Struggling to feed my preemie

[kanga]

My son is 17 days old now. Born at 35+1 and now 37+4. His birth weight was 3lb 10oz and he is now 3 lb 14oz.

I want to breastfeed. I'm trying him every other feed and he is tube fed otherwise

When he's awake he wants the boob but he is flailing around and won't suck the nipple in. He did latch yesterday once for 20 mins so I know he can do it. The other feeds he wanted it bit couldn't get a latch. It's so frustrating.

Has anyone else experienced this? My son is mature and should be able to feed. I feel like we will never get home. The nurses keep saying he will turn a corner and do it. But when I don't know. I have a 2.5 year old at home and can't keep up then pumping and driving to/from hospital forever. It's starting to feel hopeless.

 

[familygirl30]

My son was born at 34 weeks 5 days and was tube fed he couldn't latch on and really struggled,I was getting upset as I so wanted to breast feed and didn't think it would be so hard,had bf support workers into help but still no joy.Ended up expressing and bottle feeding my son,expressing lasted 8 weeks and then went on to formula,keep trying as sounds like your baby will get their,good luck

 

[4 boys]

Unfortunately it's going to take time you can't force baby and the more you stress the more he will sense this and he won't be happy..
I completely understand you I've had 4 premmies
34 - 28- 26 - 36 and I had a tough time but it will come in the end but you also need to remember not every baby wants and can breast feed sometimes it just isn't meant to be and you have to go on to formula.
With my son now he's 5mth I'm formula because I couldn't do it I have 3 sons at home and each time it's got harder where as it should be easier

Talk with your baby's nurse express your feelings beacause your baby will sense you..

You can do both breast& bottle and see how he is??

First son I fully breasted. 2&3 I expressed as they were too early and I was like you had to be at home but I was strapped to a breast pump getting milk for my visits it was so difficult, in the end I gave my milk in bottle and moved to formula they were on nutriprem 2, but son3 had lactose intolerance and put on neocate , my son now had expressed milk for 2weeks then they put him on c&g as I didn't have time to be at hospital and pumping but asking as he's had the first milk that's the most important..

 

[JJKCB]

my son was 36 weeks but my problem was that I didn't produce milk until 38 weeks, so we bottle fed him instead

 

[sunnylove]

Don't lose hope! This may be different cases since my LO was much more premature than yours, but my LO didn't really get the hang of feeding until 40 weeks. I'm sure that's discouraging to hear, but it's good to know because some babies just don't get it until around their due date and while it is SO difficult, please be patient with your LO.

My LO came home on the bottle (expressed breast milk) as he never took a lot of volume when he nursed. After exclusively bottle feeding for about 1.5 months (once he came home), we finally switched over to exclusively breastfeeding (one day I just said I was done pumping and we were going to start nursing!!) and he's been doing it ever since, so don't lose hope!

You may have to bring him home on the bottle, but it is SO much easier to nurse once LO is home.

 

[Cryssie]

My daughter was born at 29 weeks. I'm not breastfeeding but I feel your pain. She's just now, 8 days from her due date, taking 6/8 bottles. She has to take all 8 before we can go home. It seems like it has taken forever just to get to this point. But like the nurses say, one day it just clicks in their heads.