Please help......4-day old DD struggling with feeding....panic-stricken and only been home for 6 hours!

[BabyValentine]

Hi there,

DD was born on Saturday morning after a fairly quick labour (approx. 12 hours, first baby). I had an episiotomy to aid delivery, but her head and face were quite swollen and she had two dusky episodes straight after delivery.

She wouldn't BF immediately, and as her blood sugar was low she was given formula (something I wanted to avoid, but was too much in shock to protest, and was also told that it was really the only option). However, with her second formula feed she started having blue episodes - and seemed to be struggling to breathe through her nose. To cut a long and stressful story short, she was checked by every paediatrician in the hospital and they gave her a clean bill of health but failed to come up with any answers (discoordinated swallowing due to being only 37 weeks...sometimes it takes some babies longer than others to breathe, swallow and suck...oedema due to traumatic delivery with swelling affecting her breathing etc..)

We were discharged today (although she is slightly jaundiced, but bilirubin tests today and yesterday both okay, so no treatment required). I BF successfully (?) in hospital at 20:00, 11:00 (yesterday), 02:00 and 9:00 (this morning) and then they sent us off into the big wide world by ourselves....

Since getting home, DD has breastfed once at 14:00. She seems to be still learning (like me!) and doesn't open her mouth very wide. When I eventually get her latched on, she seems very half-hearted and gives about 10 sucks maximum (my milk is definately IN today, so hopefully she is getting something) and then drops off again, so over the course of 30 minutes will get about 15 breast-time). She also seems to fall asleep almost immediately (I have tried stripping her, tickling, blowing, wet flannel etc) and she doesn't seem to cry when hungry (jaundiced?). She is also very snuffly, so much so that she/I were completely unable to BF for the last feed (18:00, which we woke her for) as she doesn't seem to be able to breathe through her nose. I ended up giving her approx. 30 mL expressed milk from a bottle, which she took with difficulty). She also seems to have lots of wind (is this because she is latched on incorrectly, or because she is snuffly)...

So many questions, and still 15 hours before the midwife visit! I have expressed milk for her to have during the night if she won't BF - but how do I know she is getting enough, am I making a rod for my own back wrt the bottle-feeding, and why is she so snuffly (and what should I do about it)?

Sorry for the rambling message - feeling pretty stressed...

Thanks
BVx

Hi
First of all, congratulations!

You are doing al lthe right things.
I found my own babies slow with the feeding to begin with but I kept on offering as you are.
I wouldn't bother with expressing yet.You have enough on your plate and you need to get her thoroughly acquainted with your nipples before complicating the picture.Also,the sucking stimulates the breasts to produce milk better than a breastpump will.

I am hoping that your MW is clued up about breastfeeding (lots aren't unfortunately).
Remember,this is a skill that takes time and patience and practice.Forget about EVERYTHING else for now and concentrate on unfettered access to the breast.

Assoc for Breastfeeding Mothers have a great helpline too.

08444 122 949

Keep posting!

XX

Hi baby valentine
Congratulations on the safe arrival of your little one. My DD is now 22 weeks, she also was a snuffly baby and had jaundice ( as alot of babies do). I found at first my DD use to BF for no more than 10 min in total after being latched on for ages, like you, first time mum not knowing what is best. As long as DD is feeding and taking milk, I'm sure you've no need to worry. With regards to the snuffles, the doc gave us salt water nasal drops when she was only 2 weeks old if that. Stick with it, your doing fantastic job and I'm sure DD will settle soon enough.
Good luck

I have no experience of this and can't help at all but didn't want your post to go unanswered.

Have you contacted one of the BF helplines? I know the NCT one is open until 10pm. The ladies on them are experts on bfing problems and will be able to give you some support, and possibly put you in touch with a BFC in your area who could come and visit.

TBH, it doesn't sound as though you've had the best support from the midwives so far and a bfc will probably be more use to you. Give me a tick while I find the numbers............

Hiya BabyValentine,

Firstly congrats on your lo
2nd, dont panic, you doing everything just right- these things take time, both of you need to learn to bf, and get to know eachother too.

