as a lactivist i always thought

[mom2tig99Nroo03]

that mama's milk changed to meet the needs of the infant. am i wrong?

i as because the ped wants baby bear on hmf breastmilk OR wants neosure added to 2 feedings a day. he says it is a) because my milk doesnt have enough fat and caloroes for him, and that b) phosphorous and a fw other thigns are lacking in my milk that baby bear needs to prevent brittle bones and other problems later on.

anyone have any facts to back up either my theory that we make what is needed or have facts to prove the ped right?


tia.

[Sandstress]

It's common for preemies to require additional calories (from the Neosure) for a while. Also, they are at risk for mineral deficiencies (calcium and phosphorus, I think are the most important) and these supplements contain those. Our 28 weeker had HMF added to pumped milk while in the NICU and we continued the Neosure for a couple months after she came home. I think it helped with her "catch up" growth.

[Evergreen]

Mamabear,

I am no expert but I think that our bodies do produce the milk needed for our children at each stage in life but since a baby born at 34 weeks is outside of the normal scope they might need a little extra help. Does that make sense? I would assume that by 37 weeks adjusted your milk would be sufficient and have the right balance of fat and nutrients to accommodate him.

[mom2tig99Nroo03]

thnx.


evergreen, why do i not remeber that your hub was firefightin? is this new?

[sweetpea_119]

http://www.parentingweb.com/lounge/premature.htm

That was one of the links I followed from Kellymom's site...check there to find more info that will help you in your decision

[Evergreen]

Originally Posted by mom2tig99Nroo03

thnx.


evergreen, why do i not remeber that your hub was firefightin? is this new?

He is a forester and they do fire control for the whole county. So the smiley fit.

[Bluegoat]

Unless your baby is premature, this seems odd to me. It looks from your signature that it isn't a wee baby?

[mom2tig99Nroo03]

Originally Posted by sweetpea_119

http://www.parentingweb.com/lounge/premature.htm

That was one of the links I followed from Kellymom's site...check there to find more info that will help you in your decision

thnx

Originally Posted by Evergreen

He is a forester and they do fire control for the whole county. So the smiley fit.

gotcha

Originally Posted by Bluegoat

Unless your baby is premature, this seems odd to me. It looks from your signature that it isn't a wee baby?

he was premature. i am technically *still* not "due" and he's already 5 wks old.

[Jojo F.]

At our LLL meetings they tell us our milk changes to meet the needs of our babies. I tend to trust them.

Also, even though your LO was premature I would think your body would start producing different hormones and such to help with your milk and what your LO needs since you aren't pregnant anymore. BUT, I'm not an expert.

[filiadeluna]

Yes, your milk can change from day to day or hour to hour based upon what the infant needs.

[Little Bear's Mama]

He's five weeks old, correct? Did your ped have him on HMF or formula supplements before? If not, did he say why he would recommend it now? Is weight gain an issue?

Here's some articles that you might find helpful (note that some of the recommendations are for "very preterm" babies):
http://news.bio-medicine.org/biology...y-says-3333-1/

http://www.nichd.nih.gov/cochrane/McGuire9/MCGUIRE9.HTM

http://www.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab000433.html



Yes, breastmilk changes to meet the needs of the baby. And yes, the milk of a mother who birthed a premature baby is different from that of a mother who birthed a full-term baby.

You can read a bit about preterm breastmilk here:
http://books.google.com/books?id=aiV...rotein&f=false

[theboysmama]

I don't know if you are pumping or if the baby is fully latched but if you are pumping then you can just stop half way through and set aside the fore milk and feed the baby only the hind milk right now. That gives the extra calories that they need as premies and then he won't need the HMF. I had a friend that did this and it worked wonderfully.

[Bokonon]

At 39 weeks I can't imagine why the baby would need HMF or Neosure still, unless he is having trouble gaining weight.

My 32-weeker was on EBF fortified with Neosure until about 40 weeks and his weight gain was great even before that, but he had some issues in the NICU and I think the doc was just being extra careful. His weight gain was so good after discharge that I didn't need to keep him on it, but he was on Poly-vi-Sol for a while.

My 34-weeker was discharged on Neosure-fortified EBM as well, but she was very slow to gain in the NICU; actually released slightly under her birth weight (I was on an IV for a week before my c-section, so it's likely her birth weight was artificially inflated). By 6 days postpartum, she was exclusively breastfeeding and her gain was outstanding, so I was allowed to stop fortifying, and she was only 36.5 weeks then.

It kind of sounds like your ped. isn't very breastfeeding-knowledgeable or friendly, or maybe it's just an unfamiliarity with preemie needs? BM is different for preemies than for term babies. It does change to meet the needs of the baby.

GL!

[savithny]

WHO documents say that preterm infants may have special dietary needs and require supplementation in addition to breastmilk, and AAP recommends fortifying milk with additional nutrition for the first two months postnatally.

However, there are no idenfiable studies that compare outcomes, according to this:

http://www.nichd.nih.gov/cochrane/McGuire9/MCGUIRE9.HTM

[mom2tig99Nroo03]

ty ladies; nicole- i have him off the fortifier, and that is what i'm doing now- still ep until he starts to latch on.... right now he just screams or sleeps