| Mother2Mother Services |
| Education and Support for Nursing Mothers |
 |
| Special Circum- stances: Down Syndrome |
|
| Personal Stories |
| Last Updated February 4, 2004 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
   |
| We didn't know ahead of time that Ethan would be born with Down syndrome, so it came as quite a shock when we found out. The doctors made it sound like he would have so many problems and delays. They seemed immensely sorry that this had happened to us. I was determined to give Ethan the best possible start I could and for us that included breastfeeding him. He had some trouble breathing when he was first born but after two days was able to breathe well on his own and it was then that we first began trying to breastfeed. It seemed to go well, he was very sleepy and didn't nurse every two hours like they wanted him to, but other than that I thought it was going quite smoothly. Unfortunately, it wasn't going that smoothly though. For the next month we were doing weight checks every three to four days, visiting with lactation consultants and doctors trying to figure out why he wasn't gaining weight. Finally, he grew so weak that we knew we had to start supplementing. Once I did that I began pumping again and found out that my supply had almost dried up. Apparantly he had a really bad latch, and for all the work that he did while nursing he yielded very little. It was like trying to drink through a pinched straw for him. Now for the past five months I've been pumping exclusively. My supply is still very low, maybe 2 ounces every 2 hours. I've tried many different types of tinctures and herbal suppliments and even domperidone but nothing has worked to help increase supply. Many times we have tried to get him back to the breast and we have had some success with it, but due to lack of supply it will never be his true feeding source. My main goal now is just to get him through the winter as healthy as possible. There are times when I just want to give up, especially now that he only gets one maybe two bottles a day of breastmilk, but I look back at where we have come from and realize I cannot. Ethan battled with a cough for almost a month, but it never affected his eating or sleeping patterns. It did eventually turn into pneumonia, but after only one week on antibiotics, he was completely cleared!! Since then, he has doubled his eating consumption, learned total head control, and how to roll both ways. So his recovery time was very rapid as well. I can't imagine things having gone this well without the benefits of breastmilk. If I have any regrets at all it's just that I didn't know in the beginning how important pumping is when you aren't nursing and how detrimental it can be to your supply if you aren't diligent about either pumping or nursing every two hours when your supply first starts to come in. Niki H., mom to Ethan, born 8/12/2003 |
|
| A note on positioning your baby for nursing: If poor muscle tone makes it difficult for your baby to latch on, try supporting your baby's chin and jaw while nursing using the "Dancer Hand Position." Cup your breast with your thumb above the areola, your index finger pointing outward, and your three other fingers below the areola. Use your index finger to help support the baby's jaw while nursing. Breastfeeding will improve your baby's facial muscle tone and your baby will eventually no longer need the support of your index finger. |
|