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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

HELP! can't get bf started what to do?

43 replies

fishie · 27/04/2005 17:58

first day home with 4 day old, didn't manage to get latched on at all in hospital. my milk is starting to come in, am cup feeding formula and hoping to get to an nct meeting tomorrow for some practical help. have a breast pump but no idea what to do with it.

meanwhile am carrying on trying and giving the formula - i'd really appreciate some advice on how much to give at a time, how often and what else i should be doing while i try to find someone to show me what to do.

OP posts:

morningpaper · 27/04/2005 20:04

fishie: can you explain exactly what happens when you try to latch baby on?

Original poster

fishie · 27/04/2005 20:10

thank you all for your advice. ok i am on the sofa hand expressing, and an encouraging thimbleful is building up. will have something to eat, read some internet tips and take baby off to bed with me for further attempts.

nqc that is such a kind offer - can i contact you about your friend tomorrow if midwife doesn't show up or can't help?

OP posts:

NotQuiteCockney · 27/04/2005 20:16

Absolutely, fishie. She's a lovely woman, she has four daughters, and she's very very relaxed and supportive. I know she provides support over the phone and in person.

Please email me at jdljones at hotmail dot com. When is the midwife coming? I'll be in and out tomorrow, but I'll check my email.

JulieF · 27/04/2005 20:18

Fishie, I found myself in your situation and managed to get thoguh it.

You must, must must express, until your milk comes in hand expressing your colostrum is best. You can feed it from a sterile syringe. Only tiny amounts are needed but you must express at least every 3 hours around the clock to stimulate your supply. Once your supply is sorted you can cut it down to 3 hours in the day and once at night.

Ring the maternity hosptal, you really should have seen a midwife today, having to wait until tomorrow is unaccelptible. I am appalled they discharged you from hospital withouth ensuring you got daily midwife visits and knew exactly what you should be doing.

Ask them if they know of any local breastfeeding counsellors who can visit you.

Some formula may be needed but the more expressed milk you can get the better.

Hang in there, you are doing a great job, it will be tiring and hard work but worth it in the end.

hewlettsdaughter · 27/04/2005 20:46

I'd definitely recommend seeing a breastfeeding specialist if the midwife can't help, fishie.

Original poster

fishie · 27/04/2005 20:49

they don't know what time mw visiting - will call tomorrow to check and ask about counsellors too - new sure start here so everything rather unclear.

julief how encouraging to hear you got through it - wish i'd been more forceful now, but was overwhelmed by cs and whole hospital thing.

anyway, off to bed now. hoping for overnight success or at least a lot of expressing.

OP posts:

spod · 27/04/2005 21:00

keep trying with the bf... its really worth it. best advice i got was take babe to bed with me and keep offering breast and maintain skin contact, i had cs and managed it after a few days.... it was difficult at first then all of a sudden was easy.... keep us posted on how you're doing...hope you're ok

hewlettsdaughter · 27/04/2005 21:17

good luck xx

NotQuiteCockney · 27/04/2005 22:30

Yes, please do let us know how it goes. And if the mw isn't great tomorrow (some of them are great on bf, some are rubbish), please do email me. My friend is lovely, a great help, and reasonably local to you.

busyalexsmummy · 27/04/2005 23:22

I really feel for you, i had this experience too when i had my son. all i can say is try to give the least amount of formula possible, keep pumping, keep pumping when your baby wakes during the night aswell.keep with the cup or a syringe and i hope you get help soon, gd luck xx

NotQuiteCockney · 28/04/2005 10:24

fishie, my friend says she thinks the BFN has someone in Newham, so you wouldn't have to travel so far. Their number is 0870 900 8787.

hunkermunker · 28/04/2005 15:18

Fishie, I missed this thread last night - I hope you're having a better day today and you've managed to get some support xxxxxx

Original poster

fishie · 28/04/2005 20:36

hooray, managed to latch him on at lunchtime, just before midwife turned up. also managed a little expressing overnight, am feeling so much bettter. not all perfect, i don't have enough milk yet - have just given 30mls formula after all afternoon bf marathon. spoke to lovely bfn counsellor, who says to continue and should kick in properly soon. thank you all so much for your support .

OP posts:

NotQuiteCockney · 28/04/2005 21:37

Oh, I'm so glad you got him latched on. He's latching successfully all the time now? That's great. It generally takes 24 hours or so for supply to catch up, so it won't be long before you're entirely off the formula.

tiktok · 28/04/2005 21:37

yay, fishie and the little fishie

hewlettsdaughter · 28/04/2005 22:25

well done fishie, hope things continue to improve

morningpaper · 28/04/2005 22:27

go fishie!

hunkermunker · 29/04/2005 11:32

Yay, Fishie! Really pleased you have got things going!

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