If  this was my baby I would get my partner to:

1. Make a sign for the incubator outlining the "feeding plan."
2. Write up the prior incident(s) and the "feeding plan" giving copies to
both  the head nurse, the head  neonatologist and my baby's doctor and using
this opportunity to make  the "feeding plan" clear.  Have a few copies of the
plan to hand out to others if needed.
3. Bring in one of those newer camping chairs which fold out into a lounge
get real comfortable and start making a joking comments about how,  "I might
need to camp out for a day or  two with my baby so I can be sure that the
feeding plan is understood..."
4. Contact the nurse caring for my infant at the beginning of every shift
just to make sure she was informed regarding the "feeding plan" and  to
emphasize how the breastfeeding "feeding plan"  benefits my child and how the
use of alternative plans using bottles and formula can interfere with my
infant's health and welfare.  And it would be sooo sad if you "just had to
have to write her/him up. "

Both of us would:

5. In all interactions either be "humbly apologetic", sad,  or
joking--avoiding anger.
6.  Apologize to the nurses for having to "write them up".
7.  Thank the nurses regularily for caring for my child especially when they
do follow your plan.

As the mother however my greatest area of effort would be to focus on making
milk!!!!

Hope that these ideas or some adaptation are found helpful.  Maybe someone on
Lactnet will have a variation that might be even more effective.
Disclaimer:  I personally have not ever worked in a NICU except very briefly
with an occasional breastfeeding mom.  This is simply,  " a version of what I
would do as a mother of a premie in this situation."

   Chris Betzold NP IBCLC        <A HREF="http://www.starfireinternational.net/breastfed">
http://www.starfireinternational.net/breastfed</A>


In a message dated 6/23/02 9:11:43 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:


> I have a mom that delivered at 34weeks.  Baby was BIG 6lbs 6oz, not on a
> respirator,  but is still a preemie and is in a NICU but otherwise seems
> healthy.  Mom is a La Leche League Leader applicant, 3rd baby, was a
> planned home birth...needless to say she is stressed.  She went down to
> feed the baby early this am and found them bottle feeding him after she
> distinctly told them she would be there
> to breastfeed him.  Her sister brought her a finger feeder and they said
> "we don't like to use
> those here".  She is feeling very frustrated.  The LC was able to get
> them to put in a NG tube for feeding
> so a bottle wouldn't be used and mom reports he has had two successful
> feeds at breast today.  She has not however been able to pump much milk (
> I really wouldn't expect even a full term mom to be able to pump much
> this early in the game) but since I really have not had much exposure to
> preemie
> breastfeeding so I am seeking some lactnet advise here.  What is apparent
> to me that seems different between full term and preemie babies is that
> with a full term baby they will let you nurse even though you may not be
> producing much and then you go home and your milk comes in and everyone
> is happy but with a preemie they are sooooo concerned with intake and of
> course you aren't producing much yet so they give formula or if your
> lucky banked milk but then you go home and your still not producing the
> ounces they want to give plus your not with the baby all the time which
> doesn't help and you have to pump instead of nurse which doesn't help.
> How do we successfully support the mom of a preemie if we are not on
> staff at the hospital?   Sorry to ramble, just feeling for the mom :-(
> P.S.  This is a well known Boston area hospital that is supposed to be
> breastfeeding friendly!
>
> Ilene Fabisch, IBCLC, LLLL, WIC BF Co
> Listmom wicbfnet and MLCANET
> Brockton, MA
>
>



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