My ds has similar story to your dd, dusky episodes after birth (8 approx) and spent 3 days in scbu as a result, the snufflyness might just be that she still a bit 'mucusey' - i know they say that this usually doesnt last this long but it did with my ds!

Anyway, what wanted to say is it took us a few days to get going with the bf but once we got the hang of it there was (and still is!) not stopping him- he 6weeks now and already put on 4lb!
So just trust your insticts, don't panic and try to relax, everything will be just fine!

Here you go, hope one of them can help!
NCT supporter line 0870 444 8708
La Leche League 0845 120 2918
Association of BF Mothers 020 7813 1481 and 08444 122 949
Breastfeeding Network 0870 900 8787

Ok, firstly you are doing FANTASTIC if you are able to express so soon and so much, well done you!
You didnt mention babies weight, was she an ok weight?
Not an expert BUT stands to reason that she is going to be exhausted after such a delivery and so may be more awake tomorow, were you given any pethidine for pain relief at all during labour?
That could also be why she is sleepy.

snuffly, they usually are due to mucous in the airways during birth, she will eventually clear it herself, im sure.
Dont forget that there will be some oedema around the nasal airways this will reduce her ability to breath effectively through her nose.However, this will go down fairy quickly.

Not making a rod for your back with the bottle no, you are getting feed into her the best way that you can while she is learning.
It is impossible for her to form "bad habits" when so young so dont torture your self with this, you are doing what is right for your baby.End off.
30mls is ALLOT for a new baby, i was lucky to get 10ml into my baby for weeks at each feed.
It IS stressfull, just go with the flow, wake her regularly to feed her. (some one will blast me for that comment) However i think that such a new baby will struggle to maintain a blood sugar level without regular food so needs regular feeds to maintain this.

Any thing else you are worried about?

Dissle,I disagree with you re the expressing.
Why should she?
She wants to get the baby onto the breast not onto a bottle so it is logical to carry on breastfeeding not expressing.

Your baby needs as much skin to skin contact as possible at this age, even when it is not feeding time. It is shown that skin to skin contact will stimulate them to feed and it helps to regulate their breathing.

consider going to bed with your baby in a babymoon and get someone to wait on you.

and also phone the bf support lines already mentioned. ABM is open till 10.30.

I know you can't do this now, but you might want to find out whether there is a cranial osteopath anywhere convenient.

Ds had long labour and was big. He started getting colic at 3 days, and, a bit later, he would start shrieking at about 7pm and carry on more or less non-stop until 4 or 5 am. Cranial osteopathy cured this, and has since helped with congestion problems.

You may find that, if you had a bit of a traumatic delivery that this might help her. Certainly may well help with digestion, and this might help with the wind problem.

The treatment is extremely gentle - when he was older having treatment for congestion, I managed to get ds up to the treatment room asleep and he stayed asleep through the treatment, only waking up when it was finished.

Good luck, you're definitely doing the right thing in trying as it will be best for you both (even if it seems hard at the moment). Strongly support suggestion of contact NCT breastfeeding consellor - I think that if they cannot give you advice over the phone they sometimes even come out to help.

Good luck, hope it improves

Congratulations on your baby!

Don't stress too much about amounts. Her tummy is teeny (the size of a walnut apparently!) and she will take small amounts but often as the bm is absorbed by her system quickly rather than sitting in her stomach.

Keep putting her to the breast but please do phone and get help if you're anxious. Those dark hours just before dawn are horrid I know and we all get full of doubts.

was just really realy impressed by the amount and how soon she is expressing, took me months.
Obviously she should bf, however if she is able to then why not express?
I used a little cup for that tho not a bottle...slurped it like a little cat...happy memories

Hi - congratulations on your DD. Like the other ladies said I think you're doing all the right things. Keep checking her nappies for reassurance. She should hopefully be weeing regularly (you won't be able to see it in the nappy but the used nappy will feel heavier than the unused ones) and poo should be getting progressively lighter (probably dark-green at this stage??). If so, she is getting what she needs (even if it feels like droplets to you - her tummy is about the size of a walnut if that).

