Breast feeding in the hospital?

dianeg1017 · October 2014

hey ladies. So I exclusively formula fed my DD with my job at the time I didn't have a place or time to pump. Now I have a job that allows baby to come with me and I'm home most of the day. After speaking with a few friends who breast fed I was surprised to hear most of them say that their babies were formula fed in the hospital and the lactation consultant didn't come until the next day ( their babies were formula fed almost 24hrs). I meet with my lactation consultant out of the hospital at 32-34 weeks so I will speak with her then. So what have been your experiences with breast feeding in the hospital. We're your little ones given formula?

dianeg1017 · October 2014

Thanks and I am going to talk to my consultant in the next few weeks. Because I thought baby breast feeds almost immediately. My cousin said the hospital had her pump first to have her supply come in I thought that sounded odd. I have been thinking about this and it's just stressing me just wanted tips so I can write questions for my lactation apt too.

dianeg1017 · October 2014

Thanks ladies for the reassurance. I really hope it goes smooth.

allitor12 · October 2014

No my kids both bf almost immediately after they were born. Granted it's colostrum but that is normal. The LC didn't come in until the next day but the nurses helped with dd1 until then and honestly at the first hospital I delivered at they were more helpful!

RayRay007 · October 2014

I BFd DD in the OR! Well, we tried for a few minutes anyway, and then DH carried her to the recovery room where we tried some more. I saw a LC in the hospital that day. It took a while for DD to latch and for my milk to come in and she lost 10% of her body weight, but still, no pressure to formula feed because they could see she was getting it and my milk was coming in. We don't have a nursery at our hospital so a healthy baby is never apart from you so we could make sure she didn't get anything we didn't approve of and work on BFing 24/7.

Cheekers2010 · October 2014

Heck no! Where are you? That's a stunningly bad idea if a mom wants to breastfeed. No formula is given unless the mom wants to feed the baby formula instead of breastfeeding.

perfectlove09 · October 2014

katehgee said:

At my hospital they do skin to skin and breast feeding as soon as the baby is out, before weighing and tests and shots. Visitors aren't permitted into delivery for at least an hour after birth. I'm a FTM, so I don't have first hand experience, but the nurses I've spoken with have said that except for extreme circumstances, if you want your baby to be EBF then the baby should have nothing but breast milk from the breast for the first several weeks.

Can I just add something about the bolded part above? This is something that EVERYONE in ANY hospital should be granted. (I guess aside from the one person on here that said they don't allow skin to skin bc of a mom accidentally suffocating baby....which is a fucking crazy rule). So many people think they have to ask the Dr/Nurse for permission. NO. As long as there isn't any medical reason to do otherwise you can do what you want.

We also don't have a nursery and baby was with me 24/7 during our stay. Which I'd do even if there was a nursery. The thought of sending my brand new baby to another room seems so weird but that's just me.

I struggled a lot with BFing and was about to do donor milk but luckily we didn't need to. I was determined that my child would consume what was meant for a human baby and made my an actual human. (my own personal preference, I don't care what other mama's do lol)

And if LC can't assist you right away the nurses should. Really,...they do this all day, every day and they will help you. Watch YouTube videos on latching, positions, etc. and read as much as you can. That way you at least have an idea of how it should look and feel when you are starting out.

Good luck :-)

Cheekers2010 · October 2014

eldunlap said:

My baby was given formula for the first 24 hours since she was away from me. After we got her back we supplemented until my milk came in. I didn't love the idea, but it worked out fine for us. The LC tried to pressure me into using donor milk, and I told her if it didn't come from me then it came from a can. She tried to shame me, but I didn't budge. I think donor milk is great for those who are comfortable with it, don't get me wrong, but it just isn't for us. My baby was given formula and was just fine, and became a champ at breastfeeding anyway, do what you feel comfortable with. If you don't want formula, then your hospital has to support that or you should raise holy hell.

Why in the world would you have a problem with donor milk? It goes through a rigorous screening process and it's then pasteurized and finally tested again. My son had donor milk for his first couple of days of life (along with my colostrum) and I was so grateful to have the option.

colliebabe · October 2014

I BF'd DD in the hospital right from the get-go and hope to do the same for this LO. A few people I've talked to said their LO got formula in the hospital because their "milk didn't come in yet" but my LC said that the baby only needed colostrum in the first few days, so that's what we did. My milk didn't come in until day 3 or 4 but DD still had enough wet diapers. I just kept feeding her every 1.5 hours in those first couple of days and eventually when I got home my milk came in.

