webchat with Gabrielle Palmer

[StealthPolarBear]

Is there already a thread about this?
Have a funny feeling I'm doing something next Friday, but can't think what!
What are we going to ask?

Zippysmum - that's a very interesting way to put it. Am off to order the book now, and am really looking forward to GP's replies to qus on Friday.

Is the chat this Friday or next?

TypicallyDenseTiggaxx

this, i think - 20th

was 'next' fri when i started this thread

That's much more exciting than some politition who'd never answer your questions!

IToldYouIWasBeingDenseTiggaxx

I didn't know about the increased risk of heart disease for prem babies - even more glad I was able to bf dd (given expressed bm til 10 weeks of age - born 10 weeks early)

yes, it's even more important that prem babies are given bm and yet i imagine it's less likely (as much less straightforward, parents shocked and upset, mother maybe has complications of her own). What was your experience ll, did they pull out all the stops to support you? does anyone know how likely it is for a prem baby to be bf or get bm?
(definitely not a judgement, can't imagine how stressful it must be, hoping the support is there!)

Hi Stealth,
Mine weren't prem (37w), but were in NICU for 3 and 4 days, taken in 10 hrs after c-section with low blood sugar. Because I wanted to breastfeed, I said no bottles so they were tube fed formula and whatever I could express. Lots of prem babies in there with mums also expressing to feed.

They were hugely supportive of my wish to get bf etablished. They were fed every 3 hours, so 1/2 hr before they were due a feed I went over and tried to latch them on for a feed. They even got 'sprung' from NICU one night so I could do skin to skin.

We left hospital 6 days after they were born with both babies fully breastfed. Good support also after leaving hospital.

Will never forget the lovely midvife who hovered several times a day over my nipples with a syringe, sucking up every last drop of precious colostrum for the twins!

That's so nice to hear

Zippysmum - so good to hear that. My cousin's baby was born at 28 weeks - she tried so hard for so long to express for her dd - used to go for an hour to get 7 ml I can't imagine what that must have been like for her. Good to hear a happy story - those first few days are so important.

Stealth the support was mostly fantastic. Mind you, I was massively determined to bf. I had dd at 30 weeks born via C-Section under G.A (G.A was the most traumatic bit). The day after she was born I was offered a visit from the bf advisor. She came to see me the next day when I was back on the ward. I didn't know how to hand express but was shown and she was very good - held the syringe while I expressed. Unfortunately, despite frequent hand expression and pumping once milk came in, I never managed to get more than 20 ml. I tried all manner of things to help improve supply but to no avail. I think the separation from dd, the G.A, the fact she was born so early etc. etc. was just too much for my body to deal with. DD was fed part my milk and part bank milk, then part formula for a few days (til my milk improved). The only problem I encountered was that there seemed to be a reluctance on the part of the SCBU to accept that my supply would not improve without chemical aid (domperidone). Domperidone solved the problem and dd no longer needed part formula.

Oh also there was lots of encouragement to do skin to skin contact and put baby to breast. Dd was bottle fed ebm at my request (once she got to 33 weeks) as I wanted her home ASAP and that was the quickest route home (it was school hols and I had ds to think of). She came home at 35 weeks and by 40 weeks was fully bfed I only started bf at 40 weeks as I wanted to be sure she was a good weight (didn't know how much she would be getting iyswim)and clever dd took to it straight away. Now she hates the bottle which has given us different problems