

1. I'd use some vaseline or desitin type ointment. The poop after every feeding, or every time he needs a diaper change is very common, esp. with breastfed babies! Those poor bottoms! I'd coat it with vaseline every time AND if possible air it out if you can! It won't last too long in the whole scheme of things. His system is just getting sorted out! It is probably not anything you are eating. Breastmilk is the perfect umm.. suppository if you will.

2. I remember those days and it isn't always because your latch is bad. I wore my bra 24/7 (except showers) until past weaning. It helped for support & leakage! I didn't think I'd be comfortable in it 24/7 until I did it. Up until about 6-8 weeks your body is figuring out how much milk it needs to make to provide nourishment for the baby. If you miss a feeding or don't feed as often, your body won't make as much milk. It's all on the supply/demand principle.

Congratulations again! He is just adorable! How are the girls liking him?

 

Congrats on the birth of your little guy Aimee. :woohoo: I wanted to ask you--was he in the special care nursery for blood sugar problems? Because if so, they sometimes use formula (if the Mom's milk isn't in) to help regulate the sugar.

Anyways, it's normal to poop that much. It will slowly taper off. Lena pooped once or twice at each feeding until she was about two months old; the boys stopped pooping at every feed around 1 month old. For Lena it tapered off to only one poop a week at 5 months old, but that's obviously not going to be the case for every child.

It's probably not the poop that is bothering his butt; breastmilk poop itself is pretty harmless. It might be the wipes or a yeast infection. When our kids butts start getting red we rinse then either right in the tub or with a wet wash cloth. Even the sensitive wipes are harder on the butt than water.

Your breast will start to adjust and feel better soon, right now your body is just trying to figure out how much milk to make.

 

No, it wasn't blood sugar. He was taken to the special care nursery b/c he was breathing rapidly. I had a bad cold when I delivered him, and he either had a little bit of a cold or because I only had to push a couple of times when I delivered all of the mucous wasn't out of his lungs so it was making him breathe fast. They tested his blood sugar a few times after birth b/c he is so big, but it was completely normal. He's just going to be a big boy. We had a lot of problems with the hospital doing things without our consent - like giving him formula and not telling us where he was.

I bring him to the pedi on Tuesday so I'll have to ask about the wipes or possible infection b/c his butt looks pretty bad. Maybe it's residual from the formula he's been drinking? I don't know.

All of a sudden now my breasts are producing so much milk that he's having a hard time latching on. I think sometimes he latches on poorly but a lot of times I think he has a good latch b/c sometimes it hurts and sometimes it doesn't. We're both learning so there's nothing I can do about that except to keep doing it. It's not my nipples that are sore, it's my breasts.

I didn't know they made sleeping bras, I'll have to look in to that. Thanks for the tips!

 

If you are producing a lot of milk and he is having issues latching on because of it, you can certainly express a little bit before he nurses.

 

I lived in my nursing tank tops from Target - brand is Gillan- something. Very comfortable to sleep in and offerred support.

Agree with PP, express a bit of milk first so he can latch better.

Congrats!!!

 

I'm glad you're off to a good start BFing! As pps said, the frequent pooping is very normal. (It was always hilarious to be sweetly nursing a baby and then hear a loud *SQLLLCH* sound as they did a huge poop!)

It's totally up to you whether you wear a bra at night or not. I wound up wearing a Majamas Easy Bra at night and loved it! I needed just a little support, and mostly something to hold nursing pads in place, because I leaked at night a lot in the beginning. It is very, very soft and stretchy, not binding at all, pulls on like a sports bra (though it's much softer and less confining than a sports bra), and you just pull it open (no hooks or snaps or clasps).

 

Thank you. I'm so nervous for him to be weighed on Tuesday. I guess b/c it's so new I don't have much confidence in my BF'ing ability right now. He is peeing and pooping up a storm so I know he's getting milk but I just hope it's enough.

 

If he's pooping and peeing up a storm, Aimee, I bet he's gaining just fine! :hug:

Congrats on that adorable little boy!! :wub:

 

All that pee and poop, you bet he's getting enough!

And it's totally normal to worry and question yourself when you're BFing for the first time (or even the second or third...). You can't see oz. markings, so it's hard to be sure of yourself. But you can totally do this! Your body grew this amazing baby, and your body knows how to feed him. As long as you're nursing frequently (check!) and he's peeing and pooping enough (check!) and growing (bet you anything this will be just fine), he's getting enough. In time it will be easier to let go of the doubts and trust your body, but for now, whenever you're worried, try keeping a diaper checklist. Also, a lot of pedis will let you come in for a quick weight check for free whenever you want, and that can really set your mind at ease.