Here is a kelly mom link about nursing a newborn:

https://kellymom.com/bf/normal/newborn-nursing/

PacoCat33 · October 2014

Cheekers2010 said:

eldunlap said:

My baby was given formula for the first 24 hours since she was away from me. After we got her back we supplemented until my milk came in. I didn't love the idea, but it worked out fine for us. The LC tried to pressure me into using donor milk, and I told her if it didn't come from me then it came from a can. She tried to shame me, but I didn't budge. I think donor milk is great for those who are comfortable with it, don't get me wrong, but it just isn't for us. My baby was given formula and was just fine, and became a champ at breastfeeding anyway, do what you feel comfortable with. If you don't want formula, then your hospital has to support that or you should raise holy hell.

Why in the world would you have a problem with donor milk? It goes through a rigorous screening process and it's then pasteurized and finally tested again. My son had donor milk for his first couple of days of life (along with my colostrum) and I was so grateful to have the option.

eldunlap here... maybe it is ridiculous or not rational, but for me... I couldn't imagine using donor milk. It just makes me go "ewww". Again, not rational/logical and I'm sure it is better, but I just couldn't get over the ick factor. Not for me, but more power to those who it is for!

ahbEsq · October 2014

Formula in the hospital bc your milk hasn't come in yet? That's crazy. My milk didn't come in until day 7 and my pediatrician didn't consider supplementing a very little amount until day 6, and the only reason for that was bc DS didn't have enough wet diapers and lost a lot of weight. The first week, your LO should have as many wet diapers per day as many days old they are, and should have one dirty before you leave the hospital. If that isn't happening, and your LO has lost more than 10% of his/her weight, and your pediatrician or LC (not the nurses) instructs you, only then should you consider possibly supplementing. And even if you supplement a small amount (after starting the feeding with breast feeding) you can go back to EBF once your supply is established if you are careful not to rely too much on supplementing.

AllTheTeaInChina · October 2014

We did immediate skin to skin after birth. I was still getting stitched up during the first attempt at BFing. DD didn't latch right away but we tried again later and she latched for a little bit. The nurse didn't take her to weigh, measure, shots etc for 45 min or so after birth. She was on my chest the whole time. It was noted in her bassinet that she was BF, no formula. I didn't see the LC until the morning I was discharged but I delivered on a Saturday. The LC only works M-F so I had to wait til Monday to see her. The nurses were very helpful though.

xc1148 · October 2014

I know every place is different, but our hospital will have nurses sub in for lactation consultants if one is not available immediately (they are there 24/7 but only one at a time). Most of my friends had better advice from the nurses, anyway, so I'm not too worried. I would figure out what your preference is and ask them to do whatever it takes to make sure you're getting what you need.

AlwaysForgetful · October 2014

In our hospital, the nurses help you the first day and the LC comes in the morning on the 2nd day. If baby does have a 9% weight loss they do start formula. BUT you can request this small tube that lays along your breast and so the baby is getting formula but at the same time, baby is still latching on. The tube connects to part of a syringe (no needle or plunger) that clips to your gown and it drips down slowly. Before they give baby a bottle, you can demand to talk to the LC about options.

I have never had them push formula the first day or two though. I always made it clear that I was breast feeding, no if, ands, or buts and when they took baby for tests, IF baby got hungry, they were to not give her a bottle.

BabyRN2009 · October 2014

My hospital (I work L&D) is on the last leg of our journey to becoming Baby Friendly designated. Baby goes immediately skin to skin and stays there for at least the first hour or until after first feeding (barring any medical problems of course), then we do weight, measurements, full assessment, meds etc.

If baby does not latch to breastfeed, we help mom hand express colostrum into a spoon and give to baby. Their tummy on day 1 is the size of a marble...they literally only need a few drops of colostrum to keep up their blood sugar. Formula is a last resort, and rarely given anymore (where I work anyway).

Nurse EARLY and OFTEN. You often hear breastfeeding is "supply and demand", but really "demand and supply" is a better mental image...the supply won't come if the demand isn't made...just like ordering at a restaurant...you order and then get the food. Breastfeeding 8-12 times every 24 hours sets the demand for your body to make plenty of milk for your baby.

Tell your nurses what you want and stick to it, unless medical problems arise (and really there are very few that require separation of mom and baby early on or that would require formula supplementation).

Good luck!

lionyloo32 · October 2014

PacoCat33 said:

Cheekers2010 said:

eldunlap said:

My baby was given formula for the first 24 hours since she was away from me. After we got her back we supplemented until my milk came in. I didn't love the idea, but it worked out fine for us. The LC tried to pressure me into using donor milk, and I told her if it didn't come from me then it came from a can. She tried to shame me, but I didn't budge. I think donor milk is great for those who are comfortable with it, don't get me wrong, but it just isn't for us. My baby was given formula and was just fine, and became a champ at breastfeeding anyway, do what you feel comfortable with. If you don't want formula, then your hospital has to support that or you should raise holy hell.

