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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

Urgent help with expressing

35 replies

doblet · 28/01/2011 18:54

DD is 2 days old and we are having problems feeding her. Midwife has said to formula feed and express breast milk at same time. Only problem is that I can't get anything out using the breastpump. There is colostrum there when I squeeze my nipple but nothing is happening with the pump. It's a Tommee Tippee Electric. What am I doing wrong?

OP posts:

headfairy · 28/01/2011 18:57

What problems are you having feeding your dd? Are you getting pain? Is her latch not good? Did the mw say why she thought giving formula was a good idea? If she suggested expressing to get your supply going then she's wrong, bfing is the best thing to get your supply going.

It's impossible to say why you're not being successful expressing, but to be honest I'm not sure why you're doing it at all. It's a faff, and while you're establishing bfing you should just bf.

thisisyesterday · 28/01/2011 18:58

what are the problems you're experiencing?

i would say that if you want to breastfeed then don't give formula and don't express... get yourself to a breastfeeding cousellor pronto and figure out a way of feeding her direct from breast

you won't get much colostrum out at 2 days. it'll literaly be a couple of teaspoons worth, you lose more in the pump than you'll get into your baby

perhaps you could tell us a bit more about the situation and we can offer some thoughts on the best action to take?

where in the country are you?

JarethTheGoblinKing · 28/01/2011 19:01

is she taking colostrum when you do BF? Personally I wouldn't offer formula this early on, wait until your milk comes in and see how it goes.

How about speaking to a BF counsellor (NCT or La Leche) and seeing what they say

La Leche League

Original poster

doblet · 28/01/2011 19:02

Because of a stressful delivery DD has been very sleepy. Seh fed straight after birth but has only had half arsed attempts since. She is at the stage where she is too hungry to try and we need to get something inside her to get her energy levels up so that she can try to bf again - hence the formula.
I'm really desperate to get something inside her but don't want bf to fail - I need to express somehow until she is ready again

OP posts:

MoonUnitAlpha · 28/01/2011 19:02

At 2 days you're both still getting the hang of things, I'd try not to start with formula or expressing yet if possible.

MoonUnitAlpha · 28/01/2011 19:03

Have you tried hand expressing? There'll only be a few drops at a time but you can give it with a syringe.

thisisyesterday · 28/01/2011 19:04

you could do a lot worse than getting naked (both of you) and going to bed for a couple of days. offer the breast every single time she stirs. she'll get there.
if you do feel you need to express, i would hand express and then syringe feed her

JarethTheGoblinKing · 28/01/2011 19:05

Have you contacted the hospital to see if you can hire a pump? a hospital grade one might help. NCT also hire them out I think.

JarethTheGoblinKing · 28/01/2011 19:05

and what thisisyesterday said. Time for a babymoon :)

Congratulations btw

AppleAndBlackberry · 28/01/2011 19:11

TT electric pump is rubbish (sorry). Try a manual one or a better electric one like a Medela.

japhrimel · 28/01/2011 19:12

You won't be able to pump into bottles with colostrum. Ask the hospital for pre-sterilised syringes and ask for help feeding with them. You could either use the pump or han express to get colostrum - it'll only be a few ml.

At this stage babies tummies are tiny, so they don't need much volume. I'd get real help before feeding formula.

xMrsSx · 28/01/2011 19:17

Loads of good advice here, and I just wanted to say that my DS was exactly the same, sleepy, wouldnt feed, upset when trying etc etc but we stuck at it and got there in the end and he is now 12 weeks and ebf... just wanted you to know you arent alone! You'll get there.

A couple of thoughts - has she been checked for a tongue tie? My DS had one - missed at the hospital check, feeding was much better once it had been snipped (8 days old). Also, feeding really improved once my milk came in (day 3 I think) so maybe this will be the case for you too.

I second the advice to get some help from one of the bf helplines.

headfairy · 28/01/2011 19:18

I see doblet, sorry to hear you're having problems. I agree a double hospital grade pump is the way forward. Also, you will only get tiny tiny amounts out so don't be disheartened if you just get a drop. Hand expressing is good too.

I used to use a spoon to feed ds when he was two weeks old (also very sleepy and lazy feeder, plummeting weight and me determined not to use formula) The first time I expressed I think I only got about 2 tea spoons out... but it does build.

Agree babymoon is excellent too. While you're trying all the above just keep putting dd to the breast at every stir/whimper/root. Even if she gets tiny drops it will sustain her until milk comes in.

FWIW I had to give dd formula on her 2nd day too, she had exhausted herself attempting to feed for 10 hours but she had tongue tie and just couldn't/didn't have the energy. Just one bottle, didn't affect my ability to bf her at all, I fed her for a year after that. Her tongue tie was fixed at four days old, and the difference was instant!

