Re-establishing feeding after NG tube

[Floopyandtired]

I’ve posted on here recently about my 15 week old DS who has been in intensive care in a ventilator. He came off the ventilator on Tuesday but is still refusing to feed so he is stuck in hospital being tube fed until he will feed. He is exclusively breast fed although I’m not adverse to bottle feeding if he’ll take it. So far we’ve tried both with no success.

Does anyone have any tips on how I can get him feeding again? Or give any indication of how long it could take him to feel like feeding again? He is still quite bunged up as well.

Has he been referred to Speech Therapy for help with feeding? If not, that could help.

Have you tired lots of skin to skin contact? Is there a breastfeeding specialist in the hospital you could be referred to? Are you pumping and is he being given your breast milk via a tube?

Sorry for so many questions
I remember your first thread, I'm so pleased your little one has improved so much

You need expert help with the SLT team in hospital. Longterm if he was exclusively breastfeed before it would be better to re establish this. Don't feel pressured to bottle feed just to remove NGT.

He may well be aversive to feeding after all the intervention so go very carefully and post attention to his cues

Pay attention*

Time. Lots of time. Lots of skin to skin and allowing him to lick and nuzzle the breast in a non pressure situation.

He has had a lot of not very nice oral experiences (necessary of course) so it may take time for him to want to feed orally.

Non nutritive sucking (sucking without feeding) may form part of re establishing feeding, so might be appropriate to offer a dummy for example. Additionally nipple shields can also have their place in encouraging a baby back to the breast.

He will get there.

In the breast vs bottle debate a lot of people think a bottle is easier so try that if breast isn't happening but breast feeding is not more stressful and a baby who is well enough to bottle feed is well enough to breast feed.

Marathon not a sprint, day by day you will get there.

I have tried skin to skin but he’s not enjoying being held much so can only tolerate a few minutes. I am pumping and he’s being fed my breast milk vis the NG tube. He’s having 100mls every 3 hours. I will ask about the bf specialist and speech therapy.

And thank you! 😊

I fostered a baby that was prem, needed help bottle feeding. I had to support his chin to help him 'munch' on the bottle, and try different teats.

It took a while trying with the bottle then topping up by NG tube. Once he 'got it', he got it.

I can't remember how old he was at that point, but he was 5lb.

The best advice will be from the nurses/drs on the ward.