Also, even if his weight gain is not stellar (which I absolutely do NOT think will be the case, but just tossing this out there), it is SO not the end of the world. If he has a week or two of poor gain, he will still be just fine; all it means is that something needs a little tweaking (maybe more nursing sessions, maybe having a LC check his latch). Problems are fixable. Both of you are learning how to do this.

But as I said, I don't think you'll have any problems at all. It really sounds like you're doing great! Keep us posted on how things are going...

 

PPs have said everything i would have so just wanted to say congrats again! :yahoo:

 

I'm sorry the nurses went behind your back like that--it's such a common problem. :aggressive: I had that happen with the boys when they gave one of them a pacifier, so when Lena was born I kept her in the room with me 90% of the time, especially when I found out they might give her formula if she had the blood sugar issues.

I'd just do as Jackie said, slather him up at every change, and I personally would get rid of the wipes until he heals. You can buy some of those disposable wash cloths if you don't want to have poopy laundry, and just wet them. My doctor told me a bad diaper rash is just like a burn, so you want to touch it as little as possible and try not to get any perfumes, dyes, chemicals, etc in it. Who knows it may not be that at all; it could even be yeast. Is he looking any better today?

DItto on the nursing tank tops, they are cheaper and more practical than the bras. I got the same one as Nancy C--it's Gillian O'Malley.

I agree with Jori and Holly if he's peeing and pooping he's fine. It's also important to remember that at a two week check up the goal isn't even for the baby to gain weight, but get back to their birthweight or at the very least gain back some of the weight they lost in the first few days. And with a larger baby the necessity to gain weight is even less of a concern--I don't even think my daughter was back at her birthweight, she may have been like an ounce shy of it, and everyone thought it was fine. On the other hand with a smaller baby (or a preemie) like Mark, they wanted me to do a few extra weight checks until he was over his birthweight.

 

It's not even a 2 week check, it's a 1 week. The doctor had told me that b/c of his size I might need to supplement with formula after each feeding, and I haven't been doing it, so I am paranoid. My husband thinks I'm over feeding him right now but I told him I'm going to take it personally if he's lost too much weight so just leave me alone and let me feed him.

It doesn't look any worse today but it also doesn't look any better. I had started using the cloth diapers to wipe him just so it doesn't make it worse.

It could also be the antibiotics they'd given him in the hospital. I don't know how long it takes to get that out of his system.

Thank you for all the supportive replies.

 

Aimee, don't worry, the fact that he is pooping at every feeding makes it pretty clear that he's getting plenty of milk. I don't think that Dr. even knows what he/she is talking about. I hate to say it, but many Dr.s are relatively clueless about breastfeeding. I'm no expert, but based on my own personal big baby experience. I've heard that bigger babies tend to want to eat more at each feeding, but I've also heard from reputable people (like my LC) that a lot of bigger babies sleep more and wake to eat less since their imperative to gain weight is not as great. I think both of those things were true for my daughter--when I had the LC weight check her at two weeks old she was eating 8 times a day and eating approximately 3oz per feeding. 3 oz. is a a lot for a two week old BF baby, but she wasn't eating as many times a day as the boys did at the same age. In fact, the LC, said that as big as Lena was I could even let her sleep one 5 hour stretch, whoo, hoo!!! I've also heard that bigger babies are sometimes more aggressive nursers, which was very true for Lena. She used to grind and pull on my nipple (which hurt like heck), but it stopped once my milk was in and adjusted to her needs. But all of the bigger baby little baby theories aside--the key is really to look for his hunger cues. Feed him when he's hungry and he'll be fine.

I also wouldn't worry too much about him staying at his current weight percentile. If you were like 6 feet tall and your DH was 6'10, then maybe he would stay at the higher weight percentage, then it would make sense. My daughter was a really high percent at birth, but my DH and I are not that big, so I fully expected her weight to fall off in percentiles. I know that one crazy old lady at the gym was giving you trouble making comments about the baby's weight while you were pregnant, and now you get to have Drs. and family members add their two cents. Plus, we all know there are tons of new Mommy hormones running through your system right now--you just go with what you know. If you see him rooting around or crying or whatever, I'd just give him the chance to nurse, if he's not hungry then he won't eat. That's the beauty of breastfeeding--it's nearly impossible to overfeed a breastfed baby, and as long as your newborn baby is eating 8-12 times a day and pooping then, he almost certainly getting enough to eat.

Almost forgot, antibiotics can contribute to yeast, so you can always ask about that.

