Heather MacLean,RN,CBC,BS has 15 years experience as a Registered Nurse, is a Certified Breastfeeding Consultant, and has her Bachelor of Science in Family Health.read more

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Sign In to Ask a Question Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12   lactation expert   Thread Posted by Replies Views Date   breastfeeding and pregnancy Question I have a 4 month old My husband and I decided not to use any contraception I am breastfeeding and plan to for at least a year I am wondering if we do become pregnant and I contine to nurse can the second baby benefit or not Do I make colostrum again if I am still nursing the first child at the time of the 2nd birth Answer nofear 1 536 5/22/07 1:48 pm   problems with enough milk? Question I have a question to see if you have heard anything about breastfeeding after having gastric bypass surgery My daughter is almost 6 months old and I have had problems with breastfeeding her from the get go She didn't have any dirty diapers after coming home from the hospital for very often unless I did the rectal thermometer trick She was also not gaining weight and was just under her birth weight at 2wks Now I have never been one that can produce great amounts even with my other two kids Even now if she goes quite a while without eating I am never engorged or anything I started giving her formula at about 6 wks of age and now I am thinking I should just quit breastfeeding all together She is a very very good baby and seems more happy for longer periods of time with the formula bottles She gets about 3 to 4 4oz bottles a day She also doesn't sleep more than 6 hours at a time at night and that is rare even I worry that she isn't even getting good nutrition from me since my surgery doesn't let my body process nutrients properly Anyway just wondering if there has been any info on breastfeeding after gastric bypass surgery Answer luvinmy3 1 481 5/31/07 2:51 pm   Breastfeeding and Breast Augmentation Question Hi Heather This may have already been asked I had boob job sometime back and I am now wondering if I will be able to breastfeed If so then my second question is will the fact that I've undergone breast augmentation cause any additional complications while trying to breastfeed and what concerns if any should I be aware of thanks Answer Likes to dance 1 524 5/25/07 2:18 pm   Nursing Mothers Welcome Question Heather I would love to see your film how can I get a copy Thanks Holly (in NJ) Answer hollygraff 2 551 5/18/07 1:24 am   17 month old and weaning from night nursing!!! Question I love nursing my daughter I am so glad I did it and I tell everyone who is reluctant about nursing that they really have to at least give it a try Problem is I'm sooooooooooooo ready to start sleeping at night and my daughter who is 17 months old is still waking up all the time and helping herself (we co sleep During the day we no longer nurse at all She drinks whole milk or soy milk from a sippy cup at 2 feedings She eats very well (That's another issue she probably eats too much )Anyway how can I stop her from nursing She just will not go back to sleep if I don't let her have what she wants Any suggestions Thank you Answer mnyc 1 553 5/16/07 12:35 am breastfeeding and alcohol Question Hello I have a cousin that is breastfeeding and she plans to go to a get together in June she is going to have a babysitter for the night My question is if she decide to have a couple of drinks exactly what should she do I have heard that she should still pump every 2 hours and throw it out to keep her milk production up and wait 8 hours after drinking before she nurses the baby again is this true if not what is the proper way to go about this thank you very much her concern is to not harn her baby at all is there away for her to be able to drink and still be able to nurse the nest day Answer Lynn 1 885 5/14/07 1:48 pm   Serving Breastmilk from bottle instead of the breast Question I have troubles getting my baby /5 days old/ to latch properly due to 'inverted nipples' and as my milk was not coming in I was giving him formula instead but still pumping every two hours I am very determined as I was not able to offer breast milk to my first baby due to the same problems Thankfully I have seen some results today and were able to pump one oz I figure it is still better to give him extracted breast milk from a bottle than no breast milk at all however I was curious of your advise on the 'inverted nipple' situation I am attempting to use the breastfeeding shield but it is really painful Answer Magant 1 666 5/5/07 2:31 pm   Lactating Problems Question Both my mom and my sister had problems with lactating