breastfeeding preemie

[Scout]

Anyone else struggling with breastfeeding? Aliyah was born at 35w2d (10 days ago) and it's been rough trying to feed. She gets tired so easily. My pediatrician has me supplementing her with formula, which I hate doing, but she was losing too much weight and was never satisfied. We had been doing 10 minutes on each breast and then 1.5 oz formula, but I'm trying to get her to bf longer in hopes of cutting back on the formula. I also pump after each feeding, but my milk supply seems low. Right breast I can only get 1/2 an oz (one time I got 1 oz) and left breast I can only get drops from. Never have been able to get even a 1/4 ounce out of that one.

I'm just frustrated and upset. I want to bf, but I don't want my baby to be constantly hungry bc she can't get enough. Before adding the formula, she would nurse for hours, literally, bc she would suck 5 or 6 times and then sleep. I would stimulate her to wake her but she'd only wake long enough to suck a few more times. And she was never satisfied...never slept peacefully.

Guess I just want to know if anyone else is going thru this and what, if anything, has helped.

 

[AmyB1978]

My lo was a 34 weeker, came home at 36 weeks and was getting NG feedings quite a bit until she came home. We also supplemented at first, she also struggled to eat/stay awake. It was hard and stressful and I want sure we'd make it but we did... She is 4 months now, nursing like a champ, and gaining/growing well.

Good luck to you and hang in there, it got loads better for us!

 

[Havmercy]

Our son was 32 weeks. I breastfed him for a year. Don't let those large bottles of formula mislead you. Babies tummies are only as big as their fists. They don't need a lot of milk in the beginning. You need to get with the hospital's lactation nurse. The first few days you only make colostrum. It's a yellow fatty milk that's full of nutrients that the baby needs. After about 5 days, you will begin to make the white milk that we are used to seeing. I only was able to pump about 25 ml the first few days and the lactation nurse was singing my praises. I kept a record of how much milk I was sending to the NICU for our son. I pumped every day, every 2 hours until my supply was established. I would go to the NICU and sit with our son. I would do kangaroo time with him. (holding him against my naked breast) and then I would pump. The hours I couldn't be in the NICU with him, (because I still needed rest to make breast milk), I brought home a blanket, some clothing, a diaper, or a picture of our son to hold while pumping to stimulate a letdown. He was in the NICU for 6 weeks, before he came home, the nurses stopped us from bringing more breastmilk to the hospital. I had pumped so much, I had a 4 month supply of feedings. (I used 2oz gerber bottles) I froze them in a deep freezer at home to use for later. At my maximum, I could produce about 30 ounces a day. Most breastfed babies only need 4 or 5 ounces every 2 hours when they reach about 3-4 months. Don't let people fool you into believing breastfed babies need those large 8oz bottles formula babies drink. Breastmilk is easily digested, so they are getting more nutirents than formula babies so they don't need as much.

 

[Havmercy]

Oh yeah, you need to relax. Massage your breast from your armpit to your nipple. Or place a warm towel over your breast before you nurse. Your milk will come in so much better when you relax and concentrate on the baby and not how much milk you are producing. I got to the point where I would almost fall asleep while nursing or pumping because breastfeeding stimulates a hormone in our bodies that relaxes you. It's very euphoric.

 

[Betheney]

i pumped for 15-20mins after every feed and also never stop pumping unless i had nothing for 5 minutes. So if i was still getting milk at the 15 min mark i would keep pumping, if it stopped at the 18min mark i would then stop pumping at 23minutes and that gave me a big supply (over supply really). I also used an electric pump. Remi tired easily as well but we supplemented with breastmilk never with formula and as soon as he gained what babies that age SHOULD be gaining (not weighing just gaining) like 150grams per week i dropped the top ups as soon as possible. Remi was born at 33+4 and we're still breastfeeding 6 months later. I think we stopped the top ups at about 4 weeks old.

