Thanks to everyone who has replied so far with expressions of support and their experience.  They are much appreciated.

Yes - I am looking for references and yes, the medical team is resistant.

The patient has certainly been receiving IV nourishment but has been able to take some food by mouth, albeit irregularly. I'm not aware of what is allowed or not, in this regard.  His condition has been very unstable, requiring several trips to the ICU and induced coma on several occasions in order to stabilise him. He is very unwell.

The medical team are administering bovine colostrum in some form (I think it was available from a general pharmacy, in powdered form).  Some more questions are:

- what would bovine colostrum do that human milk could not?
- would human colostrum be better?
- would mature human milk be bettter?
- what properties does human colostrum have that would make it more beneficial than mature milk in this setting?

If they are prepared to administer colostrum in this setting, I can't imagine why human milk would not be as, if not more, efficacious?

Thanks again for your time

Anita Bryce
Breastfeeding Counsellor
Australia



On 04/12/2013, at 11:40 PM, Lynn Carter OFS wrote:

> We can write all we want about how great we think it is, and how to handle
> the milk, but I'm betting the original poster wants references because
> somebody on the healthcare team is resistant to the idea or has outright
> forbidden it.  In that case, my question would be whether the patient is
> able to take food or drink by mouth or only intravenously?  Does the
> patient have control over his/her own intake, and is he/she able to
> tolerate some amount of "ordinary" food, ie not solely a canned predigested
> formula?
> 
> Lynn Carter OFS LLLL IBCLC
> Missouri, USA
> 
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