[brandyk]

Hello all - I had my baby Sunday evening via unplanned c-section. Wasn't able to get baby to latch after birth. Requested lactation consultant monday morn, finally got one.... Tuesday afternoon, after I apparently should have been pumping all day Monday due to latch issues. Tuesday was advised to supplement & pump. Hospital couldn't find a pump for me so DH brought me my freestyle from home. Was advised to feed/pump every 3 hours and offer both breasts.

Turns out my baby has a tongue tie and the LCs have set me up with a nipple shield. Right now I'm trying to feed/pump every 2 hours. The LCs have advised to put baby to breast only every other feeding so I can sleep (this whole thing takes an inordinate amount of time). Yesterday I'm afraid I screwed up by only pumping every other time. I was so tired and couldn't handle it any more - not that I actually got any sleep. I'm not even getting 10 minute naps. Anyways, tonight I'm 5 days PP and getting oh, about 50mL from pumping per day. It's milk, not colostrum. Is this my milk that has come in? If so, I am obviously screwed. Please give any advice you might have. I have read all the relevant info on kellymom, but I'm not really sure where I'm at in the process of getting milk. It says 750-800mL per day 7-10 days PP.

 

[heather_c]

I also had an unplanned c/s with my DS. I had him on a Tuesday night, and my milk came in on Sunday, which sounds similar to your timing. Milk can take a while to come in after a c/s and for first time moms. You are probably producing a mix of colostrum and milk.

Keep pumping and feeding as often as you can. Due to a NICU stay, I was also pumping and trying to feed for about a week after we got home. If you can tough out the lack of sleep for a while longer, then you will get into a better routine. I hope this helps. Keep up the great (and hard) work!

 

[thepeach80]

Have you set up an appt w/ an ENT or someone that can do the frenulectomy and get the tongue tie fixed? You need to be pumping after every feed and for any feed that you're not bfing, so 8-12x a day. This is very crucial time in making sure your body is going to respond w/ enough milk so you need to be sure to keep your breasts drained.

 

[brandyk]

Yeah, it wasn't until today that I realized that the pumping was the highest priority (besides feeding my baby of course). I am a pumping machine right now. I'm also not very good on the positioning but a lot of that is because she is super fussy and frustrated with me. I haven't made any appt yet about the tongue tie.

so is the consensus that my milk just hasn't come in yet? that would be great. i'm just a little freaked out about it all because i didn't really have any plan B or know enough about what i needed to do if an issue arose - i knew i was going to get to see an LC in the hospital, just didn't know that i'd have issues seeing one!

thanks very much for the advice & experiences

i'm sure even just being reassured will help production.

 

[l_olive]

My milk took a full five days after a c-section, too, but when it came in, there was absolutely no question!

Good luck.

 

[hollydlr]

Sounds like your supply will continue to increase, especially the more you continue to pump and nurse. Here's my suggestions:
1) get that baby's frenulum clipped today! many midwives can do this, peds or LC's with experience also. Do not wait on this! Your baby needs to be able to learn to latch on so you can give all feeds at the breast (even with a supplementer if needed) and get your supply up to where it needs to be
2) call your local La Leche League asap - they will know all the best practices, which believe it or not, most drs and even many LCs do not know. You do not want your efforts sabotaged by bad advice.
3) don't give up! it will take a little more time that usual to get a good BF relationship going, but you can do it and it will be worth it!

Best of luck, mama. Sorry to hear about your c-section...

PS, once you get this all figured out, you should write a letter of complaint to the hospital about not getting the LC to you right away and about not having a pump available. That is disgraceful.

 

[brandyk]

thanks guys. i have been on the ball about pumping and supply has definitely increased - but no milk coming in yet. still waiting for the big event! they are supposed to call me first thing monday morning re: the frenectomy.

i am totally not upset about the c-section. i had gestational diabetes and it was a risk - i did not prepare enough for it though and wish i would have! you'd better believe i'll be complaining!!! especially about the "LC" who examined my baby's mouth and said it was fine.

 

[TxMominCT]

It sounds like your milk has come in, that's okay though, it still all works on supply and demand, so if you demand more your body will make more, it may just take a while. I'd try to rent a hospital grade pump if possible it makes a huge difference. Next to pumping and feeding your baby, getting the appt for the frenulum clipped NOW like YESTERDAY (not to make you feel bad) but you should have done that the first day you came home, as soon as the babe isn't tongue tied, she should be able to nurse better, latch better and then your supply will increase! Stick with it mama you're doing a great job!!

One more thing about milk coming in, remember it takes a few weeks for it to be "full" milk, it's transitional for a while, so you are still in that transitional stage, and the supply doesn't really even out for about a month generally!

 

[accountclosed2]

Get a hospital grade pump! Pump in style is apparently great for working mothers, and when you only need to pump for an extra bottle here and there. But even Medela themselves recommends hospital grade pumps for supply issues. I wish I had got one instead of a single personal one - pumping was a hassle, and I never got that to work (it took 6 months for us to sort out our breastfeeding issues in the end).

Also, take breastfeeding tea and fenugreek and blessed thistle! And make sure you eat and drink plenty. Lots of water, and oatmeal is very good too.

Good luck!

 

[MamaKickyPants]

Definitely take the fenugreek and blessed thistle, it should boost your supply.

Remember that pumping output is not always an indicator of supply. I often can't pump much, but my supply is fine. This especially applies if you haven't been using a powerful pumps, and if you're not so experienced at pumping.

