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Moving onto breastfeeding
Hi my lo is 11 days old and he was 5 weeks premature so never got into breastfeeding when we were in hospital. He just wouldn't latch on and as he was being tube fed I found it easier just to give him a bottle and he was less agitated by this.
However, I have been expressing since he was born and feeding him most of his feeds now with my milk so I do have a good supply. We took his tube out yesterday as he has just started to take all his feeds himself and with a bottle I know how much he is getting. But I do want to give breast feeding another go and tonight I did get him latched on for ten minutes and then he wouldn't take anymore, but he did take some more from a bottle.
Is it too soon to start breast feeding exclusively and how will I know that he is taking enough?
Thanks.
xxx
However, I have been expressing since he was born and feeding him most of his feeds now with my milk so I do have a good supply. We took his tube out yesterday as he has just started to take all his feeds himself and with a bottle I know how much he is getting. But I do want to give breast feeding another go and tonight I did get him latched on for ten minutes and then he wouldn't take anymore, but he did take some more from a bottle.
Is it too soon to start breast feeding exclusively and how will I know that he is taking enough?
Thanks.
xxx
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Replies
Not really knowing, I'd say it is a great sign that your baby latched on for 10 minutes. Also, the only real way to know that he is getting enough is at the weigh-ins. I always worry that my baby isn't getting enough, sometimes she is only on for 5 minutes! But she has been gaining weight and so I've been working on not worrying!
Good luck!
Good luck!
I had same issues with Ollie although he was tube fed, he was given my milk via a bottle all the time he was in SCBU. I really wanted to actually breastfeed so just perservered and now we are on day 5 of total breastfeeding with no bottles at all.
I did it by offering me before each feed then topping up with EBM after if needed and also offering me again after if he was unsettled or rooting. Some days were better than others and I almost gave up many times. Once Ollie was def gaining weight and spending more time awake I got stricter with him and didnt just give bottle if he wasnt latching.
Good luck hun, email me if you want, it seems Ollie and Riley are similar in many ways!
Dinks I will try that and see how it goes.
I was just worried because since he was born I've had to keep track of how much he eats each day to make sure he has enough but for the last 2days he's been without tube and totally bottle feeding and eating more than his daily requirement so I suppose if he's still hungry he will let me know!
Its gone from one extreme to the other as he seems to be constantly hungry now! Which is good I suppose cuz he's putting on weight.
How often does Ollie eat? Does he have any sort of routine yet?
xxx
But we were encouraged to stop this once we left SCBU and demand feed more. It took a few days and I never let Ollie go more than 4hrs but now he is a feeding machine! He rarely goes 4hrs now- sometimes at night but never in day. He feeds anything from every hr to every 3hrs. I just let him decide when he wants it and how much- I never take him off my breast (unless I can feel he isnt latched right as I dont want to get sore!) He feeds on and off most of the evening but I know that this keeps my supply up and enjoy the cuddles!
I also had LOTS of skin to skin with him once we got home as this is proven to help with breastfeeding and also took him in the bath with me where he latched on to me completely alone- without any direction from me!
Keep trying hun, it will happen.
Dinks and Ollie xxx
* He had lots of wet and dirty nappies
* His weight gain is fab
* He is happy and settled after feeds (except for wind) and content between feeds