No latch, no colostrum - any advice?

[Beccadugs]

Hello.

I had my baby on Thursday evening after an emergency CS. She seemed to feed well initially, but I'm not sure she did with hindsight.

She won't latch on, pushing anything that goes in out with her lips. The midwives have tried to help, which is mainly pinching the nipple so she can get more in, and then removing her and starting again when it slips out.

Secondly I appear not to have any colostrum. I've tried hand expressing, and using a pump. My boobs don't feel any different, and, to be honest they are pretty floppy and saggy.

Will things improve once the milk comes in? So that I might at least be able to express some?

Has anyone else just not had any colostrum?

Thanks!

It's quite important to start expressing as soon as you can after birth to stimulate milk supply. I have a video here which I will link to that may help you. My daughter did not latch properly for 2 days after birth and I had to get a midwife to show me how to hand express, I collected the colostrum in syringes and gave it to her in SCBU in between trying and trying to get her latched on, which eventually happened after much perseverance. I hope this will help you.

Insist that you need help with expressing, I had to pester for help, and it's not fair to have to do that.

newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/HandExpression.html

Yes, I had v little colostrum and a hungry and jaudiced dd1. Things improved immensely when my milk came in.

Do try the hand expressing and as highlander said, insist on more help.

I found the telephone lines (national bfingand la leche) hugely helpful.

But you sound like you need more real life help with the latch. is your midwife coming back? My hv team has a bf support person - could you see if their equivalent could come? kick up, kick up, kick up!

Are you still in the hospital? Ask if they have an infant feeding co-ordinator/specialist who can see you asap. If the baby isn't feeding and you aren't managing to express any colostrum yet then I think you need someone to see you face to face.

Hi all,

Thanks for your replies. I am still in hospital and have seen lots of people, nobody can seem to help with the hand expressing (4 people have tried hands on!).
I am continuing to give it a go, and am using the pump "to stimulate" things every three hours.

We had some latching success today lying down. She certainly didn't want to give it up!

Due to infection we are having to give regular formula which is making her quite sleepy and probably isn't helping!

Thanks again for your replies!

Well done on the latching success! Keep trying!

No, that won't be helping in the slightest, not to mention that they are probably giving her large amounts of formula, stretching her tummy, making her used to large amounts that she just wouldn't be getting from you, her tummy should be around the size of a large marble on day 2/3.

Do you try to express while baby is with you? Look at her while you do it, that helps, every 3 hours isn't often enough, try every 2, use a warm flannel to massage as well.

Good luck.

Have you tried the rugby hold? Or do you have a partner or someone who can hold baby in position? I had an emergency CS and I couldn't hold baby without support for a good few days.

Has she been checked for tongue tie?

Thanks again everyone. Have upped the expressing and my boobs gave gone much harder this afternoon (perhaps hormones taking a wee while to catch up post section?) we've had a couple more good latches in the prone(lazy relaxed mummy!) position, particularly successfully straight after a pump. I'm going to stick with the position until I'm a bit more mobile, not only because it is a great snugly feeling.

Thanks again, I really appreciate all the advice/and "fresh eyes"!!

P.s. HighlanderMam, she refused most of the formula post feed with me!

Wonderful! Hard boobs definitely suggests your milk coming in. Keep it up, well done for persevering, as little one is being supplemented with formula at the moment I think this article will help you, the kellymom website is invaluable for breastfeeding mums.

kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/basics/decrease-formula/

How are you and the wee one doing Beccadugs?

Sounds like you're getting there. Don't let them hand express you. It's something you need to do IMO. Watch videos on YouTube but in essence you need to feel for bumps in the areola and stimulate those.

I used to get a few drops to appear by doing this before latching DD. It helped to get her interest if that makes sense?