would it be a problem for me My mom had small case of cancer and got it taken care but she couldn't breast feed And my sister couldn't breastfeed for long because she said it was too painful Would it be painful for me Answer mylacaramel 1 582 5/11/07 5:46 am   Breast milk and the babysitter Question My 5 month old goes to a home daycare and I pump at work Sometimes when I go to pick up my daughter she has some milk left over that has already been warmed I know that breast milk can be in the refrigerator for 3 5 days but can it be put in the frig after it has been warmed If so how long Melanie: mother of Laleh (3) and Kira (5 months) Answer melmelcd 3 624 4/27/07 3:06 pm   SAVE COLOSTRUM? Question IS IT POSSIBLE TO PUMP COLOSTRUM PRIOR TO GIVING BIRTH I CAN SQUEEZE QUITE A BIT OUT OF MY BREAST NOW Answer KOROZCO 1 1 587 5/3/07 8:43 pm   Re: How long do u tend to breastfeed? Question I'm having my first baby on May 5 2007 My only question is how long does a woman usually breastfeed before weening her child onto something else Answer MamaBear1221 1 568 5/3/07 2:20 pm Curious! Question This is my first baby I will be having I really want to try to brestfeed but Im a lil worried about doing it About a year ago I started to get these lil spots on my arms and legs which spread to some parts of my breast I went to a Doc And He said it was Folicuitis(Fo lic u i tis) I don't think I spelled it right lol But the Doc says it isn't contagious it's a infection in the blood that causes the infection to grow through the hair molocules which then make me look like I have chicken pox I worried About her sucking on the breast and maybe getting to close to a I don't want to say "open sore" but a infected on What do I do She has me on keflex my OB doctor Answer LiLpanchenko 1 725 5/3/07 7:17 pm   Time to wean? Question My five month old has been drinking a mix of formula and breast milk since he was about a month old When he was on exclusivve breast milk he had horrible diarrhea We tried everything to keep him on breast milk including a very restricted diet for me but nothing worked except formula I usually breast feed half to 3/4 of the feedings and then give him formula the rest I just switched to using fast flow nipples and now he seems to be rejecting the breast My milk supply is decreasing I have about a month's supply of milk in the freezer so he can continue to drink that He has been a pretty fussy baby and I am a little worried that the mix of breast milk and foruma is upsetting to his stomach Should I switch back to slow flow nipples or should I just wean him Answer Lara 5 643 4/24/07 8:43 pm   Pain Creams Containing Salycilates Question Can I use pain craems while breast feeding that contain asprin products Answer Jessie.Rayot 2 552 4/30/07 9:44 pm   Recurrent Miscarriage - Link to lactation? Question Heather I have a 3 year old daughter who I nursed until she was almost 1 1/2 Since that point I have never been without some type of discharge In the last calendar year I have had 3 chemical pregnancies and 2 miscarriages I'm seeing a fertility specialist who is pushing for IVF with PGD; however I'm still convinced the lactation/dicharge has something to do with my recurrent miscarriage/spontaneous abortion I am on bromocriptine/parlodel (and have been since January) and it's not drying me up I've tried tight bras no stimulation cabbage etc Here's the question Do you have any other suggestions to stop lactation/discharge We TRULY want another baby but don't want to try and risk another miscarriage until we get this problem out of the way Any suggestions Answer TheEnglishTeacher 2 626 4/22/07 2:32 am   getting milk to come in Question Hello After my last child I never got my milk to come in I took Fenugreek for a couple of weeks but nothing happened My baby got dehydrated and I had to start supplementing and still with no milk I had to turn completly to formula I was under a lot of stress over it I am REALLY hoping this time to be able to breastfeed Is there anything I can do Can I take fenugreek a month before my baby is due Any advice would be great Thank you Answer hdqualls 1 594 4/24/07 1:57 pm   nursing twins! Question I am 29 y/o and just about 29 weeks pregnant with B/G twins I am excited but so nervous about many things One of them is breast feeding I am alreday the mom of 3 (5 3 & 2) My first baby stayed in the NICU for a while so I had to pump for her and she never quite got the hang of nursing I pumped for 4 months The next 2 were very good at nursing I nursed #2 of 11 months and #3 for 13 months So I am an "experienced" breast feeder I suppose I am just so nervous about how to handle twins I have no idea what I'm in for My husband thinks