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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Help for my SIL, establishing breastfeeding after an NG tube?

14 replies

AmpleBosom · 13/01/2010 19:51

My SIL had her baby a week ago today, the baby needed an operation and spent the first week in special care/intensive care before and after her operation. She really wants to breastfeed (The baby has been fed via nasogastric tube) and i think she has been expressing.

She is struggling now the baby is back on the ward and no staff about to help. Any tips/words of wisdom i can pass on? Or even any articles/books i can send her?

OP posts:
titferbrains · 13/01/2010 20:03

just encourage her to keep on at it, it's extremely tough and she will need lots of kind words and positivity. Letting the LO feed little and often will be best as teeny ones get tired quickly, If baby is falling asleep I think that stripping them down to the vest does help with keeping them awake but I could never bear to do it (poss to my detriment) as I didn't want her to be cold.... PFB!

She will need help so she can do the long feeds in the evening when they tend to cluster feed. I spent HOURS AND HOURS sitting on the sofa wondering if I'd ever get my life back.

However, I might get yelled at for saying this, but she shouldn't feel she can't offer a bottle if things aren't working out. As long as she is trying her best then most important is that baby gets fed and knowing that they will take a bottle can be a great relief.

Help her to find a well trained and experience lactation consultant/breastfeeding expert. There is an amazing woman at the NCT who is a bit full on but very knowledgeable and you can drop by her house, it's south london. Just make sure she is not trying to cope on her own, it is too hard.

Original poster
AmpleBosom · 13/01/2010 20:08

Thanks titforbrains (Love the name), it's her first baby and they are on their own with no family around. I'm a paediatric nurse and have breastfed all of my babies for 12mths plus so know a little bit about it but just feel so far away.

Maybe i could find out if the hospital has a lactation consultant, that might be something she doesn't know about.

Feel sad for her really, we're not that close but i lknow how hard breastfeeding is without the added difficulties of a poorly baby

OP posts:
ZiggyMama · 13/01/2010 20:09

Hi

First of all, many congratulations on the birth of your SIL's baby & lots of prayers for a quick recovery.
The charity 'Little Hearts Matter' have a feeding booklet which is available to download from their site (lhm.org.uk). Although this is designed for babies born with severe heart conditions, which might not apply, there is a lot of information about how to breastfeed a previously (or still) NG-fed baby.
I successfully breastfed DS2 after his heart surgery, but it was hard work! There should be a midwife available at the hospital for your SIL (or ask her to ring one of the breastfeeding support lines if she can), but the best advice I can give her is: keep going! A little & often, with expressing in between (an electric hand-held pump was a lifesaver!). It is so fantastic that she is trying, but on the other hand, it's ok if she's finding it hard. I found it was the only thing I could do that was remotely 'normal' in such an alien environment & it felt such an achievement to take him home fully breastfed.
Best of luck
Z x

TitchyWitch · 13/01/2010 20:29

Hi,

I'm not sure that I really have any advice, just a positive story. I began breastfeeding my DD when she was a week old, she hadn't needed an op but she was early and didn't know how to suck so had been fed with an NG tube. I am still feeding her now at 14 months. The only piece of advice I can give is that she should make sure that people know how much she wants to breastfeed. I really wanted to and once the staff knew they really helped, before that I think they thought that as long as she was ok and was getting enough nutrition then it wouldn't matter to me how she was fed.

I hope that is some help

titferbrains · 13/01/2010 21:08

Can you arrange for some nice ready meals and "high energy treats" to be sent to her (read: cake and chocolate) - So important that she is maintaining her energy levels so that she can cope.

Just to say again really important to find a breastfeeding expert to help and encourage and help her focus on what's going right/wrong. Perhaps a doula could help? It was only several months in that I found someone who really made me feel like things were going ok.

Original poster
AmpleBosom · 14/01/2010 01:59

Thanks for all your suggestions and stories, i can definately arrange some chocolate and i suppose it is just a case of encouragement and hard work.

Right i'm off to feed my own milk monster

OP posts:
NotQuiteCockney · 14/01/2010 07:52

How is the baby being fed now?

Has your SIL been expressing? She should be expressing at least 8 times per 24 hour period, with at least one of those times being in the middle of the night, in order to make her milk come in well.

She really needs to be seen. What town is she in? I can try to find out which of the BF support organisations can help.

I know our hospital has lactation specialists for babies who have been in SCBU, but maybe her hospital doesn't ...

sarah293 · 14/01/2010 08:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
AmpleBosom · 14/01/2010 14:44

The tube is out as of today, she is staying at the hospital all the time and expressing as far as i know. I've texted her and suggested she see if the hospital has a lactation specialist and sent lots of words of encouragement.

She is in a London hospital, not sure which one. I think she is doing ok but finding it hard, which it's going to be i suppose. Think they are going to help her try and establish breastfeeding today now the tube is out.

Thanks for all your suggestions

OP posts:
NotQuiteCockney · 14/01/2010 14:47

It may take some time, and the baby may still need to be given milk by other means in the interim (so he doesn't become too weak). Cupfeeding is good at this age.

Bramshott · 14/01/2010 14:50

Was the baby premature, or "just" poorly?

Galena · 14/01/2010 15:53

My DD was 3 months early and tube fed for much of the first 8 weeks of her life. We worked very hard during weeks 6-9 to establish feeding (with support of breastfeeding specialist at hosp) and she came home after 9 weeks of special care fully bf. It takes determination and persistance, but definitely possible.

If baby was prem, Bliss have various booklets and advice available through their website.

Original poster
AmpleBosom · 14/01/2010 17:50

Baby was just poorly, born at full term. I know she has been expressing and giving that via NG tube and the tube is fully out today. It's really hard to find out concrete details as she is at the hospital all the time and we only get the odd text update.

Have passed on all your information and suggestions and she seems to be hanging in there for now.

OP posts:
Bramshott · 14/01/2010 20:55

Excellent news. I would have thought it should be easier to establish bf with a term baby than with a newborn who might not have the sucking reflex. Hope she is getting the chance for skin-to-skin. Can be difficult in SCBU / hospital but really, really helps!

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