my 33/34 weeker is struggling to feed..anyone else been throught this?

[bishboschone]

he was born at 33.4 , 2 weeks ago. He was fine at first but stared to vomit up his milk. He was then put on a drip and now they are starting to try small amounts of milk again. He has grown a little bit in 2 weeks but obviously he isn;t getting any nourishment from anywhere . They tried to put a 'long line ' in yesterday but have failed 2 times. Does all this sound familiar to anyone . I am trying very hard to hold it together but its getting more and more difficult. :(

[WillbeanChariot]

Congratulations on the birth of your little boy. My son was born at 27 weeks so I can relate to how you are feeling.

First of all I don't think that even term babies are expected to grow much in the first fortnight. Birth is stressful and all babies naturally lose a little bit of weight, so don't worry about growth for now. When my son was born we were told his gut was very delicate so they didn't try milk at first but fed him via drip like your little boy, then they started with very tiny amounts of milk and built up slowly. Feeds were stopped and started many times because he wasn't coping with them, or they were worried about infection. It is hard to cope with because it feels like a step back for them, I remember the feeling. It is great that they are trying milk again. I hope he is managing to keep it down. Is it your milk he is having?

Re. the long lines, oh how I hated them. My son kept having to have his replaced, or getting infections in it, and sometimes it took several attempts to get it in. I'm sure they will get one in your little boy if he needs it. If it really can't be done there are alternatives, they will not let him continue without nourishment.

How are you coping with hospital generally? Have you got some support? It is a really hard time. I hope things get better soon.

[bishboschone]

Thank you for replying ,yes I have lots of support especially from my fantastic husband who is my support as I cry most days when at the hospital. That sounds very promising though and similar to our experience. They didn't manage to get the long line in despite trying twice.He is on another milk now which is even more gentle on the stomach and he has kept it down for 22 hours so fingers crossed.
How many weeks was your son when he eventually went home? I know they are all different but feeding from a bottle seems so far away. Thanks again fro your time , its such a worrying time.

[WillbeanChariot]

Hi I am glad to hear he is keeping some milk down. Do you know if your hospital has a milk bank? Maybe they might try him on donor milk if so. It couldn't hurt to ask.

My son didn't go home until he was two months corrected, but that was because of breathing problems not feeding. He was fully feeding by himself at around 42 weeks I think. That also took longer because of the breathing issues. He started feeding by mouth at about 37-38 weeks. I'm sure once your son's insides can handle the milk he will make great progress. Does he have a dummy to practise sucking?

I'm glad you have a supportive husband. Wishing you all the best.

[clabsyqueen]

Hi bish, can I relate? - yes! Have a look at the end of the thread on placental insufficiency for more details but my little lady (born3 weeks ago at 28+3) has just had her long line taken out and has steadily lost weight since. She went up to 830g from her birth weight of 660g but is now back down to 780g. It's very stressful and anxiety inducing. I cry every day (at the hospital or at home depending on how together I feel!). Bottle feeding seems like a lifetime away indeed. There is lots to be gained from reading these threads. You realise that every family has different battles to fight and they all seem to be a big challenge but they seem to get there. Like will bean says they will not let your LO go without nutrition. I have irrationally felt like my LO might just disappear over the next few days!
Hope you're doing ok and staying strong as a team with your hubby.

[bishboschone]

sorry for the late reply, hospital visits take so much of my time. Thank you both. I don't like dummies but it was suggested we have one so we did and he does suck on it which is good news and he is on 11 ml of milk every hour now and is 4lb 4. They thought he may have a milk allergy so he is on a non lactose milk which is fine for now as the consultant says we can try again on nutriprem in a week or so when he is stronger. My gut feeling there is no allergy and his tummy just wasnt ready but its so upsetting. Sorry to hear about your baby clabsyqueen, I hope she is doing ok, it is all so stressful isn't it? Do you have other children?

[TheresAHuppoInMyHouse]

Hello bish, you are doing so well, and it sounds like your DS is making progress too which is great news. I just wanted to offer some sympathy and reassurance - my DD was born at 30 weeks and didn't really start to put on any significant weight until after she came home at 38 weeks. It takes quite a while for the littlies to get the hang of digesting milk, and then takes another while to move from the drip to the nasogastric tube, then to the bottle then finally to the breast. But they do manage it, after many inevitable steps forwards and backwards again. I found the backwards steps easier to bear once I realised they were all part of the process.
Well done again, and enjoy your visits to your lovely baby!

[clabsyqueen]

Hi bush, glad you are making progress and possibly getting explanations. My LO is being treated for reflux with medicine so I hope it helps the milk go down! This is my only child thankfully. Don't know how anyone manages with this process when they have kids at home. Best of luck!

[clabsyqueen]

Also thank you to huppoinmy... it's good to hear that this feeding process follows a predictable pattern. I must try to be patient!

[wishwales]

My DD (prem) had issues feeding until she hit 36 or so weeks. My understanding is that this is when alot of them turn a corner re: eating. Good luck.

[organiccarrotcake]

Is there any chance of getting donor milk in your hospital? Babies tolerate it so much better than formula.