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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

tiktok, bfing gurus, bfers, interested parties of all creed and colour... heyulp! bfing a preemie baby... top tips please

356 replies

Aitch · 12/09/2008 15:46

don't know where to start, really...

dd is two weeks old today (blimey) and put on her birthweight on wednesday so that's great. however of course she didn't start putting on weight until her formula top-ups, topping up with ebm didn't do the trick.

her weight gain today was only 30g (last few times has been double that or more) and i do put that down to the fact that i've been pumping more and therefore have been giving her more ebm top-ups than formula.

question is... what's the tipping point? she is gaining, i am producing more milk (not heaps, but volume-wise we are on target for the SCBU calculations). we were told to give dd 280mls per day in top-ups as well as bf, but with the formula it's been more like 350ml.

so do i accept the 'slow' weight gain and think of dd's longer-term benefits having protected my supply, or do i want her on formula but with more energy to feed, iyswim?

midwife has suggested one top-up of formula, and at the next topping-up with ebm, this seems like a reasonable compromise to me, but am i missing something.

OP posts:
Bewilderbeast · 16/09/2008 13:03

sleeping = feeding, doh!

Original poster
Aitch · 16/09/2008 13:05

do you mind me asking what vits you give ds, bewilder? i seem to have bloody LOADS and keep forgetting to give the second dose of iron per day. [terrible parent]

OP posts:
Bewilderbeast · 16/09/2008 13:24

we had folic acid and some foul smelling nasty tasting multi vitamin called abidec (sp). I used to forget sometimes too (well a lot actually especially the abidec which ds hated taking) we still have bottles in the cupboard and i think we are still supposed to give them as we got repeats from the gp but ds is healthy and eats well now so I don't bother - god i sound like a crap parent.

FinallyGotDyson · 16/09/2008 16:41

Aitch, have a bit more faith in yourself lovely

There is opportunity for fuckuppableness in everything. The fact remains you are doing bloody ace right now and every millilitre of breastmilk you are producing is a bonus

Original poster
Aitch · 16/09/2008 17:31

i'll try, crazy vacuum lady. i am just not a believer in aitch bfing, that's all. the threat of the scales and all that... hate them.

btw bewilder... forced coma? ffs, that sounds scary. well done for keeping going under those circs. i think i'd have been bouncing off walls.

OP posts:
RandomIdiot · 16/09/2008 17:49

Me again

Aitch forced come just means that he was on high sedating doses of morphine.

They did it with my DTDs too. If a tiny baby is left to breath for themselves (even if they can) they can use more energy than necessary and the lung muscles can get very fatigued and can crash and burn (which DTD2 did as she was taken off ventilator too early...pretty scarey). So they take the decision to put them on a ventilator...and too do that they need to paralyse them...so they give them diamorphine which sedates and paralyses them (i.e. forced coma).

Wrt the sytron...I wouldn't worry too much about forgetting 2nd dose (although I wouldn't do it deliberately). My DTDs were havig 1ml once a day on teh NNU. They were discharged on different days and DTD1 was prescribed 1ml sytron once a day by one dr. DTD2 was prescribed 1ml twice a day by a different Dr...no medical reason just a different dr.

welliemum · 16/09/2008 19:57

[stern]

Aitch, you're doing brilliantly and you know it.

There never are any guarantees with bf but the odds are all on your side, thanks to your hard work.

How are you feeling, yourself? Hope your BP and scar are behaving.

cmotdibbler · 16/09/2008 20:49

Well, I believe in Aitch breastfeeding. You're doing it right now, you have enough milk to meet DD2s needs, you're doing great.

Now don't make me go get the bfing pompoms and do the cheerleading act. I've got a chest infection, and me wobbling up and down hacking bits of lung up ain't a pretty sight I can tell you.

DS was only a week older than your DD and got no vitamins at all, so I can't see that forgetting some of her iron supplement will hurt

Bewilderbeast · 16/09/2008 21:22

Aitch, yes it was scary randomidiot has explained it better but nowt was explained to me in SCBU so that's all I know it as. They gave him a huge (for him) dose of caffeine to bring him round bless him!

