new preemie mom

[vickyd]

Hello ladies!
I gave birth to my little girl exactly one week ago at 35 weeks by emergency c-section due to low AF, no weight gain and aged placenta. She was able to breath on her own straight away and was put in NICU for 24 hours where they also bottle fed her. She was then moved to Neonatal intermediate care where they put in a feeding tube through her nose as it turns out the bottle feeding was too soon. Since then they were botttle feeding her in conjuction with tube feeding as she wasnt eating the full amount on her own. Two days ago the doctor told us that she was eating the required amount on her own and that if i managed to feed her myself for the rest of the day and yesterday than she would be home by the end of the week. Yesterday i go in for her morning feed and shes back on the tube full time since shes not gaining any weight!!! She was born 2.2 Kg and she is now 2.120... It seems that everyday they are telling me something new!! Should i be worried that she hasnt gained any weight in one week???? The doctors dont seem concerned but i find it odd...

 

[Foogirl]

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Abby's weight gain was up and down. There were quite a few babies who were just about to go home but then lost a bit of weight so had to stay a few more days. It sounds like she is generally moving in the right direction.

ooh, and congratulations!

 

[PrincessPea]

Congratulations dear and welcome to the 'fold'

I think it is reasonably common for babies to lose a wee bit weight after they are born, try not to worry too much and your LO will be home before you know it!

 

[vickyd]

Thanks girls!

Well they did some blood tests and so far no problems have been found. We are waiting for the results of some urine tests tomorrow, they want to see if she has a UTI ...
Ive had a really hard time today cause on top of everything im sick and cant visit her..I think ive been crying all day.

 

[Mumof42009]

She will be home before you know it hun, they have ups and downs with their weight and feeding, she will soon be gaining the pounds. Also make sure you look after yourself it's a roller coaster journey but it's worth it xx

 

[Srrme]

Even though Elias didn't lose any weight during his stay in the NICU, I was told it's very common for premature babies to lose weight, especially when they start oral feeds because they're using more energy, and burning more calories. Is she on breast milk, or formula?

 

[alparen]

I had my daughter at 26 weeks and she is just now at 29 weeks gaining weight. the dr's said its normal to lose weight for 7-15 days after birth as it is just water they retained during pregnancy and they pee it all out. Samantha will be 4 weeks old tomorrow and finally just put on 90 grams in the last 4 days as they have been upping her feeding amounts. No worries she'll start packing on the pounds soon

 

[Fiestagal]

Congratulations!

I'm sure they allow 2 weeks for full term babies to regain birthweight. Connor was also born at 35 weeks (well 34+6) and regained his birthweight on day 14.

 

[vickyd]

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond ladies!

Unfortunately i havent been able to give her breastmilk. Im pumping every few hours but apart from once when i got about 10 ml, i usually bump a few drops... My mom seems to think that this might be due also to my constant crying...Did any of you have trouble expressing?

 

[Srrme]

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond ladies!

Unfortunately i havent been able to give her breastmilk. Im pumping every few hours but apart from once when i got about 10 ml, i usually bump a few drops... My mom seems to think that this might be due also to my constant crying...Did any of you have trouble expressing?

How many times a day are you expressing? And for how long?

I cried a lot, but it didn't affect my supply. I had a low supply at first because I was only pumping every 3-4 hours. I spoke to a LC and she told me to pump every hour for a week. I did, and my supply increased dramatically -- I was expressing 100-200ml every 2 1/2 hours. By the time my LO left the hospital, I had too much spare milk to fit in the freezer.

When I first started expressing, a pump didn't work, so I hand expressed and managed to get a lot more milk out.

Are you drinking a lot of water, and eating well?

 

[vickyd]

Wow Ssrme every hour???? The midwives and lactation specialists ive spoken to say every 3 hours is ok...I will try your way and see if i cant get some juices flowing lol!!!!

I actually really need to up my intake of water, ive cut down cause i get some pain when i use the toilet after the c-setion..

 

[katy1310]

Sophie was slow to put on weight when she first started having proper feeds rather than the tube feeding but our case was a bit different because she was born at 27 weeks and was tube fed for 10 weeks then breastfed. She actually dropped a few ounces the week she came home. When she was tube fed she was putting on 3 ounces every time she was weighed which was every 3 days but when I started feeding her she either didn't gain any, or dropped a bit. But it wasn't long at all before she started gaining again.

Regarding the expressing, I was really slow to start producing any kind of decent amounts, and the pump didn't work at all for me at first - I think Sophie would have been about 2 weeks old when I started having any success with the pump! I had to hand express before that. I would definitely agree to try every hour if you can and just keep at it! I took Fenugreek for a while too and it helped.

xxxxx

 

[alparen]

I was doing really well at first pumping for Samantha but in the last week for no reason my milk supply dropped to next to nothing. I told the nurses i won't be able to keep up anymore as i am making below what they are feeding her in a day. Yesterday i pumped and i got a few drops so I have thrown in the towel. So once they run out of breastmilk she will be put on premie formula. I feel like crap for it.

 

[vickyd]

Thanks ladies!

Hand expressing? I think i have to google how to do that lol! I tried but i think i was just pinching my nipple ouch!!

 

[Srrme]

Wow Ssrme every hour???? The midwives and lactation specialists ive spoken to say every 3 hours is ok...I will try your way and see if i cant get some juices flowing lol!!!!

I actually really need to up my intake of water, ive cut down cause i get some pain when i use the toilet after the c-setion..

Yep. It's a pain in the butt, but it worked -- and I only had to do it that often for a week. The LC called it "Cluster Pumping" -- it's similar to when a baby cluster feeds, and when that happens, your milk supply increases!

I only pumped once in the middle of the night, though. Usually around 3-4am, so you probably won't have to be up every hour of the night pumping if you do try it.

And drink LOADS of water if you can. It helps.

 

[Srrme]

Regarding the expressing, I was really slow to start producing any kind of decent amounts, and the pump didn't work at all for me at first - I think Sophie would have been about 2 weeks old when I started having any success with the pump! I had to hand express before that. I would definitely agree to try every hour if you can and just keep at it! I took Fenugreek for a while too and it helped.

xxxxx

The pump didn't work for me at first either, and when it did, it only managed to get milk out of my left boob. The pump couldn't get squat out of my right boob until Elias nursed, which was 2 months AFTER he was born. It's a good thing I didn't invest in a pump.

I only used the pump while I was at the hospital, and hand expressed every other time.

 

[annalouise22]

hello, hope all is well x i had my daughter at 31wks and my son at 27wks, expressed with both but through all the constant worry and pressure my milk just went down hill i was given tablets to make me produce more milk when my son was in the neonatal, if you just tell any of the nurses in there that you are having problems they can get you a prescription done for you, i'm very sorry but i can't remember what the tablets were called as it was nearly 2 years ago now but they did help for a good month or so x hope this helps x hope your feeling well and congratulations x x

 

[vickyd]

hello, hope all is well x i had my daughter at 31wks and my son at 27wks, expressed with both but through all the constant worry and pressure my milk just went down hill i was given tablets to make me produce more milk when my son was in the neonatal, if you just tell any of the nurses in there that you are having problems they can get you a prescription done for you, i'm very sorry but i can't remember what the tablets were called as it was nearly 2 years ago now but they did help for a good month or so x hope this helps x hope your feeling well and congratulations x x

Thanks so much! I wasnt aware that there were meds for that. Ive actually told the nurses on the ward that im having trouble and no one mentioned this solution. Im gonna ask them tomorrow...