Breastfeeding Q

[Ky]

Just wanted to know if anyone has any idea if it will be possible to bf bub (assuming I can ...) even with spending time going through heart surgeries etc ...

Is it encouraged?

Will I be able to hold bub at all?

Can a bub who has been fed another way during care adapt to bf after?

I really want to feed bub and although my elder two were formula fed (after expressing for 6 weeks) due to physical incompatability, it is something I really want to persist with.

I feel like I am in limbo as I haven't heard anything from the hospital since the echo that diagnosed bubs problem a couple of weeks ago and my ob down here seems to think that I am no longer under his care so I don't know who to ask, how to contact anyone, who to contact etc.

OK, ignore the frustrated rant ... it will sort itself out soon, I'm sure.

Just want some idea on the bf question if you can help ... thanks :wave:

[ikis84]

Perhaps try contacting the ABA. I am know there are women there who have breastfed sick/special needs babies successfully. If you don't feel confident ringing them, you could ask on the ABA forum too (it's attached to their website).

:hugs:
All the best to you and bub.

[MyFab4]

Hi, I am mum to a precious heartkid so I may be able to answer some of your questions.

Just wanted to know if anyone has any idea if it will be possible to bf bub (assuming I can ...) even with spending time going through heart surgeries etc ...
Yes its definately possible. I ff my heart baby, which is one of my biggest regrets, but others that were in the hospital BF their heart babies.
Is it encouraged?
Yes it is encouraged if you want to do it.
Will I be able to hold bub at all?
Not sure when you mean here. Depends on bubs condition at birth, but you should get cuddles with bub before surgery. After surgery, when bub is stable enough you will get cuddles. I was able to hold my bub on the 2nd day after surgery while he was in intensive care. Again the time frame would depend on the type of surgery.

Can a bub who has been fed another way during care adapt to bf after?
Not sure on this one. The bubs are tube fed at first. How long this is for depends on a number of things including, how well they tolerate the feeds, weight gain and also it can be too tiring for them to suck at first. Once bubs step down to High Dependency from ICU they can drink from a bottle then when they tire they put the rest down the tube. This way they still keep the sucking reflex. If they are happy with bubs weight gain you should be able to put bub to the breast during this time.

I really want to feed bub and although my elder two were formula fed (after expressing for 6 weeks) due to physical incompatability, it is something I really want to persist with.

I FF my older 3 (including my heart baby) and not BF him has been my biggest regret. It does feel a bit like your baby isn't your own while they are in hospy as there isn't much you can do for them except be there for them, and this is one of the reasons I regret not BF as at least this would have been the one thing I could do for him. This still upsets me to this day, but gave me the determination to BF my 4th bub, who is now 10 months old and still happily BF. So give it your best than you won't have regrets like me.

I feel like I am in limbo as I haven't heard anything from the hospital since the echo that diagnosed bubs problem a couple of weeks ago and my ob down here seems to think that I am no longer under his care so I don't know who to ask, how to contact anyone, who to contact etc.
We didn't find out about our baby's problem until he was 9 days old so I can only sympathise with your situation with the hospy.
OK, ignore the frustrated rant ... it will sort itself out soon, I'm sure.

Just want some idea on the bf question if you can help ... thanks :wave:
Sorry its a long post but I hope I have answered some of your questions, if you have any others feekl free to ask.

[SammieSnail]

Hey Elias,
Just wanted to send you all my prayers and best wishes for a safe operation/s and smooth recovery for your little one :hugs:

xo Sammie

[our little treasures]

Perhaps try contacting the ABA. I am know there are women there who have breastfed sick/special needs babies successfully. If you don't feel confident ringing them, you could ask on the ABA forum too (it's attached to their website).

:hugs:
All the best to you and bub.

Also you can email them and they email back by the next day with a lot of answers for your questions!! I found this great as I needed to ask on behalf of sil and have 3 children 3yrs and under, I cannot hear half the phone calls I get let alone be able to take in what they are saying:yes: :p I also think that way you can save it and read it when you need to check things. The lady also then asked more questions of the situation and responded to them as well:yelclap:

[Ky]

Thanks girls ...

As you can tell, I am just a bit frustrated at having no-one who seems readily available to get me out of the dark in so many areas. I feel like they have given me some devastating news and then discarded me with no idea of what avenues to take to get answers.

I appreciate your kind words, infinite wisdom and readiness to share your stories with me ...