Bewilderbeast · 16/09/2008 21:22

Aitch, yes it was scary randomidiot has explained it better but nowt was explained to me in SCBU so that's all I know it as. They gave him a huge (for him) dose of caffeine to bring him round bless him!

Original poster
Aitch · 16/09/2008 21:24

actually, cmot, wot i am doing now is pumping. dd doesn't seem to have fed as well today unfortunately, i suppose on the scales will tell.

lol at caffeine btw, i know how that feels. and still enjoying randomidiot's new name, it's deffo a keeper.

OP posts:
FinallyGotDyson · 16/09/2008 21:38

Why do you think she doesnt seem to have fed so well today?

madmarriedNika · 16/09/2008 21:39

Hi Aitch, I'm late coming to this thread so forgive me have only skim read a few posts...
I've had 2 prems, DS at 30wks and DD at 36wks- both due to PE and both by cs & both needing SCBU etc.

After lots of persistence and plenty of heartache I did manage to BF both successfully (DS for 10.5 months and DD for nearly 13 months).

BUT DS didn't feed directly from me until he was about 2 weeks past his due date (12 weeks old)- and only with the aid of a nipple shield (silicone one- Avent one I think)- as he'd got used to bottles by then and I don't have the most protruding of nips (sorry if TMI!) and he just wouldn't latch- & even when he did he'd just slip off without hardly trying to suck. Nipple shields really worked wonders for me although many are (possibly quite rightly) wary of using them- but it was that or else formula feed, as my days of pumping were numbered. With DD after the first few days of trying to get her to latch I also resorted to nipple shields and within days she was totally fed from me (both had been tube-fed- and DS had been bottle fed for about 5 weeks prior to getting BFing established).

I'm lucky that my boobs respond well to double pumping- I pumped every 3 hrs and must have been a dairy cow in a previous life as I produced enough for twins. But after 11 weeks with DS they were beginning to cotton on the pump wasn't the real thing, and the exhaustion from pumping while looking after him (he had bad colic too) was setting in.

With DS while in SCBU they fortified my EBM to help with weight gain etc. but once home he only had extra vits. I was very adamant that I'd keep trying to BF even though some medics were less than supportive- in fact I'd all but resigned myself to giving up after trying every BF position known to woman and DS still not latching when we fortunately met a nurse who suggested the nipple shields (while DS was in having a hernia op...)- just in the nick of time.

I managed to wean both off nipple shields and BF "normally" after 3 months- basically once they were bigger and stronger.

I didn't top up with either early on (ignored anyone who suggested it as I'm pretty stubborn, and thankfully both their weight gain wasn't too bad), although once DD was 5 weeks she'd have one bottle of formula a day for various reasons.

I really feel for you going through this, it was honestly one of the most stressful periods of my life (I still have horrid flashbacks when I spy the double pump in the loftl...)

Have you tried the wonder-herb Fenugreek? Found it helped lots with getting milk supply up for DD (that and eating/drinking very frequently...)

Good luck, hope littlest Aitch thrives and you are ok too

madmarriedNika · 16/09/2008 21:44

PS. the one thing I didn't add was that both of mine fed very frequently and for long periods when we did get the hang of BFing- often for an hour at a go, and with breaks of only 2hrs between feeds tops- and this went on for about 4 months! Not to put you off but I think in my case their suck was not great and as they were still pretty little they had weight to "make up"- so were very hungry. I just completely demand fed them and eventually it paid off...
In the early days though both were pretty sleepy and I'd sometimes resort to the mean tricks of stripping them down to just a nappy, tickling ears, stroking cheeks etc. to keep the awake to feed well enough...

Original poster
Aitch · 16/09/2008 21:50

cheers mmn... i think that dd hasn't fed so well because, well i don't know, the only thing i can think of is that she hasn't had as much formula and therefore I AM STARVING HER!

wish i'd not given formula, mmn, i just didn't appear to be given the choice, iykwim?

OP posts:
FinallyGotDyson · 16/09/2008 21:54

She chose not to drink as much formula today you mean?

FinallyGotDyson · 16/09/2008 21:54

Or do you think your ebm top ups are not as nutritious???

