8 day old premature ds, getting further away from the breast and heading to the bottle help!

[cookielove]

Hello all, just looking for some advice really!

Ds was born at 34+1, is now 35+2 and I am struggling to get him breastfeeding! He can suck. He can feed from me he just won't. He was originally tube fed, with a bottle introduce at night if he was rooting, yesterday he pulled out his tube and the nurses didn't replace it, so every feed after being offered the breast was topped up with a bottle. He drinks really well from the bottle. So last night I stayed in with him with the hopes he might take it from me over night but he still refused.

How long should I be keeping him at the breast before giving up, most days I can get one good feed from him, the rest he refuses.

Also will he feed better when my supply improves, at the moment the most I have pumped in one sitting is 30mls, which isn't enough.

Will he ever switch back to the breast or am I going crazy, trying to do this. It is so heart breaking and frustrating when I try for so long and then he takes a bottle.

Tia.

[cookielove]

bump

[eurochick]

Hi cookie, I'm in a similar situation, but a little further down the road. My daughter was born at 34 weeks (and is 5 weeks old today) and was tube fed in nicu. I expressed milk. She needed to be breast or bottle fed to come home. I tried the boob at all day time feeds once she was strong enough but she wouldn't quite get it, although she did latch on very occasionally, proving that she could. She clearly found bottle feeding easier so we went with that to get her home. I hoped to figure out breastfeeding once she was out. She's been home for almost two weeks now and although we have occasional breast feeding successes, she clearly prefers the ease of the bottle. I'm going to keep trying for a little bit longer and if she doesn't get it just carry on expressing. It isn't what I want but she is putting on loads of weight and thriving, so expressing is clearly working for her.

Do you have a hospital grade pump? My midwife recommended hiring one from Ardo. I find I have to massage around the boob whilst pumping to get a decent amount out.

[Magpiemystery]

I had a very similar scenario with ds also born 6 weeks early.

It's very hard when they are in special care and tube fed. The medics made it very clear to me that my ds just needed calories and fussing around feeding him was not doing him any benefit as they burn a lot of calories this way.

In the end I resorted to expressing and giving him breast milk that way. Not ideal and hard to keep going as long as straight forward breast feeding but I did 5 months. It is knackering at first a continual cycle if feeding, sterilising and expressing but I felt it was worth it.

Your supply will come if you keep expressing, even if you over express a bit at first you can freeze it do you have a supply.

Good luck

[cookielove]

I've had a more positive day today, his tube was put back in and then removed again and the dr's are letting me try and do on demand all day and night. He fed for 30 mins this am and just did another 45!

[cookielove]

I've had a more positive day today, his tube was put back in and then removed again and the dr's are letting me try and do on demand all day and night. He fed for 30 mins this am and just did another 45!

[TheGirlAtTheRockShow]

DD was born at 35+2. She was tube feed with a cup if rooting. Why are they using bottle? NICU staff told me cup is better if hoping to BF as it avoids confusion issue. Have you tried nipple shields? That is what saved our BF as DD was too small to latch on without.

[Heels99]

Op you are doing well. My premature babies never managed to latch on even once despite four weeks of trying in hospital.

[cookielove]

We are going home tomorrow, yay!!

[eurochick]

That's brilliant news!

[cookielove]

After a sucessful day yesterday he has started refusing the breast again and is wanting bottles only. He is also not a fan of his crib so not fun when all I want to do is sleep.

[eurochick]

I also had one day of successful breastfeeding before she was discharged and she then regressed. Have you tried nipple shields? I have had a little bit of success with them.

[cookielove]

I am gonna try them today!