Giving Thanks..Day 5

Today, I give thanks for breast milk. I know this may be way TMI, but as a mom of two babies who were both small at birth, one preemie (4 lb) and one full term 5 lb 12 oz, who was down to 5 lb 4 oz by the time we left the hospital), to me it is somewhat of a miracle food.

Both of my boys were tiny when they were born. Both well below average in terms of weight. I did everything right while I was pregnant, I ate well, I went to prenatal checkups, I avoided all the bad stuff, including caffiene, but both boys were born small; one too small and too soon. If my weight gain was any indication of how much they were gaining, both would have been 10 lbers!

So my body on the inside, kinda failed them, as I see it. Neither was really thriving on the inside; Gunner arguably, may have been an 8 pounder, if he stayed in till full term, but that we will never know. However, once they were born, the story changes.

Greyson, born at 5lb 12oz, was over 10 lbs at two months, doubling his birthweight extremely quickly. Gunner, born at 4 lbs, was 8 lbs at two months. The only form of nutrition these boys got was breast milk. Above, is a picture of Gunner at 1 week. Below is a picture of Gunner at 13 weeks.

As an instructor, I know the textbooks say it is the perfect nutrition for babies, but it was my own personal experience that actually proved it to me. I have to share another story, that is not my own, that shows the power of this perfect food for babies:

Jayden was born cocaine and alcohol addicted, with congenital syphilis,at 31 weeks gestation. She had no skin on the palms of her hands orfeet and had to have skin grafts. She was the fourth child to be taken from her mother, and was taken at birth and brought directly to the NICU. The birth mother's parental rights were terminated within 12 weeks, which is very fast in MIchigan. They could find no formula that Jayden could tolerate well, but settled on the one that she had the "least severe reaction to."

When she was about eight weeks old, she was assigned a foster parent, who came to do kangaroo care with her for eight days before she took er home, as Jayden was completely blind and profoundly deaf, and would need to be accustomed to "mom's" smell and touch before they sent her home. When she went home, she was the most critical discharge they have ever had from that NICU, which routinely sees the sickest of babies.

Basically, with tears in their eyes, the nurses sent Jayden home to die. Jayden was insulin dependant (with critically unstable blood sugars, typically either below 60 or above 400), on oxygen 24 hours a day, and set off her apnea monitor 6-10 times a day. In order to set off a monitor, she would have to not breathe for many seconds at a time. She had gained and lost the same three ounces since birth, and was no more than four and a half pounds. Her foster mother asked over and over again of anybody who had authority why this baby couldn't be on breastmilk, shouldn't this baby be on breast milk, what did she have to do to get this baby on breastmilk? Over and over, she was basically told that this was a medicaid baby and that the state wouldn't PAY for banked milk (which costs between 1-2 dollars an ounce, and has been pasteurized) for a MEDICAID baby. Finally, one day, when Jayden was literally activly dying, an infectious disease doctor looked at her foster mom (who is a friend of mine because of foster work and doula work) and said, "I won't tell you NOT to give her breastmilk. We know that it would give her the best chance!" So, we got her some frozen breastmilk.

With her first bottle of human milk, Jayden's blood sugar regulated. She is typically somewhere around 120 now. Within the first three weeks, she regained her sight and hearing. Her new pediatrician says that when somebody is actively dying their brain will shut off all non-essential functions--and hearing and sight are non-essential functions. The first week on breastmilk she started to only set off her apnea monitor during the night's deepest sleep...and only then typically once a night. Within three weeks, they took it off of her completely, because she just didn't set it off any more. THe first week she gained and KEPT ON four ounces. The next week three. The next week SEVEN. Now, she has gained nearly four pounds (eight weeks later). We now have full cooperation with her new pediatrician and the state to give her human milk, no questions asked.

We have tried her on formula again, and on "extra calories" breastmilk boosters several times, to see what would happen should we run out of breastmilk. The baby immediately goes into cirsis again. Formula is NOT okay. She is showing strong allergies to cow's milk proteins, soy proteins, and corn and corn derivitives, which pretty much eliminates every form of artificial milk we have available. This baby was literally dying (the new pediatrician looked at her stats on intake and stood up and hugged foster mom saying, "If you hadn't started this baby on human milk a week ago, she would be dead today--you are a Hero!"), and now has a chance at life.

I am a milk donor at Bronson, where my excess milk helps the babies in the NICU. I am shamelessly a milking cow. I have donated over 1600oz...which is about 12 gallons, including at least 200 oz of preterm milk (milk from the first month after birth of a preemie) which goes only to the micro-preemies, those who are most medically fragile, born shortly after gestational viability. While, this is extremely gratifying, I never see the babies I help, even though I know they are helped, just like my son. However, with little Jayden, I have seen a picture, and I have seen the warm dark eyes that I will be helping. She is going to get some of my excess milk as well.

As I said, this may be TMI for some, but for moms, they get it. Today, I give thanks for breast milk.