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Breastfeeding your preemie

Sydney_23wkr
0 Recommendations

Posted from "open discussion"....thought I might get more replies here...

We have started Sydney (33 weeks adjusted) on feedings. She is getting two bottles a day now (34mls), and we're doing non-nuitritive breastfeeding which means she's practicing, but it's not counting as a "feed". I hate that I'm having to compete with a bottle. I bf my other two and really enjoyed the closeness. I am afraid my dd will not want the breast due to so many opportunities to bottle feed. Bottom line is she's feeding though and getting closer to coming home!!! Praise God...I'm blessed that this is my biggest concern. Just wanted to know what you did to get your baby to breastfeed inspite of the many bottle feedings.

TIA,
erin

7 replies

mygirlsmom

I think you said it perfectly "I'm blessed that this is my biggest concern". If you really want to BF, just keep trying, especially after you bring her home. Many preemies don't really get good at it until they are a few months old, even after months of bottle feeding. I was so happy that my girls were EATING and gaining weight while in the NICU (30-weekers) that I didn't really care if it was from a bottle or from me. I never did BF, but many preemie moms have great success after sometime, so don't give up if that is something that is important to you. Hopefully some will reply to you on how they managed. Good luck.

AnneV

My daughter went through the same thing with her son. But now that he is home she has the opposite problem. He only wants to BF and does not want the bottle!

beesteagirl

My 30-weeker showed no interest in feeding at all while still in the NICU-- BF or bottle. That is until just before he came home at 38 weeks.
I wanted to EBF really bad, so this became my primary focus as well as his day to day health. BF took a lot of patience and practice for him. We started out just like you with 1 BF session (more non-nutritive) a day, then gradually increased as his stamina and interest grew. At about 1 month home from NICU he was eating 3-4 BF sessions a day. And a month later he was EBF! Give it time, and if your hospital offers BF clinics where LCs assist with BF issues as well as weigh the babies on their scales, I'd go. These clinics really helped me. BF a preemie can be very different than BF a FT baby at first. Good luck.

anniem222

Hi there,

First, congrats on your little miracle! That's wonderful you want to BF! I did too with my son (30-weeker) so badly it hurt. It took over 3 months after he came home before he was BFing well enough to decrease the pumping. I still pumped to give him one bottle with polyvisol each day. It took a lot of time, patience, and tears to get to that point, but we did it. You can too, just don't give up. We had to battle reflux as well, but once that was under control with meds he took off. I wish you the best, you're doing great... just be persistent and keep practicing!

Best wishes,

Ann

MBA

My son was primarily bottle fed in the NICU - He "practiced" BF once a day. When we got home, we increased nursing. He was my 3rd, so once I was confident he was latching on correctly, we switched - kind of "cold turkey" to exclusive breastfeeding. I nursed on demand & he got better & better at it. Of my 3 kids, he turned out to be the best at it &, at times during illness, it was all he would do. Good luck! You are fortunate to have the experience of the other two!

melanie9392

My daughter surprised me. From the first pravtice nursing she obviously preferred the breast to the bottle. When we brought her home I made sure to always bf before giving a supplemental bottle. Now she is four mos actual and we have to push the bottles on her once a day because she still much prefers nursing. I think it depends on the baby, and your experience with breastfeeding. My first daughter refused to nurse for the first 6 weeks and o ly took bottles but eventually she refused bottles and nursed till almost a year and a half. You just have to keep doing it and don't loose your supply!

ProjectGemini07

I mixed bottle fed and bf'd my one son that had a 71day NICU stay. I slowly cut out bottles and kind of forced him to nurse. It took about three or four months to get him to exclusively nurse. It was a process but it was important to me. It can be done!!! But yes, I agree....hard to compete w/ a bottle. :)

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