PenguinArmy · 28/01/2011 19:18

at this stage you don't need a lot at all. I was hand expressing into a little syringe.

DD didn't latch on until the end of the second day and then only fed once proper day 2 and also day 3. The MW's were not too concerned. Gave a syringe a couple times a day but stopped at day 3. The hospital should provide the syringe and get access to proper BF support.

I don't think pumps are good until your milk comes in

japhrimel · 28/01/2011 19:39

You can use a pump to get colostrum flowing and then scoop it into syringes. I did this when DD was in SCBU until my milk came in.

ToMuCh2Do · 28/01/2011 20:04

Sorry you're having such a stressful time its really upsetting to keep offering the boob and seeing your baby struggle.

I agree with other posters get help... I would have given up by day 3 (had the bottle at the ready!) if a helpful midwife hadn't showed me rugby ball hold and how to practically force feed! try different positions and put baby to breast every 2 hours at least. It really is early days and they need very little. Try to relax if this what you really want and she will get the hang of it and be a feeding like a good un soon. Took me a good 4 weeks before I/we got the hang of it and i've just had my second and its been much easier this time. Hang in there!

Check for tongue tie but if that's clear just keep putting her to breast the more messing with bottle and pumping the longer it will take to feel like you know what you're doing. Good luck

berri · 28/01/2011 20:09

I'd also check for tongue-tie, but my first piece of advice would be to see a bf counsellor - they are amazing and I was on the verge of giving up before I spoke to one and I then fed DS for a year. Are you a member of the NCT? Only ask this because in all the bumf I was given by them was a 24hr bf counsellor's number and when I called and said I wasn't having any luck, the lady turned up at my house the following day and helped me tremendously.

If you are not a NCT member I'm sure there are other such ladies out there to help - I think another post suggested La Leche League who will do the same.

Good luck :)

MoonUnitAlpha · 28/01/2011 20:10

Even if you're not a NCT member, you can still call their breastfeeding line and see an bf counsellor free.

berri · 28/01/2011 20:15

Oh thanks MUA, didn't know that - good advice as mine was really great :)

crikeybadger · 28/01/2011 21:24

Loads of good advice on here already doblet but just wanted to say that 2 days old is very, very new. Don't get disheartened.

Your baby's stomach is the size of a small marble so she really won't need much at this stage.

Here is a link that describes how to hand express and there a lots of videos of it that you can google.

ascouser · 29/01/2011 03:10

great advice on here. Pumps will only ever immitate what a baby does and it is likely that they'll never be as efficient as baby (no matter what brand)...hard to bond and get those hormonal gushing feelings over a piece of plastic sucking as the breast!
Pumps in the first few days are useless anyway, as said before, you'll lose precious amounts in the valves and workings.
Hand express if anything in the first couple of weeks.
Skin to skin and lots of it.
Good luck and well done for raising it as a concern

Binfullofmaggotsonthe45 · 29/01/2011 03:30

Hi just wanted to say the same. Midwife insisting that ds have a spoon of formula and then had me on a milking machine knackered confused and tearful at 4am the morning of the birth. Ds wanted to sleep after a traumatic birth but they kept insisting I wake up and feed him.

I refused the formula and they made me feel like shit and tried to bully me into it.

Next morning a more experienced midwife came on duty and bollocked them all as I was in such a state. She helped me with the syringe and got more colostrum out (ds had latched on naturally straight after birth for 15 mins)

When I went home I felt feverish and shivery and I was underconfident about milk production. I used the Medela pump and kept some in the fridge just in case. It was a relieft just to see the milk come out ifywim.

Turned out I had mastitis, but once the milk flowed I fed through it with no problems. I found it best in the rugby ball position too as I had big boobs. I couldn't feed out and about because of this so I did use a mix of expressed milk in bottle and breast at home. In the end it worked for me as my ds adapted to both methods well and didn't turn away from either. Whereas a few friends who went back to work after 6 to 8 months had a nightmare introducing a bottle and were back to a teaspoon at this stage.

I used the La Leche league phone contact and email and they were great support and kept me calm. I felt happy with my progress and decisions.

Good luck with the little one!

Original poster

doblet · 29/01/2011 13:29

DP has been sent to get a syringe and midwife is on her way. Thank you for kind words, I was in floods of tears last night but feeling more confident today

OP posts:

crikeybadger · 29/01/2011 13:44

Don't worry doblet- it's a situation that can be turned around with some help and support from the right people.

Glad you're feeling happier today.

Hope the mw gives you some good advice.

Let us know how you go won't you?

xMrsSx · 29/01/2011 14:56

I know how you feel, and being absolutely kernackered really doesn't help does it. Just remember you can always count on MN for some moral support as well as useful advice. Anytime

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