Nina,

 

 

I have not presumed that all mothers milk begins with the same caloric value
at all.  We all know that is not so.  Some moms make 28 calorie milk, others
make 15. Most moms avg around 20-22, as Pat Young replied. (this having been
discovered thru research and milk banks) Haven't we all seen the visible
differences in the EBM - some have only a cm of fat at the top while others
have about 10 cm!  (and yes, they change throughout the day) In the clinic,
we are not testing the caloric value of the mother's milk. It is a matter of
first determining if the baby is able to transfer the milk well from the
breast, then determining moms supply.  If both those are WNL and baby still
isn't gaining well (doubling birth weight by 4-6 months and maintaining
percentage on growth curve -whether that be 10% or 5% . they just don't want
to see the babies growth curve spiral downward) then they look for metabolic
or structural problems. (celiac, reflux, cystic fibrosis .)  If baby has no
symptoms for any diseases, then we try "other" things, depending on what the
parents prefer.  Many moms are more comfortable with just adding a scoop of
formula to a bottle of expressed milk than to offer an entire bottle of
formula.  This is usually used when babies are not willing to take in more
quantity, so we have to finesse the quality. And I absolutely would prefer
breastmilk lacto-engineering, and have seen great results with that!
(scooping off the fat from one and adding it to the other; or even, scooping
off the fat and spoon feeding it to the baby, for those that don't take
bottles)  But for those moms who have no excess . it isn't always an option.
Yes, putting in that scoop of formula will also change the overall
eloctrolytes . but these babies are usually a bit "nutritionally deprived"
and so don't show any signs of an electrolyte overload.
(nausea/vomiting/diarrhea/lethargy/cramping)  Moms are instructed to watch
for those symptoms and to report them if noticed immediately.

 

I want to believe that breastmilk-alone always works for every baby and
every mom . but that just isn't the case!

 

In regards to the different "scoops" provided by the different brands around
the world . I would assume that if one scoop (of whatever size provided from
the manufacturer)mixed with 2 oz water = 2 oz formula . then that same scoop
will be the same for the "recipes" I provided. 

 

Linda Hill RN, IBCLC

Austin, TX

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome