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Feeding Frustrations in the NICU

zoeyandsummersmomzoeyandsummersmom member
in Preemies

Eating seems to be the one hurdle that we cannot seem to overcome. Zoey is latching on and drinking from the bottle. Her issue is she gets tired and doesn't finish. In order to get her full calories, the rest is fed to her via the feeding tube. She's 39 weeks and my intuition is telling me that instead of feeding her in 3 hour or even every 3-4 increments as is prescribed in our NICU, we should be feeding her by demand. My rationale is that this is how she is going to be fed when she is discharged, so perhaps there are times when she would feed more frequently.

Currently they are trying to get 50ml (a little over 1.5 ounces) in her at each feeding, but she seems to max out at about an ounce or a little over an ounce, depending on how much she breast feeds. When I am in the NICU, we tend to breast feed first and then when she seems to be frustrated, we switch over ot the bottle.

The nurses know I am frustrated with breast feeding because it isn't measurable (weighing her before and after isn't accurate) and I don't see how they can gage how much she is taking in during the time she is breast feeding.

If you have read through this and have any suggestions or think I am totally off, please tell me. I am ready for my little girl to be home with us and I think she will thrive much more being home than in the NICU.

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Re: Feeding Frustrations in the NICU

  • cassie.neace@gmail.comcassie.neace@gmail.com member

    I understand your frustration with feeding. When we were forcing Bowen to eat every 3 hours we were having desat and "lazy" eating issues.

    After a week of frustration, I finally asked if we could allow him to eat ad lib. I explained how I noticed the desat issues occurred when Bowen was toward the end of a bottle and was not acting hungry. Everyone agreed to allow us to try ad lib eating for a day, but if his weight was down the next morning we were going to go back to every 3 hours. 

    Sure enough, ad lib eating made all the difference in the world. We didn't have anymore desat issues and Bowen gained weight each day. We would alternate breast and bottle, which meant I had to be at the hospital and ready for a phone call letting me know when he was hungry. 

    Tell them what you have noticed and express your frustration. I totally agree that at some point a baby will thrive so much more at home!

    Lilypie Premature Baby tickers
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  • adrielegorburuadrielegorburu member
    Feeding was a big issue for us as well - Its very frustrating but it takes some learning so we have no choice but to be patient with our LOs on this. Talk to the NICU staff about on demand feeding - they may be willing to try it if you insist (gently) that its your wish that he feed on demand. He may just need to work on his stamina~ some preemie things just take time. It sounds like hes doing really well otherwise and it shouldnt be long before he masters this! I found that feeding once we were home got easier for DD - no pressure and we were both more comfortable.
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  • lwmooney87lwmooney87
    We had issues with feeding in the NICU as well (and still do!). They kept telling me OVER and OVER..."don't worry...one day it will just click for her and she will take all her feedings by mouth" Well, one day one of the nurses (who I LOVED) took out Reagan's feeding tube and said "she did it it herself" (which btw, she did a lot any way). She thought the feeding tube was one of the reasons she wasn't eating well. Well, it worked. She never had to have it put back in. Thank God. So, you just have to see what works best. I remember sitting in the NICU and crying...watching babies go home that were less gestational age than Reagan.
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  • cassiediannecassiedianne member

    imagelwmooney87:
    We had issues with feeding in the NICU as well (and still do!). They kept telling me OVER and OVER..."don't worry...one day it will just click for her and she will take all her feedings by mouth" Well, one day one of the nurses (who I LOVED) took out Reagan's feeding tube and said "she did it it herself" (which btw, she did a lot any way). She thought the feeding tube was one of the reasons she wasn't eating well. Well, it worked. She never had to have it put back in. Thank God. So, you just have to see what works best. I remember sitting in the NICU and crying...watching babies go home that were less gestational age than Reagan.

    I understand completely.  My LO was at 35 1/2 weeks and the only issue she had was learning how to eat.  It took til 3 days before her due date before she started taking her full feedings.  Her stamina just wasn't there.  She's at home now but feeding is still an issue (not meeting the totals that the nutritionist would like to see) but she's gaining weight (again not as fast as they'd like) and doing things on her own time.

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  • jennifer1wjennifer1w

    I can understand you being in a hurry to get your LO home. I know that when I brought my son home that they had me wake him every 3hrs to feed him even at home. They want them to continue gaining weight.

    I hope things get better for you guys soon! Sometimes it just takes time to get them strong enough to eat their full feedings without getting tired. I am sure that doesn't make it any easier though. *hugs*

    Jenn Lilypie Premature Baby tickers
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  • haziedazehaziedaze member
    We're another demand feeding success story. I would breastfeed only when I was there (about 5 feeds). I wouldn't supplement at all and fed on demand- he did well but wouldn't meet totals for his bottles overnight so they pulled the tube and changed him to all ad lib. He continued to gain weight for 3 days and we were able to go home. He had some feeds where he would take less then he would take more. Weight gain is what really matters, not volumes! I think it's definitely worth a try... you may ask to pull the tube while you try but be willing to have it put back in if need be.
    BFP#1 9/14/10 (EDD 5/21/11); no fetal pole 6w6d, 7w4d, d&c 10/8
    BFP#2 3/16/11, beta 138; 4/12 Baby/HB DS born 9/10/11 at 29w4d due to partial abruption and PTL
    Lilypie Third Birthday tickers
    BFP#3 8/19/13 Another boy! 17P, modified bedrest and Nifedipine helped us have a termie! DS2 born 4/19/14 at 38w5d.
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  • ClickMamaClickMama
    Feedings is what kept us in the NICU. Perhaps it was different since we were FF but we fed on a schedule when we went home per NICU and pediatrician. It was more so she would gain weight. Feeding was the hardest for her, we regressed a few times in the NICU. 
    3 failed IUIs, 1 successful IVF Lilypie Premature Baby tickers imageimage
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  • opalloveropallover

    I am new here and haven't posted an introduction but I had the same problems in the NICU and Special Care Unit. E was born at 36 weeks and had heart, lung and eating issues. After not having a "brady" for five days she also had to complete all of her feedings for two days to be able to get out the hospital. I was so frustreated since I wanted to nurse her but it seemed like nursing her stopped her from finishing her bottles. We also had a ng tube to complete her feeds each time.

    After recognizing that she was able to finish three bottles in a row without nursing and then NOT finish when nursing I totally broke down crying. I decided to stop nursing her in the hopsital and just "get through" the next two days since her heart and lungs were totally doing well and it was JUST the food/bottles that were "stopping" her from going home. She was a good nurser and I thought maybe we could just pick it up when we got home.

    So, instead of nursing her I jsut concentrated on her bottles. I did continue to pump and she got breast milk from the bottles. I would cuddle her before and after the bottle so she would know that mommy was there helping her get well so we could get home and be a complete family. I never left her side for one momment through the whole thing so I may have been quite out of my mind by the end of the hospitalization.

    We have been home now for almost a week. I decided on thursday night to just switch her completely to breast from bottle and we haven't looked back.

    I know you are super frustrated and I totally know your frustration. I just wanted to share my experience with you to let you know what worked for us and that you aren't alone.

    many many hugs to you and your dear baby.

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