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new mom struggling with pumping

msucollin - 04:56am Nov 29, 2010 EST

Hi All,

My name is Collin, and I'm fairly new to this site. I'd been hanging out in the other section for women on bed rest, but that's no longer an issue since we weren't able to stay pregnant any longer. Our twin boys were born November 16 at just under 30 weeks. They weighed about 3lbs each. Looking through the site, I can see that they were older than a lot of the posts on here. It's been hard for my husband and I to have them in the NICU, but I can't imagine what some of the parents on here must be going through. My prayers are with every single family out there for happy, healthy babies.

Our boys are both very healthy and stable. One is still on the slow flow nasal prongs at room air, and our other guy breathes fine on his own. I received the steroid shots when I first went into labor last month, which have made a tremendous difference.

My problem is with breast feeding, or should I say pumping. I've been told they will let the guys try breast feeding at 34-36 weeks gestational age, depending on how they're doing. That's another 2.5 to 4.5 weeks, and it kills me to say this, but sometimes I wonder if I'll make it that long!

I'm pumping 8 or 9 times a day and doing everything all 5 lactation consultants have told me to do. I'm massaging, drinking tons of water, taking fenugreek, eating oatmeal, pumping at their bedside, everything. Literally... Everything! We're 12 days out and I'm only getting about 8ozs a day. I'm exhausted, my nipples are sore, and I'm completely devastated.

I read breast feeding was hard, and I know that preemies and a c-section can make it harder, but I'm so disappointed that I haven't been able to establish a supply. I know how important it is to breast feed, esp for a premature baby, and it breaks my heart that I can't give them much. I feel like I already failed them by not being able to keep them safely inside of me longer, and now I can't even feed them. I'm crushed.

Has anyone else out there been through this? Did anything help? And if it didn't, how did you get through it? I'm going to ask my doctor to write a prescription for Reglan this week, but I don't know what I'm going to do if that doesn't work either.

Anything would be helpful. I'm desperate.

(older msg: 26)

tucker'smom - Jan 24, 2012 3:40 pm (#27 Total: 28)

Mom to Tucker (27 weeker, 05/26/06)

Hello rrhod00g,

It sounds like you have had a tough time with pumping, but you have kept it up, good for you! I hope that it's true that the first 6 weeks are the hardest, so that your experience gets much better. Please share any other tips you learn in the coming weeks.

Hello HoweKa,
Thanks for sharing your experiences as well. My son was born at 27 weeks, weighing 1 pound 11 ounces. I pumped for 3 weeks, and if I got 1 or 2 ounces per day, that was a good day. After 3 weeks, I still had almost no supply, and I was exhausted, so I stopped. I wish good luck to all NICU mommas who pump, please share your success stories!

Leigh

daynatrosky - Feb 1, 2012 5:03 am (#28 Total: 28)

Hi Collin,

My name is Dayna I am a mother of a 4 year old healthy 40 lb boy now. He was born at 27 weeks and weighed 1lb 12 oz. I went through the same thing you, are not alone! I also had a c-secion and because my boy was in the NICU for 3 months and he was too little to breast feed at first I had to pump as well. I was in the hospital for the first 3 weeks, but once I was discharged to go home I was pumping, pumping, pumping. I would pump as much milk as ai could and bring it in a cooler in containers to the hospital 3 times a day. You probably are, but make sure your pumping through the night as well ( I know this is the last thing you want to hear right now... more pumping... lol)
after 2 months of pumping and starting to dry out I started taking Reglan ( it worked for me for a little while longer) so if it works keep on going!! I completely believe its because of the breast milk that my son is healthy today. When you do start to try and breast feed, get yourself a nipple sheild. My son was breast feeding when he was only 2 lbs. His mouth was so small the nurse suggested a breast sheild and it worked! Ofcourse you will probably only be breast feeding maybe once a day when theyre still in the hospital because its alot of work for them. My nurse had me coming once a day with a breast shield to breast feed, and then we did as much as we possibly could with my pumped breast milk, and then my son had reflux disease so we mixed a little rice ceral in with the breast milk ( which also helps add calories) for every 1-2 ounces of milk you add 1 tbls of rice ceral. If you do start to supplement with formula... I used enfamil A+ (with extra added calories) and LOVED it. By the way it's totally normal to be sick and tired of it! I found my self crying when it was time to pump. Everyone told me to try and relax, and thats my best advice for you too. I know its so hard, but when your stressed the milk doesn't come in as well. Sorry for going on and on and on...I went through MANY things with my son, so if you have any questions ever feel free to ask me. I've been blessed with a miracle and want to do anything to help other families going through this. Hope this helped a little bit.

Good Luck and God Bless!

Dayna

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