how long was your preemie in NICU?

[chelseav1213]

How long was your preemie in the NICU, when were they born, and why did they have to stay?

 

[AP]

27+4 gestation, stayed 11 and a half weeks. It may have been a week shorter if I agreed to go home with O2 and tube feeding, but I stuck it out and we didn't need either. It would have been longer if I insisted on breast feeding but I choose to express instead

 

[chelseav1213]

Oh wow! I couldn't do the o2 and tube feeds either id stick it out as well! My little man is only having trouble eating and Im contemplating if I should stop trying to breastfeed and continue to express.. hes so used to his bottle nipples and pacifiers he cant get anything from my breasts.. wonder if I just gave up on direct BF if he'd come home sooner? Nipple shields aren't even working for us... :-/

 

[AP]

It's a very personal decision Hun, don't take it lightly because once you are home you may regret it. I was happy with my decision though

 

[Honeybear1976]

Ive had 2 preemies. My 3rd baby was 31+3 gestation, 3lb 4oz stayed for 28days expressed and tried to bf soon as he could manage to coordinate himself! He was 3lb 15oz coming home but they only let him out that small coz I had bf my first 2 children so they knew he wouldnt starve! He is 5 soon
My youngest, 4th and last baby! He was born 34+2, 5lb 2oz and spent 7 days in nicu coz he was tiny bit jaundice and fell asleep for a few days! I expressed and he had it thru ng till he was ready to feed at the breast again. He is still exclusively bf at 13 months. If you can stick at it, and I know how difficult it is, it is incredibly rewarding. Best wishes hope you are home with baby soon

 

[chelseav1213]

Thank you ladies.. I'm going back for his next feed al well try the nipple shield again.. I'm going to keep trying for maybe a week or so and if things don't progress I might think about just expressing.. I just want him home! But EBF is something I really want to do so I'm not going to give up quite yet! How long does it usually take preemies to get their feeds right? He takes about half to a little over half of what hes supppsed to each feed from the bottle then the rest goes in the gavage tube..

 

[Crayz]

Chelsea-my daughter was in the NICU for 5 weeks, born at 34 weeks at 3 lbs. I can't tell you when they get the feeding down as i woild imagine that every baby is different.

It took my daughter about 4 weeks to eat enough from the bottle that she no longer needed the NG tube, and then another week just to make sure she stuck with it. We had to beg the NICU to let us use our own bottles (Dr. Browns) and once she started using those, her feedings really took off. Sometimes it's something as small as their preference of nipples, and sometimes it takes them a little while to get the breathe suck swallow thing down.

Good luck, I hope your LO gets to come home soon! The NICU is a roller coaster ride!

 

[dizz]

33 weeks - missed 34 weeks by 1 hour 20 minutes (and the clocks had gone back that previous weekend as well!).

3 days in NICU, 2 weeks in transitional "care" (the care part being distinctly lacking) - would have been longer to go home breastfeeding (I got given, by a staff member who was basically sticking her job on the line telling me this, the ballpark figure of another 2-3 weeks longer to go home like that). Once she started taking expressed milk from bottles (once I made the request to try her like that since we were getting nowhere trying to latch and she'd lie there licking my nipple like a kitten at a saucer of milk - v.cute but no use!) she took off like a rocket and within the space of about 3 days went from taking nowt and needing everything tube fed - to taking pretty much all her feeds by mouth and the tube coming out - then our hospital's particular criteria was all feeds by mouth for 24 hours before they'd let her come home. I'd had to stay in with her from the start - in the most hellholeish maternity ward (I was the freakshow in the corner with the tiny baby while all these other women had giant full-termers and went home after 6 hours) and was going completely and utterly insane... mentally I couldn't have stood staying in there long enough to go home breastfeeding - I was at breaking point with the fights, noise, free-range toddler siblings flinging curtains open, and lack of edible food.

We were actually advised to bring some of our bottles in to make sure she'd feed from them well enough in the few days before we came home.

