Can I have a good old moan?
I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl 5 days ago. She was big, almost 10lb, but had a standard, untraumatic, quick labour. We had lots of lovely skin to skin in the delivery suite, and she latched just fine. It was a lovely, almost perfect labour.
The subsequent (and continuing hospital stay) has been less than perfect.
I had to consent to give formula via cup when she was 8 hours old due to unstable blood sugars - we'd been on the ward a couple of hours at this point. By the end of the first day she was being tube fed, first continuously, and then on a three to four hourly cycle.
At the end of day three we found she was jaundiced, so she's been strapped to a UV light ever since (48 hours, at least 12 more required). Because she has to be rushed back into the bed, she only gets a quick go at the breast before I have to change her and get as much EBM/formula down her as I can and as quickly as I can to get her back on the lamp.
On day four they removed the tube, and we gave EBM and formula top ups after trying her at the breast.
I've had no support to establish breastfeeding. To be fair, they've enabled me to feed by providing a pump and sterile bottles to collect, but we've had no help with latching or other advice. Today is the first day she's had no formula, but has had EBM from a bottle. We had to stop cup feeding because she spilled too much and the staff couldn't monitor her intake.
Her blood sugar stabilised on day three-four, but we're struggling to get the jaundice down to the right levels.
My frustration is that all the hospital systems are set up to monitor the progress of babies who are ff - ie where you can measure exact volumes and force fluid down a baby like a duck on a fois gras farm.
How is this "breastfeeding friendly"? It feels like when I said I wanted to breastfeed I ended up on the slow path, because they're duty bound to support me, regardless if how inconvenient it is.
I'm sorry. I hope this isn't an incoherent ramble. I've been in hospital nearly a week, and have seen so many babies leave with the same issues as my DD, but allowed home because they're ff.
I have no issue with ff by the way - I just don't see why my DD and I should be stuck in hospital because the systems can't measure and monitor our feeding method!
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Infant feeding
Newborn and breastfeeding (sorry - long and ranty!)
36 replies
AnythingNotEverything · 27/10/2013 23:17
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