Scared about going home from hospital

[ILoveShoes]

Hi ladies,
I'm new to baby club, and after some advice please...
I gave birth to my son 5 days ago. He was exactly 5 weeks early. Currently, we are still in hospital. I'm desperate to come home, but I've got some concerns. Canyou please help?
1. Currently, I'm feeding LO with EBM from a little cup. He's having 40-50 mls, every 3 hours. I really want to breastfeed, but couldn't at first as LO had tongue tie and couldn't latch on. The MWs have tried to help me bf, and we've managed it once. All the other times, he is either to hungry and frantic to wait and I end up giving him EBM, or hes too tired and can't be bothered trying! How am I going to feed him when I get home?I'm worried he's gonna starve.
2. I'm expressing every 2 hours with a breast pump. Do I need to carry on doing this when I get home?
3. Some of my stitches have bust and are really sore. I've also got an infection which uve got antibiottics for. Has anyone else had this? When did you start feelingbetter?
Thank you.
Xx

 

[aliss]

1. I also had major latching issues and could not continue it when I got home. My only suggestion (because I turned to FF) is to ask a lactation consultant to come to your home in the early days. Midwives/nurses can help a lot, but a lactation specialist may be what you need. Will your baby be monitored frequently because of being preemie? Are you able to weigh baby daily?

2. I'm not an EBM expert (I did it for about 2 weeks) but in those early weeks, yes, I had to express every 2 hours to establish a supply. It was difficult but hopefully OH or another family member will be helpful with the feedings of EBM. It's frustrating when you need to do both (feed and express) because the times can overlap. Hopefully you have a good pump.

3. Sorry, my stitches were not a problem so I can't say.

 

[bathbabe]

im sorry hun i can answer any of your questions but if your Lo is eating 40-50mls that really good. My baby was born at 37weeks and took between 15 and 30mls every 3hrs and we had to wake him for it and even at 4weeks was only on 60mls! X

 

[bathbabe]

i lied my baby was born at 36weeks! I dunno where i got 37 from! Haha x

 

[Odd Socks]

i'd say to stay in hospital until you feel ready to go home. i stayed 4 nights, & was never made to feel i'd outstayed my welcome, but i eventually felt i should go home as all the other new mums were staying a night at most. we didn't have breastfeeding established (though i was told by the midwives that they'd never seen a baby so anti-being-breastfed, she hated it & would scream for hours). get all the help you can with the breastfeeding, try to stay until you have at least one night where you successfully breastfeed your son without having to ring for help.
i know it may not be possible, & i know you're probably desperate to get home, but do try to stay in until you feel you can do it.
i wish i'd stayed a night, even 2 nights longer, as we were readmitted 8 days later because i couldn't cope. we then switched to formula because it became apparent that bella wasn't going to breastfeed (i could have tried to keep up with it, but she was so unhappy). i was lucky the second time that the midwives said to me that they didn't want me to go home until i felt i was ready, & i stayed in 3 nights & when i got home after that, i knew i could do it.
xx

 

[sunshine114]

I went through almost exactly the same as you, the only difference is my lo was ten days late.

They let us come home with the cup but after another day of trying we decided to switch to ebm in a bottle and give up on trying him on the breast. I kept this up for two more weeks but couldn't carry on so now we are ff.

As for the stiches I had loads as well as extensive bruising. I felt better once the antibiotics had finished but still feel sore now occasionally.

The first couple of weeks for me were horrendous but it has got much better since we have settled at home as I found the nights in the hospital awful.

Hope you get home soon and find a way of feeding your baby that works for BOTH of you xx

 

[Lu28]

Congrats on your LO!

I can't advise about the stitches but we did have big latching issues with Aisling.

Has the tongue tie been fixed now? I would say keep pumping every 2 hours, even when you're at home so that you can get your milk supply established. Aisling latched on once in hospital and then didn't latch again until she was 2.5 weeks old so there is hope and I know of others whose LOs didn't latch on until even 8 weeks old. If he's frantic for a feed, then I would give maybe a quarter of the EBM and then try to latch him on. If he's too hungry, he's not going to be bothered trying too hard when he knows the cup is there but if the edge is taken off the hunger, it tends to be alot easier.

I'd also suggest alot of skin to skin contact, take a bath together if that's possible in hospital or if not then definitely when you're at home. Maybe lying him on your chest at a non-feed time and let him root around himself, alot of babies find the nipple themselves this way and latch on much more easily.

Good luck hon

 

[pinktaffy]

i cant help with the breast feeding as i couldnt do that.
but the stiches i had the same problem they r so painfull it takes a good 3 weeks to feel almost back 2 normal. but each day does get better just keep asking for pain killers and try not 2 stand for long periods of time.
just make sure they check your stiches again b4 u leave put your mind at ease xx.
mine were infected aswell and the anti biotics do make u feel groggy but it does get better xx.
cograts on your baby xx

 

[pip holder]

Congratulations chick

Soz no advice on the stitches.

Expressing every 2 - 4 hours is best for at least another few days once you're home then you should be able to go to 4 hourly .

If you can't do every 2 - at least try to do a good few pumps overnight as that's when your prolactin is highest and it will stimulate more milk production.
Have you got an electric pump to go home with? Really, reallly recommend one if not - lifesavers - I had the medela swing and it was fab.

Keep trying babs on a nipple for a few secs before each feed so he has the association of your boob = milk and hopefully eventually if/when he does latch it will be easier for you both.

Rest LOADS, drink LOADS, and eat loads of sweets ( ok maybe the last one not entirely needed but hey ) I was doing this for the first month and it is exhausting but worth it if it's something you feel you want to do.

Best of luck chick

 

[ILoveShoes]

Thank you so much for all your replies. I knew I could rely on you ladies to help out!
The midwife sat with us for almost an hour this morn and helped us with the feeding. He seems to be latching on, but then slipping off. Bless him though, he is trying so hard! The midwife has suggested trying nipple shields (he has taken the top layer of skin off both my nips), she said they may help him to latch on and stay on. My DH has gone to get some for us now.
They have also told me to only express every 3hrs now, as I'm producing LOADS of milk and my boobs are rock solid and really leaky.
MW said that once he gets his latch right, he should be fine coz he's really trying and he really wants to do it!
Thanks again for all your replies, about the feeding and the stitches. Its so helpful to know that I'm not on my own.
Xx