 

[Stanners]

My daughter was born at 33+6 as well weighing 4lb 8oz and came home on day 30. Once she was able to begin breastfeeding I attempted that with her but she just became very frustrated and after picking up yet another infection and being put on another course of antibiotics her weight dropped to 4lb. At that stage it just became more important for me to know how much milk she was getting so I began to feed her expressed breastmilk and she took to the bottle a lot more easily. She went from strength to strength with her feeds that way and only has to remain in hospital longer because of her course of antibiotics. When she came home I continued to feed her just expressed milk for just over 4 months but after that my milk just naturally dried up as I wasn't getting the chance to express as often I would have liked. Olivia is 1 on Thursday and is such a happy lively little girl : ) only you can decide the best way to feed your child and don't be made to feel guilty by the nurses if you decide breastfeeding isn't for you!

 

[PleaseBaby]

My daughter was a 27 weeker weighing 2lb 8oz. She stayed for 9 weeks. She would have been home sooner but they wouldnt let her come out of the incubator till she reached 4lb 7oz even though it was set to the same temp as the room grrrr! She came off all cpap/oxygen at 31 weeks then all monitors at 32 weeks. She wasn't allowed to start bottle feeding till 34 weeks and in the space of 3 days she pulled her tube out and was taking 2/3 times as muchas she needed. x

 

[akblaze]

My daughter was 5 weeks early @ 5lb14oz. She went to the NICU at 27 hours old because her temp kept dropping even with three warm swaddle blankets around her.. She also was not eating. She was in the NICU in an isolet and on tube feedings for 15 days. I had always wanted to BF but they told me she would probably be there longer had we gone that route so I began pumping like a mad man. I have raynauds so pumping was always so excruciating.. at 6 weeks old and after having her tongue tie clipped we worked with lactation and we have now been 100% breastfeeding for over a month. I think learning to BF while she was in the NICU was really hard for us because she'd just sit and scream... all she wanted and needed was food and since she was already having so much trouble eating to begin with and needed a tube I didn't want her to waste the energy screaming because BF'ing was too hard for her at that point. It was hard transitioning to BFing at six weeks but definitely worth it and I think her and I were both in a better state of mind to work at it! You'll find what works best for you and your LO!! Best of luck mama!!! I hope your baby boy gets to go home soon!!!!

Oh! And as for how long with the feedings, every baby is different.. the nurses we had told us we had about 30 minutes to try a bottle and if she didn't take it by then we'd have to tube feed her because we could only have her out of the isolet for an hour at a time every 3 hours for feedings. Once she caught on to eating though, it was so sudden.. like a switch had flipped and two days later we went home!!! The NICU is such an emotional and rough time for both you and baby.. make sure you take care of yourself!!! If you need anything feel free to PM me as it seems our LO's are very similar with the NICU stay!

 

[twins33]

my girls were born at 29 weeks, they weighed 2.9 and 2.10, they are off the cpap but still on forced air just with smaller prongs, they are still tube feeding, they were born on 9-21-12, I expressed bf milk while in the hospital but after that we had to go to formula, due to that we live an hour and half away from where they are at in NICCU. so they are roughly 31 weeks has of yesterday. they seem to be doing really well, the nurses told us that they would not attempt a bottle till they were 34 weeks,

 

[chelseav1213]

thank you ladies! so happy to hear all your stories! glad all your LOs are doing well and home/ doing well in the NICU I'm thinking if I want to BF he will be there much longer.. today I bottle fed him because his grandparents were visiting & he got his first bath today (first by mommy & daddy- the nurses had given him one before..) so he was really tired & only took about 15 ml hes supposed to take 60 ml but that seems like so much! He usually takes about 30-45 ML and the rest in the NG tube and he gets too tired but it doesnt seem like thats changing much.. does anyone know how to help him along with his feedings? also do they have to completely stop having bradys before they go home? he always brings it back to normal by himself but he does still have a few in a day.. very scary!!

 

[GoldieLocs]

My first daughter was born at 35 weeks, she was 6lbs 10 oz...and had to spend 72 hours in NICU. It was not a long time at all, but while we were going through it, it seemed like the longest days of our lives.

Seeing her hooked up to all those devises was just horrible..and the beeps from the machines haunted my mind for a long time. to all of you going through this right now.

