breastfeeding in the NICU

AlwaysSunny925

Sorry I'm a PW today...

Now that Ryan started bottle feedings I would really like to try and breastfeed.  If your milk was fortified for your LO, did the NICU let you breastfeed? 

amye84

We were able to breastfeed! In our NICU they would do pre and post weights to determine what the babies' intake was and then gavage to their total amount (assuming they didn't take a full feeding at the breast) Obviously they can't fortify it straight from the source, but the bonding and learning time for the LO is so important! Sometimes they might limit breastfeeding attempts to once or twice per day so they aren't losing out on too many calories. But even then, you could look into non-nutritive breastfeeding in between times (pumping to empty your breast and then letting LO latch and suck while feeding is being gavaged)... That way he could get extra practice!

COmommy

amye84:

We were able to breastfeed! In our NICU they would do pre and post weights to determine what the babies' intake was and then gavage to their total amount (assuming they didn't take a full feeding at the breast) Obviously they can't fortify it straight from the source, but the bonding and learning time for the LO is so important! Sometimes they might limit breastfeeding attempts to once or twice per day so they aren't losing out on too many calories. But even then, you could look into non-nutritive breastfeeding in between times (pumping to empty your breast and then letting LO latch and suck while feeding is being gavaged)... That way he could get extra practice!

This.  Also, they told us to limit the time to no more than 30 mins. at a BFing attempt since it wears them out so much.  The bottles were fortified, but when she BFed, they counted what she got as part of her feeding.  We'd attempt to BF and then they would gavage the rest and as she got bigger we finished with a bottle if she didn't take a full feeding from me.  Ask the nurse before you attempt though. 

kck329

We worked really hard on BFing in the NICU. I'd start by making sure your neos, nutritionist, nurses, everyone know that you want to BF as much as possible when the boys are discharged. Then they can work with you to reach that goal-we were very lucky and actually went home with full BFing feeds.

We started with non nutrative feeds-basically practice BFing. You pump and then let the baby practice latching and sucking. This way they get the motion down without being overwhelmed by milk. Then when they have that down, you start actual BFing without pumping first. At that point I BFed for 30 min max and then we would tube feed a whole feeding so she was getting tons of calories.

Finally I asked "It feels like she is really emptying my breasts now, when we start just BFing with no tube feed?" and the neo said "when we hear those exact words!" So we started one BF a day and worked up from there. They warned me that if she lost weight or slowed on her gaining we would have to go back to more bottles. We did both BFing and bottles for the rest of her stay an she still gets at least one bottle a night  with her vitamins in it. 

It was a lot of work and very frustrating at times. We definetly had days where we both cried behind the screens. But the LCs checked on me a lot and the neos were really supportive so we were able to do it. 

Let us know how it goes! Good luck! Its so great Ryan is starting all his feeds-hopefully Aiden will be doing just as well next week after his surgery!

urbanflowerpot

Yes, we were fortified, but the 1-2 times he'd nurse per day was so ltd it didnt mean he missed calories.

Wally3

I bf in the NICU but didn't fortify.  I attempted on my own at first and had no sucess and got very overwhlemed - never done it before tons of nurses and other parents around The next time the LC came and helped me (she actually "kidnapped" ds from the NICU and we went to a private room) - she worked with the hospital and NICU so they let her do it.  It was so much better.  I the next time I was in the NICU I was confindent and able to nurse with very little problems.  I was allowed to nurse every other feed but ended up doing 3X a day since one feed would have been in the middle of the night. 

Try and don't get discourged if it doesn't happen right away - ask for help if you need it (LC).  Good luck!

AlwaysSunny925

Thanks everyone.  I wonder how realistic this is for me since I am working full time until they come home.  So really, I would only be able to be there for 2 feedings/day during the week...I guess I will talk to the nurses because I do want to BF once we are home.

hunt2005

They let me nurse whenever I could because each baby was still getting at least a couple bottles a day so they would just fortify those and it wasn't a big deal. We didn't have to fortify when we went home, but if we had we would have just fortified bottles and nursed every other feed or something.

MrsRumpf

We did both--still do actually.

When they recieved the bottle they would have it fortified and when I was there and they (the babies) were willing, I would BF.

In the end, I feel it works the best.  That's what I do at home now as well.  When DH feeds them or when I give them their medications with food, I use Fortified EBM.  I hope that helps?!!??!