The NICU, it is not for the faint of heart. If you are going through this or will go through this I am so sorry mama. I hope you are hanging in there. I want to help you as much as I possibly can. Lets talk about how you can successfully breastfeed while your baby is with you in the NICU.
Being Skin to Skin-
Being skin to skin with your baby is so important but I know it can be hard when your baby is in the NICU. And I know you have an ache in your heart to hold your sweet baby. But let me tell you this, your baby KNOWS you. They know your voice, they know your touch, they know your smell. When you are with your baby in the NICU they can feel your presence. You are doing enough. But any skin to skin you can get with your baby will increase the oxytocin in both of you to encourage your milk supply and to help them want to nurse. Ask the nurse when and how often you can hold him. When you get the opportunity be skin to skin with each other. wear a button down shirt so you can easily open it.
Milk Supply for your NICU Baby-
Now let’s talk about YOUR milk supply. This is key to being successful with breastfeeding. Get a hospital grade pump (most insurances pay for them.) Start pumping immediately. Put yourself on a pumping schedule to great a sufficient milk supply. I advise pumping every 2 hours. You can download an app to help you keep track or you can use a timer on your phone. Pump each breast for 20 minutes each or until the milk stops coming out. When you first start pumping you will not be seeing very much milk come out. You will only see colostrum come out which is liquid gold. High in fats and calories. Pumping everyday and multiple times a day will help your milk “come in.” Around day 4 postpartum you will start seeing more milk. Ask the nurses if you can give your milk to your baby via bottle or breast. If you can then great! If not store your breast milk in your freezer. My favorite pumps are made by Areoflow. Here is a link to look at there website!
Go Easy on Yourself-
There is only so much you can do when you have a baby in the NICU. Hang in their mama. Just do these little things and once your baby is home and in your arms we can work on the rest. Go to THIS blog post to learn more about breast feeding at home.
