You might want to turn to supplementing the milk with some goats milk. It is better for babies than cow's milk because there is less allergic effects and it is easier to digest. However, you might want to consult an expert to see if it is safe for your child to drink it.
Mike - http://www.chucklinggoat.co.uk

After a couple months your supply will even out and you won't feel engorged as much. Provided you have been feeding baby on-demand, which allows the baby to signal to your body how much she needs, and not feeding on a schedule or supplementing with formula -- your body should be making just enough to feed the baby. This all presupposes that your baby is growing well, has lots of wet and poopy diapers, etc.

As such, when you pump after nursing the baby you won't get much -- very little in fact -- which can be super discouraging, particularly if you are trying to build a stash and are worried about maintaining supply when you go back to work.

A tip from a friend which works wonders when you are trying to build a stash is to gradually get enough to replace one feeding and then have someone else give the baby a bottle while you pump when she would usually feed. You will get a lot of milk this way, provided your pump is working well. Keep repeating this process over some days and weeks (obviously not at every feeding) and you shoukd have a decent stash in the freezer.

To boost your supply, the Kellymom site is great with specifics, but having had to do so myself when my baby was hospitalized, I have a few tips:

• add regularly pumping sessions outside of the times when baby is feeding. Try to time it fairly consistently if you can as your body produces milk-producing hormones in a temporal fashion. I actually set pumping appointments to go off every 2-3 hours day and night to remind me to go pump which helped get my hormones on a schedule.

• wake early in the morning/overnight and pump then -- prolactin levels are highest before dawn.

• milk production slows down in the evening, don't expect to express tons after 5pm.

• any changes you make to improve your output can take days before you will see a change in your body. Doing everything I could possibly, and this with my second breastfed child, it still took my body 5 days to bump up my output.

If you qualify for WIC, they can get you a super industrial breast pump for free, and they'll probably throw in a lactation consultation appointment or 2 for free. It's totally possible that the pump you're using just isn't strong enough.

Justine, as a lactation consultant in private practice (we're not all nurses, by the way) I have more questions for you. How old is your baby? Did you ever have an adequate milk supply? What type of pump do you have? Is it new? Are you sure it's working well? Have you started any new medications lately?

Please seek help! In the meantime, make sure your pump is working well and your baby is gaining weight with breastfeeding. There are lots of ways to increase your milk supply and more pumping isn't necessarily the best way. Also, remember, when you are away from your baby you will be pumping at least 3 times/day... so you will be replacing the milk that he drinks when you are away from him.

Seeing a lactation consultant in person is not really that expensive--especially when you consider that it will likely be covered by your insurance company. And, ultimately, the cost of formula is much more than a consultation. However, if breastfeeding is going well other than your concerns about pumping, a phone consultation may be just the thing for you and (at least in my practice) is much more affordable. http://www.second9months.com/?p=893

have quite a few posts about milk supply and going back to work on my website. www.second9months.com. Good luck. Let us know how you're doing!

I was in the same boat not so long ago. Go talk to a lactation consultant at the hospital where you gave birth for advice, before you do much else.

What helped for me was pumping like crazy. I'd pump after my son had gone to bed, I'd get up early before he did and pump, I'd pump while he napped. You get the idea. I strongly recommend getting extra pumping equipment so that you don't have to pump and immediately wash everything. Try to pump for 15 minutes each time you do so (assuming a double pump). Freeze what you can for your baby to take later.

Stay hydrated, as you know. And eat. Breast milk has 20-30 calories per ounce, and a baby needs about 3oz per pound of body weight daily. A 10 pound infant thus consumes 600-900 calories a day from you; you also burn some calories by making milk. You have to eat enough for your own caloric needs plus your baby's.

I'm guessing that your 8 hour days are work. You should be pumping 2 or 3 times each day while you're at work, so you'll get milk there for your baby to drink the next day. With very few exceptions, employers are required to provide you with break time (although these breaks may be unpaid) and a safe, clean place (not a bathroom) to pump while you are at work.

http://www.breastfeedingwa.org/working can help you if you are in Washington.

http://www.dol.gov/whd/nursingmothers/faqBTNM.htm is the federal stuff.

Nurse your baby before you leave and as soon as you get home. Pumping and nursing will increase your supply. Good luck.

Here's another great resource for breast feeding- www.kellymom.com.

You definitely need to see a lactation consultant -- if you had your baby in a local hospital, call their lactation department and they should see you free of charge. Puget Sound Breastfeeding's drop-in breastfeeding group is $10 to $20 or check out Renee Beebe, IBCLC's, drop-in group to get the support you need. http://www.second9months.com/?p=581.

Another great resource is the Low Milk Supply online group: http://www.lowmilksupply.org/

Best wishes with your new baby.

In a woman's first pregnancy, a baby can "drop" days or weeks ahead of spontaneous labor and it seems to make little difference as to when they drop and length of labor (according to my OB/GYN). First-time mothers will pretty much always have a harder time with labor just because nothing's been, shall we say, stretched out yet.

