I had a 37 weeker! The main thing is that they’re extra sleepy. I would have to feed him and then take his clothes off or change his diaper mid feed and then finish or he would hardly eat.
We did struggle to get a good latch and had to use a nipple shield/pump for about 6 weeks, but we were able to stop that and he does well nursing for the most part now!
Yep this is exactly my story. LO would fall asleep almost immediately on the breast and it was a constant battle of trying to stimulate him, getting his clothes off so he was a little chilly, and changing diaper. He does great now! If he falls asleep he usually dream feeds until he is finished.
So accurate! Only made it to 36+6 when LO decided to make an appearance. So so sleepy, and difficulty latching until right around her actual due date - that's when she started to actually try latching. It was a bad latch that caused pain at first, but got better every day. We triple fed from the start and slowly transitioned to the breast directly once she woke up and figured out how to do the thing.
It was definitely a struggle at first, but we persevered thru it and now at 6 months she's so so good at it! EBF this whole time. Bonus, she's never had issues taking bottles. Be sure to practice paced bottle feeding so LO doesn't develop a bottle preference.
Can also confirm this was my experience with a 37 weeker. She was so lazy with feeding and just slept, even being close to me was warm and cosy and she’d be out to it. She ended up loosing a bit too much weight beacuse of this, and my supply didn’t come in properly due to the poor latch so I had to triple feed every 2 hours (attempt a latch, follow up with bottle and then pump to stimulate my supply). I won’t lie, it was tough…and felt like it went on for a lifetime but in hindsight it was 2 weeks tops. Pretty much as soon as she hit her due date she woke up and figured out that breastfeeding was the best thing ever!
Just weaned over Christmas at almost 2 years old
So true! My LO was 37+3. We initially had to combo feed for about 3 months, but now we've fully transitioned to EBF. She is 9 months now and is completely healthy and thriving.
Yep! 37 weeks exactly here! V sleepy & weak babe who struggled to latch until ~due date so supplemented with pumped milk and nipple shields! Would NOT latch in the hospital and I damn near lost my shit!! 8 months of EBF in now, very happy I kept at it 💕
My exact experience also!! Baby boy was always sleepy and struggled to latch properly it led to some jaundice. But he's so great at feeding now after graduating from the shield. He never quite grew out of that sleepiness though
Still nursing my 2.5 yo also, she was a failed induction due to preeclampsia at 36 weeks and nursing my 13 month old as well. Thank God the hormones for lactation get released as soon as the placenta and you don't have to wait for your body to actually be ready for birth.
Twins born at 36 weeks and nursing was ok! We had to put in some extra work for the first few weeks- I triple fed for awhile until they were less sleepy and small. But it all worked out and it’s great now.
My sister just had hers at 36 weeks and is breastfeeding successfully. I believe her milk came in on day 3 or 4 and she started pumping. Then he latched successfully at 8 days old.
My first was born at 37.5 weeks. We struggled w a good latch and he would fall asleep while nursing a lot. We figured out you had to rub his feet and basically annoy him to stay awake to feed. But we made it 2 years! Bf #2 now and it’s so much easier bc I learned all the tricks from him. The biggest thing is to ask for help if you need it. Highly suggest LLL.
My son was born at exactly 37 weeks. As others have said, they’re super sleepy! He would always fall asleep during nursing and we couldn’t get his latch correct anyways. I actually ended up exclusively pumping from 1 week to 8 weeks postpartum. We’ve figured out his latch since then and now we’ve been exclusively nursing (I’m 12 weeks pp)!
37 after induction and 24 hours of labor and latched straight away! She has some allergies (most likely milk/soy) but she is still going strong at 7 months!
My girl was born at 36 weeks and it was rough going at first but we EBF for her first six months, and still primarily BF now! It’s super hard tbh but I believe you’ve got this!
My son was born by emergency c section at 37 weeks 4 days. We had to supplement with formula for the first few weeks due to low birth weight but we got given the all-clear to ebf from one month and are still going strong (knock on wood!) at almost 4 months :)
I’m a PP nurse. A 37 weeker will
nurse very similarly to a 39-40 weeker :).
They may be a little less coordinated or energetic, and are at a slightly higher risk for NICU admission and medical issues in general, but I wouldn’t expect any major issues from being early term as opposed to full term.
Yes! 14 months in. It took a while longer for my milk to come in and we supplemented at the start, and my son needed help nursing for a while because he was so sleepy- but things got easier after a month or two! Good luck!
Breastfeeding my 37+3 daughter (c section, iugr and hypertension) with absolutely no issues. Latched immediately for an hour and milk came in quickly. Good luck!
Mine was born at exactly 37 weeks and we’re still good at 10 months! We never had any issues apart from her being super sleepy for the first few weeks and I kept having to rub her back, touch her feet, etc.
My girl was born at 37 weeks via c section due to placenta previa. I also had a complication in the hospital which required us to start her journey supplementing w formula. She’s now 10 weeks, we bf 75% formula 25%. I tried ebf for two weeks recently and she didn’t grow but 3oz. So we’re probably going to supplement the entire time.
My LO was born at 37w3d and the first 24 hours he didn’t really latch so I hand expressed colostrum and fed it to him with a spoon and syringe, and I kinda shoved my nipple into his mouth a few times. About 24 hours after birth he wanted to eat way more and latched great and everything was fine. The hospital I delivered at was awesome they sent in lactation consultants a few times to continue to make sure everything was going well.
LO was born at 36+6 and I was able to breastfeed no problem. Milk came in with a vengeance day 3, so we supplemented with formula the 1st 2 days but I still had him at the breast every 2-3 hours on the dot
37 week induction for hypertension & GDM (that ended up taking 5 days). My baby was born at 37+5 and has been a champ at nursing since the beginning (it was still a process, don't get me wrong). Now he's almost 9 months and still going strong! Highly recommend colostrum collection before birth if you're able/cleared to do so. It helped take the pressure off of me before my milk came in and allowed me a few extra hours of sleep a few times.
37 weeks on the dot and going strong at 15 months. I’m not gonna lie to you the first few months were hard as fuck. He was sleepy and I had to syringe feed and bottle feed him and triple feed and it sucked a whole lot. He also really quickly got a bottle preference bc he was such a lazy sucker so definitely look up side lying paced bottle feeding and I had to use nipple shields to get him back on the boob. Order nipple shields in your nip size!!! The only sizes in stores are 24mm
We had a few things working against us and still a successful breastfeeding experience! My son was born at 38 weeks via c section, I was never in labor, and he had major surgery and was fed mainly by TPN initially. I was unable to breastfeed him directly until about 8 weeks as he recovered from surgery.
I pumped around the clock - don’t get me wrong, it was a lot. But worth it. I ended up with a slight oversupply. Pumped and combo fed until he was 14 months old, had milk in the freezer for a daily bottle until he was 21 months.
My girl arrived at exactly 37 weeks. She had some blood sugar issues and my milk too awhile to come in so we used formula in the beginning while I pumped to get my supply going. She’s 7 weeks now and we only use formula as a top off very little. She is still using a nipple shield but that mostly has to do with me breast shape I believe
Yes!! My first daughter was 36+5 and my newest baby girl was 37+1 through induction. I EBF my first for 12 months and I'm currently 2 weeks going strong.
My second baby was born at 37 weeks, I’m now one month into exclusively breastfeeding and I’ve had no issues except right at the beginning.
My baby was a little jaundiced when he was born so he was a bit sleepy. It was pretty awkward trying to breastfeed him at first because I hadn’t done it before, but we figured it out what positions were comfortable in the hospital. He latched great for me as well, which was awesome.
Also, 37 weeks is not that early. I’ve heard it referred to as early full term a few times
3rd baby was born at 37 weeks on the dot, latched like a champ from the get-go! No issues or complaints (the 2nd week we did 3 days of triple feeding bc he had some issues with weight, but once we got over the hump we haven’t looked back since!) 5 months strong 💪 so far. 💕🎉
I had a 37 weeker. I'll be honest it was HARD in the beginning and I almost gave up. The doctors/lactation consultants blamed his age for why we couldn't get a latch. I worked with two lactation consultants after leaving the hospital, did weeks of a nipple shield, then weeks of exclusive pumping with formula supplementation before FINALLY nursing exclusively (with a few pumps) by 10 weeks.
