The Breast Feeding Support Thread

How Strange · 13-05-2015 9:55pm

Oh dear, you seem to have been given so much conflicting and incorrect advice in the hospital. Up to 10% birthweight loss is 'normal' so why the hell dint hospitals allow for this?

At the stage you're at now, I'd say contact your local la leche or cuidiu leader (Google friends of breast feeding as they have details for groups all over Ireland). The leaders are as qualified as private lactation consultants and they're free.

As the others said feed on demand so the best thing is to get into bed together naked and feed as soon as your baby mooches or roots. Also try taking hot baths regularly, as hot as you can bear, and immerse the breasts and vigorously massage towards the nipple. It will be sore but it'll be effective. Take ibuprofen for the inflammation, put heat onto the breast before feeding and an ice pack (wrapped in a towel) on your breasts after feeding .

Ideally with your inflammation you should be feeding a minimum of 24 times in 24 hours. This will reduce in the coming days but very frequent feeding, without any thought to routine, will help clear the blockage if you have one.

I'd say stop any formula and the pumping and just focus on feeding from the breast.

Good luck and well done for persisting through all this. I had mastitis on both of mine in the first week and I'll never forget the despair. But you can get through this if you get the right support.

How Strange · 13-05-2015 10:00pm

To try get a good latch you need to put your nipple on her upper lip and bend it in backwards into her mouth. Don't try chasing her with the nipple or sticking in it when her mouth is open. Control putting it in her mouth and hold the back of her head until you feel her latching. If it's not right, break the latch with your little finger and start again.

A newborn baby doesn't know how to latch so you need to teach her.

Innocent123 · 13-05-2015 10:02pm

Every three hours is the maximum gap between feeds - not sure I saw this in the first few weeks. Quite sure I remember a day where I barely left the couch for 8 hours. Agree with pp that you need to keep putting baby to breast, this is the best way to work on supply as nothing is as good as your baby at getting milk supply regulated. The amount you express doesn't represent the amount your baby is getting as babies can be very efficient,plus not everyone responds to a pump/expressing equally. It may be worth seeing a lactation consultant to ease your worries about the amount you're expressing and/or your technique. I do know though that I was advised to not express for six weeks, just to work with the baby.

RentDayBlues · 13-05-2015 10:04pm

And I'd try to latch her at the start of each feed, she will be 100 times more effective than any pump. Keep at it, look for support and remember you are doing so well already

lazygal · 13-05-2015 10:04pm

weiland79 wrote: »

Thanks for the advise but when I pump there is nothing coming out from the breast so would be worried she wouldn't be getting enough, she is almost exclusively feeding formula at the moment, as she doesn't latch on most times to the breast or spits it out as it's like she is not getting anything from it,

Pumping won't show you what your supply is like and I found it disheartening to pump and get nothing for my trouble. Relax and feed non stop.

Marz66 · 13-05-2015 10:11pm

I would get a private lactation consultant to come to your house ASAP. They should come very quickly once you get in touch. They cost money but a lot of the time they do follow up calls and visits for free. There is a list of LCs here
http://www.alcireland.ie.

They can check the latch in person and improve it if needed. They can tell if your baby is removing milk while at the breast and show you how to check this as well.

Once the latch is right, the baby is much more effective at removing milk than a pump so just because the pump isn't getting the milk out doesn't mean baby won't be able to.

A lot of people need to top up with expressed milk or formula at first but they usually put the baby on the breast first and then top up.

Well well done on getting this far, you are so determined. A private LC will help you get the rest of the way.

spottybananas · 13-05-2015 10:23pm

I agree with feeding more, my son fed for 2 hours every 2 hours when he was 4 days old, he was slightly premature and I had a section so I wasn't expected to be able to feed at all. He wasn't strictly feeding as in getting milk for those 2 hours but it encourages your body to realise the baby is suckling and to produce milk. Now at 5 weeks sometimes he has fed 30 minutes later, some days he goes 4 hours, the more you feed the more milk you make and the easier it is to feed. My son was in special care for 5 days, they would always let me feed him for as long as he wanted and then would top up with formula if necessary. When I expressed I got feck all really, only 5-10ml if I was doing well, but he has a great latch and put on 350g in 9 days so clearly he gets much more than I did! I was also warned by my gp when he was 2 weeks old that he'd have to have formula if he wasn't back to his birth weight the following week, I think this kind of threat/scare is unnecessary as breastfed babies don't put on weight as quickly as formula fed babies.

