I originally posted this to someone privately after being asked not to share
my personal experiences on Lactnet; however, the person I sent this to
suggested that I send this to you all since she felt it was a good testimony
to how an NICU experience can be a positive one for breast feeding.  Here's
what I wrote:

I had a large (almost 10#) full term baby that ended up in NICU for 10 days.
He had Group B Strep pneumonia and was on 70% oxygen for the first 2 days of
his life (off the ventilator on the 6th day of life).  We were told, when
our son was being airlifted to the hospital where he would be in NICU (we
live in a small community), they did not know if he would live.  He was in
critical condition and said if he made it to the next day (I had him at 1:20
AM and he was airlifted at 7 AM), he would probably be okay but there was a
small chance he might not make it.  We went down to the NICU about 9 hours
post partum (they obviously gave me an early discharge!) and I *INSISTED*
that I hold my son.  I did so with my shirt open.  The nurse was wonderful
to me. She provided me with the screen they give to breast feeding mothers;
she clipped the tubes of his ventilator to me so I didn't have to worry
about them moving and she moved over to another station to work on her
paperwork so we could have all the privacy we needed.

I'm also happy to say that my son has never had anything other than my milk.
I pumped every 2 1/2 hours round the clock for the first 5 days and they fed
him through a tube in his nose.  He was off the ventilator on day 6 and he
rooted around and practically attacked my breast at that first nursing
session.  He proceeded to fall asleep within 30 seconds and it took several
visits with an IBCLC to help me learn to keep him alert so he'd nurse
longer.  Once we got home his nursing picked up.  He was 9#12oz upon being
admitted to the NICU and 10#2oz when we left 10 days later.  I was so glad
that there was an IBCLC available to me.  The nurses gave me conflicting
information, and I had to get the doctor to put "demand nursing" on his
chart and to indicate that baby was not to be weighed before/after every
feeding (he is a grazer & couldn't possibly eat what they wanted him to in
one session) but between the LC and my sister in law, who is a LLL Leader, I
got my facts straight and didn't have to put up a fight in order to ensure
my son got breast milk only.

[Additional Note:  He also had heart surgery at the same hospital when he
was six months old and was in PICU overnight.  They don't normally allow
mothers to spend the night in their PICU but since we practice the family
bed and I was very adamant that Liam would be unhappy if he had to sleep on
his own in a crib (he's never seen a crib before!) it would be easier on the
nurse and Liam to have me there.  They got permission for me to spend the
night and I sat cross legged in a chair all night holding my son.  The nurse
didn't need to attend to him at all that night (except when he yanked out
his IV!).  The nurses commented later that he was the most peaceful baby
they'd ever had in the PICU the night after surgery.   No wonder; he was
nursing pretty much all night!]

Thanks for letting me share.

Margo
Wife to Robert
Mummy to Liam

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