Struggling in transitional care - any experiences?

[Lucille91]

Hi everyone. My baby boy was born on Friday at 37 weeks, so not technically premature; but was induced due to suspected IUGR/SGA detected very late on in my pregnancy. He weighed just 4lb 7 which was even less than the scans had predicted. Although the doctors told us we would be taken to transitional care post birth, instead we were put in the normal antenatal ward where I had a horrific first night alone with him, in agony from an episiotomy, catheter and with next to no support with regards to feeding (he was struggling to latch) excerpt a midwife who chastised me for not knowing what I was doing, telling me he needed to feed ASAP and then putting him on formula top ups almost immediately.

After this cock up we were moved to transitional on Saturday. I’m just finding it all so hard - he is now jaundiced and under a Billie light and while bottle feeding every 3 hours fairly well, it can be hit and miss as is the midwife support, I’ve slept 4 hours in 3 days and the long nights alone are making me want to give up. It’s so hard. I can’t believe our partners aren’t allowed to stay with us. Any help would be much appreciated :(

Congratulations on the birth of your son!

I'm not sure what transitional care is, but it certainly doesn't sound like you're receiving the very best care.

Is there a lactation consultant at the hospital you could speak to?

Do NOT be afraid to cause a fuss, they should be supporting you with breastfeeding. Ask to speak to the midwife in charge if no help is forthcoming.

Can your partner visit you at all?

Look after yourself, you've just had a beautiful baby!

Congratulations! - one of my twins was born weighing 4lbs - I was sent home after 2 nights and went back into hospital for transitional care after nearly 3 weeks to get them ready to bring home

(For the poster above transitional care is just a separate ward or couple of rooms where mums and babies can move to if their baby is premature or too small to be discharged where they can establish feeding etc)

I would ask if there is a breastfeeding support nurse - I got my little twin established about 9 days after her birth but it was hard work

I would say at that size baby is probably getting tired easily so I did every other feed as tube fed/formula

Download the A-F breastfeeding chart - this gives info of how much to top baby up with formula based on how long they have managed to breastfeed and what the feed was like

Feed baby Rigidly every 3 hours all day and night - yes this is exhausting but it's the best way - wake him up by changing his napping, gently Blowing on his face -etc he needs to be awake to breastfeed.

Try and keep a note of times and how long he fed

The nipple shields - mine wouldn't/couldn't feed without them

This is all how I was advised to get my twins in NICU to breastfeed by the way

I spent a week in transitional care with my IUGR baby born at 36+6 weighing 4lb 7. It was awful. Disturbed at all hours, if I wasn’t up feeding or pumping for my baby I was kept awake by other babies. In the end my husband practically broke us out as whatever I was doing there I could do at home, there was very little support.

The important thing is getting to grips with feeding. Are you breastfeeding?