EP in the Hospital

cookster82

I just got my BFP for D?2

I EP'd with DS after struggling with BFing for about 6 weeks.  He latched fine for the first couple of days, but it was a struggle from that point on.  I would like to EP from the beginning with this baby, but I'm not sure how it would work in the hospital. 

Assuming this baby will latch similar to my first, I think I would still put the baby to the breast right after birth, and then pump to capture any extra colostrum.  Do I then give that to him on the next feeding time, and then pump again, etc?

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Designermomma

I would meet with a lactation consultant in the hospital. They could help fix the latch issues. If not, you pump one side while BF with the other every 2 hours. You can store the milk in the fridge for later but you'll have to at least pump every 3 hours to keep up with the baby's needs.

mommatotwo2

I second meeting with an LC and working on latch and addressing any issues early on, so that you don't have to EP, because as you know, it's a lot more work.

If you are set on EP, then I would ask for a hospital grade pump to begin using right after birth and pump at least every 2-3 hours to get your supply going.  You can either pump while you feed baby on the other side or you can double pump and have someone else feed baby with whatever you got at the prior feeding. Just so that you're not surprised, pumping in the first few days after birth usually yields very little. Just drops of colostrum initially, it will not likely be enough to put into a bottle and will possibly have to be syringe fed.

sschwege

I agree with pp about seeing an LC and giving it a go with this new baby.  

If you are sure that you would rather EP then just pump every 2-3 hours around the clock.  The hospital should have a pump and parts you can use and a place you can store extra colostrum.  My hospital charged for pump rental, but insurance covered it (DS was in the Special Care Nursery and I was unable to nurse him).

cookster82

Thanks for all the feedback!  I'll definitely put some additional thought into trying BFing again, and see how it goes. 

Thanks!

Lena122

Just wanted to say that BFing my second was worlds different than BFing my first. I wouldn't assume anything about your experience will be the same. My second latched almost perfectly right away and ate like a champ. My first was a struggle from the beginning and we barely made it 3 weeks. Just wanted to offer a little perspective on that end. Good luck!

CNYBride05

Congrats on your BFP and why the heck are you even thinking about this right now!? Why don't you wait 9 months and see what happens?