Actually, I think this is an important topic for the list, since I'm sure many of us will face it at some point. Premie babies, especially under about 32 weeks, are at significant risk for developing NEC (necrotizing enterocolitis) if they are fed orally too soon. I admit that I can't remember why (I'm not even sure if the "why" is known), but I know it's true. NEC is a truly nasty, potentially life-threatening problem in premies, often necessitating surgery to remove part of the gut (yuck), so it's very good that they're being so careful. It's wonderful that the NICU nurse is having mom store every bit, because it is of course the perfect food when the docs decide the baby can feed orally. Do not give up hope. It is reasonable to expect that w/ good support this mom and babe will eventually form a great BF pair. Tell her to keep pumping, do kangaroo care as soon as safe, let baby nuzzle around breast when possible, etc. Keep us posted. Hope all goes well. Elizabeth Steiner M.D. (and it's for posts like this that I include the M.D.) Portland OR *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html