Advice please!

[Ch1cksmum]

Sister in law has just had first child. She has been discharged but baby kept in on antibiotics. Obviously happy for baby to have meds he needs but She is being told she can only take baby home when feeding is established. She has just had a 3 day labour and is having to travel to and from hospital 5-6 times a day- nurses not persevering with bottle when she's not there and end up using feeding tube. How can baby establish feeding when they are not helping?!
What should she do?

Was the baby premature?

My twins were in neonatal for 3 weeks and the staff were very good at doing bottle feeds overnight. I used to stay there all day with them and do the daytime feeds.

They did still have some Tube feeds right up until the day the took the tubes out, which coincided with us 'rooming in'. We stayed in a room with the babies and did all care and feeds for 2/3 nights and then came home.

Not prem. A healthy 9lb. Just on antibiotics due to swallowing /inhaling meconium. Hospital originally offered them a family room but then changed their minds. She's not allowed to stay in indefinitely during the day- possibly due to Covid.

Your sister needs to speak to someone as senior as possible on the maternity ward and ask if your sister can stay for a few hours a day. Travelling 5-6 times a day is ridiculous

I wouldn't have left without my baby.. can't she stay?

If he has to be there until the antibiotics are done then I suspect the will start pushing the bottles once he's on his last day or two of medication.
Bottle feeding takes a lot longer and if they're busy then they may well be thinking there's no point doing it sooner if he's got to be there anyway?

Get her to ask, from my experience there's usually a reasonable explanation. They don't want to keep babies longer than they have to.

That sounds tough not being able to stay... I would have thought the COVID risk was higher if she is coming and going though... another question to ask.

@katyB222 unfortunately when you baby is in neonatal there aren't enough spare beds for every parent to stay. Plus you'd be in a different room anyway as they're on cots/incubators with machines attached to them, no room for sleeping parents!

I cried for what felt like 12 hours straight when I left mine there the first night, no parent wants to leave their child.

It might be that baby is to exhausted to take all feeds by bottle so they do the odd tube feed to give baby a rest that’s what I was told when my son was in nicu and to the pp saying I wouldn’t leave without my baby obviously and luckily for you, you’ve never had a premature or sick newborn you have no choice but to leave with out your baby there’s no parent beds on nicu it just doesn’t work like that and if a mother reads that of a very premature/sick baby way to make them feel better about the situation what do u suppose they do kidnap a sick baby and run while social services and police are called ? Sorry rant over. I can’t even imagine how hard the nicu must be during this pandemic

Some successful breastfeeds today and hospital is looking to find a room to allow them to stay for longer periods. SIL feeling happier with the situation. Thanks for all the comments ladies. X

Sorry, my last comment was a bit of a passing one.. didn't intend to cause any upset.

I think during covid the hospitals have to work hard, but if mum can be supported to be present as much as she can maybe not overnight as there isnt space for her to sleep but certainly in the day. Mum leaving 5 times a day is only going to increase risk of spread rather than lessen it surely.

I hope they manage to get home soon, must be so hard for you all.

This sounds familiar. We said with my DD that they were feeding with tube too much and we were told that wash,t the case. I just say persevere she will get there and if she wants to bf then she still can. (But may have to combine for a wile.). It can be frustrating when you know more about feeding then the nurses. You soon learn which ones know what there talking about.

They have been discharged and are home safe and sound. Thanks again all. X