I didn't get the full feeling until he was 3 weeks old and then it was only really obvious for one day, I didn't even get the tingly feeling for about 10 days or more, the first week my breasts felt and looked exactly the same, but were producing milk, so I wouldn't let what they feel like put you off.

So definitely feed more, go to bed or the couch, set up camp, relax, and feed the baby whenever she wants. Relaxing is important so don't let this stress you, you're doing everything you can so just remember that and chill out and be lazy with her

fall · 14-05-2015 4:00pm

Have a look at "laid back technique ". Think there are videos on you tube. My baby was stuck to me for the first six weeks and nursed very often but from 6 weeks gradually became more independent and now at 18 weeks will happily play away on her own with a good stretch between feeds. so it's not forever and you are not making bad habits ( you will hear that crap from some people). If you remember they had nine months with you 24 7 and they need adjustment time. Feeding very often is a great way to allow them to adjust to their new world and builds a great trusting relationship between you.

tinkerbell · 14-05-2015 9:14pm

Definitely get a private LC to call out. At this stage, 3 hours is the absolute max time between feedings and back when my baby was first born, we were feeding for an hour / 90 minutes every 2-2.5 hours! It was pretty much constant. In fact, in the hospital we fed for nearly 11 hours straight at night on/off, it was exhausting as at that stage I hadn't slept in over 48 hours.

Forget the pump - you're getting nothing from it. Call the LC, get baby checked out by LC and then you can ditch the formula. Also, eat oats for breakfast! I never (thank goodness) seemed to have supply issues and I always have granola / porridge for breakfast so I am attributing it to that.

madeinamerica · 15-05-2015 3:19am

Congrats on your baby and well done so far! Great advice here already. Just to add, when you do take to the bed or couch for a few hours with baby, bring with you a big bottle of water, a stash of easy to eat food and your phone or laptop or some kind of entertainment. That way you can comfortably stay put for a few hours

also, I was advised to feed every 2-3 hr, and to start counting the time from the START of the previous feed, not the end of it. I did it wrong at first so they explained it to me again. And again, don't go by what you get with the pump. No where near as efficient as a baby. Best of luck and enjoy your bubs

tinkerbell · 15-05-2015 8:34am

Oh and to add to the above, bring a water bottle with a squeezey / sports cap top, not a screw cap! Perfect to handle with one hand!

spottybananas · 16-05-2015 2:04pm

How's Mrs. Weiland getting on now?

Just had my first experience of consulting Cuidiu for advice, I recommend it

I had realised from appropriate use of Dr. Google that I have nipple vasospasm. I was dreading asking for any advice from someone because I thought they'd straight away say he must be latching badly, blah blah, but nope, I explained that he definitely latches perfectly and they came to the same conclusion as me, it's because I'm usually prone to circulation problems in my hands and feet anyway. She said for it to be bad latch/nipple trauma it would be quite severe nipple trauma, definitely don't have that. Ironically they sometimes prescribe a med I'm already on for bp for this, clearly it's not helping it :pac: So for now it's scary white centred nipples for me...delightful!

tinkerbell · 16-05-2015 5:25pm

Spottybananas - you have white on your nipples constantly? That sounds like a milk blister / bleb. Vasospasm a cause the nipple to turn white temporarily. I've had the *cough* pleasure of both at different times and there's different treatment for each:

Bleb: olive oil on cotton wool and keep pressed against nipple in between feeds (put it on inside your bra - wash off before feed. Apply a warm WET compress before and after feeds, take hot showers, try to hand express in shower - you basically need to soften the blister so the milk can get out through it again.

