From Feeding Tube To Bottle To Breast

This week’s guest post is from Becky who wrote How to afford time off with your baby and now blogs over at Baby Budgeting. Before you settle down to read GET A TISSUE!!!!.

When I was 36 weeks pregnant I felt okay. I had been sick every day and hospitalised twice for this but everything seemed okay.My mum had some heart problems so I had consultant care but this had, in reality, meant just 2 extra appointments to chat with a consultant.

So at 36 weeks, 2 days after stopping work I went in to see the consultant.All was well and as I was almost out the door she said..any more qestions/concerns? I said, well  I’ve always been a bit chubby and everyone says I look very small for my dates.

Hmm I ‘ll just have another feel she said……

2 minutes later someone had been pulled out of the scan room so I could go in, then I was having my nail varnish removed then Jonny was in scrubs and I was having an epidural.

My baby had stopped growing inside me he needed to come out fast.

Franklyn, my gorgeous son wieghed 3lb 2oz. They whisked him away after I had a quick cuddle, I didn’t see him for 4 hours and then only because I begged and cried (the nurses snuck me down to ICU when sister went off duty) I tried to feed him but I had no milk. I’d had no labour and he was TINY and so weak.

My palcenta had not been doing it’s job and as a result he had not been getting what he needed to grow.The nurses explained it was crucial to his health to have the best possible nutrition and I needed to try very hard to express my milk as he was too weak to feed.

It began.

What a big uphill journey dragging this milk from nowhere when I was so anxious and sad. As everyone who struggles and succeeds seems to say.I had this one amazing nurse who pulled and pushed and prodded and encouraged and didn’t let up till the milk came.She was hands on and absolutely determined.It worked.But it was hard. I expressed every 2.5 hours even through the night without fail for the next 7 weeks…There were tears, anxieties there wouldn’t be enough milk, tiredness , boredom, frustration, problems with the nurses about me constantly needing the breast pump and my regular trips with my little milk bottle to ICU.

Double electric pumps were hired for me as it took me ages even just to get a bit.All this milk (tiny amounts) were fed through Frankie’s nose tube.I was told after 4 weeks he could come on the ward with me  to see if I could do his nose tube myself.I learned and it was awful to do it as it distressed him, but I did it.I knew he needed to be with me.

I kept trying to feed him myself tbut to no avail.He was tiny.

I did suggest giving him my milk through a bottle but I was curtly told if I started bottle feeding I would stiop expressing so this wasn’t ‘allowed’.I was adamant.I wouldn’t stop.They were adamant.And so down the tube went.

One night a nursery nurse on the ward heard me crying.I wanted to go home and I wanted to take this tube out, I mumbled.I want to bottle feed my expressed milk.Silently she got me a bottle.”Just try then. He’s your baby”. She said.

He loved the bottle finally he could taste milk and look into my eyes.What a moment!

We were disapprovingly allowed home to daddy and a house filled with love the next day,So healing.I expressed my milk continually still every 2.5 hours for the next 3 weeks.Daddy could feed him through the bottle too.I felt much better being home. Then……

My little angel latched on and began to  breastfeed.

He then fed  exclusively till he was 6 months old! I continued to breastfeed him till he was 2.I am very proud of this.He needed my milk and it was tough but we got there and oh how I loved those snuggle feeds,

Thank you to that nursery nurse who bought me a bottle and trusted my comittment to my child.Thank you to the old pro who pushed and prodded my breasts till the milk came.

I fed baby no.,2 too, no probs latched on straight away A divine, easy bonding experience.

Gosh I’m exhausted just rewriting this and nostalgic for those days!

Becky Goddard-Hill
www.babybudgeting.co.uk
www.bookreviewsformums.co.uk




WOW! *wipes tears and blows nose*.I am in awe, you bloody amazing woman.Thank you so much for sharing yours and Franklyn’s most amazing breastfeeding journey.

25. January 2011 by Aly Hodge
Categories: BREASTFEEDING | Tags: breast mates guest posts, BREASTFEEDING, feeding tube, premature baby | Leave a comment