Need breast feeding advice!?

Question

I decided not to breast feed my baby in the hospital because of being on Prozac. But now I am wondering if it is too late to change my mind?

My daughter is 3 days old now and has been bottle feeding since birth. I was taking my Prozac every other day for a week before I had her (trying to wean- but had to be induced early due to pre-eclampsia). So she was getting a lower dose. She has not shown signs of withdrawl... so I don't think my milk would cause toxicity at this point.

I feel really bad for not trying and feel I should. Has anyone else tried picking up breast feeding when their baby is only a few days old instead of immediately?

Do you think its a wise idea to bother trying at this point? Just curious for others opinions! I may ask another lactation consultant but I want real moms experiences and advice!

Thank you!

Answer 1

Talk to the nurses at the maternity ward. They answer questions anytime day or night. My guess is your dose or Prozac is so low because you were preganant and it is not safe for infants. So breast feeding should wait until you are weaned off of Prozac. It is not too laste to try but you need to be paitent and work with your doctors so you don't endanger the baby. My guess is you may be better off staying on the medication since you are already at higher risk of post partum blues. Lots of babies love thier moms even if they are not breast fed. So don't worry hold your baby close smile and give her a bottle.

Answer 2

NO its NOT too late!!
I think its great that you want to breast feed since breast milk provides the best nutrition and includes antibodies.
It is not too late but it will take some work. Offer your baby the breast before the bottle until your milk has built up. For all the information you need you should call the hospital tomorrow and ask to speak to the lactation consultant. They will explain everything.
I hope you have a great experience with breast feeding!

Answer 3

Hi

I am no woman, but a father of a 5 year old. My wife had tremendous problems of swelling etc so we had to read up a lot on breast feeding and we met with many docs. After all those consulting I feel I can give my 2 bits here.

I think you should ask a specialist - there may be some chemicals that could be residue in your blood. And dont worry - your baby can be trained. Though many times it depends on individual baby, there are chances that she may pickup well. Let her try her best.

BTW You can always use breast pump to feed her your own milk.

Good luck and god bless. May you have a wonderful time with your daughter.

Take care...

Anish

Answer 4

has your milk come in yet? whether you breastfeed or not your milk will come in. your breasts will become very big, sore and they will leak milk. breastfeed your baby as frequently as she will do it. don't give up. it's only been three days so chances are your milk has not had the chance to dry up. so breastfeed your baby. NOW. she may have trouble latching on and you may have to consult a lactation consultant about it. gently rub your nipple against her mouth to stimulate the rooting reflex. when her mouth is wide, WIDE open, bring her to your breast, pulling her onto your nipple. do it qiuckly but gently so she does not have the chance to close her mouth before the entire nipple is in her mouth. you want the areola, or the colored part around you actual nipple, to be in her mouth too. it may take a couple of tries. when she latches on it may hurt for a few seconds, but if it is really bad or it does not go away do not pull her off, stick your finger into the corner of her mouth to break the suction first. do this every time you take her off. i wish you the best of luck and i hope you can breastfeed your baby. it is an amazing experience. congrats!!!!!

oh and by the way, you may want to ask your doctor if you even can breastfeed, being on prozac and all. i sure hope you can.... good luck!

Answer 5

It's only been three days. Sure, you can try. Try nursing her often. My favorite thing to do when I needed a supply boost was to snuggle in bed with my baby and let her latch on whenever she wanted to.

Drink plenty of water and eat oatmeal. Both will boost your supply. The link below is my favorite site for breastfeeding tips. If you have difficulties, contact a lactation consultant. The hospital where you gave birth should have that information.

Good luck!

Answer 6

Before trying it, contact a healthcare provider or the La leache leage and see what they say. Yes, it is possible to start nursing at a later point, not right after birth. But don't wait to long. If there is a problem and you have to wait a little while., go ahead and start pumping your breast milk to ensure that it will continue to come in and produce. The La Leache League is a wonderful, helpful group to be involved with. They helped me with many questions 19 years ago when I had my oldest child. They are a great support group.

Answer 7

definately get the ok from your dr then yeah, you should be able to do it. it may take you being in bed with baby doing nothing but nursing and resting for a few days. also, keep in mind to weigh the baby often (every day) and make sure she is getting enough wet and dirty diapers. i totally agree, breastmilk is the best for your baby and i think that i felt more confident as a mother once my baby started nursing. if you have any problems, call your hospital to see if they have a lactation consultant. the bf clinic at my hospital was awesome. good luck!

Answer 8

i dont have any real personal experience. But i can tell you a friend of mine just had a baby 2 weeks ago. they could not get her baby to nurse at the hospital. He simply would not. So she went home with him on formula. she was depressed about it. i talked to her because she asked me to (im still breastfeeding my 13 month old) and told her to try again when her milk came in. If your baby is only 3 days old then your milk should just now be coming in. chances are baby will latch on for that milk. hers did. and now they are doing fine with it. her baby was bottle fed a total of 4 days after birth and is now breast feeding. my daughter did similar. she wouldnt latch on properly in the hospital. but after my milk came in my first night home she went nuts. i would try it. there really isnt anything to lose. and you will feel better yourself if you at least give it a shot.

Answer 9

It is DEFINITELY not too late!! You need to start right away though...start latching her on and you guys will get the hang of it. If you have trouble contact the lactation consultant at the hospital where you delivered...they will see you for free.

Answer 10

try it next time your baby is hungry - it is the physical act of breast feeding that produces milk , not hormones. you can also try to contact a la leche coach in your area , the number should be in the info. provided to you by the hospital , also lots of info available on line - good luck