This is exactly what the SCBU nurse told my when my daughter was born 4 yrs ago!
She was 5 weeks early and I had to express every 2 hours day and night while she was in hospital and she took to breastfeeding well after 3 weeks and was allowed home earlier than they thought because she was doing so well. I managed to breastfeed exclusively for 4mths.
The same nurse told my that if I started feeling useless at breastfeeding then I would be more likely to quit, think positive and it all falls into place and take each feed at a time, you both get there in the end, help is there if you need it but you do have to ask! I've remembered this with both my younger daughters and managed to feed exclusively for 8 mths and 7mths with them.
Although my daughter (born April 2009) was not premature, I struggled to get her to stay latched on - perhaps this research explains why (i.e. she wasn't able to maintain a 'vacuum'). Even with specialised help at the hospital, I couldn't do it and was feeling pretty useless. Luckily, my hospital had a professional breast pump and I used this to start off my excellent milk production. When we got home, my husband and mum had arranged, through our local NCT group, to hire the very same breast pump. So, off we went with me expressing milk and giving it to our daughter. At the start and end of almost every feed, I tried to get my daughter to attach and STAY attached. It didn't work. Finally, three months in, our daughter finally got to grips with it (or managed to maintain a vacuum) and has been breastfed ever since. Despite her teeth, she is still breastfed several times during the course of the day and I intend to continue doing so for as long as possible.
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This is exactly what the SCBU nurse told my when my daughter was born 4 yrs ago!
She was 5 weeks early and I had to express every 2 hours day and night while she was in hospital and she took to breastfeeding well after 3 weeks and was allowed home earlier than they thought because she was doing so well. I managed to breastfeed exclusively for 4mths.
The same nurse told my that if I started feeling useless at breastfeeding then I would be more likely to quit, think positive and it all falls into place and take each feed at a time, you both get there in the end, help is there if you need it but you do have to ask! I've remembered this with both my younger daughters and managed to feed exclusively for 8 mths and 7mths with them.
Although my daughter (born April 2009) was not premature, I struggled to get her to stay latched on - perhaps this research explains why (i.e. she wasn't able to maintain a 'vacuum'). Even with specialised help at the hospital, I couldn't do it and was feeling pretty useless. Luckily, my hospital had a professional breast pump and I used this to start off my excellent milk production. When we got home, my husband and mum had arranged, through our local NCT group, to hire the very same breast pump. So, off we went with me expressing milk and giving it to our daughter. At the start and end of almost every feed, I tried to get my daughter to attach and STAY attached. It didn't work. Finally, three months in, our daughter finally got to grips with it (or managed to maintain a vacuum) and has been breastfed ever since. Despite her teeth, she is still breastfed several times during the course of the day and I intend to continue doing so for as long as possible.
Good luck to everyone out there.