Parenting Community Forum - Rants... Plus Some Pictures

you might not have to stop breastfeeding. eadie had all the signs of lactose intolerance, which is actually quite rare, the symptoms are often present in babies under 3 months. please read this exerpt from an article. this is exactly what happened with eadie and i and she was just fine and i never stopped breastfeeding. we didn't even need to supplement. the whole article is here:

http://www.b reastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/lactose.html

but you should really read this part. a lot of people don't know about this and it is actually way more common than lactose intolerance.

Lactose overload
Lactose overload can mimic lactose intolerance, and is frequently mistaken for it. An overload is commonly seen in babies consuming large amounts of breastmilk, ie in mothers with an oversupply. This may result in symptoms such as an unsettled baby with adequate to large weight gains, more than ten wet and many dirty nappies in 24 hours. Baby is usually less than three months old. Ironically, a mother may perceive that she has a low supply because her baby always seems to be hungry. The nappy count can be the biggest clue to what's happening. What comes out the bottom must have gone in the top!

There is a vicious cycle here - a large-volume, low-fat feed goes through the baby so quickly that not all the lactose is digested. (More fat would help slow it down.) The lactose reaching the lower bowel draws extra water into the bowel, and is fermented by the bacteria there producing gas and acid stools. The latter often causes a nappy rash. Gas and fluid build-up causes tummy pain and the baby 'acts hungry' (wants to suck, is unsettled, draws up his legs, screams). Sucking is the best comfort he knows, and helps move the gas along the bowel. This tends to ease the pain temporarily, and may result in the wind and stool being passed. Since the baby indicates that he wants to suck at the breast, his mother, logically, feeds him again. Sometimes it is the only way to comfort him. Unfortunately this provides another large feed on top of the other one, which hurries the system further, and results in more gas and fluid accumulation. The milk seems to almost literally 'go in one end and out the other'.

Many mothers whose babies have had this problem have found it helpful to temporarily change from an on-demand breastfeeding routine. They aim to slow the rate at which milk goes through baby, so they feed one breast per feed, or set aside say a three-hour period (adjust this according to the severity of the oversupply) and every time baby wants to feed during this period, they use the same breast. Then they use the other breast for the next three hours, etc. This way, each time baby returns to the already used breast, he gets a lower-volume, higher-fat feed that helps slow the system down. When the baby's symptoms are relieved, the mother is able to go back to a normal according-to-need breastfeeding routine.

i did this with eadie and it worked like a charm! i also pumped a little before feeding her when i was a little too engorged at the beginning. she is still breastfeeding now and i'm so glad i stuck it out. it does get better!

as for the relationship thing, you are not alone. it is totally normal to go through that and you have to let him know you guys aren't any different than most couples. it is a struggle and you have to work together to pull through. this is a time of self sacrifice for both of you. that's just how babies are, they demand a lot of our time and attention that we would normally be giving to ourselves. set aside some time for the two of you and try to remember to do the little things like saying something nice or apologising when you snap at him. you both need to understand that this is just a stressful time and it will get better with time.

she is a beautiful little baby!! and you look very happy. she has gorgeous eyes. congrats and good luck!!