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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Are full term but early babies more difficult to BF that full term late babies?

28 replies

pastalady · 19/08/2007 14:33

Just wondered really if anyone found it harder to get babies born around the 37ish week mark to latch on and feed well than babies born after 40ish weeks.

Just wondered what other peoples experiences were and if I should be prepared for another BF battle if this next one is early.

I'm due in 5 weeks. My first baby was born at just 38 weeks and was difficult to BF - although I am certain that was the drugs/icky high forceps delivery/no skin on skin/seperation from me etc - so I guess its something I'm a bit worried about. At least I have XP on my side this time though!

OP posts:
bitzermaloney · 19/08/2007 15:22

I don't know if you can generalise and only have my experience to go by (so not exactly statistically significant ), but ds was 2 weeks early and didn't 'get' bf at all to start with. All he wanted to do was sleep, and when finally awake and presented with the breast he would open his mouth and root around...and root, and root, and root, and all the while it was right there! The midwives and bf counsellors I saw kept saying 'I do see what you mean - you're doing everything right... it's him!' But we persevered and I've just stopped bf at 12 months. We needed loads of help, but thankfully knew where to get it (thanks largely to MN). I don't know about 'preparing' for a battle but perhaps not panicking if it's hard at first, and making sure you have plenty of bf counsellor phone numbers to hand. All the best!

Guitargirl · 19/08/2007 16:24

My DD was born at 41 weeks + 5 and was difficult to latch on at first. Don't think the jaundice helped though. We got there eventually !

Good luck!! Quite a few of my friends in RL have found bf their second baby easier than their first.

yama · 19/08/2007 16:28

My dd was born at 39 weeks - no problems. Actually she seemed hungry and led the way.

crokky · 19/08/2007 16:29

My LO was induced at 37 weeks and it was really difficult to get BF established. Suck was really weak (and mouth tiny!) Also had drugs and forceps and think it needs a lot of perserverance in this situation. Mangaed in the end!

nannyjo · 19/08/2007 16:34

My 1st DS was 34+4 weeks and wouldn't latch at all, i was told cos he was prem but my 2nd DS was 35weeks and latched on straight away,

I think it is a really individual thing but the earlier they are born then technically the less time they have had to develop thy're sucking reflex.

terramum · 19/08/2007 20:15

DS was born on his due date & had real problems with his sucking reflex at first but that was down to his lack of feeding soon after birth (first feed was 5 hours after!), the drugs in the epidural I had for 12 hours, the pain killers the mw's gave me (even after I asked if they were ok to take if I was bfing )...& then exacerbated by the bottles we ended up giving him.

I've actually been reading about this recently & the LLL book "The Womanly art of Breastfeeding" has some interesting information about this issue...

  • If the mother & baby are separated after birth & the first nursing is delayed, even as little as 20 minutes, the baby may have difficulty latching on well.
  • A healthy full-term newborn who is placed on his/her mother's abdomen soon after birth is able to find his/her way to the breast and latch on without assistance, provided he is not drowsy from drugs or anaesthesia used during labour and delivery.
  • The sucking reflex of a full-term healthy newborn is usually at a peak about 20-30 minutes after he/she is born. If this prime time to begin nursing is missed the sucking reflex may be less strong for about a day an a half.

Soooo wish I had read this book BEFORE DS was born & not several years later

I seem to remember that the sucking reflex is present even in slightly prem babies born before 37 weeks, but I can remember what age the reflex is actually acquired...something tells me it's around 32-34 weeks...but don't quote me on that.

Sterny · 19/08/2007 20:16

My ds was born at 34 weeks and didn't breastfeed successfully until he was 38 weeks. He had a very poor sucking reflex and was very sleepy and had to be fed via naso-gastric tube. I have a friend whose baby was born at 30 weeks and was breastfeeding successfully at 32 weeks so you really can't generalise!

Pruners · 19/08/2007 20:18

Message withdrawn

MuffinMclay · 19/08/2007 20:21

Interesting theory.

Ds was born at 38 weeks and couldn't latch on at all for a week (fed EBM), and we really struggled with bf until I admitted defeat at 12 weeks.

Califrau · 19/08/2007 20:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

msappropriate · 19/08/2007 20:24

both my ds were born at 38 weeks. First one latched on after c-section but then he had to have formula through tube cos of low sugar levels (I had gestaional diabetes) and then wouldn't latch on. It took over 2 weeks of cup feeding/formula/expressing etc till he got it sussed.

