28 weeker breastfeeding questions

[jimgugy]

We had our daughter at 28 weeks (1 lb 11 oz). Due to post partum BP complications we might not be able to give her breast milk for some time (will pump and dump) . My baby is in NICU. Are there any who had similar experience? Did formula work ok?
If you had BFed with BP meds what were they?
Please share.

Thanks

[patty]

Here is a link show which bp meds are compatible with breastfeeding: http://kellymom.com/health/meds/aap-approved-meds.html#Heart
Ones that I have personally taken and breastfeed are procardia, atenolol, hydrochlorathiazide, metorpolol, and propranolol. I have never breastfed a micro preemie though my smallest was 3 lbs 11 oz. I would prefer the breastmilk no matter what the meds were. Here is another link to a forum by an expert on breastfeeding pharmacology. Only medical professionals can post questions but you can go in and read old threads about specific drugs. http://neonatal.ttuhsc.edu/lact/medicationforumspage.html
I think the breast milk makes a big difference. I would ask if donor milk was available if you can't persuade them to use yours. ((hugs)). Good Luck and keep us posted on your little one.

[fiona]

Hi there and welcome.

My 30-weeker was not able to latch for some weeks and while I gave pumping a good go - and managed to produce enough for complete feeds for quite a while - 1cc feeds go a long way ;-)- in the end I had no supply worth talking about and switched to formula.

My son is now 11, taller than I am and healthy as an ox. In fact he is far healthier than my breastfed 36-weeker.

In the end, if pumping/ bfeeding doesn't work out for you, don't feel bad about turning to formula.

Congratulations on your daughter.

[mother bear]

Don't forget you can also freeze pumped breastmilk for some time, especially if you're on breastfeeding compatible meds. Heck, you could freeze it just in case and until you do figure out what meds are good instead of dumping it just because you don't know. As a former exclusive pumper, I had a lot of breastmilk in the freezer... until my supply no longer kept up with demand some 8 months in.

[sarab]

Hi, and welcome. Congratulations on the birth of your daughter!

I was unable to breastfeed with both of my preemies, though neither one was a tiny as your little gal. I pumped right from the get-go to get my supply up, and, as motherbear said, was able to keep a supply in the NICU freezer and the overflow at home in the freezer. When the time finally came that the kids were ready to tolerate breastmilk, the nurses just started going through what I had been stocking up. Both of my children were able to latch and breastfeed some, but never exclusively. They both had to have extra calorie formula - mixed in with a bottle of breastmilk - to help get their weight up, both in the NICU and for several months after we got home. Once they were getting a bottle every other feeding, it didn't take either of them long to figure out how much easier a bottle is and they began refusing the breast. I will freely admit that I could have worked harder at it, but with everything we had been through at that point, it was just easier to pump and bottle feed.

I was able to pump for 12 weeks with one, and 14 weeks with the other, before switching exclusively to formula - not long in the breastfeeding world, but I have to guilt no regrets. We were just happy and grateful to have them home, healthy and growing.

Feel free to look around and ask any other questions you may have. I hope your daughter's NICU stay is smooth an uneventful!

[jfindley]

Hi there,

Congrats on your little girl. I only had to dump on one type of bp med called dibenzyline. I bfed on atenolol, labetolol, meythyldopa, and nifetipine. I have been bfing/pumping for over a year now for my 26weeker. We incorporated formula just in the last few months with no problems. I knew of a lot of nicu moms who used formula for a bit in the early days and their babies were fine. There is an increased risk for NEC with formula, but the tiny babies I came to know who were on formula did not get it. Best of luck and keep us updated on your journey.

[jimgugy]

Thank you all for the replies. We have been cleared to give the breast milk. I am not sure I know all the acronyms here... URI,NEC etc I may have to read about them. Right now I am praying and thats all I can do. There are so many cases of PE yet these highly intelligent doctors and researchers cannot come up with the cause or the cure. I find that very odd. There have to be some patterns. Can we get the people researching shaving sticks and tooth brush on the this? They always seem to have a 'revolutionary' product! :-)

[caryn]

I was able to breastfeed on labetalol, but had a hard time pumping while my baby was in NICU. My supply was more than enough for a baby, but I wouldn't let down for a pump.

Many of our posters are too sick to lactate, probably because the cerebral swelling and the damage to the bloodstream in preeclampsia compromised their supplies.

Your hospital might have a lactation consultant on staff in the NICU; I got a lot of help from one and sing her praises.

[patty]

That is wonderful you can give your own milk. It will formulate to be higher calorie than a term infants and is the best gift you can give your baby right now though as small as your little girl is they will have to add fortifier to help with minerals for her bones and extra calories. I second Caryn on finding a good lactation consultant most NICU's(neonatal intensive care units) have them if you ask the nurses they should come and consult with you.

NEC is necrotizing entercolitis which is a complication some preemies get that can be life threatening. It effects their intestines, basically they are immature and stop working. Breastfeeding does help though breastfed babies do getit just much less often. My Randall got it and had never had a drop of formula only breastmilk. I do credit the breastmilk with him having such a mild case he was able to get over it with just antibiotics and bowel rest(which was horrible for trying to establish nursing) and did not lose any intestine or have to have any surgery so I do credit the breastmilk for saving him. I feel his case could have been a lot worse otherwise.

[mrsike]

I pumped and dumped for the first 3 days because of the mag and other drugs, but once I was off those, I was able to pump and store for them to use in the OG and NG tube and I was on a myriad of meds. The did add high calorie formula to the breast milk. My body HATED pumps. I could double pump with the hospital grade machine sent home while looking at a pic of baby girl on her worst day (@ 36 hours she took a really bad turn) to remind me how much she needed my milk and it would take me over an hour to get at 1 ounce feeding. It was brutal, but I never gave up. Finally just after she passed the 3lb mark after the normal weight loss babies experience, I begged the nurses to let me try to let her nurse. I was initially rebuffed, told she could never lastch and then got pissed. The next time I asked I happened to have an Australian nurse who was an huge advocate of Kangaroo care. I loved the irony, btw. She provided a screen and told me to take off my top and bra, then she stripped Taylor down to her diaper, wrapped a warm blanket over us and said she'd be back with the lactation counselor in 10 minutes. By the time they got there Tay was nuzzling and trying to suckle. They were a bit surprised, and made me promise that I would not get upset if it didn't work. We led her mouth to the breast and she latched like a champ!! About 10 minutes or so, she pulled away and drifted off. She was so zonked that when the nurse had to pull the contents from her stomach (NG tube was still in), Tay didn't wake and the nurse was amazed! Baby girl was able to down more than her normal feeding in a 1/6th of a time it took me to double pump a feeding. She was still supplemented with high calorie with random feedings and even after she was home.

I know I didn't really answer your question, but please don't give up on the attempt to breastfeed. I will have to pull out my medical record to see what exact meds I was on, but I will let you know. Interestingly, I was on FOUR different BP meds when I found out I was pregnant with baby girl. Needless to say those were discontinued and pregnancy-safe ones were prescribed. Again, I will dig out my med records.