Prem baby tube fed in SCBU. Reassure me about BFing please!!

[JoyceBarnaby]

DD (DC2) was born less than 24 hours ago at 35 weeks. Weighing 6lb 3oz, she's doing really well. However, she is still on a drip and is being tube fed every 2 hours. Her blood sugar has been very up and down.

I have hand expressed colostrum 5 or 6 times already (up to 1.5ml a time so far) and this has been given to her before any formula top-ups. I have no problem with formula top ups at this stage - so long as my colostrum is priority and she is getting what she needs, it's fine. I am holding her skin to skin and offering boob whenever I can, but she has shown absolutely no interest so far.

I had terrible difficulty establishing BFing with DS, although we did eventually get the hang of it and BF for over a year. He wasn't prem - just not very interested in any feeding at all!! So, does anyone have any advice on what I should be doing with DD? I know it's early days and I need to take each day as it comes, but I really need to know that BFing will happen again!!

Thanks x

[sheeplikessleep]

You're on day 5 too, which is the worst in terms of tears and hormones. Be kind to yourself. Let us know how your LO gets on.

[JoyceBarnaby]

Thanks - I have been worrying about both boobs, so won't worry so much about that.

The good news is that I did manage to wake her up for her next feed and we ended up having a bit of a feeding & pooing bonanza, which was fab. More tests due later so keeping fingers crossed.

Thanks again for all comments - hearing from other mums who have been there is brilliant.

[sheeplikessleep]

Joyce - I remember the highs and lows of waiting to get out of SCBU and DS1 was only there 4 days (although unexpectedly and after 5 days on postnatal). I really hope the jaundice level goes down again for the next read. Keeping everything crossed. If it isn't, then I'm sure it will tomorrow. It doesn't seem like it, but you will both be home soon.

Agree with Japhrimel, just frequent feeds. I also fed with DS1 just in nappy, tickled behind his ears, but often it is just a case of getting in what you can, but frequently. Make sure you are resting when you can and relaxing as much as is possible. Difficult I know. I found having visitors (who I knew would relax me) for 20 minutes or so really helped for me to keep things in perspective and I also took a 20 minute walk outside for fresh air for myself.

[japhrimel]

Try frequent feeds instead of going for big feeds. A both boob feed is pretty huge for a teeny one.

[JoyceBarnaby]

Thanks sheep - much appreciated.

DD isn't being topped up by the tube at all now - it's just up to my boobs now! I'm prepared for a feeding marathon but at the moment, it seems she is not - she's sleeping oh so peacefully and I want her to feed more!! So far, I've changed her nappy twice (this did wake her enough to feed from one boob but not the other), I've undressed her/dressed get and tickled her feet/tummy/cheeks.
Any ideas what I can try? I need her to have as much as poss. If her jaundice level goes up again at the test this evening, I'll be devastated.

[sheeplikessleep]

Good luck Joyce.

Another thing that was mentioned to me was to breastfeed WHILST DS1 was being tube fed, so that he associates the full feeling in his tummy with the breastfeeding.

Keeping everything crossed you get home tomorrow. So hard being in SCBU, but you're both doing really well.

[JoyceBarnaby]

Well, we took a bit of a step backwards yesterday when she had to go under the lamp for jaundice and needed more top-ups through her tube to help flush it out. Although, I am pleased I did manage to express enough for all these top-ups so she still has had only breastmilk, either direct or EBM, since day 2.

Fortunately, she is now off the lamp and although the tube is still in at the mo, we're trying just for direct BFing. Best of all, they've said that if she continues as she has done, we can go home tomorrow!! Am trying not to get my hopes up, but can't stop thinking about taking my beautiful DD home and cuddling my gorgeous DS at home.

So, I am now settling down for a mega feeding marathon to ensure this happens - wish me luck!!