Why in the world would you have a problem with donor milk? It goes through a rigorous screening process and it's then pasteurized and finally tested again. My son had donor milk for his first couple of days of life (along with my colostrum) and I was so grateful to have the option.

eldunlap here... maybe it is ridiculous or not rational, but for me... I couldn't imagine using donor milk. It just makes me go "ewww". Again, not rational/logical and I'm sure it is better, but I just couldn't get over the ick factor. Not for me, but more power to those who it is for!

This is me too. No rationale behind it, it's juts how it makes me feel thinking about it.

Jessie333 · October 2014

DD would not latch in the hospital. I had her over the weekend when the LC wasn't there. The nurses had me hand express and then pump what I could to feed dd. She wasn't getting enough I guess and started to get jaundice. At that point they asked me to supplement dd with formula until my milk came in, so we did. I wasn't able to see a LC until the day after I was discharged. At that point I was able to stop the formula and EBF.

ashleykadlec · October 2014

We breast fed the second I was wheeled in from recovery from my CS. She latched right away which was awesome, the BF classes I took made me feel like that wouldn't happen at all. It was just hard for me at that time to BF because with the CS I was numb from pretty much below my chest so I couldn't move myself to scoot up or change sitting positions on top of not really knowing what I was doing so that really sucked. My DD was VERY very strong willed from the second she was born and there was one time she was so frustrated because she was hungry that she just couldn't calm down to eat, which was very emotional for me especially since she had nursed multiple times without a problem so finally I had them bring me a little donor milk. I learned from then on that if I was on top of feeding her before she asked for feelings I was golden..heaven forbid she had to tell me she was hungry otherwise she just couldn't calm down to eat and it was bad for everyone.

mlee116 · October 2014

Yeah, I also agree this is a terrible idea for promoting BFing and I would specifically tell them to not feed my baby formula. DS also had a sign on his bassinet saying he was BF only and they brought him to to me right after I got out of recovery (from my CS) and then every 2 hours after that. The LC came in the next morning, but the nurses were there to help before then.

nolanova85 · October 2014

See if you hospital has or is working towards their Baby Friendly designation. It's an initiative led by UNICEF & the WHO. Ours is working towards theirs and that means they include things like immediate skin-to-skin, BFing, and rooming in.

My friend delivered at 33 weeks in a different town & hospital, and even with her baby in the NICU she STILL was able to pump & get her LO breast milk that way.

[Deleted User] · October 2014

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ginalisa28 · October 2014

I had the nurses show me what to do until I saw the lactation consultant. My aunt is a nurse and she said you do not want to feed your baby formula if you are going to strictly breast feed. The baby needs very little breast milk when they first come just the colostrum until you start producing more. You should bring the pump to the hospital and use it to start the flow of milk with the suctioning. My first baby was in the NICU for a couple days so I would go down to the NICU every 2 hours, breastfeed and then go back to my room and pump.

ginalisa28 · October 2014

I know it's a wives tale and an ethnic thing, but drinking Malta after I delivered made my milk supply come on super fast and strong. It doesn't taste great but it worked. I was shooting milk out like hoses.

leoandethansmom · October 2014

My son lost birth weight and was also jaundice because he wasn't latching well. The nurses were all giving me horrible advice (one told me to hold my boob and present it to him like a cheeseburger) and I was extremely frustrated. Even with the jaundice, I refused formula. We had to take him to the doctor every day until his jaundice went down but I still didn't budge every time they tried to persuade me to formula feed. I received very little support for BF from my hospital and the pediatricians but I didn't care, I was stubborn. Stand your ground and tell them no if that's how you truly feel.

ColeyCannoli · October 2014

dianeg1017 said:

hey ladies. So I exclusively formula fed my DD with my job at the time I didn't have a place or time to pump. Now I have a job that allows baby to come with me and I'm home most of the day. After speaking with a few friends who breast fed I was surprised to hear most of them say that their babies were formula fed in the hospital and the lactation consultant didn't come until the next day ( their babies were formula fed almost 24hrs). I meet with my lactation consultant out of the hospital at 32-34 weeks so I will speak with her then. So what have been your experiences with breast feeding in the hospital. We're your little ones given formula?

Where are you from and how long ago did your friends have their babies? This seems really weird to me. I'm in the backwoods dealing with some shitty medical service and they don't even do this. Definitely get the info from your hospital on their policy. It would piss me off if they gave formula to my LO for 24hrs for no good reason.

dianeg1017 · October 2014

ColeyCannoli said:

dianeg1017 said:

hey ladies. So I exclusively formula fed my DD with my job at the time I didn't have a place or time to pump. Now I have a job that allows baby to come with me and I'm home most of the day. After speaking with a few friends who breast fed I was surprised to hear most of them say that their babies were formula fed in the hospital and the lactation consultant didn't come until the next day ( their babies were formula fed almost 24hrs). I meet with my lactation consultant out of the hospital at 32-34 weeks so I will speak with her then. So what have been your experiences with breast feeding in the hospital. We're your little ones given formula?

