It’s just not happening this time
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Category: Have A Baby?
Forum Name: First baby? Second or more?
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URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=11077
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Topic: It’s just not happening this time
Posted By: .Mel
Subject: It’s just not happening this time
Date Posted: 27 September 2007 at 1:08pm
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What I mean by that, is the breastfeeding, here I was thinking that Cooper and I had got this feeding thing sussed. Then the mw came over today and we have found out otherwise... basically my milk supply is not up to scratch this time around, and the poor boy isn't gaining any weight and is basically hungry, which explains his high demand for a feed every day and night.
He was 3250gms born and when he was weighed at 7 days he had gone down to 3180gms. Today at 3 weeks old he's 3220gms! Which is hard to believe considering that he gets feed every 3hrs. So it looks like I'm going to have to top him up with a bottle of formula and while he's having that I have to express to try and keep my milk supply up. We have four days to get his weight up, if it doesn't happen we could end up in hospital. He's still Jaundiced too, so we had to get another Billirubin test done today, and again if the results aren't favourable we'll be back in hospital so he can go under the lights. I'm feeling quite hopeless at the moment  , after the struggles that I had at the beginning I really thought that we were doing really well. Ok, I wasn't coping with the 2hrs wake up time between 12am - 2am, and struggling with not settling him to sleep, and we'd end up caving and putting him in bed with us just so he'd sleep. It seems that all it was, was hunger.
So that is my "woe is me" post for today. We get the blood test results back today, so I'm praying that it's good news.. which I doubt.  ------------- Mr Mellow (16) Miss Attitude (8) Destructa Kid (3) 
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Replies:
Posted By: caraMel
Date Posted: 27 September 2007 at 1:19pm
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Oh no! That is such hard news for you.
It is difficult not to take it on yourself, but with 2 older kids to look after and feeding 3 hourly with little sleep, its understandable that your supply would suffer hun. I had supply issues with Benjy who was a 3 hourly day and night feeder too, I took blessed thistle capsules to help boost it on the recommendation of my local pharmacist. It worked really fast! Maybe you could try some of that if you haven't already? I really hope the blood test results come back ok, that the formula helps Cooper to gain weight and that your can get your milk supply back on track. Huge  to you, I'll be thinking of you.------------- Mel, Mummy to E: 6, B: 4 and: 
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Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 27 September 2007 at 1:23pm
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maybe before you get too upset and start on the formula - which wont help you build up your supply - you can think about other things to build your supply. he may not be as hungry or as bad as plunket make out either cause bf babies do grow differently and all the charts they have are for bottle fed babies. i think there was some recipe ideas to help your milk on here and i know bananas are good and if no allergies so are nuts. also brewers yeast. smoothies with bananas and complan are good too.
Chin up, onwards and upwards...  it will get better.
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Posted By: nikkitheknitter
Date Posted: 27 September 2007 at 1:25pm
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I think there are foods you can eat that will help with increasing supply. Think things high in protein... nuts, cheese etc. I think there is also a "breast feeding fudge" and/or biscuit recipe floating around as well.
Instead of topping up with formula I'd just keep him on the breast as much as you can. The best way is having baby suckle to stimulate milk production. My babe lost an awful lot of weight after birth too. Much more than the 10%... but she got there eventually. I don't know the details of how long/often you are feeding, but just wanted to say that newborns seem to need feeding very often. When Han was younger she had terrible wind and would feed what seemed like very 5 minutes or so. I ended up taking her off the breast within the first 2 minutes of every feed and burping her and then again after 5 minutes. Seemed she could get all of the wind out and fill up properly, which would see her through to the 3 hours. (3 hours from start of every feed, and feeds would take about an hour, so realistically only 2 hours between end of first and beginning of second) Anyway, good luck. If you think feeding is going well then I'd be inclined to stick with it. 
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Posted By: AlyAyde
Date Posted: 27 September 2007 at 1:46pm
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You can get a really good breastfeeding tea and tablets from healthfood shops. Its put out by weleda i think from memory. Fennel tablets are good too.
Also Jaundiced babies tend to be a bit more sleepy and not so agressive with their feeding. If you want to keep up with the breastfeeding dont feel pressured to give the bottle. He has had a gain this week! Good luck. ------------- Jayde 25/12/04 Alyssa 08/04/03 http://Alyayde.bebo.com |
Posted By: Andie
Date Posted: 27 September 2007 at 2:20pm
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Oh Mel, that sounds tough. (that Weleda tea is delish by the way! A bit of a pain to make up, but I thought it was yum - nice if you like a bit of aniseed). Like Maria pointed out, jaundiced babies aren't good feeders while they're orange... I had to keep Ella awake during feeds by keeping her cool, tickling her toes, etc so that she could finish a feed when she was new and jaundiced. Trying foods & rest to boost your supply, or switching to formula, or doing a bit of both.... whatever you decide on will be right for your little boy, because you've got his best interests at heart. ------------- Andie |
Posted By: ShellandBella
Date Posted: 27 September 2007 at 2:48pm
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Yeah, when my supply wasn't that great I drank a 'power' shake every day which had in it:
brewers yeast complan maltexo milk drinking chocolate (to taste)or you could add a banana It seemed to work for me...you can but try something like that or what the other ladies here have suggested. And try not to get too stressed as that affects your supply as well. Good luck! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Spudling
Date Posted: 27 September 2007 at 3:17pm
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hey sweetheart...snap! The only difference is that my son put on weight until he was about 6 weeks then ever since then it has been a very slow battle to get the smallest of gains. I was recommended more than once to top up and/or wake in the night for an extra feed which I have done neither of.
