Is there anyone who DID NOT do this?

Veronica - posted on 04/16/2010

Breast is best!!!!!!! =)

Brandy - posted on 04/16/2010

I am not against vaccines. I waited till my son was 5 or 6 lbs to start all the series. I am a Medical Assistant. I give vaccines and I prefer to give them to babies who have a little more weight on them. It is just my preference.

Kerin - posted on 04/14/2010

My daughter was born at 24weeks, she was given fortified breastmilk for a very short period of time, she started breastfeeding at 33weeks and was breastfed for 3years. She would not take a bottle at all therefore her feed was not fortified. She is smaller than most and her friend born at 26weeks that was breastfed and had added fortifier as well as pediasure is way bigger than her. She has suffered no harm from not having fortified milk, just slower weight gain. She is also very well vaccinated, and if I was to go through it all again I would insist on her having the RSV vaccine as she got RSV at 8 months old and almost died because of it, 6 weeks sedated and paralised on the oscilating ventilator with nitric gas was HELL!

Mandy - posted on 04/14/2010

I agree with Shanica, my little one was born 14 weeks prem and only 587grams there was no way I was taking any chances of him getting anything so have had him fully vaccinated and would hate it if he caught something from someones child who didn't vacinate. Spending 15 weeks in hospital I believe these little ones need all the help they can get and if that means adding formula to feeds I believe you need to trust your Paediatrician they have seen it all before and if your baby is getting breast milk does it really matter whatever is best for the baby.

Shanica - posted on 04/14/2010

Yes, while my preemie was in NICU, they did add fortifier to his milk which I was not too happy about but it helped him gain weigh and soon as they noticed that he was gaining at a steady rate, they stopped and just continued my breastmilk.
I started to eat healthier, more iron riched foods and calcium riched foods hoping that will make my milk better and I feel like it may have helped him gain better weight.

Since our little man was so small, we did get all the vaccinations along with Synagis.
We did not want to put him at any risk and did not want to take him back to the hospital again after waiting 3 months to finally bring him home.

Stacy - posted on 04/13/2010

in the NICU they add to the breast milk to make it higher calorie. Normal breast milk is considered 20cal/oz. so they fortify it with a special neonatal formula to accomodate the caloric needs of underweight premature babies... That is what they tube feed them with. My sister also had a 32 weeker and nursed but every other feeding for a while was told to give a bottle of fortified breastmilk, or high calorie formula if mom isn't producing enough. It is hard for me to imagine because I am a cow when I pump, but there were other moms in the NICU that were only getting a couple ounces every 3 hours and had twins.

Stacy - posted on 04/13/2010

They plan in the NICU was for my daughter (a 32 weeker) to take all her feeds through breast or bottle in order to come home. She did horribly on the bottle and had bradys and just wouldn't do it. They kept insisting she would get it. At 36 weeks I stayed at the hospital for 2 days to make sure she gained ok just nursing. She had been such a pro at latching from day 2, I knew she just wanted me and not the bottle. She is still petite, just as her sister always has been but she is doing amazingly at 18 months. We have done all the shots... mainly because she was preemie. I am on the fence about baby #3. We are trying to keep this one from coming early too, I guess that will play a factor in my vaccination decision as well.
How long have you nursed or plan on nursing? We were at it for 14 months, til her due date.

Jenna - posted on 04/12/2010

I did EVERYTHING the doctors told me to with my preemie. And personally I think it is very very very important for every vaccination. My little girl was born at 2 lbs and she had to have the RSV shot every month and I have NEVER had any health issues with her. Please Please get your children their vaccines.

Gina - posted on 04/10/2010

My 26 weeker wasn't vaccinated until he was about three years old. It's not that I am against them its just that he was having so many health issues (chronic lung disease, 2 hernia repair surgeries etc.) that I didn't want to stress his body any more than was absolutely necessary.

Jess - posted on 04/10/2010

I was never told to fortifie my daughters milk, and she grows very slowly. But if he isn't gaining enough weight than certainly take your doctors advise seriously



In terms of vacinatting a preemie, I had my daughters done straight away. I figured being early and being little made her system more suseptable to germs and infections, may as well protect her from as much as possible. No one has ever proven that vacinations cause autism, I think if your kid is destined to get it they will, vacinated or not. Why do they need to get autism and measles or some other nasty but preventable dieses ?

Tanya - posted on 04/09/2010

In addition some paedeatricians although they have a degree aren't experts on brestfeeding and breastmilk. Mine told me up front that he didn't have a great deal of knowledge on how it works. i think educate yourself through some good brestfeeding books and a breastfeeding association. They may be biased towards feeding but they are experts and have a wealth of information.

