Ds 2 days old and I have NO colostrum :(

[littlelamb]

I had assumed that because I fed dd so easily for 10 months that I would ave no problem this time round but it doesn't seem to be the case Ds is two days old and though he does have a good latch and will suck for a long time, there just seems to be nothing there for him. On Sunday night he cried all night, and was sucking for hours at a time, but was obviously not getting anything. I saw the midwife yesterday who said that she could see milk inside his mouth so he was obviously getting something but she suggested topping him up with formula until my milk comes in. I did that last night, and he has slept fantastically well, and his skin looks a lot less wrinkly and blotchy, and a much healthier colour but I am worreid that my milk will not be enough to satisfy him when and if it does come in. With dd I leaked colostrum in pregnancy, but that didn't happen this time. Obviously I don't want him to go hungry so for the time being I think formula is best but I really don't want it to be a long term arrangement. I have tried hand expressing but not even a drop will come out. Is there anything I can do to encourage a good milk supply? I am letting ds feed for about 10 minutes from each side before giving him a bottle but he just seems so hungry- he drank 3.5 ounces last night which seems a lot considering he would only be getting colostrum otherwise. Help!

The more he feeds at your breast the quicker your milk will come in
Mine survived on colostrum until that happened

Just cos you didn't leak it before he arrived and can't get any expressing doesn't mean there isn't any there

Your milk will be enough to satisfy him I'm sure
Crying a lot and sucking for hours is normal at this age

How do you know there's nothing there? Being able to express isn't any guide, and it's perfectly normal for a two-day-old baby to suck for hours at a time.

You need to speak to a bf counsellor. Expressing is no indication at all, really it isnt. Your midwife is useless, really she is. Get some proper help.

Sorry, but the more you feed formula, the less likely it is that your milk will come in. Also, are you cup-feeding him the formula? I would maybe be a little worried about nipple confusion if not - although you do say he has a fantastic latch, so maybe he'll be ok. My friend's ds went from bottle to breast with no problems at all!

Of course you don't want your baby boy to go hungry, but as someone further down said, it's perfectly normal for newborns to suckle A LOT! Is he settled when he's on the breast? I would be inclined to just leave him on there!

But you do need to see a BFC if possible. Can you phone one of the helplines? I am happy to provide phone numbers if you don't have them.

The BFC numbers are on my profile, please call someone, now.
We can all tell you the same thing, which we will, your milk will come in, it will come in quicker with baby sucking and the colostrum is there, just not obvious through expressing.
Also baby's fat stores will help him survive, he only really needs enough colostrum to prevent dehydration, which he will be getting, but you need to hear it from a professional.
Call them, they'll make you feel better, and try not to worry.

can i ask why you are letting him feed for only 10 minutes each side?

the only thing you need to do at the moment to encourage your milk is to put DS to the breast as often as he wants, for as long as he wants.

and no formula.

it is not uncommon for milk to come in around day 4

as has been said expressing is not an indication of how much milk is there

also the way he sucks from a bottle is different to thte way he feeds from the breast so if you must top up. use a cup

good luck !

just leave baby at breast for as long as he wants. i thought i had nothing too at 2 days, and then bam! enough milk to feed all the babies in the world by day 4. try not to give formula.

Step away from the formula and spend the day with him at your breast. It will be fine.

I remember from the AN BF class that you only produce 7ml total (about a teaspoon and a half!) of colostrum on day 1, and it approximately doubles in quanitity until your milk comes in. That is across a whole day! Tiny, tiny amounts!
They had me expressing in the hospital, why I don't know and I didn't get a drop out.
I was bullied into giving formula top ups because ds allegedly had low blood sugar, fortunately it didn't affect his bfing. If they insist on formula - insist on him being cup fed by another person, that's what the MW did with ds. I think the only think the formula did to him was making him very cross and he puked most of it back up!
Congrats on the birth of your DS, and please, please call a breastfeeding counsellor!!!

Plenty of skin to skin contact - lie in the bed with him right next to you - let him bf for as long as he wants as often as he wants. Remember he has a new born tummy that is tiny. If the midwife can see milk in his mouth, then that's a sign it's obviously there.

Littlelamb, firstly congratulations!

Secondly, please phone a counsellor. I had exactly the same situation as bouncingturtle only I waited too long to get help and I was never able to bf. DD is 5 months and I still feel awful about it.

Exactly the same thing happened to me. I was still in hospital on the third night (post em CS), DS was permanently latched on my breasts all night, he did not seem to be getting anything and was screaming his head off. All the midwifes kept telling me was - well, he is hungry, you can either latch him back on or we can give him formula, your choise. Then the pediatritian came in, took a look at him and said if he does not start improving in 6 hours we will have to give him formula, like it or not. By 5am that morning my nipples were cracked and bleeding, I had not slept for about 72 hours and the baby was still screaming. So I gave in and asked them give him formula. He drank 3oz and slept for 6 hours straight. And so did I.
It was not the end of the world. It gave me a chance to rest, pediatritian was happy and my nipples healed a little bit. My milk came in the next morning. DS did not get nipple confusion because he had been latched on for 24 hours straight before he was given a bottle. It was not an easy ride but I went on to exclusively breast feed for 6 months.

All I am trying to say is, it is not the end of the world that you have given him formula. Just stick with the breast feeding going forward.

Message withdrawn

lamb - the midwife has been very undermining Your baby's behaviour is normal and two day old babies' skin does look different on the day or so after birth. This has nothing to do with the formula. He had 3.5 oz because the bottle teat gives a super-stimulus and because he loves sucking....NOT because he was hungry and it is, frankly, disgraceful the midwife seemed unable to explain any of this to you and suggested formula.

If your baby is happy sucking/being tucked up with you and cries when he is away from you, despite hours of sucking, this does not mean he is hungry or you have no colostrum. Of course you have colostrum - unless you want to rewrite the anatomy books!

You need to see someone who knows what they are talking about, and to make a complaint about the midwife - topping up a healthy, term baby on day 2 is almost never justified medically, and while of course you can put it behind you and go on to fully bf if this is what you want, you are now worried and upset and lacking in confidence....and it is not right. I hope today goes better for you.