BF Update time!

Hey! Give a shout out... give an update...
How are you feeding?
How many months/weeks/days has it been since you started?
What obsticles have you overcome?

Fun question:
What holiday do you celebrate?

What is your wish for this holiday season?

 

My girls are still nursing once a day, first thing in the morning. I have been clog-free and mastitis-free for almost 2 months! :yahoo: My girls are almost 14mo old.

Obstacles: clogs, mastitis, more clogs, blood, clogs again, teething, some more clogs, mastitis again. You get the idea!

I do celebrate Christmas but it is one of my least favorite holidays!
And I wont get into my 'wish' because it will turn into a vent about how family members dont respect my wishes as their mother especially when it comes to the holidays!

 

How are you feeding?
However we can. On a work day 2.5 bottles EBM, 1.5-2.5 bottles of formula, 2 nursings, and one solids. On non-work days 1 bottle EBM, 1-2 bottles formula, and 3-4 nursings, and 1 solids.
How many months/weeks/days has it been since you started?
6 months on the 13th.
What obstacles have you overcome?
One non-latcher happy to starve baby for first week (Mark), one reluctant, painful latcher for first 1.5 months (Mark again), painful latcher for 6 weeks (Eli), nipple pain first 3 months, small flat nipples (LC came out and told me this), and low supply (because of the nipple pain and bad latches I could only bare to nurse them a few times a day for a short time period during the first 2 months)

Fun question:
What holiday do you celebrate?
Christmas, New Years, and I guess MLK day in January.

What is your wish for this holiday season?
Peace on Earth Happy healthy babies and family!

 

We really stopped tandem nursing a couple months ago. Now, I really enjoy the one on one time since they nurse so fast.

I have been nursing just a little over ten months and can't believe we made it this long!!!

Both babies had a very hard gaining weight until around 6 months. Even my pediatrician was trying to discourage me from BF.

We celebrate Christmas.

That all our time spent with visiting inlaws will be smooth and stress free!

 

I have been nursing for 7 months +.

Right now we are dealing with low supply so I am stressing (making it worse I know).

Christmas- My wish is for things to go smoothly with the ILs.

 

Hi! New member

Breastfeeding full time since birth (2m 9d). Feeding at same time on twin pillow. Feeding 7 times a day...pumping in morning.
Only obstacles so far are painful nipples and growth spurts...how do you cope they are approaching? Also, a bit anxious about breastfeeding b/c of too many unknowns. My first son was bottle after unsuccessful bf experience.

Glad to have found this forum!
Kim

 

Elizabeth is still nursing 3x a day (wakeup, nap and bedtime), so 19+ months here.

We celebrate Christmas and I am hoping to have a healthy family for the holidays. We spent last Christmas in the ER with Elizabeth and it was miserable. There is a tummy bug going around at preschool and I am praying that we don't catch it!

 

How are you feeding?

Food...cows milk.

Fun question:
What holiday do you celebrate?

Christmas. New Years!

What is your wish for this holiday season?

Less consumerism. More love!

 

How are you feeding?
Everett - Breastfed going on 10 months , solids and sippy cup
Macey - 1 bottle EBM, the rest formula , solids and sipply cup

How many months/weeks/days has it been since you started?
See my ticker below!

What obsticles have you overcome?
Got macey off the nipple shield after 5 weeks! Had an over-supply. Went back to work when they were 1 month old and managed to provide 100% breastmilk until they were 5.5 months!
Had a plunge in supply at 4 months, had another at 8 months...had 2 clogged ducts..
E is still exclusively nursing and his sister still gets at least 1 bottle of EBM per day. Her and I nursed until around 7 months when it was more headaches than harmony.

Fun question:
What holiday do you celebrate?
Christmas

What is your wish for this holiday season? Everyone is happy and healthy and we can all get some much needed relaxation time!

 

How are you feeding? EBM, formula, and solids - and occasionally putting the boys to my breast and while they do suck - I wouldn't call it nursing.

How many months/weeks/days has it been? 11 months and 6 days!! (No, I'm not at all counting down the days until I can return my beautiful Medela Symphony to the LC department!)

