New With Questions Galore

Hi! As of June 17, 2007 I am officially a member of The First Year Forum! I am so excited (if interested in the birth story, fell free to view in Expecting Forum) and have about a million questions for you veterans out there. My boys are still in the NICU and will be until they can mainatain their temperature and feed consistently. So we'll start with the questions pertaining to these things specifically.

A little background info:
-born 35 wk 6 days
-developed TTTS in LAST WEEK of pregnancy!
-Braxton-5lb80z, Caleb 4lb10oz
-the two most precious beings on earth

We visit them often and try to go during their feeding times. My huaband does pretty well with getting them to take their bottle, I have a very difficult time. It's very discouraging because we come in and they say "oh, they've been eating great! Caleb took 50 mL in 10 minutes!". Well, when I sit down to feed him, he goes to sleep or puts the nipple under his tongue or just sort of lies there for 30 minutes. Usually someone has to come take over for me and I feel like the world's worst mother. I feel like I'm partly responsible for why their still in there so I don't want to feed them when I go. DH says I need to paractice there rather thatn get home with them and find that I can't do it but I want them home so badly! Okay, the questions...

1. What the bleep am I doing wrong that these boys won't suck when I feed them?! (Please answer from your actual experiences)

2. Braxton is a stronger feeder than Caleb, but still not strong. Is it a waste of time to even try to actually nurse him?

3. Has anyone tried and seen results with Kangaroo care as far as maintaining the body temperature?

4. Should I continue giving them the breast milk or do I need to let them just use formula to help with weight gain?

These are about me...

5. I never had swelling during pregnancy and now I am like a BALLOON. Literally unrecognizable from head to toe. Dr. says it's progesterone and fluids, etc. Um...is this going away any time soon or do I have to keep hiding?

6. Is it safe to take a water pill?

I'm so sorry to come in bombarding you with questions, but this is just so much to take in as you guys already know. Thanks in advance for your wise advice!
-Larami

 

Ok - first things first. :banana: CONGRATS! :banana:

1. When Sean was in the NICU he would do the same thing to me. He wouldn't eat, he would snuggle in and get comfy. This is totally normal! You're their mom and they love you! They want to hug and cuddle with you. I left the feedings up to the nurses because if was lucky I could get Sean to eat half of what they could because Sean just wanted to focus on snuggling mommy. After we got home and he got all the snuggles he wanted all the time he quickly began eating really well for me.

2. It's never a waste of time trying to nurse a baby IMO! We have a breastfeeding forum here and I guarantee the ladies in there are dying to help you and give you good advice. http://twinstuff.invisionzone.com/forum/in...amp;s=&f=55

3. I have not done Kangaroo care, so I can't help you there.

4. Breastmilk is the best food for them, so please don't stop giving them BM just so they'll gain weight! Everything in breastmilk is good for your babies and will help them grow healthy and strong. Formula contains things like corn syrup and fillers.

5. Drink water! Drink so much water you think you will float away. Drink so much water your pee turns clear. Drink a gallon of water today at least.

6. You won't need a pill if you drink a lot of water. Really!

 

1. They are more comfortable with you than with anyone else, so of course they want to cuddle and sleep with you, just like Jenny said. Don't worry, my girls did that for a while, too, but eventually they will get past this.

2. No, it's not a waste of time at all. Both of my girls needed TONS of help in the feeding department. They were born at 32 wks and were tube fed for a while. BUT every single day--and several times a day--I brought them to breast. At first, all they would do was sleep with my nipple under their chin while they were being tube fed, or maybe they would lick at it, but eventually they caught on, and I was able to exclusively bf them. I would recommend talking to an LC. You will be given some great advice and tips. See if you can schedule an appointment with one to visit you and your kiddos in the NICU at feeding time.

3. YES! We did Kangaroo care all the time. It was wonderful for bonding (for both me and DH) and for helping them to maintain their temps. I truly believe that it played a huge role in getting our girls out of the isolettes and into cribs.

4. Breastmilk is much better for them than formula, like the PP said. They will still gain weight from your bm. If, however, the doctors are concerned about their weight gain, talk to them about it. At first, my girls were on fortified bm, but since they were both gaining weight really well, we switched to straight bm. They did wonderfully. In fact, at one of our well baby check-ups, the doctor said she couldn't believe that they'd gained so much weight just from bm and jokingly said she should hang a poster of us up on the wall in the doctor's office so that other mommies knew it was possible.

5. I, too, turned into a balloon. I had a c/s, so it was hard for me to get up and move around at first. I found that the more I walked, the quicker the swelling went down. Don't worry, I was starting to look "deflated" within a week.

6. I don't know.

HTH, and congratulations!

 

Congratulations on your boys!!! My guys were born at 36 weeks (they developed TTTS in the last week too!) and spent 12 days in the NICU.

