Help nursing a 2-month old who never has

[noahs.mom06]

I am feeling optimistic that DD might get to nurse soon (don't know why I feel that way, b/c she's not being fed right now at all... I just do!). I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on starting to nurse a non-newborn baby who never has before.
DD is 8 weeks old today. I have had her at the breast a few times now (maybe 3?), just for non-nutritive sucking, and her latch definitely needs work, but when she does settle and start sucking, it is ok and probably wouldn't take much to be effective. The problem is getting her to settle and start sucking. I think it's because she's so hungry, but she will not settle down, she shakes her head with her mouth open and my nipple in it, and cries and gets frustrated, when if she would just close her mouth, she'd be perfectly latched on.
I am thinking of setting aside a time every day from now until she can eat to let her get some non-nutritive practice, is this a good idea? Any other advice to make our transition successful?

[kalamos23]

Take this with a grain of salt because I've never dealt with this - but you could always give her a little milk in a bottle or however she is getting it now to take the edge off and then transition her to the nipple at each feeding. Maybe squirt a few drips of milk in as she is trying to latch? I'd definitely practice the non nutritive feeding though - she is still getting comfort from it and some milk. Kudos to you mama, for breastfeeding and pumping so your baby gets the good stuff!

[wild fire child]

Transitioning my 1 month old to the breast involved giving him nearly a full feeding (like 10mls less than full), then switching at the end when he was happy and lazily eating. after two days of this he took the breast and we're on day 3 of success.

[noahs.mom06]

I think her biggest frustration is that nothing comes out the instant she latches on. For now, it has to be that way, so I pump right before (although last night it was almost an hour before). Would it help her to be less frustrated if I pumped a bit until the milk let down, and then put her to breast?

[noahs.mom06]

I realized I didn't necessarily explain all that well in the original post- DD is in the NICU and has never progressed past 9 ml/hr on continuous tube feeds. They've started and stopped feeds more times than I can count... but I'm feeling hopeful that the next time it will actually work. But that's why she's never breastfed. She's never had a bottle either at this point, which is why I'd like to be able to put her straight to the breast if anyone can suggest a way to get her to latch on and not give up in frustration!

[RoadWorkAhead]

You might try posting in SNs parenting. I know for us, DD tolerated BM by mouth no issues, even though she's highly intolerant of it, the quantity was HUGE! (She got like 875 ouncs a day) On her feeding tube, she tolerates about between 60 and 80 mls/hr continuous which is still far less than by mouth (but its an easier food for her to digest). Sometimes the action of having to go through and swallow makes a difference in tolerance levels, but I've not dealt with gastroschisis and don't know how much of this is determined more by her intestines than her stomach KWIM?

[noahs.mom06]

My crazy mama intuition has done it again! DD is re-starting feeds again today, and we will be doing 4 of them each day at the breast!! : :
I will x-post this to the SN parenting thread and see if I get more responses. The good news is, the lactation nurse who is here today and just came to tell me that news is one of the best ones, and was actually recommended to me by a local LLL leader!

[Siera]

Congratulations! In the NICU, those babies need practice so I wouldn't get too discouraged if your baby isn't the greatest breastfeeder right now. Just keep offering her breast (sounds like you will be!) and she will get the hang of it. My DD was in the NICU for 7 weeks and some days were great, and others were just awful. It's hard when they are so young and there's so much else going on. Good luck!! :

[wild fire child]

It sounds like you are doing amazingly well, especially with her in the NICU.
On the note about her not wanting to try; with mine, even now on day 4, he gets mad if there's not something coming out, he won't start sucking until he tastes milk. I happen to have to use nipple shields anyway, so I express a few drops into the shield and tip it into his mouth so the milk is at the holes in the shield, and he sucks immediately and hard. I hope to transition away from the shields soon, we'll figure out that hurdle soon
Keep doing what you're doing, and good luck!

[noahs.mom06]

I wanted to post an update- she is nursing at every feed now (the docs didn't give me permission to go up from the 4 a day, and I didn't ask, but after she threw up an entire feed from a bottle I decided to just do breast) and she is doing great! We still have to use the nipple shield on occasion, maybe once or twice a day, but only when she gets to the point of being frantic. She's up to eating 24 mL every 3 hours now, and increasing by 3 mL twice a day, which I'm basically just guessing at since she's just breastfeeding, but I'm sure she's getting at least that amount.
My milk supply has pretty much doubled since she started nursing, with the pumping before feeding her, then feeding her, then finishing pumping afterwards... and I really wasn't hurting for supply before! So I'm not sure what will happen with that... will it regulate itself when she gets to full feeds and I can nurse her unrestricted? The thing that worries me is that the nurses tell me that gastro babies have issues with learning to regulate themselves with eating- they don't stop when they're full, b/c they don't really feel full- so if I am getting like 6 oz out of ONE breast when I pump, and she just keeps eating, then she'll be getting that much at every feed... so will I always have to cut her off when she's nursing? Should I stop pumping after each time I feed her?

[Siera]

I just wanted to say "YAY" : That sounds like great news! With regards to your supply, eventually you will regulate it. If you keeping pumping in addition to nursing (which at this point, while your baby is in the hospital and on a schedule, you should), you should do a pretty good job at keeping your supply up there. Sorry, I have no input on the gastro question, but I'm sure someone else here does. Again, congratulations!!