Breast feeding a premature baby.....

[keelie_b]

By the looks of things i will be having my baby next Friday at 36+6 (ticker a day wrong) by C-section due to him being transverse.
Do you think i'll be able to breast feed?
Do c-section babies struggle to feed and will he know how to latch on being early?

Please tell me your exeriences, Thanks

Oh and another question, would he need much medical intervention at 3 weeks early or should he be ok?
xxx

 

[mary70]

i had Hannah at 35+5 and breast fed her until she was admitted to scbu (24 hours later) with no problem then i expressed until she came out 2 days later, i did put her on the bottle because she had feeding problems but they wernt due to her being prem as she was 10lb 4oz born

 

[NICCI]

hey hun jack was born at 36 + 4 and although the first few days were hard it was fine after a lot of support and guidance, its soooo worth it though and 4 months on we r still going strong xxxxx

 

[NICCI]

just wanted to add jack was fine he wasnt in scbu at all, he weighd 6lbs exactly!! we had to stay in because my waters broke 24 hours before i had him, so we both had to have antibiotics xxxx
ure LO will be fine hun

 

[Misslarue]

I had PROM at 35+5 and Dan was born at exactly 36 weeks with little sucking reflex. I tried to breastfeed in the first day but he had low blood sugar and I was advised to feed him forumla as well as keep trying to BF. I even feed him colostrum with a pipette!
After coming home we did have some limited success and lots of help from the breastfeeding clinic, who are great

He didn't require any help hun, I wasn't given steriods. He did have low blood sugar and he was given a course of antibiotics in case of infection and he developed jaundice and was put on a bilibed for about 4 days. Unfortunately he was re-admitted into hospital after being home for a few days with RSV (bronchiolitis) with is common in prem babies, but thats another story!

 

[x Naomi x]

Macey was born at 37+4 and had very good sucking reflex etc, i had an emergency c section, so couldnt really hold her afterwards as we were both a little unwell but you may find with yours being planned, you may get to have quite good initial skin to skin contact and be able to breastfeed straightaway which will help , Macey did get a little cold so had to spend the night being warmed up in SCBU and then another 11 days in SCBU but not through being a little early

Baby may be a little cold and need warming up depends really on babies size etc so i wouldnt worry about that

Good luck!

 

[aramintalovegrove]

I have no personal experience but my sisters last 2 were born at 30 and 29 weeks and she has fed both the first for well over a year and the second is only a few month old and she has had problems but actually managed to relactate after a few problems.

Both times she expressed and fed by a tube until LO was ready to feed naturally but it was fairy quick so the 36 week sucking reflex was definatley not an issue.

She got great help at hospital and persevered but it is possible and each time the hospital staff were really helpful

 

[Tiggy26]

My son was born at exactly 36 weeks and latched on straight away. As soon as his cord was cut, he was straight on me and breastfed for an hour He never went to scub so we were lucky.

Good luck hun

 

[Steelgoddess]

I found boob feeding quite painful with the scar aswell but hayden was a chomper when he was born and there were other issues...
Can you arrange a visit with your middy before, I know there are different ways you can feed which avoid the scar, using a pillow helps, and can help make it alot easier.,..

 

[Redshoes]

Ophelia was born at 37+1 and she took to the boob straight after birth, she was a vaginal delivery though, I know little about c-section birth but have heard Mum's say their LO's breastfed fine after a c-section. Ophelia didn't need any medical intervention at all, she was just a little cold, she was tiny at 5lb 11oz, so she was put under some heat lamps for an hour, after spending and hour and a half on the boob, she stayed with me until my placenta came away naturally, which took about an hour, though seemed like 5mins hehe Very best wishes

 

[Lynsey]

Jacob was born at 34+1 and after 10 days of being tube fed (babies don't get the sucking reflex until around 36 weeks) with my expressed milk, he got the hang of breast feeding. I fed him for 7 months with no problems so it can definitely be done! Just be prepared to express if your LO has problems for the first few days so you can establish your milk supply. Good luck hun!

 

[bhe101]

Ellie was born at 33+4 and went straight into an incubator.
She was tube fed using my expressed milk for about a 2 weeks then I started breast feeding.
She took to it fine so dont think you should have a problem

 

[Fly]

Charlie was born 34 weeks via c-section and didn't have sucking reflex to begin with. I expressed for 10 days where he progressed from tube to pipette to cup and finally to my breast. We managed a further week or so but I was very poorly and very stressed so my milk quality wasn't nutritious enough for him and he wasn't thriving so i went to bottles. I think had we had the right support from the word go then we would have succeeded but unfortunatley i didn't have access to any support other than my mum even though charlie was in scbu things are vastly improved these days

Henry was born at 41+5 weeks via c-section and latched on straight away - was a little uncomfortable with the scar but i just have lots of cushions. I found there was an awful lot of support in hospital and also since we've come home to help establish breastfeeding.

 

[Misslarue]

Just be prepared to express if your LO has problems for the first few days so you can establish your milk supply. Good luck hun!

I think this is vitally important.
When Dan was re-admitted to hopstial with RSV and put in an oxygen box and on a drip, I didn't get to feed him for just under a week and naively I never expressed. If you want to breastfeed and are unable, make sure you keep expressing to keep up your milk supply. The hospital should supply you with a pump and help

 

[andreag]

It is great to read so many success stories - I am a bit worried about this baby being early so its great to hear that it shouldn't affect bfing. I am hoping we get to at least 37 weeks.
Thanks for making the post

 

[Jollypops]

I had Calum at 29weeks weighing 3lb 2oz in June, he was in SCBU for 5weeks, i breastfed Calum when i could and expressed for when i wasnt there. Calum had sucking reflexs long before the 34/6weeks that they say.