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Breastfeeding a preemie

Shauna07Shauna07
in Preemies

Hi Ladies,


Any advice about breastfeeding a preemie? My daughter was born at 31 weeks 5 days (she's now 37 weeks today), and has been mostly bottle fed.  While she was in the NICU for a month (she's been home for 1 week), I tried to breastfeed using the nipple shield, then I tried without it.  I haven't really had a lot of success (but I've been pumping since she was born).  I don't think she opens wide enough, and she falls asleep almost immediately and has a shallow latch.  I know this will change as she gets older/bigger -- it's just depressing me to pump and put it in a bottle for her and I feel the longer she's on the bottle -- the harder it will get her onto the boob :( Any thoughts? Or do you have a success story?

TIA 

 

 

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Re: Breastfeeding a preemie

  • RobinR91RobinR91 member
    I'm NO EXPERT butmy daughters were born around the same time 31.4 and I struggled with the same thing. For us, success meant sucking/swallowing/breathing. Literally started with 2 ml and worked up from there on the bottle. To transfer that successfully to the breast didn't happen for my biggest until maybe week 5?y other two are still working on the nipple shield to secure latch. If you haven't been already, kellymom has some great advice in weaning from the nipple shield. And my LC reminded me to start the feed with a nipple shield, remove it for a short time, and when the baby gets tired replace it again to build stamina.

    Hang in there! You're doing great work for your baby. Remember those mouth parts are small now but they will grow. Just keep it positive.
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  • apple627apple627
    My son was born 32w5d. I bottle fed only for two months because he had a hard time latching. I also liked actually seeing how much he took at each feed so i dont know how much of his latching issue was him and how much was me! I did as much skin to skin as possible and offered him breast at most feedings. At around 2 months he successfully latched! He is now 3 months old and doing half feeds breast and half pumped bm. 
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  • PhillyGal34PhillyGal34 member
    My son was born at 31w 5 d and is now almost 6 months old and is bf. he gets bottles while I'm at work though. We used a nipple shield until he was a week or two past his due date. He also had a shallow latch but that resolved as his mouth got bigger. My advice is to stick with it. Also try doing the sandwich hold with your breast that helped me get him to latch deeper when we stopped using the ns.

    Good luck!
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  • cfitz16cfitz16 member

    It takes a lot of work.  With my son, who was born at 36 weeks, it was much worse, because he had apena and was in the NICU for a month.  He had a very hard time latching and would fall asleep all the time.  If you are committed, however, then go for it.  Unwrap them when they fall asleep, tickle their feet, change their diaper.  Also, I used a nipple shield with my son the WHOLE TIME I nursed him, and I did that until he was 16 months old.  It's what worked for us.  Take my daughter, however...she was born at 34 weeks, only spent 1 week in the NICU and only used a nipple shield for a month, then she was all set and nurses like a pro.  (So, every baby is different, and past your first, you get the hang of it really fast.) 

     As an aside, I worked with 4 lactation consultants with my son to get it to work..so don't be discouraged if it doesn't work right away.  Preemies just don't know how to suck correctly right away.  It also tires them out easily.

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  • Shauna07Shauna07

    Thanks Ladies, awesome stories and advice! I am feeling better, and plan to try the nipple shield again tomorrow.  Thanks so much for your feedback -- your real stories provided me with better support than I received from a LC! :)

     

     

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  • Wally3Wally3 member
    My son was 34 wks. I was able to try bfing in the nicu and it was a big fail the next time I had an LC come and help me and it mad all the difference. I used a nipple shield for about 2 months. My advice is see a LC and if possible bring dh with you so he knows what you are trying to do. Good luck.

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  • 3litttlebirds3litttlebirds member
    My son was born at 33 wks 6 d. The NICU only allowed 2 breastfeeding sessions within a 24 hr period, so we didn't get a ton of practice. Because I pumped and he mostly got bottles BM in the NICU, that's what we stuck with the first few weeks when he came home. I also did not feel comfortable breastfeeding him at first because I liked being able to see how much he was getting with the bottle. DS is now 8 wks old, 2 wks adjusted, and last week I met with an LC to figure out how to transition smoothly from pumping/bottle feeding to breastfeeding. It is hard work! Some feedings are going great and some not so great. The feeding that I did about an hour ago was tough with DS not getting a strong latch and falling asleep constantly. I just had myself a good cry and felt like giving up, but BF'ing is important to me, so I'll keep trying. Good luck to you!
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  • bunyip12199bunyip12199

    I remember trying to learn to breastfeed while in the NICU. He was mainly bottlefed and i pumped non-stop. While in the NICU, it was mostly practice latching for my son. It was very trying and frustrating, I remember crying all the time. (which doesn't help with milk supply BTW). The nurses would always ask why I was so upset, besides the fact, of having an emergency C-section, leaving the hospital and coming in day after day and not coming home with him, I had a preemie that didn't like to latch.

     I know this doesn't help but It is just one of those things that you have to keep at it. No matter how frustrated and exhausted you get, if you want to nurse your infant. It is definitely going to take time and patience.

    I had such great support from my husband and would cheer me on and always lend his shoulder to cry on. I was pretty determined and kept at it...

    My son is now 2 months old (adj. 1 month) and while he still is kind of fussy at the breast, with him being a little older and stronger. It has definitely gotten better. So Don't give up!

    You will eventually learn her "fussy times" and when she is not as fussy during feedings. We still bottle feed over-night to get a few hours of sleep and less frustration, especially with my husband taking over one feeding a day really helps. So I still pump.. it is just something that i think I will always do until he gets a little better.

    Also, I still use a nipple shield (he was diagnosed with a high palate)... it is the only way he will breastfeed. It is very frustrating using that thing, but is worth it. We are still working on him with breastfeeding and the shield. I just think it will always be a pain in the rear, but well worth it! Things will get easier...

    Chin up! Life with you and your new daughter can only go up from here! Smile

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