Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Infant feeding

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

Flip

Original poster

Help! trying to BF my 3 day old ...

14 replies

fledtoscotland · 04/09/2008 21:19

hopefully someone here will be able to help me as my MW just says to "keep going".

anyway, had an elective c-section tuesday morning at 9am and DS2 was reluctant to feed all day tuesday. eventually got him to feed overnight tuesday and during the day wednesday and got home at 9pm last night.

He feed quite well last night but my problem is getting him to latch on and stay latched on. When he is feeding there is no pain and my nipples arent sore so i presume that what we are doing (when successful is right) but apart from a couple of times, he only feeds for 4-5mins every 90mins-2hrs.

i asked the m/w today and she said to support his jaw rather than head but the minute i move my hand he lets go. i bottle-fed DS1 and really want to be BF #2.

is only feeding for 5mins ok? will it be different when my milk comes in?

tia

OP posts:

AnyFuleKno · 04/09/2008 21:32

I am no expert and don't want to give poor advice as there are some brilliant supporters on here. Just wanted to give your post a bump from someone who's been there and made it through the other side.

The supporting the jaw thing sounds odd to me as your ds's jaw needs to be free to move.

Original poster

fledtoscotland · 04/09/2008 21:34

thanks - am sitting here really panicking that we are getting the whole thing wrong. DH is trying to help suggesting bottle feeding but i really dont want to go down that route again.

OP posts:

cmotdibbler · 04/09/2008 21:38

That sounds perfect. At the moment your DS will be drinking minute amounts of colostrum, so needs little and often. Just let him have a feed whenever he wants.

Some babies only ever feed for a few minutes BTW, and some like to take ages. And this can change with time and their mood, so don't worry if he does change things

whomovedmychocolate · 04/09/2008 21:40

If he is settled and happy, you are feeding him enough. Wet and dirty nappies every day, a content baby who feeds and then conks out, these are all the things you want to see.

You sound like you are doing brilliantly - keep it up

Oh and congratulations!

traceybath · 04/09/2008 21:40

Are you at home already or still in hospital?

With my first c-section my son didn't feed much for the first 24 hours but then he started and was permanently attached on day 3 waiting for my milk to come in.

I know there are lots of v experienced ladies on here so hopefully they'll be here soon.

Just one thought - is the baby jaundiced at all? Both mine were and made them very sleepy and i had to wake to feed.

whomovedmychocolate · 04/09/2008 21:41

If he is settled and happy, you are feeding him enough. Wet and dirty nappies every day, a content baby who feeds and then conks out, these are all the things you want to see.

You sound like you are doing brilliantly - keep it up

Oh and congratulations!

traceybath · 04/09/2008 21:42

Are you at home already or still in hospital?

With my first c-section my son didn't feed much for the first 24 hours but then he started and was permanently attached on day 3 waiting for my milk to come in.

I know there are lots of v experienced ladies on here so hopefully they'll be here soon.

Just one thought - is the baby jaundiced at all? Both mine were and made them very sleepy and i had to wake to feed.

Original poster

fledtoscotland · 04/09/2008 21:46

at home (and have been for a day). Although the m/ws were fab initially they were so busy with other patients that i didnt see them for hours on end and they werent doing anything that my DH couldnt do at home and tbh i prefer being home to hospital.

he is a little jaundiced but not much. have had the moses basket in front of the window today so he has as much light as possible. we have wet and dirty nappies (loads of muconium) and he seems well but he gets frustrated.

is 5mins ok? i just assumed that he would feed for longer or is that only when my milk comes in?

OP posts:

ilovemydog · 04/09/2008 21:47

Getting a latch is hard! One thing that was useful that my midwife suggested was to bring the baby to you rather then vice versa. Pillows are a help. I use of those half moon ones.

Think you're right though about the jaw. I could tell that it was a good latch by watching their ears (!)

Isn't it 48 - 72 hours when your milk comes in? I can't remember, but the baby only needs small amounts of colostrum....

IAteDavinaForDinner · 04/09/2008 21:53

Congratulations!

I think some babies just feed more quickly than others and as long as there's wee and poo coming through then something's going right . Plus, feeding's really tiring for them and there's only a small amount of colostrum anyway so he probably won't need to be latched on for long periods just now.

I would urge you to go with the flow of frequent feeds just now because your milk will come in in the next 24 hours or so and you will get engorged if he's not feeding frequently (OMG I wish I had known to wake my megasleepy jaundiced baby for feeding, my boobs were like footballs and they were so full my nipples stretched flat and it got really hard to get him to latch on at all).

Sounds like you're doing great getting him latched on right - that's the tough bit.

AnyFuleKno · 04/09/2008 22:07

I forgot to say congratulations on the birth fled!

madmouse · 04/09/2008 22:19

congrats on the birth and doing so well!

Mine never fed for more than 10mins at a time even when the milk came in. He was in scbu and they kept thinking he needed a top-up through nasal tube but that never went down- tummy full

Think tummy to mummy nose to nipple, keep him really close, you should feel the warmth of his tummy press agains you, let him open his mouth wiiiiide then bring him to you. Once on, lift up his cheek and if his mouth is wide open and his bottom lip curled back you are doing well.

Sounds like he is telling your boobs 'where is da milk, bring it on' . Just make sure he has those wet nappies as he needs to flush out jaundice. You should have follow up by community mw though until jaundice gone.

madmouse · 04/09/2008 22:21

If you want to support is head put him on a pillow to he is in front of you. But seeing that you had a section you presumably already do so?

madmouse · 04/09/2008 22:22

right bed time, meant to type his jaw not is head

Flip