If I'm induced early can I BF?

[Madratlady]

Possibly a silly question but it's my first baby so please humour me here.

If I'm induced early when will my milk come in? Will I be able to BF straight away?

How early? I was induced at 36+6 with dc3 and breasted for 2 years.

I breastfed my 27weeker for 20 months. Of course you can!

Your milk coming in is triggered by the placenta's removal so it doesn't matter when you give birth, you'll be able to breastfeed.

It always takes a few days for the actual milk to come in, but you'll have colostrum. My ds was born at 35 weeks, my milk came in on day 3 and he fed for 2 years

35+6

Glad to hear it will be possible to bf. Can I still bf him if he's kept in SCBU or NICU? I would express if I couldn't actually bf but I wasn't sure.

Yes you can! Make sure you are there all the time and don't let the staff bully you in to giving him bottles They should have a room you can stay in.

Hope it all goes well.

You definitely can. This might be interesting

Thank you for your advice.

I managed to express bm to be tube fed to 32 week DS1 until he was strong enough to bf - at the time I remember being told the suckle reflex develops by about 35 weeks gestation, so you may not need to even express, unless baby has other health problems. I took DS1 home when he was 35+1 equivalent, and he was ebf then (although other problems meant that wasn't to last). My milk came in on day 3.

DS2 (3wo) was born at 38 weeks by planned section and I'm bfing him with no problems - milk came in on day 4, but he latched on less than an hour after being born and took colostrum, he hasn't had a bottle or other method of feed at all!

I was induced at 38w and am just stopping BF after 2.5y! Hope things go as smoothly as possible for you.

Also, had to express for a week as DD's face was injured during birth (bungled forceps) but we were able to transfer to from-the-source BF with a day or so of protesting. So you are not stuck expressing if you start out that way.

If it makes you feel better I was induced early, it went tits up and ended up having EmCS. Still BFing at 10 months and never brought formula

Looks like the plan might be for me to have a CS instead now.

My experience of cs and starting to bf was absolutely lovely, no reason yours won't be too xx

I had DD at 35+6 but unfortunately I didn't manage to BF which I feel very sad about to this day.

Some things to consider:

• starting to harvest colostrum & store pre-delivery (ask your midwife) so that baby can have breast milk straight away (very useful as pre-term babies can have low blood sugars & need to be fed to improve this)
• consider a hospital-grade pump. I used an Ameda Lactaline. You can get a 2nd hand one on EBay. If baby is on scbu you can express 2/3 hourly.
• if at all possible, stay with your baby (ask if you can room in if baby in scbu). I was sent home 48hrs after emcs while DD remained in hospital for 8 days. During that time BF just slipped away.....
• at just short of 36 weeks your baby might not even need scbu.
• nipple shields can help a small baby latch on.

Hoping everything goes well for you x

Emcs at 34 weeks

Bf till 3 yrs

Yes, you can. I'm nowt special
;)

I would advise you to ask about expressing colostrum. There is loads of info about it online or a bf Counsellor might be able to help. I'd like to say ask your midwife but my experience was that they didn't know much.

I started expressing colostrum at around 36 weeks and was induced at 37+6. Having quite a lot of 'banked' colostrum in the freezer bought me the time I needed for my milk to come in after a failed induction/ cs. My milk came in day 5. DS lost quite a lot of weight but we're now still going at 9 months!

Good luck.

Ended up having an emergency CS, they have been very helpful at the hospital about expressing colostrum. He's tube fed at the moment but I will hopefully be able to breast feed soon.

Congratulations! Hope he's off the tube soon

He's still being tube fed but having a try on the breast each time first. He's quite good at latching on and having a few good sucks but then unlatchea and cries or falls asleep! He's getting expressed milk down his tube at least.

Thats good that he is latching on and having a few sucks - that way he's associating you and latching with the full tummy feeling.

How is he doing generally? And how are you?

I'm doing fine and going home as soon as he midwife gets here to discharge me. I've been waiting afternoon!

DS is doing very well. He needs to be putting weight on and getting all his milk from the breast before he can come home. At the moment he's managing a little from the breast but needing most via his tube, hopefully it'll be another 10 days at most. He's gorgeous and loves to be cuddled, he doesn't like it when I put him down!