Have any of you sucessfuly taught a very early preemie to nurse?
I am talking about preemies under 30 weeks?
Cheryl

I haven't, but I was wondering if you've contacted a La Leche Leader? She may have ideas, or be able to lead you to a well-qualified lactation consultant. I have a friend who nursed her preemie son, but I believe he was born at about 31 or 32 weeks.

I hope you get the answers you need!

My son was 34 weeks, and we did struggle. It took a wonderful LC and weeks of patience to do it. I felt better knowing that even if he couldn't nurse yet, all his bottle feedings were with my expressed breast milk. Getting in touch with a LLL leader or LC is the best advice I can give. And to keep patient.

One of my best friends had a 26 weeker that she nursed until 10 months. The baby was never a great nurser (that is why she only nursed until 10m), but she was successful at it--- so it CAN be done :)

heather

My twins were born at 33.5 weeks and stayed 3 weeks in NICU. When they came home they were not nursing very well. Besides contacting a LC or LLL I can also suggest a few things:

1. Kangaroo care
Hold your baby with h/she and yourself with no clothes on and have skin to skin contact. (oops.. its ok for you to wear pants and baby have on diapers) :eek: Occasionally offer your breast. Let h/she get used to it.

2. Tube feed while baby is at your breast. Of course use expressed milk.

3. Stay with your baby 24/7. Set up a station for yourself with a nursing pillow, water, snacks, books, diapers etc. This way you can offer your brest as needed immediately. I did this for 2 days with excellent results. We no longer needed to give bottles.

4. When moving around the house, try a sling to keep the baby with you. The smell of your milk may increase the desire to nurse.

This is a few things I learned from other moms of micro-premies.

I hope it helps. Feel free to PM me and let me know how you are doing

Baby may need a little help learning how to suck properly, be sure to ask an IBCLC about it. Skin to skin contact will do wonders! It's also suggested that you: allow baby to nuzzle at the breast even if s/he isn't interested in nursing (exploring the breast with his/her tongue is a good sign); and to hold baby in a nursing position while feeding even if baby's not nursing. Grooming and talking to baby will also help. :)

Assuming baby's in the NICU, ask the staff if/when you can hold baby - let them know you'd like to interact as much as possible. Ask that you be the one to feed (by whatever method) and change baby.

I was getting him to latch on as of last Sunday night but he was not willing to suck long enough to get the milk going. I would express it directly into his mouth and he would lap the milk. But then he would latch and drop off. He was 38 weeks so I felt he "should" be stay latched. I did some thing sneaky. I expressed breast milk and made a powdered sugar glaze right on the nipple. (I avoided dry powdered sugar, to prevent him from inhaling it.) IT WORKED!! I had to do it several times. At first he was not opening his mouth either. He tried to suck me in like a bottle, but I endured poor latch for a couple of days and now he opens like a PRO!

Thanks ladies!
Cheryl

I am so happy for you both! :)