Feeding issues

rtuck82@aol.com

My son was born at 35 weeks one week ago today d/t Pre-E. He was discharged from the NICU on Thursday and is taking about 50% of his feedings per bottle and the rest I am doing Gavage at home. Anyone have any tips on things to do to increase his bottle feedings. He seems to get tired and quit drinking about half way through. Is this something that will just click and he will begin to drink more? Is there anything else I can try? I have tried a few different bottle/nipples already with minimal changes in outcome. 

He is currently on a feeding schedule of 38ml of enfamil premium lipil every three hours.

Any ideas? 

lemen99

I don't think there is much else you can try other than to give him time.  Andrew wasn't discharged until 3 weeks after his due date b/c he wasn't taking bottles.  He had to take them all orally and gain weight.  We did have to use  a faster flow nipple with Andrew (couldn't make it through bottles) but he was older (1.5 months old) and you need to be VERY careful doing this.  I would ask your doctor first - you don't want him to choke/aspirate. 

At1stsight

I'm surprised they discharged you with a tube - our hospital will keep all babies with feeding issues in the level 2 NICU until they take all their bottles. Yes, it's a time thing. As he grows and gets bigger and stronger, he'll have more stamina. It'll just click, not showing a lot of steady progress or anything, and he'll be able to do it one day. I wouldn't change the nipple flow but I WOULD try different bottles and nipples. All babies (preemie or FT) have preferences for different kinds and if you find the one he likes best that may help things move along more quickly. Once DS started using the Nuk bottles I brought up to the NICU, he took every feed. (He didn't like the NICU standard bottles, Avent, or Evenflo but took like a fish to water to the Nuk ones.) GL and congrats on your baby!

tonjala

My DD was born at 34 weeks and was the same way. She would take about 5-15 ml by bottle then we had to finish her up via tube. Our doc said somewhere around 36 weeks gestational it would click for her and it did. She would still try to sleep before finishing her bottle completely but we would take breaks for burping her and it would wake her up a little so she could finish. Hang in there, he'll catch on soon.

prazenjc

it will just click w/him one day. for my DS it was at about day 12. i never had the option of doing gavage at home. our hospital required that he was taking every feeding PO before releasing him. he demonstrated eating every meal PO for at least 24 hours before we were allowed to bring him home.