Hi All,
this is one of my pet peeves.  WHY does anyone think it makes any sense to
feed a premie on EBM no more often than every 4 hours?  If a term BF baby
needs to eat every 2 hrs or so, then why wouldn't a premie?
I have had to counsel more parents than I can count on how to tactfully
insist that their baby be fed more than q4 hrs while in the NICU.  I tell
them that the best they can do is talk to the Dr and insist on upping the
feed schedule as best they can.  SOmetimes the Drs here go for it, most
times they don't. (The baby simply doesn't get hungry that often...they say.
????)  We have been able to get some to increase to q 3 hrs, but there are a
lot of irritated nurses when it does happen.  I tell the parents that the
schedule is for the nurses bc they have so many babies to take care of, and
if they had to feed each and every one on demand, they'd never get anything
done.  SO they set a schedule and stick to it.  Sadly, the babies don't seem
to understand that they must stick to the schedule!
I understand that demand feeds are an imporbability in the NICU setting, but
it would seem that maybe going from a 4 hr to 3 hr schedule wouldn't be so
improbable, would it?
If we all know that it takes longer for AIM to digest (therefore making the
time between feeds a bit longer) then why don't the hosp Drs understand that
you simply cannot expect a EBM fed baby to feed on the same schedule as an
AIM fed baby?

Small steps day by day to make a much needed change in the best interests of
the health of our children.....

Jay
Jay Simpson, CLE
Sacramento, CA
"No Miracles performed here, just a lot of love and hard work."