The following is an excerpt from the Des Moines Register, Nov. 22, 1997 page 4a I thought those of you following the news of the Iowa Septuplets would find this interesting and encouraging!!!!! To bad this isn't the headline and not the last paragraph of the story. ................... Feeding plans Bobbi McCaughey has begun expressing breast milk, which is being fed to the babies. At this date it is to early to say how much milk she will be able to provide to her children, or whether she will be able to breast feed them. If she does, neonatologist Dr. Robert Shaw said it could be in two or three weeks. "Most babies at this stage do not have the ability to suck and swallow and we rely on tube feeding," Shaw said. But he added that if the babies do begin breast-feeding they will still need special formula with nutrition modified for very low weight babies. "We'll see how it plays out and see what her desires are regarding breast-feeding, "he said. contributed by Jon Ahrendsen MD Clarion, Iowa