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Infant feeding

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

Day four. Desperate!

47 replies

Moonrocks6 · 02/10/2016 07:30

Dd is four days old today. She was born after a very long labour ending in emergency c section.
I think that my milk came in yesterday evening and dd has fed ALL night. From 1:30 til now with only very short gaps between before she starts snuffling around for nipple.
She has a tongue tie and her latch is not always wonderful but she tends to feed for a short period before starting to nod off. I have to constantly tickle and prod her to keep her feeding.
Sometimes as she is attempting to latch she looks disgusted and will suddenly gag.

Sorry. This has become a really long and rambling post but I am so tired.
Has anyone got any ideas what I can do to help? Is this normal? Has anyone experienced similar or does anyone have any advice?

OP posts:
Moonrocks6 · 05/10/2016 22:51

She had put on 3oz and did the most enormous poo, all up her back!

I have never been so pleased to smell something so truly disgusting.

OP posts:
ZZZZ1111 · 06/10/2016 07:18

Well done Moonrock you're obviously both doing really well! Keep going and like I said just get as much support as you can at this stage as it can really make a difference!

amysmummy12345 · 06/10/2016 07:44

Haha love those poos where you don't even know where to start the clean up 😂

Moonrocks6 · 07/10/2016 08:14

I really thought that we were getting somewhere but have been up all night again. Dd will sleep for 20 minutes then is awake and crying. If I try to put her on to feed she goes nuts, shaking her head and screaming.
She is well overdue a feed but gets so upset when I try.
Does this sound like wind? I've spent hours patting her back but nothing is coming up.
Any advice greatfully received.

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ZZZZ1111 · 07/10/2016 09:04

Sorry you had a bad night. I remember how exhausting and soul destroying they can be. There could be a number of things that are causing her to be so fussy. I would recommend you have a chat to someone with BF expertise to make sure you get good advice!

The NCT BF helpline number is 0300 330 0771. You don't need to be an NCT member to call.

Your children's centre should also have some BF champions who could support and probably offer drop ins.

Breastfeeding support and information UK is a great Facebook group run by BF trained supporters.

I know how hopeless and fraught things can feel at this stage. But it's early days and you guys just need some support to get the hang of it and have some practice. Your baby needs to learn how to use her tongue and latch/suck properly. This won't happen overnight but will happen!!

Cakescakescakes · 07/10/2016 09:08

It'll take a few days after the tongue snip for her latch to improve. Just keep feeding, plenty of lansinoh as the shallow latch can destroy your nipples. If you have any breastfeeding support groups locally try to get to one. Support in person can be really reassuring. My ds1 would cry a lot at the start of a feed as he wanted the milk to come out immediately and he has tongue tie so had a sloppy latch which took a while to get the let down going. Could you try expressing just with your hand a wee bit to get a few drops out so there is milk on your nipple when she latches on. The taste might encourage her to suck?

TripTrappedNow · 07/10/2016 09:27

You've taken me right back 6 years reading your posts.

They are fond memories now mostly but I remember the worry and DH remembers the face I used to pull when DS latched on. I posted on here many times and got lots of help.

I am not qualified so can only give my experience.

In the end I gave formula top ups for a couple of weeks week 2-4/6 and then dropped them off again fairly quickly and that got us through. I was too exhausted to continue on bottles apart from all the other reasons I wanted to bf! But it bought us the time to sort it out. And bf was lovely, convenient, practical and easy .... in the end.

The thing that helped me eventually (just in case it helps you) was sitting braless and imagining a straight line from centre of breast on body down through nipple and getting baby positioned so that line continued (in my imagination) through to his tonsils! Suddenly he was getting big gulps just like you see on the videos and we were away. I got this advice from a mw at a breastfeeding drop in clinic at the hospital when DS was 4 weeks.

Flowers and Cake for you.

ZZZZ1111 · 07/10/2016 10:10

Just thought have you heard of cranial osteopaths? Some people feel they can help babies who have been through difficult births or tongue tie procedures. They gently manipulate the baby's body to put it all back into alignment (I think!). We went after our TT snip as apparently can help to ease the inevitable stiffness that the baby will feel. I can't say I felt it particularly helped, but I know lots of people who feel it made a massive difference to their baby's mood/feeding.

amysmummy12345 · 07/10/2016 11:31

I used a cranial osteopath after an incredibly quick labour and a week in hospital where daughter had lumbar puncture amongst other things, they did seem to help with the crying x

Tumtitum · 07/10/2016 14:17

OP how long since she had the TT released, she might be a little sore still? I know how worrying it is but she will feed eventually, just keep trying but don't force it if she's getting upset. Are you getting any follow up support from the TT clinic? We had about 3 (private) follow up appointments and they were invaluable, mainly in setting my mind at rest and giving me the confidence to carry on. Definitely worth seeing someone face to face whether you pay for it or just go to a breastfeeding cafe (which can be quite hit and miss so you may have to try more than one to find one that you like. Good luck and well done for getting this far :)

Moonrocks6 · 09/10/2016 01:44

Had a great night last night. Woke 4 times to feed then back off immediately. Tonight we are back to screaming and refusing breast.
I spoke to s lovely lady on the nct helpline. She suggested some different goods but no luck.
She is fine firing the day, it's just nights that are tricky.
Tie was released last Tuesday. No follow up support had been mentioned.

