10pm baby - forced to supplement with formula due to blood sugars

[BunnyBaby]

Hello everyone. This is our 2nd child and we never gave DS1 formula ever. He was EBF to 6.5 mths and continued until 18 mths.

DS2 is 48 hrs old. I was induced at 40+10, managed 18 hour labour with no painkillers until 10cm. Told to push, when mentioned did not feel right, they realised OP and wedged so had EMCS.

He latched on immediately following birth and fed well for the first night. Last night he was cluster feeding and the midwife took him to settle him so I could use the loo. When I returned at 2am she told me to take a nap and they let him sleep until 7am. With all the business waiting to be discharged he missed another feed and the doctor then told us that as he was over 4.5kg (4.57) he would need sugars doing.

They came out as 2, then 1.8, then 1.2. Between the 1.8 and 1.2 I was cluster feeding for 3 hrs and he began to perk up. However the ward doctor said they were critical and I could either give formula or put him on a drip. There was no other choice.

I completely broke down and explained how violated I felt. They then said I could supplement with breast milk so I pumped 60ml followed by 30ml. Not bad for 6 hrs of pumping 2 days after giving birth.

I am sat inbed waiting to be discharged out of stubbornness I just want to be back at home and feel tremendously disappointed at this situation. Not surprisingly he sicked up all the formula they gave him. Yet his glucose tests are now 2.7, 3.8 and I am just waiting on the last. Once they have 3 they can't make us stay so have agreed to let usknow.

I was unaware of the hypoglycaemic risk in large babies. It makes me angry that they took him away for 5 hours as of course I was going to sleep given the proximity to giving caesarean followed by pph. They may have meant well but what devastating consequences. Although the feeding was intense I was used to it with ds1 and was happy to oblige.

Just a quick one to the experts to get their thoughts on not being allowed to cluster feed to recoup a loss. I smalso furious my gorgeous boy has been given formula. Am insisting on going home before they find another reason to keep us in.

Title is meant to say 10lb baby, drafted iPhone from hospital bed.

I'm no expetr but wanted to say I'm so sorry for you that this happened.

I have type 1 diabetes so my babies always had their blood sugars monitored. DS was a little low for longer than they were happy with, so I agreed to give him some formula from a feeding cup. He didn't have more than a couple of mouthfuls but it seemed to perk him up enough to breastfeed more effectively. His blood sugars quickly stabilised after this and we went home, I then exclusively breastfed for many months. For me it wasn't too important that he'd had a tiny amount of formula - it was just necessary.

I can see this has really upset you, and I don't want to belittle that - obviously the fact it wasn't a big deal for me makes no difference to you, but... you've just given birth - you're probably knackered, emotionally drained, hormonal and you just want to go home. Try not to get too caught up with anger and negativity on something that is relatively minor in the grand scheme. Enjoy your baby, by all means complain if you still feel strongly in a week or two but don't let this overshadow your first few days.

And do bear in mind although you feel they made bad choices the medical staff were trying to help you...ie letting you sleep, since ds was sleeping etc.

Congratulations on the birth of ds, hope you get to go home soon!

You are right to be furious, for all the reasons you say, Bunny. Their first choice to deal with this was formula - you were the one putting other options (express colostrum; cluster feeding). Leaving a baby unfed for 5 hours is poor practice.

There's a US protocol for neonatal hypoglycaemia - google Guidelines for Glucose Monitoring and Treatment of Hypoglycemia in Breastfed Neonates, but if you prefer something UK, go to www.babyfriendly.org.uk/items/research_detail.asp?item=490 and download the PDF there. I have not read either of these recently but I am pretty damn sure both documents would back you up in your complaint.

Meantime, it's prob best to put this to one side for the moment, knowing you are going to deal with it when things look calmer, and just enjoy your little boy and coming home :)

Bunny baby so sorry this has happened to you. If it helps I have been told lots of time that 4 weeks of EBF will repair the 'virgin gut' - this worried me as DD had to have tops up for 2 weeks after birth.

Thank you for all your advise, especially the who guidelines tictok.

Will enjoy DS2 and consider the complaint in a few weeks, others should not have to go through this unnecessarily.

Thankfully the lovely community midwife visited today. Was nervous she may toe hospital line but was genuinely supportive. She told me to scrap the formula feeding plan as anyone who can express 90ml of colostrum in 6 hours dies not need supplements. :o

DS2 is still a little drowsy so have been pumping any excess of during the day and will give him a booster of milk at th last feed.

Will update when I get the outcome of any complaint. Was glad we escaped, at 2.30am this morning. So lovely to wake up to DS1 and a bit of sense from community midwife.

Thank you for all the messages as they backed up my questions.

Bunny