Hi all.
I had my beautiful baby girl at 34 weeks 2 weeks ago- a "whooping" 3 lb 6. Tiny tiny. We've spent all but the last two days of that 2 weeks In the NICU ward. During that time I've been expressing and I've been getting more and more milk (baby won't take the breast herself. Nurses think she may be too small yet.
At first, I was doing ONLY expressing and I got so stressed because I had to play catch up with my milk constantly, and that started to feel like my day job, I didn't have time to eat, or sleep between my daughter's feeds, let alone relax, skin to skin, cuddle, do washing, you name it. So I switched to Breast Milk 6 times a day and Formula twice a day. This worked fine when she was on 30 ml a feed. I get anywhere from 80ml in the morning, to maybe 40 ml in the day. So I was covering it.
Now, however, her feed has been upped to 50-60 ml +5ml fortified. And I just cannot keep up. I've worked out I'd need to express at least 330 ml a day at least. And I'm just finding myself behind again. Playing catch up. Especially as now I'm home I've got other responsibilities too.
I'm toying with swapping the feeds to 2 breasts and the rest formula.
Do you reckon this would be okay? She's very used to the formula now, and has had a few days of only formula due to a problem with my breast pump. She's eating at least 50ml of any milk per feed.
I'm seeing the NIcus dietitian on Friday at an appointment, but I'm terrified if I'm not going along with the feeding plan we'll be back in the NICU ward for Christmas. And, honestly, I don't know what I'd do.