How long did it take your feeder/grower to learn suck/swallow?

Beccaboo0713

Jacobs to the point now where he is just learning to suck/swallow and I was wondering how long it took your little one to learn. He was born at 35 weeks and looks very confused when it comes to suck/swallow. Did your little one just start doing it one day or did it take a lot of practice?

CanadianGurl

Took my 33w4d DS about 12 days to get anything at all from the breast and exactly 2 weeks to come off his NG tube (when he reached 40% of the volume of his feeds by sucking). Took a lot of practice. I attempted to breastfeed every second feeding (so every 6 hours), before his NG feed from the getgo, around the clock every day from when he was born until he was taking 40% of his feeds (so like he would gain 18 g after I nursed him when he was supposed to have had 45 ml by NG tube). It wasn't until about day 10 that he would even take anything though. They're all sleepy when they start out. Give it time. Before you know it, he'll be guzzling down a meal. Best of luck!

I love your signature pic! Beautiful. I wish I had taken more pics while my DS was in the NICU.

SarahTx5701

I have a 35 weeker too.

for ds, we would put him to breast most feedings, but he just didn't get it a whole lot. the thing with them is suck/swallow/ BREATHE.

When we would do bottle feedings we would feed him on his side and have to tip the bottle back and forth to allow him and remind him to breathe.

ds didn't get off the NG tube until day 16. He finally got the hand of bottle feedings, I was pumping, he had a hard time with latching and I had flat nips...ugh!

I know it's so hard but he will get it. Gosh I remember so many times just wanting to scream at the nurses to let me try to get him to take the bottle. Then would put a time limit on me "no more than 45 minutes", I think he could have done it, but he had to stay on schedule, so they would end up just tube feeding him.

Ugh I don't misee those days. Hang in there!!! Let me know if you need anything. Oh and they nurses always say this and it's true "one day it will just click!" it will totally surprise you but one day, he'll just get it and you'll be on your way home before you know it!

lemen99

Our son was born at 26w2d - we started oral feedings at about 34 1/2 weeks and he caught on almost right away as far as coordination goes.  He would choke occasionally though and needed lots of breaks.  By his due date I would say he was very coordinated.  He was in the hospital for feeding issues until almost 43 weeks gestation, but, that wasn't due to lack of coordination - instead due to him not taking enough volume due to reflux.

hailie

DS was 7 days old when he started taking all his feeds by mouth.  It was kind of a fluke that it happend b/c he had ripped his NG tube out & the nurse suggested we try all his feeds by mouth before replacing the NG. It worked! Prior to that he was taking everyother feed by mouth...it just seemed to click for him that one day. GL!

jk43008

my boys were born at 34w6d and it took one of them about 2 weeks to get to all feeds by mouth, he would do every other feed by mouth and then be too tired to coordiante the suck-swallow the next time.  It took the other one almost 3 weeks to get to all feeds by mouth.  he was just too tired and would not be able to finish the entire bottle.  he would start every other feed by mouth after about 2 weeks, but then only do a little bit of the bottle and the rest would be ng tubed. 

mek10976

I think it probably took DS about 2 full weeks to figure it out.  We were getting really frustrated b/c he wasn't eating from the bottle and we knew that was his ticket out of the NICU.  Then it was like a switch flipped in him and he just started doing it one day and with each feeding he got better and better at it. 

Beccaboo0713

Thanks

It's been 5 days since he was born and admitted into NICU. I am hoping to get him home by day 14. I know I shouldn't set myself up for disappointment but if I don't have a goal in mind I  know I will go crazy. I will just reajust my thoughts if it doesn't look like he will make it and set a new goal for him  

This suck/swallow/breath is the only thing holding him back and so I pray everyday that it will click for him. Till then we are seprated and it's starting to take it's toll on me. 

Please let this click. 

 Thanks again. 

clyoungsey

Good question.  I was wondering myself.  I see DS sucking when being fed with tube and he actually played more than sucked, but sucked a little when put on breast yesterday...he is only 33 weeks, so I was happy about that.

buckeyethor

just one random day in the NICU she took all of her feedings after weeks of struggling. it just clicked in her head or something.