I'm working with our regional NICU to institute more 'baby friendly' policies.... many moms seem to get into pumping to give their baby the best, or perhaps they'd planned to bf their baby, but it came early... If they've had no experience with successful bf before, my experience is that they 1) get home and are overwhelmed by the work load of pumping and feeding and caring for the baby and by the time the baby is 'term' they give up... or ... 2) get so into the numbers of ounces or ccs and knowing that the baby will sleep for x amount of time if they get so much in... that they can't give up toe bottling Our regional NICU is *trying* ... changing the way they educate moms re bf, educating an RN as a lactation educator, encouraging pumping, gaining confidence in the nutritional competency (we're not all quite there yet) of bmilk, getting the baby to breast early... even before the baby is 'ready to bottle', .... they "see no nipple confusion" and are not ecstatic about the concept of cup feeding... they tried it once or twice and weren't convinced.... They don't think that they do 'anything different than other NICUs around the country'..... but are willing to listen/think/consider alternatives/changes, if I get them some more info.... I tried to search the archives... using the instr sent previously, so I wouldn't repeat a previous conversation... but when I write SEARCH NICU IN LACNET I get: Archives are not available for the LACNET list. humm... so I'll post my ? and If anyone ,knows what I'm doing wrong, please e-mail me privately, my software situation does not allow me to get the digests. does anyone have any good sources, contacts, texts, articles re effective encouragement of bf in the NICU.... what can we reasonably expect our long term breast feeding rate to be in these little ones who need the immune protection the most?? (I'm going to check LACNET... ) Is this a problem/issue for others? what are you doing in your communities/hospitals/NICUs to encourage breast feeding? thanks much Grace Heitsch, MD, FAAP Duluth Clinic Ashland 1625 Maple Ln. Ashland, WI 54806 (715)682-2381 fax: (715)682-2481 e-mail [log in to unmask] Grace Heitsch, MD, FAAP Duluth Clinic Ashland 1625 Maple Ln. Ashland, WI 54806 (715)682-2381 fax: (715)682-2481 e-mail [log in to unmask]