Ask Judy: Should Breastmilk Production Be Equal?

Dear Judy, Is it possible for one breast to product more more milk than the other?

Not only is it possible, it’s very common! Many women experience a difference in the amount of milk produced from one breast vs the other. Let me tell you a few stories to illustrate the possibilities.

My sister had three children. With all three of them, her breastmilk production in one breast was much greater than the production in her other breast. Where her children were infants, they preferred the “slow” side as the other side had a much stronger let down and would cause them to “gag.” As they got older, they started to prefer the “fast” side as they wanted to drink more and more quickly – so they didn’t have the patience to wait for the “slow” side and preferred the “fast” side.

My cousin had two children. With both of her children, one breast hardly produced any milk (just dribbles) and the other was a great producer. Both of her children preferred the side that was the great producer and although she tried to nurse from both sides, she ended up exclusively feeding from only one side and letting the other side dry up.

I also have friends who would pump and get 3-4 ounces from one side and only a 1/2-1 oz from the other. It is normal and it happens quite frequently!

If you want to try to even out your production, you can do so by always starting your nursing sessions on the side that is the lower producer. Your baby drinks with the most “effort” when he/she first begins to nurse, so always starting on the lower producing side, will stimulate that side to make more milk. You can also try pumping that side while nursing from the other to give it added stimulation. These tricks may work for some moms and they may not. Everyone’s body is different. Find a happy medium that works for you and your babies. And don’t worry - you are completely normal!!

Did you have varying production with your milk supply? Do you have a story to share? Please leave a comment sharing your experiences!!

The Holidays And Being A Breastfeeding Mom

Welcome to the Carnival of Breastfeeding for December! This month’s theme is, “Taking care of yourself during the holidays.” You can see lots of other great posts by following the links at the end of this article.

Being a breastfeeding mom during the holidays can be very stressful for some moms. You might be traveling to see family – which puts you out of your normal routine, or you might have guests coming over – which puts you in overdrive! You also might be faced with the presence of friends or family who aren’t as comfortable with your breastfeeding as you would like them to be. Below are a few tips and tricks to help you get through the next few weeks.

Traveling

If you are going to be traveling for the holidays, be sure to plan ahead. Take lots of water and healthy snacks with you and be sure to allow extra time for baby changing, taking a break to nurse and some rest room visits (after all you’ll be drinking lots of water!). Drinking water is so important. Your whole schedule is going to be out-of-sync from what you are accustomed to – so you’ll want to be sure to take good care of yourself and your little one! If you are traveling by car – bring lots of water and have it easily accessible so that you can reach it from the front seat. Bring healthy snacks like grapes, granola bars, even pack some sandwiches. Having some of your favorite foods around will make the trip more pleasant and will help you to stay nourished during your journey. If you are traveling by plane, you won’t be able to bring as much with you, but be sure to stock up in the airport so that you have plenty of snacks and liquids for your flight. Be sure to look here for more holiday travel tips.

Having Family Come Visit

If you are having family or friends come to your house for the holidays – try not to stress about it too much. You are a new mom – no one expects you to have a perfect house. Hire a cleaning service to come over and help you out or convince a friend to come and help you prepare for your guests. Try to get as much of your shopping and cooking done ahead of time so that you can enjoy your time with your visitors. Remember – this is a time to enjoy your family and friends – so be sure to take some time out for all of the fun parts of having holiday visitors!

Less Than Supportive Voices

If you think you might encounter some “less than supportive” comments about your breastfeeding during any of your holiday events – the best thing you can do it prepare yourself ahead of time. Decide now – who might say something, what might they say and how will you respond to it. If you go over the scenarios in your head before-hand, then you will be better prepared for if and when something happens. If you are traveling, look up your rights before you go. Know what the laws are of the state or country that you might be visiting. If it is a family member – go through the scenario in your head ahead of time. And if you are pleasantly surprised – embrace every moment of acceptance!!

