My SIL is in India and I feel rather helpless about this whole thing. She gave birth about 2 days ago and the baby is not latching on well at all. She is crying and frustrated. So far they have followed my instructions to not give bottles, but baby is getting dehydrated and has only peed once in 12 hours. My MIL is the one I spoke to just now.
Dh's family has a very long history of both milk production problems and baby feeding problems (sensory issues, reflux).
MIL was not able to produce enough milk, it dried up after a time with each child even though she never gave bottles or scheduled feedings or anything like that. My own children did not nurse either, and not for lack of trying or getting help, esp with dd1. I hate to see history repeating itself.
They know what proper latch looks like b/c I sent them some LLL illustrations on-line, and are following my instructions to wait until baby has his mouth open very wide, then quickly put him on the breast. If he starts biting the nipple, unlatch him and try again. He has not yet successfully latched for more than a second or two.
Here are the problems according to MIL:
1) my SIL has huge nipples. The baby's mouth is very small. He tends to bite on them instead of latch on.
2) my SIL is just now starting to produce some colostrum. I told MIL it's normal for it take some time for milk to come in but with their family history everyone is apprehensive.
3) The one time that baby got some colostrum, he immediately unlatched and started sucking his own tongue instead of her nipple.
4) He falls asleep as soon as he gets latched and then lets go in sleep.
I told MIL that since he's a bit dehydrated, give him some sugar water. She is all too familiar with spoon/cup feeding as she did it with dh for 8 months! I advised her that getting the colostrum was very important and even if he's not nursing he needs to get it. I told them to try to get a breast pump and have her try pumping after every nursing session and spoon feed it to him even if it's just a spoonful. Hopefully he'll get used the taste and want more from the breast, and it will stimulate milk production.
I told her to let SIL call me in the morning, their time, which is evening our time. I hope to have some more words of advice and encouragement for them. I would appreciate any advice you can give me.
Oh, and they have Skype (phone through computer) and are willing to call a LC if they can get the number of a good one. If you know of one who would be willing to talk to her for free over the phone please PM me.
Dh's family has a very long history of both milk production problems and baby feeding problems (sensory issues, reflux).
MIL was not able to produce enough milk, it dried up after a time with each child even though she never gave bottles or scheduled feedings or anything like that. My own children did not nurse either, and not for lack of trying or getting help, esp with dd1. I hate to see history repeating itself.They know what proper latch looks like b/c I sent them some LLL illustrations on-line, and are following my instructions to wait until baby has his mouth open very wide, then quickly put him on the breast. If he starts biting the nipple, unlatch him and try again. He has not yet successfully latched for more than a second or two.
Here are the problems according to MIL:
1) my SIL has huge nipples. The baby's mouth is very small. He tends to bite on them instead of latch on.
2) my SIL is just now starting to produce some colostrum. I told MIL it's normal for it take some time for milk to come in but with their family history everyone is apprehensive.
3) The one time that baby got some colostrum, he immediately unlatched and started sucking his own tongue instead of her nipple.
4) He falls asleep as soon as he gets latched and then lets go in sleep.
I told MIL that since he's a bit dehydrated, give him some sugar water. She is all too familiar with spoon/cup feeding as she did it with dh for 8 months! I advised her that getting the colostrum was very important and even if he's not nursing he needs to get it. I told them to try to get a breast pump and have her try pumping after every nursing session and spoon feed it to him even if it's just a spoonful. Hopefully he'll get used the taste and want more from the breast, and it will stimulate milk production.
I told her to let SIL call me in the morning, their time, which is evening our time. I hope to have some more words of advice and encouragement for them. I would appreciate any advice you can give me.
Oh, and they have Skype (phone through computer) and are willing to call a LC if they can get the number of a good one. If you know of one who would be willing to talk to her for free over the phone please PM me.
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