A question about after the birth...
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: Pregnant
Forum Name: Pregnancy
Forum Description: Pregnant! Wanting to chat to other mums-to-be (or dads-to-be)? Share your thoughts, experiences, and ideas... This is that place!
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=17657
Printed Date: 21 August 2025 at 12:46pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.10 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: A question about after the birth...
Posted By: Bubnumber2
Subject: A question about after the birth...
Date Posted: 27 May 2008 at 3:22pm
|
It's really a bit early to be asking this, but it's been playing on mind and I'm just wondering if anyone knows anything about it...
Are you able, right from birth...like STRAIGHT afterwards, to get a meeting (either spontaneous or arranged) with a breast-feeding expert ? If that's the right term, not sure what to call them, lol. Last time, I had a bunch of nurses and midwives give me varying advice on breast-feeding, and a lot of it was very conflicting advice. Plus none of them managed to get my baby to latch on, and I ended up pretty confused. One midwife did manage to get him on there, but she kinda came in...shoved him on, and went away and didn't come back. It was great that he was feeding and all, but I would rather she had shown ME what to do, rather than doing it for me. Didn't help that it was my first, and I was clueless and didn't even really know what questions to ask-was a bit overwhelmed really. I didn't end up breast-feeding long, I never got the hang of it and after numerous infections and a few weeks of using a pump (which was easier than trying to feed a baby that wouldn't latch), I changed to formula. I never knew that it can take up to 8 weeks for things to settle, or that you need time to 'learn' how to breast-feed. I thought it was something that would take a week or two, at the most. Anyway this time I would really like to give breast-feeding the best go that I can. I have already started reading books and articles about it, and I understand that it really is a skill that needs to be learned for many women. This time, if possible, I would like to see/talk to ONE person about it, not numerous nurses who were impatient and varying in their advice. I don't mind paying someone for this, so that is no concern...I just don't know how available this kind of thing is? I will ask my midwife next time I see her, and I'm looking up the La Leche League for info too...but maybe someone has experience here? By the way, this isn't about formula/breast-feeding, or whichever is better. If there is a good reason for me to go the formula route again this time, then I will do so and not feel bad for it. But giving breast-feeding the best chance I can is something I've realised is quite important to me this time. Anyway, thanks...will appreciate any comments on this! ------------- http://www.bump-and-beyond.com/"> 
|
Replies:
Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 27 May 2008 at 3:26pm
| Best of luck. It is bloody hard alright but at least second time round you will hopefully feel more confident of what you want. I would definately get in touch with LLL and see what advice they can offer. I remember watching a DVD before I had Tom and it was about a girl who had trouble feeding with her first and so went to a lactation consultant before the birth of her second and "practiced" so it must be possible |
Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 27 May 2008 at 3:31pm
|
I see you are in Palmy. Barb is one of the lactation consultants up at the hospital and she is BRILLIANT! As soon as you get into the post natal ward ask your MW to go arrange with the hospital MW's a meeting with the lactation consults. They usually can't come immediately because they do have appts they have to attend to. But they will come as soon as they can.
You may be able to ring the hospital and ask directly for her and see if they can oganise something more specific for you but I'm not sure if they would do that or not. |
Posted By: Bubnumber2
Date Posted: 27 May 2008 at 3:33pm
|
Thanks nzpiper. Even first time around, I did understand the 'method' of breast-feeding, it was putting it into practise that was difficult.
Thanks for your reply. ------------- http://www.bump-and-beyond.com/">
|
Posted By: Bubnumber2
Date Posted: 27 May 2008 at 3:33pm
|
Thanks nzpiper. Even first time around, I did understand the 'method' of breast-feeding, it was putting it into practise that was difficult.
Thanks for your reply. ------------- http://www.bump-and-beyond.com/">
|
Posted By: Bubnumber2
Date Posted: 27 May 2008 at 3:37pm
Yeah. Thinking on it, straight after the birth is a bit unreasonable, particularly when I can't make an appointment for when the baby will be born, lol. I think I'm actually getting a bit anxious about the whole thing, including the birth, which didn't go so well the first time. I'm just really hopeful that I can make it different this time. I guess the support in the few weeks after is probably the bigger thing. I will have to ask my midwife about how much she can help me immediately after the birth. Thanks! Sorry for the previous double postings... ------------- http://www.bump-and-beyond.com/">
|
kebakat wrote:Posted By: fattartsrock
Date Posted: 27 May 2008 at 3:54pm
|
FYi you can see a lactation consultant PRE birth if you want to and go over what happened last time and set in motion a plan. ------------- The Honest Un PC Parent of 2, usually stuck in the naughty corner! :P |
Posted By: sparkle
Date Posted: 27 May 2008 at 4:06pm
|
I'd bring it up with your midwife too. Mine was great at showing me how to get Coop to latch on etc in the first few hours. Then over the following days we'd go over it again.
