another one of my breastfeeding posts.....

so... i tried to make an appt with a lactation consultant, but i after getting transferred to, like, 5 people and then getting an answering machine at the lactation dept, i just said "screw it" and hung up. then i cancelled my regular appt and re-scheduled it because the only reason i made it for the first date and time was because the lactation people are only there wednesday mornings for appts, i guess. idk. that's what they told me. i was willing to take the half day from work to have my reg appt and my lactation appt around the same time because it would be worth it to me to lose out on that half a day's pay if i could get some advice.

so.... now to my question. has anyone seen a LC before giving birth to #2 because of problems breastfeeding baby #1? if you did, did they give you any advice? did it work?

i feel smurffy right now about giving up on the appt, but i honestly can't be farting around with trying to match my schedule with theirs. i am going to need this money even more to buy formula when i fail again at breastfeeding.   i'm really upset about this and i'm sorry i'm sounding like a fool. i just... i feel like i don't have a choice really.

breastfeeding is weird. you can be successful this time around for no reason. different kids different things.

  I'm sorry you feel so discouraged before you even get another try!

What specific problems did you have?

In my experience, WIC breastfeeding counselors are pretty open about helping anyone. Do you have any LLL groups in your area, or maybe even a natural parenting group (a lot are on FB nowadays)? You can usually get directed to an LC who may even have free advice or consultations. LLL leaders often have tons of info, as well. Hospital LCs seem to always be super busy when you need help, I think they're over booked and too few are employed.

Having more information before number two didn't make anything easier, exactly, but it was comforting to have more knowledge of different issues that could arise beforehand so I didn't feel totally lost when he was born.

Quoting MommaNoodle:" so... i tried to make an appt with a lactation consultant, but i after getting transferred to, like, ... [snip!] ...   i'm really upset about this and i'm sorry i'm sounding like a fool. i just... i feel like i don't have a choice really. "

If you don't mind me asking, what happened with your first baby that you couldn't breastfeed?
I breastfed my first for 2 days then she got a bottle after being admitted to the hospital for jaundice and severe dehydration (she wouldn't nurse) and wouldn't latch on after that and it just became super frustrating for us. So I pumped as long as I could and then ended up giving her formula, I didn't see a LC at all with #2 and have been successfully breastfeeding for 9 months now!

Quoting I love Kenzi:" breastfeeding is weird. you can be successful this time around for no reason. different kids different things. "

well, that is my hope. but i honestly don't think it's going to be true. my boobs are small, the same size they have always been. they're not full or engorged or leaking or anything. i know they say it's not always an indicator, but i think it is. also, i don't sweat adequately in my armpits. i think that means something, but idk exactly what. i was looking at smurf on the internet, which is probably a bad idea. lol.

Quoting MommaNoodle:" well, that is my hope. but i honestly don't think it's going to be true. my boobs are small, the same ... [snip!] ... i think that means something, but idk exactly what. i was looking at smurf on the internet, which is probably a bad idea. lol."

I tandem nursed thru 2nd pregnancy and never felt engorged or leaked until he was born! I *think* dd1 may have nursed out some colustrum in the last two weeks, but that's a big maybe - I'm really not sure. And from what I know, size does not matter.

Quoting anonymom + 1.5:"   I'm sorry you feel so discouraged before you even get another try! What specific problems did you ... [snip!] ... to have more knowledge of different issues that could arise beforehand so I didn't feel totally lost when he was born. "

i never really produced milk. i put her to to the breast just after birth, like they wanted me to, and i had a LC there to help. but then they wanted to give her a bottle later for a slight case of jaundice (born at 37 weeks), and i said okay because i didn't know any better. she had the few ounces, but she spit it up right away, so i threw them away and wouldn't give it to her again. they didn't seem too worried about me doing that, lol. so, i just kept breastfeeding, but not knowing that she wasn't really getting anything, i guess. idk.

she was born at 6 lbs. 4 oz. she left the hospital at 5 lbs. 13 oz. at her first appt a few days later, she was something like 5lbs 8 or 9 oz. so, they were concerned. the dr recommended formula, and the LC agreed, both saying that she was getting too weak to suck properly bc of the weight loss. so, i started supplementing. but i would nurse for a certain amount of time on each side, then give any pumped milk, which was only ever drops that were barely measurable (i never got more than an ounce total from both sided. actually, i don't even think i ever reached half...), then i would supplement with formula to make up the difference. and then i would pump for a certain amount on each side. then i would clean up and boil all my stuff and repeat.

i did this around the clock for at least the first 2 months. then i cut back to only days. i tried fenugreek, drank tea, drank a beer once in awhile, drank extra water... my last resort was going to be the little baggie with the tubes that go to your boob and you put the formula in and hopefully it would increase your supply. but by this time i was exhausted with it all, and she was getting pretty much only formula anyway. so, i stopped killing myself over it. oh, i also got my blood checked for thyroid issues because they run in my family. but my levels were fine.

Quoting anonymom + 1.5:" I tandem nursed thru 2nd pregnancy and never felt engorged or leaked until he was born! I *think* dd1 ... [snip!] ... some colustrum in the last two weeks, but that's a big maybe - I'm really not sure. And from what I know, size does not matter."

yeah, i know size doesn't actually matter, but i don't have that fullness. and the first LC said she wasn't surprised that i was having issues because of the huge space between my breasts. that made me feel smurffy about my body, lol.

Quoting missmommy.x3 J,A&B:" If you don't mind me asking, what happened with your first baby that you couldn't breastfeed? I breastfed ... [snip!] ... then ended up giving her formula, I didn't see a LC at all with #2 and have been successfully breastfeeding for 9 months now!"

i typed out a big thing to the other girl, lol. you can read that.

i would be ecstatic if i made it to even one month! lol. 9 would rock. if i am able to breastfeed at all, i am going to go as long as i possibly can. if it means i have a 5 yr old hanging off my tit, i'm going to do it because i really feel like crap that it didn't work the first time around.

Quoting MommaNoodle:" i never really produced milk. i put her to to the breast just after birth, like they wanted me to, and ... [snip!] ... myself over it. oh, i also got my blood checked for thyroid issues because they run in my family. but my levels were fine. "

It can take up to a week for your to build a good supply, even then, sometime you still won't be able to pump much! For baby #2 try to avoid supplementing and let baby nurse like crazy so your body will build a good supply.
I can pump for 20 minutes on one side and I'll be lucky to get a half an oz. where as my sister, can get 5-7oz easy in 10 minutes. What you can pump isn't a good indication of what your body can make, babies wet/dirty diapers and weight gain are really all the matters with breastfeeding.
Hope you have a better experience this time around.
I too was scared I'd have that same problem with my second that I did with my first.

Quoting missmommy.x3 J,A&B:" It can take up to a week for your to build a good supply, even then, sometime you still won't be able ... [snip!] ... have a better experience this time around. I too was scared I'd have that same problem with my second that I did with my first."

yeah, i plan on not supplementing as much at the beginning. but she was having wet and dirty diapers just fine bc she was getting formula. and i was too scared to stop doing that. and no one said it would be okay if i did stop the formula. so.... not really knowing any better, i kept feeding her. i assume she wasn't getting much out of me, though, because she drank all the bottles. but i can't be sure, obviously. it sucks not really knowing what they're getting or not getting. i will just feel bad if i let my next one get to starving/dehydration before i know that it's not working, you know? maybe the LC can give me some tips on that, i guess.