First off, thank you so much for the many replies I received on and
off-list regarding my question re: a NICU policy requiring culturing
mom's milk before feeding it to a baby born under 34 weeks.  I think I
e-mailed most of you who had sent me information, but I apologize if I
missed you -- it's been a hectic week and a half, to say the least.

I'm ecstatic to report that my OB thought that it was a ridiculous
policy (as did every other OB who wandered into my room, as well as
the L/D nurses -- no one actually knew about it), and reason enough to
delay induction until I was 34 weeks exactly.  I was extremely
fortunate that I didn't go into labor before then, although we had
many "scares" and I did have to fight off one over-zealous high-risk
OB on over the weekend who offered to section me just to get it over
with -- he didn't seem to have any tolerance for the decels and zero
amniotic fluid that my OB was okay with.  I received excellent care
(nothing like being a patient on the floor where you often work!) and
Alexandru arrived safe and healthy at 11pm on 11/13, weighing 2kg
exactly.

Although we had some early success breastfeeding directly (he was
actually more eager and awake than my son who was born at 38 weeks --
no fentanyl in this epidural per my request -- coincidence???) :) we
couldn't get a good latch and he was killing me.  So I've been pumping
and bottlefeeding him, and he's received nothing but my milk.  I've
got it "easy" since I'm an experienced pumper and we live 2 blocks
from the hospital, so I've been over there to be with him 3-5x/day
since I went home on Wednesday, but I have a newfound respect now for
moms who do not have that proximity or experience, or even knowledge
to understand just how important it is -- I'm making copious amounts
of milk now, 4 1/2 days out, but it was a real struggle in those first
two days and would have been unbelievably FAR easier to just have the
nurses feed him formula.  Now I can't wait to get him home so I can
get him off their 3-hr "feeding schedule" and really work on getting
him to nurse (bili was 15 yesterday so he's under the lights and I'm
hoping to break him out of there on Monday).

Anyway, I haven't had the chance yet to bring up with the
neonatologists where their policy comes from -- the nurse last night
thought there was some study they've referenced, so I'd love to get my
hands on it.  I am SO HAPPY we were able to bypass this completely,
but I hate that other babies are impacted by it.  I don't know that
our hospital has a breastfeeding committee or anything, but it's
starting to sound like something I may need to pursue in the next 7
1/2 months that I'm taking off from my training.

Thanks again for the info and encouragement to reinforce that I was
NOT crazy to question this. :)

-Sarah Reece-Stremtan M.D.

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