What obstacles have you overcome? Born 5 weeks early, used nipple shields, NICU staff (especially one Nurse Practitioner) really encouraged me not to bf, very short, shallow latches, nipple scabs/sores that persisted for 3.5 months due to shallow latches despite frequent visits with LCs we could not figure out how to fix it, got mastitis, got mastitis again, switched to mainly pumping and bfing 1-2x's day, got mastitis again, continued pumping and bfing 1xday, mastitis again, went to exclusively pumping when my OB said enough is enough with the mastitis. I had to agree at this point - the pain from my nipple trauma and the illness that goes with having mastitis was getting to be too much for me to handle. I was seriously crying all of the time!

Holiday? We celebrate Christmas.

My wish? For the weather to cooperate so that all of my family can get together (no big snow storms around Christmas or the weekend after!!)

 

How are you feeding?
Work days - nurse morning and bedtime, 2 bottles of EBM at daycare, 3 meals of solids, starting finger foods and sippy cup
Non-work days - nurse 4 times a day along with 3 meals of solids, snack, and sippy cup

How many months/weeks/days has it been since you started?
9 months, 3 weeks, 3 days

What obstacles have you overcome?
Cow's milk allergy - had to toss entire freezer stash and I still haven't been able to save any. Dealing with low supply when pumping (probably due to not eating enough since my choices are so limited) but I'm really trying to push through.


What holiday do you celebrate?
Christmas

What is your wish for this holiday season?
That the family will be healthy. Alexis just got over a bout of bronchitis, Avery is on his third antibiotic for a double ear infection and Alana has surgery this Friday. I'm hoping everything will clear up and they will be fine by Christmas.

 

Rebecca and Isabella are now 12 weeks old today and haven't used formula to supplement in over a month!! In the last month they have "thrived" according to our pedi yesterday.
"Becca", born at 7lbs 1oz now weighs 13lbs 3oz and grown from the 10th percentile to 50th!!!
"Bella", born at 6lbs 6oz now weighs 11lbs 1oz, growing from the 3rd percentile to 25th!!!

You ladies SAVED US!!! I was so upset when the girls were not gaining weight and my milk supply was not sufficient. You were the support I needed when I had nobody else to turn to. THANK YOU!! Without your words of encouragement we would have quit and I would have given up on my dream to nurse my girls.

Our next big hurdle is preparing to return to work after the new year. I'm not looking forward to having to pump each day and especially leaving the girls. So for now, I'm enjoying every minute with them. With the girls finding appreciation for naps, getting healthy meals and now sleeping at least six hours at night in one chuck of time, my spirits are high and feel like we can do anything! We even went shopping the day after Thanksgiving!

This Christmas, I have my miracle daughters and they are everything I could have asked for. They are such good babies, I'm blessed to be their mother. I thank God every day for gracing us with our beautiful girls. My wish this Christmas is that all other families struggling with infertility can share this excitement and be blessed with their own miracle of conception and a healthy pregnancy!!!

This forum is AWESOME and your support and information has been the key to our BF success!!!!!

 

QUOTE(JicJac @ Dec 8 2008, 07:37 PM) [snapback]1102876[/snapback]
Hey! Give a shout out... give an update...
How are you feeding?
How many months/weeks/days has it been since you started?
What obsticles have you overcome?

Fun question:
What holiday do you celebrate?

What is your wish for this holiday season?


I've been nursing for 4 months and 3 weeks already...wow, how time flies! My main obstacle in the beginning was an unsupportive dr and LC who really pushed formula, but luckily I ignored them and just pumped like crazy so my suppliments were still EBM! Then I just stopped the supplements altogether and watched the babies gain weight just as well. I actually just went back to that dr and she asked how much I was still BFing. When I said exclusively she literally did a double take and said, "you are actually producing enough for both?" So sad...I wonder how many other twin mommies she's discouraged with an attitude like that. If not for this forum, I probably wouldn't have believed I could do it, either, so THANK YOU ALL!!! I'm so proud of myself and my babies!