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Tumtitum · 09/10/2016 02:16

I would seriously consider seeing a lactation consultant for some follow up support. The LC I saw was really strong in doing a type of massage and then stretching of the TT wound, to stop it reattaching or scar tissue forming. The follow up appointments, as well as just giving general support and advice, checked the healing of the TT. What part of the UK are you in OP?

Moonrocks6 · 09/10/2016 02:20

We're in Leeds.

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AndIAskMyself · 09/10/2016 10:53

When you had the tongue tie cut did they give you exercises to do with your baby before each feed? This is really important - some babies don't need it, but a lot do.

My DS is now almost 9 weeks old and I posted here when my son had tongue tie in the early days. I did supplement with formula until the tie was cut, as my nipples were bleeding and blistered. But once cut I have been exclusively feeding breast milk. It has been hard because he has cluster fed a lot, and it's actually only turned a corner for me this week. People do say it gets better, and that feels so far away when you're in the middle of marathon feeding sessions and you're knackered.

When my son got the tie cut (we had this done privately at home), my DS couldn't work out how to use his tongue again and couldn't suck at all, and he was very distressed when I tried to put him to the breast. I was so worried about him. I was told to do the following before every feed to help his suck:

Stick a clean index finger in his mouth with fingernail down to the tongue and the pad to the roof of his mouth. He should then start to suck - but it might be quite a weak suck.

Next trace your finger around his mouth and you will find his tongue follows your finger. Do this a few times.

Then get him to suck your index finger again and his suck should be stronger.

Repeat this process two or three times before each feed until you feel you don't need to. I had to do it for two weeks. And I still do it periodically even now at nearly 9 weeks.

There are more suck training techniques, but this was the only one I was told to do, and it worked. But you can find more online if you google.

This might not be the problem, but I thought I'd offer this as something to try.

If you think it's wind though, don't be afraid to try infacol. My DS got wind from 2 weeks and it really helped him.

Tumtitum · 09/10/2016 12:22

Damn if you were in London I would tell you to see my LC, Katherine Fisher, she was really good. If you google her she does offer free phone advice and may be able to recommend any colleagues she knows in Leeds?? We didn't do suck training but did do massage of the TT wound to ensure it healed properly. There is a website which gives details of LCs with the right qualifications etc as there are some quacks out there. I'll try to find it for you

Moonrocks6 · 09/10/2016 15:34

Thanks I will try some of those exercises. We weren't given any advice about things to do with her after.
I am seeing the midwife for a weigh in tomorrow so will ask about a referral to a lactation specialist.

I have been given so much differing advice that I am questioning everything that I am doing.
One midwife told me to express to drain the breast after she has fed to build up supply but then another told me to put her back on the same breast to make sure that she is getting the hind milk. Does anyone have any idea how to balance these two things.

OP posts:
Moonrocks6 · 09/10/2016 15:34

?

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Moonrocks6 · 09/10/2016 15:36

She generally feeds fine during the day so I'm not sure that it is s latch problem.
So confused.

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AndIAskMyself · 09/10/2016 17:57

For me to build up my supply I expressed as often as I could, even if I wasn't getting all that much out, I became quite good at feeding him on one boob and expressing the other.

I don't know the official guidance, but I tend to keep my baby on the one boob per feed so he can fully drain that breast in that feed. I was advised to do that at a breastfeeding cafe. They watched me feed him and I switched sides when he started fussing and they asked why I did that, and I didn't really know why. I just did it. They suggested to keep him on the same boob for hindmilk . But like I say, I've no idea if it's right. But it worked for me. But I do see most people offering both sides per feed. And the HVs say you should offer both.

amysmummy12345 · 09/10/2016 20:22

I've never swapped sides during a feed, in fact dd2 who I'm currently feeding hates my left boob and will only feed from it at night, so she has right boob all day and left boob all night... Don't ask how or why because I couldn't tell you but it works for us!

Tumtitum · 09/10/2016 21:30

I was told to swap sides when DD fussed! But you can always offer both sides twice. Apparently the fore milk hindmilk advice is a bit outdated now anyway? There's a blog about it called something like Analytical Armadillo, maybe google it?

AndIAskMyself · 09/10/2016 21:51

Yes - my DS hates my right boob. The nipple was flatter. So he mainly feeds from the left and I always express from the right. I have an app to log my feeeds and he tends to only feed from the right about a 3rd of the time. My sister told me off for doing it, but it works for us.

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