Hi everyone,
The other day I cared for a mother and her baby
who were day 2, and the baby was sleepy at the breast and mucousy. The mother
had had a long & difficult labour, in which she required pethidine, followed
by an epidural and then proceeded to have a forceps delivery. She was concerned
about her baby and queried whether the pethidine/epidural that she had in labour
caused any effect on her baby's behaviour and breastfeeding. Being a student
midwife and only just commencing our lactation subject, I at least knew that
pethidine could make some babies sleepy for a couple of days and not attach well
to the breast, but was unsure how to respond to her quieries and offer support.
Also, what other techniques could be used to help this baby feed from the
breast?
Kristy
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