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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Happy stories abt bf a prem baby

18 replies

chibi · 05/06/2009 12:22

Ds born tues at 34 +6 weeks 5lb 14oz is having mostly ebm 40 ml or so via cup, some formula topups to get 2 40ml. he is v sleepy + hasn't really latched yet is bf doomed happy support stories please

OP posts:

CMOTdibbler · 05/06/2009 12:27

Ds was born at 35+0 weeks - 6lb 5oz, was jaundiced and ill, had to be tube fed for a few days. We left hospital fully breastfeeding, exclusively bf till 6 months, and continued until he was 23 months.

Keep putting him to the breast whenever he is awake, and make sure you express every 3 hours day and night to keep your supply going

Ask to see a breastfeeding support nurse to help you. Are you doing kangaroo care ? Lots of skin to skin, and ideally unfettered access to your breast will encourage him

Upwind · 05/06/2009 12:38

DD born 4lb 4 oz at 37 + 0, induced early due to IUGR, tube fed for a few days then mostly via cup with ebm and formula top us to get to 30 ml depending on lenght of time latched on

from about two weeks onwards she was exlusively breastfed and gained weight well and has been thriving ever since

Though getting her latched on was a nightmare for the first few weeks, she seemed well able to feed once we had managed to get her on. I needed lots of help and support in doing this, from LLL, and an excellent community midwife and health visitor.

My baby lacked the rooting reflex at first, which is very common in prem babies, but was able to feed once latched. Is this the case with your DS?

Have you spoken to LLL and is it possible to meet somebody in person to help you with the latch?

charleymouse · 05/06/2009 12:45

Congratulations Chibi
BF is not doomed, DS still BF at night and has the occasional drop in the night as well and he is 26 months. There are some positive stories on here and some advice.

Good luck

breastfeeding a premmie

Dlamis · 05/06/2009 13:12

Ds2 born at 35+2 - 5lb10oz, like CMOT's ds, he had to be tube fed for a few days, also jaundiced and finally left hospital fully breastfed. Tried latching him on at every opportunity until he clicked and pumped lots to get/keep supply going. The nurses were very helpful and also told us not to worry if he didn't latch on straight away as the sucking reflex develops quite late.

Dlamis · 05/06/2009 13:13

He's 16 months and we're still going so no it's def not doomed.

lau342 · 05/06/2009 20:05

DD born at 35 + 2 weighing 5lb 8oz. She managed to latch on and BF within the first hour of being born. She also had jaundice for several weeks, but I continued to feed her.

We've had our moments with BF but things certainly got a lot easier after 6 weeks. She has been gaining weight really well - record week was 13oz. Now 12 weeks old and currently just over 12lb.

Certainly not doomed - hang in there and good luck!

largeginandtonic · 05/06/2009 20:16

Twins born at 29 weeks, 2lb 9 and 2lb 13. Both in hospital for 12 weeks. I sat on a breast pump for weeks before i could feed them myself.

They both fed very well once they got the hang of it. No top ups.

Don't give up

wuglet · 06/06/2009 10:48

DD born 4lb 8 at 33 weeks.
Took (sshhh) 9 weeks to latch (tube fed for 2 weeks then bottles of EBM) but then went on to feed with no problems until 15 months old.

Congratulations btw!

mears · 06/06/2009 10:52

chibi - most important thing for you is to be expressing enough to stimulate a good supply. You should be expressing a minimum of 8 times in 24 hours, including a night expression (very important that one as prolactin levels are high).

My DS3 was 35+4 weeks and ventiltaed initially but once he was off the ventilator and more awake he clicked and had no problems. Make sure you have plenty of skin-to-skin contact too.

ByTheSea · 06/06/2009 10:57

Similar to some of the other stories, DD2 was born at 35 weeks, wasn't interested in feeding and was jaundiced for over a week. She was tube fed and as I was in hospital with her for 2 weeks, I was able to esablish an excellent supply using the hospital electric pump so we used breastmilk in the tube and then as she got better we moved to the breast. Once she was used to it, she was fine.

Bobo23 · 06/06/2009 11:11

DS born in January 34 weeks, 2lb 12 oz with severe IUGR. Expressed from the start - including the vital night expressing (keep plenty of chocolate about for that one). He was tube fed.

I was expressing loads of milk so I donated my excess (gallons!) to the milk bank.

Couldn't feed him properly for about 4 weeks - then started really slowly as he was only allowed out of the incubator for an hour a day and was v sleepy.

Finally discharged when he was feeding on demand just before his due date.

Did you know the milk you produce when you have a prem baby is different from term babies milk?

He's now 5 months and weighs about 10 pounds... still breastfeeding and sleeps from 8pm to 5am. We've just started on solids to boost his weight a bit.

Good luck - its such a brilliant start in life for prem babies and it made a terrible experience a lot more bearable...

Original poster

chibi · 07/06/2009 11:05

thanks all for your encouragement + support. we are home from hospital now, and have stopped the ff top ups. i am expressing about 60-70 ml bm every 3 hours, he is taking in about 55-60, and also latching on for a few sucks. it feels like it did with my dd so i think he is getting a bit of milk when he is latched on.

does all this sound good to you?

I am going to see the bf counsellor at the hospital on tues for more help on transitioning from ebm to bf directly.

OP posts:

dorisbonkers · 07/06/2009 12:08

Is 35 weeks premature? Had no idea. Anyway, I had my baby at 35 weeks (preeclampsia) and she weighed 5 lbs and and absolutely no problems breastfeeding and still am 7 months later. No top ups, although a paed said I could if I wanted to, but I never did.

Good luck!

wuglet · 07/06/2009 13:02

Sounds great chibi well done!

WorzselMummage · 07/06/2009 15:07

Sounds like your doing great Chibi, well done !

DS 27+5 2lb2oz, 10 weeks in scbu came home fully breastfed

bronze · 07/06/2009 15:11

dd a 27weeker 2lb12 had breastmilk for 8 months 6-7 months of which wasw breastfed. Had to fight to be allowed to take her home solely breastfed but proved them wrong and is not a happy healthy nearly three year old with no health problems.

You sound like you're doing brilliantly

worzsel- things going well?

WorzselMummage · 07/06/2009 16:29

Yeah really well thats George is still a little squirt but he's happy enough and we dont seem to have any long term problems. We've been ever so lucky.

How are you ?

Bobo23 · 07/06/2009 18:17

Aww lovely stories!

Although expressing a lot at the start is a total pain it does come in handy later on I find. A lot of women have real problems expressing but if you're already in the habit you can happily express milk and go out for a welcome few hours on your own (or down the pub in my case!).

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