Breastfeeding

[Julie.reid1906]

I intend to breastfeed and recently saw a dietician who advised trying to express a bit before birth to give to the baby if his blood sugars are low after birth and struggling to breastfeed. Has anyone done this? Just looking for some advice from some diabetic mums Thanks

 

[jade88]

Hi Julie, yes I expressed and froze some colustrum then took it with me when I was induced - I went into the birthing unit week before and a midwife showed me how to do it and gave me some syringes to put the expressed milk into. Not all women are able to do this as some don't get their milk until after baby is born I was only able to get a little but definitely worth trying!

 

[Julie.reid1906]

Thanks, I was at a breastfeeding class today and they were quite anti-expressing before the baby comes as it can disrupt the natural process or something. Did you have any problems with the first feed?

 

[jade88]

No my little boy latched on straight away although his blood sugars were still low even with the extra bit I'd expressed so spent first night in neonatal with a feeding tube I continued to express and then spent the next day feeding him inbetween the feeds through the tube - soon as tube was out I exclusively breast fed him with no issues

 

[GrinderColumn]

Where you able to get expressed milk? I wasn't able to do it until 3 days after birth.

 

[azure]

Where you able to get expressed milk? I wasn't able to do it until 3 days after birth.

It's colostrum that you express. However, if you can't do this, some hospitals have donated breastmilk your baby can have if needed very early on.

 

[@4lgd]

I was able to express some colostrum just prior to being induced at 36 weeks. I am really glad I did for 2 reasons: I think the stimulation helped get my labour started. Also, I had to be taken to theatre straight after my delivery (ruptured placenta). My husband was able to give the expressed colostrum to my baby, it stopped her blood sugars dropping. I was so glad it was there for her.