I remember when my son was 5 months old, I was visiting my family out of state and my entire extended family was there for Christmas Eve. I was nursing my son on the sofa sitting next to my very conservative Aunt. I had a festive nursing top on – which I don’t think anyone even realized was a breastfeeding top! My aunt looked at me and said “Is he nursing?” and I answered “yes” and then she said “Well you can’t even tell!” It was about the nicest thing I could have expected her to say to me. I was so happy and relieved and it made for such a wonderful experience!

Most importantly – during all of your holiday festivities – if you are traveling or staying home or having visitors – remember that this time is about family and about enjoying yourself. So take some time away from the hustle and bustle and be sure to take a moment to just enjoy the holiday!

Do you have any great holiday tips that have helped you to enjoy this time of year? Please leave a comment and share them with the other moms reading this article!

And don’t forget to visit the other Carnival of Breastfeeding Posts at the great blogs listed below (NOTE: this list will be updated throughout the day, so please check back often!):

• Cave Mother: A Mother’s Christmas
• Mama Knows Breast: A Breastfeeding Poem: Twas the Breastfeeder’s Nighttime
• Chronicles of a Nursing Mom: Don’t Forget the Pump!
• Blisstree.com’s Breastfeeding 1-2-3: Breastfeeding and Dehydration
• Accidental Pharmacist: Motherhood Statement
• Hobo Mama: Breastfeeding and the holidays: How to take care of yourself
• The Adventures of Lactating Girl: Breastfeeding And Holidays
• Happy Bambino: How To Take Care Of Ourselves During The Holidays
• Breastfeeding Mums: Looking After Yourself During the Holidays: 7 Tips for Breastfeeding Mothers
• Motherwear Blog: Taking Care Of Yourself And Your Baby During the Holidays
• Breastfeeding Moms Unite: Caring For A High Needs Baby During The Holidays
• Blacktating: Advice for the Holidays

Ask Judy: HELP! My Baby Is Too Distracted To Nurse

Dear Judy, I need a little advice, please. My son is almost 9 months old & has become very interested in what is going on in the room and won’t nurse. Any ideas for me? I don’t want to make it too quiet in the room because then he will never nurse anywhere with anything going on..right?

This is actually a very typical phase that babies go through at this age (generally around 8-10 months). They are suddenly much more aware of the world around them and they don’t want to miss out on anything. So even though they want to nurse, they are just too busy! What is a red ball goes by – they might miss it! So they can be very distracted. The first thing to keep in mind is that this is a phase and it will pass.

While he is going through this stage, it is best to try to nurse when there are fewer distractions. Take him into a quiet room and turn down the lights or even lie down. That way there won’t be anything to distract him. Don’t worry – it is unlikely that he will become “spoiled” by this. This phase will pass in a few weeks or a month and he will go back to nursing anytime. In the meantime, you may need to find quiet places. It is very rare for a baby to self-wean prior to age one – So don’t worry about that – he definitely isn’t done – just keep offering and try to find quieter places for now and before you know it – this phase will pass.

Did your baby go through a “distracted phase?” Do you have any tips or tricks for getting him to nurse during this time? Please share them by leaving a comment.

Ask Judy: How Do I Introduce Foods That My Baby Might Be Allergic To?

Dear Judy, It has been a solid month of keeping my baby away from wheat, dairy, soy, and eggs. Yesterday her Chiropractor suggested that I slowly reintroducing foods back into my diet. Do you have any recommendations?

I recommend introducing the foods back one at a time. Take one food (say milk) and have one glass the first day – see how she does. Have two glasses (1 in the AM, 1 in the PM) the 2nd day and see how she does. Have three glasses on the third day (AM, noon, PM) and see how she does. Then gradually increase until you are having as much of that food in your diet as you would want. Give it a week. During that time – don’t introduce anything else that is “new” or that she might be allergic to. If she doesn’t have any reaction at the end of the week, then introduce a 2nd food – while still keeping the milk in your diet. This will enable you to see which specific foods might be affecting her. It will take some time, but it will be worth it to be able to have more foods in your diet. If she reacts to milk, you can also try different types of dairy – for instance you might be able to eat yogurt, but not cheese or milk (or vice-versa) – try different forms to see what might work best.