Vasospasm - keep nipple covered, cover immediately after a feed (the cold air makes it more sore) and apply a warm DRY compress to it - I got a mug of hot water and put a breast pad on the side of the mug to hear the pad up or you can buy those hot packs but no need - breast pad, mug and a kettle of hot water is all you need.

See here:
http://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mother/nipple-blanching/

You were prescribed meds for it? Didn't realise meds were needed - mine just cleared up after a day or so with religiously putting on a dry compress.

Excuse my French but a vasospasm is so fckin PAINFUL! I hope I never have to endure that suffering ever again!

spottybananas · 16-05-2015 5:42pm

No, it's not constantly white, I didn't say that. It's a white mark that appears on both a while after feeding, then it sometimes goes purple and then back to normal, all accompanied by burning/tingling, not remotely like a milk blister, or thrush, etc. I already read that link myself and that was also what the person I spoke to advised me to read so I'm on top of that.

And no, I haven't been prescribed meds for it, I also didn't say that. I said that a med I'm already on for bp (blood pressure) is sometimes prescribed to help with vasospasm. I'm already doing what is suggested to stop/avoid it, I was before I contacted Cuidiu, I just wanted to be sure I was doing the right thing and not missing something.

tinkerbell · 16-05-2015 7:32pm

Ah, I wasn't sure from your previous post as it wasn't clear if you had the white mark all the time or just for a few seconds. And yeah I read the sentence about the medication wrong, sorry! Hopefully the vasospasm won't last long, it's horrendous!

cyning · 18-05-2015 7:53am

S hasn't fed in 36 hours so I think we are officially finished... Being sick hastened it. Small bit sad over it.

Spotty Vasospasms are awful: I ended up on anti inflammatories twice for them. Hope they pass soon for you

RentDayBlues · 18-05-2015 10:17am

cyning wrote: »

S hasn't fed in 36 hours so I think we are officially finished... Being sick hastened it. Small bit sad over it.

Spotty Vasospasms are awful: I ended up on anti inflammatories twice for them. Hope they pass soon for you

Sorry cyning, if you want to keep going it may not be the end. I had to go home recently for a family funeral so was 72 hours between feeds and I assumed she'd not be interests or I'd have no milk but 2 weeks later we're still going strong!

Though if you're happy to stop well done on getting this far, especially given everything

cyning · 18-05-2015 10:38am

Oh I'm happy enough... Bittersweet though! She got 14 months so not too bad

cbyrd · 18-05-2015 12:51pm

Please don't despair, pumping when they're so little is so difficult, hospitals are completely shÃte at giving good breastfeeding information.
If you need to pump, feed her from one side and pump the other, feed her from the pumped side then, she'll get the hind milk which has lots of fat. then give her what you have pumped.
If you are pumping without feeding her, have some pictures of her or her blanket, it helps let down (probably the tingling you're feeling) and gets the milk flowing, drink lots of water, stop panicking, take to the couch and feed feed feed!
Tiny babies feed almost every hour, the pump will never represent what the baby can get herself.
I had a very stressful start with my little girl, she was in special care for 8 days, I got a huge coldsore on day 4 so I wasn't allowed in near her and they were going to stop her getting my milk at all. I fought them like you wouldn't believe, they decided to call Crumlin for advice and discovered I could express and hand it over!
I had weeks and weeks of her putting on one or two ounces, I had to get her weighed every week, she was doing everything she should but not gaining enough weight for the charts, finally we were bullied into having her checked out in hospital, such scare tactics they used. Talked about brain damage and everything.
We stayed one night, battled to get her out after that horrendous night ( they promised only one night!) blood tests that had all been done and clear were done again, they threatened barrium meals and iv tube feeding . We left with a feeding plan, high calorie formula and a very unhappy mammy and daddy.
I'll add here that the concern was she wasn't gaining, and she was tiny, no attention was paid to the fact that my other 4 babies were the same, and I was speaking from experience. There was nothing wrong with my baby she was just petite,
She'll be 6 months on Wednesday, I'm breastfeeding barr 2 bottles of lactose free formula, even this has given her 3 little eczema patches (all sibling have dairy or wheat issues) but she couldn't keep the dairy free one down. She's now just growing out of the 0-3 month clothes! She's sturdy, strong, pudgy and happy.
It's possible in spite of doctors to keep breastfeeding, rest relax and let baby dictate when to feed. The more she feeds the more milk you produce. Don't lose heart, it was boards ladies that kept me going!

