I need help

jeneeeva21

My son is now 5 weeks and has been in the NICU since the day he was born. He will be home by the end of this week. It is required that he feeds from the bottle so they can monitor exactly how much he eats in one feeding. They still let me breastfeed but now that he's had the bottle he doesn't take from me as well. They gave me a Medela nipple shield to use and that worked perfectly for a few days but now that he has the bottle more through out the day I think he's starting to confused. They are feeding him with Dr. Brown bottles, level 1 nipples. He'll take from me for a few minutes and then he gets angry and I feel so bad. I figure it's just not quick enough for him anymore or he really is confused. I pump constantly and they give him my milk. I'm just nervous that once he's home I won't have the patience to pump as much or if I'll even have time. I will be home alone through out the day. I really want to continue breast feeding. There's so much bonding time that we've missed already and I hear breastfeeding is one of the greatest bonds you can get with your child. Any suggestions on how to get him to take from both me and the bottle? Or should I just continue to pump and give up on the breast so he's at least getting my milk? They have had to supplement with similac a few times when my milk still hadn't come in and when they run out because he eats so much. I may just have to go buy some just in case. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

NurseRieger

Sounds like he gets mad because the milk isn't coming fast enough. Try to breastfeed just after he finishes a bottle when he is less hungry and may have more patience.

jeneeeva21

@NurseRieger Should I try with or without the nipple shield?

NurseRieger

Maybe try without and then with if it doesn't work.

randa923

Keep offering the breast. Hopefully eventually he will get it. Maybe you could hand express a little before putting him on the breast so he doesn't have to wait as long. Have you been seeing a lactation consultant? Is his latch good?

randa923

Oh and keep pumping if you want to stick with it. I know it sucks and it's time consuming, but it will keep your supply up and the first few weeks are pretty crucial

RNmommy13

He also just might not be hungry, not sure if your NICU is the same but ours feeds then every some many hours so much milk, and really tries to get it all in them even if they kind of don't want it. Something to think about

mal1114

I was actually coming in here to make a similar post today.

My son is having the same issue . He was born almost 9 weeks early, and took the bottle before he would latch (only with shield). I wanted him to come home sooner, so we didn't focus on breast feeding as much in the hospital. At home now, and It took him until he was 38 weeks corrected to latch well, but we had visitors who were not very helpful and made a big deal when asked to leave the room so iI could breast feed, which usually ended in him being too hungry to latch well by the time we got him on, and now I'm back at work and have a limited number of feeds we can try breast feeding.

I've been trying overnight and he just screams and screams at the top of his lungs until I give him the bottle. I'm still pumping (which I hate... It is so time consuming and I have to do hands on pumping so I can't even do other things while I pump) and I'm starting to get nervous that we've reached a point of no return. He's 42 weeks corrected. So I'm hoping that's not the case, but I'm really worried...

I hope you get him latched and feeding well. Sorry I don't have any helpful tips. But just know you're not alone...

jeneeeva21

@mal1114 super late reply but thank you! Have you continued trying? I eventually gave up on the breast but continued pumping because I tried over and over to get him to re latch even with the shield on and he would scream and fight. I cried and cried and gave up but I'm trying again slowly. He'll take from me without the nipple shield for less than two minutes now, but it's two minutes more than he was doing before! Good enough to me for now.. I am going to try with the shield again tomorrow. When I stopped trying I threw mine away. It's become such a hassle having to pump so constantly throughout the day and night. It's exhausting because I am alone with my son all day and even though I have help at night, I'm still doing all of the work. I pump, then put it in the fridge then wash bottles and do what needs to be done, he wakes up and gets hungry so I have to warm the milk, feed him, burp him, play with him until he falls asleep and by the time I know it, it's time to pump again! I hardly get any sleep. I'm hoping that he'll latch again so that I can just feed him and only have to pump when I really need to.. I have spoken to lactation consultants at the hospital he was at and while they were very helpful, you can't force him to want the boob. He loves his bottles.