Advice needed

[Summ3r]

Hi there. My lo is 16 days old and apart from the first feed in the hospital she has been ff. I am now regretting my decision and really wanting to breastfeed. My boobs have gone down now but if I squeeze them I can get some milk out. Is it possible to start bf now? I tried to latch my lo yesterday and today and she's having none of it and gets all worked up and screams till I give her a bottle so I'm scared incase she had 'forgotten' how to latch onto my breast. I'm also on an antibiotic called clindamycin for a uterine infection after having retained membranes after delivery. I'll be foning my hv tomorrow to see if u can breastfeed whilst taking them but does anyone know if u can ? Also the thought of bf in front of anyone bar my husband makes me very nervous and puts me off! Any advice on how to get over this ?

[NickyEds]

It's by no means impossible but I think it will be hard work. I think you need a proper plan for how to get your baby back to the breast and LLL or the nct helplines might be a place to start. In my area LLL have peer supporters that will come to your home, ask about them. Also find out if there's a breast feeding support group near you, they're sometimes called bf cafes, mine is called breast buddies (you just have to ignore the twee names!). Are you still in the care of the mw or have you been discharged? Also your gp or mw (or even the post natal ward you were discharged from)might be better placed to advise about the anti biotics than your hv (but all worth a try!). Surround yourself with support and go for it!

[naichick]

Hi Op,
Congratulations on your new baby and well done for wanting to breastfeed. Your milk supply should come back if you can get her to latch. How about using nipple shields so the teat us more bottle teat like? Im no expert but might be worth a try! Also totally agree with Pp about getting plenty of support. You can bf taking those abx but it may give your lo a poorly tummy. So contact gp or maternity ward ot midwife to see about changing them.

[naichick]

Sorry I but her i meant lo!

[Trastevere]

Congratulations on your little bundle!
Yes it is still very possible to breastfeed but it will take a while to build your supply back up and will involve the baby being on the breastfeeding a LOT in order to do this.
Have a look at the La Leche League website - it's full of useful advice. Also there will probably be a breastfeeding support group near you so Google that.
Good luck. Breastfeeding is a wonderful experience once you get established (expect some pain for a while) and I miss it very much.

[Trastevere]

Being on the *breast

[Summ3r]

Thank u everyone for ur responses. My lg has refused to feed of my breast. I've only got her to latch once and he sucked so hard and cried every 2 mins while sucking like she wasn't getting Anything?? She is now 3 weeks old and still on the bottle. I also don't think I've any milk left now so I don't think that bf is even possible now I asked for advice of my health visitor who told me to continue bottle feeding as she's thriving just fine the way she is. There really isn't any support out there especially in NI for mums who want to bf I feel defeated

[ZZZZ1111]

Are there any BF drop ins at your children's centre?

You could call the nct helpline?

If you have the money I would find a lactation consultant and get their help (icgb.org)

I'm sure it is possible if you can get the right support! Good luck!!

[ZZZZ1111]

Sorry that's LCGB.org

[Jojooba]

Hi

I wanted to know if anyone has used seaweed cleanser and toners from bodyshop. And is this safe to use whilst breastfeeding.