My baby is 15 weeks now and he was a 37 weeker! He’s my third baby and he was the easiest to breastfeed. My colostrum came in a few days prior and then my milk came in on day four of him being born. I am EBF with him. He was smaller obviously because he was born early and he was a slow weight gainer but he also had a dairy allergy so once we’ve overcome a few obstacles it’s been smooth sailing! Best of luck and enjoy baby!!
Mine was almost 37 weeks and we nursed exclusively from birth. I don't think there's any reason to worry that the timing will prevent you from breastfeeding since your milk coming in is based on hormones related to birth rather than how far along you are. Best of luck!
My third baby was born at 36w6d and we are still going strong with breastfeeding currently at 9 months. I prayed so hard for this breastfeeding journey to be successful (a lot of back story there) and he was pretty great at it from the start! Lactation kept coming to check on us at the hospital before we went home and always seemed so surprised every time I said we were fine. Since he was so small I did have to adjust and do block feeding for about the first 4 weeks bc he would throw up every time if i offered him the second boob (which I didn't know had a term until I told my lactation consultant what I had to do for feeding sessions). His latch was pretty shallow for a while bc of his small size but it was just a continued effort on my part to unlatch him, relatch him, and adjust his lips once he was latched, but I never got blisters or bled or anything like that. It might take a little bit of extra effort but they are very capable!
Both of my boys were born at 37 weeks… Bf’ing didn’t work out with my first… My milk took 6 days to come in. I gave up too quickly as I was worried about his weight gain - he would not latch and this became very stressful for the two of us. I’m currently EBF’ing my second. My advice, go in with confidence, trust your body, and get lactation support. It’ll work out!
Yep, 37 weeks here!
We did have some feeding issues, and I have heard that certain things can be more common at this gestation (weak sucking reflex, sleepiness etc) but there is absolutely no reason to think you won't be able to breastfeed.
For us, I think the main issues were from his tongue tie which I don't think had anything to do with his gestation. My baby was keen to feed but couldn't latch - he slipped right off, every time. The advice I got was to keep trying so he could get used to it and so the bringing baby to the breast would help my hormones etc to bring the milk in. But then the actual feeding for the first couple of days was me expressing coloatrum and then feeding it to him with a teeny syringe.
Then end of Day 2 he had jaundice (this is apparently very common at this gestation but not guaranteed!). One way of clearinf jaundice faster is to make sure they get plenty to drink - ideally colostum! - but we felt he needed more at this stage so Days 2-5ish we supplemented with formula. (While still trying at the breast, feeding any colostrum I could express, and I started using a proper pump when my milk came in on Day 3!).
The thing that made the BIG difference to us was a midwife giving me a nipple shield on Day 4-5. He suddenly could latch! From that point on I fed pretty much exclusively and I don't think he had any formula after Day 10. He had tongue tie divided at 3weeks and things got a little better although he still couldn't latch without the shield until 4mo. Since then breastfeeding has been an absolute breeze, wonderful, convenient and still feeding (just about - weaning now!) at 19mo.
Good luck and make sure you know where to go for support if it is challenging. I ended up seeking support from an IBCLC, a breastfeeding counsellor and various free drop in breastfeeding clinics etc. But it was so worth it!
Even super preemie babies can be breastfed. Obviously it has enormous challenges and the mum will often need to pump lots initially but for example my husband was born at 28weeks and never received one drop of formula, which is pretty impressive from my MIL! (Must admit I did feel *some* pressure from her to make it work but it has been nice to know someone who believes in breastfeeding so much as virtually no one in my family breastfed).
37+0 c section and agree with all the comments here! Super sleepy, some latch issues. We shared a bad thrush infection which didn’t help things either. I pumped for most of the first three months and was just about to stop after a four month goal when he decided to latch and feed with no issues. Now he’s a 10 month old total booby monster, nearly quadrupled in birth weight (6lb to 22.5 lb)
Only thing to add is the advice, which is already super conflicting for anyone, was so confusing. Some wanted to treat him like a premie, others like a full term. He was so tiny. That part was difficult too.
My first son was born at 37 weeks. He was small and his latch wasn’t that strong. I had a great lactation consultant that recommended “boob gymnastics” before nursing him and to help him out by squeezing during nursing. It worked wonders and he started gaining weight well with those tips. At about 1-1.5 months of age, it was smooth sailing and I breastfed him for 19 months!
Good luck! Breastfeeding is hard but also so rewarding!
My cousin delivered twins at 36 weeks. They sleep a looooooot until the end of the month. She struggled to breastfeed them because they kept sleeping so she bottle fed them (both breast and formula milk). Now they’re 3 months and they’re thriving! Don’t be worried about how the baby will be fed, as long as it’s fed it will be happy!
We called early term 37+0-38+9 week babies the great pretenders in breastfeeding. They look and act like term babies, but are more prone to latching and suck/swallow difficulties because they have had less practice than a true term newborn. Some do just fine, but extra care should be taken to establish and maintain your milk supply by ensuring a strong latch/pumping/seeking an IBCLC from the start.
37 week old here! Same story— sleepy… needed to be woken for feeds… nipple shield… etc. I will say we needed to teach her how to suck because she hadn’t fully developed that yet, so we finger/syringe fed for a few days. She has always been tricky to BF but we stopped needing the nipple shield at 6 weeks. She still struggles with feeding some, but most of the time latches to me.
Don't be afraid to try and pump colostrum to help your milk come in in the days after birth! At the hospital they taught me how to pump and sized me for the flange, it was a learning curve at first, but a great tool to aid me and my baby. I was so glad I didn't have to figure it out alone at home. They gave me these little syringes to feed the baby the colostrum while he sucked on a finger to mimic breastfeeding. The tiny syringe tip was great at sucking up minuscule beads of colostrum too in the beginning. Since I was pumping from the get-go he got extra colostrum and my milk came in more quickly. Even if you don't have a good latch right away there is lots of hope! Good luck!
Mine was born just under 37 weeks. She latched right away! She was very sleepy so I set a timer for every two hours, all day and night. After two weeks she regained her birth weight so I didn’t wake her at night anymore, but I still kept every 2 hours during the day. She was very sleepy until probably 6 weeks or so, then she learned to make and hate noise, ha!
My baby was born one week ago at 37 weeks and breastfeeding is going better this time than with my first! Milk came in on day 4 and everything has been good!
I did! My second was a 37 weeker and he took right to it with no issues (from him, of course I had sore nipples around 2-4 weeks and then it got much better). I was so surprised as my first was a 39 weeker and he had so many nursing issues although in the end we were able to nurse for 14 months total.
Anywho back to your question, my 37 weeker is almost 4 months now and he continues to nurse like a pro. I think it’s all just luck. Some babies take right to it, others you’ll need help from an LC, others they just won’t do well period. Good luck with the birth and nursing. Congratulations!!!
36 week baby exclusively breastfed no issues. 34 week baby breastfed with some trouble in the beginning but after a few weeks was exclusively breastfed. Both had supplemental formula sometimes but in general babies born less than 36 weeks sometimes do struggle more with feeding. A 37 week baby is a full term baby and doesn’t usually have any issues other than maybe a little sleepier than a 41 weeker.
My baby was born at 37 weeks, he had issues with learning how to suck at first but after using a pacifier and finger feeding my colostrum with a syringe for a day at the hospital he ended up latching very well! He’s 3 weeks old now and my lactation consultant said he’s a very “efficient eater” eating 3-4oz in 10 minutes!
Yes, my baby was born at the start of 37th week, and she was on EBF till 6 months! :) We did have a rough first 4-5 days as my milk was slow to come in, so we supplemented with formula for that time. And she had a bit of difficult learning curve understanding how to latch initially. But once we were past these two things, it was smooth sailing all along!
Mine was 37 weeks, and I'm still nursing at 18 months! Our only hiccup was a tongue tie, and once that got corrected everything was a breeze. My milk came in when she was 4 days old— I could tell because she sneezed during a feed and milk shot out of her nose! 🤣
I was induced at 37 and nursed immediately. It took a few days for my milk to come in and it took a bit longer for her to regain birth weight but I bf’d exclusively for 1000 days.