I will be way too stressed and should put them on formula right away I know I can't do that I like the bonding that happens when I nurse even though it is a lot of work I just am worried that I won't be able to handle it Do I nurse them at the same time Should I try to get them on the same feeding schedule Should I buy a special hands free twin nursing pillow Should I invest in or plan on renting a breast pump Am I going to be completely overwhelmed Should I even bother getting off the couch or will I be there all day feeding these two non stop Help I guess I just need some words of wisdom Thanks for your time :baby::baby: Answer Cassie1234 1 610 4/20/07 4:39 pm nursing a biter, who refuses a bottle Question My 3 mo old daughter has recently started 'biting' down on me as she nurses I can't imagine her teething now my other two daughters didn't start teething early The worst part is when I pump milk she WILL NOT drink from a bottle I have tried two different nipples then I decided to stop wasting my money I need help I did not had this problem with the other two Answer miss kalah 1 767 4/23/07 7:20 pm   feelings about breastfeeding maybe you can help Question I am 37 weeks and 5 days pregnant and I am very very nervous I was asked at my last doctors appt wether i wanted to breastfeed my son right away I have thought about this very much and here is how i feel While it is ideal for me to breastfeed because of the benefits to my child and myself (burns alot of calories) and it is also very cost effective i am freaked out for whatever reason of someone feeding off of me While i can see myself getting over that small issue what i can't seem to get over is that i live with my step dad my 2 brothers and my stepbrother and i feel VERY VERY self conscience about breast feeding in front of them I know if will not always be easy for me to go into another room to breast feed and i am just having difficulties coming to terms with this i WANT TO SO BADLY but im just not sure how to get over my feelings i know this is VERY CHILDISH but this is my first child and i want whats best for him plus to be comfortable as well tending to his needs in public and in front of my family :sweetpea:any response would be welcome thank u Answer Joshua'smommy4/07 3 650 3/30/07 8:26 pm Why do I still have milk? Question My baby is 2 years old and I only breast fed her for a week when she was 1st born Now i can squeeze my breast and milk still comes out why Answer frezzgirl 1 790 4/21/07 3:35 am   7 month old refusing one breast Question My 7 month old daughter has started refusing my right breast It started about a week ago and I can't figure it out She won't even latch on to that side at all unless I trick her into it during the night or when she is very groggy during the day She is absolutely fine on the left breast I've tried moving locations putting her on after she's been on the left side tried laying down to nurse nothing works Any advice I'm getting rather engorged and don't really want to have to pump if I can avoid it Answer Karen 3 622 4/9/07 7:09 pm   bottle suggestion? Question HelloI posted something earlier but had another question When I am pumping what do you think would be the best bottle/nipple to leave home with hubby when I am out I have registered for "Dr Browns" but I am not sure if this will be good ThanksSarah Answer sarabear 1 550 4/12/07 12:24 pm   Inverted Nipple Question I just found out I was pregnant and have a question about breast feeding One of my nipples is inverted is it still possible to breast feed Thanks Answer Caroline 1 576 4/13/07 10:29 pm   levaquin and nursing Question I am in the exact same position as the earlier entry My baby is 13 months and I have pneumonia My baby had a cold and seems to want to breastfeed all the time I have been BF her two times but lately all she says is "titty" She is getting ready to walk and the pedeatrician said this was normal 'agressive' comfort soothing behavior He also said No Do not BF on levaquin Anyway I dont want to wean her but I want to sleep so I am not having an easy time with tolerating her distress I called the lactation consultant who told me to call a DR G an expert in Nursing and medication She left me a voice mail that said it was fine to take levaquin I dont know who Dr G is and I bet she knows her stuff as does the lactation consultant Then again everyone in NYC is super informed which sort of cancels everyone out in a way Still I am SCARED that I may be damaging my baby and the bone formation (as most articles say) Ive fed her for three days while on levaquin with seven days left Fine I'll go with my instinct as you told the other person but am I just looking for someone