Quote:

Was advised to feed/pump every 3 hours and offer both breasts.

This is bad advice - sorry. A newborn is likely to want to latch on WAY more frequently, and should be encouraged to do so. This is what helps bring your milk in - it is very related to the frequency of latching.

All the best - you can do this! It will be SO worth it, and I bet you'll notice a big difference once the tongue tie is dealt with.

 

[brandyk]

ugh, i lost my stupid post. anyways, the TT wasn't diagnosed until thurs, the day after we came home. (on tues the LC in the hospital examined her mouth and said she was fine). the next day (friday) they mentioned the clipping. we had to look it up first. we didn't know anything about it. they didn't have someone there to do it anyhow. DH brought home some fenugreek last night. stupidly enough i knew to eat oatmeal, which i've done since tuesday.

anyways, today i've done 100mL so far, she's eaten 300. i told the LCs how much i have been getting pumping... why didn't they set me up with a hospital pump this week? i am so frustrated and upset by all of this. i haven't even barely had a chance to actually bond with my baby because all i do is pump, feed, repeat. i am only partially successful with the nipple shield and basically she just ends up wailing. so basically she's not even getting breast time every other time because i just can only manage to do so many things before the cycle starts over.

it's like every freaking thing is just another way to sabotage the process.

 

[PatioGardener]

YOU CAN DO THIS. Just take it one feed/pump at a time. It will settle down once your baby is able to transfer milk. I agree with the PPs - I'd get that tongue-tie clipped asap!

 

[Megan73]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brandyk i am so frustrated and upset by all of this. i haven't even barely had a chance to actually bond with my baby because all i do is pump, feed, repeat. i am only partially successful with the nipple shield and basically she just ends up wailing. so basically she's not even getting breast time every other time because i just can only manage to do so many things before the cycle starts over.

I know exactly how you feel. I was so exhausted with the marathon of pumping and trying to feed - all while getting different advice from every so-called expert and having to fight to get the TT clipped - I felt like I didn't get to enjoy my beautiful son for the first weeks of his life.
It WILL get better. Hang in there, mama.

 

[brandyk]

well, i'm up to all of 200ml/day. baby had her tongue tie clipped yesterday and she doesn't want anything to do with the breast. right now i am continuing to pump (of course!) and we are formula feeding. it's more like supplementing with breastmilk than the other way around. her food intake needs are quite high so we have gone to nipples. i find the sns way too frustrating. the docs are also concerned that she's still under 10% of her birthweight. going into see the LCs again today (not giving up!) but i think realism is appropriate at this point. i cried all night last night and just can't dwell on it any more. there was no magical perfect latch and suck that everyone else seems to talk about, even though baby's tongue was clipped at 8 days.

 

[PatioGardener]

hang in there - it takes a while to learn how to suck. Have you tried finger feeding witht he sns tube? Your LC may also give you some suck training exercises.

Since your supply hasn't been stimulated by baby, would you consider using domperidone to boost it up to where it would have been? Something to think about anyway.

Definitely not a lost cause yet - hang in there and take it one day at a time.

 

[Swan3]

You can do this. I'm in total admiration of you, you're doing GREAT!!!

Just keep doing what you're doing and wear her skin to skin a LOT. She'll get the picture. Keep trying with the SNS and she'll start getting gratification from being at the breast rather than at the bottle.

HUGS mama. You can do this!

 

[weliveintheforest]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brandyk the docs are also concerned that she's still under 10% of her birthweight.

Don't forget that since you had a c-section her birth weight would have been inflated from the IV etc.

You are doing great, and even though the sns is a PITA right now, you can get through this

Don't beat yourself up about the formula, you are working hard and doing your best. Every bit of breastmilk is good. It's hard enough recovering from surgery and caring for a baby without all the pumping you are doing. I hope the LC was helpful today.

 

[claddaghmom]

Hm, the MW thought my DD had a tongue tie. I think her mouth was just a tiny little "o." I aso had an inverted nipple and to compound matters she was sore on that side. I had her on a Monday and my pumping didn't get anything until Friday. At which point a ton of pumping got me 2ozs. Which my toddler sister drank out of the bottle when she came over w/ my mom to visit. (I had left it on the table)

I thought it was the end of the world.

The MW saw a bit of what I was pumping and said it was colostrum and milk mixed together. I was sure our bf reationship was over. But 24hrs later, my poor tatas got so engorged....phew well I am glad that is over, let's put it that way.

Now I have so much milk that DD likes to "paw" at the breast the way a kitten does. Then she just kinda licks/holds her mouth open. Funny baby!

I never did get her frenulum cut. Oh and Monday to Friday, she lost a full pound, but from Friday to Tuesday, she gained it back!

 

[SUOMI-SOFIA]

Your milk doesn't come in until 4-5 days after - just the first milk that's almost clear - that's fine for baby...my daughter didn't have the white real milk until day 4.5 after birth - trust me, she's quite the little ham...don't worry, your body will take care of it...supplement if you need to, but you don't need much...belly is very tiny.!

 

[brandyk]

nope, sorry, no engorgement, nothing. she still wails at the breast, doesn't want anything to do with it in her mouth, but she loves snuggling. the LC wants to try reglan - is the only difference from domperidone that it might cause the depression side effects? or is domperidone much more effective?

thanks so much for all the support. we are still keeping on.