Joining you ladies
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I don't know how many will remember but I posted when I was 24 weeks about anticipating a preemie on hospital bed rest and IC etc. Well, I delivered our daughter on Saturday 9/24 at 26 weeks 2 days (see siggy, I just updated it). I went to my 26 week ultrasound on Thursday and had not any cervical changes in over 2 weeks so things were looking really optimistic. Surprisingly and unfortunately though early Saturday morning I went into a pretty speedy active labor and nothing held it off, not magnesium sulfate or anything so I had an emergency c-section.
She is doing quite well in the NICU. She weighed a whopping 2 lbs 2 oz which was obviously big for her age. She is on the ventilator at room air and breathing pretty much on her own so as long as her next arterial blood gas is good at 6:30 AM they are going to try to take her off Monday during the day. I'm excited but nervous, she will have only been the vent for about 48 hours but the CPAP makes me a little scared too. She was put on the jaundice lights this afternoon but no biggie. Other than that she hasn't had any issues yet. All labs are good and she is having wet and dirty diapers. I am exclusively pumping and am able to swab her mouth with colostrum, she has a very strong urge to suck already and latches on every time. I would love any NICU advice you ladies have.
One thing I can't get over is that the doctor who did my c-section said her cord was wrapped around her neck 3 times and didn't know what would have happened the further I carried her and/or when she dropped at the end of the pregnancy. She said 3 times is highly unusual, would make the cord very short and could obviously have caused a very serious problem. A small part of me can't help but be glad that we got her out before it created a more devastating outcome. Weird how things like that work out sometimes.
Now a question for you (or many questions lol), pumping for her is VERY important to me. What advice do you ladies have? I'm getting measurable amounts of colostrum and I think it's starting to turn whiter into breast milk but not totally sure. Today I had 3 different pumping sessions that resulted in 3 mL output. Does that sound right for having delivered 36 hours ago? Also, when I go home Tuesday I need to have something figured out so should I go with Medela or what do you recommend doing? The hospital recommends renting from them for a couple months but if I'm going to have to buy the Medela anyways then is it almost as good? Any cheaper pumps that work just as well? The lactation consultant gave me a goal of 10 times pumping per day for 15 minutes about 2 hours apart with a 5 hour stretch at night for sleeping. Does that seem like a good schedule or did something else work better for you? Any and all pumping advice, tips, and tricks are greatly appreciated!!
Thanks in advance everyone!
and after 82 days in the NICU, our little girl is home!
Re: Joining you ladies
Congrats on your daughter-she is beautiful! It sounds like she is doing well! Don't be stressed about the CPAP, it looks scarier than the vent but is actually a lot easier on the babies if they are ready for it. My DD spent a month on CPAP, like your daughter she was off the vent pretty quickly.
As far as pumping goes, it sounds like you are doing great and your milk is starting to come in! I used a hospital pump when I was at the NICU with my DD all day (I was one of the moms who virtually lived at the hospital-not everyone does this, you will learn what works best for you). First I used the symphony pumps at the milk bank's private rooms and then I was able to get one placed by my DD's bedside so I could pump behind a screen without leaving her. Since this was all at the hospital, I didn't pay a rental fee. At home I used the medela PISA. Honestly, its worth the expense to get a good pump or rent the hospital one. Its very possible that your insurance will cover the hospital one while your DD is in the NICU. It sounds like you have a good schedule-I pumped every 3 hours around the clock at first and then moved into a longer sleeping stretch at night. Keep doing what you are doing--its wonderful to be able to pump for your preemie!
We are here if you have any questions, welcome!
Our precious girl, born at 27 weeks.
Congratulations on the birth of your daughter! My son was born at 26w3d, and, like your daughter, he only spent about 48 hours on the vent before being moved to the CPAP. It's definitely possible. My son was 2lb 8 oz at birth, so another enormous baby (by micropreemie standards).
To answer your questins, I'd agree with the previous poster. I also pumped for my son exclusively, and I rented a hospital grade pump for 2 months (he was in the NICU for 70 days). I eventually bought a Freestyle, too, but the hospital grade pump definitely worked better at first. I got collostrum early, and it took a couple of days for my milk to come in. I don't remember exactly how much I got at first, but I was collecting it in a syringe. Eventually, I would get 100mL+ every time I'd pump. 10x / day is probably reasonable, although I think I started out pumping 8x / day. Like the previous poster, I started out pumping every 3 hours around the clock, and then I eventually added a bit of a long stretch at night. A few weeks later, I was able to sleep 8 hours straight at night, but you'll have to cross that bridge when you come to it. Renting a pump is a pain and obviously costs money, but I'd strongly recommend it, personally.
