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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Help and advice needed

18 replies

TeenyTinyToria · 03/07/2009 22:40

I've been bottle feeding my 1 week old daughter, as she couldn't latch on well at birth and my nipples were agonisingly sore.

Tonight, I tried to latch her on, and she sucked for ages and there was no pain. Is it too late to transfer back to breastfeeding? I definitely still have milk, but I don't know if it will be enough.

Also, does breastfeeding increase postnatal bleeding? My bleeding got noticeably heavier while she was feeding.

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tessofthedurbervilles · 03/07/2009 22:43

I am doing both and found bf easier and less stressful after I had introduced the bottle. The pressure to feed her was off as the bottle was keeping her going so the bf was more a bonus and a bonding process but oddly enough the bf was more successful and continues to be so...not sure about the bleeding though as had a c section...

Grendle · 03/07/2009 22:46

Congratulations on your dd .

Breastfeeding can cause the womb to contract, so yes it can temporarily increase the flow.

It's not too late to go back to bf if you want to, but it's important that you get some support to avoid the sort of problems that made you want to stop in the first place. I'd suggest calling one of the bf helplines tomorrow to speak to someone and get yourself some support. Is there a bf support group near you? Perhaps your MW would know?

Spending loads of time cuddling skin-to-skin will help to stimulate your milk and get you both back into breastfeeding. Enjoying lots of cuddles that way, maybe in the bath, can be a great way to get bf restarted.

Let us know how things are going.

Original poster
TeenyTinyToria · 03/07/2009 22:53

Thanks for the advice! There is a support group near me at the local family centre, so I will get in touch with them.

I was concerned by the bleeding, because it came out like a little gush and was bright red (TMI sorry!) so I wasn't sure if it was a good or a bad thing.

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Grendle · 03/07/2009 22:58

A gush on bf sounds like my own experience, but if you are worried then do mention it to your MW .

CherryChoc · 03/07/2009 23:02

My midwife said "The more you feed the more you bleed" - not particularly nice at the time, but it does get the lochia over with that bit quicker

Original poster
TeenyTinyToria · 03/07/2009 23:23

Oh, so if you feed more, you don't necessarily bleed for longer? I thought that it would prolong the whole bleeding period, and I'm not keen on that!

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Jennylee · 04/07/2009 00:23

no it won't prolong it, it should shorten it and help your womb get back to normal quicker. hope breastfeeding goes well for you.

Original poster
TeenyTinyToria · 04/07/2009 19:12

Thanks. I tried feeding dd again today, and she sucked for about half an hour, but only on and off in bursts of about five or six sucks, then she seemed to be asleep. I definitely have plenty of milk though.

I'm going to talk to the midwife tomorrow and get some advice.

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StealthPolarBear · 04/07/2009 19:15

If your DD is only a week and she seems to be being satisfied with your feeds then I think that sounds really hopeful. You milk might have only been in for 3 days - so shouldn't have got anywhere near drying up yet. Good idea to get advice from MW - hope it all works out well

tiktok · 05/07/2009 09:41

TeenyTiny, I hope you're getting good support from the midwife. Yes, you can return to breastfeeding - but it's a bit worrying you are doing it so tentatively

Your baby needs to come to the breast lots and lots and lots - 8 times in 24 hours is an absolute minimum and she prob needs more than this to overcome the gap at the start...the midwife should encourage you to do this. Lots of skin to skin contact will help.

Good luck

Original poster
TeenyTinyToria · 05/07/2009 12:49

Midwife has just come, and advised me to try to feed dd from the breast before every feed - which would work out at about 8 times in 24 hours. She also said that the increased bleeding was a sign that dd was sucking effectively, as it was making my uterus contract.

I've started getting very cracked nipples again already, but my latch is good, I think it's just because I have flat nipples and dd has to pull them out quite a bit to feed. I'm going to get in touch with the breastfeeding support group, and will talk to the health visitor when she comes out as well.

Thanks for all the advice.

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Original poster
TeenyTinyToria · 05/07/2009 12:50

Midwife has just come, and advised me to try to feed dd from the breast before every feed - which would work out at about 8 times in 24 hours. She also said that the increased bleeding was a sign that dd was sucking effectively, as it was making my uterus contract.

I've started getting very cracked nipples again already, but my latch is good, I think it's just because I have flat nipples and dd has to pull them out quite a bit to feed. I'm going to get in touch with the breastfeeding support group, and will talk to the health visitor when she comes out as well.

Thanks for all the advice.

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Original poster
TeenyTinyToria · 05/07/2009 12:52

Sorry, should have said, midwife advised me to keep using the bottles as a top-up - but I suppose I could express as a top-up rather than use formula, and that would help increase supply wouldn't it?

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tiktok · 05/07/2009 12:55

Yes, you can express and use the expressed milk as a top up - was there a reason why the midwife did not suggest this?

Original poster
TeenyTinyToria · 05/07/2009 18:23

No - she never said.

I've tried b'feeding dd twice this afternoon - she latched on and fed for about half an hour and then took 2oz of milk from a bottle, and then 2 hours later fed for an hour and then took another 2oz. She would usually take about 2.5 - 3oz in a bottle, so that suggests to me that she isn't getting much milk from me.

When she feeds, she does an initial burst of sucking, then seems to sleep at the breast, and I have to encourage her to suck. It's very intermittent. The midwife suggested that this was because she's been getting a bit of a drip effect from the bottle, and isn't used to having to suck as hard to get the milk. Am I going to confuse her by continuing to use bottles and the breast?

She seems to attach well most of the time, but sometimes she gets quite frantic and upset, and struggles to latch on. I don't know if that's because she's used to the large teat on the bottles - aarggh! Think I will have to get along to the breastfeeding support group quite soon.

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turtle23 · 05/07/2009 18:38

Try breast compression. Some video clips here

tiktok · 05/07/2009 18:46

TTT - it wd definitely be worth calling your midwife and asking about using your own milk as a top up. It's great your dd latched on. It's hard to guage how much milk she is taking from you - certainly, guaging from the amount of formula she will take is very, very misleading. Babies will take what they are given sometimes, especially if they like to suck. Check with your midwife, but 2 ounce formula top ups at every feed is a lot - it's easily enough to interfere with building up a good breastmilk supply. Good idea about the bf support group.

Original poster
TeenyTinyToria · 05/07/2009 19:39

Thanks - very useful website Turtle. I'm off to try and feed her now, so I will try that out.

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