1. Here are some tips the NICU nurses told me to keep our boys during feedings...
- make them sit up in your lap while feeding them, don't let them get too comfortable in your arms
- talk to them the whole time (I would say "come on Ben, you can do it!" to encourage them and keep them awake - getting that last 5 ml is important for preemies!)
- pull the bottle in and out of their mouth when they stop sucking
- use the nipple of the bottle to rub the roof of their mouth if they stop sucking
- lift their chin up with your fingers
- stroke their head or foot while they're eating to keep them awake
My boys did the same thing as yours; they would constantly fall asleep at the bottle. Pretty soon you'll be home and they'll be waking up screaming to eat and sucking down bottles!

2. It's never a waste of time to nurse!

3. I didn't do kangaroo care but I've heard wonderful things about it. I think if you're having trouble maintaining their temps then you should definitely do it!

4. Don't give up breastfeeding yet! I pumped for 4 weeks and then gave up altogether; I really wish I had stuck it out! I didn't even get to try and nurse them until they were 11 days old and by that time I was fully engorged and had developed mastitis. I nursed them one time in the NICU, the day before they came home and then once I got home I couldn't get the hang of it. I really wish I had gotten more support from the people at the hospital. I encourage you to use the lactation consultant and the nurses in the NICU to your advantage while you're there. I thought I would just figure out the whole nursing thing once I got them home - but it's hard to do by yourself. Try and get the hang of it while they're still at the hospital. That being said... you need to make the decision that is best for you! Don't let anyone pressure you into doing anything that you don't want to do.

5. I was soooo swollen for awhile after delivery! I even went through and deleted some of the pictures my husband took of me at that time because I was embarrassed at how swollen I was! It goes away soon - drink lots of water.

6. I don't know anything about water pills so can't help you there.


Good luck with everything and feel free to PM me if you have any questions. I'm still struggling to figure my boys out, but I did go through the NICU thing so I can share my experiences with that!

- Carrie

 

1. What the bleep am I doing wrong that these boys won't suck when I feed them?! (Please answer from your actual experiences)

My Jack was like that. We had to hold his tongue down to put the bottle in his mouth. We had to do it at every feeding for the first month or so.

2. Braxton is a stronger feeder than Caleb, but still not strong. Is it a waste of time to even try to actually nurse him?

No... and who knows, he might actually prefer to be nursed.

3. Has anyone tried and seen results with Kangaroo care as far as maintaining the body temperature?

Never heard of it. My Zack had probs with his body temp for the first couple days. He stayed in the nursery under the heat lamps for the first couple days. After that, he seemed to be able to keep it up.

4. Should I continue giving them the breast milk or do I need to let them just use formula to help with weight gain?

Yo could do both, if you wanted. Try breastmilk, and if you can't produce enough, supplement with formula.

These are about me...

5. I never had swelling during pregnancy and now I am like a BALLOON. Literally unrecognizable from head to toe. Dr. says it's progesterone and fluids, etc. Um...is this going away any time soon or do I have to keep hiding?

Yep, it is fluids. Mine lasted for about a month... it was miserable.

6. Is it safe to take a water pill?

I didn't... but I don't know whether or not is safe.

I'm so sorry to come in bombarding you with questions, but this is just so much to take in as you guys already know. Thanks in advance for your wise advice!

Ask away, welcome to the FY, we are so glad to have you.

 

First of all, Welcome to FY!

My kiddos were born at 35 wks and were in NICU for 3 wks as growers and feeders. So I've been where you are and I feel like I completely understand where you're coming from. I can try to answer questions:

1. There is ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with you! Maybe your DH has good timing. You should try to relax though, because even tiny infants can pick up on your nervous vibes, which becomes like a vicious circle. I know, I know; easier said than done.

2. I developed pre-e at the end of my pregnancy, and was swollen to gross proportions for at least a month after the birth. I would say it was about 3 monts before I was back to my normal self (well, except normal "baby fat" and rolls etc). Give yourself time and if it were me, I would consult the pedi/OB about a water pill before tkaing ANYTHING.

3. YES, YES, YES!! Keep up the breastfeeding! It's not a waste of time. My babies were terrible nursers until 5 wks after they were born - when they would have been 40 wks aka full-term, before they could bf successfully without all of us ending up in tears. Now they HATE BOTTLES and would happily nurse all day if I let them Give it some time, they'll get it.

4. In the meantime, I would consult the pedi again on the formula. The NICU doctors had very specific calculations for just how much formula/bm they wanted the girls to have. Ours were tiny due to IUGR, so this was a big issue for us.

Hope that helps! If you click on my weblog below, you can get more details, but hang in there and I hope they're home soon!

 

Mine weren't in NICU, but they weren't the best eaters while we were in the hospital. Once we did get them home, they ate MUCH better with less persuading.

I was so swollen too...I kept saying I looked like Shrek. Anytime I sat down I put my feet up on something. It only lasted a few days though and I was back into my pre-pregnancy clothes in about a week.

 

My girls never wanted to eat from me. Just dad! I felt so terrible but it is NOT your fault! Now that Im breastfeeding they definitely prefer that to the bottle! They just like to snuggle with mommy in my opinon, not eat!

Yes, use Kangaroo care! It really works!!

Please don't give up breastfeeding. It takes time!! You can do it.

I hope you get those babies home soon!!