[Beveridge]

Taking a preterm baby home exclusively breastfed is entirely possible - did it myself just over a month ago! DS was born at 32+4 weeks, 5lb 5oz and now 2 weeks past his due date and 11lb - he only ever had 2 days of formula top ups (during the first 48 hours, no access to donor milk here) and 3 bottles of EBM, the rest has all been my own work.

The nurses said that 'when they get it, they get it' and he went from managing one 5 minute breastfeed every 12 hours to having the tube out and doing it all himself in the space of 48 hours. The sucking reflex will develop, it's just a matter of time. DS's tube came out when he was 35 weeks, and he had been sucking on my little finger when he was tubefed for at least a week before that.

I did resist suggestions to give him a dummy and held off on the bottles until it was unavoidable e.g. when he was going ballistic at certain feeds because he had nothing to suck and I couldn't be there but that was the point at which I was invited to come in overnight and stay in the parenting room with him and then he was off.

Good luck, hopefully soon you will be able to collapse at home on your own sofa with her and your DS.

[Checkmate]

Wonderful!

Your 3 year old will be fine; 2 of my children have been in SCBU and my older ones have always bounced back from the experience very quickly - much more so than me!
Playmobile do a little set that has a baby in an incubator in it, we bought this for them, alongside a playmobile baby pram and things, and acted out little scenes showing that baby was in hospital for a while, and then came home and was with us forever.

[KD0706]

That's fabulous Joyce
the time will fly in and you'll both be home before you know it.

DD was in hospital for five weeks and when we were in the middle of it I thought it would last forever, but it was over and done with in the blink of an eye and I could focus on enjoying her!

[bessie26]

Yay! What a clever girl!

[JoyceBarnaby]

DD is doing well - she's off the drip, her blood sugar is stabilised and I am now producing enough milk so that all her tube feeds are coming from me. She fed once in the night last night, but I haven't been able to wake her enough at any other time to latch on.

Now I just need to get her off the tube and feeding normally so we can go home. I obviously want to make sure she's ok and do everything I can to establish BFing, but I miss my little boy (3yo) so much - I know he's ok at home with DH of course, but I hope he forgives mummy for bring away from him for so long.

[japhrimel]

Just wanted to say good luck and it can be done. DD was tube fed in SCBU for 3 days and then needed bottles and top-ups for a while, but we got her to EBF by the time she was 6 weeks old and are still bfing at 6 months!

[hildathebuilder]

one other comment is that the "rugby ball" hold is often the easiest for tiny babies at least to start with as you can support them as well as hold up the weight of your breast with the other hand. SCBU or the BF counsellor should be able to help on this. Once we got home lying down worked for similar reasons

[JoyceBarnaby]

Sorry, didn't mean to post that again - damned iPhone!! Just reading all your replies more carefully now - thank you allx

[Albrecht]

That's fab that she's fed from you and great that you feel supported by the hospital staff. It won't be easy I imagine but you've already made good progress, well done!

[AutumnWitch]

Congratulations on DDs arrival :)

DS1 was born at 34+5 and I managed to express for him to be fed down an NGT. He wasn't keen on the breast at all, really struggled to latch. The hospital convinced me to give ebm in a bottle, I agreed as I was desperate to get us out by then. He took to it happily. I kept trying to bf, but he wasn't interested.
After a few weeks I convinced him (with the help of a feeding clinic) that a nipple shield was an acceptable substitute for a bottle and we carried on like that until about 4 months when I dumped the shield in a fit of pique and he just looked at me like and got stuck in.
So - it took a long time and a lot of perseverance to get where I wanted to be, but it can be done, even if things don't go the way you'd like at first.

[bessie26]

Congratulations!!

DD1 arrived at 34wks & spent 3wks in SCBU being fed my ebm through a tube. I expressed every 3 hrs during the day and once at night. We attempted bf once a day & she got the hang of bf at 37wks (they told me this was when they develop the ability to suckle) & continued until she was a year old - you will be fine. Now go get some sleep!!

[JoyceBarnaby]

Thank you so much for all your messages - I have skimmed them just now and will read them all properly in a bit.

