Just wanting some practical advice for breastfeeding no2.
With DD1 I tried for just under 2 weeks to BF, it was hard work. A combo of things led to my BF journey ending. She would arch and scream and had been given a bottle in NICU by the nurses due to low sugar. My poor midwife tried to help me quite a few times and she would sweat up a storm. In the end we were doing combined feeding and I was struggling at home to BF, bottle feed and express then sleep to only have to start again 40min later! I relinquished to bottle feeding and had very little support - no lac consultant, ABA were not helpful, the nurses in the hospital didn't tell me I need to attach her all the time or use 2 pumps, they suggested I use a dummy because she was a "sucker" and then would come and take her from me at night if I had her attached for more than 30min. I never had any nipple trauma, cracking or bleeding. when she was attached it was perfect and my supply was great when she was attached, I used to see it running out her mouth! I never had success with an electric pump but I always got more with a manual pump, ironically my sister is the same. But the supplementing with formula ruined it for me, I couldn't never get my supply up and she wanted fast let down like a bottle. In the end we found out she was dairy intolerant and a refluxer.
when I finally conceived again, I was determined (like now) to BF. I miscarried at 8 weeks, my body went into overdrive with the milk, which I thought was interesting. I started leaking colostrum and then milk for over a month and it wouldn't dry up. I am hoping this is a positive sign for this pregnancy that I will be able to BF.
I have also changed hospitals, hoping they will help and be more supportive with BFing and not feeding baby a bottle straight away.
Is there anything I can do to prepare, should I seek out a Lac?
Congratulations on your pregnancy. I hope things go smoothly for you this time.
Sounds like you had a lot of things going on with your DD - breastfeeding, expressing, topping up is definitely extra work for you - and not the best support.
Changing hospitals may be a good start if they have better breastfeeding support on offer.
Many mothers write themselves a breastfeeding plan, so they can clearly communicate with their carers about their wishes and preferences in different circumstances. Re low blood sugar, for eg, top-ups of expressed milk may be an option rather than formula.
Have you attended a breastfeeding education class at all? You said the ABA were not helpful - and I'm sorry to hear that - but they do run very good classes in the Perth area. I've found that learning how breastfeeding works has been invaluable in supporting my breastfeeding. The classes also cover baby-led attachment (or laid-back/biological breastfeeding), which can be a really effective way of initiating breastfeeding, as well as managing problems with feeding.
Having an LC on speed dial might be really helpful. Have you debriefed your experiences at all? I can also be helpful to talk things through and think about different options that you could try, though hopefully things will be less complicated next time round. Do you have a family history of intolerances? If you find yourself on that road again, there is an LC/dietician in Perth who specialises in that area, also.
Good luck!
I had a very similar experience to you first time but found this time round things were just miraculously better I went back to the same hospital and discovered that they had a lactation consultant who I Debriefed with and she made sure she wrote on my chart no bottles and a breastfeeding plan and we organized for me to antenatally express so I would have a stash of colostrum incase dd needed topping up, the nurses this time were much better and this baby didn't have any issues breastfeeding like ds and my recovery was much easier,
So its good to research but think positive it could be easy this time
I hand expressed for 10 mins twice a day Into a medicine cup and stored in freezer in syringes all dated with my name i managed 5-10ml a day I started at 36 weeks in case it did start labour but I didn't get contractions , I took half of them to hosp in a cooler bag with an ice brick and the nurses put them In a freezer for me until I got into my room with its own little freezer I was really lucky dd only needed one top up so I use the spares at home to give to dd if she is sick so she gets some good colostrum into her to. Help her recover
I also hand expressed from about 36 weeks pg but I collected it in 3ml syringes and stored them in named and dated snap lock bags. I saw a L C at 34 weeks pg for a 1:1 session and she put together a bf plan. She also came and saw me on day 3 for support and to update a plan. It's SO worth seeing a LC. Ours was my rock when it came to bf!
try again?
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