You are doing a great job :clapping: :clapping:

 

what Rachel said. :good:

i'm always immediately suspicious of any doctor who's first recommendation to a BFing mom is to supplement with formula. :spy: to me, that screams lack of education & knowledge.

GL with the weight check! let us know how it goes.

 

Evan was a big baby. Literally. 10lb, 1oz. He was also a sleepy baby. I had to wake him up to eat he slept so much. I had to go in for an appt. at 1 week because the hospital ped. was not Evan's ped. At 1 week, my ped told me he wasn't gaining (to get back up to his birthweight) enough and that sometimes baby's conserve energy (sleep a lot) if they aren't getting enough to eat. NEVER once did my ped suggest formula. I think he knew better!

I agree with the PP's. If he's pooping as much as you say he is.. he's fine!!! :hug:

 

He has been over 24 hours now with no formula. :woo:

 

WHOOHOO! You da man! (Um, kind of. :lol: ) :yahoo:

And ditto pps - it is shocking but true that pedis receive little or no instruction on BFing during their entire medical education. (As in maybe one 45 min lecture if they're lucky.) Many of them, no matter how good they are in other ways, simply don't know much about how BFing actually works and what's normal for BF babies. On my years in this forum, I have heard SOOOO many stories of ridiculously clueless BF "advice" from pedis. Take it with a big grain of salt (and then come ask the wonderful ladies here who have done their time in the trenches! ).

 

WTG! :clapping:

 

Does anyone have tips for getting him to open his mouth wide enough to latch on? That's the main problem I'm having. He roots around, and then when I try to put him on he isn't opening his mouth as wide as a yawn and it hurts me, so I take him off and try again and again and again. The LC had said to put my nipple right under his nose, and that gets him to open his mouth but a lot of times it's not wide enough. He does this thing where he turns his head away from my breast and opens really wide. ardon:

I might call the hospital today and ask about it. I hate to take him in b/c it's freezing today.

 

WAY TO GO, Aimee!!! :clapping: :woohoo: :banana:

 

Nate wouldn't open wide when I started BF, and the LCs suggested that I open my own mouth and he would mimic me. Sure enough, it often worked!

Good luck, and congratulations on your beautiful boy. :wub: I hope BF continues to go well!!

 

So many responses, not much left to add.
Congrats on the Baby!!!

I just wanted to say, I called Drex Sir Poops-A-Lot at first because he pooped like 8 times a day at first! Then he changed to only pooping once a day, but then was still Sir Poops-A-Lot but with the other meaning (amount rather than frequency!)

 

i used to run my nipple down over the girls' noses & over their lips to their chin - i would do that a couple of times & usually by the 3rd time they'd have wide open mouths.

i've seen the open-your-mouth-wide-till-they-mimic-you trick that Valerie mentioned work really well also.

the most important thing though (that you're already doing) is to keep re-latching until he gets it right. it can be frustrating but both you, and he, will be better off for it in the end. :good:

 

Aimee,

Comgrats on your beautiful little boy!

everybody has given you great advice thus far. what worked best for the diaper rash for mine was being exposed to air- 5 mins of naked time a few minutes a day. Also they got yeast so Nystatin helped. I know he's pooing a lot but i stopped wiping them when they were wet as well to limit contact with wipes.

I hope the appointment went well & he is gaining nicely.

 

We are back from the doctor. At birth he was 10.3 lbs. They weighed him before we left the hospital and he was 10.2. Today he was at 10.1 :yahoo: :woo: :clapping: So he's only down 2 ounces from birth, and 1 ounce since I really started BF'ing him. The doctor was happy with his weight and said she saw no reason why I should have to supplement him with formula. I can't explain the relief that I feel! I'll bring him back in another week for a weight check but I'm sure he'll be back up to his birth weight by then if I keep doing what I've been doing.

On a side note, I guess I was feeling stressed in the waiting room or something b/c when we got into the examining room and I went to nurse him my milk came leaking out all over my pants, my shirt, his face, etc. :laughing: The first time that's happened to me. :bow2: to you ladies who BF or BF'd twins.

 

YAY, AIMEE!!!!! :woo: I'm so happy for you; keep up the good work!!!

Hehe, one of the "joys" of nursing. During the early days I swear I felt like everything I owned was covered in milk. It gets better!

 

:clapping: WooHoo!!! Your milk is awesome!! I knew you could do it!

 

Yay for lots of milk! He is gaining, eating and pooping. You now have evidence that he is growing from your milk and got the green light to bf!

 

:clapping: :woohoo: :clapping: :woohoo:

YAY, Aimee!!!! You are doing an awesome job!!! CONGRATS!!

 

WTG! :clapping: