Ask RN
Barbara Dehn, RN, MS, NP is an award-winning author and women's health nurse practitioner with over 20 years experience listening to and caring for women of all ages. She has helped countless new moms through their pregnancies and with breastfeeding. Barbara's years of experience helping her patients find the best way to feed and nurture their babies while taking care of themselves has given her an honest, practical, unbiased, and realistic approach that her patients value. Her decision to act as the health expert for Moms Feeding Freedom grew from her desire to support and encourage all women in all situations in a "Guilt Free Zone" of acceptance and understanding.
Barbara's most recent publication, Your Personal Guide to Breastfeeding, has proven techniques to help you get your baby latched on as well as helpful information and practical tips about the most common challenges moms and baby's face. This guide is jam packed with effective strategies for crying and colic, how to pump and store your milk and what to do for mastitis and plugged ducts. The Breastfeeding Guide has simple illustrations and helpful To Do lists that help mom and baby enjoy this magical time.
Sign the Petition
Do moms know best? We believe they do, but the government may not..
Your freedom to choose between breast and bottle-feeding could be in jeopardy.
Questions/Answers
tara
From il
my 6 week old get hiccups all the time, especially when we lay her down to change her. it makes getting her back to sleep at 4 am difficult when she has hiccups. we always get multiple good burps out of her. is there anyway to prevent the hiccups or make them go away faster?
Hi, Hiccups are totally normal, and occur because the baby's body is still growing and maturing. There are nerves around the esophagus that need to grow and mature, so little ones, will often hiccup no matter what you do, whenever they swallow. Try these:
1. Don't wait to feed the baby. If they are crying and really upset, they may hiccup more. Try to be ready to feed at the first little cry or indication. If it's been 3 hours and your baby is awake and is starting to get a little fidgety or fussy, offer some food.
2. You're right to keep on burping, and try to keep her upright as long as possible. It's ok, for her to fall asleep in her bouncy chair, swing or car seat after a meal.
3. for sleeping at night, unless it's poop, don't change her diaper, or change it before you feed her if you must. Many babies will become fully alert and awake with a diaper change.
4. Though it seems that this "hiccup phase" is never ending. It too, will pass, and you'll have another new, fun challenge to work on together. Good luck and let me know when she grows out of this.
Rachel
From California
I'm not sure what to do! My baby is about a week and a half old. She is my third baby and I breastfed by first two with absolutely no problems at all. I went the first five days trying to breastfeed her but she wouldn't swallow. She didn't have any dirty diapers and she screamed for food after half an hour! She also kept losing weight. I wasn't getting any sleep and neither was she! I started pumping and feeding her with the bottle and supplimenting formula when I didn't have enough. I still try to put her on the breast before I give her a bottle, but all she does in lay there and scream and curl up! She's putting on weight and having dirty diapers regularly but I still would really like to strickly breastfeed her. I have tried holding her in different positions, but nothing helps. I also tried a nipple shield, but that didn't do much either! Any advise would help so much! I just don't understand why I never had trouble before but things are so much different now! Please help. Pumping is time consuming and I have 3 kids to take care of, but I'll continue to do it if I have too in order to get her the good stuff!
Hi, wow, you have your hands full! It sounds like there might not be as much of a let-down with this baby as there were with the other 3. I'd suggest that you contact a certified lactation consultant, your OB and your pediatrician. You might consider getting your thyroid tested, because that might be what's different this time.
Also, ask for syntocin, a nasal spray that can help with let down. With 3 other children, it's probably hard to rest and push the fluids, but try as best you can. Also consider taking Fenugreek, a safe herb that helps increase supply. This is exactly what happened with my friend Sophie, a pediatric nurse with 4 kids. She worked and breastfed with plenty of milk her 3 oldest and said that she never understood women who couldn't breastfeed, until she produced no milk with #4. She never was able to figure out why it happened, and was able to put that baby to the breast twice/day and used formula to supplement the rest of the feedings.
Good luck and let me know how it works out. You're doing a great job and working hard, hang in there. One more tip, Consider starting her on the bottle, then when her initial hunger is past, offer her the breast.
Annette Stixrud
From Oregon
My daughter-in-law gave birth about 48 hours ago and was told she doesn't have any colostrum. How serious is this and what can she do about it?
Often women will not be able to see their colostrum, even if they massage their breasts and try to express some. Ask a lactation consultant to help her figure out if she is making some. Babies only need about 1/2 -1 ounce of colostrum in the first few days. If she's not producing any colostrum or any milk at all, the baby will get dehydrated and need supplemental formula. Please do see a lactation consultant for more assistance.
