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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Please give me some hope.

20 replies

Faith48 · 21/08/2013 10:40

Had my baby yesterday at 42+2, I was induced and have been in hospital for nearly a week.

I am desperate to breastfeed as I couldn't my last baby but he has low blood sugar levels and they are dropping even though I am feeding him as often as possible.

I feel like giving up hope, I am so desperate to feed this baby.

Please me honest, is it possible?

I know this isn't an AIBU but I am distraught at the moment, I have had no visitors in hospital and I feel like I've failed my baby boy.

OP posts:

WilsonFrickett · 21/08/2013 10:43

I wonder if you'd be better off posting in feeding Faith, as there are lots and lots of knowledgable posters there who would have practical advice for you?

But the one thing I do know is it takes time to establish feeding. It is absolutely normal to struggle. And it's only been a day. Are the midwives supporting you?

melody1771 · 21/08/2013 10:45

Hi
I haven't had any children so my advice is only anecdotal. My friend was very upset because she had to give the baby donor milk because her blood sugar was low. She wen on to bf for 12 months without any problem. Please speak to your midwife as they should be able to help.
Congratulations on the baby!

Mel

MrsLouisTheroux · 21/08/2013 10:45

You need to do whatever your baby needs whether that is BF or FF. Talk to your midwife.
Congratulations on the birth of your baby! Don't let anything spoil this time for you both.

WhereBeThatBlackbirdTo · 21/08/2013 10:50

Until someone more knowledgable comes along I just wanted to say it's such early days for both you and your baby DS.

It's such an artificial environment in a hospital and nothing feels relaxed and natural like it does at home.

Don't give up unless you really have to.

And - congratulations on your lovely new baby!

IceNoSlice · 21/08/2013 10:52

Firstly, being emotional is super normal at this stage - I wept buckets in the days after DS was born for no reason (apart from his amazingness).

Secondly- feeding. Please do share your concerns with your midwives. And consider staying in until you've got more of a handle on it. There are also breast feeding support works who can visit you. The one I saw was lovely and helpful, bit judgey at all.

You are not failing your baby.

Nanny0gg · 21/08/2013 10:52

If the midwives can't help can a family member contact an NCT or La Leche League breastfeeding advisor for you?

La Leche: www.laleche.org.uk/content/telephone-helpline

NCT: Helpline 0300 330 0700

Try that,

Congratulations and good luck!

IceNoSlice · 21/08/2013 10:53

Gah, meant to say not judgey at all.

BrokenSunglasses · 21/08/2013 10:55

You really need some more personalised support with this. It can be hard to know if your baby is taking milk from you when you first start feeding.

Isn't it fairly normal for blood sugars to drop a little so soon after birth? I don't know, I'm just asking, because I'm not sure how much of an issue that is.

At the moment, you are feeding as often as you can and at this stage, there's nothing else that can be expected of you.

The first few days are always difficult, and yes, it is entirely possible that you could go on to feed successfully.

Helenagrace · 21/08/2013 11:01

I second Nannyogg's suggestion of the helplines.

Either of those will help you and you'll be able to talk to a breast feeding specialist.

I had similar problems with DD. I got help from an NCT BF counsellor and ended up breastfeeding her for a year. It took a while to work out what we were doing but eventually it clicked.

Good luck!

PoopMaster · 21/08/2013 11:05

Hi OP, congratulations!

Just wanted to add, if you only have birth yesterday your baby is most likely still "only" getting colostrum which is full of antibodies and lots of wonderful stuff but isn't actually that calorie-rich. This is perfectly normal and is why babies tend to lose a bit of weight until your mature milk (which will be s different colour) comes in.

Do speak to your midwives though a bf counsellor/lactation consultant will be more knowledgeable on BFing specifically.

Good luck, those first few days are bewildering regardless of what happens

Partridge · 21/08/2013 11:18

Yes of course you can bf if you want to - although it may be difficult. I would also take their advice about what to supplement you baby as otherwise with low blood sugar he may end up with jaundice or worse.

My ds3 was in nicu for 10 days and I was staying on the ward post c-section. He mainly got glucose through a tube but supplemented by my meagre colostrum. I had to hand-express every hour or two throughout the day and night and was sometimes syringing less than 1ml from each nipple - my supply felt like it was dwindling to nothing.

On day 6 they let me hold him kangaroo style and on the way back to the ward my milk came flooding in until it was splashing on the floor (tmi - but just to show you how amazing our bodies are).