Another option is to try introducing a food that she has had a reaction to in a “cooked” form. For instance, if your baby has reacted to eggs in the past, try eating something (like a bread) that is cooked with eggs in it. Some babies might react when you eat a plain egg, but may not react if you eat a bread that has eggs in it. Trying foods one at a time and trying small amounts and in different forms might be helpful in determining which foods you need to eliminate from your diet and which foods you don’t.

Does your baby have allergies? Did you have to adjust your diet while you were breastfeeding? Please share your story or your advice by leaving a comment on this post.

Ask Judy: Has My Baby Weaned?

Dear Judy. So as you know we recently moved. The move allowed us to put our two older boys in the same room, giving the baby his own room. So the other night we set his crib up and let him sleep there. He ended up sleeping from 9:30 pm to 9 am! Needless to say I was SORE in the morning.

I Thought no big deal – it was his first night and I’m sure tonight would be different. Sure enough he ended up passing out in his play pen at 8:30 pm and my husband just moved him into his crib and he slept all night. For most this would be wonderful news. But he has been falling asleep without nursing. So that’s 3 nights in a row he has not nursed. I think he may have weaned!

I do NOT want him weaned. I really want to nurse him till he is two and I still have until February until that happens. I just want to cry! This is our last baby and my last chance at that bond

This can be so difficult on a mom, but don’t give up yet. It is very rare for a baby to wean that suddenly. He is probably reacting to his new environment and all of the new exciting things. He will want to nurse again! Is the nighttime session the only time that he nurses? If you aren’t ready for him to stop, then offer the breast after dinner – a little earlier than bedtime. That will give him the ability to still fall asleep at bedtime without nursing, but still give you the ability to continue your bond with him.

Be forewarned, though – if you re-initiate breastfeeding, he may not want to give it up when he turns two and then you may end up going much longer! I also thought we would go until two, then I thought age three was my max. My son will be four next week and I think we are finally done.

Keep in mind too, that even when weaning does come, you will still have many ways to bond with your baby. He is lucky to have nursed so long – and if this does end up being his time to wean, your bond with him will continue through all of the other ways in which you nurture him.

HUGS

Mastitis: One Mom’s Journey And Advice

By Donna Bruschi

When my baby was 8 days old, I started feeling exhausted. I had felt pretty good up until that point. I had been going to the store and to the pediatrician and to the Lactation consultant (because nursing was not going well). His diapers were pretty dry and I had painfully sore nipples. That morning, I woke up to painful breasts as well and over the course of a day developed angry red streaks on my left breast and red near the nipple on my right. I had developed mastitis.

Mastitis is a common problem among breastfeeding mothers. The exhaustion, aching muscles and fever mimic the flu but the red streaked breasts and tender spots make mastitis unmistakable. Although there are several contributing factors, the most common one is exhaustion. Most mothers with mastitis try to do too much. Even mothers who feel great, may bring on mastitis simply by skipping naps. Mastitis is more common around the holidays when added pressures pile onto an already stressed situation. Other contributing factors include over-abundant milk supply, fussy babies and babies who who don’t latch on correctly. Mastitis can come on rather unexpectedly the first time. The mother may notice breast soreness, flu-like symptoms, and the hard lump of a plugged milk duct before full blown mastitis sets in, or she may not.

Healing mastitis includes plenty of rest, canceling all activities and going to bed. The mother should continue to nurse frequently to unblock the plugged duct and drink plenty of water. Hot compresses can relieve soreness and cold compresses can help shrink overactive milk production, if the mother thinks it is a contributing factor. If the mother doesn’t feel better within a day or so of sleep and nursing, she should go to her healthcare provider who will probably prescribe antibiotics and more rest.

