My baby girl is 15 days today and as soon as she was born I placed her to my breast and from the very minute she just won't take to it. In the hospital they advised me to express and give her what I can from that and top her up with formula, either way she would get all the nutrition from the breast milk.
I wanted to breastfeed so much and share that bond with my baby but no matter how much I tried to help her to take to it she just wouldn't. She'd latch on correctly and I'd have her positioned correctly but she just wouldn't suck. It's like she didn't like my nipple and I didn't have any cream or anything on me to distract her. Could it be I wasn't producing enough milk on account of having her 3 and a half weeks early or just she didn't like it??? Even expressing I don't produce very much and I do it on a regular 3-4hr basis. Any advice as I feel I have let down both me and my baby and that it's partially my fault. ↓
|
|
| Name: Donna | Date: Oct 30th, 2005 7:38 PM |
Emily,
Congradulations on your baby girl! Breastfeeding is very challenging and very rewarding. I have breastfeed for four year strait now. The advice i give you is to call your local La Leche League (you can lookl it up on the internt.) The leaders are very helpful. Another piece of advice would be do not give up, offer the breast often, if your baby was given a bottel or pacifier, she may have nippel confusion. Skin to skin (you and baby) is a good way for bay to spend her time. The closeness will comfort her and encourge her to nurse. But most importanlty find a lactation consultent, or call the LLL. Dont give up , it will be worth it in the long run. ↑ |
| Name: Heather | Date: Nov 2nd, 2005 4:35 AM |
Has she nursed at all. I think that if you are calm and give her control, make sure she is latched on right she will eat. You have to give it time though. Just keep trying. She may only eat a tiny bit and that's ok. Pumping takes a lot of mental work. Get in the bath, relax with some candles and your milk will come in easier. Just except that this is normal, breastfeeding is a blessing. Know that and your milk will come in.
Love, Heather
anicello@marykay.com ↑ |
| Name: Emily | Date: Nov 2nd, 2005 6:26 PM |
Hey guys thanks for the advice. I have many times and let her take control but she just wont suck. She was like this from the very beginning and I have had and still am having skin to skin with her. It's like she just doesn't want to suck. Also when in the hospital she had bad jaundice and was put under phototherapy, they said it was probably bacause she wasn't feeding proper;ly and got dehydrated. She was also 3 weeks premature which meant she had to be kept under phototherapy for a week. So for me and my partner it was frustrating because we could only take her from the incubator to feed and change her in the quickest time possible so she could be put back in. During this time her blood sugar was also low so I was told to express give her that from the bottle and then top her up with formula. So that really didn't help with the breastfeeding either.
Any other advice would be much appreciated. Thanks again ↑ |
| Name: Donna | Date: Nov 2nd, 2005 7:16 PM |
| I would strongly incourage you to check out the lalecheleague, they are VERY helpful, with all situations. you can go to lalecheleague.org. They have online chat sestions. The leaders i think are lactation consultants or most are. It sound like your litle one had a rough start, and was some what tramatized. I hope it works out for you, get professional help. ↑ |
| Name: Michele | Date: Nov 3rd, 2005 12:41 PM |
| You said she was born 3 weeks early. Premies tend to not "get it" at first sometimes. You produce milk in response to the stimulation, so you really can't get your production up w/o her sucking unless you pump. I suggest you get a good pump (hospital grade electric), pump and feed her from that and continue to latch her on right before. Has anyone gotten you a syringe feeder? This is where you can put the breastmilk in the syringe, put a small catheter in the baby's mouth, latch her on and slowly give her milk from the syringe. As she swallows it she will start to suck. Please don't feel guilty. It is a learning process for both of you!! If she is latching on correctly that is half the battle. Please call La Letche League or better yet your local hospital and ask for a lactation consultant to assist you and get you whatever you need. Good luck! ↑ |
| Name: bhai | Date: Nov 7th, 2005 8:00 AM |
| Name: JadeAngel | Date: Nov 20th, 2009 1:01 PM |
| dont give up quite yet. i was exactly the same... and every time i tried to feed her she'd scream and make me cry, i felt like i was hurting her by how much she screamed. but at around 2 weeks she took it for 5 minutes on one... then later that day for 20 minutes... the next day for an hour, and so forth until after a week she only had 2 or 3 bottles a day, and the next week none. she's been exclusively breastfeeding now for more than 3 months, and she hates the bottle and formula... so dont give up! :D i know its haaard when they wont take it and cry, but just try to get her to take the breast each day, even if she screams and only takes it for a minute... what you can also try to do, is squeeze your breasts a little bit until milk starts coming out a bit b4 you let her try, then she wont get mad at getting nothing right away. but breast milk is sweet and formula is yucky tasting, so once she learns she can get it out, she'll love it :) good luck ↑ |
|
|
