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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

how do you get a bottle fed baby back onto the breast?

5 replies

Cha · 24/12/2003 14:37

This is a question for a friend with very prem twins. She has been expressing milk and she and the hospital staff have been giving it to the babies via drips and now bottles. Recently, when they came out of intensive care, she was able to start breastfeeding. However, both twins are having problems getting the hang of it. They like the closeness and comfort but don't suck very well.
Now one of the babies, the boy, is at home while his sister is still in hospital. My friend is worried that when he does breastfeed, he doesn't take very much ie mostly foremilk, and that he chokes a lot. He is still very, very little (5lbs though 5 months old) and my friend is at the moment expressing milk and then feeding it to him in a bottle. This is obviously very hard work, and it will not get any better when his sister comes home in the New Year, so we were wondering if anyone has any top tips? Formula feeding is out of the question as both their immune systems are very fragile and they need all the protection that breastmilk provides.

OP posts:
tiktok · 24/12/2003 14:52

Cha, your pal needs to speak to someone direct - call one of the breastfeeding helplines, they're all open. NCT's is 0870 444 8708.

She needs to be expressing as often as she can with an effective pump - at least 8 times in 24 hours including at least once at night.

She needs to give both babies kangaroo care as often as she can.

It's good she has a friend who supports her!

But third hand conversations - you posting to a website, me posting to you, and you telling her - isn't as good as her speaking to someone direct

mistletoes · 24/12/2003 17:51

A friend of mine had a very similar problem, but with a prem baby (not twins). She found that the nipple shields worked wonders. After a while, she was ble to get rid of the nipple shield, but it is a temporary solution. I'm no expert, but hopefully that will help.

tiktok · 24/12/2003 18:17

Nipple shields have severe drawbacks that anyone who uses them needs to be aware of (though they may help some people). Do a search on this board for more info.

Cha · 27/12/2003 11:03

Thanks for all your advice. Tiktok - was hoping you would be about! Will tell her and give her the number. What is kangaroo care (though she probably knows) - is it carrying them around all the time?

OP posts:
tiktok · 28/12/2003 16:05

Kangaroo care is best described here: www.kangaroomothercare.com

Good luck to her

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