to say "it is fine to keep nursing" when I called the lactation consultant and Dr G Is it simply because I cant tolerate my baby's screams of dissapointment at not getting the breast that I want to keep feeding her Is this more about me and not so much about my baby thank you Paolinaemail Answer Paolina 1 610 4/6/07 12:10 am   levaquin and breastfeeding Question I am in the exact same position as the earlier entry My baby is 13 months and I have pneumonia My baby had a cold and seems to want to breastfeed all the time I have been BF her two times but lately all she says is "titty" She is getting ready to walk and the pedeatrician said this was normal 'agressive' comfort soothing behavior He also said No Do not BF on levaquin Anyway I dont want to wean her but I want to sleep so I am not having an easy time with tolerating her distress I called the lactation consultant who told me to call a DR G an expert in Nursing and medication She left me a voice mail that said it was fine to take levaquin I dont know who Dr G is and I bet she knows her stuff as does the lactation consultant Then again everyone in NYC is super informed which sort of cancels everyone out in a way Still I am SCARED that I may be damaging my baby and the bone formation (as most articles say) Ive fed her for three days while on levaquin with seven days left Fine I'll go with my instinct as you told the other person but am I just looking for someone to say "it is fine to keep nursing" when I called the lactation consultant and Dr G Is it simply because I cant tolerate my baby's screams of dissapointment at not getting the breast that I want to keep feeding her Is this more about me and not so much about my baby Answer eaubnlart 1 651 4/6/07 12:03 am Breast Feeding and Pregnant Question I currently have a nine month old and hoped to continue to breast feed until she terns 1 I've recently found out that I'm pregnant again and due in the fall So there would be about 3 or 4 months after stopping with her before this baby is due My question is Lord willing when I have this baby wouldn't your body start over sort of speak and produce the necessary culostrum for the new baby Also I understand that the neutiants in my milk now is not the same so is there something I can do to give both my babies what they need Thanks Answer Bobbi 1 831 4/3/07 8:51 pm   Breastfeeding and School Question HelloI am 5 months pregnant and I am a nursing student My question is I want to go right back to school after the baby is born but I have a clinical rotation on Wednesdays from 6:30 6:30 It is only one day a week I will be away from the baby I really wanted to breastfeed but I am afraid it will be too hard to pump while at school on that day Is it very likely that I can go 12 hours without breastfeeding and not have my milk dry up I am going to pump in the morning before I leave for school but it seems like such a long time I would of course pump extra bottles for the day even mix breast and bottle feeding for our baby however I don't want to completely discard breastfeeding Is this possible with my situation Thanks Sarah Answer sarabear 2 562 3/31/07 6:05 pm   Milk comes in late Question When I had my first baby my milk took forever to come in I didn't want my baby to take the bottle at all for fear it would cause difficulty with breastfeeding I never had the "Wow my milk came in" It took quite a few days before I had sufficient milk to sustaine him My son got jaundice from the lack of fluids I am pregnant again and would like to know if there is anything I can do to speed up the milk coming in this time Thanks Answer Keegansmomma05 2 712 3/18/07 5:27 am   Intense shoulder pain from breastfeeding Question Heather By day 4 of breastfeeding I developed intense pain in my left shoulder (I'm right handed) and neck with barely any lateral neck movement It started out feeling just like a crick in my neck but each day got worse The only thing that gives relief are hot showers and the 800 mg motrin prescribed at discharge for postpartum pain I've nursed our 2 sons previously with no problems Is it possible I've pulled a muscle or pinched a nerve What can I do I want to get off the Motrin and get back to normal as it's beginning to effect my ability to nurse without my husband's assistance Answer kbc 2 685 3/11/07 1:28 pm   too soon? Question Sometimes i notice that i am "leaking" Im not sure if this is normal since i am only 25 weeks along and this is my first pregnancy It seems that i mostly lactate at night alot Is this ok or normal to be lactating so soon Answer YoungMomtobe 1 691 3/9/07 2:24 am Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

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