I was interested to respond regarding premie behaviour as I had a 34 week
prem now 10 years old. She was born by caesarian for a shoulder
presentation following ruptured membranes 6 weeks early. She was
extracated from the special care unit after 2 hours as she was well and
my husband didn't back down on his deal with me to stay with her and get
her out a.s.a.p. I was then told by a midwife collegue and by my
obstetrician not to expect to be able to breastfeed. However she came in
to my room with definite signs of rooting and suckled as soon as we made
contact. Then I kept her with me in the bed skin to skin for two weeks
through a septicaemia and feeling very bruised and sore. She never lost
weight and gained 220 gms over her birthweight at day 10. Her suckling
behaviour was probably as you would expect frequent and small amounts and
she slept a lot just like her mum.
She became very jaundiced and we had one serum bilirubin done to get a
baseline but it was below lights level-just! The paediatrician was very
supportive of this stroppy midwife but best of all the L.L.L. were at the
end of the phone when I began to think maybe I was daft. It's amazing the
power of negative comments from the staff. I feel very strongly that if
the babies are keen to suck and they are healthy we should follow.Sue.L.