Rene

June 20, 2000

<>Is there anything that I can do while he's in the hospital to increase my

milk supply? What do I need to do when he comes home to get him

exclusively on the breast? HELP!!!<>

I know you will get incredible advice here. I just want to tell you of my

experiences. With my first son I was completely clueless and was dealing

with a baby that was jaundice and VERY sleepy. I tried and cried and tried

again. I gave in to a bottle very quickly as I thought he was starving. I

pumped and pumped and tried EVERY nursing session to get him to the breast.

Finally after 7 weeks he latched on. : ): ) WE DID IT!! Fast forward 3 1/2

years. I give birth to a bouncing baby boy.He weighed 10.2 lbs and he

aspirated on meconium. I had had a c-section and was unable to see him for

28 hours. I was so upset. Not allowed to even try nursing until day 4. He

was given bottles in the hospital until they determined he was ok to try

nursing. He came home that day and within a week the pump was put away and

he was nursing exclusively. He nursed for 2 1/2 years. Now 4 years later I

have a baby girl. She had pneumonia and sepsis,plus a heart murmur and

jaundice. She was sedated and put on a ventilator and did not have a very

good chance of making it. She HAD NO FOOD AT ALL for the first five days. I

sat right there and asked over and over if I could nurse her only to be told

no, she would be bottle fed first. Over my dead body! I finally got the

neonatologist on my side and was able to try breastfeeding that day. My

point to this novel is that all is not lost because he has been bottlefed.

As soon as you are able to sit with him and hold his bare body to your bare

chest it will happen. And we will all be here to help you and encourage you.

YOU CAN DO IT!! Don't let the nurses bully you. No matter when he comes home

you can teach him to nurse. It may take time, you may to supplement at first

with bottles of EBM but it can work. Hang in there and I am thinking of

you!!!!!

Liz

SAHM to:

Connor 7

Tristan 4 &

Makenna 1/7/00

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