introneed some positive vibes

Louiej

Hi! I have been a lurker for a while now, and I finally am ready to post...and ask for some advice.

Emme was born 8 days ago at 34 weeks on the dot. It was a very stressful last 3 months of pregnancy. We dealt with a partial abruption at 22 weeks which then caused two spells of preterm labor, ending with pprom at 33 weeks...no labor, go figure. I spent a week in the hospital, and she was born by emergency c section 45 minutes before my induction. My ob checked me because I was going into labor...and found her feet were pretty much out! Go epidurals?

She is now on her eighth day in the nicu. I cannot believe there are 150 day mommas on here. I CANNOT imagine. I am so...sad that we're here. I feel like I'm trapped and that she is never going to get out of here. I have a 2 and 3 year old at home, I cry leaving them and I cry leaving her here. Ugh.

My questions are: Em has a feeding tube that gets used when she doesn't finish her bottles. It also gets used if she breastfeeds less than 20 minutes. She's on a three hour feeding schedule and never acts hungry. Could she be just a "wants to feed every four hours" kid? I feel like we're cramming her full and then expecting her to be hungry soon.

The tube is our last barrier to going home. How long were your kiddos tube fed? At what g.a did they seem to "get it"?

Thanks for sticking with my novel if you made it through!!!

CTbride79

Congrats and welcome to the board! 

The first week in the NICU is the roughest...hang in there!  I can only imagine how much harder it would be doing it with other small children at home.  My DS was born a lot earlier than your DD, but he had his feeding tube for just over a month (like a month and 2 days)...he was only 2 lbs. 9 oz. at birth though so he had a LOT of gaining to do, and he didn't get his first bottle until he was about 3 weeks old.  I think he was about 36 weeks g.a. when he finally 'got it'. 

We were on a 3 hour schedule too once he went to bottles, and never really 'acted' hungry in the beginning either, it was just part of the routine...a couple of weeks after he came home we switched to a more on demand schedule. 

I hope your NICU stay is as short as can be and she comes home soon!! 

Mrs. Alice

Welcome and congrats!

One of my twins didn't even begin to nipple feed until 35 weeks.  It took each of them around 2-3 weeks to really "get it".  They had NG tubes until around 37 weeks and went home at 38 weeks.  We also dealt with apnea, bradycardias, and desats.  The NICU we discharged from didn't typically discharge preemies until they were at least 37 weeks GA.  Your daugther's behavior sounds like a typical 35 week GA baby, she likely just needs a little more time.  Can you speak to the neos about maybe changing her feeding orders to every 3-4 hours with cues?  Also if she has gaining weight well, can you back down to on the BFing time limit to 15 minutes? 

rels09

Hello! My daughter was born at 34w exactly, too, due to PPROM. She spent 11 days in the NICU. She actually only had a feeding tube in for a day and a half, and it was not until around day 9 that she had it. Two days later, she was home. All of that is to say that things can change, for good and bad, very quickly. I am sure she will get hungrier very soon. When our daughter came home, she went from taking 45 mL per feeding to 70 within days, so they do change so quickly. 

DrRx

Congrats and welcome!

My little girl, a 26-weeker, had a feeding tube until she had 2 full days of eating by the bottle.  She was about 36 weeks gestational.  In all honesty, the way we got her off that tube was by being there for all her feeds. Some of the nurses wouldn't even try, or give the entire 20 minutes, because "she looked tired." Um, she always finished it for me or DH.  I think that since the tube is there, it is just attractive for some of the nurses, who have to take care of other babies, to just set the food in the pump and go.  Anyway, after about 5 days of never quite getting it all by bottle (and always because of a nurse), DH decided that one of us would always be there for her feeds, 24/7.  We were fortunate enough that we were able to do it, and I realize that it isn't possible for everyone in every NICU.  We didn't have any kids at home, and I was still on leave so I didn't work. Our NICU also had private rooms, so I could nap between feeds on the pull-out bed, and/or watch TV.  

GL!

Louiej

I feel like this is true for us too. She will finish a feed for both dh and I, but I think the tube is attractive to the rns...especially when they're busy. Its just frustrating. I want her healthy...happy...and home.
Edit
:I tried responding to above post...

jcsntms06

Congratulations on the birth of your little one.

My DD was born at 34w 5d and spent 14 days in the NICU. It took Caroline almost a week to figure out the feeding thing. She actually lost weight for that first week. One day she just figured it out, at 36 weeks g.a.. She actually pulled out her feeding tube and the nurses decided not to replace it, and she decided she wanted to bottle feed more than bf too. I was okay with both and decided I just wanted to get my baby home as fast as possible.  I know in the NICU they really push the every three hour feeding (I'm not sure if that's normal or not, seeing I have never had a full term baby). Once DD came home from NICU, she decided that she didn't want to stay on that 3 hours schedule and basically ate on demand. Praying your LO figures it out soon.

Sept30Madison

Welcome, but sorry you have to go on the NICU journey. 

My LO was born at 30w2d and started trying the bottle at about 34.5 weeks. She was too sleepy for about 4 of the 8 feedings for about a week and a half.  She finally started staying awake enough at 36 weeks on the dot and came home after 2 days of no NG tube needs.