Newborn breastfeeding problems

[myncichips]

DD was born on Tuesday with forceps (and failed ventouse) i also had an epidural (long way from the planned home birth!). Immediately after birth we had skin to skin for an hour and she sucked a tiny bit. Once I transferred to recovery ward i found that, try as I might, I couldn't get her to feeding. Student midwife helped me a bit and when after a fair while DD wasn't having it showed me how to express into a syringe. I have been doing this since (no idea if she's getting enough as MWs non-comital). It has sort of been improving as she will go on the breast now but only do a few small sucks then falls asleep or pulls on and off a lot.

I know she can suck strongly but in any feeding session i get one strong suck (if that) and then just small sucks or just nipple in mouth. She's still quite mucus-y (keeps coughing and sneezing) and tonight won't be put down (put down, snuffle-y breathing, cry, pick up, cry, sleep - repeat). She was v sleepy and hard to wake for first 2 days.

Any advice? Everything I find on the Internet is about painful feeding but she doesn't suck me enough for me to even know if it would be painful.

I think she's doing close to enough nappies.

Hi, Congratulations on the baby! You poor thing though, having trouble in the middle of the night. Hopefully someone more current with breastfeeding (I breast fed both mine but they are now 3 and 5, so a few years ago) will come along soon with some thorough advice. But, a few thoughts ..

1. Has your milk come in yet (when you get big volumes of milk, not just small amounts of co ... if the baby was born on Tuesday it should either have happened or be happening shortly)

1. Once my milk "came in", we had similar issues with DS falling asleep after two or three gulps. We were told to try to make him take a big feed if possible, and tried everything (different radio channels, turning the lights on, undressing him slightly, wet flannel on his chest, etc..).

The aim seemed to be getting him used to staying awake for a good feed, then a sleep/break, then another good feed 3 hours later.

For a few days, we ended up with me expressing breast milk each feed, whilst DH fed him the bottle I had expressed 3 hours previously, so at least we could monitor the volumes he was taking. After a couple of days, we didn't need to do this any more, and he had cotton-ed on to the idea of taking a good feed.

1. You need to try to keep the baby latched on properly. It sounds like you are managing, by your description of a first good suck, but then it sounds like the baby becomes not latched on properly. It is worth detatching the baby completely if that happens and then regoing for a proper latch. If you are strict on this for a day or so, the baby will pick it up quickly, although I can remember a day being a very long time with a new baby.

How are you doing yourself on sleep? Are you OK?

Keep her on you? Loads of skin to skin? Take her into bed with you and stay there?
She is still v little to be put down at all - keep her snuggled up to her.

Good luck

Thanks that's helpful! Think my milk is in the process of coming in as what I express is changing colour. I've swaddled her up and after a big cuddle she's now snoozing next to me.

How is it going?

I had exactly the same type of birth as you (supposed to be home birth, had to go in and had failed ventouse and forceps delivery as DS's head was stuck sideways). Though didn't have the same problems with feeding, he did have a tongue tie which made feeding a nightmare for a while. One thing we did which helped him to be more comfortable was to go and see a chiropractor/cranial osteopath who specialises in babies - she was able to release tightness in his neck and pelvis from the rather traumatic delivery and in a week he was much better in himself. Might help? Good luck!

Hello, it's going a little better and she's doing enough nappies now which is a big relief. Also got a bit of sleep last night which I think has helped with being able to express more milk to feed her with a syringe.

That's such a helpful idea about a cranial osteopath I'll definitely look into that!