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

1 2

Original poster

Establishing breast feeding after birth - is this true?

38 replies

Babysealion · 25/10/2013 08:00

I'm expecting my first baby in January, it's DP's first baby too so we're both new to this and neither of us have had a great deal with newborns before.
Basically DP claims to have heard from 'several people at work' that after the baby's born, as soon as he's all cleaned up they put him straight onto my chest to try to get him to latch on. Apparently the midwives give it 5 minutes, and if baby doesn't latch on we then have to give him a formula bottle? And then, according to DP, 'it's near-impossible to get the baby to breast feed after that.' Sorry but this doesn't seem true to me as I was under the impression that the NHS would do everything possible to help you establish breastfeeding?! My apologies if it is true though! :)

OP posts:

DefiniteMaybe · 25/10/2013 08:04

Nah that's not true. You should get help to get baby latching, if baby isn't latching or isn't feeding efficiently they might help you to express a bit of colostrum and syringe feed it. My sister had to do this with her baby and he is still breastfeefing 19 months on.

fuckwittery · 25/10/2013 08:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

gamerchick · 25/10/2013 08:07

You don't 'have' to do anything.. This is your baby.

Are you both doing some classes? It might help if neither of you have had much experience.

clarinsgirl · 25/10/2013 08:09

Not true. You will be given time to establish bf. Both of my DSs took a little milk immediately after birth (I had 2 emcs)and I got good support later.

Patilla · 25/10/2013 08:10

Nope. True in the recovery room with DS I was encouraged to have a go. It was nice and calm and they basically latched him on for me. With DD, again in the recovery room (both cs) I kept asking should I try to feed her and they said no, wait until she shows an interest this early just enjoy the cuddles.

Dd was quite sleepy so I just enjoyed the cuddles and when we went down to the ward had a go then.

They are so militant about bfeeding around here that I would be extremely surprised to find anyone with an experience in line with what you have been told.

Monkeyandanimal · 25/10/2013 08:11

I think it's more that they recommend you to try for a breastfeed within the first hour of birth, and straight away is when baby is most likely to be actively searching for the nipple (as i understood it?). But i really don't think they say that breastfeeding is out if baby doesn't latch immediately; it took me 3 days to get DS to latch on, and in the meantime i pumped to get my supply going and just kept trying him at the boob; on day 3 i think he smelled the milk coming in and latched on and fed fine after that. he was sleepy from pethidene when born, so had no interest just after birth. He just wanted to sleep. The nurses and midwives were very supportive of this, and encouraged me to pursue BF. And they did cup feed and give him one small bottle of formula on day 2 just to give some energy to get going, and it didn't stop him from bf after that.

TinyTear · 25/10/2013 08:11

Not true. in the first couple of days babies sleep most of the time anyway.

They should help you latch and you can also ask to see a lactation consultant.

Original poster

Babysealion · 25/10/2013 08:12

Thanks for everyone for clarifying, DP seemed so adamant when telling me that I was getting worried they weren't going to give me a chance to establish the feeding.

OP posts:

fuckwittery · 25/10/2013 08:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NiceOneCenturion · 25/10/2013 08:18

I gave birth at 5.30am and complications meant that I held DS on my chest for about 5 minutes before I had to go into theatre for 2 hours while DH held him. I didn't get to try feeding him until about 1pm and he latched and had first proper long feed at 2pm. He was very sleepy until then.

It was a bit of a worry and I wouldn't have wanted it that way, but I had no problem establishing breastfeeding even after a shaky start so relax and you'll be fine, you've got plenty of time.

JudithOfThePiece · 25/10/2013 08:19

Absolute bollocks, IME. Yes, I tried to get both of my babies to latch on straight away, but neither did. DS took about 24 hours to really do it properly and DD was in SCBU, tube fed for a while (prem) and then latched on after 3 days. I BF both of them for a year each.

If you do the NHS antenatal classes, you should feel for the approach in your area and your DH can find out more, too - rather than relying on his work mates!

MN is a great source of support, too.

rosiedays · 25/10/2013 08:20

Totally rubbish all of it:) oddly the midwives may suggest a bottle if you're struggling but you don't have to give it. Politly refuse and ask for breast feeding support. One bottle does not mean you can't established bf at all. Read through lots of posts on hear and get a good bookabout bf.

There will be some wise posters on soon who can let you know just what to do
Dd3 born 3 months ago. ....
Put straight on my chest at birth, no cleaning needed. Kept her there with no top on for about 2hours then went for bath. Dd fed within 10 mins (and constantly since)
Breast feeding can take time for both you and your baby to get right. Give it time and do your own home work :) It's so worth doing. Good luck
Your dh needs some educating too! Try not to listen to him and seek your information from more reliable source (Mine is was clueless too :) )

thistlelicker · 25/10/2013 08:22

Our hospital recommends at least 1hour skin to skin to encourage feeding, keep baby warm and bonding!!!

Baby will feed when they r ready!!

rosiedays · 25/10/2013 08:25

X post with everyone :)

Bunbaker · 25/10/2013 08:26

Not true. When DD was born she wasn't interested in feeding. It took 4 anxious days for her to learn to latch on. Fortunately the support I had in the hospital was superb and they wouldn't let us home until breastfeeding was established (because I didn't want to bottle feed her).