Again ... thankyou :hugs:

[Loopy Linda]

To Elias,

I am sorry i didn't see how old bub was yet but ..

when my son was 4days old he had an operation on his brain. the operation was about 4 hours i think and i didn't see him for another 2 afterwards. I had been b/f and on day of surgery he couldn't feed from 4am in case he could be first at 7am. after the operation he went to recovery then iCU for the night to watch him. i tried to b/f at about 7 pm when i got all clear and i think i kind of panicked at my own inability to help my son and the only thing i could do for him was feed him so i tried to b/f when he wasn't hungry. i just wanted him to be better quickly and in my mind if he was b/f was a magic cure to make him all better ( well it is good for immune system and stuff) i ended up stressing him a little and myself even more. come 11pm that night he still hadn't eaten and i didn't want to leave him with an empty tummy.

the nurse set me up with a pump and i was able to express 50ml. i came back the next morning and she had slowly tube fed him the 50ml overnight. as he had slowly been fed he wasn't hungry and i couldn't b/f which again distressed me ( i was sure i had magic boobie juice). there was a change in nurse and the next nurse preferred for b/f babies to be tube fed the whole amount in one feed rather than slowly drip feed them. so again i expressed and he had the whole amount via the tube and 4hrs later he was hungry and sucked away at me no worries and no problems since.

Sorry it took me so long to get to my point but i just wanted to say that the nurses will help you and encourage to to b/f if that is your wish but it can take a day or so of tube feeds before they are strong enough and well enough to suck it out theirself.

Linda

[Loopy Linda]

hi Elias,

just wanted to check in and see how you are? Has bub had operation? if yes how are you both now and how did the b/f go? Were you able to get your answers before the op?

Hope you are both doing well and back home with a nice cuppa by now

Linda

[Ky]

Hi Linda

No ... bub isn't due until mid January, so I am just really getting myself prepared.

Still waiting for word on appointments/who my OB is/date for c/s from Westmead ... it is getting really frustrating! I rang them and got a snooty secretary who read the letter to my OB down here and told me that it didn't sound serious and that she didn't think any follow-up would be scheduled :eek: She wasn't the one sitting in the cardiologists office being told all about the surgeries straight after birth and the 70-80% chance of bub's survival ... not serious my @ss! :mad:

Anyway, have both my local OB and Endocrinologist getting upset on my behalf, so should hear something soon :fingerscrossed: In the mean time, they are both keeping a really close eye on my health so that my little girl is given the best chance possible of being born healthy enough to fight through.

[Loopy Linda]

Elias,

if you have definitely decided to breast feed the first couple of days the baby doesn't really get that much from you, i think it is called collostrum and while it is very good for the baby they don't really get hungry in the first day or so. But i think it would be important to get on the breast pump and express reguarly while bub is in surgery and recovery, the nurses will be able to tube feed it to bub while she recovers. and it will also help to bring your milk supply in for when she does start to get hungry.

These are just what i think so please check it out more ( don't just listen to me) have you checked with breastfeeding association? they have a really good website that may give you some answers

Also with expressing milk the electric pumps in the hospitals are the best ones ( again my opinion) but they can hurt, just put them on low and let them slowly work, just increase it slowly to where you feel comfortable. and only go in small amounts of time ( don't stay there for hours till you get a bottle ful) even if you only have 10 mls i think that is like an hours feeding so all the little bits will add up.

Good luck and i will keep thinking of you and your baby, if you ever need to talk to anyone you can send a message to me and i will listen.

Please let us know how things are going and i will be looking forward to the messages about your beautiful girl and the lovely pics to go with them

Linda

[AM]

It is great you are thinking about this now, it is a really important thing to sort out with them.

I would be contacting the hospy and asking to see whoever is in charge, and ask to have a meeting with them about exactly how everything is going to be managed after the birth.

Tell them straight up that breastfeeding is REALLY important to you, and by hook or crook you want to be able to do that, whether it be directly, or via a tube if necessary, or expressed.

And tell them also how incredibly important it is to you to be able to have as much bodily contact with you bub as is humanly possible. Give them some literature on "Kangaroo Care" and tell them that as soom as you are able you want to be able to snuggle bub into a hug a bub or some other device to be able to have bub right next to your heart, hearing the sound of you, smelling your scent, and just bonding with you.

All the best to you, and all the best to your bub too. :)

Don't let them talk policy to you, just tell them what is important to you, and why, and ask that they facilitate your needs in any way possible.

It might help to have someone along with you who is either a breastfeeding counsellor, or a Lactation Consultant, who can back you up 100% and support you.

O and just to add, colostrum is very important for a breastfed bub, it is only a tiny amount that they consume during those first few feeds, but colostrum is super concentrated, and and is very satisfying.

About a bub adjusting to bf after tube feeding, there is a system called SNS (supplemental nursing system) where the milk is in a bladder, and the tube comes over your shoulder and is taped to the breast so when bub sucks on your breast, they will be getting food, and also getting used to the breast, and stimulating your supply as well. The best people to talk to about this are the Australian Breastfeeding Association.