**Breastfeeding Support Thread**

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Originally Posted by Starryblue702

Elle, what does the pedi have to say? I can understand an intolorance of some sort, but I've never heard of blood in the stool?? After doing some research, there are two simple expinations for this to happen: either the blood came from your own nipple because of a crack of some sort (which I doubt, as I think you would have seen and felt that) or baby could be straining while pooping and causing his own bum to bleed. If you don't think it's either one of those things, I would maybe get a second opinion from another pedi, just to be safe.

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Thanks Krystal, they did check for tears around his bum and didn't see any. I do have cracked nipples but I think the crack developed after I started pumping so much. We did notice an improvement in Ryan's poop (blood pretty much gone, poop more solid) after he went on the formula within a day. He also stopped fussing with feeding, but he's never fussed much on the bottle anyways. To top things off, he has now developed a nasty diaper rash. We are alternating formula and BF for now to see what happens. His poops have already got better (they were pretty much liquid before and he pooped with every feed, and had mucous and blood in them).

We have an appointment with the ped next week Friday. Unfortunately it's not really possible for me to get another opinion. We need referrals here in Canada to see a pediatrician and I doubt he will give me one to see someone else. He did say he's seen the dairy and soy elimination work for several women and the blood went away. I am just so confused now. Maybe I didn't give it long enough.

Elle, the liquid poops on BM are COMPLETELY normal. It freaked me out at first, too, as my other babies were pretty much all formula fed, so I was used to 1 or 2 poops a day, and much thicker. The reason it's different when you're BF them is that the protiens in your milk break down much quicker than formula does, that's why they poop more often and want to eat more than FF babies. So it's totally normal for BF babies to have runny (almost watery) yellow/seedy stools. The only downside is you have to watch that diaper changing all of the time, because I know Trystan will poo a little bit even when he farts, and then I have to change the whole dry diaper because of it to make sure he doesn't get a rash lol! So the only concern I would have is the blood in it... and you said yourself you have cracked nipples. Are you sure that's not where it's coming from? Does he fuss a lot otherwise when you're trying to BF him? Maybe he just doesn't like the taste of the blood (if that's what's happening?) mixed in with your milk and that's why he's fussing? Are you using any cream to help with the cracks on your nipples? I don't have any cracks or soreness, but I still use Lanolin cream every day and night just to make sure everything stays soft and healthy for baby.

So I have a question of my own for you girls: how long is it taking your babies to eat? I swear when Trystan was first born, it took him around 45 minutes to nurse (which was especially hard in the middle of the night). Now, for the past couple of weeks, I swear he's done nursing on both sides within 15 minutes! And I know he's good and full, because he pulls away, burps, and is cool to either go back to sleep or just hang out in his chair. Is it that their drinking muscles are just better developed now so they can get the job done quicker?

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Originally Posted by Starryblue702

So I have a question of my own for you girls: how long is it taking your babies to eat? I swear when Trystan was first born, it took him around 45 minutes to nurse (which was especially hard in the middle of the night). Now, for the past couple of weeks, I swear he's done nursing on both sides within 15 minutes! And I know he's good and full, because he pulls away, burps, and is cool to either go back to sleep or just hang out in his chair. Is it that their drinking muscles are just better developed now so they can get the job done quicker?

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Elaina is done a good feed in 10 minutes, but she only nurses one side. She has always finished eating really quickly, even from the start! But I do think they just get stronger and their latch gets more efficient, so they transfer milk a lot better and faster as they get older...and as their mouths get bigger too.

I just fed her now, I was painfully engorged and leaking a constant drip but she drained it in about 10 minutes...then she had a huge "man burp" (lol always makes me laugh) and I offered it again but she would suck once, then pull off and cry. She did that about five times before I gave up forcing it and gave her a pacifier, and then she dropped right off to sleep. I always feel guilty giving her the paci over the breast :( but she has a very strong suck and I have a lot of milk so I think comfort nursing is hard for her, she ends up with more milk even when she doesn't want it. I hope I'm not screwing her up or something lol. It is weird to hold her in the feeding position at my breast but see her with a paci in her mouth!! But she is happy there...so I do it. :/

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Originally Posted by .hilary.

Elaina is done a good feed in 10 minutes, but she only nurses one side. She has always finished eating really quickly, even from the start! But I do think they just get stronger and their latch gets more efficient, so they transfer milk a lot better and faster as they get older...and as their mouths get bigger too.

