Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Infant feeding

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

Flip

Original poster

Advice please - b/f

24 replies

ChaCha · 14/01/2006 23:51

Okay here goes....

My problem is this: DS had been weighed by the HV, she said he wasn't putting on as much weight as she had hoped but wasn't worried about it as he'd been ill in hospital for 2 days just the week before (was on drip etc.) and that she would weigh him the following week to give him time to catch up. Immediately after seeing her had our 6 week check with the GP who didn't seem too concerned about his weight either, however, she phoned me 4 hours later to tell me that she had been thinking about it and had consulted fellow GP and paeditrician and that his weight was worrying here and that I MUST pick up referral letter and take DS to hospital straight away!

Of course, panicked, took him straight there, we were left waiting for hours but were thankfully met by a fantastic paeditrician who said that baby was latching on fine but that more of my aerola need be in his mouth. He told me to tease DS with my nipple until his mouth opened wide enough to take more in. He explained why and how and told me to go home but to return next week to check weight and did suggest that we may look at topping up if his weight hasn't gone up as they'd like it to. Okay, fine! Now, i've been trying that and it's really hard, DS screams making me v.upset and reverts to just sucking on nipple with only a little of the aerola in his mouth - i know this is TMI but as my DH pointed out, my aerola are v.big and DS's mouth v.small so how do I find success in this?
Just wondering if anyone has been through this or has any suggestions?

Am v.worried about DS's weight, his birth weight was 7lbs 9oz and now is only a couple of ounces over. GP really worried me and now i feel i'm not capable of feeding him as I should. I told the paeditrician that I wasn't worried as there is wee and poo in every nappy, he's a happy baby, very alert and I would have thought that a baby his age (6 weeks) would let you know if he was under nourished - or is this just speculation?

Anyway, I've just hired an electric pump in the hope that I can express a few bottles while trying to do as paeditrician suggested (also hope this will give him a boost) - I've read that it's best to express in the morning. Should I feed DS first and then express, what's the best method to ensure milk supply is unaffected?

Thank you so much for listening. Feel better now and hope that I can continue (with b/f not the post) as i really do enjoy it. I do moan in the middle of the night when I'm dog tired but I love that bond I have with my LO. Just hope i'm giving him enough.

OP posts:

mears · 15/01/2006 00:05

Cha-cha - before you resort to expressing, have you tried different feeding positions? One of the best positions to get a baby to latch on well is the rugby ball hold with the baby tucked under your arm. If you have a large areola your DS will not get it all in his mouth. The important thing is that he has as much of the underside as he can manage. As you are holding him aim the tip of your nipple at his nose. When he opemd really widely, bring him swiftly towards your breast and latch him on. Expressing milk and giving it by bottle will not help him fix to the breast correctly. I would advise you contact a breastfeeing counsellor to help you. I posted video clips before of correct latching - will see if I can find them.

mears · 15/01/2006 00:10

found this site which looks good

mears · 15/01/2006 00:15

previous thread with links to videos

expatinscotland · 15/01/2006 00:17

ChaCha
I used the under arm position mears describes for the first few weeks of DD2's life, until I was able to practice w/her in front on the NCT counsellor and at bf workshops. It takes a while to get the hang of, and for me, I was being too slow at getting her on. I didn't realise how speedily I needed to get that nipple in her mouth and angled back towards her temple when she had her mouth open wide enough. It's like learning to drive a manual car and take off in first gear - it's all in the timing.

But once you get it, you'll get it!

Like your son, Roisin would get really panicky and put her hands in the road, etc.

So I started swaddling her when she started showing signs of being hungry to buy me some time and keep her hands out the road.

If he gets too worked up, let him suck a bit, then pull him off and try again. Or pop your clean finger in his mouth a bit till he calms down some. Even a dummy can buy me a few seconds to get sorted and have another go.

Keep practicing! Are there any breastfeeding workshops or meet ups you can attend? They're a REAL help and it's a relaxed enviroment and you don't get all stressed out that your baby is shrieking.

mears · 15/01/2006 00:20

Hi expat - how are you getting on? I haven't been around for a while because of computer problems.

Ankle still sore BTW - saw ortho consultant last week. Referred for more physio. Need decent shoes because my feet roll in which doesn't help. Achilles tendon 'ropey' so have more exercises to do. She want to see me again in 5 weeks and will see how it's going.

expatinscotland · 15/01/2006 00:34

hiya mears
i just fed roisin, but she's still narky, so DH took her a drive. he's probably halfway to ayrshire right now . she has rough evenings, as expected for a 'bairn' her age.

it's going GREAT! i am expressing her two bottles, however, a day. she needed to know the bottle, b/c unfortunately i do have to go back to work the first week in april .

roisin's becoming a wee stoater. but she's not as contented and settled as her elder sister. well, she's not her elder sister!

expatinscotland · 15/01/2006 00:36

that SUX about your ankle. i'm sorry you're still in pain.

my feet roll in, too. orthotics REALLY help w/this, worth going private for. as do exercises to help draw up the foot.

i used the surgical band - a blue one - a did ankle rolls w/it. also the wobble board to help strengthen my ankle.

what sort of exercises did they give you?

mears · 15/01/2006 00:44

stand on tiptoes for 5 minutes 3 times a day (building up)

stand on stairs and aim heel down to one below (plantar fascia stretch)

Stand in front of wall and bend knees (soleus stretch)

Lean against wall with back leg straight and stretch lower calf (gastroc stretch)

Can you tell I am copying names from sheet in front of me?

