Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Help for my cousin

17 replies

burstingwithfestivitybug · 30/12/2006 10:51

My cousin had her 1st baby on xmas day. It sounded like an awful birth. She was told she wasn't in labour and sent home, she was then rushed back into hospital, placenta came out first?? She ended up having a C/S under general annesetic. As a result her dd was given formula as I understand. She has been trying to breastfeed and unsuccessful from what I gather, she doesn't seem to be producing any milk. Is this because of a really traumatic birth, will she be able to breast feed at all? I have said that she should try and put baby to breast at every opertunity in hope that she'll have some success. I hope to speak to my Aunt to get more detail soon. But if any one has any advice I'd be grateful and pass it on to her.

OP posts:
Original poster
burstingwithfestivitybug · 30/12/2006 12:52

anyone have any thoughts?

OP posts:
LIZS · 30/12/2006 12:58

Pass on the various breastfeeding counselling numbers (LLL,NCT etc)? Warm baths with baby, stay in bed, skin-to-skin contact

kiskidee · 30/12/2006 12:58

is she still in hospital? or at home?

her milk would still come in despite her trauma. yes she should still try to bf at every opportunity.

get her/or her mum to contact a bf counsellor on one of the helplines.

La Leche League ? 0845 120 2918
National Childbirth Trust - 0870 444 8708 (8am ? 10 pm)
Association of Breastfeeding Mothers ? 0870 401 7711 (9.30am -10.30pm)
Breastfeeding Network - 0870 900 8787 (9.30am -9.30pm)

kiskidee · 30/12/2006 13:01

if she is still in hospital, tell your aunt to enquire about a bf counsellor attached to the hospital or midwife with extensive bf knowledge (ideally one who has bf herself) to support your cousin. one to one advice from someone who truly knows what they are talking about is priceless.

wools · 30/12/2006 13:01

I'm sure somebody more knowledgable will come along soon. You're right in telling her to put the baby to the breast as much as possible. Poor woman, she has had a terrible time. Perhaps her milk hasn't come in properly yet - it's only 5 days since she gave birth. I don't know if it's connected with a traumatic birth. I hope things work out for her.

wools · 30/12/2006 13:03

Sorry cross posted - already people with good advice for you

Kristingle · 30/12/2006 13:07

liz - she cant bath with the baby she has just had a CS!

I bet she is still in shock aftre such an ordeal. But yes her milk will be there. I woudl have thought that she woudl be at the full sore stage and she needs to feed as often as she can. Sometimes its hard to get the baby to latch on if your breasts are hard. Especially aftr the section when its hard to move around in bed and manover the baby. She really needs hands on help from someone who knwos what they are doing IYSWIM

If she is still in hospital they need to get her the infant feeding specailist person - there shoudl be one in her hospital. they should be a litle more use than the MW on the ward. Of course they may be on holiday....sigh....

If she is at home it will be teh community midwife and its the luck of teh draw if they are good or useless. Defo get her to call helplines

Original poster
burstingwithfestivitybug · 30/12/2006 13:08

Thanks all, yes she's out of hospital and back home. She's in London, so I guess there are quite a few bfc's there. I'll pass on the numbers and see if she is able to have warm baths with dd.

OP posts:
Kristingle · 30/12/2006 13:34

ok I am not an expert but there dont seem to be any of them around today!! thsi is what I woudl do if it were me:

install her in the double bed with baby beside the bed in moses basket/crib/cot

get lots of magazines and tv in bedroom

stay in bed and dont get dressed . it gives teh message that you are well when you are not

have no visiotrs

have room nice and warm, strip baby to nappy and mum to bra and have lots of skin to skin contcat in bed. someone needs to hand baby too and from mum

try to get him to feed often

try different feeding positions to see which one suits

get someone else to bring lots of food and drinkl to mum. it doenst affect milk but makes her feel better

get someone else to make a schedule of all her meds especaiily painkillers and give her them on time. whether she thinks she needs them or not (its hard to feed if you are in pain)

have one other person ( not several) chaneg baby's nappy, then put him back in cot beside mum. no passing round baby . he may be traumatised too after birth.

keep telling her she is doing brilliantly

mum needs to stay in bed rest eat sleep and feed baby. and read listen to music watch tv etc.

did I say no visitors? unless she feels confortabel stripped to the waist sitting in bed in front of them!!!

Kristingle · 30/12/2006 13:34

sorry for bad oen handed typing am feeding baby with other hand

PeachysaysBlwyddynNewyddDda · 30/12/2006 13:54

Hi, i'm not completely up to date but I did do the Unicef training a few years back so have some knowledge (and a good file of info LOL).

I would do the following:

firstly, as someone said install her in bed- this is often known as a babymoon, it got feeding re-established for me with ds3 so I know it works.

make sure she has (and is taking in) penty of food and drinks, as she has to get her body back to health after the birth

then get her to call the bf counsellors, I would recommend the ones at the association of breastfeeding mothers, simply because I know one of the big bods there and she's pure wonderful.

finally, I am wondering if stress is the problem with let down, as she has been through the sort of birth that can precipitate post traumatic stress, and stress is one of the few things that can adversely affect let down. Lots of massages (DH), reassurance at every step of the way (you know, on our training we did as much about giving positive reassurance as anything else) and perhaps getting her to talk about the birth if it helps.

Definitely speak to the COunsellors though, keep this bumped for TikTok who is an expert and dor emember that if she des end up bottlefeeding, the world won't end. I promise.

Well done you for being so caring.

PeachysaysBlwyddynNewyddDda · 30/12/2006 13:55

(PS I gave up on BF my eldest who was born after the millenium because id din't want to disturb people over the holidays- huge mistake, he turned out to be allergic to formula. And I got a telling off by the ABM for being too shy to call them . They want to help, they really do)

Original poster
burstingwithfestivitybug · 30/12/2006 14:06

Aw thanks everyone. I've text my Aunt to see how things are, hopefully she'll fill me in more on what happened and whats going on now. Will advise her on everything that has been mentioned on here in hope of a positive outcome.
I'll also post on here and update on the situation when I hear more.

OP posts:
Kristingle · 30/12/2006 14:20

what a kind cousin you are!!!

adath · 30/12/2006 18:45

Just to say sorry if someone else has that although she did labour she ended up with a section and that means the "switch" to bring in her milk may not have been flicked and women who have had a section it can take uo to 10 days or sore for the milk to come in.

Kristingle · 30/12/2006 19:47

The kellymom site says that

"The abrupt hormonal shift that occurs at the separation of the placenta from the uterus is what signals your milk to come in. Thus mom's body will get the same signal whether she has a cesarean or vaginal birth. Moms who have stressful births (cesarean or vaginal) tend to have their milk come in a little bit later. Your milk may come in anywhere from day 2 to day 6 (usually around days 2-3). If your milk is slow coming in, try not to worry, but put baby to breast as often as possible..."

there is lots of other info on bf after a section here

adath · 30/12/2006 21:21

I have since you made this post gone exploring and have read medical research etc that does state that lactation in women that have had a section over a vaginal birth can be delayed by several days. This was women who had laboured and had elective sections. The research seemed to show that there was no significant difference in the speed labouring and elective section got their milk in but there was a significant difference in the time that women having a vaginal birth did.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page