Definitely drink lots of water. It will help your supply. I ate oatmeal, too, and I still do (I'm back at work now, so I'm pumping again). Like your daughter, my son had a pretty good urge to suck very early on. Work with your NICU to do as many practice breastfeeding sessions as you can. I was eventually able to EBF my son for a few weeks before I had to go to work and start pumping again. Breastfeeding is a million times easier than pumping, so it's a goal worth striving for.
Another tip: I was diagnosed with PTSD as a result of my L&D experience (I delivered by myself while on a business trip 300 miles from home). Keep that in mind for yourself, too - it sounds like you had a traumatic birth experience. You'll be running on adrenaline the entire time your daughter is in the NICU, but, for me, it all hit me after he was released. Something to watch for.
Congratulations again! Don't hesitate to reach out with questions. Everyone here is super-supportive.
First and foremost - Congratulations. I understand exactly how you feel about everything, confused and concerned.
My bundle of joy came at 32 weeks. He was 5 pounds which was awesome but he couldn't breathe on his own or suck. He was in the hospital for 25 days.
We wanted to breastfeed so of course it was hard because we couldn't for the first 3 weeks that he was in the hospital. I pumped for every feeding. I recommend the hospital pumps. They were the best that I could find. I rented one from the hospital but before I could purchase my own, my milk dried up at the end of my 2nd month. If you purchase one, I would recommend the Medela. They were the best and most comfortable although it hurt no matter what.
Just remember to pump as much as they are feeding your little one. The more you pump, the more milk that will come in. I also learned that you need to pump more if you are not introducing your baby to the breast right away to keep the supply up. Try to introduce to the breast as soon as possible. It will make things much easier.
Also, breast feed for as long as possible. There is nothing wrong if you can't due to the situation. It was very hard for me to accept that I couldn't pump or breastfeed anymore. But now, my bundle of joy is on straight formula and loving it and striving.
There were harder things since pumping like leaving him at the hospital when I was released or going over to the hospital all day long just to be with him and talk to him. He really learned my voice and smell that way.
Welcome and congratulations, your DD is beautiful!
Every time you take a step in the learning to breathe process there is anxiety, if she trials on c-pap and goes back to the vent it was not all for nothing, Each step they take gets them more practice and sets the stage for success next time. I tell you this only because we went back and forth after battling some infection issues and although it was tough, being prepared helped me. We were on c-pap (on and off, we went back and forth from c-pap to the vent or c-pap to cannula several times) for a while, about 6 weeks.
Ditto PP about getting help if you need it. I am 8 months out and only now getting the help I desperately need, I was convinced that things would magically get better with every milestone and it never happened. The social workers in the NICU are a really good resource if you need help.
I would use the hospital rental pump, they really are more effective than the commercially available ones. It sounds like you are doing really well though, keep it up! I found that I produced more if I pumped after touch time, something you will get to enjoy much more when she is off the vent.
Again, congrats and welcome!
Congrats on your beautiful little girl! So glad you could hold on a couple more weeks and delivery safely. My 28 weekers have been home for just a week now. My littlest guy who weighed 2lbs was trialed on cpap just a few days after he was born. He was only on it for a few hours, but he gave it his best. He spent about 3 more weeks on the vent until they tried again and he did great the 2nd time. The same thing for my other little guy, except he graduated a little faster. I really hated the cpap, because it's harder to see their face and they get so stuffy, but... It's the best thing if they are ready. The neo told us don't feel like they "failed" if they have to go back on the vent, he said their blood gases were so good he had to give them the chance to at least try. It just means they need more time to grow and mature.
It sounds like your pumping is going just fine. My milk didn't come in until the 4th day and then it took a few more days for it to transition. 10 times a day is a pretty high goal! I was lucky to get in 8 times a day. I was more diligent the first couple weeks while my supply was establishing, and then I relaxed a little more. However, it never effected my supply negatively - in fact it just kept increasing and now that I have babies home there is an over supply! You'll find what works best for you. I rented the symphony for a month and then got a loaner Ameda from WIC.
Peanut Butter and Jelly!
<a href="http://s568.photobucket.com/albums/ss122/AliceNP/?action=view
BFP #3 via cancelled IUI ~ C (2lb 3oz; HELLP) 5/16/11
BFP #4 via the natural (free!) way ~ E (8lb 11oz) 9/13/12
Congratulations & I love her name! I remember your post - welcome back - she had a great weight and glad she came out when she did. It sounds like it wouldn't have been good for her to stay in much longer.
It sounds like people have covered most things. If you have more questions or just need cheers with the pumping post away!
If I could go back in time I would have rented the hospital pump - do yourself a favor
I also would have bought my nursing cover before he came home. What was I thinking crouched behind those screens? Also, pick up a pack-it lunchbag for milk transfer. It was the best thing ever!!!