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Breastfeeding a preemie?

kkcollins0402kkcollins0402
in Preemies
I'm having a horrible time trying to breastfeed my little girl! She was born 5 weeks early and I have had her home from the NICU for almost 3 weeks now ... She was bottle fed in the NICU and seems to like the bottle more now that we are home. I try breastfeeding as often as possible and I am pumping and bottle feeding breast milk ... But my milk is slowing diminishing. I am so emotional over this and really hoping one day she will just be satisfied with my breast! I am currently trying Mother's Milk tea and herbal supplements. I am also loading up on oatmeal in the mornings but I am still not producing as much milk as she is drinking. Any advice for a first time mom?
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Re: Breastfeeding a preemie?

  • chels38026chels38026
    I am finding success with a multi faceted approach...both my girls use nipple shields the majority of the time to help their latch, I take More Milk Special Blend, eat lactation cookies, drink lots of water, and pump whenever I can. Have you tried contacting a LC? Hang in there Mama!
    After 5 TI Clomid cycles, 5 IUIs, and 2 IVFs we finally got our BFP!
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  • kristen218kristen218 member
    I would make an appointment with a LC also. My DD was born 9 weeks early and the only way we could breast feed for the first 8 weeks was with a nipple shield. It helped her get a good latch and then we slowly weaned her off. Don't give up because it really does get easier and it is so good for her! Also, the more you breast feed the more milk you will produce so keep it up!
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  • PhillyGal34PhillyGal34 member
    I agree that a NS may help butane sure you get the right size. We used one for DS for a few weeks and then he eventually self weaned.

    Are you pumping? If not you may want to start to keep up your supply. Good luck!
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  • kkcollins0402kkcollins0402

    Thank you for your input ladies ... good news - baby girl successfully breast fed for 30 minutes today (twice!!) using a nipple shield. Hopefully it stays that way! Fingers crossed!!

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  • rednelsonrednelson member
    Agree with PPs that a LC would be beneficial.  Doing weighted feeds really helped me gain confidence in BF.  Also, just curious what makes you think that she's not satisfied at the breast? Is she pulling off and crying/fussing?  Could be that your let down for her is too fast, or not fast enough.  If not fast enough, try stimulating the opposite nipple when you put her on. Is it because you're not getting as much when you pump? If so it could be that your body is regulating to her needs. Pumping becomes much more difficult as time goes on.  I've been successfully BFing my LO for 14 months now, and when I'm at work I only get around 2 ounces when I pump and I know that he takes in much more than that when he nurses. Best of luck to you and your LO. Just try not to stress too much, she'll get it!
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  • laxkal23laxkal23 member
    CJ was 4 weeks early and struggled to bf.. He just didn't seem to have the energy to keep it up. I was advised to bf for 15-30 min and then supplement with pumped milk after any feeding that lacked a successful latching (he was jaundice and dehydrated so it was really important that we keep his fluids up). A few weeks out we no longer needed the Supplementing as he grew stronger and more efficient bfing. It just takes time, but you can get there. 
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  • ghlghl member
    I'm not new to BFing since I BFed DS1 for a year, but now I have 2 preemie twins who were 35 wks at birth, and am dealing w/ a different set of challenges in BFing them. DS2 was in the NICU for a few days for low birth weight and initially, he was not latching at all when we tried to BF. We worked w/ the hospital LC who started us on a nipple shield with him to make it easier for him, especially as he was so sleepy. The key it to make sure that the baby is still properly latched, and that milk is properly transferring from your breast to the shield. Now he is feeding and gaining just fine using the shield. We've been able to nurse twice in the last two weeks without it but I suspect it'll take some work to wean him off. The key is to make sure you are working w/ an LC if you start using a shield to make sure that the baby is still positioned correctly, latching well and getting enough milk. Granted I'm also working on ensuring adequate supply for 2 babies, but I was also pumping after feeding for 5-10 min just to make sure the breast was drained well and if the babies didn't seem satisfied after nursing, I would give the pumped milk to supplement.
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