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Infant feeding

Increasing supply at 13 days old?

13 replies

violetbean · 26/12/2013 03:31

Hi all (bit of a long one, sorry!),

I had quite an eventful birth (induced due to pre-eclampsia, got to 7cm dilated and they discovered he was breech, EMCS under general anaesthetic) and DS (now 13 days old) was formula fed while I was recovering for the first couple of days (we tried to latch him a few times but he just screamed at the breast). Then a maternal support worker in the hospital taught me how to express and I started giving him a little expressed colostrum / milk alongside the formula feeds for the next few days. Two more breastfeeding counsellors tried to get him latched on but couldn't.

Once we left the hospital DH and I carried on mix-feeding DS with formula and expressed milk. I've tried every day to get a latch and the closest we came was when we tried with nipple shields (he fed for maybe half an hour but it was really painful for me) and next time we tried with shields he wasn't interested at all. We are currently feeding him about half his feeds with expressed milk and half with formula.

I'd like to go to one of the breastfeeding cafes in the area but they are all closed over Christmas. I've rented a Medela Symphony pump (hospital grade) and am trying to express once every 3 hours or so but it's hard keeping up with having to wash and sterilise the pumps/bottles so sometimes it's longer between sessions. Am trying to express at least twice between midnight and 6am.

I'm currently getting 40-80ml expressed per session but feel like it's getting harder and harder to keep up the supply. Any tips for me before I can get to the breastfeeding cafe in a couple of weeks' time?

I'm still in a lot of pain from my CS scar and on regular codeine and paracetamol. Just finished taking 3 types of antibiotics and am still on blood pressure meds. Could these have been affecting my supply?

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3FrenchHenD19s · 26/12/2013 04:40

Wow well done you as you sound as though you are being really determined and doing really well. I have no real advice I'm afraid except to keep on doing what you're doing and keep trying to get your DS to latch on before each feed. I don't think the meds will have affected supply but I think it's just because your DS has had formula too. I hope it all works out ok for you and congratulations Thanks

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MigGril · 26/12/2013 06:10

kellymom.com has a fantastic section on exclusively expressing. has all the information you should need.

You can ring any of the breastfeeding helplines they areopen over Christmas and will be able to give you lots of support with this.

Try having as much skin to skin with baby as possible, take him to bed and stay there, it will help with your supply and he may latch to.

Something that maybe a good idea is to ditch the bottles. He needs to learn to breastfeed and bottle feeding is totally different he may struggle to do it while being bottle fed. He still needs feeding but switching to a supplimential nursing system, mite be a good idea. it can be used to feed him at the breast or finger feed witho it. But it should help him learn how to suck properly.

and good luck.

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TheGreatHunt · 26/12/2013 06:31

It might not be supply - might be a tongue tie issue as well. Give one of the helplines a ring and also try your HV as they may know a BF counsellor who can come out.

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Shitballs · 26/12/2013 08:38

Sounds like you are doing brilliantly. Definitely call a breastfeeding helpline for support they are lovely.

0300 100 0212

If you can afford it I would pay privately for a lactation consultant. They are expensive but worth it. i justified it by thinking of the money you would save on formula.

www.lcgb.org/consultants_local.html gives you a list if those in your local area.

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violetbean · 26/12/2013 11:04

Thanks for the lovely comments. We will look into the resources you suggest. Fingers crossed we'll get it sorted!

Does anyone know if you need a qualification to sort out a tongue tie? Who can we ask to check if he has one - do we have to go privately?

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msmiggins · 26/12/2013 11:17

You could try rebirthing- may be helpful to stimulate primary rooting refex.

blissfulbirths.net/?page=Rebirthing

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TheGreatHunt · 26/12/2013 12:56

A bf counsellor or lactation consultant (latter are typically private). Where abouts are you? There are good private lactation consultants who specialise in tongue tie in London - I used one.

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Shitballs · 26/12/2013 13:00

I also had TT snipped by a lactation consultant. Worth every penny Smile

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BonaDea · 26/12/2013 13:00

Private lactation consultant as suggested above. Or can you phone LLL?

I would get little one suckling as long as possible as often as possible even if he doesn't seem interested or is struggling.

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violetbean · 26/12/2013 13:47

OK great, thanks so much for the suggestions and links. Am in SE London. Will see if phoning LLL helps initially. Smile

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TheGreatHunt · 26/12/2013 14:08

Probably not far from me - am SE London too. You can try asking your HV to refer you to the tongue tie clinic in kings college hospital? Also I used this lady

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WaitingForPeterWimsey · 26/12/2013 14:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

violetbean · 18/07/2014 10:51

Hi all, just re-activating my old Zombie thread to say thanks to those who posted here: I rang the national breastfeeding helpline and they gave me some advice, and also followed the Kelllymom advice on re-establishing breastfeeding. GP said he didn't have tongue tie. After a bit of perseverance, nipple shields, a breastfeed in the bath and a lot of pumping, we got the little one back on the boob (after about 2.5 weeks of formula / expressed milk) and we're still going strong with breastfeeding at 7 months! :)

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