Hopefully you will get the community midwife soon and you can ask about the snuffly thing, but in the meantime if she is mucoussy / windy try rubbing / gently patting her back (one fab bf counsellor in hospital did that to my DD and got her to burp out some excess mucous after which she fed better).

And keep taking those paracetamols and get some food and rest yourself - these first few days are hard anyway but you'll cope better if you look after yourself a bit.

Best of luck.

Hi guys,

Thanks so much for your advice. It really helps to know I'm not the only one.

I feel much happier now as I managed to BF for 15 mins or so at about 9:30 - and I'm trying lots of skin-to-skin contact which seems to get things going a little better.

I gave her the expressed milk because I wanted to know that she was getting something as she is quite jittery and I needed to feel that her sugar levels were okay (as they had been dubious in the hospital and she was tube fed for a while).

I had thought of a cranial osteopath (thanks Mistlethrush ) so if things don't improve...

Going to attempt sleep now (ha!).

BVx

PS 7 lb 12 at 37 weeks (phew!)

how everyone can get the most sleep

the effect on sleep arrangement on bfing

Congratulations! Being born is really knackering. Most babies take a while to adjust and settle to feeding - bf is hard work for a newborn. I had a nightmare with ds1 and he lost loads of weight, which was really stressful at the time, but we worked it out eventually and never looked back. He's nearly 14 now! Things are so much easier 2nd time around! Enjoy your baby and stick with the bf - once she gets the hang of it you'll forget these early worries.

Huge congrats

My babies were all quite snuffly and sneezey for the first few weeks; you could try gently cleaning her little nostrils with a cotton bud soaked with some saline drops.

My dd2 was rubbish at latching on at first, but I found that she fared muchbetter if we were both lying down; give it a try just incase it helps your lo too

And good luck; you sound like a lovely mum

Hi guys,

Quick update...we got through the night okay and I even managed to breastfeed a little. Passed the midwife test with flying colours - she seemed to think that DD's yellow tinge and feeding pattern was okay.

Then DD went navy (thankfully my Mam, a nurse was with me at the time) and we were eventually admitted to hospital on Wednesday evening . Just discharged today following a barrage of tests - all okay but extremely scary - and following phototherapy, DD is a different (and pinker) baby (actually waking for feeds, pooing properly etc.). The blue episodes were put down to a combination of her pre-termness, oedema and lack of swallowing/breathing coordination, and although she is mainly getting expressed BM, she is latching on better each time we try.

Thanks so much for your advice - Mumsnet is a godsend! Fingers crossed tonight passes without a hitch

BVx

OMG, you poor thing. How terrifying. Glad the hospital seems to have sorted all the problems out now. Have you had much support from bfc's or similar in getting her back on the breast?

Considering what DD has been through, she is coping remarkably well. She is making the transition between nipple and teat fairly well (I think), and she has had formula, N-G tube feeds, two types of teat and breast, as well as her prematurity to deal with. I am offering her the breast every time she wants to feed (3-4 hourly) and she is getting much better each time (although she does seem to latch on, then fall off fairly quickly, but is making all the right moves now . Last feed was on-off for 20 minutes! And I am then topping her up with EBM. So I am expressing each time I feed, and I think I'll get in touch with the NCT and see if I can hire an electric pump and get more advice etc.

Fingers crossed...

HI BV

Sounds like you're doing a great job in some tough cicumstances - hope your dd has a calmer time over the next few days.

Just wanted to add - ds was born at 36 weeks, and for at least the first couple of weeks was very very sleepy and took a lot of encouraging to feed (all that wet flannels stuff ). I was always concerned that he didn't feed for long (often 10-15 mins rather than the 30-40 mins I had read was 'normal'). He continued to be a speedy feeder for the rest of his bf life (we fed up to 12 mths) and rarely took more than 15 mins for a feed. Dd (born at term) also a speedy feeder - some of them just are ... you'll be very glad of it in the long term!
One good tip that someone told me is to bear in mind that a newborn baby's stomach is only the size of a walnut. It doesn't take long to fill a walnut

Congratulations, btw