Struggling with the NICU - Need some resources - Page 3

[TinkerBelle]

So strange. Why wouldn't they support BF and breastmilk?

When my middle son was in the NICU, they pushed for breastmilk and breastfeeding. My son was not a small preemie, and only was in there for a week, due to jaundice, so maybe it would be different if he had been a smaller, or sicker baby.

With my oldest and youngest, both hospitals seemed to treat BF as the norm, and even sent in an LC to make sure things were going well and to help if needed. Yes, I got the diaper bags, but the hospital staff in both hospitals were very supportive of BF.

I guess I was just lucky?

[Khourtniey]

The hospital that I want her transferred to have really great LC.. They check in on the mothers everytime they see the mother... The hospital she is in now has called me twice.. Once the other day and the first time they called was like 2 months after she was born.. by that time many mums have already given up pumping or are having a lot of problems.. They just arent very pro-bf.

[APmomto3boys]

Our hospital was okay with bm but pretty hardassed about adding the enhancer to it to help them gain weight. I refused that also. I told them I would skim my milk and just use the hind milk if gaining became an issue.

He did actually start to have gaining problems toward the end. They were only feeding him every 4 hours and tried to limit our holding time to that as well. He was having temp issues and not gaining.

I went in on a Sunday and stayed the entire day. I put him skin to skin in my sling and nursed him whenver he wanted to-whenver he woke up. It was every hour exactly, not every 4. The nurses were mad... they said that him eating that much was bad for him and that he would use more calories then he was eating.

The next day he had gained more weight then ever before. They were shocked. I think the nicu nurses forget that these are our babies and that our instincts might still be right!

He come a day later. I held him all day, slept with him and let him nurse whenever he wanted. It was so great to get off of their stupid schedule. He gained weight super fast too.

[elanorh]

He did actually start to have gaining problems toward the end. They were only feeding him every 4 hours and tried to limit our holding time to that as well. He was having temp issues and not gaining.

My niece was born 6 weeks early (emergency c/s due to placental abruption) - and the NICU she was at put her on a very rigid schedule too; feedings every four hours (or was it three)? And they wouldn't let SIL or BIL hold her except during feeding times, and encouraged them to "go do other things" while babe was in the NICU, since they'd be so busy when she came home.

They were told that the rigid schedule was right and best for a preemie and to keep her on that rigid schedule when she came home, so they did. I don't think it's a coincidence that SIL supplemented from early on (they pushed bm and were very supportive but that weight worry, KWIM); and she weaned completely before her dd was 4 1/2 months.

I know that kangaroo care and breastmilk/breastfeeding hinder the way things are "done" in NICUs. But they have reliably shown such improved outcomes for NICU babies, I don't know why they are ignored and undermined!

[homewithtwinsmama]

Originally Posted by APmomto3boys

Our hospital was okay with bm but pretty hardassed about adding the enhancer to it to help them gain weight. I refused that also. I told them I would skim my milk and just use the hind milk if gaining became an issue.

He did actually start to have gaining problems toward the end. They were only feeding him every 4 hours and tried to limit our holding time to that as well. He was having temp issues and not gaining.

I went in on a Sunday and stayed the entire day. I put him skin to skin in my sling and nursed him whenver he wanted to-whenver he woke up. It was every hour exactly, not every 4. The nurses were mad... they said that him eating that much was bad for him and that he would use more calories then he was eating.

The next day he had gained more weight then ever before. They were shocked. I think the nicu nurses forget that these are our babies and that our instincts might still be right!

He come a day later. I held him all day, slept with him and let him nurse whenever he wanted. It was so great to get off of their stupid schedule. He gained weight super fast too.

I too had problems with their feeding schedule not working for her and was sneaking feeds in between at the end and got her on demand at home, where of course she gained much better.

[Khourtniey]

I did that with my boys.. They came home on the every 3 hours MAYBE every 4 hours schedule but as soon as they came home I went to on demand which was more than every 3-4 hours.

[RootSnort]

Once you are you of the hospital, they need an attitude adjustment! It is wrong of the to violate your orders to feed breast milk, and ignorant to think that formula is better. At the hospital where I work, the standard order for all babies that are able to tolerate oral feeds is breastmilk, and formula ONLY is breastmilk is not available.

[Khourtniey]

I have a whole mental list of things I am going to write to this hospital about... Many many suggestions for the way they run the place.