I just want to add that it's really difficult to get any milk without a let down so you can put the pump on and try in vain for 7-10 minutes and get next to nothing then all of a sudden get a let down and get 100mls. This is always what happened on my right side, i'd get so upset and then all of a sudden!!

Edit

How long and how often are yoy pumping? At 10 days old I was definitely on 5mins hand express 15min pump express and that was every 3 hours.

 

[AdriansMama]

Jaxton was born at 35 weeks 2 days aswell he was always a good eater and I was EBF when he was 5 days old. I found that letting him use me as a soother and suck until he was frustrated really helpsd my supply! I would get into a breastfeeding consultant and maybe even a breastfeeding support group. If you trust your body to give your baby what she needs and try not to stress about it im sure it will help! Good luck!!

 

[Millnsy]

My lo was born at 34+4 and wouldn't latch for the first week. During this timeninpumped every 3 hours but she only took about an ounce per feed by cup so I ended with an over supply. Any way, after the Initial troubles and then having to feed with a shield we went on to breast feed successfully for 15 months. I had to wake her every 3 hours until equivalent of 37 weeks gestation and not let her sleep longer at night. She was sleepy and would feed for about 12 mins per feed (I used to right them all down and found the notebook a couple of months ago!)

I'm waffling and no advice apart from you can do it and have faith in your body. As soon as she'd caught up weight wise, she overtook all her piers and followed the 91st-98th centile!

 

[misspriss]

My preemie was NG fed primarily while I breastfed for some feeds during the day. He had trouble staying awake probably until around 37 weeks. He came home at 36 weeks and we met with a LC and she said sleepy was normal. We also did breast compressions.

For supply, pump and pump and pump. I had to bring in my supply by pumping. I pumped every 2-3 hours, even through the night (the night pumpings are the most important). I managed to go from celebrating .5 ounces to pumping over 8 ounces at a time. I had way oversupply when LO took over full time, but it quickly regulated.

 

[Scorpio23]

Hey ladies. Any tips on producing more milk?
Its day 3 since Leon was born. When I express only a few drops of colostrum come out.
The more I try to express the less seems to come.
Leon was born 34+5. Im still at the hospital. Its hard not being able to do anything for him.

 

[Betheney]

how often are you doing.

I remember i was 3 hourly with 5 minutes hand pumping followed by 15 minutes electric pumping until about 1 week then i was just 15 minutes electric pumping.

By the time you come back you might find your milk has come in.

 

[Scorpio23]

3 hourly about 10-20min each boob electric. And i try breastfeeding twice a day.

 

[misspriss]

I didn't get much at all until probably 5-6 days. Full milk took 7-10 days.

I pumped at least 15 minutes every 3 hours round the clock, even overnight. Night is important for supply. The cycle on the hospital pump was 15 minutes. Sometimes I went two cycles with a little break between. Pump, pump, pump. Sometimes I would pump 10, rest 10, pump 10, rest 10, etc (after I went home, rental pump had no set session).

By 10-14 days, I was putting out a lot more. Around 16 days I put out 8 ounces once session. Day 18, I went full on EBF.

Pump by baby if they will let you. My hospital would pull up a hospital pump to baby's bed if I wanted and I would pump every time I saw him. If you are skipping a pumping session while you try and BF, don't. Pump after. I pumped after every time I fed LO, to empty boobs because he couldn't.

 

[Scorpio23]

I pump every 3 hrs for 20 min (even after breastfeed) except when sleeping i get 5 hrs rest (good for supply).
Ive seen a big improvement. Its now day 5 getting there.
I guess persistance is the key

 

[Srrme]

I pump every 3 hrs for 20 min (even after breastfeed) except when sleeping i get 5 hrs rest (good for supply).
Ive seen a big improvement. Its now day 5 getting there.
I guess persistance is the key

Pretty soon you'll have more milk than you want! I had so much milk stocked up I ended up having to throw a lot out because I had it for so long and couldn't do anything with it.

Keep at it, mama!