Give them a try! It won't hurt anything. Some people act like shields are the worst thing ever, but they helped me a ton when I was struggling with feeding my first baby.
Don't be discouraged, breastfeeding is very hard. It might take a little bit for you and baby to figure it out, but keep trying!
He is soooo precious! Re breastfeeding... It's not easy at first. I had a freak out with dd1 the night before discharge as they tried to have me pump and NOTHING came out. This is s time for him to learn to suckle. Supplementation happens a lot at this point. It's going to be ok. Keep persevering. Keep him cool - not too cozy when feeding and that will help too.
I'm 5 days post partum and overly emotional about the fact that bfing isn't working out for us. I cry just thinking about it. Little dude did great in the hospital and we got a ton of compliments from the nurses and lactation consultant but the day after we left we started having problems. He would latch but get upset pretty quickly. I spent hours trying to get him on the breast, sometimes he would latch and feed well for a few minutes but most of the time he would scream until he turned red. This went on all day Saturday and he was so hungry we could audibly hear his belly grumble and I felt so horrible about it. We finally decided we had to supplement with formula that night, I couldn't let him be hungry.. We went for a weight check in this morning and he's lost 10oz in the day and a half since we were released from the hospital. They recommended supplementing as well and showed concern that my breasts have not shown *any* changes to indicate that my milk is coming in and I'm not even producing enough colostrum anymore. I spent hundreds of dollars on a breast pump and I can't even get anything to come out when I use it. I know I'm hormonal and that is part of why I'm so emotional about this but I feel like I've totally failed and he's not even a week old yet.
We started supplementing with formula today too. As frustrated as I am about not being able to breastfeed, I was so happy and relieved to see our little guy content from a feeding. He was so peaceful after filling his belly! I feel so defeated after pumping and only seeing a couple drops come out. I'm hand expressing to try to get the baby to latch, and he seems to get on okay, but he can't suck enough out and he stops trying. We're going home tomorrow, and I'm getting a pump to try to get my supply to come in, part of me wonders if it's a waste, but I figure it's worth trying and my insurance covers it, so I have nothing to lose. I'm also really glad I kept the formula samples we got, they're supplementing here at the hospital with the same one we got samples for. Here's hoping that things turn around for us @shelbydd, @BRitchie87, and @chelseajeanene!
I'm a week out and had to start using a nipple sheild on one breast. For whatever reason this little one does not care for one side and had trouble latching well causing me to bleed withe each feeding.
I used a nipple sheild exclusively with DD1 because she had the sleepy's and a tough time latching. It turned out she was sucking her tongue, not me, so the nipple sheild was given to me by the LC to keep her tongue in position.
DD2 was a natural. It is funny how they are all different.
Lots of good advice already here. Before my LO was born, my midwife said if I pumped from the start for any reason, a pump wouldn't get much if any the 1st few days and hand expression may work much better. She recommended a free online video from Stanford, which I found super clear on expected amounts (almost none) and how it works. Don't have the link handy but if you google Stanford hand expression video it should pop up.
@chelseajeanene not to get off the subject of breastfeeding but you mentioned you had a c-section. We're you up and walking around soon after baby? I'm scheduled for today and am really nervous about the procedure. Baby is breech. I keep hearing after 12 hrs they encourage you to start moving around. And how many days have you been recovering so far just curious. I plan on breastfeeding also I just pray since I'm not able to have the birthing plan I wanted at least he will be a good latcher. I can only hope.
I'm 5 days post partum and overly emotional about the fact that bfing isn't working out for us. I cry just thinking about it. Little dude did great in the hospital and we got a ton of compliments from the nurses and lactation consultant but the day after we left we started having problems. He would latch but get upset pretty quickly. I spent hours trying to get him on the breast, sometimes he would latch and feed well for a few minutes but most of the time he would scream until he turned red. This went on all day Saturday and he was so hungry we could audibly hear his belly grumble and I felt so horrible about it. We finally decided we had to supplement with formula that night, I couldn't let him be hungry.. We went for a weight check in this morning and he's lost 10oz in the day and a half since we were released from the hospital. They recommended supplementing as well and showed concern that my breasts have not shown *any* changes to indicate that my milk is coming in and I'm not even producing enough colostrum anymore. I spent hundreds of dollars on a breast pump and I can't even get anything to come out when I use it. I know I'm hormonal and that is part of why I'm so emotional about this but I feel like I've totally failed and he's not even a week old yet.
These are the stories that make me so F-ING ANGRY at the "breast is best" guilt movement. Feed your baby. If that means formula, then that's the best for your child. You are not a failure. Making the CHOICE to feed your child the way he/she will best tolerate it makes you a great mom.
@chelseajeanene not to get off the subject of breastfeeding but you mentioned you had a c-section. We're you up and walking around soon after baby? I'm scheduled for today and am really nervous about the procedure. Baby is breech. I keep hearing after 12 hrs they encourage you to start moving around. And how many days have you been recovering so far just curious. I plan on breastfeeding also I just pray since I'm not able to have the birthing plan I wanted at least he will be a good latcher. I can only hope.
I was also an emergency c-section with a breech baby who planned on a med free natural birth. I was up within 12 hours with help from the nurse. It was hard.. Getting moved around/comfortable in the hospital bed was the worst part. And being hooked up to everything...IV cath, urinary cathater, Bp cuff, HR monitor. Oh and laughing, coughing, sneezing was very painful. By middle of day 2 I was able to go to bathroom with no assistance and By the end of day 2 I was up walking down the hall and able to shower. I'm now 13 days post op. I finally started feeling good around 9-10 days where I could walk without getting sore and sleep on my side. It sucked for me.. Not gonna lie and I was very depressed about having to have a c-section for a few days but now that I'm feeling back to normal it's much better. Good luck!