If you want to persevere, spend as much time cuddling and smelling him as possible and hand express as much as possible between attempts to feed your baby. Btw no judgement if you decide not to bf - you just sound really keen. Good luck.

Josie314 · 21/08/2013 11:24

When my dd was born she had low blood sugar and I had to give her formula in the hospital. I was really upset, but kept trying to bf before every bottle, and started expressing as soon as my milk came in. After two hellish weeks, she latched on and never looked back. I bf for 9 months with no problems. So please don't panic - there is hope!!

blueballoon79 · 21/08/2013 11:28

There is hope op. A similar thing happened to me when I had my DD but I breast fed for 14 months. It's early days yet. Don't worry.

Lemonylemon · 21/08/2013 11:32

OP: My DD was in SCBU for a couple of days after she was born at 37+1 by emergency CS.

I hadn't been able to bf my DS, so was very concerned about being able to bf DD. I couldn't really express anything more than 10ml at the beginning, so did this and DD was topped up with formula. I kept up the mixed feeding at home, and after maybe 3 weeks, was able to exclusively bf her. This happened when I was just too exhausted to go down at 3am to make her a bottle up, so put her on, and that was it. It may take a bit of time, but just keep at it and take all the help you can.

Emsmaman · 21/08/2013 11:38

My DD didn't keep any of the colostrum down in the first couple of days(vomiting mucus), then due to jaundice was a very sleepy/lazy feeder. I remember staff in the hospital wanting to give her formula the day she was born, but I refused. The first two weeks was very difficult to get the latch right/keep her awake and feeding long enough etc. but she and I got the hang of it and she was breastfed for 1 year. So I would say hang in there, it's early days, and try and get some personalised advice (but take it all with a pinch of salt). Also please don't think that pain/bleeding nipples etc. are par for the course and you have to suffer through that (if it happens), I know so many people who gave up because of this rather than getting good advice about latch. Best of luck and congratulations

HorseyGirl1 · 21/08/2013 11:43

Firstly congrats on your lovely boy - you lovely, lucky lucky lady! Bet he is amazing and gorgeous. Hope the bf works out but please don't be upset if it doesn't. I wasn't able to bf our wee man and he was ff from about 2 days and has never looked back (despite my effects to express and so on). I was so disappointed that I wasn't able to bf until my husband pointed out will anyone care when he's 21 and even I could see through my sleep-deprived hormonal mind that they wouldn't. It's nice to bf if you possibly can (and I would still like to try if it ever happens again for us) but please don't torture yourself if you can't. Your son will be perfectly fine whatever way he is fed. Keep trying but don't feel bad if it doesn't work out - you're NOT letting your son or anyone else down.

Scrubber · 21/08/2013 11:57

My ds is now 21 months old and I'm still breastfeeding. It was really hard in the hospital but I persevered. He did have formula and breast milk at first. I insisted the midwives helped me get a good latch each time I breastfed when in the hospital.

My first son had previously failed to put his birth weight back on after jaundice for 6 weeks. I'd had constant mastitis and cracked nips for that time and it was very hard. Anyway I managed to breastfeed him too.

I'm telling you this to give you hope. You can mix feed if you need to. Whatever you decide to do I'm sure you'll be a fantastic mum! Congratulations!

CrispyFB · 21/08/2013 12:07

This happened with my DD when she was born at 35+5. The hospital had a milk bank and we gave her some donor milk. She was exclusively breastfed until around 8 months as she showed no interest in solids before then, and is still breastfed now, a few years later

You may have to supplement, you may not - but I recommend you get some proper professional advice that isn't from the local midwives who may mean well but aren't necessarily breastfeeding experts.

Congratulations!!

WeleaseWodger · 21/08/2013 12:11

Ours had this and they had me topping up with formula to get her sugars up. They drummed into me how many ml I needed to give as top up every x hours and I stuck with it for a week til milk was well established.

Had to pry her off the boob after 21 months :-)

DropYourSword · 21/08/2013 14:04

Congratulations on your new baby. Don't give up hope! It takes time to learn to BF. You will both learn. Ask for support in hospital. If babe's blood sugars are dangerously low your midwives will be able to discuss options with you.... you might just need to do a few extra things like expressing, syringe feeding, cup feeding or supplementary feeds, depending on sugar levels for a short time. But it should definitely not stop you feeding your baby how you wish to.

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