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Infant feeding

What would you do??

6 replies

Daisyandbabies · 27/11/2014 08:15

Just looking for some advice and support!
I ebf my 16 week old daughter and she won't take a bottle. I've ordered another bottle to try but it won't be here for a week.
Anyway, I have kidney stones at the moment and am in pain. At any point the pain could get worse and I will have to go to a&e and be admitted for stronger pain relief. Waiting on my urologist appointment and treatment plan.
I've spoken to countless professionals about this and basically, I can take baby with me, so long as there is a side room available but I run the risk of her picking up an infection.
I called the breast feeding network line and she said baby should be fine as long as nobody touches her and that I can take most pain relief, even morphine, and continue breastfeeding.

I don't have any family here to help and neither does my partner as both sides live abroad. If I was to be hospitalised and baby stayed home, he would have to care for her and our toddler alone with no help and would really struggle, especially at night time as he wakes for NOTHING. He would sleep through her waking and crying at night that's for sure.
In regards to feeding if I wasn't here, I only have 6 little bags of milk in the freezer of about 2-3oz each and I am unable to express much. As she won't take a bottle, my partner would have to syringe or spoon this into her mouth. He doesn't have much patience, especially at night. If she woke 3 times in one night and he had to syringe...it would be a nightmare.

So....clearly, her coming with me is the best option. I just fear that no side room will be available and they will refuse.

Also, if I suddenly get lots of pain and have to call an ambulance, do I take her with me straight away?
This is such a MASSIVE worry for me.
I LOVE breastfeeding, it's the best thing I've ever done and I will be devastated to stop. My son wouldn't breastfeed and had lots of feeding problems with formula and is covered in eczema which doctors tell me wouldn't be as bad if he had been breastfed. He was always low weight too and my baby now is thriving in every way.

What would you do I feel so alone with this :(

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Quitelikely · 27/11/2014 08:29

I would take your dd with you. I'm certain they will accommodate her. You can get one of those little crib things for beside your bed. Also you will have a curtain that they pull round your bed so you can get privacy that way.

Don't fret. I can't see them turning her away

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clairedunphy · 27/11/2014 09:18

I agree with Quite, I had a few follow up appts after having my DD, due to complications after c-section. I always took her with me and the staff went out of their way to accommodate me. They even moved someone else out of a side room to make it available for me. I'd hope all hospitals would have the same attitude. And they don't often get to see little babies on urology wards, so I got a lot of extra attention from the staff!

On another note, please don't let the doc make you feel guilty about not bf your son, he can't say for sure that's the reason for the eczema. Anecdotally, my dh was bf and his sister not, he's the one with eczema and asthma. I'm still ebf my 9mth DD and she's got a dairy allergy. We all do our best for our babies, you just can't control every outcome.

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ElphabaTheGreen · 27/11/2014 09:24

I work in a hospital - they would pull out all the stops to get you a side room, don't worry Smile The nurses might initially freak out that they'll have to get involved in baby care, but if you give them every assurance that they won't, I'm sure you'll get a lot of extra attention from staff wanting a cuddle.

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Daisyandbabies · 27/11/2014 09:34

Thank you, everyone :) I'm getting into such a state over this and have spent countless hours crying and fearing the worst, imagining her screaming at home for me hungry and me with massively engorged boobs and them forcing me to stop breastfeeding.
Thanks for your words of encouragement :) x

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JustTryEverything · 27/11/2014 09:38

Another vote for trying everything you can to take baby with you if you can. I wouldn't worry too much about infection - just normal hand washing should sort that out I would hope. And keep trying with the bottles, there's lots of advice on here about different things to try. Hope you get better soon.

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Jeggie · 27/11/2014 09:43

Take your baby, if you are strong in your need to do that I am sure you will get the support you need. It's not just the breastfeeding, separation would be very hard I imagine for you both. Hope you heal fast.

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