So happy to have found this page! Introduction and SNS question

[AmyJeanneBee]

Hello everyone, I'm Amy B. I just wanted to introduce myself to the group. I'm so glad to have found a Preemies page on Mothering.com. After leaving the Due Date February club I figured I was done with mothering forums. Glad I looked again. My son was born at 24.5 weeks gestation 1lb 12oz. He is doing well and is close to coming home. He is now 6lbs as of yesterday, on low flow canula, bottle and breast feeding. The feeding is going okay but I'd love more support in breastfeeding him, and the quickly approaching homecoming. I am going to have to supplement him with formula :/ and am curious about SNS systems for formula. Anyone have done this just for formula? My supply is good thanks to pumping 8x a day and fenugreek pills.

I also wanted to share this poem I have found much help in:

Nice to meet you all fellow Warrior NICU Mamas!

A perfect description of the entry into the NICU.....very touching story written by a writer for Sesame Street since 1970, who penned the essay after her son, Jason, was born with Down’s Syndrome in 1974.

Welcome to Holland
By Emily Pert Kinsley

"When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, 'Welcome to Holland.'

'Holland?!?' you say. 'What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy.'

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills.... and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... And for the rest of your life, you will say 'Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned.'

But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things... about Holland."

Edited by AmyJeanneBee - 3/25/12 at 8:58am

[Ratchet]

If your supply is good why do you need formula?  Are they having you fortify breastmilk?  I guess all places are different but for my 27-weeker we did (and still do) fortify her breastmilk with a relatively small amount of neosure to increase calories, but none of it is straight formula.  On the other hand, she is only taking EBM in a bottle, not really breastfeeding, so EVERY feeding is fortified EBM so I guess that changes things...

[AmyJeanneBee]

Yes, they have to fortify my breastmilk. He needs more calories. They've weened him down a bit and hopefully will more but they say he will definitely need to have formula in addition to breastmilk. Neosure is what they suggested we buy. Can I ask what EBM it?

[Ratchet]

ebm=expressed breast milk.

I guess my thought is...

you can add lots of neosure to water (0 calories/oz) to make formula at however many calories (24 to 30 I guess)... or you can add a lot less neosure to breastmilk (already 20cal/oz) to make the same amount of calories, and also give an iron and vit D supplement/ drops.  I would think breastmilk makes a better base than water.

I guess the ship has already probably sailed on this one (with your DS probably already home etc), and I don't know how much of a difference there is, but I'm just curious.  Anyways, once you're home the ball is in your court and the MD's only get to have their say once a month or whatever when you go in for appts, the rest of the time he's ALL YOURS, MAMA!

[madeitX2]

I agree Ratchet "ball in your court mama"

I skipped all the supplements that boosted my BM due to the Ingred the hospital even paid for me the human fortified but it has that herbicide in it! My 31wker gained great weight and I pumped out my hind to help. They were all amazed he gained w/o the extra cal!!!! I really believe in the power of the body and breast milk changing for the needs of the baby. I also ate much broths, homemade soups, salads, took vitamins. He is on Vit D and looking for a good iron supplement currently.

[AmyJeanneBee]

So I realized it has been awhile since I posted. My little guy is home now. Has been for about 7 weeks, which is his adjusted age actually. He's doing well. 11lbs and counting. We are still trying to get him to take a full feed from the breast. Seems like I'm back peddling to reverse the effects of starting him on bottles in the nicu. They pretty much gave me an ultimatim, if that's what you call this, of either you take this baby home soon or stay longer and breast feed. How could I say no? We had already been in the nicu for 110 days. So we're seeing a lactation consultant, outside of the hospital and she's awesome. So helpful.
On another note, does anyone know how to make your brestmilk more fatty? I'd love to get him off the fortifier. He's only getting a half tsp to every80ccs but still. @madeitx2 is that what you ate thebroths and soup for?