Newborn not getting enough colostrum

[Strawberry06]

Had my baby yesterday by ELCS. I've been struggling to get him to latch or when I do whether he's getting enough colostrum (if any) but yesterday the midwives said it's fine as he was a decent weight (8lb7) and has reserves/just needs a tiny bit.

Now suddenly today they are concerned as he's starting to show signs of jaundice and very very sleepy and not doing anything at my breast.

I've had no choice but to give him a syringe of formula which the midwives have said will set the clock back and he will hopefully start to feed.

I've had loads of help and everyone has said we're doing it correctly yet my nipples are bruised and now I'm worried he won't be interested as he's had a bit of formula or it will be too painful for me to carry on though I want to persevere.

No tongue tie either

Feeling very emotional :-(

Congratulations OP. I had this with my son. He had the red crystals in his urine at day 2 and miswifes told me to top up with formula after every breastfeed. We did that. He was taking 70ml of formula after every feed until my milk came. We used those newborn single use formula bottles. It didn't have any impact on his breastfeeding and we went back exclusively breastfeeding after my milk came. As he got used to taking bottle my husband was able to feed him every now and then . So no need to stress about it. I had very sore nipples for a long time due to tongue tie and high palate. I found madela nipple shells and lansinoh cream the best combilation to give me relief. Also putting small amount of lansinoh onto nipple before every feed helped minimise the friction. I wish you and your little one all the best x

I've had the bilirubin results back and he is indeed jaundiced. He also does need formula as medicine so I've had to agree. But I just want him better and hopefully it won't deter him and my milk will be in by the time he's better.

Everyone's stories are all very positive, thank you

It's very early and your milk won't have come in yet. Mine needed formula at first then mixed fed until age 1 which was my choice

OP have the midwifes referred you to breastfeeding support team ? They can come and check if his latch is correct..Once you are home you can get in contact with Breastfeeding Network charity and go to their meetings. They can check the latch as well. Also if you can afford it i recomend getting an IBCLC assess the latch. They are very good at checking tongue tie and helping with optimal latch. For now keep the baby fed and keep your milk flowing . You want to keep your supply so if baby doesn't latch . Make sure you pump or feed every 3 hours. Keep putting the baby on the breast even if you think he is not getting anything. It will encaurage your milk to come. Once your milk comes your baby will find it easier to feed. You got this . First days are hard but there are lots of support out there these days if you need it . It will get better xx

Congratulations OP. When my eldest was in NICU, i was advised not to use a pump until day 5 ish and to just hand express into the little syringes until then, because the colostrum would be too thick for the pump to work effectively. There's absolutely no shame in using a bit of formula to help, but if you can keep hand expressing (as well as getting baby to latch), it may be easier on your nipples and still let your baby get all that goodness. Good luck! I did two weeks of hand expressing, then pumping, then finally breastfeeding + formula top ups until DD was 9months. You are at such early days so there is still plenty of time.

@ProjectKettle I've now been given a hand pump but getting nothing and I agree the colostrum will be too thick. The midwife said to do it cause it will stimulate my breast and encourage milk to come?

If we are still not winning by day 5 I'll definitely express.

He's under phototherapy now after having 30ml of formula and to be honest it's the most alert I've seen him! The midwife said we can try breast first in 3 hours before we top up with formula. Based on how alert he is I'm quite hopeful for later and hopefully I'll get the latch right.

This is normal. You just need to carry on doing what you're doing. He only needs tiny tiny amounts, which is what you're producing.

Do relax as you will work this through. You are both learning

@Strawberry06 - when I had DS I thought the latching on was harder than giving birth - but it worked in the end - Don't panic.

Congratulations and just think you will look back on this and possibly smile

Sounds good OP. Just keep putting him to the breast, it will make your body produce the hormones necessary for your milk to come in. That doesn't mean he can't have formula as well.

Is there a breastfeeding expert in the hospital?

So we've come off the lamp now and my milk has definitely started to come in, though not enough yet to fill entire bottles.

But little man is just still so sleepy at the boobs. I can get him to latch but then he just doesn't want to do anything, just sits with it in his mouth.

Apart from one spell yesterday evening where he was extremely alert and going absolutely crazy for it and we had a 45 minute feed!

I really dunno how to get him to stay awake! I wish he'd wake up screening hungry but he doesn't at all!

He will. Remember you are both still learning. My DD had no interest in feeding for a week or two!

People blow on their faces. Tickle their feet. Gentle ways to wake them up at the breast.

If you started a thread about that, OP, you would get lots of advice!

How's it going now, OP? I hope things have settled down.

It’s the jaundice, it makes them sleepy. I remember thinking I had the most settled newborn in the world because all he did was sleep but he was just really jaundice. I also struggled to keep my baby awake to latch, he was exactly as you’re describing. I agree with previous posters who said giving some formula will perk him up and start ti shift the jaundice, you’ll notice a big difference. Keep putting him to the boob. We expressed and I also gave that in a bottle too which tbh I think saved our breastfeeding journey. I went on to ebf for 5 months so don’t worry about giving some formula in the hospital.

I really feel for you OP. I had such a battle with my first, he used to get all sleepy and not want to feed, just cuddle; my milk came in very late, and despite his respectable birth weight he was simply a very skinny baby (as was I).

Fortunately I had great support in the hospital where we stayed for a week; they gave him formula for boring medical reasons I won’t go into but kept encouraging me and told me that it was absolutely going to be all right. I remember crying in that first week because I felt it couldn’t possibly work. I was wrong and the experts were right - I ended up breastfeeding him for two years and he is now a very skinny teenager!

The guilt, exhaustion and hormone storm of new motherhood is not to be underestimated. It sounds like you’re doing brilliantly.