breastfeeding my preemies

[AmandaAnn]

Hi all...

My boys are 19 days old, 34w4d gestational age (born at at 32). Just looking for a little encouragement that they WILL catch on to the feeding thing. (Right now they are breastfeeding when I'm there and bottle feeding when I'm not, but only if they are waking/cue-ing). We've been working on it since last Wednesday, we can't go home from the NICU until they have it down, and it just seems like such slow progress right now. We've been told this is the most frustrating part because they seem to be doing so well (and are), it's just the feeding and gaining weight thing that is holding us back. Just looking for something to keep me from going mad

Thank you.

Amanda

 

[Srrme]

I didn't breastfeed in the NICU, except for a handful of times when I stayed the night. My son was bottle fed my expressed milk the entire time, but as soon as he came home we began exclusively breastfeeding, and he caught on rather fast and had no trouble! Your little ones will get there.

 

[proudmumgoth]

keep your chin up babe

 

[Lottie86]

I've not got any advice as I've never directly breastfed but I've known a few people who did what Srrme with bottle feeding EBM to get their babies home quicker and then starting breastfeeding at home.

I think there are a couple of ladies on here who directly breastfed their preemies (I know Foogirl certainly did) so hopefully they'll be along soon to offer some help and advice.

Your boys will get there with their feeding Fingers crossed it won't be long before they can come home

 

[confused87com]

my little boy was born at 29 weeks. Once he was big enough to try and feed i was there all day every day. He came home at 37weeks and now at 5 months old he is still breastfed! some babies take a while to 'get it' but persevere!

 

[katy1310]

Sophie was born at 27 weeks, and was on EBM till she reached 36 weeks then I started BF her. I used to do every feed when I was in all day, and stayed for about a week so I could establish the night feeds too, then I had to come home again and the nurses gave her EBM from a bottle when I wasn't there. Sophie was home 2 weeks after coming off her NG tube altogether, at 39 weeks.

You will get there, I promise! xx

 

[ems1]

My twin boys were born at 33+5 weeks and spent 2 1/2 weeks in SCBU. I breastfed both of them, but let me reassure you it took us a while to get there.
Whilst in SCBU my boys were fed normally 4 hourly, so to start off i tried to be there around feed time when they would be hungry. Luckily they were about an hour apart with their feeding so it gave me the chance to feed both seperately to get them used to it. Because both my boys were jaundiced they were quite sleepy, so i would breastfeed them until they became sleepy and then the staff would top them up with my expressed milk via their nasal feeding tubes.
When i wasn't there the staff also tried cup feeding the boys and then would do the same and top them up via their feeding tube.
I then built it up and would try to be at the hospital for a few of the feeds and the stronger the boys got the less 'top up's' they needed.
Eventually the feeding tubes came out and they were both gaining weight and they came home .
I hope you get your babies home with you very soon. xx

 

[RainbowGift]

You can do it! PERSEVERE if times get rough and don't trick yourself into thinking you have to give up!

I stayed 24/7 in the NICU for a month, with my twins. They fed every three hours. At first, it was: offer breast (they took it once at the beginning, but then acted like they had no idea what to do with it for the next weeks), then offer bottle of expressed breast milk, then, before they understood the bottle even- or, what they couldn't finish when they were bottle feeding ok, went into the tube. I would feed one, then the other, then pump.... then about three hours had passed and it was time to go again!

After a month, my girl was breast feeding and my boy was still taking expressed breast milk. I had to pump a lot to get my supply up and to have milk for my boy. It was a terrible time with lots of tears. I thought I would never have a good supply and that he would never get it... sometimes she regressed and needed a bottle.... One day I was determined and I told my boy we were going to get him on the breast!!!
We did. That very day!

There have been regular breast feeding hurdles since... but they are both breast babies now and I wonder if they would know what to do with a bottle. I am so proud of myself and of them.

You can do it. I almost quit once. If you want to breast feed...DON'T quit! You will be amazed at how smooth the sailing after a few months. Now... if only they would SLEEP!!! Hee hee. sigh. xoxoxo

 

[heyyady]

My girlies were born at 32+3 and spent a month in the NICU- the biggest hurdle getting them home was feedings- I tried simultaneous feeding a few times and quickly abandoned that idea- it wasn't until into week three that they both suddenly got it, and we were out of there within a week (Rochelle at 3 weeks 6 days and Charlotte at 4 weeks 1 day ) It's a hard frustrating time, but they WILL get there! Try to be as relaxed as possible, be confidant that you guys can and will do this, it WILL come