I am speaking to some proper BFing counsellors this morning, which is good. Also, I do feel supported by the nurses in SCBU - although they are keen to keep an eye on her tube feeding, she is hopefully coming off the drip today and they are encouraging skin to skin and BFing attempts. On that note, I am really pleased to report that she has now actually latched on and fed twice - once really well, once less well.

I feel really positive that this is a good step forward, so feel better this morning! It will still be a hard time, I should think, but I am feeling more hopeful. Thanks again so much for your thoughts and advice x

[TheresAHuppoInMyHouse]

Well done you and well done to baby for latching on!

My experience was with my DD (born 30 weeks, spent 6 weeks in NICU/SCBU, tube fed, refused bf until 41 weeks). She learned to bf eventually but it took a long time and for ages I didn't really believe she would ever 'get it'! Now I am weaning her at 7.5 months, she has been exclusively bf since 41 weeks. What I did was:

Express, express express for the whole time she was in hospital and when she came home. Overnight as well. Yawn. But worth it!

Look at a picture of her or smell a babygrow while expressing.

Try her on the breast at every feed without exception (once she is home and whenever you can when visiting in SCBU)

After trying her on the breast, give her expressed milk from a cup or bottle

Then express after giving her the ebm from the bottle.

It was exhausting but it really worked. Every feed took 2 hours (attempt, top-up, express) but once she suddenly started sucking I felt such a sense of achievement and the past 6 months have been super!

Good luck!

[peanutdream]

Congratulations on your new baby . Fantastic that she has latched on and is feeding! This video on hand expressing might be worth a watch - apparently if you can crack it, you can get more milk than with a pump. The other videos on the left might help too.

here

[Checkmate]

Fantastic to hear that she's making attempts to latch on! Well done you and her, and remember to look after yourself (as best you're able) as well as her.

[JoyceBarnaby]

Thank you so much for all your messages - I have skimmed them just now and will read them all properly in a bit.

I am speaking to some proper BFing counsellors this morning, which is good. Also, I do feel supported by the nurses in SCBU - although they are keen to keep an eye on her tube feeding, she is hopefully coming off the drip today and they are encouraging skin to skin and BFing attempts. On that note, I am really pleased to report that she has now actually latched on and fed twice - once really well, once less well.

I feel really positive that this is a good step forward, so feel better this morning! It will still be a hard time, I should think, but I am feeling more hopeful. Thanks again so much for your thoughts and advice x

[mamadoc]

DD was born at term but IUGR (weighed 5lb 4oz) this was unexpected and I cried buckets when they took her away from me to SCBU where she stayed for 10 days.
I think having bf before is going to be a big advantage to you. I felt I should just do as I was told and not all of it was good advice but we went home fully bf and never looked back.
DD was also tube fed formula at first but like you I expressed for her from D1 and before too long I had enough for her not to need any formula. Then they let me bf her properly and top up with the ng after and finally just bf (I had fed her right after the birth so I knew she could they just wouldn't let me).
It depends on the hospital I guess but I was never encouraged to hold her and felt quite pushed out. I knew that I needed to express in the night to get my supply up but I was thought quite odd by midwives etc for doing this. I also found that they were quite obsessed by calculating exactly how many mls she had per hour and that my bf directly messed this up and made them uncomfortable.
My best advice is to stick up for yourself and DD, lots of skin to skin, express loads with double pump and you can definitely do it.

[KD0706]

I agree with all of the advice you've had so far and wanted to add my voice to the list of 'it can be done'

My DD was born at 31 weeks, 3lb 3.
She had no sucking reflex and was tube fed for four weeks then bottles of expressed milk. At about 38 weeks she just clicked with bf and now at 13 months she is still bf.

Prior to 38 weeks she would occasionally lick at my boob but other than that she just stared at me with her lips pursed together. I found it so disheartening and I planned to keep expressing etc till her due date then stop because it was just all so much work and I never thought she would manage to bf.

You are doing so well and it will all be worth it.