RentDayBlues · 18-05-2015 1:37pm

cyning wrote: »

Oh I'm happy enough... Bittersweet though! She got 14 months so not too bad

Exactly! Part of my was ok with finishing too, especially now that the little Madame can express her views and decides to scream no no no at me when I take her off, that's after up to 40 mins!!! She loves the comfort I think as I can't imagine she's getting much milk

spottybananas · 25-05-2015 7:35am

If I have expressed milk stored in fridge can I take it with me at room temp to use in a few hours or do I bring it in a cooler pack and heat when needed? I know milk can stay at room temp for a few hours but is that just fresh milk, not milk expressed yesterday?

RentDayBlues · 25-05-2015 9:06am

spottybananas wrote: »

If I have expressed milk stored in fridge can I take it with me at room temp to use in a few hours or do I bring it in a cooler pack and heat when needed? I know milk can stay at room temp for a few hours but is that just fresh milk, not milk expressed yesterday?

I would keep in cooler pack if it was more than 3 hours, anything under was fine

snoopy12 · 28-05-2015 7:05pm

Just looking for advice. A red vein like line has developed on my breast, no hard lump, but tender. In now feeding more from that side, changing position of baby aiming nose towards the line. Feel OK otherwise.
Could it be mastitis? (I had cracking up 7/10 days ago but this has cleared up)

tinkerbell · 28-05-2015 7:38pm

Do you have a temperature or any soreness? If so could be mastitis. Best to get it checked out by somebody.

spottybananas · 28-05-2015 7:57pm

Snoopy could you call your PHN tomorrow?

I have a rather specific question for anyone with experience expressing, I'm baffled.

I'm using a Medela pump, and have kind of square small bottles that came with it (bought second hand) as opposed to the round bottles that are meant to be with it. I expressed what came to 100ml on the little square bottle, put it into a Lanisoh breastmilk storage bag, and it said that there was 80mls, I then put it in a Tommee Tippee 0-6 bottle and it said there was 50-60mls?? That happened twice with the same volume. The bottles are the ones I was given in the hospital too so surely they are the right volume if that's what the hospital go by?

Just now I expressed what appeared to be 70mls by the square bottle, it was 90ml on the bag, God knows what it will actually be in the bottle.

Has anyone any advice or even info as to which one to go by?

Fagashlil · 28-05-2015 8:58pm

I've had that between bottle, pumped 100ml into a advent, and when I poured it into a tomee tipee it was only 80ml! If you have a reliable measuring jug, you could fill each container and our it into that to see which is closest?

kandr10 · 28-05-2015 9:39pm

Yeah the measurements on bottles aren't really that reliable. But they don't have to be, they're just approximations. If you know roughly that the baby usually feels full after a full or 3/4 full square bottle, what does it matter how many ml it is? If you really want to be sure, use a digital scales. At least then it's only being poured from bottle to bag so you don't lose any more milk to a measuring jug. I wouldn't sweat it though.

cbyrd · 28-05-2015 10:42pm

I always thought I was hallucinating

hospital bottles and the tommie tippy never matched!
I started solids 12 days ago and omg she's amazing at feeding! Opens her mouth for the spoon and gets excited when she sees the bowl! I pureed sweet potato butternut squash and apple and she loves it. I also gave her mashed carrot and pieces of cucumber and lettuce! She loves lettuce

She has 2-3 bottles a day but since she started solids she's looking for the breast more.. Dunno why but I'm delighted cos with 5 kids it's when I get to put my feet up!

veggie newbie · 31-05-2015 10:37am

Is there much of a quality difference between Medela storage bags &
Lanisoh? Lanisoh are so much cheaper, a box of 50 is similar price to a box of 20 from Medela. Thx in advance for your feedback.

spottybananas · 31-05-2015 10:47am

kandr10 wrote: »

Yeah the measurements on bottles aren't really that reliable. But they don't have to be, they're just approximations. If you know roughly that the baby usually feels full after a full or 3/4 full square bottle, what does it matter how many ml it is? If you really want to be sure, use a digital scales. At least then it's only being poured from bottle to bag so you don't lose any more milk to a measuring jug. I wouldn't sweat it though.