 

QUOTE(serranoboys @ Jun 23 2007, 03:42 PM) [snapback]304258[/snapback]
Hi! As of June 17, 2007 I am officially a member of The First Year Forum! I am so excited (if interested in the birth story, fell free to view in Expecting Forum) and have about a million questions for you veterans out there. My boys are still in the NICU and will be until they can mainatain their temperature and feed consistently. So we'll start with the questions pertaining to these things specifically.

A little background info:
-born 35 wk 6 days
-developed TTTS in LAST WEEK of pregnancy!
-Braxton-5lb80z, Caleb 4lb10oz
-the two most precious beings on earth

We visit them often and try to go during their feeding times. My huaband does pretty well with getting them to take their bottle, I have a very difficult time. It's very discouraging because we come in and they say "oh, they've been eating great! Caleb took 50 mL in 10 minutes!". Well, when I sit down to feed him, he goes to sleep or puts the nipple under his tongue or just sort of lies there for 30 minutes. Usually someone has to come take over for me and I feel like the world's worst mother. I feel like I'm partly responsible for why their still in there so I don't want to feed them when I go. DH says I need to paractice there rather thatn get home with them and find that I can't do it but I want them home so badly! Okay, the questions...

1. What the bleep am I doing wrong that these boys won't suck when I feed them?! (Please answer from your actual experiences)

I can't really help you except its maybe that they know you are mom and want to snuggle!!

2. Braxton is a stronger feeder than Caleb, but still not strong. Is it a waste of time to even try to actually nurse him?
Try Try Try, I wish mine would of, but they just would not drink long enough.
3. Has anyone tried and seen results with Kangaroo care as far as maintaining the body temperature?
Don't know answer to this one

4. Should I continue giving them the breast milk or do I need to let them just use formula to help with weight gain?
I would definately give them breastmilk, it is so good for them, and easier to digest, but if they HAVE to gain weight faster, then maybe just supplement, don't give up on the breastmilk

These are about me...

5. I never had swelling during pregnancy and now I am like a BALLOON. Literally unrecognizable from head to toe. Dr. says it's progesterone and fluids, etc. Um...is this going away any time soon or do I have to keep hiding?
I looked aweful, my feet were like stumps. I took about a month then slowly but gradually went away.
6. Is it safe to take a water pill
I don't know, I never did, Ask your Doc.

Welcome to first year, and hopefully your babies will come home soon. Hang in there, I know it is hard to make all the decisions, but you will do just fine, you have a motherly instinct, that will kick in when you need it.'
I'm so sorry to come in bombarding you with questions, but this is just so much to take in as you guys already know. Thanks in advance for your wise advice!
-Larami

 

1. What the bleep am I doing wrong that these boys won't suck when I feed them?! (Please answer from your actual experiences)

Both of my kids did that and the doctors assured me it was because they were early. In fact we dealt with the tongue in the roof of the mouth thing about a month after we got home. My son was sent to Childrens hospital and Shelby was at the hospital where I delievered with me. I would try to go in a feed her as often as possible. I was usually up anyway pumping. There were several times that I would have to get the nurses to help me because she would NOT eat. She would either go to sleep or just look at me with the bottle in her mouth. I felt like a terrible mother when the nurse could do it, but I couldn't. I soon realized that they deal with those things on a daily basis and I just tried to take tips from them. They did various things from messaging their throat to actually sticking a finger in their mouth to get them sucking. You aren't doing anything wrong. Just stick with it and one day they will just get the hang of it. I know it is frustrating!

2. Braxton is a stronger feeder than Caleb, but still not strong. Is it a waste of time to even try to actually nurse him?

I would try to nurse both of them as often as you can. The doctors wouldn't let me nurse either of mine because they were trying to monitor their intake. I firmally believe this is what caused the downfall in my ability to nurse. They became so use to the bottle that they wouldn't even latch for me. I pumped for awhile and finally gave up. If I could go back, one of the things I would do differently would be to push to nurse. Or at least do a non-nutritive nurse where they don't get any milk.

3. Has anyone tried and seen results with Kangaroo care as far as maintaining the body temperature?

We did Kangaroo care with Mayson a few times. I don't know that it really helped with his body temperature, but it helped me tremediously to be able to hold him that clsoe.

4. Should I continue giving them the breast milk or do I need to let them just use formula to help with weight gain?

We used a fortifier in my breast milk that helped add calories. It came in a small packet and it was just dumped in with the breast milk. I say give them breast milk as much as possilble and ask about the fortifier.

These are about me...

5. I never had swelling during pregnancy and now I am like a BALLOON. Literally unrecognizable from head to toe. Dr. says it's progesterone and fluids, etc. Um...is this going away any time soon or do I have to keep hiding?

I never had swelling either until about a week after delivery and poof there it was. I couldn't even put on my shoes anymore. I think it only lasted about a week, but I was very uncomfortable.

6. Is it safe to take a water pill?

I would ask your doctor. I never personally used one.

I'm so sorry to come in bombarding you with questions, but this is just so much to take in as you guys already know. Thanks in advance for your wise advice!

No problem! Ask Away.