Why can't you steam sterilise a Haberman Feeder?

Counting_Pennies_2

Does anyone know why you can't steam sterilise a haberman feeder?

I have bought it to help support breastfeeding, as I literally run out of milk at the end of the day, and she screams for the rest of the night without her fill, so we are giving her a dream feed at this time each night.

But I don't understand why it isn't possible to steam sterilise it. As opposed to boiling it in distilled water.

Also, what would count as distilled water? Is that kettle boiled water that has cooled, or do I have to go out and get something special?

Thanks

Crispy_Ambulance

I don't know about this feeder, but have you tried talking to a breastfeeding counsellor?

It is very unlikely that you have "run out of milk" - it is a supply and demand operation and your body can make as much milk as your baby needs.

Your baby will sleep through the night when she is able to. Maybe she just needs a lot of food and comfort at the moment? She could be having a growth spurt and it will settle down when your supply has adjusted?

jacksons_mum

hi, i sterilised my sons haberman in a microwave steam steriliser (didnt realise you werent supposed to) and it was fine.

Cissi

Crispy_Ambulance wrote: »

It is very unlikely that you have "run out of milk" - it is a supply and demand operation and your body can make as much milk as your baby needs.

This is a very common misconception, and I feel a need to speak out as that sort of comment is potentially hurtful to the OP and not what she needs to hear right now. Yes, it's true for most women, but there is a significant minority who are unable to provide enough milk. I was one of them (as were, incidentally, my own mother and grandmother). And yes, I did consult an excellent lactation consultant, and together we managed to keep up at least partial BFing for 5 months for DS1. DS2 unfortunately soon refused it altogether, and I ended up expressing for as long as I could (even with pumping every 3 hours, around the clock I never produced more than half of his needs).

Because of the commonly held belief stated by Crispy Ambulance, I was adamant to exclusively breastfeed my first child. As a result, due to undernourishment he became severely underweight (at 1 month old he was still 10% below birth weight), dehydrated and jaundiced. I have a friend who was equally told by everyone (including hospital midwives) "of course you're producing enough milk, just give her time and she'll learn to sleep" - until her DD was weighed at 10 days and found to have lost 25% of her body weight. The baby ended up rushed to hospital in a coma.

To Counting_pennies: I have no experience with the Haberman feeder, but I wish you the best of luck with it. Good for you for trying to breast feed in the first place, keep up the good work!

Counting_Pennies_2

Thanks to all for your replies.

I exclusively BF first baby for 7 months. I have consulted bf counsellors over the last six weeks, and it quite literally is that my milk supply reduces significantly at the end of the day.

My daughter has chomped non stop for five hours trying to get milk out. We have tried letting her chomp continously and also refusing for the space of three hours to bring the milk supply up. Both aren't successful.

What I am trying to do is pump in the morning when I have an abundance of milk and feed it to her at night time. This is working, and in fact I think I remember back to the Baby Whisperer advising this very thing three years ago, as the demands of your day with fitting in a toddler and a baby and breastfeeding are the very reason milk supply can diminish towards the end of the day.

I do thank Crispy Ambulance for your views, but it isn't a case of trying to get her through the night, it is a case of her being settled for at least an hour or two for her to get some sleep in the night because she is starving. Her banging her head against my shoulder and literally bucking her way down my chest and latching on to a breast. I have beaten myself up a lot over what I can and cannot achieve with her care, my recovery from a horrific birth, caring for my son, and I think been on the brink of sliding into depression, and for me the decision I have taken on feeding at night is the right one for me.

Js_Other_Half

I'll just agree with Cissi- Ds ended up on a drip at 5 days old cos he was getting little/no milk from me. My milk never came in properly, despite expressing every 3 hours for weeks. I used a medela supplementer for 9 months, until recently when DS refused to co operate any more...lol.

I can't fault the support I had from my local feeding advisers, but it would have been helpful to know before DS was born that some women really don't produce enough milk, and despite acupuncture, chinese herbs, expressing, and milk teas, that I was one of them.

Apparently thyroid problems, and some fertility problems can cause problems with milk production.

I would suggest anyone who is concerned to contact their local feeding adviser and get the most up to date help - but it may take some perseverance to track them down!

This is the link to the product i used - DS was taking formula as well as whatever i was producing: http://www.medela.co.uk/UK/en/breastfeeding/products/nursing.php

Js_Other_Half

Cross posted with CP - to answer your original question I have no idea why you can't steam sterilize the haberman. I know you can steam sterilize the supplementer, but not microwave it.

<hugs>

Counting_Pennies_2

I have had a reply from Medela to say that they strongly advise I just boil, but I can purchase some microwave steam sterilising bags as an alternative!!!

So that just says to me steam sterlising will be fine, as my steriliser is in the microwave!

Cissi

JS_Other_Half: I couldn't agree more that it would have been helpful to know beforehand that this can happen, that would have saved us all a lot of heartache. My first weeks with my baby were definitely marred by this, and I'm still very upset about it.

I see from your signature that you too had IVF - so did I, as well as my friend with the same lactation problem (unexplained infertility in both cases). My wonderful lactation consultant did some research, and found that insufficient milk production is more common after IVF pregnancies, although it isn't known why - presumably, something to do with hormone imbalances, which may have caused us to need IVF in the first place

bumpybecky

I've no idea about the sterilisation question and can only congratulate you CP on your determination to carry on feeding even though you're having problems.

Have you looked into chemcial ways of boosting your supply? there are herbs (e.g. fenugreek) and other medication (from the GP) that might help. Kellymom has more info on these pages...

http://www.kellymom.com/herbal/milksupply/herbal_galactagogue.html
http://www.kellymom.com/herbal/milksupply/fenugreek.html

good luck

Js_Other_Half

Cissi wrote: »

JS_Other_Half: I couldn't agree more that it would have been helpful to know beforehand that this can happen, that would have saved us all a lot of heartache. My first weeks with my baby were definitely marred by this, and I'm still very upset about it.

I see from your signature that you too had IVF - so did I, as well as my friend with the same lactation problem (unexplained infertility in both cases). My wonderful lactation consultant did some research, and found that insufficient milk production is more common after IVF pregnancies, although it isn't known why - presumably, something to do with hormone imbalances, which may have caused us to need IVF in the first place

Yep, I was eventually told this too. Thankfully with the supplementer I was able to 'breast feed' for 9 months, and DS is the one who put an end to it. I've demonstrated the feeder to several women at the baby cafe I attended, where they weren't producing enough milk and felt that it was their fault. In each of these cases, the feeding advisers had them come to see me and look how well DS was doing. Ultimately it's not how you feed them, or what you feed them, but how much you love them when you are feeding them?