Tiny hand

Tiny hand
November 20, 2010 (one day old)

Lilypie Premature Baby tickers

Lilypie Premature Baby tickers

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Houston has lift off, we have latch on!

Yesterday, the nurses and lactation consultants gave me the go-ahead to try "dry breasting" with Cayden.  No, it's not a terrible skin condition, it's a way of introducing preemies to breastfeeding.  Because he is still so immature, he hasn't quite developed the ability to coordinate sucking, swallowing, and breathing all at the same time, so he can't just dive right into the milk supply, regardless of whether it comes from the breast or a bottle.  He has been practicing sucking on a pacifier for two or three weeks now and yesterday, he got to try the real deal.  He had just had his cares done and was wide-eyed and wiggling.  He's starting to realize that after his cares comes the food, even if it is just going through a tube directly into his tummy for now.

Just before trying, I pumped so there was no milk left in my breasts.  The lactation consultant, Virginia, handed him to me and showed me the best position to hold him - supported by a Boppy pillow in the "football" hold, where he is sort of tucked by my side with his feet pointing back while I hold his head at the base of his skull.  For the first attempt, and sometimes it takes many attempts, a good start is just some rooting around, taking in the smell and feel of things, and maybe licking a time or two.  If he does that, they're very happy.  Well, Cayden did all that and more!  He actually latched on within about 30 seconds!  It was an indescribable moment that brought me to tears.  Even Virginia was amazed and thrilled!  None of us expected him to do so much so quickly. 

One has to realize that all of this effort is exhausting for a tiny baby, so after latching on, the most they can do is give a couple of sucks before they need a break.  Cayden went through the latch, suck, relax cycle a good five or six times in a half-hour period.  That's as long as they allowed him to practice for his first session.   When he was finished, I snuggled him up to my chest and we kangarood for over an hour. 

Preemies often struggle with breastfeeding, so I have been so anxious and worried about how he would do.  Being able to nurse him is something I feel very strongly about and am hoping beyond hope that he will do well with it over the long run.  The transition from parenteral (tube) feeding to nipple (bottle or breast) feeding is a process that takes time.  He will still need some supplemental calories mixed into his breast milk for awhile, so he will have to take a bottle for those feedings.  For now, we'll continue practicing with the dry breast.  Once he's ready to actually nurse (hopefully in the next month or so), he will likely start with one breast feeding session per day.  (Right now, he's being fed eight times a day, every three hours.)  Gradually, as his weight increases and stabilizes for his adjusted age, more of the bottle feedings can be replaced with nursing sessions.  Obviously, the goal is to get him to obtain all of his nutrition through nursing, but it may take a few months.  In the meantime, The Pump is going to be my constant companion.

As of last night, his weight was up again, to 3 lbs. 9 oz.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I am crying my eyeballs out!!