>I'm wondering what the youngest gestational age premie you all have
>seen/worked with who could 1) nurse at birth, 2)nurse completely soon after
>without the mother losing her mind.3) survived, and was healthy.

My son, Alex, was born at 32 weeks but he was barely 2 lbs (900 grams), was
SGA (small for gestational age) and was IUGR (interuterine growth
retardation).  So, although he was a 32 weeker, (compared to a 24 weeker) he
was very tiny and not doing well.  He was born on Nov 21, and no, he did not
nurse at birth.  Once stable enough to try nursing, he had no ability to
latch on.  He did enjoy being at the breast, skin-to-skin kangaroo care with
mom (and dad), and would have the nipple in his mouth but did little sucking.
 I continued to attempt nursing daily, but with little positive results.  He
was taking the bottle nipple well, and from where we had been, I was thrilled
about that.  Nipple confusion was ALWAYS in my mind, though.  I figured we'd
cross that bridge when we came to it.  I had previously nursed two daughters
well into toddlerhood.

Alex came home on January 19, taking the bottle well, but showing no signs of
nursing.  There was a little black cloud above my house, and yes, I was about
to lose my mind.  Those nighttime bottle feeding alone, could kill 'ya!  And
then, about one and a half week later, he had his first good, nutritive
suckle.  From that day on, he nursed very sporadically, being supplemented
with bottles of EBM with a little formula to stretch it out.  On a good day
he would have two good nursings and all the rest bottles.  Each day continued
with zero, one or two good nursings, with absoultely NO consistant pattern
day after day.

THEN, on February 21, after three months of around the clock pumping and
attempted nursings, he took off with one good nursing, then two, then three,
and well, you get the picture, he been nursing ever since and continues to
nurse with a passion.  He just turned 2 years old last week.  So, yes he did
survive and has been very healthy, and developing quite well and on schedule.
  I attribute it to the power of prayers and breastmilk!  What I find amazing
is that there was nothing about the day before he started nursing
exclusively, that made me think that "ok, tomorrow's going to be the day".  I
think about what I would had missed had I given up on Feb 20!   It was a long
haul, but well worth every bit of effort......

Barb Gabbert-Bacon, LLL Leader, Wichita, KS