We celebrate Christmas so we're busy decorating every spare moment. The babies LOVE looking at the Christmas lights! My holiday wish is just for my family to be healthy and happy. I got more than my share of wishes come true this year so I'll take a break from wishing for a while

 

We are breastfeeding once in 24 hours - at night, before bed. The girls are 19months old now - I feel like the old women on the forum!

Obstacles: We've been lucky to have very few BIG obstacles, but we had weight issues at first, jaundice, then transitioning to work, then transitioning to being a stay at home Mom, now transitioning back to me working, moving twice since the girls have been born.

Holidays: Christmas - I love Christmas. It's more of a religious holiday for me/our family - but we have fun with gifts/decorations. I'm so excited to see how the girls react to opening gifts this year! I've never been a big New Year's fan.

Wish: Sleep and lots of it!

 

How are you feeding?
Breastmilk, formula and solids.

How many months/weeks/days has it been since you started?
6 1/2 months

What obsticles have you overcome?
Thrush, mastitis 3 times, and poor latches. I didn't attempt to pump at the beginning to build up supply, so we have to supplement with formula. It brought me down a little, but in retrospect, they're still getting breastmilk as their primary milk source and they're happy little guys.

What holiday do you celebrate?
Christmas and most importantly, my b-day (Jan 4th - so it feels like it's still part of the holidays)

What is your wish for this holiday season?
Simplicity, continued good health and this is going to be a vent. People (i.e. ILs) to try to understand what my life is like as a mom of a 2 yr old and twins, and not judge me if I say "no we can't do something" because I just want a break from having to pack everyone up and go somewhere. Ok - vent over! And I wish that I would lose my last 10 lbs of baby weight. :lol:

 

How are you feeding?
One bottle of formula/BM mixture during which I pump for a freezer stash. Otherwise EBF. Starting back to work in 3 weeks so things will change too soon.

How many months/weeks/days has it been since you started?
11 weeks

What obsticles have you overcome?
First 2 babies in NICU for 7 days, then DD in the NICU for another 9 days. DS not tolerating preemie formula, then milk-based formula, then soy-based formula and loosing weight while his sister stayed in NICU. Made decision to EBF both of them (despite pedi not thinking I could). DS gained weight on EBF. Successfully introduced hypoallergenic formula mixed with breast milk at 4 weeks old (I needed them to take formula b/c I won't be able pump often enough at work). Undersupply for 2 days then oversupply for 2 weeks.

Fun question:
What holiday do you celebrate?
Hanukkah and Christmas

What is your wish for this holiday season?
I got my wish...my twins!

 

How are you feeding?
All expressed BM. No need for any formula. WOOHOOO!
They also get fruits and veggies twice a day along with a sippy. We've just introduced crackers too!

How many months/weeks/days has it been since you started?
7 months, 1 week!

What obsticles have you overcome?
One that pretty much refused to nurse in the beginning, low weight gain for both babies in the first 2 weeks, transitioning to all pumping (what a drag), continued nipple pain, thrush. A pediatrician who said "there is no way you will keep your supply up with only pumping." I have 22 shoe boxes FULL of frozen milk right now. Proved her wrong. No clogged ducts or mastitis!

Fun question:
What holiday do you celebrate?
Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, etc.

What is your wish for this holiday season?
That my oldest DD learns to listen and follow through. That her behavior does not put a damper on anyone's holiday fun.

 

How are you feeding?
Elaina & Claire are exclusively breastfed. They get one bottle of EBM per day (since I'm going back to work part-time in January I need to make sure they'll take a bottle).

How many months/weeks/days has it been since you started?
My girls are almost 5 weeks old and they've been exclusively breastfed since day 5!

What obsticles have you overcome?
So far things are going rather smoothly. We had to supplement with formula in the very beginning just to be sure they were gaining weight. I was ecstatic when our pedi said that we could stop the formula.


Fun question:
What holiday do you celebrate?
We celebrate Christmas.

What is your wish for this holiday season?
My wish is to have time to relax and enjoy my family.

