First of all, I'd like to thank you all for supporting in the fertility forum. Our baby was born on July 24th, 2.81kg/48cm with a c-section. I have been trying to breast feed and I think she got enough colostrum for immmune but my milk is not plenty and baby is crying after each feeds. I always wanted to breastfeed exclusively but I gave in when the poor baby developed joundice. Her joundice is gone after photo therapy but still crying after each feed due to poor production of milk. It breaks my heart that I am not producing enough for our precious little thing and cannot tolerate seeing her startving although our pediatrician instructed to keep on breast feeding only and not intervene with fomula until she starts losing weight. She had lost weight already at the hospital and midwives started giving fomula. Now I am at home and already could not stand looking at her being hungry so gave her fomula to top up.
Does C-section cause a lag in the onset of milk production? Do you think I will start producting milk soon to satisfy the baby's need? I started taking fennel tea and mother's milk tea, and seems my breasts are fuller than before. I want to see a gash of milk flowing out from my breasts. Please, any advice is appreciated.
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crj
20 yrs ago
Congratulations on the arrival of your baby!
50% of babies develop jaundice - it is very normal and not a bad thing. The light treatment would have done wonders to get her on the path towards a jaundice free life!
Your pediatrician sounds like they are giving you very good advice.
Call Sarah from La Leche League and have a home visit from her or from a midwife from Annerley Midwifes (try Louise).
Don't give up, I have been reading your posts for over a year and know that you really want to breast feed - it is possible even with a c-section and jaundice baby.
the more the baby sucks, the more milk you will produce.
http://www.lalecheleague.org/HongKong.html
Sarah - Tel: & Fax: (852) 2548-7636
Email: LLLHK@hotmail.com
Sarah is a lactation consultant at Matilda 2 x week and with la leche league. She is really great, down to earth and full of calming practical advice.
Just remember you ARE doing great, and your baby will THRIVE, it just takes some time to get things all 'working' right.
Hang in there, and do call Sarah or Annerley ASAP for a home visit and advice.
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Kimmi
20 yrs ago
Please dont give up, hang in there and get help as soon as possible like cri says. Breast milk is absolutely the very best for your baby. GOOD LUCK!!
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crj
20 yrs ago
PS - I want to add there is nothing wrong with formula if YOU WANT to go that route. But having read your threads for so long I know you are very 'natural' and make your own soap even :) and that you did plan on breast feeding.
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Definitely hang in there, Macaron Mania! My baby was born a week before yours and he had jaundice, was four weeks early and is still in hospital after having minor surgery to correct a problem in his gut.
The nurses in the Special Care Unit at the QM were fantastic about my insistance on breastfeeding -- they encouraged me to have the baby on the breast and supplemented him with formula until my milk came in on about the fourth day. Until then, I really didn't have much milk either, but I think the following things helped bring up my supply:
1) Having the baby suckle definitely encourages production;
2) I am expressing breast milk on a 3 hour schedule throughout the night so that my baby can be fed or topped up in hospital with breast milk and not formula;
3) I found eating papaya really helps with supply;
4) Make sure you are always hydrated.
Good luck!
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Hi MM,
Congratulations on your baby girl!!!
CS has nothing to do with your milk production.
Your baby will lose up to 7% of her birth weight during the first 3 or 4 days. THIS IS NORMAL. Once your milk supply becomes more plentiful on 4th day, expect your baby to begin gaining an average of 6 ounces (170 grams) per week. Be sure to count weight gain from the lowest weight (his weight on the 3rd or 4th day), not from birth weight.
Don't give up, call a lactation consultant,(that's why i've booked as early as now or i will freak out also when my time comes and i don't know what to do) Do you have one? Sarah is out of the country right now, you can call Mrs. Chee, heard a lot of good things about her when you have problem on BF, let me know if you need contact number.
As Mayafox said, cook papaya soup with fish, let me know too if you don't know how to prepare this and i'll teach your helper. Tea might be too slow, soup might have faster effect. Your helper should also know the vege leaves called "malunggay", it works wonders too.
Count how many wet diapers your baby has in a day, should be 5-6 disposables, then, you'll know your baby is getting enough milk.
Take care.
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Thank you everyone for encouraging me...it really helps. I have been crying thinking that I am failing. I will try papaya and just keep on having her suckle on my breasts as often as possible. crj, you are right. I have been wanting to do everything in natural way, and because doctor is saying he will step in when it is necessary, I should fight the feeling that I am starving my baby and keep encouraging her to suckle.
Mayafox, congratulations on your baby's arrival. I feel very close to you as the date of birth is very close. It must have been very worrisome that your baby had to get a surgery. I believe everything went well and the baby is on the way to home soon? You will be in my thoughts, so hang in there. Thank you so much for encouraging me whilst you have so much on your own.
Kimmi, cara, thank you for your encouragement. I will not give up!!!
And Honeypie, yes!!! Please please teach my helper how to make the fish and papaya soup. I tried that at Matilda (they have that on menue) and I liked the taste too. Shall I tell my helper to call you?
Time to breast feed now...wish me luck : )
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Macaron,
I have had 2 babies and 2 c-sections, and there is NO correlation with breast milk and C-section. The moment baby starts sucking, the colostrum comes, and then the milk in 1 day or 2... sometimes longer.
Anyways, babies DO NOT starve themselves. Some eat more and some eat less, crying after each feed maybe simply b/c she's new in the outside world, just insecure, or simply want to be held or swaddle.
There is nothing wrong with bf and then top up with formula. My doctors always say, "Always a HAPPY MOM better than a strictly bf mom, but flustered, frustrated, and depressed."