Tanya - posted on 04/09/2010

I was horrified that you were told to supplement with formula. breastmilk is all a baby needs even preemies. And a mothers milk is made especially for the baby whether preemie or not. I only fed my preemie (30 wks) breastmilk. She is 2 and still feeding. She is light for her age but very healthy and still followed a good weight gain pattern.
I think sometimes people give you advice in regards to breastmilk and breastfeeding when they don't really have a clue.

Tracey - posted on 04/09/2010

I was never told to add anything to my preemie's breast milk. She is 11 now and was born 10 weeks early. Maybe things have changed in the meantime, but the NNICU where I live insisted that just breast milk was best. She gained weight steadily and was released after 51/2 weeks in hospital. There were times when I thought that we should be adding formula to help her gain weight faster but the nurses insisted to just let the breast milk do it's job. It did and she is healthy today, and in the 90th percentile for height. I let her get vacinated once she reached her corrected age. But I have now changed my mind on that, I would probably wait until 5 or so for all vacinations. I think the jury is still out on the Autism debate and I worried so when I vacinated my son (now 8). He is fine but the worry was not worth it. I think we can delay vacinations until they are older. I was not vacinated as a child, only as an adult.

Haylli - posted on 04/08/2010

Also if he is not getting the nutrients or gaining the weight stricktly on formula or breast milk consider the HMF its cal that he needs to grow bottom line Calories=weight gain something he needs- if he needs it.

Haylli - posted on 04/08/2010

My girls were in the hospital for 1 month they gave them fortifier to help them start to gain weight and yes I did get my girls vaccinated. I asked my pediatrition what he thought personally and medically I trust him he along with many others have a degree for a reason and they know what is best to help your baby develop. I did those things because they were preemie they needed the extra help so I do whats best for my girls and in that case that was it.

Tara - posted on 04/08/2010

Oh i meant to mention my son was born at 30 weeks 2.15lbs he is now 5 months old and thats from when he was actually born, not due date and weighs almost 15lbs

Tara - posted on 04/08/2010

yikes HMF with formula. Oh my thats alot of calories and crap. :) Thank you guys for your advice I guess ill try the breastmilk without fortifying it for a while and see how he does.

Hilary - posted on 04/08/2010

When my son was in the NICU they put the HMF in with his formula but he ended up just coming home in a 22 cal formula.

Tara - posted on 04/08/2010

Ok thats good. I wont stop breastfeeding him at all and i always hear hes growing really well because of being breastfed so thats good i know it helps.

Dana - posted on 04/08/2010

I was told to fortify my son's milk when we came home. I did it for about a week and got tired of it so quit and fed him plain breastmilk. His pediatrician actually said their is no need for it, the extra calories just make them grow and gain weight faster and we really don't want them growing any faster than they are suppose to. He told me I didn't need to fortify, and when I had to stop breastfeeding he said I could use regular formula not the special one for premies. My son was born at 31 weeks weighed 4 lbs (got down to 3lbs 4oz first week) and was just over 7lbs when released from the hospital 40 days later. He is now 16 weeks old and weighs almost 11 lbs. The doctor says he is perfect.

I am not a fan of vaccinations, but I have had all of my children vaccinated. The ones that have been around for a while I have less of an issue with than the more recent ones like chickenpox. And I refuse to let anyone in my family get a flu shot, they are poison.

Lisa - posted on 04/08/2010

My oldest DD was born term and was petite and I breastfed for 4 months but than I couldnt and after awhile she wouldnt drink regular formula so I started to add some vanilla pediasure to it and she would drink it! So with my preemie I just automatically did it with her. Honestly they are both very petite still. Idk if it makes a real difference.

Melissa - posted on 04/07/2010

baby was 6 weeks premature, did fortify breastmilk after being released from the NICU, finally got tired of all of the pumping & just breastfed. baby still wasn't gaining lots of weight, so went to offering bottles after nursing. Has finally put on a few pounds.
I've refused all of his vaccinations thus far. They were not formulated for such little ones. One size doesn't fit all in anything else, why would it for vacines?

Ena - posted on 04/07/2010

The funny thing is I'm an A cup breast!!!! lolol so I have no clue where all that breastmilk came from!!!

Tara - posted on 04/07/2010

ya i get the synagis also with my baby but hate having to cause him pain month after month :/ glad this is the last month for it.
Im glad to hear that someone didnt add anything to BM. mine is gettting really really chubby lol

Ena - posted on 04/07/2010

YES!!! I had 3 premmies. NOT one drop of formula, just expressed breastmilk through tube. Now 8, 5 and 3. Healthy weights :)

Jennifer - posted on 04/07/2010

My son came home on HMF24 and we did it. He was only on it for about 4 days after leaving the hospital. We have also had all vaccinations including Synagis. I didn't want to take the chance of Grayson having to go back into the hospital.