I've been busy, busy, busy this week with many BF consults at the outpatient
follow-up clinic for 'early' discharge mothers and babies here.
One woman came in for a BF check with her second baby, a week old. She had
made the appointment just in case, because 'I didn't breastfeed Annie, so
this is all totally new to me'. Annie had been reluctant to latch, the
staff at the hospital where she was born told mother to pump and give
expressed milk by bottle on the SECOND DAY OF LIFE (yes, shouting) and she
never did get that baby to take the breast into her mouth.
Now she is soaking through pads, clothes, and nearly drowning her baby in
milk. Baby's weight was the same as it was three days earlier at discharge
from hospital, about 5% under BW. I had to do the PKU, baby was obviously
well hydrated, alert, and seemed content. Parents described stools as
'brownish yellow' and loose. Since this mother was so tense about whether
baby was getting enough and really wanted to know, we did a pre- and
post-feed weighing (OK, I was curious myself!) and in less than five minutes
baby had taken nearly 3 oz (80 ml), swallowing eagerly and nearly gasping
for air as she came off the breast, which continued to leak freely for
several minutes after that.
We need new donors for our milk bank, and I mentioned that to this mother,
'since you have so much, and it flows so easily'. She turned visibly pale
and looked almost frightened. 'I pumped for 6 months last time, and felt
like such a failure because I couldn't manage to breastfeed. I don't think
I could pump again unless my life depended on it.'
She was flabbergasted that there could be mothers who choose to pump and
give by bottle rather than breastfeed. Couldn't imagine why anyone would
CHOOSE this route.
Sigh.
Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway
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