small early baby and problems latching but trying to work through it!

farrellashleigh · November 2009

If anyone has any advice I'd really appreciate it! Long story short, my LO was born at 36w 6d, induced due to IUGR. He was 5 # 3 oz. So being so small we need to make sure he is NOT dropping any weight so that means formula feeding from day 1 and waking to feed etc.

We've been doing formula until my milk comes in, I rented a pump and have been pumping and getting more and more milk now. I can get a total of about 35 ml (just over an ounce) between both breasts now each time I pump.

My problem is trying to get him to latch on, and I know it is hard since we're going back and forth with the formula but he just gets soo frustrated and gives up. At first he'd instantly fall asleep no matter what we did and now he just flops his head all over the place and wont latch to save his life.... I don't know what else to try... we're going to meet with LC but we don't have the option to give up formula all together yet until he gets some weight on him so I don't know if we're just stuck for the time being or what. The hospital LC said that this is normal for babies his age and that the closer we get to our due date he will start doing better....

Anyone else? Any advice would be great!

clyoungsey · November 2009

i've heard a lot of preemies really benefit from a shield. I would give it a try, but a LC will really help you out!

Sharra711 · November 2009

DD was born 5lbs 4oz @ 39 & 2 because of IUGR.

We used a shield for a few weeks, then weaned off it.

I tried all the "breastfeeding" bottles and stuck with the Nuby ones. When DD was on monitors and couldn't latch she used a "regular" bottle and that didn't help AT ALL!!!

You shouldn't need that much formula, and if you are giving formula to replace feedings, make sure to be on that hopsital pump.

I only had to supliment in the hospital and for 3 days when we were home.(DD was 2days -8 days... so a total of 6 days)

I pumped every 2 hours during the day and no more than every 4 at night. I also pumped between feeds in the beginning, to make sure that I had something for DH to give her, and to help my supply.

Do compressions while pumping, and try herbal sups to help also.

Keep at it!!!! You can totally work through this, and get your LO to EBF, it just takes a little while!!!

Sharra711 · November 2009

Also, DD droped down to 4lbs 13oz at her lowest, and she is fine now.

Talk more to an LC than the ped.... I have found that the pedis want you to "stuff" the baby for the now, while the LCs can help you feed the baby now AND later.

few · November 2009

my ds is preemie (born @30 wks 6 days), while in NICU he was bottle fed expressed breast milk.We have been working on getting him to breast feed. The "plan" that we worked out with the LC is 1)use breast shield to assist with latch, 2) attempt to feed 10-15 min on each side, if he nurses let him stay on as long as he wants, 3) follow him with a bottle of breast milk to "top him off", we have been using Breastflow bottles by 1st yrs. i then pump to empty breasts. It usually takes me 1hr to feed him, but he is getting better with the breast & eating less & less from bottle. so far it's working ok. It's nice to have a plan & know what our goals are

Sharra711 · November 2009

few:
my ds is preemie (born @30 wks 6 days), while in NICU he was bottle fed expressed breast milk.We have been working on getting him to breast feed. The "plan" that we worked out with the LC is 1)use breast shield to assist with latch, 2) attempt to feed 10-15 min on each side, if he nurses let him stay on as long as he wants, 3) follow him with a bottle of breast milk to "top him off", we have been using Breastflow bottles by 1st yrs. i then pump to empty breasts. It usually takes me 1hr to feed him, but he is getting better with the breast & eating less & less from bottle. so far it's working ok. It's nice to have a plan & know what our goals are

Big Smile

EXACTLY!!!

farrellashleigh · November 2009

thanks for the info... I will keep at it...

I just feel like I should be producing more since it seems that everyone else was almost feeding breastmilk exclusively from just 2 days on or so but I only get a total of an ounce or so when I pump... that's obviously not enough for him!

Sigh

But I think it will help once we see the LC and get a plan together, hopefully trying a shield will work to get him to latch and I can just keep pumping to get the supply going. We'll see...

mrs_bella · November 2009

We had almost the exact same situation. Just keep at it--it took us a good 8 weeks before he was latching on well AND getting enough to eat. Meeting with an LC and making a plan was key for me. Good luck and hang in there!!

schildknecht · November 2009

I am going through the exact same thing with DD. She was born also at 36 and 6 and was in the NICU for the first week so she was only fed bottles and formula. Since we have been home we have been using the shields and she is now off of the bottles completely and gaining weight.

It takes so much patience and persistance to work through the latch issues though. I spent many nights in tears cuz I would try to breastfeed and then she would not take the bottle, she would be so tired. I was so worried she was going to lose weight and was getting too tired to get what she needed from the bottle. Then I realized she was getting more than enough from me and just didn't need the bottle.

Good luck to you, but stick with it. DD is two weeks old now and we are working on weaning off the shields. She is able to latch great on one side, but not the other...

mjr28 · November 2009

My first daughter never latched (she had a problem with her suck reflex and I have flat nipples), so I pumped for 6 months.

I was determined to get daughter #2 to latch and was having difficulty at the hospital. I did see several LCs but what I found the most helpful was:

* Using the pump for a minute or two right before trying to latch to pull my nipples out
* Sprinkling a few drops of formula on my nipples to get her started

* Once I went home from the hospital, I literally sat shirtless for to days working with her on the latch. Like your baby, she kept falling asleep so this was really, really difficult. Do everything you can to wake up the baby - unswaddle, rub the head, blow gently on the baby, etc.

Good luck - this is really difficult, but try to stick with it!

emdaly · November 2009

Wow, this sounds very close to my LO! She was born 36 weeks w/ IUGR at 4 lbs. The first month was really hard between trying to get her to breastfeed, using formula and latch issues. I saw a LC and she said what yours said too, that as the due date gets closer she'll figure things out. Even though I had a hard time believing it, she did! It just took a lot of patience and they also said not to try too much until then because of all the energy being put into trying to latch etc is energy they need for weight gain. They said to try for a few minutes (no more than 10), just to keep her familiar with nursing then give her the formula or pumped breastmilk. Now she's mostly EBF with one feeding supplemented with formula a few times a week (when I'm at work, I just can't pump enough for the day)

Good luck, hang in there!!

alynds · November 2009

emdaly, i never thought about what your lc said... the closer the due date is, she'll figure it out! how very true for us.

our dd was born 35w3days, was jaundice had difficulties latching. i nursed about once a day, pumped and bottled fed her both expressed breast milk and formula. then one day ( about 4 weeks) latched onto my husbands arm, lol and we then tried nursing more. she now will not take a bottle and i exclusively nurse, with the exception of a sippy cup with water.

i also pumped after nursing her, to make sure i was empty. now i do not, as she is 9 months.

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