Breastfeeding with a prem baby

[Mrs Doddy]

For those of you who had a prem baby that didn't go into special care did you have breast feeding issues??

If so what got them to latch on and how long did it take from birth to get them to do it ?

 

[Foogirl]

Abby was born at 29 weeks.

They don't develop the sucking / swallowing reflex in the womb until 34 weeks so we thought we would have to wait a while, but in fact she started having a go at feeding at 31 weeks. She would give little kitten licks and it was the most fantastic moment of the whole thing!

It took a good wee while to establish though. She was off the tube and still hadn't got it cracked and I was convinced it was never going to work. Then one day she just did it. That would have been at about 35 weeks.

I put huge amounts of pressure on myself to get it established and I shouldn't have done. I refused to use a nipple shield, I wouldn't entertain the idea that we would be exclusively expressing and there was no way she was having formula.

In the end, I realised, as long as she is fed, it doesn't really matter how. I relaxed about it, I used the nipple shield and that really really helped. Then when she was home I gradually weaned her off the shield and within a few weeks, she was feeding without it - although I did use it when the nipples got a bit sore!

It is hard work, but you'll see, all of a sudden, it will happen.

 

[Agiboma]

well we are just starting but the nipple shield has helped us to be succesful so far without the shield it is stressful and often the baby does not get much. eventually you will be able to stop using the shield but to start it is a great idea

 

[Mrs Doddy]

Thanks, I have bought some shields which seem to be working, gave tried a few times without but she doesn't understand yet I will keep trying, the hardest thing is not knowing how much she is taking

 

[maisiemoo]

I took 1 week for my baby to get to grips with breastfeeding and that also happened at around 35 weeks. It's easy to get frustrated, but we tried BF with every feed and it just seemed to click. 4 months on, we're still going strong

 

[Sugarmuppet]

Took Gaby 14 weeks to learn how to latch on and take a feed. However, by that point I was so used to expressing for her that I didn't like her feeding from me as I didn't know how much she was taking. I continued to express for 6 months, but i'm pretty sure she could have done it herself if i'd let her! Good luck!

 

[Foogirl]

And the not knowing how much she is taking, is something you'll get used to. Eventually you will begin to trust your body and hers to get what she needs!