This Is What It's Like to Breastfeed When You Have a Preemie

Learning how to breastfeed doesn’t come naturally to all women. And while it’s easy to get frustrated, remember this is all new territory for you, and it’s only fair to give yourself a learning curve.

This especially holds true for moms of premature babies. One of the top breastfeeding challenges for women who give birth to a baby who needs NICU support is dealing with the unexpected. Many moms of preemies struggle because their milk production hasn’t started.

In honor of National Prematurity Awareness Month, Medela is recognizing the unique challenges and triumphs preemie moms face. Its #22Victories campaign raises awareness on the critical first three weeks after birth, and hopes to help moms make it to 22 days of nursing their little one.

When first-time mom Mal Johnson gave birth, her daughter Lucky was admitted to the NICU. The new mom desperately wanted to breastfeed, but was unable to do so due to a nearly non-existent milk supply. Johnson teamed up with Medela to share the very real and raw emotions of her nursing journey.

“Breastfeeding was an important goal for me to achieve throughout my pregnancy, but I had no clue the trouble I would run into with having my little one early,” the mom tells The Bump. “Essentially I was not patient with myself at all, not knowing that my delayed milk production was completely normal, especially after having a c-section. I became very frustrated with myself, and having my daughter away from me in the NICU didn’t help at all.”

Luckily, she had doctors, family and friends to cheer her on, which many nursing mamas aren’t always privy to.

“Thank goodness for my husband throughout this entire process. He encouraged me to keep going, but also reinforced being gentle with myself. Once I started to show myself grace and mercy, things completely changed,” Johnson shares.

With these gentle encouragements, the new mom slowly started to get a handle on it. Ten days later, with help from hospital lactation consultants and the encouragement to keep pumping and nursing, she produced 1 ounce of milk during her pumping session. After that, her milk supply continued to grow, and she was able to exclusively breastfeed Lucky.

“To jumpstart my production, I pumped as much as possible, every two to three hours throughout the day. My husband rented me the Medela Symphony hospital grade pump—the same they supply at the hospital—and I believe it made a big difference with kick-starting my production,” she says. “I also drank tons of water, more than I have ever before in my life. I was peeing all time!”

That was only the half of it. The mom was adamant about setting a bunch of practices in place to help increase her milk supply. “I drank tea three to four times a day with fenugreek, and I ate lactation cookies that were actually yummy,” Johnson recounts. “I looked into supplements and found some which seemed to make my milk super-rich.”

The takeaway? Patience, patience, patience.

“Know a delay is completely natural. It took my milk two weeks to kick in, and even then I produced very little,” the new mom says. “With breastfeeding and having a preemie, it’s important to keep in mind that it’s not a sprint, it’s truly marathon. Be patient with your body, mind and soul, and you and your child will thank you for it!”

You can read more about Johnson’s experience here. Through the #22Victories campaign, Medela wants other women to realize although every nursing experience is unique, there are others out there who have been through similar challenges and have had success stories. Creating a community of support for others, it hopes all moms reach day 22 and breastfeed their babies for as long as they choose.

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.