urgent help re breastfeeding please

[ZuzuandZara]

Hi, quick history. I have 4 week old twins, born 6 weeks early and spent 3 weeks in SCBU. Have had them home now for 10 days. born at 3 and 4 lbs now 4 and 5 lbs. Exclusively breast feeding and going really well, they wake every 3 - 4 hours to feed then sleep in between. Larger baby has recently (last couple of days) not been latching on very well, really fussing around, swinging head from side to side until eventually latching on. sometimes takes 15 or more mins to get her to latch, always succeed eventually. This evening has been particularly bad, until she has become slightly hysterical, screaming and shaking head, trying to suck but obviously nipple not comfy in her mouth because she just wont suck! Have eventually expressed 50ml and put in bottle (something we were planning to try at some point) and she took straight away and wolfed it down. then managed to get her to latch on for about 5 mins. 2 questions - any tips on the latching on problem and how much to feed her in a bottle? She last fed at about 8pm on the breast but not a full feed and then the 50ml in bottle and 5 mins on breast about 20 mins ago. MAny thanks and sorry for bad typing am v tired and trying not to be stressed!z

Have you tried calling one of the national helplines?

Are you feeding them at the same time (tandem) or one at a time whilst you work on their latch?

no, feeding individually at the moment, not enough hands to latch both on at once as they are still so tiny. There's a helpline? Where? Who? thanks for your reply

Association of Breastfeeding Mothers
Website: www.abm.me.uk/
Tel: 08444 122 949 beginoftheskypehighlighting 08444 122 949 endoftheskypehighlighting
The ABM's breastfeeding helpline is open every day from 9.30am to 10.30pm. All our telephone breastfeeding counsellors are volunteers who have breastfed their own children and have also received in depth training on all aspects of breastfeeding.
By Email: [email protected]

NCT Breastfeeding helpline Website:
website: www.nct.org.uk/
Tel: 0300 330 0771 beginoftheskypehighlighting 0300 330 0771 endoftheskypehighlighting
8am?10pm, seven days a week. Talk to a qualified breastfeeding counsellor for information and support to help you breastfeed successfully. We can also help if you are using formula or want to switch from formula to breastfeeding or breastfeeding to formula. If you have questions about starting your baby on solids or on stopping breastfeeding when the time comes we can help.

La Leche League
website: www.laleche.org.uk
Tel: 0845 120 2918 beginoftheskypehighlighting 0845 120 2918 endoftheskypehighlighting
Email: www.laleche.org.uk/pages/about/helpform.htm
Helpline offering advice and information on breastfeeding, plus local group meetings.

Breastfeeding Network
website: www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk
Tel: Supporterline: 0300 100 0210 beginoftheskypehighlighting 0300 100 0210 endoftheskypehighlighting
email: [email protected]
The supporter line is run by BfN Registered Breastfeeding Supporters. Supporters are mums, who have breastfed their own babies and who have received intensive training in breastfeeding. They work on a voluntary basis and are based in their own homes.

The breastfeeding network also runs:

National Breastfeeding Helpline
Tel: 0300 100 0212 beginoftheskypehighlighting 0300 100 0212 endoftheskypehighlighting
Funded by the Department of Health and staffed by trained volunteer mothers from the Breastfeeding Network and the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers.
Lines are open between 9.30am and 9.30pm every day.

BfN Supporterline in Bengali / Sylheti: 0300 456 2421 beginoftheskypehighlighting 0300 456 2421 endoftheskypehighlighting

I'm a twin mum myself and I bfed my pair. Be patient with yourself. It will come good. Get help when and where you can.

(before you think I'm amazingly clever... and you can if you like) I googled breastfeeding helplines hoping they'd be listed in the same place.

Good weights by the way. Well done.

Wow you are doing so well, you should be very proud of yourself

Definitely ring one of the lines, but if you can then check your baby's mouth for signs of thrush. My DS had it when he was tiny and it made his mouth sore and he wouldn't latch.

Gosh, never knew there was so much help out there. She's started screaming again so have expressed a little more for her. Will have a look at those sights, thanks for your help. Am determined to get through this blip. Thanks again. ps am sure you are amazingly clever

Thanks Ali, will check. Not thinking very well, am tired She's gone to sleep, think she has a full belly at last and she must be knackered!

zuzu, something to check ! I'm hoping she hasn't but 3 of my children did the refusal / head shake / upset at latching on when they had thrush in their mouths. It could easily be nothing to do with thrush at all but as I read your op it just described my 1st 3 perfectly when they had thrush.

