The following is an excerpt from the Des Moines Register, Nov. 22, 1997
page 4a
I thought those of you following the news of the Iowa Septuplets would find
this interesting and encouraging!!!!!  To bad this isn't the headline and
not the last paragraph of the story.

...................
Feeding plans
Bobbi McCaughey has begun expressing breast milk, which is being fed to the
babies.  At this date it is to early to say how much milk she will be able
to provide to her children, or whether she will be able to breast feed
them. If she does, neonatologist Dr. Robert Shaw said it could be in two or
three weeks.

"Most babies at this stage do not have the ability to suck and swallow and
we rely on tube feeding," Shaw said. But he added that if the babies do
begin breast-feeding they will still need special formula with nutrition
modified for very low weight babies.  "We'll see how it plays out and see
what her desires are regarding breast-feeding, "he said.

contributed by
Jon Ahrendsen MD
Clarion, Iowa