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Preemies
breastfeeding
I know this question has probably been asked a million times, but I need some support. I have always wanted to breastfeed and am having a difficult time with not being able to do it successfully. When in the hospital, I was trying it once or twice a day with the lactation consultant and since being home, I try it about 75% of the feeding. He doesn't get much, has a shallow latch (which hurts) and falls asleep. I know he hasn't hit his due date yet, so I need to try not to be discouraged... any tips on getting a preemie to breastfeed. He always finishes his bottle after I try to breastfeed. I am worried that since the bottle is so much easier for him, he doesn't even want to try the breastfeed. Tips, help and support are appreciated.
P.S. I am so over this pumping every 2-3 hours! ugh
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Re: breastfeeding
Have you checked the preemie resource blog? Urban has a wonderful post about this. She was successful at getting her son to EBF.
Edit: grammar
Breastfeeding a preemie is SO hard! It takes a lot of patience but I found it did get easier after my DD's due date. Have you tried with a nipple shield? It might help his shallow latch.
Here is a link to the breastfeeding page on the blog: https://preemiemomblog.blogspot.com/p/all-things-breastmilk.html
You might want to check out these posts in particular:
Our precious girl, born at 27 weeks.
Keep trying! I know it is difficult and stressful, but if you want to BF it is possible. I brought my twin girls home from the NICU on pumped bottles after a two weeks stay and it took almost 11 more weeks at home (6 weeks after their due date) before I got them the be exclusively breastfeeding. Now we are doing wonderful at 5 months and I am so glad I stuck to it.
I was doing what you seem to be doing. Offering the breast then the bottle then pumping. Once they stopped emptying the whole bottle, I started dropping bottle feeds. One of my girls caught on faster than the other so all babies are different. The first few days I was feeding them every 2 hours but as they learned to suck more effectively it moved to every 3-4 hours.
Good luck!
~Adrienne
I am echoing kck here but things really took off after her due date. Do you use a nipple shield? It csn be such a great tool espcially with their small mouths that are accustomed to a bottle nipple. We weaned off the shield at about 4 months actual and it never affected my supply. Also, I went to weekly BFing support groups to do weighed feeds and obsessively tracked feedings and diaper output to make sure she was getting enough.
Good luck!