Use this link for downloadable thrush leaflet.

Just realised alibaba had the same thought, sorry ali didn't read all of your post properly

link

Well done btw! You are doig fab by the sounds of it

Thanks kitkat. Have had a look at that leaflet, she has the syptoms of head shaking, poor latching, only sucking a few times but not symptoms of white patches, and no soreness for me. Have just remembered that i have a docs app tomorrow to check her jaundice so can get doc to check her mouth too. Both babies gone down now (fingers crossed for me please!) so going to try to get sleep before it all kicks off again. Thanks all for your help and support, will be back sometime I'm sure!

zuzu, I'm glad she's not showing all the signs, but sadly you probably can't trust your gps diagnosis. Gps know very little in general about breastfeeding and its fairly unique problems. If the problem persists see a b/feeding consultant for advice in rl. The bfn supporter line/ website will hopefully come up with something near you.

I have previously been told to quit b/feeding to get rid of thrush, I didn't and i'm now on baby number 4 and month 58 ( i think - mental arrithmatic not up to much at this time of night!)

You really are doing really well, you've got past several big obsticles already. Well done and congrats on the babies.

GAH! I'm losing the power to type! sorry about typos and spelling mistakes, too tired! going to bed, night all!

sorry just wanted to give you this link to explain my comment about gps....

here

Hope you got some sleep ZuzuandZara! I haven't had any experience with thrush but I do have twins (now 9!), who I breastfed. It'll get easier when they're not so tiny! I became very, very thirsty feeding mine but not that much hungrier. Good luck!

Zuzu - do get the GP to look, some are very good with BFing (mine is wonderful, I'm lucky). Worth checking their bottoms as well, thrush can look like normal nappy rash but if you look closely you should see little white raised spots.
The telling thing would obviously be if your other baby started to display the same behaviour at feeding.

Kitkat - great minds! I was just going looking for the BfN leaflet, but I see you have already posted the link

Definitley organise some face to face time with a trained BFC though.

Hi all. Sorry went awol. Docs appointment this morning, fairly sure no thrush present.

Rang one of the helpline numbers and spoke to a really kind woman, was really good to sound off and get some great advice. She emailed me lots of useful info am about to wade through.

Have tried a couple of things eg taking babies to bed and stripping from waist up and letting babies just lie on me or next to me and try to feed without holding/restraining. Seemed to work a little with the one who is having trouble latching. She also told me I was doing well, as did you guys, I think I can be a little hard on myself and panic it's all over just because we're having a blip! Thanks so much for all your replies, especially in the middle of the night, it's great to know there's people out there.

wow well done!

meanwhile i dont know much as am new mum but fwiw my dd fiddled alot until i cut out caffiene for me - then she pretty much stopped. what she was doing sounds similar - fussing and swinging her head from side to side, esp in the day.

good luck and keep on trucking x

Sungirl - there goes my morning cuppa will give it a go though, if I can! Went right off tea while pregnant but back on it now. Thanks.

Londonlottie that's really encouraging, am going to try lying them in front of me on a pilow rather that holding them, will also lie down for feeds but feel that I can't spend my whole life lying down or will be veeerryy sleeepy! you sound like you're doing really well - I want to be there too.
Yes was me on baby name thread. We have Maisie Charlotte and Alexandra Emily
Right, am off to feed, see you in about a year.

How's it going tonight lovely?

hi, have you tried going back to skin to skin or feeding in bath? also letting baby just find the breast (nurturing theory). if tandem feeding ... i br fed twins but k would not settle on the breast if c was already on the other side!!! twins, gotta love their funny ways.

all in all keep going you're obviously doing a great job

Hi Mars, thanks for checking on me Going well again, a little faffing but basically latching a lot better. Maisie seems to have remembered what to do, Alex is now having a turn at being a bit of a pickle but not too bad, so calm reigns again - until next time.....!

Becky, have tried the letting the baby find the breast thing (admittedley only briefly) but problem is they are so tiny still (4 and 5 lb) that I need to direct them and help them. For same reason not tandem feeding yet, although I plan to when they can latch on their own, at the moment I don't have enough hands! (not that I'm ever going to have any more hands Have tried lying down and skin to skin, both seem to help.
Thanks for your encouragement.