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Infant feeding

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

Starting bfing at 7 weeks - advice

7 replies

badkitty · 30/01/2009 12:49

My little boy is 7 weeks old and spent his first 3 weeks in SCBU having had severe oxygen deprivation at birth. He is now healthy and doing well (although no one knows what the long term effects will be and we just have to watch and wait ) He was fed by NGT for most of the time he was in hospital but we got him bottle feeding (EBM) just before bring him home. He is now guzzling his milk from the bottles and can't seem to get enough. He had all EBM for the first four weeks and is now on a mixture of that and formula as I simply don't have time to express enough milk to give him all EBM while also taking care of him. Anyway I wondered if there is any chance now of getting him breastfeeding. I manage occasionaaly to get him to have a lick at my nipple or a tiny suck on the very end of the nipple but that is about it, and he tends to arch his back away from it so it is really hard to get him on without forcing him, which is obviously not conducive to him sucking. The community nurse told me to try and put him on before his feeds, but he is usually so furious when he is hungry that doing that just frustrates him and so he screams and pushes himself away. I don't really think that he is going to be able to learn to do it at this stage so maybe I should just keep on with the bottles, but wanted to see if anyone has any advice before I give up.

OP posts:
daftbat · 30/01/2009 13:04

Hi,

My DD1 had trouble latching on at first (though she wasn't prem so the issues may be different) and the thing I found worked was tipping milk over my nipple. In her desire to get the milk she sucked at me and latched on, which in turn got my milk flowing. Yes, I know it may sound, and feel, odd, but perhaps worth a try?

Good luck with everything.

bubbleymummy · 30/01/2009 13:14

Hi Badkitty - good for you for getting through that difficult time! It is possible to get him feeding from you but it will take some time. I think you shoud get some RL help and advice - contact the breastfeeding advice organisations and speak to a bfc and see if there are any local support groups. TBH I think the best time to try putting him to the breast is when he isn't hungry and fussing for his bottle. Try going to bed with him and having lots of skin to skin - as daftbat said - expressing a bit of milk so that he can smell it will guide him in the right direction. A nice relaxing bath with him might help too - lots of skin to skin and the warm water will help your let down. HTH

Lovesdogsandcats · 30/01/2009 13:16

Is your milk flowing when you try and put him on? Maybe try expressing to get a good flow started then put him on in the middle?

tiktok · 30/01/2009 13:17

Excellent ideas from bubbley - important thing at the mo is that he is fed, and does not associate the breast with being frustrated and forced, so choose the right times for snuggly, loving skin to skin.

terramum · 30/01/2009 13:55

My DS was excl bottle fed ebm for the first 6 weeks after he was born but with the help and support of my local LLL group and one of their leaders (over the phone mainly) we managed to get DS to feed direct from me, using shields at first because he was used to the silicone feel and then from me. He's now 4.5 years and only stopped feeding in the last 6 months .

Defo call the helplines and get some help/support - you can do it!

MummyLizbeth · 31/01/2009 14:35

Hi. Goods news it can happen - one of my babies did not breast feed for the first 6 weeks of her life then one day she just did!!

I didn't know it at the time but she had tight muscles on one side of her neck (called torti- something??) and it made it uncomfortable. I didn't think we'd ever get there - i just spent weeks with skin to skin time, expressing a bit of milk so my nipples smelt of it, and also bathing every night with her. None of the midwives or even the bfc had any ideas - she just seemed completely uninterested and, like your babs, arched her back away. Well one night, when i'd actually given up trying really and resigned my self to twomore weeks of expressing before turning to 100% formula she latched on like a pro and from then on no probs.

Funny little things aren't they!! Good luck x

MummyLizbeth · 31/01/2009 14:35

Hi. Goods news it can happen - one of my babies did not breast feed for the first 6 weeks of her life then one day she just did!!

I didn't know it at the time but she had tight muscles on one side of her neck (called torti- something??) and it made it uncomfortable. I didn't think we'd ever get there - i just spent weeks with skin to skin time, expressing a bit of milk so my nipples smelt of it, and also bathing every night with her. None of the midwives or even the bfc had any ideas - she just seemed completely uninterested and, like your babs, arched her back away. Well one night, when i'd actually given up trying really and resigned my self to twomore weeks of expressing before turning to 100% formula she latched on like a pro and from then on no probs.

Funny little things aren't they!! Good luck x

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