Breast pump for hospital?

[alliemarg]

Hi there

I was wondering if we need to take our own breast pump to hospital? I want to breastfeed but if it doesn't work out, can you then request to pump and then bottle feed? Will they have the necessary kit if it doesn't work out?

Cheers in advance,
Allie

[OneLittleToddleTerror]

They have pumps in the neonatal units when DD stayed. Much better than the ones you can buy yourself.

Otherwise, I thought you just stay in there for a few hours after birth, as soon as the doctors can come around to discharge you.

[MummyCoolski]

Are you having a ELCS or expecting other complications? Breast pumps really start working after your milk is in, by which time you'll be home in most cases without complications. If you have latch issues, the midwives will help and can also show you how to hand-express colostrum for your baby.

[OneLittleToddleTerror]

I'm sure they have formula too. DD was forced to have formula down her tube in neonatal. The doctors were (or still are) very pro formula. DD was admitted twice, once for jaundice at birth, once for bronchiolitis at 7mo. They couldn't be faster for finding the formula for DD.

But that's another story I can moan about.

[SoonToBeSix]

You wouldnt have more than a few drops of milk not enough to use a pump.

[callamia]

I think you won't get much out of a breast pump until your milk has really come in. You can hand express for the first few colostrum days and feed with a syringe.

There are hospital grade pumps in hospital too, and you should ask to see a lactation/ feeding expert if breastfeeding isn't working out. Good luck!

[Getyourflipflopson]

They have medela double electric pumps on both the antenatal and special care units, they are fab! They also have disposable bottles, set ups for individual cold water sterilising and a fridge/labels to store your milk. You can bring your own bottles in if you wish to express and bottle feed and are in for a while.

[Matildasmam22]

Neonal were very big on breast feeding when I had my DD 2 years ago. If your expecting a long stay or complications allimarg most units have fab electric ones.

I wouldn't put two much pressure on yourself I had to stop at three weeks as I didn't have enough skin to skin contact with my lo (re-incubated due to neonatal flu) and my milk dried up.

and good luck

[OneLittleToddleTerror]

Getyourflipflopson just curious, are there any newborns in the hospital that are actually bottle fed? As far as I remembered, everyone was tube fed. (DD stayed in neonatal for 5 days or so).

[OneLittleToddleTerror]

I mean those on extended stay.

matilda I think the experience probably differ between hospital. Mine insisted on me not breastfeeding (directly on breast) while waiting for a lights/bed unit for jaundice. They just let DD cried, it's awful. I could have fed her while waiting but they didn't allow it. They said they wanted to measure the liquid going in.

[Errrr2012]

onelittletoddlerterror I think it depends on how early they were born and any other potential feeding/weight gain issues. Mine was in for 5 weeks (born at 31+6) and he was exclusively tube fed for a few weeks until breast and bottle (with expressed milk) were introduced. But that was only because he wouldn't have had the ability to suck, swallow and breath being that premature. Not sure why they'd just let yours cry.

Addressing the original post, pumps/sterilising kit was very much available in hospital but we were both inpatients for weeks rather than days/hours.

[Matildasmam22]

Onelittletoddlerterror - that's awful. I couldn't fault the staff where I was at but I did hear horror stories about the bigger hospital of other parents.

My lo was tube fed with expressed milk. After I had her a midwive came rounded helped me express into a tiny syringe.

I originally wasn't going to breastfeed but I was told the colostum? First bit of your milk was really beneficial.

I'm sure they change the guidelines every other week these days though

[alliemarg]

Thanks everyone, makes sense to me. I'm so paranoid we'll turn up without something vital and get laughed out the ward...