1st job!

jessa_bee · 02-02-2007, 08:12 PM

Hi,

Last night I did my first (paying!) gig as a pp doula. A nice couple with twins. The 10-day-old babies were on their best behavior and helped me by alternating their sleep/wake cycles. I'm going back again tonight.

I have couple of questions and your advice is appreciated:

1) I had trouble getting one of the babies to burp. I giggled, rubbed and patted but nothing. I waited and tired again. Again, nothing. Then then I put the little guy down to sleep and he had a MAJOR spit up (change of clothes and bedding needed)

. How many times do you try to get the burp(s) before you put them down?

2) The smaller baby is having trouble latching onto mom but is good at sucking from the bottle. My question is about giving him the bottle. Even if he's hungry, he doesn't open his mouth wide. At first I get him interested by nudging his top lip with the bottle and getting a few drops of milk on his mouth. Once he's responded to that, I try again -- hoping to get him to open wide -- and then I give him bottle. Last night, I didn't get much of an open mouth and gently pushed the bottle in. Once it was in his mouth, he sucked like a champ. I'm wondering if there's something I should be doing differently that'll increase his chances of better latching on mom's nipple?

Hope you all get good sleep while I'm on watch tonight

Thanks!
Jess

tlcdoula · 02-02-2007, 08:31 PM

Congrats on your first job!!!!!

1. Honestly I can't say how long I would try, but if you know that he is going to spit up you could try a little longer. Important to remember though that some babies urp up more than others.

2. As for mom having trouble latching the baby on I would highly suggest she get in contact with a lactation specialist asap because the more the baby has the bottle the harder it might make it for her to get him on the breast.

MothertheMother · 02-02-2007, 09:24 PM

it'd probably be best to try alternative methods of feeding (like cup feeding) while he is still learning the breast. I agree that a lactation consultant is definitely the best person to help with this.

One burping thing to try. Sit the baby up (like in a car seat) for a few minutes before trying again. Sometimes the air will just move up and once you pick them up...out it comes. Also, have you tried bending baby at the waist? Sit him up in your lap and hold his chest in your left hand and lean him a bit forward so you are also supporting his head with that hand. With your right hand on his back gently bend him toward his legs (like a toe touch) and sit him back up. This was the only way my dd would ever burp. Just keep slowly bending and sitting back up. Maybe stop for a couple of jiggles on the knee. Of course the hands can be switched....this is just what was comfortable for me.

tlcdoula · 02-02-2007, 10:18 PM

One other thought would be to have mama use a SNS so that the baby can get the immediate gratification of the formula but still stimulate the breast and learn to suckle there as well.

Amydoula · 02-03-2007, 12:20 PM

1. I have the best luck with burping them while they are sitting up on my lap, facing to one side or the other. I hold their jaws so their heads don't wobble. Bend the baby a bit at the waist forward while patting the back with the other hand. If a burp really needs to come out it definitely should then.
2. Would eliminate all bottles use either SNS or cup and see LC ASAP. If bottle is only way mom will agree must use a wide nipple variety like Avent or several others, makes baby open mouth wide.

jessa_bee · 02-05-2007, 11:53 PM

Thanks ladies!