Good luck, and Congrats on the baby!
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crj
20 yrs ago
MM - you have so much support here, and you have been such an amazing mother since even before you conceived - you were always careful to eat, drink and do the 'right' things.
The best thing you can do is love and feed your baby... as said above by Katetam, baby will cry due to many reasons... (ours is 6.5 months and we have no idea why he cried so much yesterday!)...
Keep going, call a lactation consultant/midwife. Louise from Annerley is very good and I have heard great things about Yvonne Heavyside too. But just call someone soon, as they will really help.
You also sound like you have a SUPER pediatrician - can I ask who you go to? I am very impressed, many doctors in HK are quick to say 'formula' yours sounds genuinely pro-breast feeding.
Keep going and enjoy these special days with your newborn :)
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I had c-section in January, my baby was slightly jaundiced and lost over 10% of his birth weight in the first few days. I had plenty of milk to begin with, but since my baby did not feed effectively and I was exhausted, my milk supply dropped quickly. I felt devastated because, like you, I was very eager to breastfeed. My pediatrician recommended to continue breastfeeding, but supplement with formula because of the weight loss. This helped tremendously. My physical and emotional stress was relieved because I was finally sure that my baby received enough nutrition; even though the whole breastfeeding - supplementing - expressing thing was very time consuming. As my boy gained strength and I kept expressing, my milk supply increased gradually, and after two and a half months I was able to drop the formula feeds altogether.
My boy is six months old now and doing great. I've re-introduced a few formula feeds a week lately because I returned to work, but otherwise he is fully breastfed, has a big appetite and is very chubby and healthy (always close to the 90% curve on the weight chart...).
So - don't give up too quickly, nothing is lost even if you have to supplement with formula for a while. But don't put yourself under too much pressure either. The best way to increase your milk supply is to get enough rest. And if nothing helps - well, there's nothing wrong with raising a baby on formula.
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Congratulations for your baby!
As everyone is telling you, try to put her as much as possible to the breast. Sucking stimulate the milk production. Your pediatrician seems really good, so don't worry here.
You can also try to drink some ovaltine. The malt kick up milk production (which is why Guiness works too).
Sarah is on holidays right now but other Leche league leader can help and support you too.
Maybe she's not really crying out of hunger. She may also be a high need baby... You can have some infos here : http://www.askdrsears.com/html/5/T051200.asp.
First 2 months with baby can be tiring and frightening. Try to rest a lot and nap with baby. You'll learn to love these precious time with her... and finaly find that she grew up too fast.
Take care.
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Drink Guinness instead of Ovaltine - much nicer, and you can drink it while nursing without risking spilling a hot drink on the baby (seriously - in the UK they used to give Guineess to all new mothers in hospital).
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didy
20 yrs ago
Learn to breastfeed lying down. Hopefully both you and your baby would be sufficiently relaxed that you end up with longer feeding sessions, i.e. more hind milk. It takes practice to get a very young baby properly latched on while lying down. It helps to elevate your upper body with pillows so you could observe his latch. Also make sure that both you and the baby get enough back support. Once you get her latched on just close your eyes and relax. When she's "done" with one side, hold her close to your body with your arms wrapped around her, and "flip" her to the other side.
LaLeche league has a video tape that demonstrate this.
Best luck.
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Hi MM -
congrats on your birth - how goes the milk now? I wanted to reply earlier but was jetlagged and whatnot with my trip to the US. I think by now, given your quiet, that things have settled in? Although breastfeeding is NATURAL it certainly isn't easy. it's a lot of hard work and getting comfortable with it does take time. Don't worry. I would give it a serious try for 3 weeks before deciding you don't have enough milk and whatnot. Babies are designed to lose weight and then gain it back REALLY quickly so you'll be amazed.
A friend of mine had described the joy breastfeeding in such a beautiful way to me once - when you see your child growing, thriving and changing - you can look at yourself, and say "it's because of my milk and my love." And it's amazing and a miracle.
You'll be fine. Just give it some time. And always ask for more help when you need it.
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MM -- thank you for your thoughts and your kind words. My son is doing really well after his surgery . I rang Mrs. Chee, the lactation consultant as soon as I heard that I was not allowed to breastfeed due to the operation and she was fantastic -- very thorough about what I should do to stimulate my supply and very encouraging that supply can be gently increased as time passes. I highly recommend speaking to her. Please let me know if you would like me to PM you her number.
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hi
sorry i have been quiet. i have been tryinj to get as much rest as possible in the seemingly impossible schedule of bf every two hours which is often cut dwn yo every two hrs. i am writing with one hand now as my bsby is latched. thank you all again for so much support .. i felt b etter after reading your messages and called annary nw and Louise came to help. she helped me big time and i am expressing as well which seems to be stimulating supplty as well zas giving me time to recover from v painful feeds. my nipples were completely cracked two days ago bu now seems better and somewhat strengthened . ui was in tears evry time before ut now ok. even started to understand what mayfax described. feeling the joy of satisfying the baby's need . she gained a little weight but still need much growing/ doctr thandup told me to give 60ml formula twice a day which reduced the pressure and feeling of guilt .
my baby is learning to find the right nipples instead of searching everywhgere and i feel blessed wth such diligent n clever girl who is helping mommy wth such patience. will report more when i hve mre time .
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crj
20 yrs ago
MM - this is wonderful news!!!
So glad to hear Louise was helpful - I think she is a godsend for many of us!!!
Good luck, and keep us posted when you are more rested.
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