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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Help me with my 1 week old...

10 replies

Rjd13 · 03/10/2018 09:41

Hi

Had my little boy 6 days ago after a 4 day long induction at 38 weeks. I bf for the first 24 hours, he latched straight away with a bit of help. I had gestational diabetes and due to his sugar readings the midwives took feeding off me and switched to formula to give him a boost for the next 2 days. I tried to hand express but found that I was producing so little I just stopped. Exhaustion got the better of me and I went for the easy option and continued with formula.

I now have the most horrendous guilt that my baby hasn’t been given the best start. Is there any point in trying to re-establish breast feeding now or has he already misssed the important stuff?

My milk is only just coming in now...

OP posts:
Sarahani · 03/10/2018 09:53

You can absolutely put him to the breast Smile it's such early days. My milk didn't come in to day 5 and I'm still feeding DD two years later.

Do you have any breastfeeding support groups locally?

sabrinathethirtysomethingwitch · 03/10/2018 10:57

Of course!! Get baby on the the breast now. Women can relactate weeks/months after giving birth. Some women who have not given birth have managed to induce lactation Ask to see infant feeding co-ordinator

NationalShiteDay · 03/10/2018 19:36

You can absolutely breastfeed him! Plenty of skin to skin contact, give him time to establish feeding. If you can, I'd just sit in bed all DS with boobs out. Appreciate this May not be practical! Get your midwife to support you. Do you have a local breastfeeding support service you could call?

Fooferella · 03/10/2018 19:46

Oh OP, a bit of a hard start for youFlowers. I agree with other posters that if your milk is just coming in then go for it and it will likely work out fine. Equally, if it doesn't take and you end up formula feeding then please don't feel guilty. As long as your baby Is being fed it will be fine.

Original poster
Rjd13 · 03/10/2018 21:15

Thanks all, my DP has set up my breast pump (tested on himself Grin) and I’m going to start expressing to build up supply as per midwife’s advice. Fingers crossed!

OP posts:
Shelley54 · 04/10/2018 09:26

Honestly the best way to build up supply is putting baby to breast, not using a pump. I speak as someone who was in a similar situation to you with DS1 and ended up pumping for 9 months as we never got back to breastfeeding. Pumping every couple of hours is hard, much harder than putting baby to boob as often as you can.

Sarahani · 04/10/2018 18:40

Pumping is great to help build your supply but I second putting him to the breast as much as possible. It's still very early days for you both. Lots of skin to skin and letting him have free access to the boobs.

Breast compressions are a great help
With increasing supply, getting more milk into baby and keeping them actively feeding so they don't drop off to sleep or pull off too soon.

Happygolucky009 · 04/10/2018 18:43

Enjoy a duvet day with lots of skin to skin

Congratulations you can do this Flowers

BertrandRussell · 04/10/2018 19:11

Try putting him to the breast loads- I really wouldn't try expressing, the best way to build up supply is to feed, feed, feed!

babycatcher411 · 05/10/2018 13:38

Remember you can never over feed a breastfed baby, so do not worry about your baby being on the breast a lot

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