FinallyGotDyson · 16/09/2008 21:55

I happen to think she's just got the hang of this b/feeding lark

Original poster
Aitch · 16/09/2008 21:58

maybe. but i do also think that my tits are a bit sore and bruised from all the pumping (flexi-shields my arse) and so i'm having to unlatch her more often because it's more sore than before.

OP posts:
RandomIdiot · 16/09/2008 22:00

Sadly Aitch I may have to give up my name...as there is a longstanding "Random"..I don't want to tread on her toes. Nothing has been said yet but I am prepared to change if I have too...VillageIdiot maybe although I bet that is gone....

Oh and I had forgotten about the Caffiene. DTDs were on Caffiene for a couple of months to keep stimulating their breathing centre....

madmarriedNika · 16/09/2008 22:01

Oh Aitch, every hospital- no every nurse/midwife/paed- had different opinions on how best to feed a prem. It drives me mad, especially as sometimes it's hard to understand the rationale for their decisions and often you don't feel like you've had much say, if any, in them. I was incredibly fortunate that with DS they were very pro BFing, and would avoid formula at that early a gestation due to increased risk of NEC. However with DD I was in a different hospital, and as she was born later (plus my milk took a while to come in- so I asked for them to use donor milk) they were very up for using formula... Thankfully having had a previous prem and managed to BF him I basically refused to let her have any..But if she'd been my first I would undoubtedly been using formula top-ups.

But you are still at an early stage in this game, there is lots of time to switch over to fully BFing/EBM. DS was slow to gain weight but thankfully this is what they expected so didn't put pressure on me to top-up..though like I said after a few weeks he did have fortifier added to my EBM. And we did have to use bottles which I'd hoped to have avoided, but as he wasn;t getting the hang of BFing it was that or stay in forever being tube-fed until we hoped he'd "get it"- and after 8 weeks bottle feeding won over that. Once at home I had more time to try positions and feed truely on demand so much better chance to establish BFing properly. It's so hard in the hospital.

It is very hard especially when they do feed directly from you to know if they're getting enough, especially after watching them down x mls of milk in a bottle. But digestion of breastmilk is superior to that of formula so less is actually more IYSWIM. Like others have said try to have faith in her and yourself- if she's alert some of the time (even briefly) each day and sleeping fairly well she's getting enough.

It will get easier I promise, but it is a hard road. Thinking of you lots.

FinallyGotDyson · 16/09/2008 22:04

But she is content yes? Only the weigh in will say for sure but I'm confident.

With all this pumping and feeding I'd say she was getting more milk directly from you and a bit quicker as each day passes.

I can see how you'd be feeling quite sore! You are doing brilliantly. At the slightest hint of mastitis - seek help, and, you can take ibuprofen for it which will help the pain. Get yourself some Lansinoh cream if you havent already.

I'm so proud of you lady

madmarriedNika · 16/09/2008 22:19

PS. For sore boobs, esp. after pumping, I found these v v good:
www.spiritofnature.co.uk/acatalog/4152.html
Unfortunately I got mastitis fairly frequently with DS, partly due I think to the switch between pumping hard and eventually BFing (had been overproducing milk while pumping)- and these pads helped the pain so much.

Also recommend lots of the breast care products on this site:
www.expressyourselfmums.co.uk/products.asp/subcatID/20/breast-care.htm
and they have some good stuff re. BFing preemies:
www.expressyourselfmums.co.uk/shop-by-concern.asp/ConcernID/9/preemies.htm

Hope you are managing to get some rest between everything- you are doing so well- have faith!

laundrylover · 16/09/2008 22:58

Aitch you sound like you're doing really well...stop worrying so much!

DD1 was term but only 5 1/2 pounds - in fact my placenta looked much like yours from the sound of it.

From what I remember she fed often but for longer than 15 minutes for sure. I gave her formula at 6 weeks but now I have no idea why - pressure about slow weight gain I guess. I now know that little babies grow slowly and that's a fact. As long as she is gaining a bit/weeing/pooing/happy (same as a term baby), then surely she's doing OK??

A friend of mine has a prem baby who is 20 odd weeks now and still teeny. She fought the formula tooth and nail and baby is fine. She didn't gain her birth weight as quickly as your little superstar!

vlc · 17/09/2008 00:12

Hang in there, Aitch. It is going to come good. You mark my words...