The last weigh in was better, we put 140grams in 2 weeks so that was really good. I have upped my protien by heaps, a bf-ing Mum should be having approx 60-65grams a day which is a lot. Do a google search on protein in foods, but basically a small rundown egg 7grams pottle yogurt 6grams 100grams meat 21grams nuts and seeds 1/4 cup 8 grams Good luck, I know exactly how you feel, bloody useless and un-womanly almost which is very stupid but we can help how we feel. Jeremy is due for another weigh in on Mon and I am confident that we are going to have a good one. Oh and also, I have been making sure that he gets his full feed, quite often I would have to take him off before he was finished cos my DD was due somewhere but now we just run late and I think that has made a big difference too big hugs to you. ------------- http://tickers.families.com"> 
http://tickers.families.com"> 
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Posted By: yummymummy
Date Posted: 27 September 2007 at 3:47pm
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Big bugs hun
Gina was jaundiced too and I always made sure (once we were home) that I let her sleep next to a closed window in a shaded sunshine. Thank goodnes we never had to go back to hospital - she had 3 sessions under the lights before we got home! My milk supply was also very low (as in I hardly make anything by myself  ) but my GP prescribed me some drugs that I took and I managed to b/feed Gina fully for the first 6 months. There are natural remedies too but I only ever tried the milk and bananas as I like those.
Hope things improve soon. And having a formula top up does not mean you have failed as a mum so don't feel bad. As long as Cooper is getting at least some milk, he'll get all the benefit from that. Big hugs again ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: katie1
Date Posted: 27 September 2007 at 3:47pm
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Hugs
Just to second what Andie said - whatever you decide on will be right for your little boy as you have his best interests at heart. I had to give Oliver a little bit of formula top up early on and after a week he was fine and with eating protein snacks and resting more my milk supply built up too. It was fine from then on. Hang in there and take care. I hope things will all work out quickly. |
Posted By: LockieandLiam
Date Posted: 27 September 2007 at 3:58pm
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Big hugs Mel. I'll be thinking of you. I second what the others of said try some other things before resorting to formula. But on the other hand do what makes you feel happy.
I starting drinking complan and I to found that good. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: .Mel
Date Posted: 27 September 2007 at 6:40pm
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We got the results back for his Billirubin, and we are off to hospital tomorrow to see what can be done, the mw didn't go into many details but she did say that his levels were quite high.
Thanks for all of your suggestions, I will definitely try the shakes, not too sure about the tea  I've also decided to just demand feed him and see if that helps, it's going to be an interesting journey over the next couple of days, but I'll do everything I can to keep breastfeeding.------------- Mr Mellow (16) Miss Attitude (8) Destructa Kid (3)
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Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 27 September 2007 at 7:05pm
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Is he tongue-tied at all? -------------  |
Posted By: buzimumto3boys
Date Posted: 27 September 2007 at 8:23pm
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I had BIG supply issues and my boy was nearly kept in the hospital as we were there 5 days after my c section and he hadnt gained enough weight and was jaundiced... but I cried so they let me come home!
I was on Domperidone with all of my kids and that REALLY boosted my supply... I went from 40-50 mls to 120-150mls a feed... I BFed and Expressed after for extra stimulation. It is time consuming and I had 2 others to look after but I got there in the end!! I hope things go well for you! |
Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 27 September 2007 at 9:24pm
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You can buy fenugreek tablets if you don't like the tea. My DS had jaundice too and we had to stay in the hospital for 6 days while he went on the billiben, once home he was feeding 2 hourly during the day and 3 hourly at night. I would give him as much naked time in the sun as possible to help as well. Feeding or expressing 2 hourly would help build your supply up as well, you also need to get a decent amount of rest (not easy with other children to look after). Maybe give a formula top up before bed, that way he might sleep longer for you, I read that you have the most milk between 12 and 4am, so perhaps express after your night feed so you have some EBM to top him up with as well.
Hope things pick up for you ------------- 
 
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Posted By: .Mel
Date Posted: 01 October 2007 at 1:18pm
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Just thought I'd give you an update. We've been to see the Paed doctor and he ordered a urine test and another Bilirubin test to recheck the levels again, he seems quite confident that the jaundice will eventually disappear, he didn't feel there was a need to put him under the lights.
As for the feeding and weight gain; well we've been giving him two bottles a day morning and night, and while he's been having those I've been expressing to try and increase my supply. I've also been drinking Complan and eating nuts. To be honest I haven't really noticed an increase, I've only been managing to express around 50mls on both sides which doesn't seem alot. MW came today and he's gone from 3220gms to 3420gms since Wednesday, so we are obviously doing something right. He also seems alot more alert too... so I'm pretty happy at the moment, with how things are going. Thanks again for all of your wonderful advice!! ------------- Mr Mellow (16) Miss Attitude (8) Destructa Kid (3)
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Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 01 October 2007 at 1:24pm
| want to say that just because you arent expressing any more doesnt mean you arent making any more. expressing isnt always an accurate way to measure that as it isnt as efficient as the real thing. |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 01 October 2007 at 2:03pm
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Glad to hear things are improving Mel, fingers crossed for some more good weight gains.
All three of my girls were badly jaundiced coz they have their fathers blood type, Maya even had some still evident on her back at 9 mths, but it did mostly come right early on with plenty of sunlight. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
 (02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: Andie
Date Posted: 02 October 2007 at 2:47pm
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Aw I'm so glad to hear that things are improving, Mel. Long may it continue! ------------- Andie |
Posted By: nikkitheknitter
Date Posted: 02 October 2007 at 9:31pm
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Glad to hear you are feeling better mel
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Posted By: yummymummy
Date Posted: 02 October 2007 at 9:44pm
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Wow! That's a wonderful gain! Glad to hear things are going well. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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