anyone transition from pumping/bottling to EBF?

borc0080

We introduced the bottle (using pumped milk) in order to get DD out of the NICU.  She's been out for 2 1/2 weeks now and is doing great - gaining weight nicely.  But I'd really like to do more BFing.  We're trying for twice a day, but it seems like she's not filling up when she BFs and needs a bottle anyhow afterwards.  Has anyone here been successful in transitioning a bottle-fed preemie to at least some BFing? 

Susan_KW

Yes, we made this transition. 

DD was born at 31 weeks.  She was essentially bottle fed only in the NICU (we would do practice bfing sessions, but she always had a bottle after the session).  Once she came home at 36 weeks we would alternate bottlefed only with bf first and then bottle fed.  Around 38 or 39 weeks we dropped the supplementary bottle for a couple of bfing sessions each day.  I think she could have taken all her milk from the breast around 41 or 42 weeks, but we gave her 1 or 2 bottles daily to give me a break at home.

borc0080

Thanks!  That's encouraging.  Our LC advised doing BFing early in the day so she could catch up if needed, but the alternating idea also sounds good.  I don't think we'll ever EBF since I'm going back to work part time in October and I really like that DH takes one nighttime feeding, but I'd really like to BF when I'm home. 

 

vixyash

So far we're at 50/50 - half the time she gets Neosure fortified bottles of EBM (part fresh/part frozen) and the other half she's BF.

I also have the problem where it doesn't seem like she's filling up during her BFing. The pedi had us supplementing all of her BFing with 1oz, just a few weeks ago we dropped 2 supplements. But now it seems like she's hungry all the time, so we had to up the amount of mils she gets per bottle feed and supplements.

My fantastic LC assures me that it's a long process but that we're doing great and we'll get there. I'd give you the same advice!