New mum needs help!

L

lucy0

Registered User
Dear all,
I just gave birth to a baby boy on Oct. 30 and he is only 5.8lbs and he went back to the hospital on Nov. 5th due to Jaundice. He weighted only 5.18lbs on Nov. 5th and his Jaundice was very high so the hospital adviced that we give him formula and I didn't have breastmilk yet. He came home on Nov. 8th and I fed him formula and breastmilk at the same time but find it very tiring because he is not eating very well. So husband and I decided to go for formula only. Have been feeding formula since Nov. 10th but he has been throwing up which go us very scared. Last night we fed him @ 9:50pm and he drank 2.0oz but he was acting hungry again @ 11pm so we fed him another 1.0oz but he threw up some of it later on. He wouldn't settle down for asleep and cry on and off. We fed him @ 2:30am for 2.0oz and he was hungry again @ 4:30am so we fed him another 1.0oz. He was fed @ 7:30am and @ 10:30am but threw up for the last feeding. I am so confused, tired and scared. I am feeding him too much. Some of the feedings were done by my mum and she said that she has burped him. I feel guilty for not breastfeeding him and now the throwing up. Any good doctor around Sai Ying Pun just in case need to see one. I feel so lost and helpless even though my mum is here to help me but she has forgotten how to take care of a newborn so she asks a lot of questions and given me a lot of doubt. My husband has been giving me a lot of support but he is new at this too so we both are very worry and lost. We were thinking of hiring somebody to help out but we cannot affort too much and it is quite late now to find somebody. Any advice will be appreciated.

Lost mum,
Yee :confused:
 
i think going to see a pediatrician would be a good idea. also, maybe stop by your local maternal & child care clinic and see if the nurses/midwives can help or offer some suggestions. good luck!
 
he could have a lot of gas in his tummy. my daughter used to be like that, she would cry & root (you know that turning the mouth to one direction as if he's looking for food). i later found out that when a baby has gas, he'll root too. and having gas will certainly make him throw up the milk & cry as if he's hungry. you can call mrs chee (she's a lactation consultant & midwive, search mrs chee on geobaby & you'll find her number, her fone is always on voicemail, but leave her a message, she'll call you back). altho you're not breastfeeding you can ask her on the fone if she can help you. if not, you can call Annerley midwives. i've never got help from them, but heard many good things about them. when i just had my baby i didn't want to bring her out, so it was nice to have home visits, and somebody with experience to help, and someone to talk to & reassure you.

it does feel very helpless & scary when you have a newborn who keeps crying & throwing up milk. meanwhile, try rubbing olive oil between your palms until hot & put you palm on baby's belly button. some people say it helps bring out the wind.

you'll know if your baby is having enough wet nappies & poo nappies that he's having enough milk. i don't remember how many wet nappies & poo nappies a day tho. but you can easily find that info on the internet.
 
I would recommend Yvonne Heavyside (Tel: 2530 1905, 9887 3235).
She is a health visitor and so specializes in helping mothers with newborn babies whether they are breastfed or bottle fed. She does home visits and it is likely that you?ll only need one chat with her to make you feel much more confident.

The nearest MCH Clinic to Sai Ying Pun is:
Western Maternal and Child Health Centre
1/F, David Trench Rehabilitation Centre, 9B Bonham Road
Tel: 2540 5831
Tue & Thur : 9 am - 1 pm 2 pm - 5 pm
Sat : 9 am - 1 pm

I think that almost everyone feels out of their depth during the first month of their first baby. Don?t worry you will be feeling much more confident soon. It took me about four weeks to start really enjoying new motherhood.

Best wishes,
Barb
 
Do go to the nearest Maternal clinic (chech tel above) right away and have the docs there help you check your baby. If any problems with your baby, they can refer you to Queen Mary (QMH) or other public hospital and cost at QMH is very very affordable.

My baby was eating well for the 1st 1-2 weeks, then kept vomitting and his weight dropped. He was feeding like 1 oz every 3-4 hrs and vomit every meal and we saw uric acid (orange patch) crystals in his urine. He lost 1 pd within 4 days and was dehydrated.

At first we thought we did not burped him enough/ then we thought the milk powder causes him the allergy and thus the vomitting. We brought him to Maternal clinic and doc referred us to Queen Mary. He was diagnosed with Pyloric Stenosis (do check up on the web what this is and see if the symptoms fit) and surgery had to be done within the next day. This is a quite rare but simple surgery. Now 3 weeks after his surgery, he is feeding fine and growing well.

So pls do go to a doc right away....dont delay. YOu cannot ascertain what is wrong with your baby.
 
Also, don't feel guilty about not breastfeeding. I only did it for 2.5 months, plus I supplemented with formula before we even left the hospital (I now have a happy, healthy 10 month old who hasn't been sick once). I kept driving myself crazy- formula feeding seemed to be so much easier than breastfeeding (some women find it more natural than others), but I also felt guilty "giving up". But at the end of the day, I was happier/ more rested when I switched solely to formula, so I was better able to take of my baby. If you still want to try breastfeeding get a midwife in- Yvonne Heavyside or Louise from Annerly. Regardless, you need to see a doctor about your son's feeding. It's better to be safe than sorry. Go to a private doctor if you have to just to get answers and peace of mind quickly! One visit should only be about HK$200-300. I tried to stay with the public system after the delivery, but they just weren't helping me effectively or quickly enough. I needed hand-holding and help fast- the first week was a nightmare. I took control- I got a midwife in about the breastfeeding (she also showed me the "super-swaddle" that made my baby sleep better) and I went to see a private doctor regarding my episiotomy and later, about my baby's reflux- when we burped her she had projectile vomit- she would leave puddles on the floor! If you don't know a doctor to visit, try Dr. Bramley (gp) in Central or Dr. Chan (pediatrician) also at Dr. Bramley's office-they've helped my family so much. And hang in there. The first 3 months are the toughest. It will get better and you will get confident! :)
 
Thank you all for the your replies and encouragment. We switched to a different bottle that help to elminate gases and the nurse at the Health center showed me how to burp him better. I am feeling better now even though still very tired. Anyway, thank you all.

yee
 
fussy babies

Dear LucyO
Please check if there is snots inside your baby's nostrils, or if he/she slept with mouths open--signs of blocked upper airway that is the commonest reason for the gases, and hence the vomiting. Reflux from the stomach up the oesophagus will give you problems too. But since you are not about to do any investigation to confirm or refute it, just forget about it first.
Other than gas reducing formula, there is one formula that is dedicated to vomiting babies and it is called Enfamil AR. It really is a thickened formula only. Hope that helps.
DoraT
 
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