With subsequent pregnancies, however, dropping usually doesn't happen until a woman is actually in labor. And, I'm told by friends and relatives with multiple kids that, barring complications, labor is much shorter with second/third/etc. births as both the mother and her body have done it all before and don't have to stretch as much as the first time. A few women I know who were drugged to the gills for pain in first labors found that their 2nd and 3rd kids' labors were so much less painful that hardly any pain management was required.

As always, your mileage may vary. Talk to your doctor, ask questions, take the childbirth classes, and congrats.

Get thee to a midwifery.

A good midwife can assess the Fetal Station to give you a better guess.
but the quick answer is - babies choose when and how to come, and there's no iron rule about what can make for a longer labor. Many 'drop' well in advance, days even, before birth. Many drop after the cervix dilates and then there's nothing but waiting and hoping (though a bold midwife can intervene a little -- like turning the baby from breech to headfirst)
However, I'll tell you from attending farrr too many births that babies that don't turn like they're supposed to when they drop often cause longer labor.
Humans are just barely built for this amazing houdini act. Best of luck!

Are there any OB-GYNs or even any certified midwives on Qland?

This sure sounds like a question for your physician that is familiar with you and your pregnancy?

I am not sure if this is too far north, but I had my son at the Trike Stop infant center by the 220th Top Foods, I guess that is Edmonds. The owner actually took care of the babies and I never had any issues. I was sad when he had to graduate to the toddler center! Great Place and I would highly recommend them! Good safe day care is so hard to find. All the centers we looked at were practically a mortgage payment for infant care. Good Luck!

Call Child Care Resources @ 206-329-5544 and they may be able to help you find something. Free service for finding child care in King County. http://www.childcare.org/

http://www.shoreline.edu/parentchildcenter/

They come highly recommended, but your timing may be a bit off.

I had a c-section at 39 weeks because my daughter was breech. They tried 3 very very painful times to turn her with no success. I have to say that having a planned c-section is much easier on your body than having one when your already in labor. My recovery was so easy, I was at the grocery store 5 days after she was born, and walking around lincoln park 8 days later. Plus a planned c-section is safer. Your doctor won't be coming off a night of call and everyone will be able to take their time getting surgery ready and not be rushed. I was very scared to have c-section but it wasn't that bad and I don't even plan on trying for VBAC with future babies.

My baby prefers the stroller over the ergo baby carrier anyday, so for me a stroller is a must. I put her in it and shes either asleep or happily watching the world go by. I would also say a bobby and diaper wipe warmer are essential. I was at target 5 days after my csection buying a diaper wipe warmer because my daughter would scream everytime the cold wipe touched her bottom. The one thing I wish we hadn't spend money on is a crib. Our first night together in the hospital I couldn't put her down in the bassinet and she has slept in my arms or daddys ever since. Bouncy chairs and swings are nice, but they grow out of them so quick and for the price just borrow a friends or buy used.

I read something interesting about jaundice, that yellow is just a color and that jaundice is not a disease. What tgey are really worried about is kernicterus, so prolonged *high* levels of excess bilirubin are a preindicator.

Jaundice can be more common with breast fed babies and this article pointed out that since breastfeeding of human infants is the biologic norm then jaundice in breast fed babies must be normal -- even though that isnt always how the medical establishment treats it. Evidently the extra bilirubin functions as an antioxident in the body, which may help cover the newborn period until the baby's body is able to make its own.

Both of my breastfed babies had some jaundice but didnt require treatment. My second baby actually stayed yellowish for almost two months and I broughf him back in to get looked at but the pediatrician believed it was breast milk jaundice and not an issue.

As long as tge baby is eating and elininating well it shoukd clear up over time without intervention.

HTH

Yes, there is benefit to letting labor start naturally. Primarily, it is hormones given by the baby that begin the labor process. Maybe your baby will be ready at 39 weeks, but maybe not until 42. However long that takes, that is how long your baby needed to bake. The hormonal interplay is complex and important and if it interests you, you should consider letting it go as naturally as you want.

Also, having a breech baby doesn't mean that your uterus is going to explode when you go into labor. All it means is that there are increased risks of complications during the vaginal delivery and that care providers today aren't trained on how to deliver them properly because insurance companies discourage the practice in hopes of keeping rates down.

In the end, discuss it with your caregiver. If it is more important to you to know the doctor who will perform the surgery, then schedule. If you want to keep things as natural as possible for you and baby up until the end, then let labor start. Good luck!

baby carrier (I like a babyhawk, goes from birth to toddler), diapers, some blankets and sleepers. anything else is either wasted space or extra convenience, but not really NEEDED. oh, and a carseat, of course.

