Emmett is 12 weeks old today. Hard to believe we’ve been here almost three months.
Today was a pretty good day. Feeds are going much better and he even took a few full feeds via bottle last night! We are averaging around 60 percent orally, and you may remember we need to get to 80 percent over 24 hours to remove the feeding tube (though E tried to get a head start and pulled it out again himself today). The bottle feeds are definitely higher volume than the breast feeds. In fact, if you exclude the breast feeds from his averages, we’re already at 80 percent. This, of course, has me all kinds of hyperanalytical. Should we just focus on bottles for now so we can go home? Or would we ever recover from that if we did? I know babies who were able to figure out how to nurse later, but for many, lack of nursing is the beginning of the end of breastfeeding and once they get used to the relative ease of bottle feeding, it’s hard to go back. Plus, I won’t have the luxury of weighted feeds at home, or lactation consultants just down the hall to help. Can I nurse him at home and be confident he’s getting enough? Am I willing to potentially give up breastfeeding just to go home a few days sooner? Is my own stubbornness in my desire to breastfeed keeping him here longer than necessary? Lots to think about.
Keeping up with the Hoffmans 
E is making progress! You’re on the downhill side and will be home in the next few weeks, if not the next few days! The day will come suddenly. It won’t be as soon as you want, but you will get there soon.
I would suggest getting a baby scale. Amazon has a good selection. I had a preemie too, and wanted to nurse. To get home, we did the bottle feeds (because practice doesn’t always make perfect for preemies and nursing) and when we got home, I did a combo for a few weeks. Then one weekend, I said to my little one – we’re gonna get this – and we switched to nursing. I would weigh, nurse, weigh and finish with a bottle. After about a week, we were all nursing and getting full feeds.
Wishing you the best of luck!