Unusual Question...not sure if this is the right place to post this.

[Tatertot]

I have a strange question. Due to some complications, I won't be able to breastfeed. My question is, what happens then? Does milk still come in? Does it come in and then dry up or go away or something? Sorry for the weird question.

 

[AP]

It depends really? Can you still use your milk? Can you express? If so you could express milk and give to baby that way, but it is hard work!

Otherwise, milk can come in, and it might be a lil sore for a while. It might be useful getting a cheap hand pump and expressing a tiny bit if your breasts do get sore, just to relax them a bit?

Or you might be fine, they might go down after a few days!

 

[Tatertot]

At least at the beginning, the baby will have to have a feeding tube, so I don't think that he can have my milk...not sure though. I talked to the nurses where I work and they said that the doctor (or whoever) gives you a shot (or a pill) that causes the milk to dry up. Still wish I was going to be able to breastfeed, but I really don't think it will be an option.

 

[TigerLady]

How long do they expect the feeding tube? It is completely possible to pump from the beginning and then you can BF'ed when he doesn't need the tube anymore. Are they planning on using formula in the tube? There shouldn't be a reason they need formula over breastmilk....?? You should be able to pump and then offer your milk -- it would be better for him anyway! Unless there is something else we don't know....

 

[pennysbored]

If your child is tube fed, they can use breast milk, unless there is some other complication I'm not aware of. My daughter was partially tube fed for the first while, so I was pumping breast milk, it made me feel like I was a larger part of her care.

 

[Tatertot]

The baby has to have significant heart surgery within a week of birth and then more at four months or so. He'll be in the hospital for maybe up to 8 weeks. It never occurred to me that they would put breast milk or formula in the tube. I guess I thought it would be some kind of special something...I obviously haven't talked to doctors or anyone about this. I don't have an appointment for awhile. Do you think two months is too long to express? I guess people do that all the time though...


Thanks for all the help by the way!

 

[TigerLady]

I think you can do it! And talk to the doctors... he may not have to have the feeding tube for the entire two months, so you may be able to start nursing sooner.

Check the exclusive expressing thread and maybe post a thread looking for ladies that have pumped while their newborns were in the hospital. I know they are out there!

I'm terribly sorry you have to go throug this. Seeing your LO in the hospital as a newborn is heartbreaking. My LO had surgery at 3 weeks and it was awful... but the doctors are great these days! It was harder on me than on my LO. I hope you all make it through safely and with as little stress as possible.

Definitely come here for advice on pumping and then starting to nurse if you have questions!

 

[pennysbored]

The baby has to have significant heart surgery within a week of birth and then more at four months or so. He'll be in the hospital for maybe up to 8 weeks. It never occurred to me that they would put breast milk or formula in the tube. I guess I thought it would be some kind of special something...I obviously haven't talked to doctors or anyone about this. I don't have an appointment for awhile. Do you think two months is too long to express? I guess people do that all the time though...


Thanks for all the help by the way!

I did it for 6 weeks. I don't see why you can't. Just go electric, I was pumping 8 times a day (every three hours), so you won't want to be doing that manually.
I'm really sorry to hear about your LO, but I'm glad they know about it so they can do something about it.

 

[avabear73]

I did it too, for 3 weeks as LO was in NNU and tube fed for most of that time. The NNU nurses were very supportive and so was my midwife, who woke me up at 3am to express every night I was in hospital - she'd come in, wake me, bring the pump etc, I'd ring the bell, she'd take it all away and clean it all up. She was my hero

Speak to your doctor/midwife about it - chances are they'll be delighted if you express. Even if LO can't get it then, you can freeze it and give it via bottle or cup when LO gets home.

Good luck with everything, and just shout out if we can help

 

[Abigailly]

The girls in here are brilliant - but perhaps a god place to ask would be the premature babies bit?

A lot of their baby's will of been tube fed and I know most of them exclusively pumped until they could latch on.

 

[TigerLady]

^^Good idea!

 

[Blah11]

I agree with the others, there's no reason you can't express your breast milk for your baby to be tube fed it

However, if you don't want to go that route then there is a pill they can give you to dry up your milk. Think ladies who have lost their babys at birth get it to make the agony of not having a baby to feed a little easier

 

[Tatertot]

Thanks for all of the advice!