------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: Bubnumber2
Date Posted: 27 May 2008 at 4:08pm
I didn't know that, so thanks. I feel silly asking what probably seems a pretty basic question, but if you don't ask...you don't find out. I'm planning on investing in a good breast pump this time round (I used a hospital one last time, since it was quite a last minute decision), I've heard Avent Isis is one of the best/easiest to use? ------------- http://www.bump-and-beyond.com/">
|
Posted By: Bubnumber2
Date Posted: 27 May 2008 at 4:11pm
Yep, I have a different midwife than I did first time, so I will have to ask her what she recommends and if she can help. Which is actually good, I needed to come up with a few questions to ask her...first time I saw her I went kinda blank when she asked me if I wanted to know anything. Then half an hour later, I thought of a bunch of questions. Uhh, not good, lol. ------------- http://www.bump-and-beyond.com/">
|
Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 27 May 2008 at 4:46pm
| I have an avent isis and it was brilliant. Getting one that can do both manual and electric is really handy too. |
Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 27 May 2008 at 7:46pm
|
Basically this is your mw's job for the first little while and since this baby is not your first you can talk with her about giving latching a go yourself, first off. If you deliver in a hospital you can call the on duty m/w to help with every single latch if you want. Often the bf talks at the hospitals are run two mornings per week or something like that. I've never actually made it to one, but I found having one-on-one tuition with my mw and the hospital mw's great. Don't leave hospital until you feel like you have it sorted because the mw visits at home drop off very quickly. -------------  |
Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 27 May 2008 at 7:52pm
|
At Palmy hospital the breastfeeding talks are run daily at 10:30am I think. They are handy and its a good place to catch the lactation consult.
And like Teresa said don't leave until you have it sorted. I was being "pushed" to get out of the hospital on day 2 but I said no, I was staying because Daniel wasn't feeding. |
Posted By: 4cats
Date Posted: 27 May 2008 at 10:46pm
|
I'd check with your midwife if you can get an appt with the hospital lactation consultant before the birth.
I'm not in Palmy, but also had trouble breastfeeding my first baby (he ended up being formula fed). I wanted a better experience this time so asked my OB about seeing the hospital lactation consultant before the birth. I had a one-on-one session today and apart from 'practising' some of the practical stuff, she came up with a plan of how things should go once bubs is born. Who knows how successful i'll be this time around, but having a plan has at least made me feel a lot more positive about giving it a try. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: mummy_becks
Date Posted: 27 May 2008 at 11:25pm
|
Who is your MW this time around??? You can ask to see the LC before you have the baby. I had issues with my first and after talking with my MW we went over a few things and I was able to feed my second till he was 7 months - he self weaned. ------------- I was a puree feeder, forward facing, cot sleeping, pram pushing kind of Mum... and my kids survived! |
Posted By: mum2paris
Date Posted: 28 May 2008 at 8:59am
|
Yep you can go to the breastfeeding talks in thepostnatal ward before you have baby and once again afterwards.. take your baby and Barb will help you. They are run at 10am each day.
I sooo know where you are coming from bubnumber2, I had the same thing happen with paris, i only asked for help once and got someone come in and manhandle me and leave, so never asked again, jsut struggled through. I found it realllly helpful to watch the videos "follow me mum" and also to make sure i made it to that talk and to have the LC to talk to about what had happened the last time. I managed really well with Ayja - probably on her part too cos she was a piglet, but having the guts to ask for support etc the second time round made a huuuge difference. ------------- Janine and her 2 cool chicks, Paris & Ayja 
|
Posted By: chonny
Date Posted: 28 May 2008 at 3:20pm
|
i had problems with latching and got huge gashes on my nipples. they only really came to head after leaving hospital. Having a really sucky baby didn't help as well as flat nipples. I had a couple of mw's in birthcare help me but once they got worse my mw rang thru referal to teh lc at birthcare who was greta! saw her once, and she called me a couple of times to check up on how things were.
i really do recommend talking to your mw and letting her know your concerns at least. she may suggest having a session with lc anyways. -------------   
|