 

my boys will be a year in about ten days, which means i've been pumping for just about a year! i had nicu babes, who didn't come home for 7 and 10 weeks. however, one did latch on at five months, so i still pump for the other. i make him about 25 oz/day, so he and his bro sometimes get a bottle or two of organic formula each day (my ebm'r has drank up to 40oz in one day!).

the obsticles were that they weren't home w/me in the beginning. then, that one had resp issues and one has a short palate. .... now my only obsticle is that i'm sooo sick of that dang pump! i think by the time we hit a year i'll have had 2,000 pumping sessions (i figured it out once). now i'm down to only 3 sessions/day and it still gets on my nerves. however, i feel it's important they both get the same amount of mother's milk, and that they both get as much as they can.

we're supposed to celebrate hanukkah, but we'll probably be too warn out (and excited for the boys birthdays) to do much celebrating of holidays. celebrating LIFE, that's what we're celebrating! (the boys were born at 27w5d, so we have a LOT to be thankful for).

i will continue to wish for happiness and health for my perfect family!

, jl

 

How are you feeding? BF (and solids 2-3 times per day)
How many months/weeks/days has it been since you started? It will be 11 months this Thursday!
What obsticles have you overcome? The first 5 weeks were very rough. My boys were 5 weeks early, and one had poor suck, the other had poor latch. I had to supplement with formula the first 10 days, and pump and give EBM for five weeks. But, they were both basically full-time on the breast by five weeks. In fact, they haven't had a bottle since before they were 2 months old!

Fun question:
What holiday do you celebrate? Christmas... I love everything about it (except the commercialism...)

What is your wish for this holiday season? I have a few: health - no colds or flus for a while, and a break from the constant pain of my psoriasis! sleep - that the boys decide to start sleeping all night long! and peace - a comfortable, enjoyable holiday season with no squabbling among family and friends.

 

How are you feeding?

BFing 4 Xs per day, 1 bottle of formula before bed.

How many months/weeks/days has it been since you started?

11 months! 11 MONTHS!!!

What obsticles have you overcome?

Umm...breastfeeding twins?! You name it, we've overcome.

Fun question:
What holiday do you celebrate?

Christmas.

What is your wish for this holiday season?
[/quote]

That all of our loved ones weather the economic downturn.

 

How are you feeding? Nurse twice a day, formula and solids rest of the time

How many months/weeks/days has it been since you started? 11 months exactly today

What obsticles have you overcome?Unsupportive DH, Returning to work, low supply while pumping.

Fun question:
What holiday do you celebrate? We kind of celebrate Christmas, but we call it HOHO (Short for Household Holiday).

What is your wish for this holiday season? Peaceful vacation with family

 

my twins are fully weaned, so I just stick around as a supporter

We celebrate Christmas (not in a religious way, just in a santa/family/lights/tree kind of way )

My wish for the holidays is to get fit and get the whole family eating better, sounds like fun huh

 

QUOTE(excitedk @ Dec 11 2008, 10:10 AM) [snapback]1106942[/snapback]
my twins are fully weaned, so I just stick around as a supporter

That is way !! Glad to have you! and THANK YOU!

 

How are you feeding?

We're nursing about 5x/day (not counting head-bump/freakout/meltdown nursies). And they're eating us out of house and home - breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner. I expect at their next checkup we'll find that they each have not one but TWO hollow legs.

How many months/weeks/days has it been since you started?

Almost 2 years! :woohoo:

What obsticles have you overcome?

NICU, nursing one & pumping for the other for a couple months...and just getting touched out sometimes!

Fun question:
What holiday do you celebrate?

A (pretty secular) Christmas - presents and great food and lots of family time.

What is your wish for this holiday season?

That the kids won't spend all of Christmas fighting over their new toys! :lol:

 

I'm tearing up at some of these responses. What a great community of mommas we have here.

We nurse twice a day - morning and bedtime - and they eat anything else I try to put in front of them.

They'll have been nursing 18 months next Friday.

Obstacles? I was about to say "none, really" but reading these posts I'm reminded: one little guy who lost too much weight and didn't gain it back fast enough so needed supplements; jaundice and hospital time without momma for the other one; dairy allergy and reflux; many many clogged ducts and two rounds of mastitis; blisters and low-grade yeast infection; supply plunge around 7 months...all blissfully in the past now.

