{"id":5738,"date":"2025-04-22T15:17:32","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T15:17:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thebadassbreastfeeder.com\/?p=5738"},"modified":"2025-04-22T15:17:35","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T15:17:35","slug":"from-toddler-to-a-preemie-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thebadassbreastfeeder.com\/?p=5738","title":{"rendered":"From Toddler to a Preemie Journey"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

My name is Katie, and I officially became a\u00a0super listener<\/em>\u00a0(Badass Breastfeeding Podcast<\/a>) after my first son was born in 2022 \u2014 thanks in large part to my sister, who inspired me with her own breastfeeding journey and introduced me to your podcast. I feel so lucky to have had her in my life, and I believe her experience helped shape mine. Whenever a friend tells me they want to breastfeed, the first thing I do is send them your podcast. The stories, the advice, the encouragement is all so valuable. You\u2019ve both inspired me to learn more, trust myself, and keep moving forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve had two very different breastfeeding journeys that I\u2019d love to share:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baby Auggie<\/strong>
Born 8\/14\/22 at 37 weeks due to PROM
This little guy came out ready<\/em> to breastfeed \u2014 he latched within the first hour and didn\u2019t stop until he was 26 months old. We never had a single bump in the road. I had only listened to a few episodes of your podcast before he was born, but they gave me the motivation to advocate for myself and my baby right from the start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On day two of his life, an older nurse told us his bilirubin levels were concerning and that he needed the light blanket overnight. She followed it up with, \u201cIf he\u2019s not latching for 20 minutes at a time, you need to supplement. What formula brand do you prefer?\u201d The way she framed it felt like a trap for a first-time mom to disrupt a strong start to nursing with formula. My freshly postpartum brain replied, \u201cJust breastmilk. If he doesn\u2019t latch, my sister has pumped milk I can use.\u201d She argued that my sister\u2019s milk wasn\u2019t \u201cmade\u201d for my baby and said the hospital wouldn\u2019t allow it. I stood my ground, and she huffed out of the room, saying they\u2019d send in lactation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The consultant who came in was an angel<\/em> \u2014 she reassured me that my colostrum plus his latch were more than enough, and I could do what I needed to feed my baby. From there, our exclusively breastfed journey was smooth and truly magical. To this day he still points calls my breasts \u201cmilkeys!\u201d and now proudly says it\u2019s baby brother\u2019s turn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baby Warren<\/strong>
Born 4\/5\/25 at 34 weeks and 6 days due to PROM
Warren\u2019s story began a little differently. Upon a very quick birth, I only had a few minutes of skin-to-skin before he had to be rushed to the NICU. I was devastated not to have that golden hour or the first latch like I had with Auggie. Plus terrified of what was to come. Thankfully, my L&D nurse was an experienced pumping mom and brought the pump out right away \u2014 I pumped 5ml of colostrum within an hour of birth, in spite of being separated from my baby so early.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hospital has an amazing donor milk program, so he was tube-fed a combo of my milk and donor milk in those first 48 hours. At one point, a nurse asked my husband what I thought about breastfeeding, and he said, \u201cOh, she will die on that hill. She\u2019d give up her legs before her breasts for our babies.\u201d That gave me a much-needed laugh in the middle of the madness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I was finally taken to Warren (2.5 hours after birth), he was in an incubator on CPAP, and very hard to see for the first time. Luckily, I was able to do skin-to-skin later that night through all the cords. About 24 hours in, the CPAP came off and they let me try feeding. He latched right away, and it was an incredible moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The early NICU days have been hard \u2014 I was overwhelmed trying to figure out preemie positioning, lack of feeding cues, the NICU schedule, and oxygen concerns. All while still wrapping my head around the situation and abrupt end to an amazing pregnancy. But because of the experience I had with Auggie and the knowledge I\u2019d gained from your podcast, I knew if I wanted him exclusively breastfed, I had to push through and put in the effort. I worked closely with an amazing lactation consultant who encouraged me to pump every 3 hours after feeds to build an oversupply we could scale back later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve been living on the NICU couch \u2014 pumping, feeding and snuggling. It\u2019s been a beautiful, exhausting rhythm. I miss my toddler and my husband, who\u2019s been bouncing between home and hospital, but we\u2019ve had incredible support from family helping with Auggie, the dogs, the house \u2014 everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One week in, I\u2019ve been producing a wild amount of milk, and Warren is already above his birth weight. I\u2019ve been cleared to move from a strict preemie feeding schedule to more of a cue-based approach with the goal of being an exclusive breastfeeder, just like big bro.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re now focused on weaning him off the nasal cannula, but he\u2019s doing incredibly well. All the nurses have praised how rare it is to see a 34-weeker feed this strongly \u2014 and to see a mom so committed to building both supply and a feeding relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This journey has been wild, tough, and absolutely amazing. I\u2019m so grateful for everything I learned with my first \u2014 it helped me realize how deeply important breastfeeding is to me and my babies. It\u2019s a lot of work, but I wouldn\u2019t change a thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re just waiting on a bit more lung development before we can safely wean him off the last bit of oxygen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\u2019s now exclusively breastfed, which I\u2019m absolutely thrilled about! The nurses have been so impressed with his latch and my milk supply\u2014they\u2019ve said it\u2019s incredibly rare for a 34-weeker to take to breastfeeding and maintain it like he has. He was 6 lbs 9 oz at birth, and tonight, at two weeks old, he weighed in at 7 lbs 8 oz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I honestly can\u2019t imagine going through this as a first-time mom. My experience with Auggie really shaped my journey this time. Getting him fully on the breast wasn\u2019t even a question\u2014but preemies are definitely a different breed. It\u2019s taken a lot of work and dedication, but it\u2019s paying off, and I know we\u2019ll be home soon enough.<\/p>\n\r\n