Breast feeding help... third day, hungry baby!

[beansbananas]

I'm on day three with my gorgeous new baby, but still not really producing anything to feed her with. She was a forceps birth so was very tired and couldn't seem to find the energy to suck when she matched on, until last night when she actually seemed hungry for the first time. The problem is im not producing anywhere near enough colostrum to feed her and so she is really distressed and screaming constantly. Aibu to top her up with formula while I try and stimulate milk production? I just don't know what else to do. It's so upsetting and I feel like I'm letting her down.

Feed often. If you can, go to bed together and have skin to skin or lay together skin to skin on the sofa and watch some TV. Keep yourself hydrated and fed.

Don't give formula or a bottle/pacifier incase you cause nipple confusion.

It's totally normal to only have colostrum for at least the first 3 days.

How many poos has your baby done each 24hrs so far?

I wouldn't try to express, what's happening is totally normal.

Thing is your body responds to demand. So cluster feeding is making your body produce more milk. But you need baby to be on, demanding. So topping up with a bottle can get in the way of the process. It's hard, I've done it twice, and the third day can a marathon. There are more days like this, at about day 10 and at about 3 weeks (verify those dates, I'm going on memory only). But keep going. I didn't know about cluster feeding with my first and it really took me by surprise. I remember a 5 hour marathon where I couldn't even go to the loo. With my second I had her at home which family seemed to take to mean party at our house all weekend. Day 2 she cluster fed all day with a house full of visitors. They barely saw her, she was under my feeding cover the whole time. But that's how it goes I guess.

Please supplement if you need to. My cousin was advised not to and her baby became dehydrated and almost died. Her midwife, who advised her, has been struck off. I don't mean to frighten you, so sorry, but I don't see the point of a stressed hungry baby and stressed mum. I'm sure the milk will come in but until it does, there is no harm in supplementing.

Just read all the other replies, you really don't need formula unless there's another underlying issue. Call the LLL helpline and they will reassure you.

Put your feet up, make sure you are well hydrated and eating well and it will come.

With your little finger put the tip of it on your baby's bottom lip and then press down to make a moue formation and that will help with the latching. Baby needs to work at this too. So bottom lip fully enclosing the bottom of the nipple. Aim the nipple to just behind the top gums.

The more baby sucks, the more the reflex comes into action. Sometimes this doesn't happen until 4 or 5 days later.

Totally understand the frustration. Good luck, but remember always, formula feeding is not a measure of success or failure

Midwife here.

This is absolutely normal for day 3/4. It's awful and it usually coincides with the blues so you feel even worse. Your baby is stimulating your milk production by feeding very frequently. Some time very soon your breasts will fill and this will change again.

Colostrum is tiny in quantity but it is designed that way and we need to accept that.

Eat lots, drink and sleep when you can. If your baby is alert, has wet and dirty nappies then almost certainly all is well. Forceps babies do get more jaundiced than easier deliveries but no doubt the midwives are watching this. Again, jaundice is normal as the baby breaks down unneeded blood cells. If the baby is alert and feeding it is usually no cause for concern.

If your nipples are getting sore consider using nipple shields if you are happy with your baby's latch. Feeding from one breast each feed gives the other side a rest. I personally found the underarm 'rugby ball' position easiest to get a good latch.

You are doing brilliantly. There is no shame in topping up if you feel desperate but as long as things are as I describe then it all sounds completely normal. Call your midwife if you are worried.

Oh, and huge congratulations.

It's normal for baby to be on the breast non-stop around day 3. Does she settle if you put her on the boob? If so she probably doesn't need a top up. If not however there might be something going on.
Do you have a baby cafe or breastfeeding support group near you? It could help to check her latch, possible tongue-tie, etc... Both baby and you are learning to breastfeed so it takes a bit to get used to and experienced advice is invaluable at this stage.

Follow your own instincts. There is no right or wrong answer.

As long as baby is frequently at the breast your milk will come in very soon.

Make sure you are using lanisoh after every feed.

Has baby had their 'day 3 weigh-in'? (Is that a thing across the country?)

I don't intend to scare you but I had real problems with feeding my DS. Everyone said he was probably getting something, their tummies are small, etc, etc.

However when he was weighed on day 3 it was discovered that he had lost 12%, his blood sugar was low, he was jaundice and had an infection. We were then blue lighted to hospital.

If you are concerned, and I truly believe that your intuition will guide you, then please contact your midwife or breast feeding support and ask them to check weight.

Giving a bottle is, with respect, very poor advice.
Every time you put baby to breast they are instructing your body how much milk to make. Milk needs help to come in, and your baby being on the breast until (and indeed after!) that happens is completely normal!
Eating oats is good advice (good excuse for flapjacks!)
Good luck op it is bloody hard work but so worth it!

Crikey. So many experts giving such differing advice!

Fwiw, re. the scary anecdotes about brain damage from hypoglycaemia and life threatening dehydration, don't panic :)

Look at your baby. Keep an eye on her output- if she has wet and dirty nappies, there is getting milk. Look at her fontanelle on the top of her head, is it sunken? Do her eyes look dry? Does her skin took plump and pink? Does she produce tears?

Is any jaundice improving? How is her behaviour? Angry crying and sound sleeping are good signs that she isn't hungry and has enough energy to cry. Bad signs are listlessness and lethargy, and whimpering cries- no energy to cry, or to put them in a good sleep.

Look at the whole baby. There will be clinical signs if you look closely, well before you get to a life threatening or life changing point. If you are worried seek medical advice as dehydration and hg can be serious. Better to do something and be told she's fine.

But everything being well, if yoi are determined to bf, the beast thing to do is bf. Faffing with expressing or topping up will prolong this initial phase of getting supply established.

Sending you lots of love in these early days x

All three of my children struggled to feed at first and all three unfortunately subsequently had to be re admitted due to low blood sugar HOWEVER I realized something wasn't right and called the hospital for each of them (they were having tremors so despite being alert and having wet and dirty nappies, I was worried).

My point is not to scare you but just to say follow your instincts and if you are worried, seek advice from your midwife. On day 3 you can still call the Postnatal ward for advice, you should have been given the number when you were discharged.

Lots of luck xxx

Yes- please ignore the scary stories-there will be more to them than just milk not coming in til day 3/4 because that is entirely normal and what happens to everybody. Obviously check with your midwife. But otherwise just keep feeding. If you can, go to bed or settle on the sofa and feed whenever she makes the tiniest sound. Or even if she doesn't. In an amazingly short time everything will have settled down and all this will be a distant memory.

It's ironic, but once the milk comes through, there will be lashings of it. Big handy tip is to put an absorbent material against the breast that isn't being used, let the milk flow from that one for a while and then to stop it, press the lower part of your arm against the nipple. This stops the milk from flowing. Remember to feed baby from that breast on the next feed. It will take about 10 days (yes, it will be the longest 10 days of your life) for this to establish a nice rhythm. Feed when necessary, otherwise the breasts will become engorged.

Congrats on your baby

OMG at the horror stories too. I remember day 3 so well :-( Son is a teenager now, and I STILL remember it. I would follow the advice of the midwife above, and also, as people have said, the La Leche League advisors are brilliant, they will come out to see you if you need the support.

Drink LOADS yourself too. You need to be really well hydrated to get the milk going in the early days. You will probs be up all night too, with lovely baby drinking often. But as others have said, if you add formula at this stage, then it can prevent the milk supply adjusting, but then again, if you are getting stressed it can interrupt your milk supply, so one teensy feed probably won't make much difference.

I eventually had WAAAAAY more than enough milk, and I'm sure that will happen to you too. But honestly, the LLL are great.