Finger-feeding a baby who can't breastfeed

Sometimes a baby is born with some sort of difficulty which makes it hard for him to nurse properly and or obtain a good latch. Sam was like that. Due to his tongue tie he wasn't able to latch onto my nipples or even suck that well. Only the second day did he attempt a little sucking and by the third day he was able to actually nurse for an entire feeding. So what happened during this time? The hospital staff fed him bottles. I had no choice, really. They did not tell me anything about hand-expressing colostrum (idiots) and they just found it easier to feed him formula, so that was what happened. My sister did give me great advice about that, though. She said to have the nurses use a breastfeeding-friendly method when administering the bottles.

If you read what the internet has to say about that, you'll see all kinds of suggestions from using an SNS (supplemental nursing system), to cup-feeding, spoon-feeding, dropper-feeding, and finger-feeding. The SNS is a really helpful tool (based on what I've read online and heard from mothers who have used them) but I don't have much info since I've never tried it out. Cup-feeding and spoon-feeding sound very messy to me. I know that Sam couldn't easily drink from a cup until he was several months old so no way could I see that working when he was a few days old! Droppers don't sound bad, and I've resorted to using that at times when he was reluctant to eat (I have plastic pipettes).

Which leaves finger-feeding. How does this work? You (or whoever is feeding the baby) wash your hands (important!) and fills a bottle with milk or formula. Then you attach a lactation aid which is really a thin tube that can attach to the baby bottle. Tape the other end of the tube to your finger and let your baby suck your finger as if it's a nipple or pacifier. Release the milk into the tube and your baby is now being fed!

This was a great method to use in our case because Sam was able to build up his sucking muscles while eating, but without the nipple confusion a regular bottle would have caused. I wanted him to learn to suck on skin, not silicone. I actually never did this because the nurses in the hospital were doing it for me, but the technique did work to help Sam suck better, and it got him fed without a bottle!

So if you're in such a situation where your baby can't nurse for whatever reason, don't give up hope. You probably can sort out your breastfeeding issue, whether it's a physical issue like tongue tie, or a milk supply issue. But in the meantime, there is no reason your baby has to be given a bottle. Bottles don't help as well as other breastfeeding-friendly methods do. Plus you can give your baby your own milk most of the time!

Honeysuckle vs Lansinoh breastmilk storage bags

Side by side of Honeysuckle and Lansinoh milk storage bags
Click to ZOOM in for better detail.

I use Honeysuckle Breastmilk Storage Bags when I pump each day. They come sterilized and are mostly non-leaky. I say that because I only experienced a few leaking bags that came from one set of bags (a set is 25 bags), but never again. And I've gone through over 500 bags. They're BPA-free and tamper-evident, as well as recyclable and biodegradable. The milk is sealed with two zip seals (like a Ziploc freezer bag).

What I really like is how the Honeysuckle bags' sides have a nice 1/4"-thick seam and the bottom is nice and sturdy. They claim that their gusseted bottom allows the bag to stand up while you fill it, but I haven't found that particularly true. I haven't seen that in the Lansinoh milk storage bags. I only used those a few times because I got a sample of them with a package of Lansinoh nursing pads.

Lansinoh claims that theirs is the largest bag out there but the Honeysuckle bags also hold 6 oz so that's clearly untrue. Lansinoh bags boast a convenient pouring spout, lay-flat capabilities, double secure zip, write-on tab and BPA/BPS-free - all of which are also present in the Honeysuckle bags. I must add that the "time" space on the Lansinoh is a good idea for people who pump twice a day. Most mothers probably don't care at what hour they pumped, but for some people it's helpful.

Additionally, the part on top where you can fill in information like the person's name, quantity of milk pumped, and date pumped, is straight up, but on the Lansinoh bags they are upside down. I don't know why that is so. While you take a look at the top part (everything above the zip seal), notice how the sides are opened on the Lansinoh bags, but sealed for the Honeysuckle bags (the sides only opened once the dotted line is torn).

As of now on Amazon, the price per 50 pieces for Honesuckle is $9.90 and Lansinoh $10.83.

So in my opinion, it pays both economically and practically speaking to purchase the Honeysuckle bags. They have better features, are nice and strong and they are actually a bit cheaper than the Lansionh bags.

Review of Hyland's Baby Teething Tablets

Hyland's Baby Teething Tablets

I always heard about Hyland's Baby teething tablets from other moms but never thought into them much. After all, when Sam got his first two teeth on the bottom, I barely knew about it. The only reason I suspected teeth was because I felt something sharp when he was breastfeeding. But seriously, I never saw any of the classic teething symptoms (e.g. ear-pulling, crying in pain, biting everything in site, drooling, etc.). So I figured that Sam must be one of those babies who breeze right through the teething stage without shedding a tear. I purchased a bottle of these tablets just in case, but never used them.

I was wrong in my assumption, though. When his top teeth were emerging (a few months later), boy did we see all those teething signs! After a few days of watching Sam suffer I bought these tablets. I can't say they made a 360-degree difference, but it definitely helped.

On their site, Hyland's Baby states this product's indication:

"Temporarily relieves the symptoms of simple restlessness and wakeful irritability due to cutting teeth. Helps reduce redness and teething discomfort."

I bolded the terms that I'd like to mention. Most teething products just anesthetize the area to a degree. They don't do much else. Once the baby licks off the gel or whatever, it ceases to be effective. This homeopathic product, however, works on the symptom level. It calms your baby. It helps your baby sleep better (in fact, it can even induce sleepiness because the baby's pain finally subsides), and it generally makes the kid feel better. Hyland's Baby teething tablets contain:

Calcarea Phosphorica (a mineral) that supports dentition (teething)
Chamomilla (a botanical) relieves the symptoms of irritability
Coffea Cruda (a botanical) relieves the symptoms of sleeplessness
Belladonna (a botanical) relieves the symptoms of redness and inflammation of the gums

Here's how we use them: I shake 3 tablets out onto my palm. Sam loves to pick them up and pop them into his mouth by himself. In fact, I think that excitement alone can take his mind off the pain even for a little bit! They dissolve within a second or two because of contact with liquid, in this case saliva. They taste slightly sweet, which babies enjoy. That's how easy it is to administer! You can repeat this dosage 4 times a day (or 2 tablets every hour for 6 hours).

He doesn't become calm instantaneously, but pretty soon he mellows out a bit. I usually find mornings after breakfast a challenging time with the teething pain so after giving these, he starts rubbing his eyes, looking all tired. And then he naps. It helps him sleep better - he doesn't wake up crying from pain.

On exceptionally painful occasions, I would give Sam a dose of Advil (ibuprofen) to generally ease the symptoms, and follow up with the Hyland's Baby teething tablets as needed.

In conclusion, the downside is that these can be pretty costly (about $7), but they do last a while so maybe that's justified. They taste good and they melt fast. No messy gel application to gums. As if your baby would let you put your fingers into his mouth! I know Sam wouldn't. These are easy to self-serve for him so it works out great. They work quickly but don't offer immense relief (nothing does), yet it's a good combination with a pain reliever medication like ibuprofen or acetaminophen. By the way, an empty bottle of the tablets works great as a teething surface ;)

2/26/15 note: I have come to realize that not all teething is equal. Molars, for example, have got 4 prongs that have to emerge through the gum, but a canine/cuspid is much smaller and only has one little "poke". That's why when Sam got his four "first molars", it was a long-drawn out cranky experience. For about 4 months, Sam had very many miserable times related to teething. This month, in contrast, he got 4 canines/cuspids which barely bothered him. Here the tablets worked very well alone, but with the molars we had to double up with the painkillers.