As I have previously said, I was diagnosed with GD in my fourth pregnancy, after the initial shock wore off, I composed myself and spent the next eight weeks, watching my levels very carefully. I managed to keep my sugars under control through diet, and was optimistic that my child would be born with normal sugar levels.
I was induced (High BP related) at 38.5 weeks pregnant and after a quick labour my beautiful boy was born, he was tested shortly after birth and his blood sugar were very low, they let me feed him and said if his second test 1 hr later was low then he would need top ups of my colostrum (I had bought in), and if I didn't have enough, formula.
When I was pregnant and starting to express my midwife told me that most people bring in 5-10 mls of colostrum in with them when they have there bub, so I went in extremely happy with my 15mls, imagine my surprise when my bub was prescribed 15ml of top ups ever 3 hrs for 24 hrs. I tried to express but could only get 2-3mls, so he had to go on formula top ups, combined with my measly 2-3 mls each time.
At the time I was heartbroken, I wish that someone had said to me, he may need more, that 15 mls is really the minimum he would need if his levels were low. As then I would have put more of an effort into expressing. I would of got up that little bit earlier each day. I would have gone to bed that little bit later.
I remember vividly, his first feed after the top ups, and the next and the next. Why because he refused to feed. He would not latch on at all. I was scared that after three bubs finding breastfeeding easy, these top ups, the fact he was syringe fed would effect my Breast feeding journey. I continued to try and feed, I continued to hook myself up to the pump to try and get some colostrum, when that failed I sat there hand expressing, just hoping to get as much as I could to stop him needing formula. I sat there worrying once again if my bodies inability to 'do what it was supposed to do' would have a lasting impact on my new baby boy.
Looking back I realise how silly I was, really he was just so full after all that milk that there was no room to feed. It wasn't that he didn't want it, it was that he couldn't fit it in. I now realise that the formula, the top ups were for his own good and after the first 24 hours he took to feeding no problem, he was still being fed, he was still getting a little bit of colostrum along with the formula. But at the time it was so hard, such a different experience
That coupled with the blood sugar level tests, every 2-3 hours they would come in they would give you the look, the sorry i am about to make your peaceful baby cry look. It was heartbreaking to see.
I sat there cuddling my baby boy and waited to her the news, and much to my dismay it came back still very low.
When I was pregnant and starting to express my midwife told me that most people bring in 5-10 mls of colostrum in with them when they have there bub, so I went in extremely happy with my 15mls, imagine my surprise when my bub was prescribed 15ml of top ups ever 3 hrs for 24 hrs. I tried to express but could only get 2-3mls, so he had to go on formula top ups, combined with my measly 2-3 mls each time.
At the time I was heartbroken, I wish that someone had said to me, he may need more, that 15 mls is really the minimum he would need if his levels were low. As then I would have put more of an effort into expressing. I would of got up that little bit earlier each day. I would have gone to bed that little bit later.
I remember vividly, his first feed after the top ups, and the next and the next. Why because he refused to feed. He would not latch on at all. I was scared that after three bubs finding breastfeeding easy, these top ups, the fact he was syringe fed would effect my Breast feeding journey. I continued to try and feed, I continued to hook myself up to the pump to try and get some colostrum, when that failed I sat there hand expressing, just hoping to get as much as I could to stop him needing formula. I sat there worrying once again if my bodies inability to 'do what it was supposed to do' would have a lasting impact on my new baby boy.
Looking back I realise how silly I was, really he was just so full after all that milk that there was no room to feed. It wasn't that he didn't want it, it was that he couldn't fit it in. I now realise that the formula, the top ups were for his own good and after the first 24 hours he took to feeding no problem, he was still being fed, he was still getting a little bit of colostrum along with the formula. But at the time it was so hard, such a different experience
That coupled with the blood sugar level tests, every 2-3 hours they would come in they would give you the look, the sorry i am about to make your peaceful baby cry look. It was heartbreaking to see.
I was lucky a good friend of mine gave me some advice before my boy was born, she said invest in some jumpsuits with no feet, and buy baby socks, that way you don't have to undress them everytime they need to test. It will make it so much easier on both of you.
She told me that even if he does need to be in the SCN don't worry it's such a short amount of time in the long run, and the Doctors, the midwives want bub in with you as quickly as possible.
She told me that even if he does need to be in the SCN don't worry it's such a short amount of time in the long run, and the Doctors, the midwives want bub in with you as quickly as possible.
Most importantly she told me it was not my fault, and my baby would be ok.
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