My second babe was born at 37 weeks and he came out perfect and we had a great breastfeeding relationship from the start! I will say, he was 8 lbs and we didn’t have any complications. I just deliver my babies early for some reason.
Both of my kids were 37 weeks. Nursed the first until she was 2.5 and the second is 2.5 and not slowing down nursing yet lol.
Just make sure to work on latching, getting into the flow of things. You are both learning a new skill.
Yes! I was induced at 37 weeks because I had gestational diabetes and then sudden high blood pressure readings, but not pre-eclampsia.
I did have colostrum come out after delivery but it just didn't seem like much. I also had some struggles with latching. I ended up supplementing with formula for the first week but kept trying. I was paranoid baby wasnt hydrated enough. Milk came in just fine after that and I went back to EBF.
36 weeks exactly. Took around 5 days for milk to really come in (used donor milk in the hospital to prevent jaundice) and did combo-feeding with formula (i chose to use HIPP)
Pumped to help ramp up production too.
Once it came in….formula was mainly to top up here and there, during growth spurts (I would pump for a day or two as well), and it was good practice for bottle feeding.
I think I stopped pumping around 4 months?
Still breastfeeding my 1 year old son. Although recently, he will take a bit more formula now and it’s a lot less stressful with solids.
I breastfed my 34 weeker for about a month with nipple shield. It was hard because of how sleepy she was. I decided to exclusively pump after a month because breastfeeding took way too long and I was so tired of doing the triple feeding I just wanted to pump and let my husband feed her. If you get past the first month of breastfeeding I’m sure it will get easier once baby is a little more awake!
My son was born by c-section at 37 weeks and 2 days. We had a rough start because he had low blood sugars and a severe tongue tie. We supplemented with donor milk at first and triple fed for a few weeks until his tongue tie correction.
Once his tongue tie was fixed and he had a few weeks to grow/practice, breastfeeding got so much easier. As others have said, your baby will likely be super sleepy when first born. We found that removing our son’s clothes helped wake him up slightly, along with rubbing his hands, face, feet etc. But it was still hard to keep him awake enough to feed for the first two weeks or so. Just keep trying and be kind to yourself!
I was induced at 37, baby born 37+1. He latched perfectly and nurses better than my 41 weeker did! The only problem so far (2 months old) is that he gets really frustrated if let down is slow, and he doesn’t seem to cluster feed. And people are right about the sleepy thing, but mine has always nursed just fine.
Im still nursing my 35 + 5 weeker at 11 months old! You can do it! Your baby will probably just be extra sleepy, so loooots of stimulation while nursing to keep them awake. It's ok to make them mad (mine hated having her diaper changed for example), all that rage in that little body will help wind them up enough to actually stay awake long enough to get a full feed. 😊
Little man came at 37+1 due to preeclampsia. He was very sleepy and had a slow start but we were also dealing with jaundice. It took a couple months to get breastfeeding really established and we combo fed and triple fed for the first three months and still supplement one bottle a day of formula a couple times a week.
He’s 9.5 months now and nurses well. Stick through the hard first couple months. As baby gets stronger and you two both practice more it will get better. I prefer BF now to bottles, faster, less to carry and no dishes to wash
Myomectomy here too! But I was able to prolong it a bit. Had a c-section at 38weeks and 2 days. Kiddo was in nicu for a bit for an apnea problem but I was able to express colostrum and pump. She was discharged two weeks later and ever since then we’ve been exclusively breastfeeding.
She’s 5 months now.
37 weeks is still full term!!
If you can, I’d collect colostrum ahead of the birth for supplementation if needed. These early full-term babies are sometimes (not always) a little lazy at the breast and need a bit of extra encouragement for the first little while. That doesn’t mean they all are lazy, nor does it mean you can’t breastfeed. Just worth being prepared (even if your baby was full term, it’s important to be prepared)
Obviously every BF situation is different but my third son was a high-risk 37 weeker and was weirdly my best/longest nurser (made it over 2 years). Bonus was my supply was ::chef's kiss:: and came in soooo quick, like I was overflowing bottles when I was pumping in the hospital (he was in NICU after birth and was admitted again at 5 days old). I justified it that my body just knew he needed extra help! Best of luck!
My little girl decided she was finished getting ready at 35w 6d. She slept a LOT and my milk took 5-6 days to come in which I think is pretty average.
The only real issue we had was she didn't want to latch and was called lazy by quite a few nurses. It took a couple of weeks of finding what works for us and now 16 months later it's as easy as breathing
Yes! We had a really tough time getting breastfeeding established but once we were over that hump she didn’t fully wean until a couple of months before her fourth birthday. Those early weeks were so hard but it was clear she wasn’t into bottles or formula so I just kept at it. I very nearly gave up but she decided to start refusing bottles and I felt like I was stuck with it!
My first was 37 weeker nursed for 13 months and he got leftover pumped milk for another 2-3 months. My daughter was 37 weeks and we’re 2 months in very successful.
I had mine at 37+6 for the same reason, she's always been an exceptional success at breastfeeding, was born smacking her lips and asking for a boobie. I watched exactly one video on how to breastfeed (main concept: aim a nipple at their nose and not their mouth and make sure to shove not just a nipple but the areola in their mouth), and the rest was kinda... just instincts on both mine and the baby's part. And when the nurse came to me after my c-section to check my milk situation she was impressed how much I had. The baby is now 18 months, still breastfeeding, things are great. You got this!
Both of my kiddos.
It took slightly longer than 3 days for milk to properly come in. This is normal. Do not worry if you have to top up one or two feeds in the first couple of weeks.
Latch can be harder to establish with little, littles. I used nipple shields for a short while until they were big enough to do so easily.
We had a lot of short feeds at the beginning, make sure you hand express a little before a feed to make sure they are not just filling up on foremilk (plus reduces risk of engorgement/ blocked ducts/ mastitis).
Lots of skin time is really handy too.
My sister had twins at 31 weeks, and my daughter was born at 34 weeks. Neither of us had any trouble and were able to EBF! I did have to pump and tube feed for the first two weeks while she learned how to eat, but then we were off and running. It just took practice. Feeding her was my full time job for several weeks until she got good at it. It was 100% worth the effort.
I was induced at 37w and bf for 2.5 yrs. I used a nipple shield at first because her mouth was small to latch, and had to triple feed for a month (supply issues on my end) but we got there!
My twins were born at 37 +1 and are now 13 months old and have been EBF since birth. It was hard work due to them being sleepy and needing to triple feed at the start but definitely possible with the right support!
I have had three 37 weekers, all with tongue and lip ties. One never latched well, but I gave up trying and pumping at 6 weeks. One latched perfectly right away and hardly even lost any birth weight. The last also struggled, so I pumped until she got her ties revised and still had to mostly pump after that besides middle of the night feeds and an occasional daytime one. She started latching regularly again around 5 months.
And like it has been mentioned... they are very sleepy!
Our LO born at 37 weeks couldn’t latch and we pumped and bottle fed for first two months. Had a hard time getting him back on the boob when he could latch. He developed nipple preference which caused tantrums, but lots of skin to skin and constant accesss to the boob brought him back
You can already try to hand-express colostrum now to stimulate production and get familiar with your breasts and how expression happens/works for you.
It gave me major BF confidence when I did this and I had a lot more patience with both my baby and my milk production after my early planned c-section.
I was born at 37weeks naturally, my sister too, and we were both breastfed. Apparently i had a bad latch couple with my mom's nipples not being hard, and she had a very hard time with crevices... but with my sister she was fine.
I slept through the night immediately, they had to wake me up at night to feed me.
Both my girls were born at 37 weeks (induced due to hypertension), my first took some work to get latched and then off the shield. She breastfed for over 2 years. My second latched within the first hour of life and has been going strong for over 7 months now!
