Rubyroo44

Member
Messages
11
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Hello,
I had a planned/semi emergency c section over a year ago. When they tested my sons blood,an hour after delivery, it was 1. He was taken to SCBU where he ended up having many different glucose drips including one into his stomach. I didn't really have any support with breastfeeding and so baby was given formula and was also tube fed. It took five days for milk to come in due to c section and stress. I wasn't really allowed to hold him much. He was left to cry on the ward, which hurts me the most. His heart rate was so fast on two occasions he needed further investigation but I feel this was because he was on his own. It might not be but I will never know.
I read articles by breastfeeding expert Dr Jack Newman that state babies shouldn't be separated based on low blood sugar alone. How much does this apply to a type one mum? Has anyone ever been in this situation?
I totally realise that if baby needed intervention then he needed it and I hope I do not sound glib. The health of my son is more important that anything. However, I can't help but think if I had been told about expressing colostrum I could have prevented our separation. I worry about the long term impact of him being on his own for a week. I generally feel terrible about everything to do with his birth, fourteen months later. Nobody has any answers but I want to be prepared for our next child and it took nearly two years of planning to get perfect HBa1c.
 

Jaylee

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Hi @Rubyroo44 ,

Welcome to the forum.

Sounds like you had a rough deal with the birth of your son.
I can't help with you specific enquirery, however I can tag someone in who may help! @azure
 
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Hello,
I had a planned/semi emergency c section over a year ago. When they tested my sons blood,an hour after delivery, it was 1. He was taken to SCBU where he ended up having many different glucose drips including one into his stomach. I didn't really have any support with breastfeeding and so baby was given formula and was also tube fed. It took five days for milk to come in due to c section and stress. I wasn't really allowed to hold him much. He was left to cry on the ward, which hurts me the most. His heart rate was so fast on two occasions he needed further investigation but I feel this was because he was on his own. It might not be but I will never know.
I read articles by breastfeeding expert Dr Jack Newman that state babies shouldn't be separated based on low blood sugar alone. How much does this apply to a type one mum? Has anyone ever been in this situation?
I totally realise that if baby needed intervention then he needed it and I hope I do not sound glib. The health of my son is more important that anything. However, I can't help but think if I had been told about expressing colostrum I could have prevented our separation. I worry about the long term impact of him being on his own for a week. I generally feel terrible about everything to do with his birth, fourteen months later. Nobody has any answers but I want to be prepared for our next child and it took nearly two years of planning to get perfect HBa1c.

Hi sorry to hear of your bad experience, it is worrying time when things go wrong. I had my daughter at 33 weeks, I had HELLP syndrome, it was an emergency, full anesthetic C section, it was critical. I didn't see my baby for days, she was in SCBU and I was in a room next to the nurses station. I was bed bound, on a sliding scale and monitored 24 hours. When I was well enough to go to SCBU, she had a little tube up her nose, going down to her stomach. Eventually I expressed my own milk, but had no physical contact with her prior to that, it was very upsetting, so heartbreaking, but I had to get myself better, we got through it, she is 16 and a typical teenager. At the end of the day, we both survived and that was the main priority.
I hope your next pregnancy will be a happier one, hormones play a big part in our feelings, especially being a new mum, honestly you have nothing to feel guilty about, some things just don't go to plan, I'm sure he will grow up into a happy, healthy, well adjusted boy and he will know how much he is loved. Take care.
 
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azure

Expert
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@Rubyroo44 First of all, don't blame yourself for anything. You did nothing wrong and it's not your fault in any way. Your post brims over with love for your son. You're clearly a fantastic mum. X

As regards SCBU and separation, I couldn't comment on your circumstances, but usually mums are allowed to spend a lot of time with their babies and breastfeeding is positively encouraged. Even if a baby is being fed by a nasal tube, they can be given expressed milk/colostrum.

One of my children had to have extra monitoring in SC and they were in a separate room from me, but I spent most of my day there and if they cried at night, someone would come and wake me so I could go to them.