I really love to celebrate the solstice with some nice British pagan traditions like mistletoe and throwing a cup of cider into the garden in thanks for all it gives us. We celebrate a Christian Christmas, too, but like to pull out the threads of paganism and make sure all that fertility and rebirth stuff is front and center.

Wishing for peace this year: personal, family, US and international.

 

How are you feeding? Nursing once a day just before bed.

How many months/weeks/days has it been since you started? 2 years 7 months and something :blush:

What obstacles have you overcome? Remarkably few: plugged ducts a couple of times, poor weight gain in one for a while, restless / distractable nursing around 9 - 12 months.

What holiday do you celebrate? Hanukah - since I now live in Israel (for some reason they've suddenly started selling chocolate easter bunnies in our local supermarket, I think they may have mixed their festivals)

What is your wish for this holiday season? That we get to see some family and friends.

lisa

 

How are you feeding? Nursing on demand.

How many months/weeks/days has it been since you started? 3 months, one day, (been exclusive since 3 weeks old)

What obstacles have you overcome? Ignorant doctors and overcoming thrush right now .

What holiday do you celebrate? Christmas

What is your wish for this holiday season? I wish my book would get published. Maybe i should finish it

 

How are you feeding? Nursing each baby on their own demand. (exhausting)

How many months/weeks/days has it been since you started? 3 months and 3 days... they haven't had formula since they were 2 days old and in the NICU.

What obsticles have you overcome? Nursing on demand in general seems to be an obstacle! Things are just now starting to get a little easier. Unfortunately my babies are teething early... so we'll see.

Fun question:
What holiday do you celebrate? Christmas

What is your wish for this holiday season? My wish came true in September! (two healthy babies)

 

Ice Storm plus Christmas equals slow response!

My girls will have been nursing on demand for almost a year (next week!) plus solids.

Our obstacles have really only been having four small very active, persistent children

We celebrate Christmas, and this year we'll mark the winter solstice by winter sowing some seeds (we can't wait for spring ).

Our wish for the holiday season is to get through it unscathed.

 

My babies have been nursing for 13 months, currently 4-5 times/day.

We have overcome needing to build milk supply from exclusively pumping initially, poor latch/weak suck due to Down syndrome (my DS), using a nipple shield and then weaning off of that (my DD), slow weight gain (my DD), food allergies (again, DD), and finally dropping all formula supplementing around 6 months!

We celebrate Christmas.

My wish for the holiday season... altruistically, peace on earth and a brighter tomorrow with this incoming presidency... selfishly, continued health for my family, a stress-free Christmas week, and that my 6-year-old won't be too disappointed that he's not getting a Nintendo DS!!

 

How are you feeding? Weekdays - nurse in the morning, afternoon and before bed; bottles during the day. I'm one of the crazies who nurses individually. Weekends - a least 5 times a day exclusive BF.

How many months/weeks/days has it been since you started? 10 months 4 days!! 3 week of exclusive pumping, now BFing except while at work

What obstacles have you overcome? Weak/poor latches, nipple shields, ripped up nipples because of teething, Reynaud's syndrome, lack of confidence in my ability to BF, feeling pressure from relatives to give formula (either exclusively or as a supplement).

Fun question:
What holiday do you celebrate? Christmas. For us, we celebrate the birth of Christ.

What is your wish for this holiday season? A relaxing and enjoyable holiday season, and a speedy recovery from my surgery (gall bladder is being removed on the 23rd).

 

How are you feeding? Solids, bottles(formula) and nursing.

How many weeks/months/days? As I had NICU babes, they didn't breastfeed until 3 weeks, but I started by pumping and they switched when they were old enough. Now they have been getting breast milk for 11 months tomarrow.

What obstacles? Charlotte had a poor latch for 2 months, sore boobs, then my pump broke. Now, it's trying to get Charlotte to stop waking twice a night to nurse, and keeping Tyler interested in nursing