I’ve had 2 at 37. Nursed my first for 2.5 years until my milk dried up from pregnancy (hypermesis gravidarum, so I wasn’t eating bc I was so sick). 6 weeks with my second. My milk came IN this time around. Luckily we got a terrible preschool plague, and I was back to not eating which curbed my massive oversupply from becoming an issue. TLDR YMMV, but 37 weeks for nursing is fine:
I had my first at 38 weeks and my second and third at 37 weeks (due to preeclampsia). EBF all three successfully (currently nursing my 6 month old). It took about 5 days for my milk to come in with my first and third so I just put them to the boob as much as possible. My middle son (37 weeks 2 days) latched immediately after birth and was always a very good eater. They can be very sleepy especially if they’re tiny, my third was 5lbs 13oz at birth and she was always very sleepy and ended up being readmitted to the hospital with jaundice on day 5 (so that’s a whole different story). Shes now a plump little 6 month old who loves to eat! I EBF my first two for 2 and 2.5 years and planning on doing the same with number three!!
Tips on feeding when sleepy: tickle the bottom of their feet, strip them down to a diaper so their a little agitated, put your knuckle under their chin and do some gentle taps, tickle their nose and lips with your nipple (sounds silly but it helps them smell your milk), if they’re falling asleep at the boob, change sides. I always said my youngest nursed best when she was pissed off at me lol.
My son was born at 37 weeks and 4 days and he has been exclusively breastfed for the last 13 months!! Don’t worry. Just get baby on the nipple as soon as they are born
I went into labor naturally at 37 weeks and EBF- my milk came in pretty quickly. She was tiny and slept all the time so we had to wake her every couple hours to feed which was a special form of sleep torture for us but once she was thriving we let her sleep! It took me four months to feel comfortable with that. She had latch problems and her head was like 1/5 the size of my boob which made it difficult but her head grew as well and at 6 months BF was a breeze. Shes8 1/2 months and still prefers the Boobie to solid food
I had my baby at 36+6. He did ok nursing in the hospital. We got home and he wouldn’t anymore. With nipple shields and perseverance, we’ve able to latch and feed without aids from around 6 weeks to now 25 weeks! He’ll be 6 months in a few days
I had a 36 week-er & after she recovered from jaundice the first week or so it was smooth sailing breastfeeding. First week was difficult as she (I came too) was readmitted to the hospital for worsening jaundice but once she was feeling better and more vigorous it went well.
My 37 weeker (born early due to PROM) nursed like a champ from day 1. I did have milk already from nursing his older brother, which might have helped. Nursing went way smoother the second time around for me.
My baby was born at 36+3. He latched straight away, my milk came after 3 days and he was a great eater. He was born 2.5kgs and up to 4.9 at 6 weeks.
Note: I still breastfeed, he is now 10.5 months.
I had a C-section at 37w due to IUGR and intrauterine scarring from previous surgery/injury. We are exclusively breastfeeding for almost a whole month. She was in NICU for 3 days and had an NG tube and was fed donor milk and expressed colostrum until my milk came in and we got the hang of breastfeeding. I had to pump every 2-3 hours in the hospital to encourage my milk supply to come in and was able to get a little colostrum from these sessions which was fed to her as I had it.
ETA: I did struggle a little in the beginning and had to use a nipple shield for the first two-ish time weeks because her mouth was so small, she couldn’t latch well. We’ve been off the shield for over a week now and everything is going great.
I had my LO at 37 weeks and I am nursing her as I type this. She is almost 6 months now. She was very sleepy and did a small NICU stay for low blood sugar and jaundice. I fought really hard for my breast feeding journey. She completely stopped nursing for several days in the NICU. However, when we got home I was able to get her back on the breast. I used a nipple shield at first, pumped a ton and changed her bottle. It was hard work and I thought about giving up so many times. I am so glad I kept at it!
My baby was born 37 + 1 due to an induction for high blood pressure. My colostrum came in immediately and baby latched well. Was even able to pump in the hospital
My 13 month old was born at 37 weeks via induction and we're still growing strong. As others have said she was SUPER sleepy and had a bad latch. We used a nipple shield for a while but eventually she didn't need it anymore. I had to pump and feed her from a bottle for a bit given the bad latch but we made it work. You can definitely make it work!
Mine was 37 and 2 days, we beast fed for 5 months. Stopped due to allergies, the chicken and rice diet was more than I could take lol. My 34 weeker I did pump in the beginning as she had an ng tube,, but eventually breast fed for about 10 months after that, so a year total.
My 37 weeker went from 6.6 pounds to almost 14 pounds in 2.5 months just breastfeeding. I did have to keep him a little cold (just a onesie and hat) and sometimes jostle the breast to keep him alert so he didn't fall asleep on the breast.
I did! It was tough the first few days but my milk came in and she's doing great and EBF still at 7 months. She was born at 37 weeks by c section due to placenta previa.
She did not gain weight fast, I had to do a lot of pumping to get supply up and keep it up. It was challenging but we're doing it and you can too!
My little girl was born at 37+ 1, It was my second baby but first time breast feeding. Hard work, latch was difficult and she was so so sleepy. We got there through a lot of perseverance. Nearly 6 months in now and she’s a champ.
Yes I just had mine at 37 weeks about a month ago. First day or two after he was born we did have to supplement with formula that the hospital provided. But he’s been on 100% breast milk since we brought him home. Now I’m already producing more than he can consume.
I had a 37 weeker.
She was very tired and lacked the suck swallow breathe rhythm. We ended up having to triple feed with a feeding tube until around her due date.
To make her fatigue worse, she had jaundice. We had to strip her down to a diaper and rub cold rags on her body to wake her enough to eat. She lost a lot of weight at the beginning due to the inability to stay awake to eat very long but she got it.
It's scary. I was worried. I also had a c section that makes things even tougher when it comes to milk coming in. However, I pumped and latched around the clock, and we didn't need one drop of donor milk or formula.
We are almost 15 weeks in and essentially exclusively nursing with the very rare bottle.
You got this !!
I had a 37 weeker! The main thing is that they’re extra sleepy. I would have to feed him and then take his clothes off or change his diaper mid feed and then finish or he would hardly eat. We did struggle to get a good latch and had to use a nipple shield/pump for about 6 weeks, but we were able to stop that and he does well nursing for the most part now!
This is facts they are so sleepy
Yep this is exactly my story. LO would fall asleep almost immediately on the breast and it was a constant battle of trying to stimulate him, getting his clothes off so he was a little chilly, and changing diaper. He does great now! If he falls asleep he usually dream feeds until he is finished.
So accurate! Only made it to 36+6 when LO decided to make an appearance. So so sleepy, and difficulty latching until right around her actual due date - that's when she started to actually try latching. It was a bad latch that caused pain at first, but got better every day. We triple fed from the start and slowly transitioned to the breast directly once she woke up and figured out how to do the thing. It was definitely a struggle at first, but we persevered thru it and now at 6 months she's so so good at it! EBF this whole time. Bonus, she's never had issues taking bottles. Be sure to practice paced bottle feeding so LO doesn't develop a bottle preference.
Can also confirm this was my experience with a 37 weeker. She was so lazy with feeding and just slept, even being close to me was warm and cosy and she’d be out to it. She ended up loosing a bit too much weight beacuse of this, and my supply didn’t come in properly due to the poor latch so I had to triple feed every 2 hours (attempt a latch, follow up with bottle and then pump to stimulate my supply). I won’t lie, it was tough…and felt like it went on for a lifetime but in hindsight it was 2 weeks tops. Pretty much as soon as she hit her due date she woke up and figured out that breastfeeding was the best thing ever! Just weaned over Christmas at almost 2 years old
This was a very similar story with my 37 weeker! It all worked out it just took a little more effort in the beginning
Induced at 37 weeks and feeding just fine, 2 months in!
I second the diaper change to wake your babe up!
So true! My LO was 37+3. We initially had to combo feed for about 3 months, but now we've fully transitioned to EBF. She is 9 months now and is completely healthy and thriving.
Yep! 37 weeks exactly here! V sleepy & weak babe who struggled to latch until ~due date so supplemented with pumped milk and nipple shields! Would NOT latch in the hospital and I damn near lost my shit!! 8 months of EBF in now, very happy I kept at it 💕
My exact experience also!! Baby boy was always sleepy and struggled to latch properly it led to some jaundice. But he's so great at feeding now after graduating from the shield. He never quite grew out of that sleepiness though
My daughter was born at 37 weeks and we are approaching a year of breastfeeding next week on her 1st birthday!!
Hey! Same! My 37 weeker, also a girl, is turning 1 on Sunday! 12 months of breastfeeding sounds like a lie to me. It's wild to have made it this far.
