14 months pumping after HELP and a 31 week preemieWish that I had found this web-site last year. Hopefully by sharing my story it will give encouragement to someone who is facing a similar situation. I was 39 years old and 31 weeks pregnant when I woke up with abdominal pain. The pain reminded me of a gall bladder attack only I had my gall bladder removed several years earlier. Besides gestational diabetes which I was controlling with insulin injections, I had no other problems. Because of my age I was being seen every week. Blood pressure was normal and no protein in my urine. I decided to go see the doc anyway just to make sure. They did some tests and ruling out gall bladder problems I was diagnosed with HELLP Syndrome. I had never heard of it before. HELLP = Hemolysis, Elevated liver Enzyme Levels and Low Platelet count. The only cure was to deliver the baby. I went in at 9:00 am that morning for what I thought was a routine appointment and Nicholas was born by C-Section a little after midnight. He weighed 3 lbs, 2 oz. He was immediately taken to the NICU and I didn’t get to see him until the next night. I had planned to breast feed so I started pumping on the second day. The first time nothing and then I started getting a few drops. I was so proud of my little syringes and hand carried them down to the NICU. The nurses would put the milk in Nicholas’s feeding tube. They told me that I was doing a wonderful job, which was very encouraging. As the days went by more milk came in and I was soon filling the 2oz bottles. I bought a breast pump and continued at home. I still planned to breast feed but he was so small that he couldn’t latch. We tried everything…I think half the staff of the NICU had their hands on my breasts at one time or another trying to get Nicholas to latch J Eventually they started nipple feeding him and we would still try the breast but it seemed easier for him to take the bottle. They wouldn’t let him go home unless he could breast or bottle feed. I would put my nipple in his mouth and he would just look at me as if he was waiting for me to turn it on. J I believed that breast milk was best for him especially since he was a preemie so I continued to pump. Now here we are, 14 months later and soon I think he will be able to make the transition to cow’s milk. It has been quite a journey. Since he was in the NICU for 7 weeks and I could not take care of him myself, I am so thankful that I could make milk for him. It was the one thing that only I could do for him and it made me feel like I was contributing to his care. I’ve pumped in bathroom stalls, and on an airplane. I’ve gone through periods of low production, but never had to supplement with formula. Nicholas is a healthy little boy and has never been sick. I am proud of that. I am also thankful for a supportive husband who has encouraged me throughout the whole experience. If anyone out there needs someone to talk to I’d be happy to listen. Everyone is different but we all share the common bond of loving our babies and doing anything we can for them. Best wishes for productive pumping! J Lisa Lyon Lisa.M.Lyon@poh01.usace.army.mil
5 Responses to “14 months pumping after HELP and a 31 week preemie” Leave a Reply |
 
 
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February 14th, 2008 at 9:13 am
Hi Lisa,
It’s so funny that our stories are so similar. I too was 39 years old and 31 weeks pregnant and had “abnormal preeclampsia” involving elevated liver enzymes. Not exactly HELLP but enough to have to be helicoptered to a hospital 2 hours from home and have an emergency C-section after a routine doctors appointment. Griffin was in the NICU for 59 days for the sole reason that he wouldn’t take a bottle.I tried breastfeeding several times but with no luck. Turns out, he had been aspirating and become aversive to feeding. Since I knew I had to go back to work, the bottle was a priority so we focused on that. He always had my breast milk.The SLP tried Simply Thick to thicken the milk and it worked. It was thick like pudding but he finally was taking the bottle and we got to come home. I have been pumping for 6.5 months now and he’s taking straight breast milk. I hope to do it until he’s one year. It has been very tough and limiting at work. I am a teacher and after school trainings are difficult as well as long workshops off campus. In fact, another teacher is covering for me right now because a meeting ran latr this morning and I didn’t have time to pump. Everyone’s been extremely accommodating. Pumping is really hard on my sleep. Having to get up to pump then get up to feed Griffin is tiring. I know it’s worth it but I am looking forward to stopping. I’m so glad I found this site. I though I was the only person doing this for this long!
