Hi, I've just seen your thread and thought id share my story with you. My little boy was born at 32+5. I had him very quickly whilst at home alone! He weighed 4lb 6oz at birth and dropped to 4lb in the first week. I persevered with expressing although there were many times I wanted to give up, I had cracked and sore nipples, a bout of mastitis and thrush in my boobs! I kept trying breast feeding but Harry wouldn't do it, he's a stubborn little thing! The hospital recommended not bottle feeding so not to confuse him so with continued to tune feed and attempt the breast daily. After 3 weeks in scu he contracted mrsa and was moved to isolation where I stopped trying to feed him for a few days whilst he was treated. There was minimal contact, we had to wear gloves and aprons at all times. After a week in isolation I stated to try feeding him again, staying all day to do feeding on demand and the hospital continued the tube feeds at night. At the weekend I stayed in the parents room with Harry and did on demand feeding solely. I cracked in the middle of Friday night and Harry was given ebm in a bottle. The lovely night shift midwife saw I was losing it. I was 'told off' in the morning and told he wouldn't take the breast after being on the bottle so we went back to breast on demand for an exhausting 2 full days. I was told if Harry put weight on over the weekend we could go home Monday. I didn't sleep for 2 days, every time he murmured I tried him, he'd stuck for 2-3 minutes and go back to sleep! He was given his vitamin in a cup but I ended up spilling more on him than him drinking it do the well meaning midwife gavel a bottle for the vitamins. I cheated on Sunday night, hand expressed into the bottle and fed Harry. Monday morning came, Harry was weighted and had put on 1 ounce! He was allowed to go home! So overjoyed!
He has now been at hone for 8 weeks. I have mixed bottle and breast feeding and he is fine with both! In the start I expressed and gave it to him on a bottle mainly as I was worried with only breast feeding his weight would drop and he would end up back in hospital, over time he got the hang of breast feeding. He still falls asleep quicker at the breast but that's sometimes helpful for nighttime feeds! I express a couple of times a day and each expressing session I get enough for 2 feeds so daddy or grandma can feed him.
At 12 week Harry had doubled his birth weight and was 8lb 6oz! I don't know where my tiny baby has gone!
Scu was a very upsetting and scary time but when we look back at the photos and videos we have some good memories. Lots if stories to tell Harry when he'd older. It all feels like a lifetime ago now!
Your little one will be at home before you know it! Xxx