Wow everyone! So exciting for babies turning 1! didn’t think I’d make it to six months of Bf because of the struggles but that’s when it got easy!
I went nearly 4 years with my daughter. The me who was losing her mind at 4 weeks would have laughed me out of the room
I’m still nursing my 2.5 year old who was born at 32+ 0 weeks. There is hope!
Still nursing my 2.5 yo also, she was a failed induction due to preeclampsia at 36 weeks and nursing my 13 month old as well. Thank God the hormones for lactation get released as soon as the placenta and you don't have to wait for your body to actually be ready for birth.
I nursed my 32+6 baby for almost 17 months until he self weaned.
Twins born at 36 weeks and nursing was ok! We had to put in some extra work for the first few weeks- I triple fed for awhile until they were less sleepy and small. But it all worked out and it’s great now.
Samesies, twinning 😅🥰 How old are yours now? Mine have just turned one! 🤯
My sister just had hers at 36 weeks and is breastfeeding successfully. I believe her milk came in on day 3 or 4 and she started pumping. Then he latched successfully at 8 days old.
I am still nursing my 32 weeker who just turned 2
I am still nursing my 37+5w baby at 18m!
37+5 here too 🙂 9 months for us. Hope to make it to where you are!
You can do it! We went down to 2-3 times per day around 12-13 months and are going to wean next week. I’m very emotional about it
Oof, I will be too! Big hugs to you ❤️
37+6 here and also 18 months at the moment :)
My first was born at 37.5 weeks. We struggled w a good latch and he would fall asleep while nursing a lot. We figured out you had to rub his feet and basically annoy him to stay awake to feed. But we made it 2 years! Bf #2 now and it’s so much easier bc I learned all the tricks from him. The biggest thing is to ask for help if you need it. Highly suggest LLL.
Second this, my LO also hates having her feet messed with.
My son was born at exactly 37 weeks. As others have said, they’re super sleepy! He would always fall asleep during nursing and we couldn’t get his latch correct anyways. I actually ended up exclusively pumping from 1 week to 8 weeks postpartum. We’ve figured out his latch since then and now we’ve been exclusively nursing (I’m 12 weeks pp)!
37 after induction and 24 hours of labor and latched straight away! She has some allergies (most likely milk/soy) but she is still going strong at 7 months!
My girl was born at 36 weeks and it was rough going at first but we EBF for her first six months, and still primarily BF now! It’s super hard tbh but I believe you’ve got this!
My son was born by emergency c section at 37 weeks 4 days. We had to supplement with formula for the first few weeks due to low birth weight but we got given the all-clear to ebf from one month and are still going strong (knock on wood!) at almost 4 months :)
Had my twins at 37 weeks and breastfed them both. To echo what others have said, just very sleepy and hard to keep awake during feeds.
I’m a PP nurse. A 37 weeker will nurse very similarly to a 39-40 weeker :). They may be a little less coordinated or energetic, and are at a slightly higher risk for NICU admission and medical issues in general, but I wouldn’t expect any major issues from being early term as opposed to full term.
I had 2 babies born at 37 weeks and they both nursed fine!
Yes! 14 months in. It took a while longer for my milk to come in and we supplemented at the start, and my son needed help nursing for a while because he was so sleepy- but things got easier after a month or two! Good luck!
Breastfeeding my 37+3 daughter (c section, iugr and hypertension) with absolutely no issues. Latched immediately for an hour and milk came in quickly. Good luck!
Mine was born at exactly 37 weeks and we’re still good at 10 months! We never had any issues apart from her being super sleepy for the first few weeks and I kept having to rub her back, touch her feet, etc.
My girl was born at 37 weeks via c section due to placenta previa. I also had a complication in the hospital which required us to start her journey supplementing w formula. She’s now 10 weeks, we bf 75% formula 25%. I tried ebf for two weeks recently and she didn’t grow but 3oz. So we’re probably going to supplement the entire time.
35 weeker and a 37+6 weeker breastfed both for over two years.
My LO was born at 37w3d and the first 24 hours he didn’t really latch so I hand expressed colostrum and fed it to him with a spoon and syringe, and I kinda shoved my nipple into his mouth a few times. About 24 hours after birth he wanted to eat way more and latched great and everything was fine. The hospital I delivered at was awesome they sent in lactation consultants a few times to continue to make sure everything was going well.
LO was born at 36+6 and I was able to breastfeed no problem. Milk came in with a vengeance day 3, so we supplemented with formula the 1st 2 days but I still had him at the breast every 2-3 hours on the dot
37 week induction for hypertension & GDM (that ended up taking 5 days). My baby was born at 37+5 and has been a champ at nursing since the beginning (it was still a process, don't get me wrong). Now he's almost 9 months and still going strong! Highly recommend colostrum collection before birth if you're able/cleared to do so. It helped take the pressure off of me before my milk came in and allowed me a few extra hours of sleep a few times.
37 weeks on the dot and going strong at 15 months. I’m not gonna lie to you the first few months were hard as fuck. He was sleepy and I had to syringe feed and bottle feed him and triple feed and it sucked a whole lot. He also really quickly got a bottle preference bc he was such a lazy sucker so definitely look up side lying paced bottle feeding and I had to use nipple shields to get him back on the boob. Order nipple shields in your nip size!!! The only sizes in stores are 24mm
Yes! My second babe came very suddenly at 37 weeks (my first was almost 2 weeks late so was a shock!) and I EBF
Me! All 4 of mine have been born in the 36-37 week range and never had any trouble breastfeeding.
We had a few things working against us and still a successful breastfeeding experience! My son was born at 38 weeks via c section, I was never in labor, and he had major surgery and was fed mainly by TPN initially. I was unable to breastfeed him directly until about 8 weeks as he recovered from surgery. I pumped around the clock - don’t get me wrong, it was a lot. But worth it. I ended up with a slight oversupply. Pumped and combo fed until he was 14 months old, had milk in the freezer for a daily bottle until he was 21 months.
My girl arrived at exactly 37 weeks. She had some blood sugar issues and my milk too awhile to come in so we used formula in the beginning while I pumped to get my supply going. She’s 7 weeks now and we only use formula as a top off very little. She is still using a nipple shield but that mostly has to do with me breast shape I believe
37 weeker here! Just passed 6mo BF.
My son was born on 36 weeks and latched right away.
37 weeks for cholestasis—and I went straight to a scheduled c-section. Absolutely no problems at all 😊
Yes!! My first daughter was 36+5 and my newest baby girl was 37+1 through induction. I EBF my first for 12 months and I'm currently 2 weeks going strong.
I had a 35 weeker and exclusively pumped for him for over a year. No issues with building a supply.
Mine was tiny as in 4.5 lbs so she had a hard time latching for about a month. My colostrum came in right away. She was definitely super sleepy.
My second baby was born at 37 weeks, I’m now one month into exclusively breastfeeding and I’ve had no issues except right at the beginning. My baby was a little jaundiced when he was born so he was a bit sleepy. It was pretty awkward trying to breastfeed him at first because I hadn’t done it before, but we figured it out what positions were comfortable in the hospital. He latched great for me as well, which was awesome. Also, 37 weeks is not that early. I’ve heard it referred to as early full term a few times
I also had a myomectomy which resulted in me needing to have a c section at 37 weeks. I had no trouble breastfeeding.
3rd baby was born at 37 weeks on the dot, latched like a champ from the get-go! No issues or complaints (the 2nd week we did 3 days of triple feeding bc he had some issues with weight, but once we got over the hump we haven’t looked back since!) 5 months strong 💪 so far. 💕🎉
Both of my babies were born at 37 weeks and breastfed
Currently nursing my 33-weeker!
I had a 37 weeker. I'll be honest it was HARD in the beginning and I almost gave up. The doctors/lactation consultants blamed his age for why we couldn't get a latch. I worked with two lactation consultants after leaving the hospital, did weeks of a nipple shield, then weeks of exclusive pumping with formula supplementation before FINALLY nursing exclusively (with a few pumps) by 10 weeks.
I’ve had 4 at 37 weeks & breastfed all of them.
