Daft Question: What's a

[virago]

I am expecting first end of this month,I am intending to breast feed, but have to have caesarian. Have been reading about expressing and using a "sip cup" or a spoon to feed, so dp or someone else can feed if I can't. But much as I look in Boots, Mothercare etc. I can't find anything described as a "sip cup"! Am just being dull?

Cup with spout,.

HI Virago

Just to let you know that I had a c section 7 weeks ago and I was able to feed my DS no problem right from the beginning. The first 24 hours, I fed him lying on my side and then the following few days I used the "rugby ball" hold to avoid him lying on my wound. Just make sure that the staff in the hospital know that you are keen to breastfeed and they will give you all the help that you need.

Good luck and enjoy the baby!
MB

A Doidy cup is on a slant so baby can lap at the milk and the person holding baby and cup can monitor the amount so baby doesn't get a bath Doidy Cup

Hi Virago .. me too .. 2 sections and no problems feeding at all .. both latched on perfectly in the delivery room .. hopefully you'll have the same

any cup with a spout is a sip cup but you can't really introduce them till they're a few months old

spoon feeding is simple .. if you do run into problems make sure you ask / demand proper help .. if you feel your midwife is unsuitable ask for a bf counsellor

HTH

The NCT sell these for feeding infants and, quite frankly, they just look like an ordinary cup with a lid.

We used an Avent bottle cap to cup feed DS1 when he was tiny.

Cup feeding works quite well. It's not as fast and easy as a bottle, but it reduces the risk of nipple confusion. Here are instructions.

Thanks everyone for being so supportive, I don't feel quite so stupid now! I'm hoping I will be able to feed baby myself with no problems, but I want to be prepared to use other methods, or at least persuade other people of the possibility,(eg. in-laws etc.), without resorting to bottle feeding.

the hospital doled out tablets in little plastic cups no different from those you get with bottles of cough syrup - with measurements on the side. I've cupfed dd with these when she was tiny.

When I was having DS by C/s the lady next door was using the sip cup. It was the little cups that they dole out tablets in. Just a tiny cup really.

Once breastfeeding is established (4-6 weeks, in general), you can give an occasional bottle (ideally of EBM) with no problem. At least, that's what I did with both my boys.

I also had CS and bf was fine. Awkward to get DD in and out of cot but take all the help you can get! Sometimes the weight on the scar was a problem and her kicking also as I never got the hang of the rugby ball position! But it wasn't too painful at all and I didn't feel it hindered bf much.

I also fed using those little pill cups when giving her Colief for colic. I didn't know at the time that the baby is meant to 'lap' the milk and I had her sort of sipping it / poured little bits at a time in. She seemed ok with it though.

Good luck with everything!

I had a CS and found hauling the baby out of the cot rather painful (she was nearly 10lbs!). I used to ring for the midwives to help me lift her out and they seemed happy to help, even though the ward was busy. I used a pillow in hospital to protext the scar, but when I got home my mum bought me one of those fab boomerang pillows. Wish I'd had it in hospital as it made positioning much easier. I never did the rugby ball hold but found the triangle pillow meant that feeding wasn't painful, just occasionally a bit awkward.

Good luck with it all - there's lots of help and support on mumsnet once you've had the baby.

Oh yes, the v shaped pillows are good. I asked DH to bring mine in on the next day, so luckily had it virtually from the start.