If I was you and if you feel up to it, I'd ask for an explanation of what happened and why. Sometimes just hearing that can help enormously, as can talking it over.

If, after that, you still feel that things could have been handled better, then I'd put your complaints/comments in writing - both about the - to you - excessive separation, and about the lack of support for breastfeeding. That latter thing is very poor nowadays. For my last birth, I had a breastfeeding guru help me within hours of the birth and the whole ward was extremely supportive of breastfeeding, with lots of pumps and lots of people to help and demonstrate hand-expressing. There was also storage in the SC unit for expressed colostrum and milk.

But again, please don't torture yourself over it. You've clearly made up for that early separation now, and your son will know how much you love him. XX

P.S - would you like me to move this to the Pregnancy section for you as that section is also for new mums?
 

eabhamurphy

Well-Known Member
Messages
94
Hi there,
I had an induction that was terribly managed and ended in an emergency c section. My baby had a similar blood sugar to yours so was given premature infant formula to bring it up and his blood sugar tested regularly for a number of days until consistently normal. We were not separated but due to his needing formula to raise blood sugars and my stress level were high meaning my milk came in late and I couldn't figure out breastfeeding. I felt it was beyond me at the time and I struggled with all manner of things I usually find easy. I found they were really into promoting breastfeeding but not into creating the environment to allow this to be successful. I was too traumatised after the birth experience. I am very sad to hear you were separated from your baby so soon after birth.
Next time I'm just going to have a c section so I'm hopeful that will be a more positive experience.

Sent from my Pixel using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app
 

catapillar

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,390
Type of diabetes
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I read articles by breastfeeding expert Dr Jack Newman that state babies shouldn't be separated based on low blood sugar alone. How much does this apply to a type one mum?

Neonatal hypoglycaemia is serious and can result in severe brain damage and death. Type 1 mums are more at risk of having babies prone to neonatal hypoglycaemia. A blood sugar reading of 1 isn't a mild hypo in a neonate, or an adult. It's severe hypoglycaemia that does require urgent treatment, if a feed doesn't raise blood sugar then separation will be required for treatment with IV glucose to avoid risks of brain damage and death materialising.

Many obgyn will do a debrief after a traumatic birth to explain what happened. Have you asked your consultant or midwife for this?
 

jazzyone

Member
Messages
19
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I had my first son with forceps at 38 weeks, I held him for 1 hour then his blood sugar fell so he was taken to sc where they fed him, he was there for 4 days but I was allowed to breastfeed. With my second son 3 years later I ended up with a section at 37 weeks but they decided not to take him from me but let me feed him straight away. I feel I bonded better with him this was 18 years ago, I thought they would know better by now. Insist on feeding your baby straight away

Sent from my WAS-LX1A using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app
 

Rubyroo44

Member
Messages
11
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Hi sorry to hear of your bad experience, it is worrying time when things go wrong. I had my daughter at 33 weeks, I had HELLP syndrome, it was an emergency, full anesthetic C section, it was critical. I didn't see my baby for days, she was in SCBU and I was in a room next to the nurses station. I was bed bound, on a sliding scale and monitored 24 hours. When I was well enough to go to SCBU, she had a little tube up her nose, going down to her stomach. Eventually I expressed my own milk, but had no physical contact with her prior to that, it was very upsetting, so heartbreaking, but I had to get myself better, we got through it, she is 16 and a typical teenager. At the end of the day, we both survived and that was the main priority.
I hope your next pregnancy will be a happier one, hormones play a big part in our feelings, especially being a new mum, honestly you have nothing to feel guilty about, some things just don't go to plan, I'm sure he will grow up into a happy, healthy, well adjusted boy and he will know how much he is loved. Take care.
Thank you for your kind message. So good to hear all went well for you in the end. Think am still traumatised by it but I hope it passes .
 