Where are you from and how long ago did your friends have their babies? This seems really weird to me. I'm in the backwoods dealing with some shitty medical service and they don't even do this. Definitely get the info from your hospital on their policy. It would piss me off if they gave formula to my LO for 24hrs for no good reason.

I'm in PA my DD just turned 5 and both my 2 friends and cousin and I had our children with in a few days to a month of each other at the time I was the only full time working mom of the bunch so they all breast fed. I'm hoping it was just a diff time then. I didn't know anything about their in hospital issues until I asked recently and said I would exclusively BF. When I had DD she had jaundice and we even had a take home lighted bed for her and my hospital didn't even lay her on me for skin to skin for about 15+ minutes after she was born. I thought it was odd at the time but as a FTM I didn't know any better. But I kept her in my room the whole time even though my hospital tried to have me send her to the nursery over night. I hope BF goes well and I plan to keep with it. I will talk to my LC who works exclusively with obgyn patients at the hospital I'm delivering at. Thank all of you for sharing your stories. I feel reassured.

drpayne · October 2014

Well, that's one way to sabotage breastfeeding from day 1. Completely unnecessary.

ginalisa28 · October 2014

twolittledogs said:

ginalisa28 said:

I had the nurses show me what to do until I saw the lactation consultant. My aunt is a nurse and she said you do not want to feed your baby formula if you are going to strictly breast feed. The baby needs very little breast milk when they first come just the colostrum until you start producing more. You should bring the pump to the hospital and use it to start the flow of milk with the suctioning. My first baby was in the NICU for a couple days so I would go down to the NICU every 2 hours, breastfeed and then go back to my room and pump.

The pump does not start the flow of milk, necessarily. When the placenta detaches, that signals the body to begin producing milk, but it still take a couple of days. The colustrum is more than enough for those first couple of days.

If you need a pump, the hospital can supply one pretty quickly. Please don't think every new BFing mama needs to haul the pump along.

The more there is suctioning on your nipple, the more your body will want to produce, supply and demand. you're right about the hospital supplying Breast pumps, I forgot I did use theirs, even though I schlepped mine to the hospital. If someone did just want to solely get used to their own breast pump then you can bring it and use it at the hospital as well.

Mikesfan · October 2014

I exclusivley breastfed, right in recovery. I was told that the baby's blood sugar was dropping and supplementation was necessary, to which I had no objection. But I was asked what I wanted to do- my baby was not just "given" formula without my consent.

leoandethansmom · October 2014

Ainslie325 said:

I wish people wouldn't act as though giving a baby formula early is a death knell in beginning breast-feeding. It isn't. Some babies move back-and-forth between bottle and breast just fine, some don't. That said, it's not something that most hospitals would advocate if mom is available and ready to breast-feed. There simply isn't any reason for it, and there's simply no reason to introduce nipple confusion where it doesn't need to exist. Postpartum nurses are perfectly equipped to help you get started breast-feeding, and the support of the lactation consultant is generally available if you want, need, and request it. Most hospitals these days are so pro-breast-feeding that it can often be a challenge to get formula.

I agree with your statement until the part I have bolded. I gave birth to DS in a hospital where every single post-partum nurse gave me different advice and all of the different techniques just overwhelmed me and nothing worked. They kept using references like football and cheeseburgers and none of it helped. Also, every single one of them told me to give up if he wouldn't latch and just move to formula. Not every hospital is equipped with well educated BF nurses and it is one of my biggest complaints about my birthing experience.

brittandjp · October 2014

I've never heard of any hospital pushing the formula. I know that if baby is having trouble sustaining or gaining weight, pedis will often suggest supplementing with formula. But formula from the get go? NO. Also, if you don't plan to breastfeed, they'll of course support you with getting formula, etc.

At my hospital, they are very pro breastfeeding. The lactation consultant came to see us a few hours after DD was born. She stayed for a bit, helped me maneuver her to comfortable positions, helped her latch, switching sides, etc. I think she came back around the next day to make sure things were going okay, but that was all I saw of her. I'm pretty sure had I requested she come back, she would have. DD lost just about the full 10% and was slow to gain weight the first few weeks, but my pedi is also very pro bfing and supported my decision to power through without supplementing. Fortunately, it all worked out and we had a wonderful breastfeeding journey.

PS. I agree with taking the breastfeeding class if you can. We learned a ton and I feel like that really helped me feel comfortable and get an idea of what I was doing before I needed to do it.

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