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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

TongueTied one week old. Losing supply. Advice.

63 replies

Oblomov · 29/10/2008 11:30

Sorry can't type. Because have just put ds2 on breast. dh is being sent to buy nipple shields.

Had huge supply of milk. no waining. but don't want to make ds tired.

hopefuuly the lovely LacksDaisy will fill you in details.

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 29/10/2008 15:40

you had the baby?!

congratulations, Ob .

freakypenguin · 29/10/2008 15:42

I really recommend you have the tie divided. My DS2 had his tie divided at 3 days old at Southmead Hospital, Bristol where they luckily have an amazing team trained to do it.

There was nothing to it. The consent form took longer to fill in than the procedure. One Midwife swaddled him, the other had surgical gloves and sterile scissors and it was done in a trice. DS2 didn't even flinch. I'm not exaggerating. All we had to do was avoid putting dummies (don't use them anyway) or fingers in his mouth for 48 hours. Breastfeeding was fine because breast milk is sterile anyway.

Before the divide his latch was terrible and I was cracked and bleeding by day 3. I had Bfed DS1 till 18 months and am a Bfeeding counsellor so know a bit about Bfeeding (well, I like to think).

As soon as the divide was done, his latch improved, and we didn't look back. No more sore nips. He bfed exclusively for 6 months and is now on 3 feeds a day at 8 months.

Good luck! x

ILikeToScareYouScareYou · 29/10/2008 15:45

This is what I done recently as ds wasn't bf very well and wasn't puttng on weight, but I don't see why it wouldn't help you in your situation as well.

I always put ds to the breast for feeds. He wasn't interested in working for the milk and would fall asleep, so I done switch feeding. This entails leaving the baby on the breast until he stops feeding, then putting him on the other breast (he would get instant gratification from the letdown). I would switch sides 3-4 times per feed, then when I couldn't coax him anymore I would put him down and then express. I would then give the ebm as a top up.

I guess the theory on this plan is:

The baby is put to the breast on a regular basis.

Your supply is maintained with the bf and expressing.

The top ups will be hindmilk.

I hope this may be of some help to you

Oh, and a good homeopathic remedy for milk supply is fenugreek.

Original poster
Oblomov · 29/10/2008 15:48

Than you Dilbertina.
I am going low quite lot. But have been RELIGIOUS about testing. Getting through lucozade at a rate of knots. The team at Kings re the daibetes has been fab and I am due to speak to pump nurse Helen tomorrow. So daibetes is not my MAIN concern right now.

Thanks for encouragememnt. I will try not to give up. Just keep going.

And thanks lizzytea. My supply is waining. each day I am able to express less from each boob. I could easily get 200 ml from hand expressing, whilst at kings. since pumping at home, I could get almost 100 ml from each boob quite a few dtimes a day. this morning I only managed 10 ml from one boob and 40 ml form the other.

ds is taking 60ml every three hours. so that supply is not going to keep him going for long.

He is only 6 days old today.

OP posts:
MarsLady · 29/10/2008 15:53

obs.. at Kings if you get the referral Mr Patel tries to see you within a couple of days. I've had several clients see him within 24hours.

You go to the hospital where he talks to you and the other couples there about tongue-tie then assesses each baby and you have the option of having it snipped or not. I went with a client once, very quick and easy, no fuss. Free (big plus)

lizzytee · 29/10/2008 16:03

Thanks for clarification. It sounds like your milk came in fast but now the challenge is to build your supply. Remember (although I know it is difficult given all you have had to deal with) that milk supply is driven by stimulation. At this stage (one to two weeks after delivery) the recommendation is to pump at least 8 times in 24 hours to approximate to how often a newborn feeds. It should therefore help if you can manage to pump more often for shorter periods. But as I am sure you are only too aware this is very hard to sustain without a plan for getting your ds feeding from the breast. I found this schedule hard enough to maintain without having to feed a baby as well (DD was in SCBU)

Something you could consider as an interim measure(and I appreciate you will probably need help and pillows to do this and may need an electric rather than a manual pump) might be to put him to your breast while expressing from the other side. Just having him skin on skin will help your supply and let down. He will like it too

LackaDAISYcal · 29/10/2008 16:08

Agree Obs; keep putting him to the breast as often as possible, express what you can and give the expressed as top ups. It's sometimes easier to express from the other side while he is feeding as your let down will be working.

you need to be removing the milk from your breasts, by whatever method (baby or pump), eight to twelve times in 24 hours (I think that's the right frequency anyway)

I know you can't keep popping to Kings given the circumstances, but I would definately pursue this with them; as you said, if it had been spotted when he was in (ie if you had seen a postnatal midwife) then it could have been sorted by now.