Jen
May 29th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Hi there! I am so excited and happy that I found people like myself!! I have been searching for other mommies like me for some time now. My story..My son Derek was born 4 weeks early and had a short 4 day stay in the NICU. Because we were seperated right after birth I started pumping immediatley. I have always been a big producer. I produced enough with my daughter that I was able to donate to the Mother’s Milk Bank of Ohio. (I am also doing that with my son)..anyway..he was able to latch on properly when we were sent home but a few weeks later we found out he was also aspirating. He was put through a lot of tests and now he is on nector simply thick mixed with the breastmilk. So now I am pumping and feeding through a bottle with the thickner. He is now 6 months old and from his last testing didn’t show any improvement. He will be retested again at the end of June but for the most part I am prepared to pump the entire first year for him. I am not so used to it and in a routine that I pump 3 times a day..42oz a day. He taked around 40 oz a day. Because we have such a heads up on the milk I still do donate what I can as long as our freezer is full. At times I feel like I am the only one doing this. I couldn’t imagine giving him anything else. My daughter never had formula and either will my son. It makes me proud knowing I am helping him thrive more ways than one.
For the past few weeks my pumping sessions have become kind of painful and I think it’s because I pump for so long at one time. (matter of fact i’m pumping now) I have figured out how to pump and use the laptop!! A sight to see i’ll tell ya!!
Again, I am so very happy other people share what I am going through. If anyone would like to chat or share advice, stories please feel free to contact me!!
Lora
Lhuthmacher@Hotmail.com
November 27th, 2010 at 9:25 pm
I have been exclusively pumping for 12months and about getting to start my son on cows milk. Like Lora, I have pumped in bathroom stalls, offices, empty conference rooms etc…(at work). It has been tiring but rewarding. I am planning to continue but would like to wean my son off the bottle if anyone can give me ideas on how to deliver breastmilk without the bottle will appreciate it. Thanks and here’s to us..pumping, working, sleep deprived mums!
February 28th, 2011 at 2:24 pm
Thank you for sharing your story!! I thought I was the only one still pumping for my preemie baby- and the only one who’s baby didn’t “learn” how to breast feed. My story is similar to yours my, I got severe pre-e and had to have my little gy at 26 weeks, he spent 10 weeks in the hospital before coming home, all the while I pumped hoping he would soon be nursing. Well, he didn’t catch on to the nursing so I’m still pumping his milk. He will be 8 months old mext week and I hope to get him to his due date (15 months old) on breast milk alone then see where I’m at at that time.
It’s been a tough thing not being able to nurse him and having to pump all the time but it’s encouraging to hear that I’m not the only one doing this- their are other mama’s whose babies didn’t “get” nursing and are pumping like I am.
THANK YOU for sharing!!!
August 4th, 2011 at 5:36 am
Hospitals and lactation consultants should provide this website to all new moms, especially those of preterm babies. Our son was born at 35 weeks because I also had HELLP with PIH. The pregnancy was perfectly normal until the day I had to be induced. While he was only 35 weeks gestation, he did not have any complications other than being super tiny. He was only in the NICU 2 nights for which I am extremely thankful. The neonatologist and lactation consultant both said that he would latch and nurse well once he hit his due date but that didn’t happen. I was so disappointed because I thought nursing him was the “only thing I was supposed to be able to do right”. Once I realized that breastmilk was best no matter how he received it, the stress levels have lowered so much. Yes, it is hard to find time to pump and I worry about maintaining my supply but I am so proud of the fact that I can provide him with such a healthy start in life even though he isn’t nursing. I know 7 women who all gave birth around the same time and there are only 2 of us still providing breastmilk to our babies. The others had to stop due to supply issues or other health issues. I think if doctors would promote exclusively pumping then more babies would be fed breastmilk longer. Thank you for sharing your stories and providing a resource for moms. Knowing that we are not alone in this journey makes it so much easier.