Home | Contact Us | Community | News | Resources | Entertainment | Shop | Parenting BlogsPlease visit our sponsors:
Parenting, Pregnancy & Baby Message Boards
Would you like to support Parenting Club? Click here for donation information  
Google
Share |

 
Reply to this topicStart new topicStart Poll

> Breastfeeding a preemie?
Kelly P.
Posted: Apr 13 2003, 06:08 AM
Quote Post


Unregistered









Anyone out there have experience nursing a preemie? My daughter was born at 26 weeks and has had a rocky road. I am pumping like a fiend and have filled four freezers with breastmilk in two months, but it's getting to be time to start teaching her to nipple. Anyone with experience?
Top
MommyToAshley
Posted: Apr 13 2003, 08:13 AM
Quote Post


Happy Spring!
**********

Group: Administrators
Posts: 27,473
Member No.: 2
Joined: 8-February 03



Hi Kelly! I don't have any advice but I just wanted to wish you the best and give you my support. It must have been hard but it is so wonderful that your daughter is now ready to BF. She sounds like a very special little girl.
Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

<<Hugs>>


--------------------
Dee Dee , Mommy to:
Ashley Marie 9/05/02
Joshua Lee 2/03/00 (Our Angel in Heaven)


user posted imageImage and video hosting by TinyPic
PMEmail PosterUsers Website
Top
Schnoogly
  Posted: Apr 13 2003, 09:44 AM
Quote Post


Todzilla!!!
*******

Group: Members
Posts: 1,397
Member No.: 82
Joined: 3-April 03



Well my son was full term but he was born with a congenital heart defect and we had a rough start BFing since he was in the NICU for 3 weeks and was really sleepy due to jaundice & heart probs. I talked to several lactation consultants and this is what we did. First, does she take the bottle OK? Many preemies don't suck well at all (especially if they were intubated very long--it destroys the suck reflex). If she takes the bottle OK that's good. Here is what we did:

First, attempt BFing when she is awake and alert, not necessarily when she is hungry. If she is really hungry give her a bottle first, or use a dropper or whatever you normally do. Then try BFing. If she is too mad or hungry she won't have patience to learn to BF. Iain latched for the first time when he was really alert. Before that he just slept even though I shoved my nipple in his mouth.

Second, preemies have very tiny mouths (even my 6lb baby's head looked tiny in comparison to my boob!) so you want to make a "nipple sandwich" and just shove it in. The normal tickle the mouth open to latch business doesn't work with sick or preemie babies. The way you do this is to squish your nipple with thumb and forefinger and just shove it in! You will have to use one hand (I found the cross-cradle hold to be best) to hold her head onto your nipple. You can also compress your breast/nipple to squirt milk in at this time. She probably won't suck much at first but if you can squirt milk in she'll get used to the idea better.

Third, do it as often as you feel comfortable with. If you try 3-4 times a day at first then work up to every feeding over a couple of weeks that might work. That's about what we did. Take your baby to bed with you and just hang out all day, letting her feed as often as she likes (once she gets used to BFing). It wasn't until I started BFing at night that Iain really started to *get it.* You might need to use a nipple shield at first--this helps the baby get more nipple in her mouth so she can learn to latch better. Medela sells these--I think you can get them at babies R us or any medical supply place. We only needed the shield for about a week before he learned to do it without.

It also would really help you to see a LC in person. Many hospitals have free breastfeeding clinics--you might call to see if there are any around. Or La Leche League has meetings with moms who could help. Or try your NICU--they might know of BF services esp. for preemies.

Also here are some websites that might help you:

Breastfeeding links
Also you could check out the PP breastfeeding board--there is a board certified lactation consultant who answers posts.
PPbreastfeeding

Good luck!! What you are doing is tough but SOOOO worth it.

Steph


--------------------
Steph, mom to Iain born 12/24/02 whose heart was fixed 3-20-03
Iain's page & heart story & one ^i^ 9/04
user posted image
PMEmail PosterUsers WebsiteYahoo
Top

supermom
Posted: Apr 13 2003, 09:47 AM
Quote Post


Me too, Me too!!
*******

Group: Members
Posts: 2,795
Member No.: 26
Joined: 28-February 03



Hi Kelly -
Sorry, I don't have any personal experience either, but I do have a small bit of advice. Contact either your local LaLeche League OR a personal Lactation Consultant. They are REALLY excellent sources of advice and encouragement, and can show you "hands on" how to help your daughter. She does sound very special and I wish you the best of luck.......you can find more info on La Lache League at www.lalecheleague.org

If nothing else, everyone here would be happy to be your "personal rooting section"!!

Good luck and please keep in touch and let us know both your successes and also if you need to just vent, we're here to listen!

<<HUGS>>



--------------------
Beverly, DH Eje, and mom to PJ, 20 Leah, 18 Sara, 16 Anders, 5
and Emily, almost 2

"A mother holds her children's hands for just a little while, but she holds their hearts forever."
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - Gandhi
"Adolescence is a period of rapid changes. Between the ages of 12 and 17, for example, a parent ages as much as 20 years."
PMEmail PosterUsers WebsiteICQMSN
Top
Schnoogly
Posted: Apr 14 2003, 09:05 AM
Quote Post


Todzilla!!!
*******

Group: Members
Posts: 1,397
Member No.: 82
Joined: 3-April 03



One thing I forgot to add--you will need to keep pumping after feedings for a while until she is able to drain your breasts effectively. It doesn't sound like you have a supply problem (you are so lucky!!) but to prevent any decrease it is important to make sure your breasts get completely emptied 7-8x a day. This usually means pumping after BFing for 5-10 minutes. You'll also be able to roughly guess how much she is getting this way--a healthy baby can get more than any pump but for now subtract what's left from what you normally pump. After she gets a little used to BFing you will have to do the "triple feed" method--BF 10 minutes each side, feed a bottle of breast milk to make up the difference, then pump 5-10 minutes. This is a huge commitent--but since you don't have supply problems you'll be able to transition to EBF that much easier (my DS now loves to BF but I'm still only able to supply 1/2 to 2/3 of his needs sad.gif )

Steph


--------------------
Steph, mom to Iain born 12/24/02 whose heart was fixed 3-20-03
Iain's page & heart story & one ^i^ 9/04
user posted image
PMEmail PosterUsers WebsiteYahoo
Top
CantWait
Posted: Apr 14 2003, 01:30 PM
Quote Post


Diamond Member
**********

Group: Members
Posts: 20,387
Member No.: 28
Joined: 1-March 03



I wish I could give you advice on this one Kelly, Robbie was born 5 weeks early and wouldn't take to the breast at all, wouldn't take to a bottle for a day. Doctor told me to cut out 2 of his breastfeedings a day and bottlefeed him, then the next time I went back told me to cut out 3 a day. All this so that he would drink from the bottle, cause he wasn't gaining weight. By the time four weeks came along I just wasn't producing milk, since he wasn't on the breast hardly ever. GoodLuck!!!!


--------------------
~Marie, mom to Robbie, 15 and Anthony, 7 and our newest addition, Mia Eliana~

user posted image

~*~I promise to forget you not, my angels in heaven being watched by our fallen heroes, Dec 23 08, April 1 09, & May 18 09~*~

Lilypie First Birthday tickers
PMEmail Poster
Top

1 User(s) are reading this topic (1 Guests and 0 Anonymous Users)
0 Members:

Topic Options Reply to this topicStart new topicStart Poll

 





[ Script Execution time: 0.0092 ]   [ 11 queries used ]   [ GZIP Enabled ]