----------
From:   Judith Kurokawa[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent:   Thursday, January 18, 1996 5:08 PM
To:     'Recipients of LACTNET digests'
Subject:        preemie - bottle vs breast

To: JoAnn
[log in to unmask]
From Jude Kurokawa, CNM (retired LLL leader who's littlest baby is 19 =
y/o)

I've been a lurker here for a week or so.  this subject is very close to =
my heart.  My (then) 20 y\o daughter had hellp syndrome at 30 wk - =
csection- baby Zach (now 2 1/2 yr old and healthy!!)   2#13 oz.  Vent =
for 3 days then room air.  No anomalies.  Tube fed for a couple weeks, =
then started on bottles, much to my dismay.  My daughter was so stressed =
out she was content to just pump and to hold him.  I talked at length to =
the neonatologist who also happens to be the doc I usually ship my =
babies to (she is nearest NICU for 350 miles) but she was ademant and I =
am only the grandma.

They let Kari nurse every once in a while, then topped him off with =
expressed EBM by bottle.  He never took more than 6 sucks from the =
breast (kari counted) in a row.  The Drs  comment was that a hungry baby =
will suck on anything.  I still get fired up when I think of it, because =
when we brought him home at 3#15 oz, he didn't have a CLUE at what to do =
at the breast.  He either bobbed and screamed, or instantly fell asleep. =
 After 2 days I called our state prof. liason for LLLI and she suggested =
just cup or finger feeding him for a couple of days, and do full =
kangaroo care.  In 3 days he was finally nursing and may that wonderful =
LLLI  Linda Healow get her pearls in Heaven!!!! =20

He nursed for 7 months until some idiot MD in military (Hubby is =
stationed in Germany) gave her regular BC pills - dried her up in 2 wks. =


Now she is 22 wks preg, and I am sweating bullets as Pre-eclampsia tends =
to recurr when first one was early like Kari.

So My advice is for this mamma to stick to her guns.  Play the broken =
record.  "I want to nurse my baby"  Smile  "I want to nurse my baby"  =
Smile until they give in.  Must pay careful attention to weight gain.  =
May consider cup feeding w/ a medicine cup every other feed so he =
doesn't get too tired.  In  the better African hospitals, babies are =
tube fed or cup fed until strong enough to nurse since  Nipple confusion =
there would be lethal.  Get references to these articles from LLLI state =
Professional Liason.  If don't have, have her call Montana Prof Liason  =
-  she does.

See my article on Midwifery today page ( I don't know the letters but =
you can look in Yahoo or other net search tool, If you can't find it, =
email me for copy.  It's called  "Finger feeding a preemie")
#####################
Help! A LLLLeader in my city has a premie son; born 12/11/95 at 27 1/2 =
weeks
gestation. He weighed 2 pounds, 14 ounces. He is now a pound over =
birthweight at 32 weeks old......

 He has refused to continue treating the baby unless mom goes along with =
HIS plan.....=20
I am trying to help her find a doctor who will listen, but it hasn't =
been
easy....

The LC doesn't seem concerned about nipple confusion, either. She says =
that a baby with a good suck and a willing mom will be able to nurse, =
whenever it happens. Optimistic, but realistic? Any thoughts on this?
################
NOT REALISTIC !!!    After that remark, I would have difficulty in =
believing ANY thing she says.  She obviously doesn't read the literature =
and/or have much experience!!
################