Waiting for milk to come in

[igggi]

Sorry if this topic has been asked a million times, in hospital with only ny phone and could really use quick, MN advice!
Have spent a second night feeding newborn ds2 throughout the night - literally hour after hour. Knackered and nipples chewed to death! Midwives talking about him feeding so much as my milk isn't in yet, have been offered a formula top-up as well.
So questions are - how long till this magic milk arrives? (Ds born Wed pm). Should I accept top-up? Can I have reconstructive surgery on mangled nipples or will they heal themselves?
TIA

tiktok again this morning, I witnessed/supported lots of mums who were timing first feeds of colostrum and worrying themsleves silly they don't have enough milk. A fair few had already 'topped' with formula as they didn't think they had enough.

However, when volunteering on a ward where peer helpers aren't medically trained and where you cannot undermine midwives (understandably), it is hard to explain to mums how newborn breastfeeding works and give them the confidence they need to carry on.

I feel like a very small fish in a massive pond of mis-information but I can only support them and use my training I guess to give the information I have.

loopy - are you a bf peer supporter?
i think if so, then you have more feeding expertise than they do.

i have a mw friend who says they are not trained properly in feeding.

No I realise that and yes I am a trained bf peer supporter however, when on a postantal ward, there are other issues coming into play that I don't come across in a bf suport group at the childrens centre for example.

For instance, today, a mummy was giving formula because her baby had only fed about 3 or 4 times since yesterday morning and whilst I can explain to her that skin to skin sis fab and will encourage feeding/try feeding her regularly/check position etc, if the midwifery team have said to give her formula, it is not in my jurisdiction to say she shouldn't.

But yes, you are right when you say that not all midwives have had the same amount of training (although more are now doing the Unicef course).

GPs certainly don't have much training, although the Nursing and Midwifery Council (think it's them) have now introduced a CD for GPs to count towards their CD training. Until now, there is nothing to say that GPs have to complete any information they're sent so they could in theory bin it. This new CD though, designed by a midwifer, enables GPs to spend about 45 mins working through a CD and then it counts towards their CPD - fab for them and the surgery.

it's a shame that your hospital can't devise some kind of "work together" scheme - maybe if the MW wants to suggest formula, that they ask one of you lot first, or bring you into the consultation.
you know - like they say "I think we need to look at your feeding problems and work them through", rather than them deciding they know what they don't know.

It's horrible having to be told to give up so quickly (especially with the take up of BF being so low)

I know it's a hard subject to broach, but maybe you could make an appointment with the Manager and ask them about starting something like that - better for it to come from above than below.

You could do some research into other organisations that already do something similar to arm yourself. :)

It is difficult for peer supporters...one response would be to report these difficulties to the co-ordinator, who should be supporting you and liaising with the infant feeding specialists. You can say, 'sometimes we come across mothers who have been told to supplement with formula milk very early on, and we are not sure why - can the midwives explain and what would be the best way to respond to these mothers who often want to return to full bf?"

Thanks tiktok - great idea - I shall do that

A bit late on this thread but I am one of those mothers who was 'offered' ie pressured into using formula top ups by midwives and paed. I had DTs about 10am and DTD was small so went to SCBU, and I was trying to express for her and feed DTS. They gave her formula via nasal tube without discussing with me (asked my DH instead) and encouraged use of bottles rather than bf in order to get her discharged sooner

With DTS, I struggled on night one with getting the position right and was offered formula top up at 3am which I refused. I was told by ibe NW to wake for feeds every 3 hrs, by another not to wake. I thought feeding DTS was going quite well after that as he seemed to latch well etc but they weighed him on day 3 and he'd lost 10.5% body weight so they sent the paed to see me and basically told me I had to top up, and DH put pressure on me too so I caved.

I really wish I'd known that this would have an adverse impact on supply but I was naive and didn't even know such a thing as a bf peer supporter even existed! Am still mix feeding now 6 months on so not a complete disaster but do still feel let down and misinformed and a tad bitter even now!

Ibe NW = one MW!

Write and complain, ceeveebee - no one can be sure DTS did not need supplementing, but unless you were also given plenty of help and support to hand (not pump) express colostrum for him as an option, then the HCPs were lacking in their care.

A small amount of formula given in response to medical need does not have to impact on supply - as long as the proper care and support are given, too.

Thanks tiktok, will think about it. I did hand express colostrum and they said I had loads so I still don't understand why he lost so much weight. No point worrying about it now I guess, they're both thriving, but just wish I'd known about peer supporters when in hospital, could have done with someone fighting my corner against MW, paed, DH.