Rubyroo44

Member
Messages
11
Type of diabetes
Type 1
@Rubyroo44 First of all, don't blame yourself for anything. You did nothing wrong and it's not your fault in any way. Your post brims over with love for your son. You're clearly a fantastic mum. X

As regards SCBU and separation, I couldn't comment on your circumstances, but usually mums are allowed to spend a lot of time with their babies and breastfeeding is positively encouraged. Even if a baby is being fed by a nasal tube, they can be given expressed milk/colostrum.

One of my children had to have extra monitoring in SC and they were in a separate room from me, but I spent most of my day there and if they cried at night, someone would come and wake me so I could go to them.

If I was you and if you feel up to it, I'd ask for an explanation of what happened and why. Sometimes just hearing that can help enormously, as can talking it over.

If, after that, you still feel that things could have been handled better, then I'd put your complaints/comments in writing - both about the - to you - excessive separation, and about the lack of support for breastfeeding. That latter thing is very poor nowadays. For my last birth, I had a breastfeeding guru help me within hours of the birth and the whole ward was extremely supportive of breastfeeding, with lots of pumps and lots of people to help and demonstrate hand-expressing. There was also storage in the SC unit for expressed colostrum and milk.

But again, please don't torture yourself over it. You've clearly made up for that early separation now, and your son will know how much you love him. XX

P.S - would you like me to move this to the Pregnancy section for you as that section is also for new mums?
Thank you so much for ur lovely message x
 
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Rubyroo44

Member
Messages
11
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Hi there,
I had an induction that was terribly managed and ended in an emergency c section. My baby had a similar blood sugar to yours so was given premature infant formula to bring it up and his blood sugar tested regularly for a number of days until consistently normal. We were not separated but due to his needing formula to raise blood sugars and my stress level were high meaning my milk came in late and I couldn't figure out breastfeeding. I felt it was beyond me at the time and I struggled with all manner of things I usually find easy. I found they were really into promoting breastfeeding but not into creating the environment to allow this to be successful. I was too traumatised after the birth experience. I am very sad to hear you were separated from your baby so soon after birth.
Next time I'm just going to have a c section so I'm hopeful that will be a more positive experience.

Sent from my Pixel using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app
Thank you. I had a planned caesarian that was rushed a little due to placenta concerns and I wouldnt have changed a thing about the actual birth, it was perfect. I would express before though to hopefully cut out need for formula. Good luck for your next bub and thanks x
 

Rubyroo44

Member
Messages
11
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Neonatal hypoglycaemia is serious and can result in severe brain damage and death. Type 1 mums are more at risk of having babies prone to neonatal hypoglycaemia. A blood sugar reading of 1 isn't a mild hypo in a neonate, or an adult. It's severe hypoglycaemia that does require urgent treatment, if a feed doesn't raise blood sugar then separation will be required for treatment with IV glucose to avoid risks of brain damage and death materialising.

Many obgyn will do a debrief after a traumatic birth to explain what happened. Have you asked your consultant or midwife for this?
No I havent - I wouldnt know who to approach to be honest. I didnt know if 1 was low for a newborn as so little is known about glucose readings when so young so it is reassuring to know that it is. Jack Newman advocates no seperation and that breastmilk elevates glucose quicker and more effectively than formula. However, after feeding he had to go on an IV and then a line to his tummy. They had to increase the ratio very high to see increases. So by this thinking, he would have got poorly just with me and my boobs. Sounds daft, but its really helped working this out with you and in my head. Thank you x1000. I thought I should have fought to keep him but that would have been ridiculous now.
 

Rubyroo44

Member
Messages
11
Type of diabetes
Type 1
I had my first son with forceps at 38 weeks, I held him for 1 hour then his blood sugar fell so he was taken to sc where they fed him, he was there for 4 days but I was allowed to breastfeed. With my second son 3 years later I ended up with a section at 37 weeks but they decided not to take him from me but let me feed him straight away. I feel I bonded better with him this was 18 years ago, I thought they would know better by now. Insist on feeding your baby straight away

Sent from my WAS-LX1A using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app
Thank you. I will next time. Breastfeeding is so hard at first but I
Hope easier with next baby now I know how!