I don't think hospitals clean babies up as soon as they are born either. They certainly didn't with DD.

TheRetroOwl · 25/10/2013 08:34

I would recommend reading as much about breastfeeding as you can starting from now! It's not as immediately natural and easy for every mother. I read absolutely everything I could get my hands on. It really helped both of us to understand it as a process and to stand our ground when the midwives started muttering about formula. They should give you a reasonable amount of time immediately after birth to get your baby latched on - don't stress if doesn't happen immediately. You'll have plenty of time over the next few hours on the ward to keep trying. Just read up for yourself beforehand what a latch should look and feel like, how to encourage your baby to feed and how to spot hungry signs. Good luck!

NotQuiteCockney · 25/10/2013 08:36

It is true that if you can get the baby latched on in the first hour, the chances of breastfeeding working out are better. Lots of skin to skin (just whenever) can really help.

But 'five minutes or forget it' is not true at all.

AnnieLobeseder · 25/10/2013 08:39

While it's true that it's a good idea to pop baby straight onto your chest to establish a bond and regulate baby's systems, and even better if they have a quick feed, it's by no means compulsory and baby might not want to feed for an hour or two. DD1 was straight onto the breast but DD2 took her time to show any interest.

As others have said, find out as much as you can before baby arrives, but don't worry about it now. You and baby will have plenty of time to figure it out when s/he gets here!

jellyfl00d · 25/10/2013 09:08

It's total bollocks, baby's often have a good few within the first few hours after birth and then are sleepy for approx 24 hrs, usually by the 2nd night babies act like they are ravenous and feed, feed, feed.

Breast feeding is a skill, and it can take people some days before they are comfortable with latching & positioning baby/watching feeding cues etc.
the only time a baby is usually offered a bottle is if it's deemed high risk and not b/f well, if mum is poorly, or if mum has requested a bottle. If there are feeding problems then usually mums are encouraged -supported in expressing until feeding problems are resolved.
your NHS trust should offer a breastfeeding workshop as part if it's antenatal classes, And there is plenty of postnatal support from midwives & other agency's/groups. Please don't worry about what your partner said though.

jellyfl00d · 25/10/2013 09:15

There is a video i think of a newly born baby having skin to skin with mum and left to its own devices re feeding, letting nature take its course.The baby finds breast & suckles after 45-60 mins!
It might be by Michel Odent? (could be wrong on the name)

mouseymummy · 25/10/2013 09:28

I've just given birth and ds took around 45 mins to show an interest, I spent the next two days trying to get the latch right and his positioning right, he is now a week old and still doesn't always latch right, 9times out of 10 he is good as gold but (this usually happens at 3am when I'm so tired I need to lay down to feed) sometimes, his latch isn't great and I spend most of the feed trying to latch him right while he gets stresses at me taking him off and putting him back on!!

Ds is my third and I've bf all 3, only dd2 didn't feed properly and I had to ff with her but that was down to the fact that my milk didn't come in and her weight dropped down too far.

I have heard this previously, when I was pg with dd1 and I got scared too, my mW said that she didn't know any new mum who had managed to get baby to latch on within 5 mins!! Don't know if it is true but it made me feel better!!

jumperooo · 25/10/2013 09:30

I went to theatre for several hours, an hour after giving birth in the morning. I then had several hours of blood transfusions. It was about 8 hours and evening before I had DD skin to skin properly and any breastfeeding was attempted. She wasn't interested, very sleepy after pethidine, epidural and also jaundiced. I tried and failed all through the night. Over 24 hours later when she had not fed at all, I asked for formula which she took. I was discharged soon after with the advice to just keep trying to BF. Tried at home, failed, and gave formula ever since. DD is thriving. The NHS are pro BF, in my experience but no one explained to me until months later that I probably failed to establish BF after a traumatic birth, drugs and blood transfusions plus hours away from DD after birth with no skin to skin.
I always planned to BF. It hasn't bothered me, I was pretty poorly in the early days so we did what we thought was best for us, but I know many people who are still upset that they didn't breastfeed.

BigWoooooo · 25/10/2013 09:43

DS didn't latch on for 2 full days. The hospital were really supportive and we got there in the end! He was given bits of formula to help him through but that beginning bit but once we figured it out it was fine. Good luck!

readysteady · 25/10/2013 09:47

I too never got skin to skin for 5 hours after my Dd was born as she and I were poorly. They asked about formula but as there was no need I said no. She was returned to me 5 hours later and latched on. I fed her for 18months :)

BerstieSpotts · 25/10/2013 09:57

Wow, 5 minutes?!

I had skin to skin with DS when he was born but he didn't latch on. Midwives said not to worry, it will come. I'm not sure how long it was until we went onto the ward but as soon as we got there, we both fell asleep for about 8 hours. I woke up and panicked because he'd been born for all this time and I hadn't even managed to feed him yet. Asked a midwife for help, he got latched on, everything was good :)

When I did breastfeeding peer support training we were told that babies usually can't/don't get the instinct to latch on until about an hour after birth, it's very rare for them to do it immediately. If you think about it they are receiving food all the time inside you from the placenta so they aren't hungry when they are born.

Flip

1 2