There are also the ones you mentioned of rolling foot out to press against pillow and also pressing forewards.

Physio said band would not be particularly helpful for my injury. Advised also to put on lots of heat.

I should be doing them now instead of sitting here.

expatinscotland · 15/01/2006 00:46

heat helped me a lot. i got one of those gel packs you can put in boiling water or the microwave.

i still use orthotics in sport shoes. that really helped b/c i 'overpronate' - feet roll in - and the chief result of that was knee pain, but i also had plantar fascitis, which hurts big time.

mears · 15/01/2006 00:51

What do you mean by orthotics?

Was advised to get Ecco lace up shoes as well which I got in a slae today They are really comfy

mears · 15/01/2006 00:55

Have just googled and found it. I was given built up insoles to put in my shoes at the consultant clinic. Crude orthotics I see.

mears · 15/01/2006 00:55

Sorry to steal your thread ChaCha.

expatinscotland · 15/01/2006 00:56

It's when they take a plaster mold of your foot and then make an insert to go in your shoes. A foot doctor usually does it. They call them podiatrists in the US; dunno what they're called here, tho.

You put them in your shoes for just a bit at first, b/c they are like an arch support extraordinnaire, and then build up gradually to wearing them all the time if you work on your feet or when you do sports if you have a desk job.

They keep your feet from rolling in and stressing your joints and tendons.

mears · 15/01/2006 01:10

Thanks for the info. Will consider it if things don't get better. Off to bed now.

kiskidee · 15/01/2006 05:07

chacha, dr jack newman has some excellent information pages and videos which could answer some of your questions or reaffirm that you are getting things right. I recommend looking at the breast compression handout and video among others.
dr. jack newman

FrannytheQuinoaEater · 15/01/2006 06:55

Morning chacha, just wanted to add my encouragement to the others and hope that you can persevere. I haven't any experience of this situation but agree that if you possibly can consult a breastfeeding counsellor then that would be the best thing to do. Let us know how things are going.

NotQuiteCockney · 15/01/2006 08:04

Chacha, my DS1 was probably only a few oz over his birth weight at 6 weeks. He only really regained is birth weight by 4 weeks.

I'm so glad you met a pro-bf paediatrician, who actually knew stuff!

Do you have any good local bf support? A BFC will be able to help you try various positions, and tell you what's working, and tell you when the baby has enough nipple in his mouth. (If you tell us where you're located (vaguely), one of us can have a bit of a search, or may know of local resources for you.)

I always found bf on one side while pumping on the other was best. If you can manage it.

Pumping won't reduce your supply, it will increase it.

Littlefish · 15/01/2006 09:21

Sorry ChaCha, another hijack for Mears!

Mears, I have the same problem with rolling ankles and I wear orthotics too. I had them done privately by a podiatrist. They really, really help!

suzi2 · 15/01/2006 10:10

Hi ChaCha, I would second the rugby hold and swaddling. DS used to drive me mad when trying to get him latched - he'd get in such a temper that he would have hands in his mouth screaming and would refuse to latch. With the rugby hold I could get him balanced on 2 pillows under me, swaddled so he couldn't get hands in the way (watch your baby doesn't roll off the pillows when swaddled!) and then I could use 2 hands to get him latched.

I also found offering him a feed more often helped as he would snack more and not be in such a temper looking for it.

tiktok · 15/01/2006 10:22

ChaCha - not enough infor in your post, sorry. What is your baby's history of weight gain? Is he weighed naked each time on electronic scales? How many times is he fed day and night?

He may be fine, though if this weight is accurate, being only 2 oz above birth weight at six weeks merits at least a discussion about what could be affecting this. Why was he in hospital? This could be relevant too.

Original poster

ChaCha · 15/01/2006 11:07

Firstly, thank you all for the replies. I will be getting in touch with b/f councellor tomorrow morning. I am going to make this work!

TikTok - He was in hospital with what they think was a virus of some kind. He had sickness, diarrhoea and our cold. He couldn't breathe properly, could not take breast and so was put on a drip until he was able to take expressed milk via syringe, then bottle, then eventually back to breast. He has been weighted naked on electric scales at each appt.

He was at 25th centile and now seems to be at between 0.4 and 2nd.
Thanks for your help.

OP posts:

Aloha · 15/01/2006 11:11

Poor ba to be so ill. Not surprising then that he hasn't piled on the weight! He must have lost weight while ill.

tiktok · 15/01/2006 14:26

Still need to know how many times he feeds in 24 hours, Cha.

Original poster

ChaCha · 15/01/2006 15:53

As of late, I'm feeding him every 2 - 2.5 hours, he will stay on for an average of 30-40 minutes (though sometimes less).
This is from 10am onwards until around midnight (around 8 feeds) He has one then in the wee hours now that we've been fortunate enough to have him sleep through. Thanks x

OP posts:

Flip