How can I help my sister breastfeed successfully?

[kyangel80]

Sis is 2 days pp. She had a horrible delivery with her now 4 year old son that was followed by a horrible bfing experience that ended after 6 weeks. Good news is the birth went superb this time with the assistance of myself and one of my older sisters throughout the pg and then with delivery. Now she is coming home and I want to make sure she doesn't run into the same problems she did last time. I had identified all of the old problems but we have a new one this time and this is where I need the advice. Baby is not wanting to eat. He is 3 weeks early. He was a healthy weight and the Ped says he looks perfect. I say this is something that my son experienced when he was born 3 weeks early that the nurses called "baby coma". Not a very pleasant term. Anyway, he latches on but won't suckle very much. He wants to be latched on all the time and then goes off to sleep. She has tried undressing the both of them and she says he loves that and really nestles in and nods off immediately. She is worried that he will loose too much weight. Her last child lost an entire pound in hospital but had gained back to his birth weight plus 2 lbs. at his 2 week check. Is there any sage advice I can give her or is this just normal. Words of wisdom needed.

[alegna]

to you for helping!

I would tell her- no formula, bottles or pacifiers in the house. I'd do anything I could to make sure she could do nothing but nurse that baby- bring her meals, do her laundry, take the older child out to play, etc.

-Angela

[kyangel80]

Older child is with dad for a week. While they were never married and are no longer together, he was around when she had all her troubles with their son and is being a real dear. He works on a tow boat for 2 weeks and then comes home for one and so on, and he came home early to watch their son while she and the new babe are getting acquainted and learning to nurse. I am taking her dinner every night for at least the next week solid. I've got her laundry all done, folded, and ready to deliver asap. I am also loaning her my Medela NIS until she can get one of her own. Hospital was trying to hold the baby hostage as they normally do, ARGHHHH!!! She will be 48 hrs pp tonight but was released this morning, yet they like to act like they own the babies and hold onto them.:

[Love my 2]

Lots of time skin to skin. If she is able to pump some colostrum and drip it onto her niples or into the baby's mouth when he is latched on, it might entice him to suck and swallow.

[alegna]

I would suggest NOT introducing the pump into the equation until/unless it's needed. That can make things seem a lot more overwhelming AND can make some problems worse. Sounds like you're on top of a lot of it you rock. Um, only other things I can think of are: quick one handed snacks- granola bars, muffins, fruit; a boppy or other pillow if she doesn't have one; lanolin.

good luck!

-Angela

[kyangel80]

nak

We are not having her use the pump, just giving it to her b/c she is planning on returning to work at 6 wks. We have the purelan and I gave her one of my boppy's but I just noticed she forgot to take it so I will get it over to her in the morning first thing. She is expressing some colustrum before each nursing to try and entice him, and even when he won't suckle she said some drips in. I suggested skin to skin, but she says that puts him right to sleep. She is afraid he is starving and is getting jaundiced b/c he's not eating. He is just now 48 hrs old so I just keep reminding her that he may still be tired from birth and he will wake up and when he does he will probably eat like crazy. He has gotten in a few good nursings she said. She has an appt with an LC in 2 days to weigh the babe and go over technique so hopefully this will ease her mind. HOWEVER, I am aware that this particular LC frequently suggests supplementation: Hoping she doesn't "go there" with my sis, as I have forewarned her. I do have a back-up LC in mind just in case. And we stocked her up on fruit and yogurt and unfotunately my older sis got her alot of "un-healthy" snacks and she has plenty of bottled water. I guess all she needs now are a bunch of good vibes.