I just fed her now, I was painfully engorged and leaking a constant drip but she drained it in about 10 minutes...then she had a huge "man burp" (lol always makes me laugh) and I offered it again but she would suck once, then pull off and cry. She did that about five times before I gave up forcing it and gave her a pacifier, and then she dropped right off to sleep. I always feel guilty giving her the paci over the breast :( but she has a very strong suck and I have a lot of milk so I think comfort nursing is hard for her, she ends up with more milk even when she doesn't want it. I hope I'm not screwing her up or something lol. It is weird to hold her in the feeding position at my breast but see her with a paci in her mouth!! But she is happy there...so I do it. :/

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This is really interesting. My initial concern with Ryan was that he would only nurse 5-10 minutes TOPS and almost always one breast only. I was worried because that was such a huge change from the 45 min it used to take him. If I try to get him to eat more and he screams and turns away. I thought it was because he was in pain, but maybe he is just done. He is a snacker and likes to have frequent meals (every 2 hrs during the day). My concern was that he sometimes still cries after feeding and will take a bottle, and eat another ounce or two. So I thought he was still hungry.

If it wasn't for the bloody poo I'd say screw it he's fine, but that does worry me. Hmmm.

oops-double post

I'm so jealous your babes have speeded up so much! Mine still take 90 minutes each (I can't tandem feed with my girl's horrible latch) which is why I'm almost exclusively pumping. 90 minutes each every 3 hours means literally no time to pee or eat. Of course now that means they have had less practice to get faster. In a perfect world I could tandem feed in 1o minutes and not have to deal with bottles.

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Originally Posted by science_gal

This is really interesting. My initial concern with Ryan was that he would only nurse 5-10 minutes TOPS and almost always one breast only. I was worried because that was such a huge change from the 45 min it used to take him. If I try to get him to eat more and he screams and turns away. I thought it was because he was in pain, but maybe he is just done. He is a snacker and likes to have frequent meals (every 2 hrs during the day). My concern was that he sometimes still cries after feeding and will take a bottle, and eat another ounce or two. So I thought he was still hungry.

If it wasn't for the bloody poo I'd say screw it he's fine, but that does worry me. Hmmm.

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Interesting! How has his weight gain been? Maybe he has just gotten really efficient at nursing now. Elaina eats for 10-15 minutes about every three hours in the day, and can go four to five hours at night (but often doesn't and still wakes every three hours or so). Sometimes she has a little cluster session for a day here and there where she will eat every 90 minutes - two hours. I would have been freaked out about how little that seems except for the fact she is packing on weight - she's 12 lbs today (8 lbs 5 oz at birth).

If he's taking a bottle after I wonder if he just wants to suck? Have you tried a pacifier? If his weight gain is okay, maybe that would be worth trying. I agree the blood should be checked out, but maybe everything else is fine and you just have a champion nurser who is really quick!!

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Originally Posted by .hilary.

Interesting! How has his weight gain been? Maybe he has just gotten really efficient at nursing now. Elaina eats for 10-15 minutes about every three hours in the day, and can go four to five hours at night (but often doesn't and still wakes every three hours or so). Sometimes she has a little cluster session for a day here and there where she will eat every 90 minutes - two hours. I would have been freaked out about how little that seems except for the fact she is packing on weight - she's 12 lbs today (8 lbs 5 oz at birth).

If he's taking a bottle after I wonder if he just wants to suck? Have you tried a pacifier? If his weight gain is okay, maybe that would be worth trying. I agree the blood should be checked out, but maybe everything else is fine and you just have a champion nurser who is really quick!!

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Maybe you're right. I thought the short nursing was abnormal but I know I can pump 3 ounces in just a few minutes, so I am sure he can suck that much. He often eats every 2 hrs during the day and about every 3 at night, but some nights he will go 4 or 5 hrs between feeds. it's so random. Most of the time he seems content after eating, only sometimes he cries and sucks the bottle back. I tried the paci in those cases and he spits it out. I will try again though.

He's been gaining weight great, he's up 4 pounds since birth and is in the 50% for his adjusted age (he was early).

Thanks for all the info!!! I am on day 1 of the total elimination diet (only chicken, potatos, carrots and zucchini for now) and it SUCKS big time!

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Originally Posted by triplespiral

I'm so jealous your babes have speeded up so much! Mine still take 90 minutes each (I can't tandem feed with my girl's horrible latch) which is why I'm almost exclusively pumping. 90 minutes each every 3 hours means literally no time to pee or eat. Of course now that means they have had less practice to get faster. In a perfect world I could tandem feed in 1o minutes and not have to deal with bottles.

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Hats off to you that you can even nurse with twins... I can't believe they still take 90 min each!! How do you eat/sleep/pee??? That is crazy. Do you think for part of it they are just comfort nursing? How long does it take you to pump? Fingers crossed that they get faster QUICK.

No, it's definitely all eating time as I still have to top them off with pumped milk or formula afterwards. Mostly I keep practicing so they can get a little snack on the go in an emergency or so they can relieve the engorgement. But really they live on pumped milk. I get most of the milk (maybe 4 oz) in 8 minutes but I keep going for 20 minutes for 6 or more oz.