Expert: ruth kraft - 11/9/2010

Question
I had a preemie born at29+5days old weighing 3.2pnds .. he was tube fed for the first 2and a half weeks then bottled for the rest of the 2 weeks after. He came home and i hjad to fortifie his milk to get him to gain weight but i really want to breastfeed him 100%! So the last 2 weeks and with him now 2mth (corrected age .. Not born yet lol) And weighing 6.6pnds i have done all breast feeding buuutt he fights it and it's really frustrating!! My question is am i doing the right thing to keep fighting with him .. because aventually he goes on .. or is there an easier way. I have 2 other kids that i breastfed and they jumped right on no problem. HELP!!!!!

Answer
he is still techincally not a full term baby. So be patient with him. Preemies tend to take a long time to get it. If he is gaining and on target where the doctors want him to be , keep going. As he gets older, the nursing will get easier. If he is getting too tired with the fighting and doesnt end up nursing well, then pump your milk and then feed him while nursing through an SNS .

http://www.amazon.com/Medela-Starter-SNS-without-Bottle/dp/B002ZKSZ82/ref=sr_1_1...

You can check with a lactation educator or  la leche league leader to make sure he is positioned well and if you need any specific advice. It is hard to give ideas of what else to do when I cannot see him nurse.

I also had a preemie and through much frustraion nursed her for a year... keep it up! it is possible :)