I have my heart set on breastfeeding – I have bought my nursing pads, support pillows, nursing covers (hooter hider – baby au lait), books from la leche league, talked to lactation consultants, etc. and now I’m having to prepare for the fact that my baby may be born 3 months premature. I know you can nurse in the NICU, but will they let you nurse a baby born that early? Will a baby that early even know how to nurse or have the sucking reflex yet? I heard babies get the sucking reflex after 36 weeks usually. If you have a preemie & pump until your baby makes it to when his/her due date would have been, is it possible to get them to nurse after months of feeding tubes and/or bottles?
I haven’t had the baby yet, I’m on bedrest, but I’d like to be prepared so I’ll have my facts together & know what to tell the NICU nurses if I do indeed go into labor within next 2 weeks like they’re preparing me for.