Hello to all!  My name is Anne Nans.  I am a Registered Nurse planning to
take my IBCLE on the 26th of this month.  I have worked in a Level II
nursery, a Mother-Baby Unit, NICU, and most recently, a Pediatric Clinic
where I had private appointments with mothers requesting lactation help.  I
am currently working part-time as a contract nurse in various
maternal-child health settings.  My full-time job is that of mother to 7
month old triplets.  Yes, I am still breastfeeding them.

I am a very strong lactation advocate.  I feel strongly that breastmilk is
the best food for all infants, including premature infants.  I do disagree
with the current thread regarding keeping feeding tubes in rather than
letting infants bottle feed while learning to breastfeed.  Feeding tubes
are very intrusive and uncomfortable for infants when left in.  While some
premature infants only need periodic gavage feeding, the insertion of the
feeding tube has it's own risks.  Infants trying to learn to breastfeed
with a feeding tube in place do not have as much success as infants
breastfeeding without a tube in place.  For parents dealing with a
premature infant, each step toward "normal" infant behavior is a huge
celebration and victory.  Getting rid of the feeding tube is a very happy
day for most parents of preemies.  My experience tells me it is better to
bottle feed mother's milk when Mom can't breastfeed while infant is in the
NICU.  Whether that milk is fortified depends on the babies gestation,
weight and history.  While some infants become "nipple confused" or develop
a nipple preference, most infants will be able to breast and bottle feed.

I know that this opinion is not shared by most of the group, but I just
wanted to let another side be heard.  I have had great success in helping
mothers of preemies learn to breastfeed even when they had been given
bottles in the NICU.  I have also been able to breastfeed my own 33+2
weekers after they had been given many a bottle of expressed breast milk
while feeding and growing in the NICU.   I also would not have been able to
survive if my babies would not take a bottle for my husband in those early
days when they were eating about 8 times a day (that's 24 feeds a day for
triplets).  Every case varies, and sometimes we, as lactation consultants,
need to maintain a positive, yet flexible approach, especially when dealing
with preemies and/or special needs infants.

Anne Nans, RN
Woodbridge, VA

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