hi ann as a retired nicu nurse, now an LC, i wanted to comment. in the usa, most premies are not given the large volume feeds that Pam in Africa is used to. i think the feeling is that it would compromise the cardio/pulmonary status due to fluid overload. but maybe that could be tried and then hmf would not be needed. also mothers are asked are you going to bf, but why not just ask for the milk, make it an expectation (more below on parents in the nurseries). also re KC: yes some babies are unstable right at first, but the USA medical model and the kangaroo mother care model are very different. i hope you have seen some of the kangaroo care unicef films from south america. the babies are much more stable than when they are 'laid out' in warmers and incubators and subjected to many many interventions. you said it yourself that "maybe my nursing back ground...colors my reading of these articles..." This is not a flame or a criticism, but I think you are right. Over the years I have come to see that what my experience was in the medical model of childbirth and newborn care is not the only one nor the best one. I have become more open to other cultures of care. For example, today many usa hospitals do not really do rooming in. Lots of other countries do "bedding in" and all the moms and babies are in bed together from the moment of birht til discharge. Most nicus don't do rooming in until the day before d/c. Breastfeedings are often rare. Moms and dads are not welcomed into the units freely. Many primips who have "feeders and growers" could be rooming in instead of visiting infrequently. many jaudniced babies are treated unnecessarily (technology) and separated from parents. why cant't the moms room in and bf ad lib? Many mothers cry that they must leave the baby and the docs reassure them Oh they just need two more days of antibiotics. why can't the mother room in with him? I bet I am not far off on your hospital's culture of care. I guess this turned into a bit of a rant. I think the technology is great but sometimes overused and making us think we can't do w/o any of it. Laurie Wheeler, IBCLC, MN, RN New Orleans Louisiana, s.e. USA _________________________________________________________________ Add photos to your messages with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail *********************************************** To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet All commands go to [log in to unmask] The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html