General questions

[valleygirl24]

When I came home from hospital I done so with Rhys on a bottle as I wasnt producing anything and he wasnt latching on properly, well he would latch, suck about 4 times and come back off. He done this for 2 days so we put him onto bottles (he had been given 10ml formula via syringe on day 1 and part of 2 but they wanted him to take 20ml). Last night my supply seems to have started, my boobs are rather sore, full and hot and Ive been running a temperature/having cold sweats but my midwife today reassured me that this is fine.
Im now debating whether to try him on the breast (what I had originally intended) or leave him on the bottle as we've had no problems since hes been on there.

Yesterday morning he took two consecutive bottles and had 4oz from them instead of the usual 2-3 hes been taking but he spent the rest of the day and today taking an ounce or so then giving up and wanting more half hour later. My mother suggests giving him a drop of cooled boiled water in case he is thirsty rather than hungry, what do you think (he is 6days old)?

 

[hennaly]

If it were me i would try again on the breast, he shouldnt need water at his age especially if he is on the breast as it gives him food and water together
It would be great if he could bf especially as you want to have a go

 

[Laur_250]

Definately try him on the breast again! We had to bottle feed for the same reason at birth, then when my milk came through I started expressing every 4 hours to keep it up and bottle fed him that until I managed to get him to take it straight from the breast. You may be lucky and get him to take it now though so give it a go...wait until your milk is already coming through and put him to the nipple so he tastes it straight away and realises what to do. Well done for wanting to try. xx

 

[Magic Monkey]

Don't know about the breastfeeding side of things, but please don't give a baby that young water, it can be bad for them and he won't be just thirsty at that age.

 

[jennifer1981]

Not sure about the breast feeding as not had any experience but we were told conflicting advice about water... Dylan was a summer baby and I was told by one midwife (as he was formula fed) to offer him half and oz of cooled boiled water a day... another midwife who came out said this was nonsense and they didn't need water so early on. My mum then said she gave me and my sisters and brother cooled boiled water in between feeds so i decided to try it when he was crying and obviously not hungry, tired etc. He gulped it dwn. he wasn't hungry but liked the water. I took his lead with this. I offered him it sometimes (especially on a hot day) and sometimes he wanted it/other times not. It's done him no harm at all.

 

[keelie_b]

just wondering about you really, you say your having cold sweats and feeling a bit under the weather, any other symptoms, headache or anything like that? just wondering about possible mastitis? might be worth having a look on google. its easily treated but i've not heard of temperatures and cold sweats simply because your BF? suppose its only 6 days since you gave birth though. im babbling now.

My mum also advised me to give Dylan cooled boiled water, dont do it. they really dont need it!
Good luck to you xx

 

[Magic Monkey]

I would get checked for Mastitis too, I only breastfed for 3 days so got engorged when my milk came in, but I didn't have any of those symptoms, just very heavy and hot boobs.