10 week old ebf but have urgent need to express - need advice please

[baileyscommet]

Hi, My little girl is 10 weeks old and we have had a few feeding issues (I'm sure is MSPI and/or has reflux). She had TT diagnosed at 6 weeks and snipped at 8.5 weeks. Sadly, my dad passed away a week ago and the funeral is this coming Thursday - she is a constant feeder - all day long - think I might have a bit of a supply issue aswell at the minute because of stress. I have no idea how I'll manage her and her need to feed during the funeral. Its made worse by the fact that the funeral starts at 9am and takes an hour to travel to because of traffic so she wont have had a chance to bulk up a bit before the funeral.

I was thinking of expressing (as I have a medela swing which I used occasionally with my now 22 month old) and trying to give her some via a bottle. My lactation consultant suggested using the Medela Calma Solitaire because of the TT and because this apparently the closest to mimacking bf. I guess my questions are:

a) do you think this is a good idea
b) when should I try her on the bottle so I know she'll take it but not prefer that to me!
c) how much milk will she need
d) how do you  prepare this for use

I'm also trying to learn how to bf in a sling - I have a wrap (Boba - very similar to Moby) that I use daily (would be lost without it) but I can't seem to get the hang of bf her in it - any advice? All videos on youtube seem to be for newborns or toddlers....

Thanks in advance

[becj86]

Big hugs xx Sorry to read about your Dad's passing

If you will be more comfortable bottle feeding during the funeral, do it. Perhaps your DH would be able to feed her outside/at the back and you would be able to participate in the funeral with a little less worry.

At this point given you have only a few days to know if she'll take the bottle or not, I'd offer once a day, maybe around the time she's likely to get a bottle and see how she goes. I don't know of any guaranteed way to get a baby to take a bottle in 4 days. The ways to prevent bottle preference are really just minimising use and keeping a slow flow teat.

At that age, DS would take 3-4oz in a feeding. Here's some info: http://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/milkcalc/

Here's some info on storing/how long milk lasts in certain environments: http://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/milkstorage/milkstorage/
You can refridgerate it and reheat by putting the bottle in a container of warm water til it reaches body temp (test on inside of your wrist before feeding to baby). I have offered it cold (warmed between my legs to take the chill off) but its not a great idea at this age because it can bring down baby's core temperature and LO may not take it if she's used to milk fresh from you and nice and warm. Best to swirl the bottle to mix in the fat that creates a layer on the top rather than shaking - keeps all the good cells and proteins in the right shape and functional.

[eva026]

We used the medela calma and I was very happy with it. The LO has to actively suck to get milk out so it is not easier than BF and hopefully that way you can avoid a nursing strike. The teet is also long, so it hits the back of LOs mouth like your nipple would. That said it's pretty oddly shaped and it took my DD a few times to know what to do with it and my friend's DD refused to use it altogether.
Even if your LO does give you a hard time BF after, you can get through a nursing strike. We've come out of three so far.
My cousin passed when DD was 3mo and I nursed just before the funeral in the car and then after the service at the cemetery I found a bench and nursed her there under a cover. Would that not work for you?
The cover we have is a hooter hider and works great.

http://sale.images.woot.com/Hooter_Hiders_Nursing_CovergirStandard.jpg

I think nursing in a sling depends on your breast size. Mine are large and it would be impossible without smothering the baby:)

[Fiver]

So sorry to hear about your dad

Re. nursing in the sling.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guTNr4y9nsM - this would probably work with a bit of practice.  The hood is a really good idea to give you a bit more privacy.  You'll just need to keep an eye on LO's nose so it doesn't get covered.

Nursing in a stretchy wrap isn't absolutely ideal, but for the extreme circumstance like this, go for it.