I've been using cloth diapers exclusively on my 11 month old pretty much since she was born.  That's her, in the picture, wearing an one size duo from AMP.  http://www.ampdiaperstore.com/

I recommend really researching your choice, because while for sure some diapers are overpriced, good quality, well-cared for cloth diapers have great resale.  I will get back at least half what I paid when I sell my AMPs, which I am doing soon because I don't like them for stuffing and my daycare is particular.  I now use BumGenius during the day, and they're great - but they DO fit big, so many newborns have leakage.

you can research a lot on diaperpin.com, and check out more info on diaperswappers.com

on the whole, it's way easier than I thought it would be.  :o)   I've written about it a bit on amostlygreenmama.blogspot.com and will be writing more.

and congrats on the impending arrival.  :o)

I have zero medical training or personal experience in this area, but I know that there is a technique in traditional Chinese medicine that can get a breech baby to turn. They usually do it a little earlier (32-36 weeks) but it might still be worth looking into. It's painless and non-invasive, so you don't have much to lose.

Your doctor or your midwife should be able to refer you to an acupuncturist who does pre-natal care. If not, Google you'll get quite a few local TCM practitioners who may be able to help, or refer you.

Good luck!

Just adding to Renee Beebe's excellent answer: I'm not an expert, but I happily breastfed two healthy babies.

My experience was that nursing wasn't something that I did a countable number of times each day. It was just part of what the baby and I did together, intermittently. If you have any doubt about the baby getting enough, just offer your breast again. It's a great first solution for any kind of fussiness. Sometimes I would sit there with a baby latched on for a long long time while I read a book. I just kind of relaxed into it and didn't worry or count. Sometimes they want to nurse just because they're cranky or tired. You really can't overdo it! And the more the baby sucks, the more milk your breasts produce.

Sometimes the baby would surprise me and sleep almost the whole night without nursing. Sometimes we'd be nursing every twenty minutes for an afternoon. They're not very scheduled creatures, but it's easy to offer food when the source is right there.

I have to say Andrew Justin did a great job of answering this question! Thank you!

It's normal for a baby to be a little jaundiced after birth--it usually peaks about day 4 or 5 and starts decreasing as the baby gets more milk. Jaundice is a side-affect of excess red blood cells dying off. It's nothing to be concerned about as long as baby is eating well, gaining weight and pooping like mad.

Enjoy your baby!

Your newborn should breastfeed at least 8 times a day (24 hours). When he's nursing you should be able to hear lots of swallows--about 1 per second after the first few days of life. They will sound like a soft "kuh." When he's finished drinking, a satisfied baby will look very relaxed and satisfied--kind of like he's drunk. He will likely fall asleep.

Another indicator your baby getting plenty to eat is his diaper count. What goes in, must come out! He should have at least 5 soaked diapers each day and at least 2 big poops after day 4. Most breastfed babies stool with each feeding--that is normal and desirable.

If you have any doubts that your baby is not getting adequate nutrition, contact your pediatrician or lactation consultant as soon as possible.

I have written an article on this topic for my blog. Here is the link. http://wp.me/pEZ6A-1J

First of all, congratulations! :)

I'm no doctor, but my son was mildly jaundiced, and it went away after about a week.

I think in a nutshell the answer to your question is: It is not serious, unless your doctor says it is serious. So, basically, as long as she is feeding well and pooping, don't worry, but check in with the doc if it doesn't start going away in week 2.

It takes a while for your newborn's blood processing system to kick in (having relied on mom's system in utero), so bilirubin starts building up once she's disconnected. Bilirubin causes the yellowness in skin and eyes. Normally, within the first week or so, the baby starts processing the bilirubin herself, and the yellow gradually fades.

As long as your MD is aware of the situation and says it is okay, and as long as she is eating well, it is not a concern. If feeding is an issue, that is a red flag because she won't be pooping enough to clear the bilirubin out of the body - in that case, you need to see the MD.

We took our son out for brief stints in the sun when we could, because apparently that breaks down the bilirubin. He was feeding fine, and his yellowness went away over the course of week two.

Our daughter became very jaundiced due to her liver not processing old red blood cells for a week after her birth. But on the last day possible, it started working, and she responded just fine... loosing that yellow tint over the next week just fine. (In some ways, it's a lot like a bruise fading away as the blood cells are broken down.)

But if a child's liver does not "kick in", and the billyrubin number climbs to 20, the docs can do something invasive to try to solve the problem. (They blood-typed our baby as they were getting ready for this, but she crested at "19"... whew!)

The fact that your doctor says it appears to be going down, and that she is not yellow-green, is a good sign. And I don't think there is any problem based upon what you've shared.

But I'm not a medical person. Ask a doc or nurse.

it kinda depends on how you plan on raising the child, but in general you just need to cover the main bases - sleep, eat, clean, play.

one thing we had but never used: bassinet. ended up being a laundry basket for 3 years.

one thing I didn't have but should've: swing. actually I finally bought one but he was already too big. but he loved it!!!

Xanex.

I have a friend that had two kids in two years, and she raved up, down, and sideways about BumGenius. I don't know how pricey they are, but they're apparently great and you don't need a ton of them.

I come from a cloth-diapering family. Kudos and good luck!

Car seat for sure, because if you give birth in a hospital, they won't let you leave without one.

After that, go minimal and work your way up if you need to. Diapers. Onesies. A light stroller. Nothing fancy (it will get pooped and spit up on, after all), and you can do awfully well off secondhand goods, since they grow so fast.

So, no, you didn't miss anything. No need to give in to the baby marketing machine. :)