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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?
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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!!
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