FF after gestational diabetes?

[ProzacQueen]

Can anyone share their feeding experiences after birth with diabetes??

i want to FF as i did with DD1 but feel im already being pushed into BF and that they will use the diabetes as another guilt trip iykwim. (''they'' being the mw's and hosp people after i give birth)

i BF DD1 for 24 hours then had to switch (various reasons), i wanted to BF longer than that but it wasnt meant to be and FF worked out fantasticallly.

Anyway, whilst chatting to the MW at my last antenatal clinic i mentioned how i had wanted to BF longer last time but couldnt....she has written in my current notes...wants to BF longer this time

erm thats not what i said?!!!

my ex left me at 6 weeks pregnant, so have noone else to back me up when the time comes. thats another reason i have chosen to FF this time, i found BF so stressful and want as least stress as poss this time as im going to be on my own with a toddler and a newborn! Last thing i need is PND again

 

[GingerNut]

I have type 2 diabetes and Rosie's blood sugar was low when she was born, so she was actually taken to special care and given formula for 3 days - by the time I got her back she refused point blank to breastfeed when bottles are so much less effort for her! Gestational diabetes can have the same result, as far as I know, so you may not have much choice.

Stand up for yourself though - they can't make you do anything you don't want to do, and you know yourself what's best for you and your family.

I know how hard it is in the hospital to stand up to the staff, though (I found them unbelievably intimidating!); maybe get your file changed so that they know that it was decided in advance, not a sudden change of plan? It strikes me they may be more likely to push it if they end up thinking you wanted to BF and then cracked after the birth?

 

[ProzacQueen]

thank you for the reply. i had been warned about the possible need for special care and formula after birth and its helpful to know that may well be reality rather than them just giving me the worst case scenario! i will prepare myself for that.

i have already crossed out what she has written. i HATE feeling pressured!! im a tough ginger nut myself and can normally stand up for myself no problem but there is something about medical people that is really intimidating so your right about that.

i dont have a birth plan but perhaps i should jot my feelings about feeding down in that section so they kow how i feel in advance.

thanks for the advice

 

[GingerNut]

No problem at all. Good luck : )

 

[Floralaura]

I had GD and was willing to try BF'ing but when LO was born he was taken to SCBU due to breathing difficulties and whilst there they fed him a bottle..then when i got him back a few hours later i was given a timetable of exactly when to feed him as they were coming every 3hrs to heel prick him to check his BS levels..so i just FF. No one said anything about it or even asked me what i wanted to do..x

 

[suzib76]

i dont really see the relevance of the GD tbh

you want to ff so thats what you tell them and thats what you do, dont be drawn into a situation where you have to justify your decision

i had GD and ff, not for any reason other than thats what i chose to do, Lana had her bloods done for the firts 3 feeds and then we were free to go home

 

[ProzacQueen]

The relevance?? sorry i think you misunderstood my post. im not saying please help me justify the fact i want to FF and im going to use GD as an excuse (i would FF if i didnt have it tbh)

I asked for feeding experiences following birth!!! in 2 weeks time im giving birth (probably alone) and just want to prepare myself to be ready for any eventuality, especially if that could involve scbu or perhaps a well meaning midwife trying to coax me into BF to control the baby's sugars etc when ill be at my most vulnerable.

anyways.

thanks for letting me know about going home after 3 feeds - that would be fab. i have been told to pack for at least 5 days stay though which i would really hate as would be away from my daughter etc

 

[suzib76]

sorry if i picked it up wrong then, however i did give my feeding experience after birth as well

i feel like i should explain i saw no relevance to the GD as you asked it in the title and mentioned at the start they might try to gulit trip you, the rest of the post was just about why you didnt bf longer and why you dont want to, so i am sorry but i did read it to be more about that than about actual GD

just to add i was actually told if i decided to bf that she may need topped up with formula if her sugar levels werent good, but like i said she was fine and we were out less than 24 hours after she was born

ETA i was never told 5 days, i was told i could be in for 2 at most if all was ok

 

[GingerNut]

I'd be surprised if you were in for 5 days. Rosie wasn't as straightforward as the majority of babies of diabetics, as she couldn't control her blood sugar herself so as well as being on formula she had to be on a glucose drip for 2 days, but we were still only in for 3 days in total.

Though the 5 day thing could be in case you have an emergency section? They usually keep you in for 5 days after that here.

 

[ProzacQueen]

dont apologize, i tend to waffle alot and babbled after asking the question.

at the end of the day i know its a wait and see what happens thing, just interested if others experiences as i cant get a straight answer from anyone at the hosp and im pretty sure the 5 day thing was plucked out the air, which doesnt help either.

this having babies lark is hard work without even doing the birth bit

 

[Floralaura]

I too was worried when told I could expect up to a weeks stay after giving birth, as it was he was born at 5.54pm on the Friday and we were discharged at 3.10pm on the Sat..would have been earlier but Dr discharging took a while to get to us, that was with LO being in scbu for a while too after birth so it wasnt a smooth birth yet we were straight out, so try not to worry..xx

 

[Rach27]

This is quite a sore subject for me because I had GD and actually found it difficult to begin breastfeeding as the MWs were pushing me to feed him formula. He had one lowish reading from a dodgy machine (when they did another reading moments later, it was fine) and I never took medication to control my levels but they insisted and I had to feed him formula alongside pumping my colostrum.

So, in answer to your queries, if possible, have your baby at Stoke Mandeville hospital as no midwife there is likely to push you into BF'ing.

(Told you it was a sore subject!!!)