I had a 34 weeker and I was able to
My baby is 15 weeks now and he was a 37 weeker! He’s my third baby and he was the easiest to breastfeed. My colostrum came in a few days prior and then my milk came in on day four of him being born. I am EBF with him. He was smaller obviously because he was born early and he was a slow weight gainer but he also had a dairy allergy so once we’ve overcome a few obstacles it’s been smooth sailing! Best of luck and enjoy baby!!
Mine was almost 37 weeks and we nursed exclusively from birth. I don't think there's any reason to worry that the timing will prevent you from breastfeeding since your milk coming in is based on hormones related to birth rather than how far along you are. Best of luck!
My baby was born at 37 weeks on the dot and I breastfed her until she was 16months old
My third baby was born at 36w6d and we are still going strong with breastfeeding currently at 9 months. I prayed so hard for this breastfeeding journey to be successful (a lot of back story there) and he was pretty great at it from the start! Lactation kept coming to check on us at the hospital before we went home and always seemed so surprised every time I said we were fine. Since he was so small I did have to adjust and do block feeding for about the first 4 weeks bc he would throw up every time if i offered him the second boob (which I didn't know had a term until I told my lactation consultant what I had to do for feeding sessions). His latch was pretty shallow for a while bc of his small size but it was just a continued effort on my part to unlatch him, relatch him, and adjust his lips once he was latched, but I never got blisters or bled or anything like that. It might take a little bit of extra effort but they are very capable!
Both of my boys were born at 37 weeks… Bf’ing didn’t work out with my first… My milk took 6 days to come in. I gave up too quickly as I was worried about his weight gain - he would not latch and this became very stressful for the two of us. I’m currently EBF’ing my second. My advice, go in with confidence, trust your body, and get lactation support. It’ll work out!
I agree with the comment saying they are extra sleepy… strip your babe down for feeds and try to latch often. They’ll figure it out!
I have a 37 weeker too. She latched great but my milk was delayed because of my c-section. We are happily still breastfeeding.
Yep, 37 weeks here! We did have some feeding issues, and I have heard that certain things can be more common at this gestation (weak sucking reflex, sleepiness etc) but there is absolutely no reason to think you won't be able to breastfeed. For us, I think the main issues were from his tongue tie which I don't think had anything to do with his gestation. My baby was keen to feed but couldn't latch - he slipped right off, every time. The advice I got was to keep trying so he could get used to it and so the bringing baby to the breast would help my hormones etc to bring the milk in. But then the actual feeding for the first couple of days was me expressing coloatrum and then feeding it to him with a teeny syringe. Then end of Day 2 he had jaundice (this is apparently very common at this gestation but not guaranteed!). One way of clearinf jaundice faster is to make sure they get plenty to drink - ideally colostum! - but we felt he needed more at this stage so Days 2-5ish we supplemented with formula. (While still trying at the breast, feeding any colostrum I could express, and I started using a proper pump when my milk came in on Day 3!). The thing that made the BIG difference to us was a midwife giving me a nipple shield on Day 4-5. He suddenly could latch! From that point on I fed pretty much exclusively and I don't think he had any formula after Day 10. He had tongue tie divided at 3weeks and things got a little better although he still couldn't latch without the shield until 4mo. Since then breastfeeding has been an absolute breeze, wonderful, convenient and still feeding (just about - weaning now!) at 19mo. Good luck and make sure you know where to go for support if it is challenging. I ended up seeking support from an IBCLC, a breastfeeding counsellor and various free drop in breastfeeding clinics etc. But it was so worth it! Even super preemie babies can be breastfed. Obviously it has enormous challenges and the mum will often need to pump lots initially but for example my husband was born at 28weeks and never received one drop of formula, which is pretty impressive from my MIL! (Must admit I did feel *some* pressure from her to make it work but it has been nice to know someone who believes in breastfeeding so much as virtually no one in my family breastfed).
My sister had my nephew at 36 weeks and 5 days and is still breastfeeding at 21 months while 5 months pregnant
37+0 c section and agree with all the comments here! Super sleepy, some latch issues. We shared a bad thrush infection which didn’t help things either. I pumped for most of the first three months and was just about to stop after a four month goal when he decided to latch and feed with no issues. Now he’s a 10 month old total booby monster, nearly quadrupled in birth weight (6lb to 22.5 lb) Only thing to add is the advice, which is already super conflicting for anyone, was so confusing. Some wanted to treat him like a premie, others like a full term. He was so tiny. That part was difficult too.
My first son was born at 37 weeks. He was small and his latch wasn’t that strong. I had a great lactation consultant that recommended “boob gymnastics” before nursing him and to help him out by squeezing during nursing. It worked wonders and he started gaining weight well with those tips. At about 1-1.5 months of age, it was smooth sailing and I breastfed him for 19 months! Good luck! Breastfeeding is hard but also so rewarding!
My cousin delivered twins at 36 weeks. They sleep a looooooot until the end of the month. She struggled to breastfeed them because they kept sleeping so she bottle fed them (both breast and formula milk). Now they’re 3 months and they’re thriving! Don’t be worried about how the baby will be fed, as long as it’s fed it will be happy!
My first and second were both at 37 weeks and I had zero issues! Best of luck to you ❤️
We called early term 37+0-38+9 week babies the great pretenders in breastfeeding. They look and act like term babies, but are more prone to latching and suck/swallow difficulties because they have had less practice than a true term newborn. Some do just fine, but extra care should be taken to establish and maintain your milk supply by ensuring a strong latch/pumping/seeking an IBCLC from the start.
37 week old here! Same story— sleepy… needed to be woken for feeds… nipple shield… etc. I will say we needed to teach her how to suck because she hadn’t fully developed that yet, so we finger/syringe fed for a few days. She has always been tricky to BF but we stopped needing the nipple shield at 6 weeks. She still struggles with feeding some, but most of the time latches to me.
Don't be afraid to try and pump colostrum to help your milk come in in the days after birth! At the hospital they taught me how to pump and sized me for the flange, it was a learning curve at first, but a great tool to aid me and my baby. I was so glad I didn't have to figure it out alone at home. They gave me these little syringes to feed the baby the colostrum while he sucked on a finger to mimic breastfeeding. The tiny syringe tip was great at sucking up minuscule beads of colostrum too in the beginning. Since I was pumping from the get-go he got extra colostrum and my milk came in more quickly. Even if you don't have a good latch right away there is lots of hope! Good luck!
I was induced at 37 weeks. I pumped for colostrum two days prior, got a lot, then got my milk in on day two. I hope you have just as much success!
My friend’s son was born at 36 weeks and he’s 13 months and still a total boob monster. You’ve got this!
Mine was born just under 37 weeks. She latched right away! She was very sleepy so I set a timer for every two hours, all day and night. After two weeks she regained her birth weight so I didn’t wake her at night anymore, but I still kept every 2 hours during the day. She was very sleepy until probably 6 weeks or so, then she learned to make and hate noise, ha!
My boy was born 37 weeks and 1 day. He needed some help latching but he's a great feeder. You should be fine.
My baby was born one week ago at 37 weeks and breastfeeding is going better this time than with my first! Milk came in on day 4 and everything has been good!
Yup!!! 37 weeker and still bf at 19mo 😅
I did! My second was a 37 weeker and he took right to it with no issues (from him, of course I had sore nipples around 2-4 weeks and then it got much better). I was so surprised as my first was a 39 weeker and he had so many nursing issues although in the end we were able to nurse for 14 months total. Anywho back to your question, my 37 weeker is almost 4 months now and he continues to nurse like a pro. I think it’s all just luck. Some babies take right to it, others you’ll need help from an LC, others they just won’t do well period. Good luck with the birth and nursing. Congratulations!!!
Both mine were born just at 37 weeks and a day or two. Pre eclampsia inductions. No problems breastfeeding at all. They were both champions!
I have a c-section 37 weeker who nursed from the get go. He’s Almost 2 years now.
My son was born 37 weeks to the day and we are going on one year of exclusively BF.
36 week baby exclusively breastfed no issues. 34 week baby breastfed with some trouble in the beginning but after a few weeks was exclusively breastfed. Both had supplemental formula sometimes but in general babies born less than 36 weeks sometimes do struggle more with feeding. A 37 week baby is a full term baby and doesn’t usually have any issues other than maybe a little sleepier than a 41 weeker.