 

[EmSmith1980]

Anya was born at 23+6, we were in hospital for 19.5 weeks. She was unable to breathe alone so was vented for 5.5 weeks, then bipap/cpap for around 8 weeks then 02 via nasal cannula which she came home with for a few months. She has a few minor issues, but is doing amazingly well, she will be 2 years old this month. Xx

 

[Honeybear1976]

Omg Anya has done incredibly well. 23+6 is so early bless her. I hope she has a fantastic 2nd birthday

 

[meant2bamummy]

thank you ladies! so happy to hear all your stories! glad all your LOs are doing well and home/ doing well in the NICU I'm thinking if I want to BF he will be there much longer.. today I bottle fed him because his grandparents were visiting & he got his first bath today (first by mommy & daddy- the nurses had given him one before..) so he was really tired & only took about 15 ml hes supposed to take 60 ml but that seems like so much! He usually takes about 30-45 ML and the rest in the NG tube and he gets too tired but it doesnt seem like thats changing much.. does anyone know how to help him along with his feedings? also do they have to completely stop having bradys before they go home? he always brings it back to normal by himself but he does still have a few in a day.. very scary!!

With our girls, the nurses suggested tube feeding after their baths because they were just exhausted! For us, it seemed like the girls were the same way, taking 30-45 mls and then they would NG the rest. Then they just randomly one day started doing a full feeding. The pediatrician would only let them do 2 bottle feeds a day, then eventually every other feeding could be bottle. This was so that they didn't get too exhausted. Remember, the more they do, the more calories they burn. Then, one day we came in and were told to bring our carseats the next day because they were taking their full feeds by bottle. In the course of 1 night they went from half bottle, half NG feeds to full feeds by bottle. It is crazy how quickly it happens. I think we immediately turned and ran out the door because we were SO not ready and still needed to buy stuff for home. Basically, though, in a matter of a week, the girls went from the odd partial bottle feed to full feeds by bottle. No worries momma, it will come!!

 

[akblaze]

thank you ladies! so happy to hear all your stories! glad all your LOs are doing well and home/ doing well in the NICU I'm thinking if I want to BF he will be there much longer.. today I bottle fed him because his grandparents were visiting & he got his first bath today (first by mommy & daddy- the nurses had given him one before..) so he was really tired & only took about 15 ml hes supposed to take 60 ml but that seems like so much! He usually takes about 30-45 ML and the rest in the NG tube and he gets too tired but it doesnt seem like thats changing much.. does anyone know how to help him along with his feedings? also do they have to completely stop having bradys before they go home? he always brings it back to normal by himself but he does still have a few in a day.. very scary!!

Scarlett was also taking 60ml every 3 hours in the NICU. She would poop after about the same amount as your LO (30-45ml) and the rest was tube fed to her. The nurses we had also recommended tube feedings when we did her bath because she was just exhausted. It's so much work when they are early to eat and uses up so much energy that could be used to help them keep growing. That is why I decided to pump and bottle feed as well. I didn't want her to waste any of her energy struggling to BF. Bottle feeding was hard enough!!! As far as things to help along the feedings.. we'd just try and try to get her to take the whole bottle.. the nurses told us to wake her up with a cold towel rubbed on her head and try to burp her to get her to wake up a little but it was often a losing battle. They kept saying one day she'll just start taking all her bottles, like a switch flipped and I didn't believe it.. but they were right! I wasn't on here while my LO was in the NICU but wish I had been because it is a great source for support. Your sweetie will get there, it'll seem like forever, but he will!!! I hope he gets home soon!!!!

 

[chelseav1213]

Thank you ladies its great hearing all your stories very inspiring! I do have to say this site has helped me a lot this week.. today he took 54 ml for them 45 for me and 45 for them so hes doing a lot better today.. hopefully were getting to that day where everything just clicks counting down the minutes until his next feed so I can call and see how how he did! Today I had to leave early because OH has a bedtime :/ but I call them a lot to check on him... I wonder if they're annoyed with me yet calling every few hours

 

[akblaze]

Thank you ladies its great hearing all your stories very inspiring! I do have to say this site has helped me a lot this week.. today he took 54 ml for them 45 for me and 45 for them so hes doing a lot better today.. hopefully were getting to that day where everything just clicks counting down the minutes until his next feed so I can call and see how how he did! Today I had to leave early because OH has a bedtime :/ but I call them a lot to check on him... I wonder if they're annoyed with me yet calling every few hours

Aww that's great he is doing better today!!! LO would have days that she did wonderful and then days that weren't so good. Hang in there!!! I'm sure they are perfectly fine with you calling for every feed!!! I also called a lot since I went home at night after a bit and I was told that they were happy because that's something they keep track of! I'm not sure why.. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he keeps doing better!!!! Hopefully soon we can see some going home pictures!!!! You're doing a great job mama!!!