[Monkeymoo]

hi all. My little boy was born by emergency c section on sat 11th due to him swallowing merconium while still inside. I am being discharged from my ward today and have been provided with a temporary room in scbu so that i can be close to try and establish bf. But there is a possibilty i will be sent home if another family are higher priority for the room. I really don't wantto go home as travelling to the hospital daily will be difficult and costly. Has anyone been in a similar position? Any tips on bf after baby been tube fed?

 

[slinkyfish]

Hi hun 

So sorry your LO has been poorly and I hope he's doing better.

slightly different circumstances but I had issues with being able to overnight at the hospital as there was no accommodation or Ronald McDonald house. Jack and Sam were in Portsmouth but we lived in Worthing. I had to drive there every day to see them and was only allowed to stay when Sam was very poorly as the rooms were for parents going home or parents of very sick children. The same happened when Sam got sick a second time and was transferred to London. I stayed in London for the first week as he was so poorly and then had to do round trips to see Sam in London and Jack in Worthing. Some Mum's had rented rooms in a nearby house so they could be near to their LO's, but I still had Meg to look after at home. It was hard to leave them but sadly there was no choice 

As for the BF I expressed for 3 months but with all the stress my milk eventually dried up so I bottle fed having started to establish bf. Sam did well at bf but Jack had a very poor suck and it just got too much. However there are some ladies on here who've done it by bf when they were there and asking the staff to cup feed their LO's when they weren't able to come in. I have posted a link to this thread on the bf thread so hopefully someone will be along soon with some wise words

Sorry I can't be of any more help but I really hope your LO is home with you soon xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[Monkeymoo]

thanks for your reply

 

[Willow123]

Hi - congratulations!

My 2 were tube fed for 5 weeks and are now breastfed babies.

I expressed every 3 hours whilst they were in SCBU (didn't express at night when I was at home) and they were fed my breastmilk via the tube. I used to only get tiny amounts at first.

I would not let them have a bottle at all - had to really stick to my guns. I was there from 07.00 - 21.00pm every day - which was really hard work and quite boring at times 

I used to put them to the breast every time they had their tube feed until they started to suck. I then started to breastfeed them before every tube feed. Eventually they pulled their tubes out - everybody thought I took them out    and we just breastfed for 3 days (weighed every 24 hours) and then went home. 

 

[Monkeymoo]

hi all thanks again for your replies. Had a good talk with dh and assessed the whole situation. I then talked with one of the nurses, had a good cry then decided to try him with a bottle as she explained he may not take the bottle well either.  each feed was fantastic he took the whole bottle in one at each feed , winded quickly, then settled straight back to sleep once put back in his cot. Trying my best not to get my hopes up as it ws only one night but i am feeling lot more positive and a lot less stressed. I now plan to give him expressed milk for as long as possible and then i suppose will have to move to formula if production isn't enough. I'm quite happy with my decision cos i know i gave it a try. Anyway off to express before next feed. Boobs are absolutly huge this morning and rock hard i missed the last feed. Nurse said she'd do it so i could get some sleep, which i was very grateful for

 

[slinkyfish]

Hi love


Glad you are feeling happier 


Are you using a double pump and have the unit let you take one home? If not then the NCT rent them xx

 

[Monkeymoo]

wow what a rollercoaster since last night. Lo feeding well enough to have tube removed but then said he'd need more antibiotics. Now they have said they will wait for results of next test before giving them.  he is now in the room with me as he is doing so well. I have double pump on lan while at hosp and have a number to loan one when get home

 

[jane1604]

Hi. My friend had twins 7 weeks early. They were in hospital for 3 weeks. She also had problem she lived in Edinburgh and babies where in Glasgow for first 2 weeks. She was told if she wanted to BF that she had to express every 3 hours if she wasnt giving them a feed. So she was setting an alarm to get up during the night too and used an electric pump to get the most milk. Then all expressed milk went to the hospital to tube feed them. When she was at the hospital she was to offer them breast every 3 hours. To start with they only took a few minutes then they were tube fed rest of feed and she expressed some more. Eventually they moved onto bottles of expressed milk when she wasnt there.


They told her before they got home to she had to be at hospital for 3 breast feeds a day for a few days.  She did very well and carried on breastfeeding until they were 6 months and then they were fed expressed breast milk in bottles until they were 10 months.