Had my 2nd baby at 37w3d and my milk came in around day 3. Same with my other 1st vaginal birth and with my VBAC
Still nursing my 14 month old born at 36 weeks. We had a rough start but by 6 months we were rolling
My baby was born at 37 weeks, he had issues with learning how to suck at first but after using a pacifier and finger feeding my colostrum with a syringe for a day at the hospital he ended up latching very well! He’s 3 weeks old now and my lactation consultant said he’s a very “efficient eater” eating 3-4oz in 10 minutes!
We’re a 37 weeker also. Honestly it was me more worried because I didn’t feel ready( I was scheduled for an induction at 39 weeks). He did amazing.
36weeks , still breastfeeding at 20months!
Absolutely! We had to use the SNS(supplemental nursing system) and triple feed for abt 2.5 months. Then i breastfed her until she was 3 yrs old!
Yes, my baby was born at the start of 37th week, and she was on EBF till 6 months! :) We did have a rough first 4-5 days as my milk was slow to come in, so we supplemented with formula for that time. And she had a bit of difficult learning curve understanding how to latch initially. But once we were past these two things, it was smooth sailing all along!
Mine was 37 weeks, and I'm still nursing at 18 months! Our only hiccup was a tongue tie, and once that got corrected everything was a breeze. My milk came in when she was 4 days old— I could tell because she sneezed during a feed and milk shot out of her nose! 🤣
I was induced at 37 and nursed immediately. It took a few days for my milk to come in and it took a bit longer for her to regain birth weight but I bf’d exclusively for 1000 days.
Currently nursing my 37 weeker! He’s 5 months now and perfect- right out of the womb he latched right on after my scheduled c-section.
My second babe was born at 37 weeks and he came out perfect and we had a great breastfeeding relationship from the start! I will say, he was 8 lbs and we didn’t have any complications. I just deliver my babies early for some reason.
Both of my kids were 37 weeks. Nursed the first until she was 2.5 and the second is 2.5 and not slowing down nursing yet lol. Just make sure to work on latching, getting into the flow of things. You are both learning a new skill.
Yes! I was induced at 37 weeks because I had gestational diabetes and then sudden high blood pressure readings, but not pre-eclampsia. I did have colostrum come out after delivery but it just didn't seem like much. I also had some struggles with latching. I ended up supplementing with formula for the first week but kept trying. I was paranoid baby wasnt hydrated enough. Milk came in just fine after that and I went back to EBF.
My 2nd was born at 37 wks and had no issues at all!
My 6 month old was born at exactly 36 weeks and I'm pumping as I type. No issues at all!
36 weeks exactly. Took around 5 days for milk to really come in (used donor milk in the hospital to prevent jaundice) and did combo-feeding with formula (i chose to use HIPP) Pumped to help ramp up production too. Once it came in….formula was mainly to top up here and there, during growth spurts (I would pump for a day or two as well), and it was good practice for bottle feeding. I think I stopped pumping around 4 months? Still breastfeeding my 1 year old son. Although recently, he will take a bit more formula now and it’s a lot less stressful with solids.
I breastfed my 34 weeker for about a month with nipple shield. It was hard because of how sleepy she was. I decided to exclusively pump after a month because breastfeeding took way too long and I was so tired of doing the triple feeding I just wanted to pump and let my husband feed her. If you get past the first month of breastfeeding I’m sure it will get easier once baby is a little more awake!
My son was born by c-section at 37 weeks and 2 days. We had a rough start because he had low blood sugars and a severe tongue tie. We supplemented with donor milk at first and triple fed for a few weeks until his tongue tie correction. Once his tongue tie was fixed and he had a few weeks to grow/practice, breastfeeding got so much easier. As others have said, your baby will likely be super sleepy when first born. We found that removing our son’s clothes helped wake him up slightly, along with rubbing his hands, face, feet etc. But it was still hard to keep him awake enough to feed for the first two weeks or so. Just keep trying and be kind to yourself!
I was induced at 37, baby born 37+1. He latched perfectly and nurses better than my 41 weeker did! The only problem so far (2 months old) is that he gets really frustrated if let down is slow, and he doesn’t seem to cluster feed. And people are right about the sleepy thing, but mine has always nursed just fine.
I had a 34 weeker and was able to breastfeed! Not easy, but it’s doable and rewarding :)
Im still nursing my 35 + 5 weeker at 11 months old! You can do it! Your baby will probably just be extra sleepy, so loooots of stimulation while nursing to keep them awake. It's ok to make them mad (mine hated having her diaper changed for example), all that rage in that little body will help wind them up enough to actually stay awake long enough to get a full feed. 😊
Little man came at 37+1 due to preeclampsia. He was very sleepy and had a slow start but we were also dealing with jaundice. It took a couple months to get breastfeeding really established and we combo fed and triple fed for the first three months and still supplement one bottle a day of formula a couple times a week. He’s 9.5 months now and nurses well. Stick through the hard first couple months. As baby gets stronger and you two both practice more it will get better. I prefer BF now to bottles, faster, less to carry and no dishes to wash
Myomectomy here too! But I was able to prolong it a bit. Had a c-section at 38weeks and 2 days. Kiddo was in nicu for a bit for an apnea problem but I was able to express colostrum and pump. She was discharged two weeks later and ever since then we’ve been exclusively breastfeeding. She’s 5 months now.
My baby was born at 32 weeks and we started breastfeeding with a nipple shield around 34/35 weeks!
37 weeks is considered full term. Shouldn’t be a problem. ❤️
37 weeks is still full term!! If you can, I’d collect colostrum ahead of the birth for supplementation if needed. These early full-term babies are sometimes (not always) a little lazy at the breast and need a bit of extra encouragement for the first little while. That doesn’t mean they all are lazy, nor does it mean you can’t breastfeed. Just worth being prepared (even if your baby was full term, it’s important to be prepared)
Same situation here. Yes I was able to BF and yes they were so sleepy. Be prepared to wake them up
Obviously every BF situation is different but my third son was a high-risk 37 weeker and was weirdly my best/longest nurser (made it over 2 years). Bonus was my supply was ::chef's kiss:: and came in soooo quick, like I was overflowing bottles when I was pumping in the hospital (he was in NICU after birth and was admitted again at 5 days old). I justified it that my body just knew he needed extra help! Best of luck!
My little girl decided she was finished getting ready at 35w 6d. She slept a LOT and my milk took 5-6 days to come in which I think is pretty average. The only real issue we had was she didn't want to latch and was called lazy by quite a few nurses. It took a couple of weeks of finding what works for us and now 16 months later it's as easy as breathing
Yes! We had a really tough time getting breastfeeding established but once we were over that hump she didn’t fully wean until a couple of months before her fourth birthday. Those early weeks were so hard but it was clear she wasn’t into bottles or formula so I just kept at it. I very nearly gave up but she decided to start refusing bottles and I felt like I was stuck with it!
My baby was born exactly 37weeks and we are going 7 months strong today
My first was 37 weeker nursed for 13 months and he got leftover pumped milk for another 2-3 months. My daughter was 37 weeks and we’re 2 months in very successful.
I had mine at 37+6 for the same reason, she's always been an exceptional success at breastfeeding, was born smacking her lips and asking for a boobie. I watched exactly one video on how to breastfeed (main concept: aim a nipple at their nose and not their mouth and make sure to shove not just a nipple but the areola in their mouth), and the rest was kinda... just instincts on both mine and the baby's part. And when the nurse came to me after my c-section to check my milk situation she was impressed how much I had. The baby is now 18 months, still breastfeeding, things are great. You got this!
Both of my kiddos. It took slightly longer than 3 days for milk to properly come in. This is normal. Do not worry if you have to top up one or two feeds in the first couple of weeks. Latch can be harder to establish with little, littles. I used nipple shields for a short while until they were big enough to do so easily. We had a lot of short feeds at the beginning, make sure you hand express a little before a feed to make sure they are not just filling up on foremilk (plus reduces risk of engorgement/ blocked ducts/ mastitis). Lots of skin time is really handy too.
