Eating probs in NICU

I had my baby boy at 36 wks 3 days. He is a week and 4 days now, and is doing great other than eating. They want him to have 40 MLs every 3 hours, and he is just struggling with it. Last Tues. and Wed. he was drinking every bottle except an occasional 2 or 3 in a 24 hr period of time...but now it seems like he is not getting hungry enough to desire to eat when the time rolls around, so they tube it   I am going to stay at the hospital with him round the clock for a few days and nurse every feed if he will cooperate. This is definitely stressful and overwhelming. I am just ready for him to be HOME.

My son wasn't a good bottle eater either, he had spells every time he had a bottle. I stayed for 48 hours and nursed on demand, they just wanted to see a bit of weight gain to discharge him. Is that their plan for you?

I had my son at 39 weeks and he ended up in the NICU because he held his breath, he was eating less and less everyday so they gave him a feeding tube so what ever he wasn't eating from the bottle they would give him the rest of what he needed through the tube, it is hard to see him go through that and it was the worst week of my life, he ended up getting better and started eating more after a day or 2 and came home the next saturday after birth. It is very stressful, but it'll work out and you just need to do your best and he will pick up on it, just takes time. good luck and hope he starts eating more soon so you can take him home.

Sorry, hun, it takes time. Sometimes doing really well wears them out a little and they backslide. He'll get there though!

Quoting andthesenights:" My son wasn't a good bottle eater either, he had spells every time he had a bottle. I stayed for 48 hours ... [snip!] ... for 48 hours and nursed on demand, they just wanted to see a bit of weight gain to discharge him. Is that their plan for you?"

Usually in that situation if they go ahead and start the tube feeding, the weight isn't the main thing they look for. They want them to be able to take feedings consistently on their own for a certain amount of time before they discharge them. DD was born at 34 weeks and that was the only issue she had. She tried hard but couldn't quite do it, so it made her weak and they used to tube for a little bit, then it was like overnight she took to it like a pro. After she took all of her feedings on her own for about 2 days, they let her come home.

I'm sry you have to deal with that. Iknow how difficult it is to have a child in the NICU. Don't give up. Is he having any intestinal problems?

My daughter was born at 32 weeks! we stayed in the nicu for over a month with her.. our first hospital was feeding her every 3 hours and she acted like she didnt want it. Well i soon had her moved to another hospital since i didnt care for the nurses at the old one. The new hospital changed her feedings to every 4 hours and she could drink as much as she can take. She did better with the every 4 hour feedings bc she was more awake for them. they just kept track of how many ML's she took in a day to make sure she was getting enough to eat!..

Quoting Vanilla MILFshake.:" Usually in that situation if they go ahead and start the tube feeding, the weight isn't the main thing ... [snip!] ... overnight she took to it like a pro. After she took all of her feedings on her own for about 2 days, they let her come home. "

My son was born at 30 weeks and didn't handle bottles at all. He'd spell something bad with each bottle feeding. I demanded they stop trying with the bottle. He did tube feedings unless I was there to nurse and then when they thought he was ready I stayed for 48 hours and nursed on demand. Weight gain and waking to feed was what they looked for for him. Maybe it's different because he was born earlier and there for a long time? I dunno.

Quoting andthesenights:" My son wasn't a good bottle eater either, he had spells every time he had a bottle. I stayed for 48 hours ... [snip!] ... for 48 hours and nursed on demand, they just wanted to see a bit of weight gain to discharge him. Is that their plan for you?"

I hope thats their plan...I am going to stay here and nurse on demand, and will see what his weight is by tomorrow night. He just nursed for 20 on one side and 10 on the other, so I am pleased with that  

Quoting Mirror Seeing:" I'm sry you have to deal with that. Iknow how difficult it is to have a child in the NICU. Don't give up. Is he having any intestinal problems?"

No, he is not having any intestinal problems...what a blessing.

Quoting Christi Pugliese:" No, he is not having any intestinal problems...what a blessing."

Yes! Hope things start getting better for you then.

Quoting Christi Pugliese:" I hope thats their plan...I am going to stay here and nurse on demand, and will see what his weight is ... [snip!] ... see what his weight is by tomorrow night. He just nursed for 20 on one side and 10 on the other, so I am pleased with that  "

I hope it goes well!