Here is another direct email to me as a result of my rabble-rousing on
misc.kids.  Please respond directly to <[log in to unmask]>
[Besides the immediate situation outlined below, she is interested in
studying to be an IBCLC, and asked for information on that too.]

------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
From:          [log in to unmask]
Date:          Sat, 14 Oct 1995 21:31:58 -0400 (EDT)
To:            Rachael Hamlet <[log in to unmask]>

The woman had had a c-section for amnionitis (infection of the amniotic
sac) and both she and the baby received two days of IV antibiotics.  Well,
because the baby was in the special care nursery for 24 hours, and was
bottle fed for those 24 hours. (sigh> The mother was allowed to breastfeed
after the 24 hours but the baby was a poor nurser in the hospital and the
mother had difficulty getting baby to latch on. I went to see her the day
after she and baby went home and she was still having problems getting
baby to latch on. As soon as baby woke up, he was hungry. We/I tried
various positions, tried having mother express colostrum so that baby
would get a taste but this baby just grew more and more frantic and would
not nurse.  Mom said that sometimes she just gave in and gave him a bottle
but really wanted to breastfeed this baby. We even tried a nipple shield
hoping he would suck on that but he just got more and more frustrated.  I
talked to her about getting a breastpump and if baby would not suck on her
breast, she should at least try to pump every 3-4 hours because her
breasts were not getting any stimulation to produce milk. (Her milk wasn't
in yet, even by day 3 post-op...which I know sometimes happens with moms
who have had c-sections. This happened to me with my 1st child..it didn't
come in until the 4th day post-delivery. With my daughter, it came in on
the 2nd day.) If she could pump her milk, she could at least give him her
breastmilk through a bottle...if it came to that.  I called her on Monday
and asked how things were going. She had gotten an electric breastpump and
now her milk supply was in.  She said sometimes the baby would nurse IF
she could get him onto breast before he got frustrated or too hungry.  And
she was pumping at other times when she had to give him a bottle. I just
kept encouraging her to try and get him to nurse.  She is unwilling to let
him cry for too long. Do you have any other suggestions I might have been
able to give her?

    Mary