My sister just had a baby 1 week ago and unfortunately, due to some problems with the baby's bowels, she is unable to nurse her and the baby is going to be in the hospital for at least another week. She really wants to nurse when the baby is able and is pumping now. My sister has a lot of questions, concerns, and wants to make sure that she is doing everything right in order to be able to nurse her little one. I had a baby 1 year ago and began pumping when I returned to work so I am trying to help answer her questions as much as I can but since I did not encounter the same situation, I do not always know what advice to offer.
Are there other moms out there in the Chicago area who have gone through similar experiences and might be available to answer her questions? She is trying to spend as much time as possible with the baby in the hospital and therefore doesn't really have time to attend meetings but I am sure she would love to be connected via email with some moms who can help her feel her way through the situation. Also, any recommendations of good lactation consultants or places to get good (and preferably free or low cost) advice would be appreciated.
I was trying to sort through the previous questions on Mamapedia but was struggling to quickly find questions specific to her situation.
Thanks for your help!
Your sister (or you) can also contact a La Leche League leader. It is free to call them for advice. You can find a nearby leader at http://llli.org
Good luck!
N.
Hi G.,
My first was in the NICU for a week after she was born so I am pretty familiar with what your sister is going through. I also wasn't able to nurse her initially as she was very small and had some tummy issues and they were monitoring and controlling how much she was drinking. The lactation consultant (free) at the hospital was very helpful but from what I can remember I pumped, I think, every 2 hours (possibly every hour) for 15-20 min at a time. This was to help bring my milk in and they used what I did pump to feed her (bottles).
At the hospital I was at, there were "pumping" rooms for moms, so even though I pretty much lived at the hospital with her, I was still able to find a private place to pump. If they don't have designated pumping rooms, I'm sure they can find her someplace that's isolated where she can pump. The NICU we were in even had large screens you could bring by the baby to "hide" behind and pump or nurse.
Probably the most important thing for her to focus on is frequent pumping, as newborns feed frequently, and to keep pumping for the 15-20 minutes, even if there's nothing coming out at the end. The "sucking" will stimulate more milk production.
Hope this helps and I wish your family luck!!!
C.
Congratulations to your sister on the birth of her baby (and to you Auntie!) I certainly have not had a similar experience, but I wanted to recommend a group of lactation consultants who totally helped me (for free) when I was having some issues while nursing my first son. I called Evanston Hospital and the lactation consultants spoke with me at length over the phone. The woman I talked with (can't remember her name, but they were all helpful) even suggested that if here advice didn't help then I should call when one of her co-workers was there so I could get cross-consultant advice - I thought that was very professional of her to suggest. Someone called me back the next week to check in on me. I'd highly recommend that your sister call them. If she wants a person to come out to her home they can probably give her referrals.
I hope this helps and good luck to your sister!
I'm not in the area but I know looking at pictures of my baby while I'm pumping really helps me increase my let down. I take a whole bunch of pictures on my cell phone and the when I'm pumping I look at them and think about how much I love her and how glad I am that she is my little baby girl. I also find it helpful to play music that helps me relax. I really hope someone can help you guys out. I highly recommend seeing a lactation consultant over anyone else with breastfeeding questions. Especially one independent of any hospitals or birth centers, but this is just my personal opinion.
I'm sure you already did this but here's a link for a google search I just did for Chicago Lactation Consultant:
http://www.google.com/search?q=chicago+lactation+consulta...
Also, "breastfeeding made simple" is a fantastic book on breastfeeding.
Good luck!
Hi G.:
While my situation is not exactly similar, I did end up exclusively pumping for my child. I pretty much pumped from day three. What helped me a great deal was following the advice of a lactation consultant regarding which pump to use (Medela Symphony), the frequency of pumping (frequency was a little more important than duration), not killing myself by washing the pumping parts every time I pumped (just keep them in the fridge until the next session), and taking certain herbs to boost my supply (there are a few of them out there). Granted, I am sure some lactation consultants may have different opinions, but this helped me. Unfortunately, my LC was over $200 and therefore, do not have any low-cost recommendations for you.
However, joining the Yahoo PumpMoms Group was very helpful (http://www.pumpingmoms.org/) and it was free. There are tons of pumping moms subscribed to that site, each with a wealth of information about their unique situations and what worked for them. Some of the moms on there were even LCs themselves. Seeing that each mom has her own pumping style, your sister may learn a tip or two to help her out. Besides, she can browse the site while she is pumping to make the 'deed' go by quickly. :) KellyMom (www.kellymom.com
) also is a good online resource.
While I do not consider myself a an expert by any means, I did exclusively pump for 15 months. I discovered many tips and tricks along the way. I would be more than happy to correspond with your sister. I am due with #2 in April and already know that pumping is in my future.
Congratulations to your sister. She can do it!
There should be a lactation consultant in the hospital. At LaGrange it was free. Talk to the hospital, they should be able to advise.
