Breastfeeding a prem

[WorzselMummage]

Any hints and tips ?

Ds was born at 27 weeks and is 6 weeks old now (34 gest weeks on fri) and just starting to root around now and has had a little go at BF. I have been trying every day a couple of times and he seems to know what he's supposed to do but because he he's mostly tube fed ( my ebm - 20mmls every 2 hours ) he doesnt really get hungry so either isnt interested or is interested but falls asleep after a while which is understandable, he's only a little bit still.

I know its going to be a long slog, i am determined to do it as i never managed it with dd but i am already worrying about the logistics of it while he is in hospital still, it feels like i am practically going to have to move in which isn't going to be easy with a 4 year old at home.

Has anyone managed exclusive BF of a 27 weeker, the hospital said its possible but not many people manage it.

Oooo Hi Lizzie *waves

Thanks all for replying, its great to hear of all these ebf prem babies

George has been having a good go, he's on 3hourly feeds now which is helping i think as hels getting hungrier but i just cant be at the hospital enough lol, thank goodness its only 5 miles away.

There is a flat i can use on the unit and i think the plan is for me to effectivly move in for the period pre discharge which will make life easier. mils taken 3 weeks off of work so we should be able to get it sorted.

Sounds like you are on something suspiciously like the homeward track W [bounce with excitement emoticon]

At the time we took dd home, she was the only ebf baby of her gestation BUT there was not much to compare to as there were only a few others of her gestation there anyway.

I found that everything seemed to speed up in the week before discharge. Our unit's criteria were:
36 weeks gestation (we left at 35+4)
Stable vital signs
Able to maintain temperature (over 1.8kg)
Able to take oral feeds

A week before we came home dd's weight was 1850g or thereabouts so it was fairly clear we were on our way out. Monday she came out of the incubator and off the sats monitors. Tuesday I started going to the hospital at 7am and staying most of the day feeding on demand, using the parent suite on the unit. Good as I could park dd back with the nurses to go and get lunch/pop home. She got the rest of her feeds through the NG tube during the night although I think they did give the odd bottle - hence my marathon day shifts although she weighed in at 1950g on the Weds so was clearly feeding well.
Thursday she pulled her NG tube out overnight and the sister in charge decided not to replace it, so it was now down to me. Friday I took home all the frozen milk in the unit fridge, Saturday morning DH and I arrived and roomed in until Monday AM. At that point, dd weighed the same as the previous Wednesday and we were given the choice to stay or go - one look at DH and we went.

Soooooo - good call re your MIL being here. Really really rooting for you and George in every sense apart perhaps the crude Australian one as that would be entirely inappropriate

Good luck! My DD was born at 32 weeks and 3 pound 6. She's almost 7 months old and BFing away right now. It took some work but I feel like it is honestly all so easy now, it really was worth it.

I read that title as ' breast feeding a pram'!

Note to self: wear glasses when mumsnetting