how long was your preemie in NICU?

[Sam182]

27+3 and he came home after 82 days, six days before his due date. He came home on O2 and remained on it till he was 6 months

 

[Albatross]

My boys were born at 30 weeks and stayed in 6 weeks. They came home bottle-fed, i tried breast feeding them and had some success with one of them, but the other was just not getting the hang of it. We tried a bottle and they both did really well - so we switched to that.

The nurses kept telling us that it won't make any difference when we go home if we breast feed or not, which in our case was complete rubbish and really really annoyed me. I would prefer them to have been honest with us rather than saying what they have to say, it would have made the decision on breast or bottle a lot easier.

In the end I am happy with our decision, I don't think I would have managed to breast feed both boys for long when we got home anyway.

 

[dizz]

The nurses kept telling us that it won't make any difference when we go home if we breast feed or not, which in our case was complete rubbish and really really annoyed me. I would prefer them to have been honest with us rather than saying what they have to say, it would have made the decision on breast or bottle a lot easier.

All I got time and time again when I asked for honest advice about possible ways forward regarding breast v bottle was a look like a rabbit in the headlights of a car and a , "You know I can't talk to you about that!"... the one staff member who did give me a ballpark figure about the likely different length of stays did so very much after looking over her shoulder to make sure no one was listening and very much put her backside on the line doing so (and I'm grateful to her for her honesty). What the hell happened to informed choices?! Grrr!

 

[twins33]

went to see my girls yesterday and the nurse practioner came back and said that our girls have hydrocephalus, will that prolong their stay, we did not get a chance to ask questionjs

 

[Honeybear1976]

Twins- I dont know whether that would lengthen their stay much, Im sure they will give you all the relevant info next time you go in, maybe make a list of questions so you dont forget to ask the ones you really want the answers to.
This breast vs bottle length of nicu stay isnt strictly true. It depends on lots of things baby is doing not just feeding. My 2 preemies both came home 5wks before their due date and both exclusively breastfed. They both had some bottles of my expressed milk when I couldnt be there for the feed so they are able to bottle feed in hospital if you express and then bottle and breast at home or just breast. No mother wants her baby in nicu longer than is necessary and if a mother tries bf and it isnt for her then thats a choice but I dont think its right to tell mothers its formula to get out quick coz that isnt true.

 

[embojet]

Molly was born at 29 weeks, and stayed for 7 weeks. She came home on a tiny amount of o2, weighing 4lb 10oz.

 

[WantsALittle1]

Born at 31+3, in the NICU for just under 5 weeks (discharged at 36+2). The major issues were bradys/desats and feeding. Her NG tube was taken out three days before discharge, and was the last major hurdle.

To chime in on the BF/bottle issue, I gave up my dream of exclusive breastfeeding and stopped pressing it when she was in the NICU. My girl would struggle and get worn out trying to breastfeed, fall asleep (and thus be un-bottleable) and that would go down in her chart as a 'failed feeding' and she'd have to get the NG tube. Every day she needed the tube was a day longer in the NICU. When I stopped trying to BF her and succumbed to the bottle, she had the tube pulled and was out in 3 days. Now that we're home, she is still not breastfeeding well--she gets tuckered out, falls asleep, and doesn't finish the feeding. I have to pump right afterward to keep my supply up, and then of course as soon as I've pumped she wakes up and wants to feed and my breasts are empty. Bottle has just been easier on both of us (her and I). She has to be starving to want to breastfeed, and I have to be engorged to produce milk at a rate that will keep her interested. Breastfeeding dream dashed, but at least we have her home...

 

[twins33]

I did not get a chance to bf my girls, I expressed for the week I was in the hospital but other than that we are having to go to bottles, due to the fact that we have no way to transport the milk, we live an hour and a half from where our little ones are. I wanted to bf so bad though. but for us bottles are better considering our drive time. Spoke to our pediatrician and he is not concered about the fluid in the brain and explained that if they are only monitoring there is a good chance it will go away on its own, and if not they will have us sign paperwork for the necessary treatments. I hope they come home soon, they have reduce their cannula to 2 liters instead of 4 liters, so that is wonderful, and their picc lines are out. It is such tough and long journey though. I only get to see my two angels once a week.

 

[Lottie86]

Findlay was in for 17 days and Iona Orlaith was in for 331 days

 

[mommy0629]

Born at 32 weeks and 6 days and was in the NICU for 14 days to establish feeding and weight gain

 

[mommy0629]

Born at 31+3, in the NICU for just under 5 weeks (discharged at 36+2). The major issues were bradys/desats and feeding. Her NG tube was taken out three days before discharge, and was the last major hurdle.

To chime in on the BF/bottle issue, I gave up my dream of exclusive breastfeeding and stopped pressing it when she was in the NICU. My girl would struggle and get worn out trying to breastfeed, fall asleep (and thus be un-bottleable) and that would go down in her chart as a 'failed feeding' and she'd have to get the NG tube. Every day she needed the tube was a day longer in the NICU. When I stopped trying to BF her and succumbed to the bottle, she had the tube pulled and was out in 3 days. Now that we're home, she is still not breastfeeding well--she gets tuckered out, falls asleep, and doesn't finish the feeding. I have to pump right afterward to keep my supply up, and then of course as soon as I've pumped she wakes up and wants to feed and my breasts are empty. Bottle has just been easier on both of us (her and I). She has to be starving to want to breastfeed, and I have to be engorged to produce milk at a rate that will keep her interested. Breastfeeding dream dashed, but at least we have her home...

My experience was pretty much exactly the same.

 

[chelseav1213]

Here are some amazing stories here.. well good news for us little man starting taking all his feeds and was moved to the next step down NICU which means hes close to being home!! he was gonna come home in a few days (had no bradys yesterday & was taking his full feeds) but they gave him his hep b shot (because he was about to leave) and he stopped eating all his feeds he got sleepy. Hopefully it was just because of the vaccine and hell feel better soon and start eating it all again! Hes so close to coming home! I cant wait

 

[Srrme]

Elias was born at 28.6 weeks gestation, and spent 60 days in the NICU. He came home before his due date.

Fenix was born at 34-35 weeks gestation, and spent 21 days in the NICU. He was in longer than expected due to establishing feeds.

 

[Pink Sarah]

Owen was born 36 weeks 6lb13 and they all said he would be fine at that age. He had respiratory distress syndrome he had cpap the o2 he had 2 sessions phototherapy and didnt have sucking reflex so they decided he was actually 35weeks

 

[Pink Sarah]

Ooops sorry naughty phone i hadnt finished!
he was in scbu for 2 weeks one day the were talking about brain scans and 2 days later he could come home!! I chose to express and still am as he found the bottle easier and i didnt enjoy trying to bf, i think it was because too many people kept watching and trying to help.
how are you and lo getting on? Its such an emotional time.

 

[Bon18]

My boys were born at 33+5 they were in the NICU for 22 days, initially they were on cpap but after a week they were fine. We just had to wait for them to put on weight and establish feeding... I came home breastfeeding one and expressing for the other who had trouble latching.