In my case, I was already on post surgical antibiotics and listened to my body, which needed some rest. The mastitis cleared up pretty quickly and I continued getting my son to latch-on better over the next week or so. He went on to nurse for 3 more years. I had a few plugged ducts after that but none ever developed into full blown mastitis. In hindsight, I should have had a home visit from a lactation consultant or visiting nurse as soon as we came home from the hospital. I would have had better latch-on and more energy.

In cases of recurring mastitis, mothers should investigate poor latch-on or sucking problems. She can also work on reducing stressful activities and situations. A La Leche League Leader can listen, carefully evaluate the particulars and give support and guidance. For a local LLL Leader, visit the La Leche League website.

Donna Bruschi is the mother of three adolescents, including twins. She is a Resonance Repartterning practitioner who specializes in parenting. She supports parents who want to love and communicate with their children from conception into adulthood. She leads several support groups in New Paltz, NY including La Leche League and Parenting Teens. For more information about classes and sessions visit her website.

Have you had mastitis? We’d love to hear your experiences. Do you have any tips that you can share with other moms? Please leave a comment on this post and share your journey!

Getting Your Breastfed Baby To Take A Bottle

Lots of first time moms want to have the option of bottle feeding their baby once in a while. Perhaps you are going to be heading back to work or perhaps you just want a few hours away from your baby or a night out with your significant other. Getting your baby to take a bottle may not initially seem as easy as you’d hoped. Here are some tips to help you succeed.

First of all, we don’t recommend giving your baby a bottle at all until they are at least 4-6 weeks old. Having any type of artificial nipple (bottle, pacifier, etc) can interfere with breastfeeding success if it is given to the baby too early. You may think that your baby can easily switch back and forth between bottle and breast early on, but many babies will develop “nipple confusion” and this can make breastfeeding success very difficult (not impossible, but difficult) – so we highly recommend enjoying these early days with your baby and avoiding the bottle until your breastfeeding relationship has been well-established.

Now, back to the bottles. You might be wondering what type of bottle is best. There are many different types of bottles and which one is “best” is very subjective. It won’t be you that makes the decision either – it will likely be your little one! I bought about 7 different kinds of bottles for my son and let him pick which one he liked best. The one that everyone told me was “best” he wouldn’t drink from – so we just did it by trial and error. Once we found one that he liked, we stocked up. So don’t go out and buy a bunch of bottles until you know which one your little bundle of joy is going to like.

When you first try to give your baby a bottle, don’t be surprised if they protest. It isn’t nearly as “cozy” as nursing – and they may not understand what this “foreign” object is that you are trying to shove in their mouth! Here are some tips for success:

• Try giving your baby a bottle when they aren’t too hungry. If your baby is starving, they are going to get upset and will just want to nurse – especially if you are nearby – so do it at a time when they are starting to show signs of hunger, but aren’t yet famished.
• Leave the room or even the house! Babies are SMART. They will know if mom is nearby – so you may have to leave the room or even the house before your baby will consent to taking a bottle. If you are nearby, they may refuse until they get their milk from the TAP.
• Be patient. Keep trying – your little one will eventually take a bottle from someone while you are away. Don’t worry – the first time you go away, your little one may have a rough time, but they won’t starve. Once the realize breastfeeding isn’t an option, they will take the bottle.
• Don’t be surprised if your baby reverse cycles. When mom goes back to work, many babies just adjust their nursing times to when mom is home. So don’t be surprised if your baby doesn’t drink much while you are away and instead power-nurses when you are home. (my son did this!) Many babies will nurse all night instead of taking much milk from a bottle while you are away. It is completely normal and acceptable.

Do you have any tips for getting a baby to take a bottle while mom is away? We’d love to hear your stories – please share them by leaving a comment!

**Baby with bottle photograph is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 License.**

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