I don't know how much of the square bottle fills him, by the time he gets the refrigerated or frozen milk it's been through two more measurements and quite a bit of time, the TT measurement is easiest to go by as I feed him.

I know it doesn't matter entirely, but I'm very new to expressing so just want a clear idea of how much I'm getting/giving him, so that I can be sure theres enough milk to feed him if someone else is doing it and I'm not here.

coopdloop · 31-05-2015 11:11am

veggie newbie wrote: »

Is there much of a quality difference between Medela storage bags &
Lanisoh? Lanisoh are so much cheaper, a box of 50 is similar price to a box of 20 from Medela. Thx in advance for your feedback.

I usually express using the Medela bottle and then store in the Lansinoh bags. Storage wise the Medela ones probably stand better in the fridge or freezer but the Lansinoh ones can store more. The Medela ones are easier to attach straight to the pump and can be handy if you don't have a bottle sterilised or are pumping on the go.

kandr10 · 01-06-2015 8:57pm

spottybananas wrote: »

I don't know how much of the square bottle fills him, by the time he gets the refrigerated or frozen milk it's been through two more measurements and quite a bit of time, the TT measurement is easiest to go by as I feed him.

I know it doesn't matter entirely, but I'm very new to expressing so just want a clear idea of how much I'm getting/giving him, so that I can be sure theres enough milk to feed him if someone else is doing it and I'm not here.

I understand. But the same point applies if you go by your tommee tippee measurements. If you think up to the 5oz mark on those is enough then express into that bottle directly or else transfer into that bottle for storage/ before using the freezer bags.
Something you might find useful could be these one ounce storage tubs by vital baby (think I got them in boots). Since you can freeze in one ounce cubes it's easy to defrost just the right amount and if you need an ounce or two more it's easy to top up since the cubes defrost so quickly. Also as you go on you'll notice the baby changes how much they want at certain times so it helps you to adjust. Handy that they're reusable too unlike the bags. I used to freeze in the containers then bag up into 4-5 oz feeds leaving a few individual ones for top ups.
Hope that makes sense. Other than that, try a digital scales.

fro9etb8j5qsl2 · 04-06-2015 5:35pm

Does anyone have any tips about minimising the damage done by watery bf poo? My little one is a terror for the explosive nappies and literally by the time she has finished going, it will have spread up her back

She's ruining at least one outfit a day and it's difficult to bring her out anywhere unless she has already gone because she literally needs a bath after going. I can count on one hand the amount of explosivenappies my eldest had so I'm kind of lost with this one.

mirrorwall14 · 04-06-2015 5:37pm

Bella Most Rubble wrote: »

Does anyone have any tips about minimising the damage done by watery bf poo? My little one is a terror for the explosive nappies and literally by the time she has finished going, it will have spread up her back She's ruining at least one outfit a day and it's difficult to bring her out anywhere unless she has already gone because she literally needs a bath after going. I can count on one hand the amount of explosivenappies my eldest had so I'm kind of lost with this one.

