Premmie Mums #9

[Charlotte91]

DD was a 34weeker and 3lb 12oz, or 1698g

[Maruschke]

OLP- wow that is big for 34 weeks! How long will you be in for?

I am happy a crappola afternoon. Not long after I left her for a nap, her BSL dropped again and they had to put a cannula in her foot to pump her with glucose . You should see her hands and feet, COVERED in bruises from being stabbed. Heartbreaking. But she did do her first poo which I guess is a relief.

Then I was told that most SCN mums choose to go home and just attempt BF once a week until their bub is strong enough. I had no idea. They said it is a potential that she wont BF until she is term. Not sure I have the ability to leave her for 4 weeks. Just ugh...

[Onelittleprincess]

They begin to develop suck reflex between 35 and 36 weeks. You will notice her click around this time. One day she won't the next day bam shell do it. Been in for 2 weeks so far hopefully only one more week as she's getting better at sucking. If she's able to continue putting her at your breast at least every 2nd feed if for nothing then associating breast with food.

Yeah she's a big prem. they predict she would have been close to 4kg if I went to term. My first was 1.6kg when born at 30 weeks.

It's a long but worthwhile journey

[Charlotte91]

Have you considered a dummy?? It really helped DD develop her sucking reflex, even when she wasn't on oral feeds.

[Maruschke]

She isn't interested in a dummy at all (or my finger, or a syringe of colostrum). She just has no clue what to do with it yet.

[Onelittleprincess]

She will. She will instantly click you watch.

[Maruschke]

Ugh, I leave her for 2 hours for a nap and her BSLs drop again? She is on 8 units of glucose an hour. Gah. Stabilise little girl.

[Onelittleprincess]

She will be positive. Nap while you can and keep up your expressing.

[Charlotte91]

Sending lots of vibes, I hope DD2 stablises soon.

[Chrispe]

Hugs maruscke, my DS2 was 33+3weeks (2.750 kg) lol no body told me about BF once a week! He was Gav fed every 3 hrs, but if he was awake we would try & BF. He came home (early release program) at 36weeks. If you keep trying most will BF between 35-37 weeks.

Try to be easy on yourself- having a baby in the SCN is never easy. Fx

[black_rose]

Maruscke my dd was 34 weeks and 2.75kg, so one of the biggest prems in the scn too, she didn't show much interest in bfing or suck feeding until the week she came home after three weeks so she kept her nasal gastric tube in until the day before she came home. I still offered a bf everytime I visited her and the midwives tried a bottle before the tube.

I hope your dd stabilizes and starts to suck feed soon, as others have said it kicks in around 35 weeks.

[Maruschke]

Well we had mixed news this morning. Despite getting 3mls of my colostrum every 3 hours overnight via her ng tube, and being on 8mls/hour of glucose via the cannula, her BSL's are still hovering around 2 . They let her have a suck this morning and she could latch, and trigger let down, but only 3-4 sucks each side.

[Charlotte91]

3 or 4 sucks is better than nothing. It means that she can do it, she just needs to get her strength up.

[~Serenity~]

my 35 weeker was 5 p 9 o or 2.5 kg she didnt go in nursery just had to stay a few days to get the sucking going properly GL

[Chrispe]

Well we had mixed news this morning. Despite getting 3mls of my colostrum every 3 hours overnight via her ng tube, and being on 8mls/hour of glucose via the cannula, her BSL's are still hovering around 2 . They let her have a suck this morning and she could latch, and trigger let down, but only 3-4 sucks each side.

Woo hoo for her sucking! (celebrate any advance no matter how small)

Did you have GD during pregnancy? (just wondering) I hope they find out what is going on with her BSL. Best of luck. And hugs.

[Maruschke]

Eeeks it is so hard to know what the right thing to do is sometimes . They are trying to push her to quota today (OMG!!! ) so she should get as much fluid intake as a term bubba. She needs to get to quota because my BM restores her BSL's. When they put her to the breast, she licks and gets nothing, expends energy for no food reward so her BSL's go down. So they can either keep ng'ing her feeds or use a bottle. Today we tried a bottle and she drank quota in under 30 seconds. I feel like I am starving my bubba so she will breastfeed rather than bottle feed (though the food is the same) and I'm seriously tempted to become a full time expresser so that she gets what she needs, can recover and come home.

[black_rose]

Give her time, once her levels even out and she gets a few weeks older her suck reflux will be stronger and she may be able to bf instead. You are doing a great job with the expressing.

[HomeStyleMumma]

My 34week dd was great for her age, bf at least every 2nd feed right from birth & able to go home at 10days. But I do remember it being stressful & tiring expressing & trying to bf seeming ALL DAY! All I can say is hang in there the older she gets the stronger & more alert she'll get & then she'll be able to bf more often & for longer stints. Hang in there ur doing great