teaching prem to feed

[AmesLK]

My Lily is 34 + 5 days as of today, weights 3lbs, 9oz and has yet to even have breast milk on her tongue. Did anyone else go through this, and have to wait for their child to come off cpap or other breathing help before they could learn to feed?

 

[AP]

Is Lily cycling on/off CPAP yet? X

 

[25weeker]

I think it really depends on the hospital.

The first one I was in let me start putting her to the breast around 31 weeks when she was still on cpap. It wasn't too feed it was just to let her sniff & lick. That's how the neonatal put it!

We were transferred at 32 1/2 weeks and that hospital didn't let me try until she was off cpap.

 

[AmandaAnn]

I know how frustrating this time is. It doesn't seem like it, but she will get there. Caleb was on CPAP and my hospital had rules about this as well, I just had to trust they were doing what was right for my baby in the long term, even though it was heartbreaking at the time, and the days crawled by.

Even when she comes off CPAP and they allow her to try to feed, it will be slow at first. Maybe for a while. But at some point it is as though something "clicks", and they never look back.

You will make it through this, as will your beautiful daughter.