@chelseajeanene not to get off the subject of breastfeeding but you mentioned you had a c-section. We're you up and walking around soon after baby? I'm scheduled for today and am really nervous about the procedure. Baby is breech. I keep hearing after 12 hrs they encourage you to start moving around. And how many days have you been recovering so far just curious. I plan on breastfeeding also I just pray since I'm not able to have the birthing plan I wanted at least he will be a good latcher. I can only hope.
Well first off good luck today!!! The procedure itself was not painful but such an odd sensation so don't worry about that. They didn't make me get up until the following afternoon around 1pm and my surgery was at 8:30 the night before. Getting up was very hard I'm not going to lie. They only made me stand and sit in a chair directly next to my bed and it ended up being more comfortable then being in bed. I still had my catheter at that time. The next day they removed it and had me walk to the bathroom with their assistance. So I was only getting up to use the bathroom basically. It will be tough getting that first stand out if bed but you can do it. I'm 4-5 days out of surgery so I came home yesterday and walking around isn't too bad, it actually feels pretty good, it's just the standing and sitting right now that's the hardest
Keep pumpin mama. My milk came in between days 3 and 4. My mother and grandmother never had their milk come in so I was worried I'd have the same issues. But I kept pumping and praying and eating and drinking well. And when it finally came in, it was with a vengeance. I was completely engorged. It took a while to get a good flow but I kept massaging my breasts and pumping and eventually it all worked out. Little man still has issues latching as I also have flattish nipples so I have just been trying with the shield before I bottle feed him the breast milk. We supplemented prior to my milk coming in because id sure as hell rather feed him something than nothing at all. My lactation consultants said he needed 2-3 oz by the time he was 96 hours old so I followed that. And they had no issues with supplementing to get him by til I was able to feed him myself.
It will all work out. Just keep at it and try not to stress. It can affect your hormones and your milk production.
I would just really like to stress that you know how much baby needs at each stage. I was so tired and emotional it really took me two days to realize that the hospital and the lactation consultant were having us supplement such a large amount that breastfeeding would never have been successful if we had kept with what they wanted. (They ere having us supplemnt 30 ml every 3 hours plus breastfeeding. At 3 days old this is WAY to much to supplement with. That's what's formula fed babie recievies every 3-4 hours)
Who tells you when and how much to supplement?y hospitals have never mentioned it to me as long as I put the baby to breast every 2-3 hours. I assumed it would come from the pediatrician at their check up during that first week but it sounds like a lot of people are supplementing at the hospital already? With my first two kids they even weighed them before we left and they both lost weight from birth and no one told me to supplement still.
@chelseajeanene not to get off the subject of breastfeeding but you mentioned you had a c-section. We're you up and walking around soon after baby? I'm scheduled for today and am really nervous about the procedure. Baby is breech. I keep hearing after 12 hrs they encourage you to start moving around. And how many days have you been recovering so far just curious. I plan on breastfeeding also I just pray since I'm not able to have the birthing plan I wanted at least he will be a good latcher. I can only hope.
It really depends on your state of mind. Even with my emergency c-section, I had a good mindset of "this is what was best for baby, now I will just recover and be okay." And it really helped. I've had friends who were so upset and opposed to the c/s, that afterwards they just laid around and took weeks to recover. Get up and walk as soon as you can, take a shower as soon as you're able, do as much as for yourself as you can and you'll feel better and more normal. This time (repeat c/s) I was driving a week after. It's just about knowing your limits. Also, if you're having the c/s just because of a breech baby, talk to the operating doctor about being able to do skin-to-skin asap. If there is nothing medically wrong with baby, most doctors will have no problem letting you bond with baby while they finish the procedure.
This little boy..will suck and lick every part of my arm, neck or skin anywhere except the breast today. But honestly I don't even care because even though I pumped a VERY little amount, I finally got my milk! I'm going to get a breast sheild today just to try it but I'm getting really hopeful this will work oit
Re: breastfeeding not going as planned
Don't be discouraged, breastfeeding is very hard. It might take a little bit for you and baby to figure it out, but keep trying!
Re breastfeeding... It's not easy at first. I had a freak out with dd1 the night before discharge as they tried to have me pump and NOTHING came out.
This is s time for him to learn to suckle. Supplementation happens a lot at this point. It's going to be ok. Keep persevering. Keep him cool - not too cozy when feeding and that will help too.
I feel so defeated after pumping and only seeing a couple drops come out. I'm hand expressing to try to get the baby to latch, and he seems to get on okay, but he can't suck enough out and he stops trying.
We're going home tomorrow, and I'm getting a pump to try to get my supply to come in, part of me wonders if it's a waste, but I figure it's worth trying and my insurance covers it, so I have nothing to lose. I'm also really glad I kept the formula samples we got, they're supplementing here at the hospital with the same one we got samples for.
Here's hoping that things turn around for us @shelbydd, @BRitchie87, and @chelseajeanene!
I used a nipple sheild exclusively with DD1 because she had the sleepy's and a tough time latching. It turned out she was sucking her tongue, not me, so the nipple sheild was given to me by the LC to keep her tongue in position.
DD2 was a natural. It is funny how they are all different.
It will all work out. Just keep at it and try not to stress. It can affect your hormones and your milk production.
Get up and walk as soon as you can, take a shower as soon as you're able, do as much as for yourself as you can and you'll feel better and more normal.
This time (repeat c/s) I was driving a week after. It's just about knowing your limits.
Also, if you're having the c/s just because of a breech baby, talk to the operating doctor about being able to do skin-to-skin asap. If there is nothing medically wrong with baby, most doctors will have no problem letting you bond with baby while they finish the procedure.