Bfing newborn after PPH

[HumptyDumptyBumpty]

Hi all,

My DD is nearly two days old. When she was born we managed a minute or two of skin to skin, but then she went to DH as I had to go to theatre to be transfused and stop the bleeding and be stitched etc.
That took a good few hours, in which time, she got chilly and the mws and DH agreed to ff her, but only a small amount.

Since then I've tried feeding her, have done some skin to skin, but my question is this: she's clearly still hungry after having both boobs, staying on for about 40 mins one side and 15 the other. I think her latch is okay, it's a bit sore but not painful, but I'm unable to hand express anything.

The mw advised that this indicates my colostrum isn't coming through for her, and so I've offered both boobs every time we feed, then given her a bottle. After a bottle she is sated and happy and sleeps. On just boobs, she is still giving hunger cues, and after about ten minutes of being settled, screams.

Is no colostrum usual after a large haemorrhage? Mw says it is, but I can't see how.

Still in hospital, if that makes any difference. TIA.

Oh, and she's huge and late, 10lbs, born at 41+8.

I'm not an expert, but I would advise just keep her on the boob until she's no longer hungry. Just because nothing comes out when you express, doesn't mean nothing is coming out when she's feeding. And not being too painful is a good sign! Lots of skin to skin, snuggling, and feeding for as long as she wants , whether that's 2 minutes or 2 hours.

Congratulations!!

Thanks gladbags. She comes off the boob naturally, and won't relatch, turns her head away etc, needs winding, but is then hungry again fifteen mins later.

Humpty :( :( at the difficult start :(.

To be honest, this sounds like a very quick-to-formula maternity unit. Most units would not advise formula on the occasions you have described - though there may have been/may be clinical reasons why they judged it /judge it necessary and they do need to discuss these with you (they may have done so).

PPH is associated with a slight delay in milk coming in (ie the 'mature' milk that starts being made from about day 3 onwards), but I am not aware that it affects colostrum.

Nothing you say here indicates anything unusual. A baby of this age and beyond often wants to stay close to mum, on or near the breast, for much of the time. She may not be hungry in nutritional terms all the time, but she may well want to stay close and object to being put down to sleep elsewhere. If she is happiest staying close to you, feeding on and off, and sleeping in your arms, this is normal.

There is normally no need for formula at all, and formula at this early stage is very undermining to bf, especially in a situation with PPH which delays milk coming in anyway.

Do get a second opinion - ask to see the infant feeding specialist.

Thanks tiktok, will persevere. Mnetting left handed as feeding her now.

My DS was huge too at 10pounds 2oz. I also had a PPH but didn't require a transfusion. DS feed a lot like you have described. Pretty much all the time. He continued to feed like that for a long time. I was lucky as my mum had feed a large baby and reassured me that feeding like that was pretty common.

Humpty I don't know if this helps at all, but all (5 of!) my children have fed like you describe until my milk came in. It was absolutely constant and they were so unsettled and seemed ravenous. Night 2 was especially difficult with constant rooting, bobbing on and off the breast, periods of screaming etc. I won't lie, it was pretty awful. I did switch to formula with my first two. The last two were EBF and things settled much more once my milk came in.

So, in my experience, what you describe is normal even without a PPP.

Or a PPH... Sorry!