bf with implants, don't judge me, need advice!

[crazy88]

Successfully fed ds1 and ds2 for over a year. ds3 now nearly 2 weeks old and struggling and wondering if this is due to breast surgery, although surgeon assured me I should have no problems as implants are under the muscle. I should say that ds3 has gained weight and is doing lots of wet and dirty nappies (although latter are going a bit green now, not sure if that's significant) but won't go more than 2 and a half hours during the day and 3 hours at night between feeds and he is very sleepy.

My main problems are:

1. I am not getting a letdown every time on the left side. I sometime do eventually but not very often, I think this is due to reduced sensation on that side.

1. Letdown is fine on the right side but he is gulping lots of air down and so is very windy and won't burp, to the extent that I cannot lay him on his back at all so he ends up on me or dh all night (and it's doing our backs in!)

I am feeling very defeated and wonder if I should just ff but it would break my heart. Can't think straight. Any advice much appreciated.

i am assuming you had the implants done after your first 2

i think the best guide to whether bf is working is weight gain (check kellymom, but at this age 4-8 oz a week is average i think) and regular wet and dirty nappies - should be > 6 heavy wet nappies a day, dirty ones can be far less common

it is normal for some babies to want to feed often, my two were like this. it is also normal for siblings to have different bf relationships - my ds went far longer at night than my dd

i don't think you have anything to worry about, but maybe a chat to a bf helpline or dropping in to a support group may be helpful?

congratulations on your baby's birth x

I have implants ( two surgeries) and mine are over the muscle. I've. Ever had any problems BF due to that, although I am getting recurrent mastitis which might be due to the implants. As I understand it (after speaking to a lactation consultant) women with implants can suffer supply issues and although it's not clear why, one theory is nipples being less sensitive and therefore not responding to stimulation. I have certainly not had this problem, but the opposite, oversupply. I haven't ever felt a letdown when feeding though, or when pumping and I can see it happening.

I think though, that the 'problems' you describe ( going 2-3 hours between feeds, not being laid down etc) are normal things in a newborn. Certainly I think most women would think feeding 2 1/2 - 3 hourly was infrequent. If your first two weren't like this, I would say that is good luck rather than anything being wrong this time. If you hadn't had the implants and things were the same, would you still think there was a problem, or that this baby was just different?

Hi crazy,

What you describe sounds to me to be pretty normal. My DS fed every 45min for 3 months () and stopped feeding 3 hourly in the night at 16 months.

He was also very windy and had a bit of reflux when small. Because he never vomited, I didn't realise how uncomfortable he was. It took me ages to find a series of moves that resulted in winding him, which did help with everything.

The only thing that I would be even remotely concerned about is your baby being very sleepy. But if he is waking to feed as regularly as you say, he doesn't sound over-sleepy.

Why don't you head to a La Leche League meeting in your area? They are great for new tricks on winding tricky babies and checking latch etc.

I know you've successfully bf two babies already and it doesn't sound like this is your implants. But it does seem that every new baby is wired just a bit differently from all the others to keep us on our toes!

No expereince of feeding with implants but just wanted to ad about Rubeeroo said about reflux. My DS, now 4 months was just how you describe your little one on the early weeks. Me and DH would spend the night taking turns to hold him bolt up right as he just screamed and screamed laid down. In the end went to the GP who said he thought it was silent reflux and suggested I try some infant gaviscon and tilt his cot slightly so he wasn't laid completly flat. I have to say the situation is now much improved so maybe be worth looking into? Also have you a local breastfeeding support group you could go to?

Thanks everyone. I think that the fact that I am not getting a letdown on the left is probably what is worrying me the most. It's not just that I don't feel it, I can tell by his sucking pattern that it is not happening, although to be fair it doesn't seem to be bothering him much.

I live in the middle of bloody nowhere so there are unlikely to be any LLL meetings nearby, although I was thinking it might be worth giving them a call.

He sleeps in a baby hammock so he is tilted when lying down but doesn't seem to help much, he basically will sleep being held upright or lying on his side next to me. I hadn't thought of reflux because I can hear him gulping the air so I do think it is more likely related to this.

Midori that's encouraging, thanks. I know what you mean about would I be stressing in the same way if I hadn't had the implants. I have had problems bf every time but have always managed to overcome them, I think this time round I am just worried that the problems I am facing may be due to something physical and therefore can't be overcome, and in the meantime I have a very unsettled baby and two other children to look after Stupidly, I never told the MW that I had had implants because I was afraid of her reaction. I also can't talk to the HV because I don't trust that it wouldn't get around (we live in a very small town).

Fair enough crazy - you would probably know if it was reflux and you're the best person to know what's happening with your letdown.

I have no LLL meetings nearby me either but I did call up the midwife unit at the hospital and asked both for a bf counsellor and any details of bf groups nearby and they managed to track down some people for me.

My son had green nappies on and off all the time when he was little. I read on MN that it is quite usual for bf babies so unless anything else seemed wrong, not to worry.

Good luck!

Ps. It sounds like you're doing a pretty good job anyway as your DS is gaining weight, has dirty nappies and isn't even put off by a lack of let-down. So he is obviously getting a good deal out of life even though you are worried.

Thanks rubyroo. I suppose at least I can rely on a letdown on one side. I think the letdown on my right side is compensating for the left and hence the gulping. Might be the latch as well but I've been trying feeding underarm today and he is still gulping. Can never get him latched on lying down on my right side unfortunately otherwise I would try that. I feel better than I did this morning anyway so thanks for all your support. Going to call LLL tomorrow and see if they can offer any other advice.

thanks

LLL supposed to be ringing me back but not done yet.

Still not getting letdown on left side every time. He was on for 40 minutes this morning and no letdown, and he came off in the end and I put him on the other side where he gulped it down for 10 mins and then fell asleep. Has anyone got any idea how I can stimulate letdown on the left side, am worried that my milk will dry up completely on that side if I don't get it sorted. The fact that I occasionally get a letdown shows that it's not impossible. I have tried feeding in different positions but seems to make no difference.