anyone breastfeed after nicu w/ success?

Bliss3/21/03

(I posted this on the preemie board but thought I'd try here also since many of us have had preemies.  Thanks!)I had twin 27 wk boys 3 and a 1/2 yrs. ago who were in the NICU for 8 and 11 wks.  I ended up pumping for them for 10 months because they didn't take to breastfeeding.  I now have a 31 week old girl who came home on Tuesday (7 wks old) and I am trying to breastfeed.  It is very frustrating and I am wondering if there are any success stories or tips that you can offer.  Anything would be appreciated. She latches on and then sucks a few times and stops and screams.  I think she is just so used to it coming out of a bottle easily and she doesn't want to work hard to get milk from the breast. I really can't see myself pumping for almost a year again with twin 3 y.o.'s running around.  thoughts??  Thank you! 

MrsDonnelly2007

Aiden would latch but Roman wouldn't unless i used a nipple shield.  about the time of their "due" date Roman finally latched w/o the shield and it got soooo much easier.  The boys were bottle fed in the NICU and were able to go b/w bottle and breast pretty easily at home.  I would maybe pump for a few min before you nurse to get letdown and maybe she wouldn't be as frustrated?  Good luck!!

beachinjune

I did (am)! My 34 weekers were in the NICU for 2 weeks. One started latching right away but the other was past his due date before he latched. I thought he might around his due date but when it came and went I had a lactation consultant come and we decided to try the nipple shield. After two nursings with it, he latched on his own no problem. That was about 4.5 months ago. You've got to have a big support system at first and know that it really really will take time to get it. Without having lots of emotional support and physical support (watching my older two kids, etc) for those first two months I don't know that I would have made it through the pumping and learning to nurse! You can do it!

ebrooke

Me!  And let me tell you, it was no magical ride of rainbows and bonding. After 3 weeks in the NICU, our babies acted like my bosoms were poison bombs.

At the risk of sounding like a total AW, here's a link to a very detailed blog post I wrote with suggestions. Good luck! Hang in there!

breastfeeding post

 

schoolsoutbride

I know ijack on the preemie board had a 29weeker that she nursed successfully.  Mine was only in the NICU for a week and not a preemie, so probably not the same issues, but it did take me 2 weeks to get him latched on.  I had to use a supplementary nursing system (SNS) to get him to figure out that he had to SUCK when latched and not just wait for milk to get delivered to him.  Good luck!  Do you have a good LC to help?  I think I wouldn't have made it without one. Kellymom.com has great forums with LCs on the boards to help too.

keg

My DDs were in the NICU for less than a week, but they really didn't "get" BFing until they were about 39 weeks old, and that was only after using a nipple shield.  If you work with a LC and try and nipple shield, that may be your best bet for the moment.  I think LCs like to wean babies off nipple shields by 39 weeks or so, but my DDs did fine after that.  They were able to go between breast and bottle with no issues. 

Bliss3/21/03

Thanks for the info.  I have worked with LC's in the hospital but she just wasn't quite ready for it.  I do have a nipple shield and that didn't seem to work either.  

 My new plan is to pump for let down and just keep trying.  She is 38 weeks gestation so maybe the magic will happen soon.    

 

Thanks again!