Piglet's Mama
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Well, as the title says, I have spent the last two days in hospital, dripped up on anti-biotics and IV paracetamol for what the doctors have eventually concluded, is left breast mastitis. It's funny because I thought I had no issues at all with my boobs but apparently not 
Started to feel really fevery on Monday night and literally could not get out of bed all through the night or all day Tuesday to see to Brooke (thank God my hubby is off work!) Was burning up all day Tuesday so rang my Mum in the evening to see if she thought Brooke might catch it - I thought it was just some sort of virus. She said as I'd had Brooke only 12 days before I might have caught an infection so she rang the out of hours doctor who said to go to our A&E. As soon as we got there I nearly past out, had to get carted off in a wheelchair and they put me on a drip straight away as my temperature was 39 and they said I was definitely harbouring an infection. I had to have a chest xray, an ECG on my heart, blood cultures, a swab of my stitches and canulas in both my arms for the drugs. I felt like shit. They said they were keeping me in as they didn't know at that point where the infection was coming from.
My breasts were sore, swollen and leaking and there was a red patch that had formed on my left breast but I just thought it was because I hadn't been able to express Brooke's feeds for 24 hours (I had been expressing all of Brooke's feeds as when she fed from me for the first 3-4 days I didn't know much she was getting and I was getting stressed, as was she and I was often topping her up with formula at the end of most feeds. With expressing, I could express two feeds in advance and know exactly how much she was having).
I then got put on to anti-biotics and was told I couldn't breastfeed her so for the last two days she has been on formula - Aptamil first milk. She is taking it and she is a really good feeder, I think she would drink anything; I've noticed though the change in her nappies (they now stink and are as runny as anything) and I think she pukes a little bit more. To be honest, I really don't want her on formula but I'm now really stuck about how to get my milk supply back to what it was 72 hours ago. When I was expressing I got 4oz off each boob but the Doctors have said I can't express to that extent because my boobs are emptied completely too regularly, filling up again too regularly and potentially housing bacteria - hence my horrific infection.
Luckily (because she's such a clever girl
Brooke latched on to both boobs earlier - my left breast still has the red patch and is still a little blocked but I know she definitely fed (especially from my right boob) as she did two big burps and even brought a teeny bit back up. With my left boob, I have been massaging it and using the pump (under the Doctors advice) on this boob only to try and unclog it. I think I've made quite a bit of progress with it and will offer this boob to Brooke first later and see if she can help me out!
I think my husband and my Mum just want me to put her on formula but I really don't want to. My husband can't deal with her making any sort of noise and thinks all her cries and wriggles and squarks means she needs feeding so he's quick to shove something in her mouth. This was fine when I knew it was my milk she was having out of a bottle but I don't want to just keep giving her formula. She has also been demand fed up until now which consists of her picking and cluster feeding quite a bit in the day but she finds herself a routine for the evening and only wakes once in the night for a feed.
I guess I want to know if I keep putting her to my chest now will my boobs start producing the same amounts as before or have I left it too long? Is there anything I can do to help the milk production? I really really don't want to put her on formula unless I have to so any tips/advice would be appreciated.
Apologies for the length of this as well - well done if you've reached the end x
Started to feel really fevery on Monday night and literally could not get out of bed all through the night or all day Tuesday to see to Brooke (thank God my hubby is off work!) Was burning up all day Tuesday so rang my Mum in the evening to see if she thought Brooke might catch it - I thought it was just some sort of virus. She said as I'd had Brooke only 12 days before I might have caught an infection so she rang the out of hours doctor who said to go to our A&E. As soon as we got there I nearly past out, had to get carted off in a wheelchair and they put me on a drip straight away as my temperature was 39 and they said I was definitely harbouring an infection. I had to have a chest xray, an ECG on my heart, blood cultures, a swab of my stitches and canulas in both my arms for the drugs. I felt like shit. They said they were keeping me in as they didn't know at that point where the infection was coming from.
My breasts were sore, swollen and leaking and there was a red patch that had formed on my left breast but I just thought it was because I hadn't been able to express Brooke's feeds for 24 hours (I had been expressing all of Brooke's feeds as when she fed from me for the first 3-4 days I didn't know much she was getting and I was getting stressed, as was she and I was often topping her up with formula at the end of most feeds. With expressing, I could express two feeds in advance and know exactly how much she was having).
I then got put on to anti-biotics and was told I couldn't breastfeed her so for the last two days she has been on formula - Aptamil first milk. She is taking it and she is a really good feeder, I think she would drink anything; I've noticed though the change in her nappies (they now stink and are as runny as anything) and I think she pukes a little bit more. To be honest, I really don't want her on formula but I'm now really stuck about how to get my milk supply back to what it was 72 hours ago. When I was expressing I got 4oz off each boob but the Doctors have said I can't express to that extent because my boobs are emptied completely too regularly, filling up again too regularly and potentially housing bacteria - hence my horrific infection.
Luckily (because she's such a clever girl
Brooke latched on to both boobs earlier - my left breast still has the red patch and is still a little blocked but I know she definitely fed (especially from my right boob) as she did two big burps and even brought a teeny bit back up. With my left boob, I have been massaging it and using the pump (under the Doctors advice) on this boob only to try and unclog it. I think I've made quite a bit of progress with it and will offer this boob to Brooke first later and see if she can help me out!I think my husband and my Mum just want me to put her on formula but I really don't want to. My husband can't deal with her making any sort of noise and thinks all her cries and wriggles and squarks means she needs feeding so he's quick to shove something in her mouth. This was fine when I knew it was my milk she was having out of a bottle but I don't want to just keep giving her formula. She has also been demand fed up until now which consists of her picking and cluster feeding quite a bit in the day but she finds herself a routine for the evening and only wakes once in the night for a feed.
I guess I want to know if I keep putting her to my chest now will my boobs start producing the same amounts as before or have I left it too long? Is there anything I can do to help the milk production? I really really don't want to put her on formula unless I have to so any tips/advice would be appreciated.
Apologies for the length of this as well - well done if you've reached the end x
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