When did your preemie start breast feeding?

[Heramys]

Hi,
I'm really struggling as both our preemies still feeds through nasogastric tubes. I'm shattered from all the pumping and preparing food constantly and to top it up - they're falling asleep almost immediately once they've latched on (if they do that is).
That means I'm so tired all the time, especially during nights when they seem more hungry, that I don't want to go through all the hassle to try and latch them on.
I feel like a failure at this point and it feels we are never gettin g away from the bl**dy tubes

When did your preemies start bf properly and how did you do it??

Ours were born at 32+6 and in three days they turn 3 weeks old.

Thank you in advance.
xx

 

[MommyGrim]

Stalking because the twins either flat out refuse the breast or only nurse for 5-10 min before giving up and I'm starting to get discouraged....

 

[Simonecah]

I started my son who was born at 29 weeks at about five weeks after he was born. Had to wait until he had the suck swallow breathe reflex at 34 weeks. He had trouble sucking hard enough and opneing wide enough and I have slightly flat nipples, so we used a nipple shield. It worked great. He did really well, even better than bottle feeding which they said was unusual. Now am starting to wean him from it and it is going ok. Good luck!

 

[lanaross]

LO was born at 35+1 and fed ten minutes after being born. Three days later, ended up jaundice and was fed through the tube for two days. We went home six days after he was born and he was exclusively breastfed ever since. Once they took the tube out in NICU, I came every three hours (thankfully I live ten minutes away) and fed him while in NICU so he didn't forget breast. I only skipped 3 am feedings and sometimes midnight.

 

[Srrme]

My oldest was in the NICU for 60 days and fed my expressed breast milk from a bottle the entire time. I began exclusively breastfeeding him the day he was discharged. My second was in the NICU for 3 weeks and he was also fed my expressed breast milk and began exclusively breastfeeding once discharged.

 

[Heramys]

Thanks guys!

Mommygrim: how's it going? I've managed to get them to bf between 15-40 minutes each try (around 6 times a day) since 3 days back. I use medelas nipple shields otherwise Jamie can't get a good latch.
We still have to feed them extra through the tubes but we slowly decreasing the amount with regular weight check-ups.

x

 

[sunnylove]

My LO started breastfeeding in NICU at about 35 weeks. But he never took nearly enough volume that they wanted him to and even weeks later, he still wasn't. I knew I would be in NICU for several more weeks at that rate, so we started giving him expressed breastmilk through a bottle, and still breastfed here and there. He came home on the bottle and it's been difficult for us to transition to the breast. I still put him to breast a couple times a day, but I don't feel like he gets a lot because he still needs fed a bottle afterwards. He's been home 1.5 months now and it's very frustrating because I wish I was more diligent about putting him to breast when he was discharged, but the doctors kept telling me he needed to take a certain amount at every feeding, and I had no idea what he was taking at breast, so... *sigh* Hopefully we can get it down soon enough...

 

[GI_Jane]

My LO will only breast feed using a nipple shield which people have frowned upon but he just doesn't have the strength to do a proper latch on without. He also can't go longer than 10 mins without falling asleep. It's better than nothing- I'm also expressing and doing formula top up.

In the NICU they would do his top up or full feed down the NG tube while at the breast just to build that association of boob equals full tummy.

 

[GI_Jane]

My LO started breastfeeding in NICU at about 35 weeks. But he never took nearly enough volume that they wanted him to and even weeks later, he still wasn't. I knew I would be in NICU for several more weeks at that rate, so we started giving him expressed breastmilk through a bottle, and still breastfed here and there. He came home on the bottle and it's been difficult for us to transition to the breast. I still put him to breast a couple times a day, but I don't feel like he gets a lot because he still needs fed a bottle afterwards. He's been home 1.5 months now and it's very frustrating because I wish I was more diligent about putting him to breast when he was discharged, but the doctors kept telling me he needed to take a certain amount at every feeding, and I had no idea what he was taking at breast, so... *sigh* Hopefully we can get it down soon enough...

Completely understand what you are going through. We have sacrificed breast feeding time so we can keep track of his volumes through the bottle but it was the only way to make sure he got what he needed to gain weight. I'm frustrated at the whole feeding situation now we are home and I don't know how much longer I have the patience to breast feed briefly (stopping before he tires out), express and do formula.

 

[misspriss]

He was born on Thursday, and we started breastfeeding that next Tuesday. He would barely get any though. He was in the NICU for 18 days, and the last few of that were just working on breastfeeding. I disallowed bottles, so it was all breast or NG tube. He was fully breastfeeding at 17 days old, with nipple shields. We had to work HARD.

We kept up with volume through measuring NG tube feeds and estimating BF feeds with pre-post feed weighing at each feed while in the hospital.

 

[holdontohope]

My baby girl was born at 35 weeks. She was fed through tube and bottles while in the NICU. She came home at two weeks old and it took another 3-4 weeks to get her fully on the breast!! It was so frustrating and emotionally draining I almost have up several times. I finally discorvered nipple shields and she was on the breast immediately! 2 weeks later and she was fully on my nipple and no more bottles

My advice would be nipple shields and don't give up!!! My pediatrician said it all depends on how badly a mother wants a preemie to breastfeed. Sometimes it takes weeks even months, but if you stick to it it will happen!!!