Hi friends,
I have what is perhaps a simple question, but it stumped me. A client of
mine is facing an induction at 37 weeks, because of a problem with
bloodflow to the placenta (infant is about 3 lbs, 8 oz and has not
grown in two weeks, mom is 35 weeks at this point.) She is still nursing
her son, age 22 months. She's wondering what will happen to the milk when
the baby is born. Will she have colostrum? For how long? When a mom is
nursing a toddler and has another baby, does colostrum come in? I told her how
the moms of premies produce milk uniquely suited to their needs; will she
still produce this milk if she continues nursing her older boy? She is by
no means ready to wean the toddler; she's hoping tandem nursing will be
a good experience. Understandably, she is upset about the prospect of
her new baby being premature and having IUGR. I've been trying to encourage
her to try to see that her new baby receives nothing but EBM -- any info/
web pages on the benefits of breast milk in a premie and the need to maintain
good gut integrity (if that's how one says that) would also be most useful.
As you know from my signature, I am not an LC; correct me if I am wrong, but
isn't it true that infants fed EBM have a lower instance of necrotizing
enterocolitis? Any other advantages you can think of to strengthen my
case would be great.

Many thanks.

Anne Pfannkoch RN, CCE
childbirth educator