Help struggling to get bf established :-(

[butterscotch]

My dd2 was born on Thurs by Elcs, after probs with dd1 birth.

I tries unsuccessfullytobf dd1 for 6 weeks and expressed n mixed fed until she was 12 weeks when it became too much of a tie.

I know more now than last time I.e. I had flat nipples so I bought the advent niplette which has helped a bit!

I finally managed to get her latched on but she is generaly falling asleep after a few mins, I've been roping up with formula 10ml at a time until last night as exprssing was getting nohig and I got. Dry
nappy.

So today she has fed 330am 10ml formula after an hours attempt at the boob and no interest!

Then took me an hournto wake her this am (tried from 7am) so from 8am she had about 20mins but was on and off (this is the longest feed at boob) then hourlyish till 1250 she has been on and off partly comfort feeding 2 or 3mins some 10 mins of on and off etc...

So I'm going to wake her in a minute and try to feed her again however if she comfort feeds again I can't see them letting me go home today :-( I'm really missing dd1 who is 2.9yrs old Nd a sweetie pie!

If she starts comfort feeding is it worth me trying a dummy? Just so she gets the sucking comfort then making it a foos two three hours between Feeds so she is hungry and feeds well?

I'm hoping to get home today they did the jundice test last night and she wasn't quite there but she is still a little bit yellow looking I think they are going to do the jundice test again before they allow me home!
Any advice?

Hope you get good help, butterscotch.
What does midwife/midwives say?

Here are things to try:

*lots of skin to skin

• baby self-attachment/biological nurturing
• quick response to early feeding cues

Comfort feeding is fine though obviously not if the only feeding is comfort feeding - she has to transfer milk as well. Spacing feeds out with a dummy is absolutely not the way to go...the more often she feeds the better. To be honest, the pattern you describe today sounds fine and normal for a baby on day 2-3, as long as the milk is getting from you into her

BTW - babies aged 2-3 days need very little volume of milk at any one time, and freq feeding of small amounts is normal.

Thanks mw weren't bothered they said I need to attempt to feed her every 3hrs giving her 10ml of formula if she doesn't feed.....

So confident that would work we got dischRged from thehospital things have gone from bad to worse:-(

at hospital just before leaving bout 6pm attempted to bf notinterested but showing cues routing sticking Tongue out etc..... After 45minsnothing so 10 ml of formula given so I can relaxn feed at home!

Initial attempts not interested but managed a 10 min feedgreat,put in Moses basket and objected crying madly (don't have the rocking stand just normal type)

so I manage to feed her again hubby takes her to put in Moses basket wakes up unable to resettle hernow3hrslater I have her asleep on my lap couldn't get her to boob just crying assoon offered so she has had a further 20ml top ups andveenoffered tge boob I don't think my milk hascome in and she is getting frustrated :-( As soon as i put in
osesbasket she wakes :-(
tried swaddling dslikes that so currently sat bolt upright in feeding chair with her any suugestions welcome ????

As I had csection I know I need to rest as well dh has bunked in with dd1 but I'm out of ideas ????

Apologies for the awful typing using my phone

Meant to say have been doingots of skin to skin and offering x

Just keep offering, she will take eventually. Don't get disheartened. Keep her skin to skin as much as you can. If she doesn't feed, then hand express to stimulate your milk supply.

Looking at the time, think you're prob still online so wanted to send you some support. My LO is 9 weeks now (and feeding as we speak so crap typing also!) don't know if I have good advice, but I can share my experience.

We had to stay in hospital for 9 days after she was born cos of poor feeding, jaundice and weightloss. from 3 days ols I had to wake her 3 hrly to feed, putting on boob and topping up w up to 30 ml formula (or ebm when I had it). I was desperate to bf but in the end happy to give formula as she was getting more dehydrated so jaundice was getting worse.

IMHO (this is first baby so FWIW!!!!) do whatever you need to do to geT by. I was expressing like mad every 3 hrs to encourage milk to come in. Didn't get much at first but it did increase as days wEnt by.

Don't know if any help but wanted to let u know there r others out there and ur not alone. Good luck.

And congratulations on her arrival! Will she suck your little finger? Sometimes helps calm mine down.

Thanks for the responses and support still awake she's cycling 30min wake cycles :-(

yeap when she'll take finger offering her the boob can't introduce a dummy till 4 weeks 8-(

God I remember those nights and posted myself at silly o'clock desperate for help.
It does get better and easier!

I was soooo unprepared for how often and how long my dd would feed in the very beginning.

Hope you get some rest soon.

butterscotch : it reads like most of the distress and crying is when you place her in the Moses basket. Babies often object to being apart from their mums - her most lovely and comforting and familiar place is next to you, where she has been for 9.5 mths until just the other day

Just keep her close. Don't try to put her down...you will need to learn to doze and sleep with her next to you and maybe dad can do some of the cuddling and skin to skin when you need a break.

Hope the midwife comes today.

Your expectations that she will settle and sleep in the basket after a feed are way too high....some babies do, but many simply don't want to, in these early days, and become scared and anxious if they are put there. It's normal

Regarding the moses basket. Lie TikTok says probably wants lots of cuddles at the moment and why she wants to be on you.
One tip for the Moses basket is to warm it up with a hot water bottle then take it away just before you settle her in it. They do seem to like the nice warm sheet!

Hope you manage to get the BF sorted and you get lots of local support.

Thanks ladies I think I forgot how made the early days were!!! Your right my expectations were out of synch realistically! Today she has slept most of the day my hunt has taken dd1 out and I've done nothing! Feeding still isn't going well and I'm using formula to top up but expressing sndbusing ebm before formula! Anaged to get a five out strychnine of sleep this am and she is asleep again now (on pram) so going to make Moses basket as snug and hope tonight is much beyer!!!