Breastfeeding a preemie...

[katy1310]

I have been expressing since Sophie was born 11 weeks ago and started breastfeeding her a week ago. She is feeding every 4 hours at the moment and I have been advised to express either in the morning and at night, or after each feed if I feel I need to.

I'm really worried in case she isn't getting enough milk. I've been used to her getting a set amount in her tube feeds and I've noticed since I started breastfeeding, I don't produce anything like as much as I used to when I express. Sometimes it's just 20-30ml even if I haven't fed her for ages.

The nurses have all said that if she settles after her feed and goes to sleep, and has plenty wet and dirty nappies then she is fine. She is doing all these things but her weight has levelled out - she hasn't put on any this time but hasn't lost any either. I don't feel like she can be getting 60ml from me, which is what she gets when they bottle feed her overnight when I'm at home.

Does a baby get more than a pump would express? I'm so worried in case my supply has gone down drastically! The nurse last week said that I would produce milk as Sophie drinks.

I expressed this afternoon straight after she had fed - I didn't feel like she drank very much that time. And then next time I expressed I only got about 30ml....I'm seriously worried and wondering about giving up on breastfeeding??? I don't want to, it's just that I'm scared in case my supply is going and she is not getting enough. I can hear her swallowing and gulping but she desats a lot during feeds and i have to take her off while she is still drinking then she doesn't always end up wanting any more.

Has anyone else had experience of expressing for weeks then still breastfeeding?

 

[Fiestagal]

Well done on getting Sophie to bf!

Connor bf direct from me early on so I never seemed to get a lot of milk from expressing. Babies are so much more efficient than a pump and also the amount you express is not an indication of how much you are producing. There is lots of excellent bf advice on kellymom.com , The Food of Love book is also a really good book about bf.

I would express after feeding him, but at first only produce as little as 10ml but over time it did build up. I was building up my ebm so they could feed when I wasn't there. If your not there at night it might be worth expressing once during the night.

Will they add breast milk fortifer into your ebm when you're not there, it did seem to boost Connor's weigh gain.

Will they weigh Sophie before you feed her and after her feed to gauge how many ozs she has drank? Apparently when I was a baby I would only feed for a very short time and my mum was convinced that I wasn't drinking enough, so the mw weighed me before and after a feed, it reassured my mum that I was just an efficient feeder in a short space of time.

Connor is now 9 months and still bfs.

 

[25weeker]

I know it's really hard not to worry as I have been bf my lo at home for 6 weeks now after 14 weeks in hospital and I still sometimes worry I am not producing enough milk but in my more sensible moments I know I am because she is gaining weight and settled especially now she has discovered her voice and doesn't think twice about letting me know she is hungry!

When I started bf in Nicu and she was no longer tube fed or got any pre aptimal after 3 days she lost 40g and the next 3 days lost another 25g which really worried me but the nurses said was common. On discharge 4 days later she put the 65g back on. Now she puts on ave 4oz a week and last week she had a wee growth spurt and put on 8 oz.

If you can stick it out until you have been home for a while because as weeks go by you will begin to feel more confident about knowing your lo and be happy she has ate enough. If you are still stressed then maybe think about formula. I have found reading the bf forums helps.

If you want to ask me anything feel free to pm me anytime.

Hopefully next week you will have your little girl home with you.

 

[maisiemoo]

In a moment of rebellion my daughter removed her own feeding tube last week, prior to this we were trying to establish BF. With the removal of the tube, it was a real sink or swim situation. I wasn't able to express huge amounts, however I was told that a baby will always take more milk than a machine and if your boobs feel nice and soft after a feed, then its been a good one. Also, as someone else has mentioned, if your baby is producing enough dirty nappies then this is also a good indicator. Since BF Olivia, in 4 days she gained 7ozs or 175 grams. This was a complete surprise to our consultant, who expected minimal gain and even loss. Although i've only been bf for a short period of time, i'm pretty sure your babes would let you know if she wasn't getting enough

 

[Cazzyg]

Babies are much more efficient at getting milk out than breast pumps. I know it's hard to get used to, but the amount you get when expressing does not equate to the amount of milk Sophie will get when feeding directly.

It's also quite normal for the amount of milk you get when expressing to suddenly reduce as your supply settles down and you start to produce more on demand. I found the Kellymom website to be great at answering my questions and putting my mind at rest.

 

[Foogirl]

I agree with what others have said here. Pump v feeding is very different, they will get more from you than a pump does.

If she is putting on weight and you are getting plenty of wet nappies, you've probably nothing to worry about. But if you are at all worried about supply, make sure you are eating and drinking plenty. Beyond that there are herbal or pharmaceutical options to help increase it.

 

[hypnorm]

I agree with the other girls don;t guage how much is coming out, if you can hear swallowing and her jaw moving, then she is getting milk. I know its worrying not 'seeing' how much she is taking, but if she not loosing weight then that is a very good sign, breastfeeding is way more efficient than pumping. Try and trust your body.

 

[divadexie]

If she wasn't getting enough, then surely she would be wanting to feed more often?
I have read and been told many times that babies can get much more and quicker than a pump x