What size? Every time I'm having blowouts I have to go up a size even though they look massive on him it stops the mess

fro9etb8j5qsl2 · 04-06-2015 5:54pm

She's 17 weeks and in size 3 at the moment but this has been happening since she was born

I've tried a few different brands too. I'll try the next size up, it can't hurt to have them anyway. It's not even that she's overfilling the nappies, it just seems that the force of it sends most of the poo up her back instead of into her nappy

LegacyUser · 04-06-2015 11:07pm

Hey. Looking for some advice. I'm breastfeeding, my little boy is two months. After every feed bar one or two, hescreams in absolute agony, trying to farting. I'm sure its wind pain. I'm giving infacol, I'm doing baby massage techniques on hm. but nothing works. It was so bad yesterday I thought about going to the hospital! Then he started darting , did a poo and calmed down.... Help!

mirrorwall14 · 05-06-2015 10:36am

Bella Most Rubble wrote: »

She's 17 weeks and in size 3 at the moment but this has been happening since she was born I've tried a few different brands too. I'll try the next size up, it can't hurt to have them anyway. It's not even that she's overfilling the nappies, it just seems that the force of it sends most of the poo up her back instead of into her nappy

Hm. Try the next size for sure. We had the explosives until we went on gaviscon, nothing else helped though obviously that was a side effect of the medication not its purpose! You know how to take vests off downwards to minimise mess? That might confine it to the vest at least!

Lashes28 · 05-06-2015 6:51pm

Aldi are a wider nappy than pampers too it might help contain

tinkerbell · 05-06-2015 8:25pm

mrspostman - sorry but you're not gonna like my answer

There is no way to contain those nappies. As they get a bit older, they don't go all the way up the back, but they still can explode out a bit. It's just the way it is with bf poo, it seems!

Make sure to take the vest off downwards (as in pull it down over the body rather than up over the head because then at least the poo won't go in their hair.

There are some days when my baby needed 2-3 baths after that many dirty nappies! I swear some days I thought even a nappy made of steel wouldn't have been able to contain the poo :pac:

kandr10 · 05-06-2015 9:46pm

adrienneod wrote: »

Hey. Looking for some advice. I'm breastfeeding, my little boy is two months. After every feed bar one or two, hescreams in absolute agony, trying to farting. I'm sure its wind pain. I'm giving infacol, I'm doing baby massage techniques on hm. but nothing works. It was so bad yesterday I thought about going to the hospital! Then he started darting , did a poo and calmed down.... Help!

That sounds horrible. I don't know what it could be but perhaps a trip to the doctor might give you some reassurance?

fall · 05-06-2015 10:37pm

adrienneod wrote: »

Hey. Looking for some advice. I'm breastfeeding, my little boy is two months. After every feed bar one or two, hescreams in absolute agony, trying to farting. I'm sure its wind pain. I'm giving infacol, I'm doing baby massage techniques on hm. but nothing works. It was so bad yesterday I thought about going to the hospital! Then he started darting , did a poo and calmed down.... Help!

I found colief worked well for my baby and we had similar symptoms. The wind was down low in the digestive tract so no winding would have helped.

tinkerbell · 06-06-2015 11:42am

adrienneod wrote: »

Hey. Looking for some advice. I'm breastfeeding, my little boy is two months. After every feed bar one or two, hescreams in absolute agony, trying to farting. I'm sure its wind pain. I'm giving infacol, I'm doing baby massage techniques on hm. but nothing works. It was so bad yesterday I thought about going to the hospital! Then he started darting , did a poo and calmed down.... Help!

I'd seek medical advice tbh. The poor little fella

Could it be something you're eating? Are you exclusively breastfeeding?

dekey · 06-06-2015 12:42pm

adrienneod wrote: »

Hey. Looking for some advice. I'm breastfeeding, my little boy is two months. After every feed bar one or two, hescreams in absolute agony, trying to farting. I'm sure its wind pain. I'm giving infacol, I'm doing baby massage techniques on hm. but nothing works. It was so bad yesterday I thought about going to the hospital! Then he started darting , did a poo and calmed down.... Help!

