Have faith that all will be well with your wife and child. We pray that God will protect your wife and unborn child during this scary time, both before and after his birth. Make him perfect in every way and guide him to a long and healthy life. We ask this in God’s name, if it be his will. Amen.
As a retired OB nurse, I have seen many babies survive even earlier births. It is often a rough road with ups and downs. My strongest advise is for your wife to provide colostrum and breast milk as opposed to formula to your child. Insist that the staff obtain a breast pump for her and start pumping within 2 hours of birth, pumping every 2-3 hours during the day and 3 hours at night. Do not let staff deter you by saying, “she needs her rest.” Double pumping for 15 minutes is not to time consuming and it could be a matter of survival. Do NOT allow the NICU to give one drop of formula. One feeding of formula can effect the gut bacteria and effect your child’s health for life. Also insist you be allowed to do as much skin to skin time as possible, it stabilizes blood sugar, temperature, and helps colonize good bacteria. Also it helps with bonding both parents and child (fathers can do skin to skin too) and it helps to de stress your vulnerable child.
You have to be strong and determined to fight against hospital procedures. They mean well, but often are misinformed or ignorant. They have blinders and want to do what is expedient, not thinking of the long term health or impact on bonding. Also it is easier for those in health care to give a bottle of formula than to encourage or help with breastfeeding. Just like doctors and nurses, there are good and not so good lactation consultants. Breastfeeding is an art in the first few days. Improper latch impacts milk production and infant intake.
Have faith that all will be well with your wife and child. We pray that God will protect your wife and unborn child during this scary time, both before and after his birth. Make him perfect in every way and guide him to a long and healthy life. We ask this in God’s name, if it be his will. Amen.
As a retired OB nurse, I have seen many babies survive even earlier births. It is often a rough road with ups and downs. My strongest advise is for your wife to provide colostrum and breast milk as opposed to formula to your child. Insist that the staff obtain a breast pump for her and start pumping within 2 hours of birth, pumping every 2-3 hours during the day and 3 hours at night. Do not let staff deter you by saying, “she needs her rest.” Double pumping for 15 minutes is not to time consuming and it could be a matter of survival. Do NOT allow the NICU to give one drop of formula. One feeding of formula can effect the gut bacteria and effect your child’s health for life. Also insist you be allowed to do as much skin to skin time as possible, it stabilizes blood sugar, temperature, and helps colonize good bacteria. Also it helps with bonding both parents and child (fathers can do skin to skin too) and it helps to de stress your vulnerable child.
Mom of three preemies…I did exactly this ⬆️
Hold and pump, eh. Ironically that's how you make 'em in the first place! 🤪
Thanks for the smile on this one!
Same here. (Mom to triplets).
I would add fenegeek (sp) to help milk production.
Thank you for the information and advice. 🙏
You are welcome. Good luck to all of you. Please keep us posted!
Amen.
What great advice!!
My boy slid out "too quick" and they put him under the lamp for the first few days. Barely let us hold him.
If I could go back in time......I'd go to war to keep that from happening.
Thank you for giving that advice to OP. It so hard to know what's right at those critical times with enough conviction to force a change.
I'm sure OP would like any and all advice and reassurance you could offer. I cannot imagine the stress.
You have to be strong and determined to fight against hospital procedures. They mean well, but often are misinformed or ignorant. They have blinders and want to do what is expedient, not thinking of the long term health or impact on bonding. Also it is easier for those in health care to give a bottle of formula than to encourage or help with breastfeeding. Just like doctors and nurses, there are good and not so good lactation consultants. Breastfeeding is an art in the first few days. Improper latch impacts milk production and infant intake.