Hi ladies,

A friend had DS#2 last Friday and though the blood test is not back they are pretty sure he has Down Syndrome. He is on a nasogastric tube and she is expressing and trying also to BF (depending on the midwife on).

I know there is already lots of personal stories, links etc on here but I am struggling to wade through all of EB and the web to get the best info for her. I want to print of as much stuff as I can find to send to her in hosp (bub will be in for at least a week).

She really wants to BF as she did DS#1 but I'm already sensing that she is getting a lot of pressure to not worry about it from the hospital and maybe family because there is so much else for them to deal with ATM.

I have ordered her the ABA BF your baby with Down Syndrome book for her as saw some good comments from others about it. Any other suggestions would be great.

TIA

Hi littlebeetle I'm sure Tan will spot this question, but in case she doesn't, if you post in our DS thread I reckon she will have all the info you are looking for She has been express feeding her little girl for many months.

I will also add, that I was also encouraged NOT to breastfeed Andy, at the time I just wanted to get on with life, but in hindsight, I wish I had been given some positive info on it! When Andy was a couple of years old I discovered that many of the mums I knew did successfully breastfeed their babies with DS.

I haven't had any experience as a midwife helping a mum breastfeed a baby with Down Syndrome but having talked to my son and now my daughters speech therapist it may be worth getting an opinion from someone in that field. They can look very closely at the feeding and see if there are any "mechanical" factors that may or may not be an issue and help find some ways to overcome them. I am a firm believer in having all the information in front of me in order to know I have made the best decision based on all the information. Sorry can't offer anything specific - good luck to your friend>

Hi there,

Altho I do not have personal experience with DS my son has Cerebral Palsy, we also got feeding advice early on thru a paed speechie within the hospital. unfortunately tho Cooper never was able to b/f but used a Haberman bottle which can accomodate a weak suck/swallow.

Good luck to your freind.

Bron xo

~*~

I'm currently breastfeeding my 21mth old daughter with Down Syndrome and she is featured in the "Breastfeeding your Baby with Down Syndrome" ABA booklet. I'm more than happy to talk to your friend if she wants to call someone Have PMd you Have emailed you...

Cas

Thanks everyone for your posts, PMs and emails. I have printed out this thread and sent it to her.

I also B/F my baby with DS but it took a lot of work and time! Often babies with DS are more sleepy than other babies (particularly if they have other medical issues like heart defects) and consequently they can tire easily when feeding. This may mean that your friend has to do a combination of feeding types initially until the baby builts up stamina. We also had to use little wake-up tricks like tickling his feet, a cold washer or even a shower mid-feed.

I expressed and then bottle fed for a few months which was a lot of work but with the help of a fantastic midwife after DS's heart surgery I was able to breastfeed and did so until he was 16 months.

I wish your friend all the best.