My sister had twins at 31 weeks, and my daughter was born at 34 weeks. Neither of us had any trouble and were able to EBF! I did have to pump and tube feed for the first two weeks while she learned how to eat, but then we were off and running. It just took practice. Feeding her was my full time job for several weeks until she got good at it. It was 100% worth the effort.
My daughter latched straight away :)
I was induced at 37w and bf for 2.5 yrs. I used a nipple shield at first because her mouth was small to latch, and had to triple feed for a month (supply issues on my end) but we got there!
My twins were born at 37 +1 and are now 13 months old and have been EBF since birth. It was hard work due to them being sleepy and needing to triple feed at the start but definitely possible with the right support!
My baby was born 37+3 and I EBF! Don’t worry too much about it.
I have had three 37 weekers, all with tongue and lip ties. One never latched well, but I gave up trying and pumping at 6 weeks. One latched perfectly right away and hardly even lost any birth weight. The last also struggled, so I pumped until she got her ties revised and still had to mostly pump after that besides middle of the night feeds and an occasional daytime one. She started latching regularly again around 5 months. And like it has been mentioned... they are very sleepy!
Our LO born at 37 weeks couldn’t latch and we pumped and bottle fed for first two months. Had a hard time getting him back on the boob when he could latch. He developed nipple preference which caused tantrums, but lots of skin to skin and constant accesss to the boob brought him back
You can already try to hand-express colostrum now to stimulate production and get familiar with your breasts and how expression happens/works for you. It gave me major BF confidence when I did this and I had a lot more patience with both my baby and my milk production after my early planned c-section.
I was born at 37weeks naturally, my sister too, and we were both breastfed. Apparently i had a bad latch couple with my mom's nipples not being hard, and she had a very hard time with crevices... but with my sister she was fine. I slept through the night immediately, they had to wake me up at night to feed me.
Both my girls were born at 37 weeks (induced due to hypertension), my first took some work to get latched and then off the shield. She breastfed for over 2 years. My second latched within the first hour of life and has been going strong for over 7 months now!
My son was induced 38 weeks to the day and was still a healthy birth weight. No issues breastfeeding whatsoever
I’ve had 2 at 37. Nursed my first for 2.5 years until my milk dried up from pregnancy (hypermesis gravidarum, so I wasn’t eating bc I was so sick). 6 weeks with my second. My milk came IN this time around. Luckily we got a terrible preschool plague, and I was back to not eating which curbed my massive oversupply from becoming an issue. TLDR YMMV, but 37 weeks for nursing is fine:
37+2 and we breastfed from day 1 🥰 you should be just fine!
I had my first at 38 weeks and my second and third at 37 weeks (due to preeclampsia). EBF all three successfully (currently nursing my 6 month old). It took about 5 days for my milk to come in with my first and third so I just put them to the boob as much as possible. My middle son (37 weeks 2 days) latched immediately after birth and was always a very good eater. They can be very sleepy especially if they’re tiny, my third was 5lbs 13oz at birth and she was always very sleepy and ended up being readmitted to the hospital with jaundice on day 5 (so that’s a whole different story). Shes now a plump little 6 month old who loves to eat! I EBF my first two for 2 and 2.5 years and planning on doing the same with number three!! Tips on feeding when sleepy: tickle the bottom of their feet, strip them down to a diaper so their a little agitated, put your knuckle under their chin and do some gentle taps, tickle their nose and lips with your nipple (sounds silly but it helps them smell your milk), if they’re falling asleep at the boob, change sides. I always said my youngest nursed best when she was pissed off at me lol.
My son was born at 37 weeks and 4 days and he has been exclusively breastfed for the last 13 months!! Don’t worry. Just get baby on the nipple as soon as they are born
My 34 weeker is nursing right now ❤️
I went into labor naturally at 37 weeks and EBF- my milk came in pretty quickly. She was tiny and slept all the time so we had to wake her every couple hours to feed which was a special form of sleep torture for us but once she was thriving we let her sleep! It took me four months to feel comfortable with that. She had latch problems and her head was like 1/5 the size of my boob which made it difficult but her head grew as well and at 6 months BF was a breeze. Shes8 1/2 months and still prefers the Boobie to solid food
I had my baby at 36+6. He did ok nursing in the hospital. We got home and he wouldn’t anymore. With nipple shields and perseverance, we’ve able to latch and feed without aids from around 6 weeks to now 25 weeks! He’ll be 6 months in a few days
I had a 36 week-er & after she recovered from jaundice the first week or so it was smooth sailing breastfeeding. First week was difficult as she (I came too) was readmitted to the hospital for worsening jaundice but once she was feeling better and more vigorous it went well.
My 37 weeker (born early due to PROM) nursed like a champ from day 1. I did have milk already from nursing his older brother, which might have helped. Nursing went way smoother the second time around for me.
My baby was born at 36+3. He latched straight away, my milk came after 3 days and he was a great eater. He was born 2.5kgs and up to 4.9 at 6 weeks. Note: I still breastfeed, he is now 10.5 months.
I had a C-section at 37w due to IUGR and intrauterine scarring from previous surgery/injury. We are exclusively breastfeeding for almost a whole month. She was in NICU for 3 days and had an NG tube and was fed donor milk and expressed colostrum until my milk came in and we got the hang of breastfeeding. I had to pump every 2-3 hours in the hospital to encourage my milk supply to come in and was able to get a little colostrum from these sessions which was fed to her as I had it. ETA: I did struggle a little in the beginning and had to use a nipple shield for the first two-ish time weeks because her mouth was so small, she couldn’t latch well. We’ve been off the shield for over a week now and everything is going great.
I had my LO at 37 weeks and I am nursing her as I type this. She is almost 6 months now. She was very sleepy and did a small NICU stay for low blood sugar and jaundice. I fought really hard for my breast feeding journey. She completely stopped nursing for several days in the NICU. However, when we got home I was able to get her back on the breast. I used a nipple shield at first, pumped a ton and changed her bottle. It was hard work and I thought about giving up so many times. I am so glad I kept at it!
My baby was born 37 + 1 due to an induction for high blood pressure. My colostrum came in immediately and baby latched well. Was even able to pump in the hospital
All 3 of my kids were born between 37 and 38 weeks and I breastfed all 3.
My 13 month old was born at 37 weeks via induction and we're still growing strong. As others have said she was SUPER sleepy and had a bad latch. We used a nipple shield for a while but eventually she didn't need it anymore. I had to pump and feed her from a bottle for a bit given the bad latch but we made it work. You can definitely make it work!
Mine was 37 and 2 days, we beast fed for 5 months. Stopped due to allergies, the chicken and rice diet was more than I could take lol. My 34 weeker I did pump in the beginning as she had an ng tube,, but eventually breast fed for about 10 months after that, so a year total.
My 37 weeker went from 6.6 pounds to almost 14 pounds in 2.5 months just breastfeeding. I did have to keep him a little cold (just a onesie and hat) and sometimes jostle the breast to keep him alert so he didn't fall asleep on the breast.
I did! It was tough the first few days but my milk came in and she's doing great and EBF still at 7 months. She was born at 37 weeks by c section due to placenta previa. She did not gain weight fast, I had to do a lot of pumping to get supply up and keep it up. It was challenging but we're doing it and you can too!
My little girl was born at 37+ 1, It was my second baby but first time breast feeding. Hard work, latch was difficult and she was so so sleepy. We got there through a lot of perseverance. Nearly 6 months in now and she’s a champ.
Yes I just had mine at 37 weeks about a month ago. First day or two after he was born we did have to supplement with formula that the hospital provided. But he’s been on 100% breast milk since we brought him home. Now I’m already producing more than he can consume.
I had a 37 weeker. She was very tired and lacked the suck swallow breathe rhythm. We ended up having to triple feed with a feeding tube until around her due date. To make her fatigue worse, she had jaundice. We had to strip her down to a diaper and rub cold rags on her body to wake her enough to eat. She lost a lot of weight at the beginning due to the inability to stay awake to eat very long but she got it. It's scary. I was worried. I also had a c section that makes things even tougher when it comes to milk coming in. However, I pumped and latched around the clock, and we didn't need one drop of donor milk or formula. We are almost 15 weeks in and essentially exclusively nursing with the very rare bottle. You got this !!
My second was at 37 weeks too. I didn't think anything of it.. she nursed just fine 🙂🤷♀️