Good luck,
sally
From mo
when do babies usually start teething? what signs do i look for to see if my child has started teething?
Most babies will start teething around 6-7 months, and a few as early as 3 months. Children will acquire their 20 "baby teeth" or primary teeth by 2 or 3. Those first sharp teeth cause swelling in the gums and usually lots of drooling. Other babies will be more irritable, have a change in their sleep patterns from the pain, start biting or gnawing on anything they can find. Others will develop a rash on their chins from the drooling, or will rub their cheeks or pull their ears. Some will develop a low grade fever.
If you think your baby is teething, you can try a teething ring, a frozen bagel, or other toy for counter pressure. Check with your pediatrician or pediatric nurse practitioner for advice on other remedies. Typically, babies tolerate this process better as more teeth come in. Good luck
lori
From ny
how much should a 9 week old be sleeping in a 24 hour period?
Hi
Every baby has their own innate temperament and need for sleep. Some babies only need 10 hours, and other do best with closer to 18 to 20. The best way to figure out what your baby needs is to watch them. Are they cranky and seem a little over tired? Do they fall asleep in their car seats whenever possible? Are they napping a few times each day? In general, babies at 9 weeks, need 2-3 naps/day.
krity
From tx
is it okay to put cereal in baby's bottle right before betime? Will this help them sleep longer?
I'm so glad that you asked. Though many people will tell you that this will help your baby sleep longer, the real risk here is that a baby will get too many calories and this increases the likelihood of becoming overweight and obese. A little cereal may help them sleep an extra hour, but the long term consequences are not worth it. Good luck. By the way, babies can sleep through the night, when they're 12 pounds or 12 weeks old.
Raquel
From New Jersey
Recently, after each feeding, both breast and bottle (with breast milk), my three week old son becomes very squirmy and makes grunting sounds and looks like he is trying to have a bowel movement. He sometimes also does this in his sleep causing him to wake up and it is hard to calm him down. He has many dirty diapers and does not seem to be constipated. Is this something I should be concerned about?
I'm happy to say that this sounds perfectly normal. As long as he doesn't have diarrhea. As you've probably noticed, your baby is always changing and growing and will probably move through this phase soon. Let me know how it goes.
New mom of 3 week old
Hi, my daughter is 3 weeks old and we've been having a hard time with her formula. We switched from Similac to good start natural cultures and now to enfamil. She was having a hard time burping and pooping and now with enfamil she is burping and pooping but now she wont sleep that much. She seems extremely uncomfortable but I'm not sure. So I was wondering if changing her formula has done that to her? even though her gassy issues are not that difficult anymore.
thank you
Hi
I think the formula switch probably did contribute to this. I would suggest that you go back to Similac, they have developed a formula with pre-biotics that is closer to breast milk, which helps with the beneficial bacteria in the baby's intestine. Please check with your pediatrician or pediatric nurse practitioner on what's best.
Mireya Cipriano
From Texas
I have been exclusively breastfeeding for 8 weeks. My daughter took a bottle at 4 weeks and after 6 days she wanted nothing to do with the bottle. I have tried several different nipples. Any advice on how to get her to take a bottle. I am frustrated and stressed because I have to return to work in 4 weeks.
Hi, this can be difficult, but not impossible. Many moms find that they can't be in the room, the baby will smell the mom's and refuse the bottle. Try having someone else offer a bottle. Try these techniques.
1. Don't wait until the baby is really hungry and fussy, offer a bottle when they are sleepy, happy and probably going to be hungry in the next 1/2 hour.
2. Start at the breast, after the initial hunger is over, gently break the suction, and quickly insert the bottle while keeping the baby snuggled in tight.
3. Use pumped milk in the bottle
4. Dip the nipple in breastmilk and try offering that to a happy baby that's already been fed, as a sort of pacifier.
5. For more tips, check out Your Personal Guide to Breastfeeding at www.NurseBarb.com
MJ
From tx
MY 2 month old daughter, will not take a bottle, can we introduce her to a sippy cup. I have read in books that many babies don't take to a bottle but can go to a cup. What age is it ok to introduce a sippy cup?
Hi Most babies will not be able to drink from a sippy cup before 6 months. The flow is too fast and it overwhelms them. Try spooning breastmilk or formula into her little mouth before you resort to a sippy cup.