Breastfeeding ?

[luvboston]

The nurse called from l&d for my preop and she was telling me how my experience is going to be totally different this time. Which pissed me off a little because you never know until the baby is out and the surgery is done whether you will have an issue.
Anyhow then she goes on to ask if I'm planning on breastfeeding and I explain I will try but need a nipple shield etc and for the LC to come right away. Then she asks whether I want to give the baby formula during the first 12 hours and I was confused and said I would decide later.

Do you give formula if your trying to bf I thought they get colostrum the first few days? Also with my daughter because I didn't pump for 12 hours after because I was still in recovery and no one clued me in the nicu came and said her blood sugar was dropping and asked if I wanted an IV or formula.

Please help so confused.

[kmc84]

Where do these people come from!?

If you really want to give BFing the best chance possible, the best thing for your body is to nurse ASAP and nurse as often as you can get baby on the boob.

Giving formula takes the demand away from your body and BFing is ALL supply and demand (maybe demand and supply in terms of BFing).

Lots of skin to skin contact helps get the necessary hormones going too. Sit topless with baby just in a diaper and cuddle as much as you can.

Getting an LC to see you ASAP is a great idea.

Have you looked at kellymom.com? It's chock full of great info.

[Robeano]

Weird... no formula if you want to breastfeed. after just having a c-section they brought Bea into the OR after she was done her newborn check and we started skin to skin right away. And I got to keep her all throughtout recovery. That's your best bet if your allowed.

I second Kellymom, great resource!

[kmc84]

www.ameda.com.au/breastfeeding/breastfeeding-benefits/your-newborns-stomach-day-110.html

[mnj05]

My plan with H was to BF but I was so exhausted I couldn't hold him or stay awake so he got two formula bottles before we tried BFing. I don't know whether that had an impact but I never had a supply come in and ended up not BFing long because he wasn't getting enough.

[christina]

If you want to breastfed, please do NOT give the baby any formula in the hospital unless absolutely necessary. Ditto the others on as much skin to skin contact as possible and if the baby is not asleep, put the baby on the breast. It will help your milk come in. I learned this in my breastfeeding class. Also ask for the LC as soon as possible. As soon as I was in recovery I asked for an LC. They can be your best advocate at the hospital.

[ruthie]

We had to give formula because the boys were small for gestational age and there is NO way they would have stayed out of the NICU without it. But, for a healthy, full term baby and healthy mom, I don't know why they'd recommend it. Even with the formula, we did tons of skin to skin and nursed/ gave colostrum in a syringe before they ever got the formula. The LCs also visited me everyday until discharge.

[ccam]

Why would they as you that already?? That's so strange. I would request skin to skin immediately and ask to BF asap. I was adamant about that with DD and even had the LC in the operating room. There should be no need to supplement as long as the baby stays within a certain percentage of their birth weight, at least that was the case with me.

[imoverit]

My little guy was in the NICU for two days while getting IV and very little colostrum. Their bellies are so tiny that they don't need much in the beginning. All that to say I'd opt out of the formula and just take the IV for possible sugar drops. That nurse is an idiot btw.

[gratefulandthankful]

I literally started to bf right after lo came out. I had a c/s and they put him right on my chest afterwards and tried to get him to latch on. I don't see the need for formula if you want to try b-feeding.

[kmc84]

I don't know how much time you spent on the breast-feeding boards, but there is a woman who's screen name is AmyG, and she is incredibly knowledgeable. It might be worth posting over there and tagging her to see if she has any input on what you have going on.