Tuesday, June 07, 2005

Posts to ...

Carla,

Hang in there you're doing great. Nicholas is 8 months, my third
baby. He does the acrobatic nursing at times, they all do. Some
moms are more tolerant of the behaviour. He is also doing the same
thing while changing his diaper. I try to keep him flat for the
diaper change in order to train him for the stinky ones later.

All mine did some acrobatic nursing. Hand the baby a toy. Restrain
the baby. Tell the baby what you want, keep still, be nice to
mommy,pat, no pinching. I try to ask for the behaviour I want,
repeating verbs with no may be asking the baby for the action you
are trying to stop.

It depends on your tolerance level. Some moms make the baby stay
absolutely still to nurse. Some moms wear nursing necklaces to give
the baby something to distract him. If I don't like the behaviour
(Pinching, pulling, biting, turning head without releasing latch,
whatever I don't like), I express my concern and put the baby on the
floor, and let him scream for a while. Nursing is wonderful and
enjoyable, for both mom and baby.

You're in the home stretch for pumping. I did about 14 months of
pumping, and continued nursing after that for my second. The AAP
bfing for 1 year as the main source of nutrition does not mean stop
then, as your co-workers seem to have inferred. Weaning is a
process of introducing other foods. I like to take a couple years
to wean. Some solids starting at six months for entertainment.
More solids later when baby seems to want them. On to soy milk
instead of BestMilk when my stock ran low. I go for the Edensoy
Organic because I like the way they test for GMO's and
pesticides/fertilizers. More than half of the US soy crop is
RoundUpReady, a Genetically Modifed (GMO) soy which can withstand
higher levels of RoundUp (pesticide).

The Edensoy Soymilk is great because it stays in the pantry until
opened, and I don't need to shop for Cow Milk every few days. I see
no need to give the baby cow milk or formula, ever.


The View NIP (Nursing In Public) stuff is all over the web. I read
a New York Times article about the Nurse In. Hathor
(www.thecowgoddess.com) wrote about it in her blog (musings).
Mothering.com has a bunch of ranting and chatting under
Breastfeeding Advocacy and Support.


Carla, you have done better than most moms already. Your success at
breastfeeding will yield many benefits for life, both yours and
Milla's. Remember, now you are the expert. You have done more
nursing than almost all of the doctors you've met, put together.
You know your body, better than anyone else can. One boob is
enough, as long as the other one is comfortable. I sleep on my
lesser side, so it is easier to use more often.

Well Done,
Sue



( The Note I replied to )


> Oh darn, I forgot about that meeting. I really wanted to go. It
sounds like it was a little less than ideal though. I haven't heard
about the hooplah about the View. Where can I read about that?
>
> This is kind of off topic, but Milla is a one sider baby. My
right side has always had a faster flow, and she's always prefered
it. The only time she'll drink from the left side is in the middle
of the night when she's too sleepy to fight me about it : )
>
> I was hoping the LLL could give me some encouragement. Things in
the nursing world have been getting tough. Milla has never been a
cuddly nurser, but these days she's out of control! She pulls my
hair, scratches my face, squeezes my nose, squeezes my nipples, does
backbends, ends up with her feet on my face, drinks in a downward
dog position, and just about any other crazy position she can think
of. Is anyone else's baby like this? She is 11 months now. If I
stop the feeding when she gets too rough, she cries like I've hurt
her. If I give her another chance, she'll pinch me again. I'm not
really sure what to do.
>
> Another question. How old until Milla can go without breastmilk
while I'm at work? Not until I wean her? I don't mind pumping most
of the time, but sometimes things get busy here at work and it's
hard for me to get away. Will not pumping during the day affect my
milk supply too much? Is it too important for her to get that
bottle of milk? I'm thinking everyone here at work is expecting me
to quit pumping when she is a year old. I guess I shouldn't be
embarassed about that, but it gets frustrating hearing, "only a
month to go!"
>
> Thanks for listening : )
>
> Carla
>


(my original post)

> Sue wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Sorry about lurking for a couple weeks. I've been following the
> hooplah about the View. I did love to see the lacvtivists
converge
> on an issue. I also sent Barbara Walters an email.
>
> Still waiting to hear about my appeal for the rest of my maternity
> leave pay. My large auto company employer said I am the first to
> use a midwife without a backup doctor. Still trying to get three
> weeks salary back.
>
> Went to La LecheLeague yesterday. I don't think I'll go back. So
> sad. I understand LLL needs to be middle of the raod, not
extreme,
> but I did not feel heard. Other than nodding in agreement that
this
> is normal, when problems are raised, I wasn't really allowed to
> contribute.
>
> When a mom mentioned green poop, I said too much foremilk, switch
> sides less. The leader looked in her book, and talked about
getting
> baby to take both sides at every feeding, and switching halfway
> through a normal nursing stretch to prime the other side. After
she
> went on into complicated nursing schedules, she finally recanted
and
> said maybe switch sides every three hours.
>
> Also a mom with a five day old baby who would only take one side
> came in for help. All they mentioned was possible causes for the
> trouble. I couldn't get in a word of encouragement, and didn't
> really agree with their approach. Something about pumping, and
> getting the milk in any way you can. What happened to just spend
> all your time nursing, and the baby will be fine. So sad, she had
a
> scheduled C section, and the baby is still groggy. I fear that
the
> experts may be over complicating it for her. No one mentioned
that
> some moms only nurse on one side, and the baby does fine, twins do
> fine, most moms have a side that is preffered, or produces
better.
> If she is having success with one side, she should rejoice in
that.
> She even mentioned that she has to change a lot of diapers. I
wish
> she would have gotten support, not an errand to run to pick up a
> thingy for the other side for wearing in her bra to get the milk
> out? Then her spouse came to get her, as she was finally getting
> some help with positioning. He stood with his hands on his hips,
> hovering over her. She gave him the baby and asked him to take it
> to the car. No one addressed that maybe the hubby was less than
> supportive, his posture said "I will see this, and be able to
cotrol
> it later, I will help fix her".
>
> Remember this was just my perspective. I thought I saw a mom
> successfully nursing who should be told not to worry, things are
> fine. I heard this is wrong, we will fix you. I will pray for
her.
>
> Am I too crunchy for LLL? It seems like watching a train wreck.
> Why can't we just let moms nurse? Do we always have to fix them?
>
> I remember the rocky start I had with my first. I had never seen
a
> baby nurse, the nurses all gave conflicting advice, the doctor
> talked my ex-husband into giving Sophia formula while they were
> still stiching me. Of course her blood sugar was low, they hadn't
> let me eat for more than 24 hours.
>
> I want to help but have no idea where to start. Breastfeeding is
> easy, and free. I nurse proudly in public as an example for
others.
>
>
> Sue