Need Breastfeeding Help

CandyM

My baby was born a day shy of 37 weeks and I had a plan to breastfeed but it's not going so well. A lactation consultant at the hospital told me that babies born around this age are considered late pretermers or something like that and theyre not strong enough to suck and get milk from the breast. Since I've been home, i've been pumping and giving him breastmilk as well as supplementing with formula. I have a goal of eventually exclusively breastfeeding but now he is completely turned off the breast when initially he did suck just a little.

Does anyone have experience with this? Anyone deliver early and have succesful breastfeeding stories? I've been practicing with him at every feeding but it just doesnt seem to go anywhere. I

June_Bug08

DD wasborn at 35.5 weeks and has been doing well. It was rough at first, but keep trying!

crackerjackprinter

DD had a lot of latch issues and we had to supplement for a while but now she is EBF.  My advice is to surround yourself with help.  Keep seeing a LC, and attend LLL meetings if you can.  The LLL here was my saving grace.  I would not be where I am without their support.

www.llli.org

www.kellymom.com

GL, Hang in there!

taison2006

I could have asked same question as you. My DD has turned the breastfeeding down totally and even trying is very hard because she is very fussy at the time. Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks for posting the question. By the way DD is 3 weeks and 5 days today.

Amy Drinkwater

I may get flamed for suggesting this, but what about trying a nipple shield? ?It may fool him into thinking he's feeding off the bottle and then you can wean him off that later. ?We started out using one due to flat nipples and poor latch, and I hate using a crutch but IMO it's better than not BFing. ?He's getting better at latching w/o it now but his mouth is still too small; maybe another month. . .

CometsMom

I'm a little surprised the LC didn't try to keep you from using a bottle. I had to use a cup (yes, a cup) to supplement in the beginning to avoid nipple confusion.

I would just continue to be persistent in trying to get him to latch. It's hard and can be very frustrating, but it will be worth it for so many reasons once you get him on you...

G/L

CandyM

thank u for ur replies! good to know im not alone

the LC and i really butted heads at the hospital. she seemed to have her own agenda. i dunno. i was watching him feed the first day, he did great and had his poopy pee dipes. then the next wasnt so hot and it went downhill. i was a little nervous and kept asking questions like, is my colostrum enuf. the LC made me feel stupid and was frsutrated with me. then i finally told her to please watch him "feed" before i leave. she tried the nipple shield and said if he is doing his job, there should be a milky residue on the shiled when he pulls away. there wasnt. the nipple shield didnt work. i even got one for hte house since and it hasnt worked.

seh watched some more. and saw that he wasnt taking anything in and wasnt sucking or doing what he had to. she told me that these late pretermers (born btwn 34 and 37 weeks) are sometimes known as the great pretenders. they come out like gangbusters and do a good job but then it doesnt work out so well. they dont have the strength or energy to suck and they are sleepy. their systems are not as refined she was saying. i believe that. i just wish she wouldve believed me and my instinct that he wasnt feeding right. so she immediately told me to stop breastfeeding for 2 days and strictly give the bottle every 1-3 hours b/c he needs it - he was only bout 5 lbs. i used similac for those few days til my milk came in and then rented a hospital grade pump. since then ive just been pumping and giving him milk from a bottle and sometimes will give him formula at night if he wants more.

 every practice session at the breast is heartbreaking to me. i just cant see how he will eventually suck. i called another LC to come to my house. paid a bunch of money and just didnt like her advice. she brought this SNS system which adoptive mothers use to experience breastfeeding. it made me feel worse. its thise tube u tape to ur niple which is attached to a bottle around ur neck. u basically trick ur child into thinking he is breastfeeding. i havent used it since she came by b/c its disheartening. 

for those who got their kids to breastfeed - how? u just kept them at the breast no matter how much they cried and fought u? and then gave htem a bottle of pumped Breast milk? or formula?

 i just feel like veryday that goes by is one day further away from breastfeeding...from my breast. and what am i gonna do when hte pump rental for hte month is over...

Carrot303

CandyM - sorry that I have no advice for you and I'm sorry to go completely off topic but how is it going with your MIL?  I remember an older thread about her coming to live with you for a while after your baby was born.

CandyM

haha no worries at all. well, she has come down with a virus and is not allowed here yet!! so i havent even seen her yet. Im glad she didnt insist to come over b/c esp with an early baby, i need the house germ free. i will update that story!

right now im trying to post a pic of me and my little one and its coming out huge. hmm. any tips?

Carrot303

Well definitely keep us posted on the MIL situation.  I still can't forget reading your story about how long she's planning on staying.  I am NOT envious!!!!  Mine was here for a week and it was very, very difficult for me!

CandyM

o god a week... yea mine is insisting on the first year! im glad ive had this week alone bc im completely capable and confident i can do this. hopefully she will see it.

KellyG6279

Your situation sounds very similar to mine.  DS was born at 37 weeks and we started off BF fairly well (but with a nipple shield).  I weaned him off that at 6 weeks but he wasn't able to empty my breasts completely and I was getting chronic plugged ducts and 2 cases of mastitis so had to pump anyways after each feeding.  I also had to return to work so a bottle was also introduced at that time.  It got to the point where DS would uncontrollably cry when we attempted BFing so now I have resigned to EPing.  It has been working well and DS seems much happier (alot less crying).  I completely understand how frustrated you are!

ak071401

My ds was born at 37 weeks and bf within 3 hours of the c-section.  He latched well from day 1.  In my case the preterm birth didn't affect bf at all.  I would keep trying if bf is what you want to do.

StinaSLC

DS was born at around 36 weeks and it was horrible at first.  But now we EBF and it is so worth it!  He was on bottles of EBM mostly at first but I just kept at it (also used a nipple shield which we weaned from).  Don't get discouraged, you CAN do it!  I did!

CandyM

Stina - when u say u kept at it, was it such a struggle at every feed - him crying, u getting frustrated etc. it lasts a total of 5 mins for me. is this even doing anything i wonder??