Postpartum Hemmorage and breastfeeding

25 hour horrible labor resulting in birth on Wenesday morning (yay!). Low hemoglobin, platelets, blood pressure, high heart rate. Had 2 transfusions of blood Wednesday night and continuous IV fluids labor through Thursday night. Discharged Friday afternoon. Standard bleeding but passed a baseball sized clot this morning so ended up back in the ER. CBC came back okd and my ob told the er I was ok to go home (which is want I desperately wanted.) Technically at risk for PPH / maybe this qualifies but not sure.

Breastfeeding is so difficult. I'm so tired. Trying to stay as hydrated as possible, but my body has taken a huge toll. We had the right amount of wet and dirty diapers up until today. We had to supplement with formula twice yesterday and once this morning when I was in the ER.

Latch is good but no milk yet on day 4. There is some colostrum. At the ped right now for a weigh-in as required for hospital discharge. Worried my postpartum issues / hemmorage will delay things significanrly. Similar experiences out there?

simplyfelicity
cantaloupe / 6634 posts

Jan 30, 2016

@DesertDreams88: Congratulations again but I am so sorry you had a horrible birth experience.

My milk didn't come in until day 5 or so. That's typical after a traumatic/especially difficult birth. Are you sure your milk isn't in? I thought my milk hadn't come in because I was expecting to wake up one morning with really sore and engorged breasts but that never happened. Have you tried pumping? DS was down nearly a lb and a half after birth, and the ped pushed supplementing with formula. We did for a day and then supplemented with pumped BM.

I was so worried that supplementing would ruin our Bf relationship, but even with his tongue tie and lip tie, we are going strong as nearly 7 months. Breastfeeding isn't as delicate a relationship as I feared.

I, too, had a horrible 32 hour induction and couldn't bring myself to write about it on your induction experiences thread. Now, it's a bit of a distant memory, I just hope next time is better.

As far as exhaustion goes, it's crazy how after the most painful and exhausting experience of your life, you don't really get the chance to recover. Can your husband watch the baby while you lie down and bring him to you to feed?
Kemma
grapefruit / 4291 posts

Jan 30, 2016

@DesertDreams88: congratulations on the arrival of your wee babe and I'm sorry that you had a rough time with delivery.!

I know that having a traumatic delivery can have an impact on bf'ing, my first daughter was born via a very medicated and long labour and it took almost a week to get my milk in. I remember being very shell shocked and overwhelmed trying to care for a very angry baby!

Are you able to get in contact with an IBCLC or local LLL leader? What worked for me was getting some help with hand expressing and cup-feeding my wee girl on day 4/5 (she had ties and a terrible latch!) which allowed both of us a decent stretch of sleep and I'm sure this helped bring my milk in. Hand expressing might also allow you to see whether or not your milk is starting to transition from colostrum into mature milk which will also tell you if your milk is on the way.

My other advice is to accept any help offered so you can rest up and do the minimum, also try to eat nourishing and calorific foods to assist with recovery.

Hang in there, Mama, you're doing great!
Portboston
persimmon / 1281 posts

Jan 30, 2016

Congrats on your little one! I had a very long labor as well (36 hours) with the last ten hours involving multiple interventions and my milk took a good 5 days to come in. I, like @simplyfelicity: , expected to wake up with engorged beats but they never came! We supplemented formula few times and ended up supplementing pumped BM for a few weeks on and off due to a severe tongue tie.
DesertDreams88
grapefruit / 4361 posts

Jan 31, 2016

Thanks ladies! It's the very beginning of day 5 and I think m thing have turned a bit of a corner. He had more wet & dirty diapers and they didnt have that red/brick dust tint. His weigh in was the same as the day before, holding steady at 6%. I def don't think that my milk has come in, BUT, he did have spit up for the 1st time and a milky mouth for the first time, so I think there's more there. He's been nursing non-stop and not sleeping thru feedings anymore. I've also been hand expressing here and there and drops are coming out more quickly.

Thank you for letting me know that milk coming in doesn't always mean painful/obvious engorgement! I totally thought it did.

Also, thank you for letting me know that a difficult labor can be tied to a later milk-coming-in time, but that it can still work out despite a bit of a rocky start. Each day I'm doing better emotionally with the experience.... that or sleep deprivation is taking the edge of the memories it's like, mentally I know it was a horrible labor (ob said it was a perfect storm of factors and the worst he'd heard in awhile) but I don't feel that way emotionally. In the end my healthy baby was put on my chest and he's been awesome since. We waited so long for this and fought thru so much anxiety.

DH and my mom have been amazing. I can hand off anything and everything I want to, and they gladly accept. I haven't changed a diaper yet or dressed him. During nursing DH helps me get him latched and awake enough to feed. It's so cute, he cheers when LO has a diaper to change or latches well without assistance my mom is here until Wednesday and DH home through next Sunday.

@portboston: , @simplyfelicity:, @kemma:
Kemma
grapefruit / 4291 posts

Jan 31, 2016

@DesertDreams88: sounds like things are turning a corner for you, keep it up, Mama! And I never suffered from engorgement with either of my babies, nor did I leak a drop with my first baby but I fed her for over three years so it's definitely not an indication of low supply!
simplyfelicity
cantaloupe / 6634 posts

Jan 31, 2016

@DesertDreams88: That's great! Urate crystals can be nerve-wracking to see but if he is having lots of wet diapers, then it seems to be correcting itself.

Did he lose much weight since birth?

If it makes you feel any better, send your husband out to get the Milk Plus supplement from Target. I took some in the very beginning (as did my sister when her daughter was in the NICU) and we both saw a difference. You don't have to take it forever, just to jump start things.
Breastfeeding is SO psychological, so whatever relaxing and calm skin-to-skin time you have with your baby, the better.

I totally understand feeling blessed despite a terrible labor and delivery. Ours was bad, too, but his health was never compromised so I feel very fortunate. It's almost as if the love you feel for your child heals the memory, but it's totally ok (of course!) to be dissapointed or shell-shocked.

I'm glad you have so much help and support.
DesertDreams88
grapefruit / 4361 posts

Jan 31, 2016

@simplyfelicity: Birth weight on Wednesday was 8lbs 10oz, weight on Friday was 8lbs 1oz (loss of 6%), weight on Saturday was 8lbs 2oz. We have another weigh-in at his 2-wk appt this upcoming Friday.

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