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About Breast Feeding from Readers.

Hi!
My daughter is 10 weeks old now and breast feeding has been going incredibly
well. In fact, it is going too well now. The problem is I have expressed
milk and prepared bottles so that my husband an the grandparents could help me
out by watching and feeding her once in a while. She accepted the bottle at
about 4 to 6 weeks of age when we had to take a road trip. For the past
month, we did not have the need to give her a bottle. Now, at 10 weeks, she
refuses the bottle altogether. Just when I was looking forward to getting out
more with her including places that may not have appropriate facilities for
breastfeeding, she won't co-operate! Does anyone have any advice? Thank you!
K

I am 8 months pregnant and considering breast feeding. I read in a book that was given to my by my doctor that breast milk should not be given to the baby via bottle, it will confuse the baby. My problem is that I am a very active person, and there will be times I want to be able to leave the baby with my husband or baby-sitter. How am I to instruct others to feed the baby my breast milk?
I appreciate any help or advice you can give me. Thank you,
MR

Answer

I breastfed my baby girl for 13 months while working. I pumped milk everyday and took it to the caregiver in bottles. It was given to her in bottles. She never once got confused about what was what. And she certainly knew where the milk came from because by the time I weaned her she would pull on my clothes to get what she wanted. Maybe your doctor's brochure was written by a man. Don't worry about leaving your baby. I have never heard of a confused baby!

SM

Answer

Your doctor was most likely referring to nipple confusion, which is not very common but does occur from time to time. My first child nursed, used a pacifier, and took expressed milk from a bottle, with no difficulty at all.
My son on the other hand, has had tremendous difficulty latching on after he has had a bottle or the pacifier in his mouth.
My pediatrician and my lactation consultant both recommended breastfeeding exclusively for four weeks and afterwards I could serve expressed milk in a bottle with no anticipated problems.
S

Can a dried up milk supply be restored? If so, how long after the birth of
baby, and how could it be accomplished?

One of my girlfriends had zero support while trying to breastfeed for the first time. Her little girl is only 3 1/2 months old, is it possible to restart her milk supply once it has dried up? She is very disappointed about
having given up--I would think that since the baby is not very old there must be something that she could do to still be able to share this wonderful experience with her child.
I'm relatively new to using the internet so I hope that I am sending this letter to the correct department!

Hello,

I've been a nursing mother for several years now, as I stopped nursing my first child when I became pregnant with my second. All this means is that I have either been pregnant or nursing for six, yes count em, six years!

Last week my daughter stopped nursing and for the first time my body belongs to me and me alone! The problem I am having is that I continue to produce milk. I would like some suggestions on how to get this to stop.

Thanks,
KM

Answer

Cool green cabbage leaves contain estrogen which helps relieve engorged breasts and dries up the milk production. Just rinse the outerleaf and press against the breast for 15 min. or so (much the same as you would apply a cool compress--which also aides in drying up the milk).
C

My Ten-Month Old Is Biting Me!

Any suggestions?

I have tried pushing his face into my breast but this only makes him bite harder. I have tried saying no very sternly and stopping nursing - he doesn't care and thinks it's a game.  I am being very stern and a bit loud. I have tried saying no, that hurts and stopping the nursing but he doesn't care. He bites after just second of starting to nurse; he seems eager to nurse prior to biting. I was planning to nurse to the next couple of months but am getting tired of being bitten. He does nurse well in the night (middle of the night) and first thing in the morning. Sometimes he nurses well during the day and other times he bites.

Help!
DA

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