PLEASE HELP.How to get baby from bottle to breast?my baby was premature(6weeks earlier)?now she is 7weeks old.

Question

i m giving her breastmilk from bottle now.At hospital she was feeding from feeding tube.she direct feed only for 5mints once or twice a day because she find bottle easy.

Answer 1

Call the hospital and get in touch with their lactation consultant.......I don't personally know how to get them on the breast after being bottle fed.

Sorry hope things work out for you.

Answer 2

my son was also fed by NG tube - and was premature.

speak to your hospital / GP but am sure they will advise you to stick to what you are doing now, as too many changes in a childs life, can affect them ( can cause tummy upsets / distress etc)
are you bottle feeding with breast milk? this is a good way of getting the nutrients into your baby
personally I woul;dnt keep changing things for your baby - consistency is important even now - I wanted to breast feed my baby, but ended up expressing and then having him on formula - problem was he suffered due to change overs and ended up in hospital for longer until he had settled down

Answer 3

There can be many reasons why a newborn may be reluctant to nurse (If your baby is past the newborn stage, please see our FAQ on Nursing Strikes). Karen Zeretzke suggests the following types of reluctant nursers:

babies who resist the breast
babies who belligerently resist the breast
babies who cannot latch on
babies who do not stay attached
babies who will not suckle
Getting your baby back to the breast takes patience and persistence. If a newborn is not latching on to the breast, you need to begin expressing colostrum within the first few hours after birth. You may be comfortable using hand-expression or you may prefer to use a pump. Note that colostrum is produced in small amounts but even the smallest quantity should be saved and given to the baby by spoon, dropper, or feeding syringe. As long as the baby is not latching on, it is important to express regularly in order to avoid becoming engorged and to keep up (or build up) your milk supply for when he does begin to nurse effectively. Engorgement will make it even more difficult for the baby to latch on effectively. It is equally important for the baby to be fed. If the baby goes too long without eating, he could become dehydrated or too weak to attempt to latch on. Before the baby has learned to latch on to the breast, artificial nipples should be avoided so the baby does not become accustomed to using incorrect sucking patterns.

A very helpful article from our member publication, NEW BEGINNINGS, is "When A Baby Won't Nurse," by Carol Brussel. It lists the following tips for getting baby back to the breast:

Try nursing when your baby is asleep or very sleepy, such as during the night or, while napping.
Vary nursing positions. (see illustrations.) Some babies will refuse to nurse in one position but will take the breast in another.
Nurse when in motion.
Nurse in a quiet, darkened room or a place that is free from distractions. /li>
Give your baby extra attention and skin-to-skin contact, which can be comforting for both of you.
When offering the breast, undress to the waist and clothe your baby in just a diaper when ever possible. Use a shawl or blanket around you if the room is chilly.
Use a baby sling or a carrier to keep the baby close between attempts to nurse.
Take warm baths together to soothe.
Sleep together in order to provide closeness and more opportunities to nurse. /li>
For more detailed information, please read the article "Helping a Mother with a Baby Who Is Reluctant to Nurse" by Karen Zeretzke, which is too lengthy to summarize here, but goes into detail with ideas for encouraging latch on in all these situations. It is very helpful to read over when you have time, or to share with your health care provider. The third edition of THE BREASTFEEDING ANSWER BOOK, available in our catalogue, also provides additional suggestions.

Your local LLL Leader can offer support and more suggestions if these don't seem to be working. Just having someone to talk to can often relieve stress and help you relax, which also will help your baby relax.

Sometimes a mother decides to resume breastfeeding, whether due to an emergency when there is a shortage of other food, after a separation, etc. Often a mother can rebuild a milk supply very successfully, with patience and determination (and a cooperative baby). La Leche League's BREASTFEEDING ANSWER BOOK (p. 52) recommends the following strategies for relactation and induced lactation, to stimulate milk production:

Putting baby to breast to suck at each feeding and for comfort between feedings as often as possible.
Using hand expression or a breast pump.
Using a nursing supplementer (if available and if conditions are sanitary enough to make its use safe) to provide expressed milk at the breast while baby sucks at the breast.
Taking herbs/medication that increase milk supply (herb resources are listed in the resources collection).
If you do use herbs or medications to increase your supply, be sure to put the baby to the breast frequently, to remove as much milk as possible. This will help avoid breast infections or plugged ducts.