EBM to Breast.....How To?

[Scout]

Due to our baby requiring to be in a Special Care Nursery for a week plus being too immature to suck well, I now have a baby who hasn't been breastfed. Very thankfully, I have been expressing so Saxon is getting breast milk.

I have tried a number of times to put him on the breast but it is resulting in mini-tantrums (from a 10 day old!) and him refusing the breast. Yet if I put the bottle teat in his mouth, he happily feeds.

Has anyone been in this situation before? I am going to go back to my hospital for some help from the middies but wanted to know if anyone here has had a similar experience.

[TwoBlue]

:hugs: to you, how frustrating...

My DS was in NICU for 10 days but was tube fed rather than bottle fed so ended up taking to the breast ok but it did take a few days of perserverance for him to work it out...

just keep at it and hopefully he will get the hang of it...

sorry not much help really

[Funkychicken]

Hi Scout and welcome home Saxon!
Sounds like you are doing a great job of looking after your new little man. Could you try just lying down (topless) with him alongside you and just brushing your nipple acrioss his mouth. No hurrying, just gentle brushing for a while. Obviously, when he is happy and not screaming for a feed. I'm sure the midwives will have some help available.:D

[TwoBlue]

Could you try just lying down (topless) with him alongside you and just brushing your nipple acrioss his mouth. No hurrying, just gentle brushing for a while. Obviously, when he is happy and not screaming for a feed. I'm sure the midwives will have some help available.:D

Oh SalOO8 you actually reminded me of something the lactation people told me when i was starting DS on breast.. they said a sniff and a lick is better than nothing :yes: so i agree with your idea of topless cuddles when bubs is not hungry (or not starving anyway) Good idea :thumbsup:

had forgotten that... but it was over 2 years ago now :rolleyes:

[Funkychicken]

Also, a really great book to read is Sheila Kitzingers "BREASTFEEDING". I adore this book and got so much out of it each and every time I've had a bub. I have a copy if you would like to borrow it, Scout? I'll PM you about it.:)

[Goosie22]

Hi,
I agree giving lots of skin to skin and breast nuzzeling will help. And just keep at it. You could also try Cup feeding (http://www.ccmckids.org/programs/breastfeeding_cupfeeding.asp) to encourage the baby to protrude the tounge more and lap the milk up, this has been proven to help encourage breastfeeding in SCN babes.

Breast Refusal (http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/refusal.html)

[xkwzit]

We had to express all of DD1s feeds for about 5 weeks and she wouldn't take a breast either. One thing you could try that worked for me is using nipple shields (the mexican sombrero looking ones), they are enough like a bottle teat that my DD accepted it. We used it as a transition back to BF, for a few weeks all up before we weaned her off the sheilds as well.

I would still get advice from an LC as most don't like long term nipple shield use. Mine decided to carefully cut the top out of the nipple sheild to try to minimise any loss of stimulation (and associated reduction of supply).

Cheers

[Tam-I-Am]

I haven't personally been through this, but one of my very close friends has - her baby was 3 weeks prem, just enough not to have a sucking reflex, so they were feeding her via spoon then syringe, then onto bottle because she wouldn't take the breast by this stage.

My friend expressed day and night for about 5-6 weeks to keep up her supply, and just kept trying to offer her bubba the breast. The baby eventually got the hang of it, and they breastfed until 6 months when my friend weened her baby.

I know that she got a LOT of support from the L/C at the hospital throughout this whole process, and she said much what Sal and Goosie suggested - much skin to skin contact, just keep gently trying. Try not to get too frustrated (or if you, give it up for that feed) because your baby will pick up on your frustration.

Sorry I haven't been more help!