BF help for a friend

[ChairmumMiaow]

A friend has a 5 day old baby who is struggling to feed. He's slightly jaundiced and struggling to wake to feed. He did get established on BF in the hospital, and fed well for a day and a night when they got home. Now he seems to sleepy and isn't feeding well at all. She's expressing and cup feeding at the moment but is considering a bottle (no trouble expressing plenty). The midwife called her DS a "breast refuser"

I've suggested having a babymoon, and given her the basic idea. I've also sent her a link to the biological nurturing site.

Does anyone else have more detail about these things? Also, she's feeling worried that she should be doing stuff, so encouraging messages that will help her feel better about just staying in bed to get things working would be lovely.

She has the support of her mum staying with her there who breastfed all three of hers, so this is just a bit of extra help.

Thanks in advance!

agree about babymoon.
best thing to do is feed feed feed. lots of skin to skin, baths with baby, biological nurturing.
she needs to wake him for feeds if he isn't waking by himself (ie, every 2 hours)

Contact the NCT and hospital feeding advisor to arrange a home visit. Stay in bed whilst there their too!

Calling a tiny scrap of newborn a "breast refuser" makes her sound like a militant little picket line inhabitant. What does this baby do?? Whip out a placard saying "NO BREAST!". Do these people think before they open their mouths??

For pity's sake, tell her to get a long way away from the mad midwife and get help from the NCT or La Leche. I hope she gets through this OK.

Would add that maybe friend should check with midwife about having bilirubin (jaundice) levels checked. I am a midwife and would be concerned about a baby who had previously fed well becoming sleepy and uninterested in feeding.

She's already waking him to feed. Also, I think the midwife just had a poor choice of words, and was otherwise giving good advice.

We'll recommend the baths thing though, and we've sent her the URL for this thread...

Waggledancer- he was always sleepy and uninterested, but he fed well when he was woken up.
mamaberta- i think the midwife is very good apart from her choice of words, chairmum used the expression in case anyone else had heard it.

Should explain i'm chairmums friends sister!
Also my mum is staying with my sister and she helped me with bfing when i had my first dd 11 years ago and the midwives seemed determined to get her on to bottles

your friend and sister CMM and wagglemama sounds like she is getting some great home support

second the babymoon thing and waking him to feed every two-three hours and definately getting in touch with a local BFC via the NCT, LLL or ABM. The helpline Nos are on hunkermunker's blog.

there is also some advice regarding jaundice and BFing on kellymom

I hope things improve for the two of them soon.

not wagglemama ...i mean mummyfantastico!

anyone else?

Google: 'breast compression' and 'dr jack newman' for her. there are some videios on his website showing waht it is and leaflet to print off on how to do it. it is recommended for early feeding, jaundiced and sleepy babies.

good luck and congratulations to your friend.

btw, ditto that her midwife sucks.