If you can't get to Kings then the BUPA thing is worth pursuing as I don't think you can afford to wait two weeks before even seeing anyone, never mind the wait for the procedure.

lizzytee · 29/10/2008 16:13

Agree with Daisy. It's my understanding that although midwives discharge you when they do not believe you need their input, you can remain under their care for up to 28 days. So if you don't agree that you should have been discharged, then pursue that.

CarGirl · 29/10/2008 16:18

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CarGirl · 29/10/2008 16:19

There are 2 NCT bf consultants locally is it worth phoning them for some support, in fact Byfleet branch does (well used to) hire out a hospital grade dual breast pump?

Original poster
Oblomov · 30/10/2008 09:05

RESULT Claire Kedves phoned me last night. I am going to see her on Tuesday at Kings.And she has already arranged, that if it is tongue tied, as I say, Mr Patel will cut it, in his afternoon clinic.

She was so lovely and gave me great advice re maintaining supply in the meantime.

I feel much happier.

OP posts:
Original poster
Oblomov · 30/10/2008 09:07

Thanks for all your support guys. It means alot. Excuse typing. I am feeding at same time. Requires technique fine tuning, re pumping, feeding and MN'ing at same time. Ha ha.

OP posts:
CantSleepWontSleep · 30/10/2008 09:27

Congratulations Oblomov - was only reading a post of yours this morning that said you still had a month to go!

Glad to hear that you've had a result re the tongue tie. Hope the snip sorts it all out.

LackaDAISYcal · 30/10/2008 09:49

great news Obs

If you need anyone to talk to in the meantime, just shout.

I love mumsnet

Original poster
Oblomov · 30/10/2008 09:55

Thanks Daisy. I love Mn aswell. I feel totally honoured to be part of the lovely Nov 08 An thread - it is a very SPECIAL group.

I F*KING LOVE YOU, LacksaDAISYcal - ha ha

Yes not much time. Must keep pumping so I have milk , until tues atleast. Sometimes life is tough when you feel like you are fighting, all the time. But I am pleased.

CarGirl, we have met many times, on many threads. And we get on so well. I knew you werre close, but I didn't realise quite how close you were. Would you like to pop round for a cup of tea on e day ?
I have a very cute ds2, only a week old, that might like a cuddle

OP posts:
MarsLady · 30/10/2008 10:14

Fantastic!

Original poster
Oblomov · 30/10/2008 10:27

Marslady, you posted on my thread. You are so famous. I am honoured. Thanks alot.

Expat, sorry missed your post there. Yes have done a birth announcement. How are you ?

OP posts:
Original poster
Oblomov · 30/10/2008 10:52

Sorry, I x posted there and had missed a few peoples posts.

Bingotrons, yes I had actually heard of Claired Kedves, before. and asked for her twice, whilst struggling in hospital. She rang me late last night. I forgot to ask her who it was the gave her my name. She was so fab. I should have expected any less though.

Thank you for the posts, freakypenguin, and I liketoscare you.

OP posts:
LackaDAISYcal · 30/10/2008 11:33

love ya too babes

lizzytee · 30/10/2008 11:42

Really glad to hear that some decent support is in the pipeline. HOW many arms do you have to manage that feat? Keep posting X

bingotrons · 30/10/2008 16:10

hello, glad claire kedves got in touch and you are getting it all sorted, hope the next few days are ok with expressing etc..... i should have been posting on the due in nov, but couldn't keep up with thread, v fast moving
congrats too x

CarGirl · 30/10/2008 18:13

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MarsLady · 31/10/2008 08:55

Don't be daft Ob. I'm not famous just happy to help. Keep us updated with getting it snipped!

Original poster
Oblomov · 31/10/2008 13:38

RESULT
It has been snipped. One of the lovely secretaries at ST Peters ,(local hospital)took pity on me, due to my sobbing down the phone. She arranged it. It was done this morning. Hoorah. WIll let you know how we get on. He didn't even cry. Quite alot of blood. SO VERY VERY HAPPY

OP posts:
CarGirl · 31/10/2008 14:22

Hurrah, so when's the invite then???? I'll bring lucozade and gin

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