If you had to supplement/pump in the beginning, but went on to breastfeed

[songbird516]

...what was the most useful bit of advice that you have? A friend of mine had her baby and was so excited to have a vaginal birth, but I knew that the challenges were just starting.
Predictably, baby didn't want to latch, wasn't nursing, but they didn't tell her to pump, finally she got a pump and he started latching, but then was jaundiced (of course!!!) and they started supplementing, now he's not nursing any more and she's pumping and exhausted. I am trying to get her to let me come and stay with her and help her with these issues. What are some pieces of advice or encouragement that really helped you to succeed or continue trying?
I think that the main problems are the early supplementation. She was on a lot of meds during the birth and afterwards that probably affected his ability and her breasts/nipples. The other problems just snowballed from that. I don't think that he has any tongue-tie or that she would have supply issues if it weren't for all of the other problems. Mainly now we just need to get him nursing and her feeling like she can do it.

[momof3boys1girl]

kellymom i would tell her to read as much as she can there and find a IBCLC

[songbird516]

She's just not a researcher. We talked about a ton of stuff before labor, and I sent her a bunch of links that she never read, but it seems that she just needs personal support. I'm asking for personal experiences because she seems to appreciate that kind of advice the most. I don't think that she needs an IBCLC; she really needs emotional and psychological support.

[SarahS12]

In the beginning DS wouldn't latch, had low blood sugar and was super jandiced so I was pumping and supplementing. The biggest problem I had was that they kept having me up the amount of BM and formula I was giving him and having me feed him every two hours. When I finally saw the LC at my pedis office, she was shocked at the amount they were having me feed him every two hours and told me that of course he was refusing to latch, he never got hungry. She told me he would never be getting that much to eat if he was exclusively bfing and that I needed to just stop feeding him every two hours and wait until he got hungry. Sure enough, the very next time, he latched. I don't know her specific problem but the LC REALLY helped me. The ones in the hospital were not that great and were the ones telling me to up the amount of formula to give him.

[LaughingPeaMama]

Keep trying and don't give up. I ep'd after 4 months with dd and it was hell. We still had to supplement. Now with ds I got early intervention and we only supplement with 1 formula a day

[songbird516]

THanks for this! I don't know how much she's feeding. I'm a little frustrated because I really want to help her, and she doesn't have anyone else she is close to with experience breastfeeding, but she isn't really accepting my offer of help right now. I am being respectful of that, but I wish she would let me come and help. She said yesterday that she wanted me to come, then sent me a text that her SIL (who has no children) was coming so to come another day. I feel like she doesn't understand how important this first week is, and that if she gets him breastfeeding now it will be so much easier than pumping.

Originally Posted by SarahS12 In the beginning DS wouldn't latch, had low blood sugar and was super jandiced so I was pumping and supplementing. The biggest problem I had was that they kept having me up the amount of BM and formula I was giving him and having me feed him every two hours. When I finally saw the LC at my pedis office, she was shocked at the amount they were having me feed him every two hours and told me that of course he was refusing to latch, he never got hungry. She told me he would never be getting that much to eat if he was exclusively bfing and that I needed to just stop feeding him every two hours and wait until he got hungry. Sure enough, the very next time, he latched. I don't know her specific problem but the LC REALLY helped me. The ones in the hospital were not that great and were the ones telling me to up the amount of formula to give him.

[MN Mama to 3]

I would suggest to her at each feeding to try BF first, and then give a bottle if needed.

[AcrossTheUniverse]

Use and SNS and a nipple shield and feed only at the breast. I would highly recommend no bottles as those are probably what are affecting his latch and making him not want to BF since a bottle is easier. If he is having trouble with the nipple shield, then syringe feed until he gets the hang of it.

[Nerissa]

DS1 had some major latch issues and jaundice at birth. The LC helped a ton and tried everything, got me a pump right away. pumped the colostorm and syringe fed it to him.

the biggest thing that saved us was the LC said make sure I BF first and then do any suplimenting and have DH give the bottle. We did that for 2 weeks and then went on to BF exclusivily for the next 6 months. Then weaned but that was a completely seperate issue.

If it hadn't been for the great LC and all the help I got from them while in the hospital I probably wouldn't have been successfull since I had no clue what I was doing as a FTM.

[songbird516]

The help she got in the hospital was not great. I can't believe she went 20 hours without him really nursing and they didn't give her a pump. I told her to get one! Of course he was jaundiced after that. Thanks for the advice. I did suggest ditching bottles, but I don't think She has.