My little girl used to be like this too, I know it's not any advice on what you can do about it now but she grew out of it. From my research (Dr. Google obviously!) it seems like some babies just hate the sensation of having to fart. We winded her well, bicycle legs to help get them out etc. My husband used to put her lying over his shoulder and the pressure of his shoulder on her tummy helped her get some release. We tried infacol, gripe water, sugar water too but none of them solved the problem. Once she learned to fart herself and not get distressed by it. It's horrible to see them like that and feel helpless and think that it's your fault by either something you've eaten or caused. She's 9 months now and thankfully it's only a rare occasion that it happens now, it was pretty rife for us until about 4 months and then just got better and better. I know at 2 months it's not much help someone saying it'll improve by itself and 4 months seems so far away so def seek medical advice if you're gut tells you.

carrieblack · 06-06-2015 1:51pm

I fed all of mine and have the scars to prove it! Just kidding. Its just that first few weeks that it s painful then you could light the gas with your nipples ! You will toughen up don't worry. What I found was id doze off and they would be still attached! Dont do that as they are using you as a pacifier.

carrieblack · 06-06-2015 1:54pm

They are no more windy than the bottlefed ones in fact I found it less so. Give him a good wind before and after over the shoulder. I fed all of mine and have the scars to prove it! Just kidding. Its just that first few weeks that it s painful then you could light the gas with your nipples ! You will toughen up don't worry. What I found was id doze off and they would be still attached! Dont do that as they are using you as a pacifier.

tinkerbell · 06-06-2015 10:40pm

^ there is nothing wrong with a baby using their mom's nipples as a pacifier. In fact, it is encouraged - nipples are not just for milk, they are also for comfort, etc.

RentDayBlues · 06-06-2015 10:56pm

tinkerbell wrote: »

^ there is nothing wrong with a baby using their mom's nipples as a pacifier. In fact, it is encouraged - nipples are not just for milk, they are also for comfort, etc.

Here here, babies are babies for such a short period of time, and breastfeeding flies by quicker than anyone would think possible. I know it's hard at the start but when you persevere and get to weaning post 12 months you will look back very melancholy

Blingy · 08-06-2015 5:42am

Would love some advice please. Baby born Friday morn, good strong latch and quite content at the breast. Hospital worried about low sugars so lots of feeding rectified that however day 2 and baby not getting satisfied at the breast. Not settling and still hungry after feeds. Sugars low again so we start to top up with formula. Formula he tends to spit a lot of back up however is a different baby while drinking It...really alert and obviously really hungry. Expressing 25mins each side only gave a combined total of 5mls this morning ... Day 4! Milk still not in. I do want to persevere with the bfeeding but wonder will this go on for days and days. When is my milk likely to come in :-/
Any help or tips would be great.
Blood sugars are back up to normal and baby has lost 9% of body weight since birth.

margo321 · 08-06-2015 8:13am

Congrats! I can't offer too much advice. I feed my baby fir 10 weeks but always gave her 1 bottle of formula from day 4, this was because I kept changing my mind whether to stick with bf or not. But my milk came in and I had no problem. So I think you can top up with formula without affecting your supply. Good luck.

Blingy wrote: »

Would love some advice please. Baby born Friday morn, good strong latch and quite content at the breast. Hospital worried about low sugars so lots of feeding rectified that however day 2 and baby not getting satisfied at the breast. Not settling and still hungry after feeds. Sugars low again so we start to top up with formula. Formula he tends to spit a lot of back up however is a different baby while drinking It...really alert and obviously really hungry. Expressing 25mins each side only gave a combined total of 5mls this morning ... Day 4! Milk still not in. I do want to persevere with the bfeeding but wonder will this go on for days and days. When is my milk likely to come in :-/
Any help or tips would be great.
Blood sugars are back up to normal and baby has lost 9% of body weight since birth.

Marz66 · 08-06-2015 8:36am

Congrats, sounds like you are doing great.

Have a read of this re normal breastfed newborn behaviour. Baby's tummy is very small so needs to breastfeed often. Skin to skin and frequent feeding should help to bring in milk. You should really try to limit the formula top ups. Also colostrum is small in quantity (eg 5 mls) but is so good for them they don't need a whole lot. The link says that milk comes in Day 4, I have read days 3-5 before so you are normal. Keep up the good work esp frequent feeding.

http://www.thealphaparent.com/2011/12/timeline-of-breastfed-baby.html?m=1

The Breast Feeding Support Thread

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