Like you I was very worried with number 2 but he latched on in the operating theatre whilst they were sewing me up! I was ecstatic, the downside is he wanted to feed almost continuously for the first few days which nearly killed me. I did resort to some formula after he had been feeding for 9 hrs straight! (not comfort feeding, he kept demanding to change breast when the colustrum ran out!) Also had loads of problems with pain on one side, never worked out if it was thrush or positioning but it got better after 6 weeks!

Panth · 19/08/2007 20:30

Really interesting theory. DS1 was born at 37 weeks and we really struggled with latching on and BF. DS2 was born at 40 weeks and managed it straightaway, no problems. It may also have been though because second time I was much more relaxed about it and mentally prepared for the problems we had first time round. Far less stressful experience second time round! Good luck.

Original poster
pastalady · 19/08/2007 23:05

Really interesting stories. Thanks for that LLL stuff Terramum - will be demanding skin on skin this time and really hope I can have it i.e no complications for baby or me - look, there I go getting all anxious again! Got to stop doing that!

Maybe it's all just down to luck.

OP posts:
christywhisty · 20/08/2007 00:15

Both my 2 were born 37/38 weeks.
Ds's birth was similar to yours pretty horendous as it was a 24 labour and 7 weeks of pre eclampsia and was held by Dh for ages while I was being stitched up etc Had no problems latching on but needed feeding all the time.

DD was 37 weeks no problem with latching on but couldn't be bothered to feed and more interested in sleeping, so when she was still losing weight by 3rd week she went onto the bottle and was far happier, she is perfectly healthy, bright nearly 10 year old so really didn't blight her life being bottlefed.

IdrisTheDragon · 20/08/2007 00:16

DS was born at 38+3 and didn't have any problems with breastfeeding. I had diamorphine in labour and a forceps delivery. Think I may have been lucky there.

IdrisTheDragon · 20/08/2007 00:17

I also was sewn up for 2 hours in theatre after DS was born, so lost out on skin-to-skin for a bit as well.

Aitch · 20/08/2007 00:17

id you see the breast crawl vid, pasta? have a google. i've often wondered about this as well, dd was born at 38+1 and really just slept the whole time.

unknownrebelbang · 20/08/2007 00:37

Purely anecdotal but ime:

DS1 was born at 37 weeks, and fed well from the start.

DS2, born at 40+1 nightmare to feed in that he would latch on, but then fall asleep without feeding properly. Got there eventually but was a struggle for a while.

DS3, born at 38 weeks, after a CS and minor initial difficulties, but he fed well.

mamama · 20/08/2007 00:40

DS - 37 weeks - nightmare to feed - took him 5 months to 'get' it. 5 months

All worked out in the end though

MyMILisDoloresUmbridge · 20/08/2007 00:49

Ds1 and Ds2 were both born by CS, both were a few days overdue and both latched on just fine, no problems whatsoever.
Ds3 was 8 weeks prem and still latched on after 1 week of being tube-fed and bottlefed EBM. I was told he wouldn't latch on at his age but he did! I was quite determined to bf though.

MumtoBen · 20/08/2007 09:49

My DS1 was born 2 weeks early. He had severe jaundice, was severely tongue tied, was separated for me for a bit (about an hour I think) after a forceps delivery and yet was a great b/f-er. The only time he had a problem was when he was unconscious with the jaundice, but once he started phototherapy he was fine. Never had any further problems other than he took ages to feed, which I think was due to the tongue tie. I think I was lucky though. He just seemed to know what to do.

My DS2 was 5 days early with none of the problems with DS2. He took a while to latch on for the 1st week, but since then has been fine.

margoandjerry · 20/08/2007 09:54

My daughter was born at 36 weeks but apparently hale and hearty - weighed 7lb 12!

We really struggled with bf. She just couldn't get it, and nor could it. Sorted it at about 6 weeks.

Original poster
pastalady · 20/08/2007 20:30

Really interesting to read these stories. Doesn't seem to be much of a link although a mumsnet thread in't that scientific!

7lb 12 @ 36 weeks margoandjerry - Wow!

OP posts:
muppetgirl · 20/08/2007 20:36

My ds was 41 + 4 he was induced, had pethadine, epidural, ventouse 9lb 1oz was wiped and wrapped so no skin to skin latched on immediately and although I passed out with tiredness he was also given a bottle by dh on the advice of the mw's as he was starving!!!!

I b/f for 6 weeks and stopped because of me he had no latching problems

Peachy · 20/08/2007 20:38

ds1, induced early low birthweight (IUGR), but still technical full term, couldn't BF beyond a few days sadly

ds2- full term, bf for a good while (4 months)

ds3- late- bf for 16 months