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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

19 hour old baby who is not feeding yet.

19 replies

Overrun · 21/02/2011 13:03

I am writing this as am worried about my sister's ds. Just wondered if any one has any experience of this? She was induced at 38 weeks as he had growth restriction. Normal but very quick birth. Baby (I haven't seen him yet) apparantly alert and crying. I know he has had one supplemental feed last night. He weighs 5lb 8.
Any encouraging experiences I will pass on to her, but would like to know more about what this could mean. Or if it means anything at all, he had a traumatic birth, and I know babies some times take a while to work out how to latch on etc. According to my Mum he didn't seem interested when she was there, turning his head etc

OP posts:

japhrimel · 21/02/2011 13:08

She needs to be expressing colostrum into syringes afaik - you really want to avoid formula top-ups if you can as they are huge volumes for newborns, so fill them right up, which means they're not hungry so can't be bothered to nurse.

She should also ask if there is an actual lactation consultant at her hospital, or at least an infant feeding specialist MW. Expert help makes a huge difference (most MWs are far from expert).

crikeybadger · 21/02/2011 13:11

Lots of skin to skin- as much as possible.

Try biological nurturing here.

It's a relaxed way of getting the baby to find his natural reflexes to feed. If the birth was unmedicalised then his instincts should be triggered by this.

Hand expression will help so that she can syringe some colostrum in to his mouth. Giving him formula shouldn't be necessary (IMVHO)unless he is dehydrated and will just fill him up and make him less inclined to find the breast.

Cuddle up with the baby, keep him close and gently offer him the breast when he shows the first cues. See here for feeding cues.

Hope things pick up soon.

She can also call one of the bfing helplines for more expert help.

and congrats of course!!

Original poster

Overrun · 21/02/2011 13:12

Thanks japhrimel, I told my Mum who is seeing her today to check that they have asked the breast feeding consultant to come and see her, and will check to see whether she is expressing.
I agree with you about MW's having variable amounts of knowledge.

OP posts:

TittyBojangles · 21/02/2011 13:12

Having as much skin to skin as possible will help, keeping him near the breast and trying to nurse at any squeak.

Original poster

Overrun · 21/02/2011 13:13

And Crikeybadger,

OP posts:

Jojay · 21/02/2011 13:14

My Ds1 didn't feed for 36 hours after birth and was fine, but he was a bigger baby.

I ended up expressing colostrum into a cup, and feeding him that way to begin with.

Once he'd had some he woke up a bit and was less sleepy, and was more interested in trying to feed. It took a good few weeks before bfing was properly established though.

YOur sis needs to ask for blood sugar tests if she's worried, I think that's what they did with my DS.

Congratulations and good luck

TittyBojangles · 21/02/2011 13:14

Cross posts with CB. It is scarey those first few days but it will help her to have such a supportive family trying to help.

Original poster

Overrun · 21/02/2011 13:15

Can not being interested in feeding be a sign of something being wrong? Just conscious that he had growth restriction, his stomach is smaller than it should be. Presumably this might make a difference.

OP posts:

lifeistooshort · 21/02/2011 13:21

DS now 6 months did this for 24 hours when he was born. My midwife(indep) wasn't overly concerned about it as apparently he had swallowed loads of gunk on the way out which meant that he wouldn't feed until it all came out. After a while though I started being a bit concerned so I did what the others suggested and expressed some collostrum and spoon fed him (only one or two little spoons). It certainly hepled things going and all of a sudden after the first 24 hours DS decided to feed and never looked back.

Original poster

Overrun · 21/02/2011 13:22

Well I want to help, I breastfed my three, so can offer support in that way, she has a dd who she bf, so she does know what she's doing although I think she would say that it didn't come naturally to her.
Will try and support her, but will pass on tips and jojay's story to encourage her.

OP posts:

LIZS · 21/02/2011 13:27

ds was a crap feeder to begin with, after a ventouse delivery. Reassure her that even if she supplements now(ds got jaundiced so I expressed and gave some formula while in hospital) you can go on to breastfeed but it may take soem trial and error and persistence. I used nipple shields to get him feeding so I could at least leave hospital not needing top ups. Within a week we'd stopped using those and I b'fed him for about 14 months.

japhrimel · 21/02/2011 13:32

Size is not a good indicator of how well they'll feed. My 7lb 7 baby was in scbu (fluid on lungs and stomach plus signs of infection) and wouldn't latch while teeny babies in there suckled like mad.

crikeybadger · 21/02/2011 13:35

This is also a good article from Dr Jack Newman.

Good idea to get hold of a bf consultant.

Original poster

Overrun · 21/02/2011 13:44

Thats a very useful article, will maybe pass that along, although don't want to overwhelm her. I guess I'm being the typical big sis here.

OP posts:

crikeybadger · 21/02/2011 15:29

Yes know what you mean- she may feel a bit bombarded with information

Main thing really is just to offer the baby every opportunity to latch on, without forcing or stress.

Original poster

Overrun · 21/02/2011 16:20

Have had a text saying that he has had a reasonable feed this afternoon, so that's positive. Thanks for all your kind responses

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crikeybadger · 21/02/2011 16:23

Good - thanks for the update.

MamaChris · 21/02/2011 16:28

another positive story - dt1, normal (lovely) birth at 38 weeks, 6lb 5oz, eventually latched on with lots of help after birth, then didn't for another 24 hours. I hand expressed colostrum into a syringe and tried to get this in her mouth, but she just wanted to sleep. once she finally woke up, she latched with help, and things got better from there, although she wasn't spectacularly interested in feeding for a couple of weeks. I was lucky though that dt2 was feeding all the time which helped with supply.

I hope things work out well, and it's great that she's going to have your support.

Jojay · 21/02/2011 18:13

Glad things are looking up

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