Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion breastfeeding and IQ

I am late to the party since I was in a canoe for the past 4 days but I thought I'd share since I had a great time reading everyone else's stories.

To start I have 3 children and never breastfed any of them. I actually pumped for 8 days of my DS2 life but supply issues caused me to stop.

DS5- born at 34 weeks (5 lbs 8oz) due to PROM. Delivered via c/s since he was in a breech position. 2 week NICU stay--breathing, eating issues. He is tested as PG.

DD4- born at 37 weeks (6 lbs 14 oz) and repeat c/s after ROM. Breathing issues at birth but no NICU stay.

DS2- born at 35.5 weeks (6 lbs 10oz) and another repeat c/s after preterm labor and PROM. Breathing issues at birth and a 2 week NICU stay.

I also had insulin dependent gestational diabetes with all the pregnancies which is why they all weighed a fair amount for their gestational age. It was rough but I am so glad that not only are my children healthy today--they don't seem any worse off in the IQ department despite the rough starts.

Kriston - I have a similar story with the wind blowing the door shut. DS8 jumped so hard....unfortunately he was breech, recall that I had a cerclage to hold my cervix shut, AND he had his feet right on my cervix....can you say OOOUUUUCHHHHH!

My favorite moment right after DD's birth, she was of course screaming, they showed her to me and I said "It's OK baby, Mama's right here," and she immediately shut up, turn her head, opened her eyes, and looked right at me. It sent chills through me. It was a complicated c/s (took over 30min to cut her out) so I was in surgery for quite some time afterward but I couldn't wait to hold her again. the same thing had happened with DS5.

OK, mine were pretty easy. Woke up in the morning in labor, had them both between 4:30 & 5:30 the same afternoon. DD27 almost was born on the toilet. Labor was strong, but she wasn't dropping. At that time it was procedural to give an enema close to delivery. They finally decided I was close enough to delivery at 5-6 centimeters and gave the enema. She came out before all the traces of the enema came out!

Here's a story my best friend told about her daughters boyfriend. He is extremely smart, I don't know his LOG but he got a full ride to MIT. When he was born he had the cord around his neck, and he was blue. The doctors did everything they could to revive him, but declared him dead. They placed him on a table and went about their business of making sure mom was OK. A nurse heard a whimper, turned and saw the baby moving. As adults, they joked about how smart he would have been if hadn't been deprived of oxygen at birth.

That's remarkable! One of my brothers had a difficult birth with the cord around his neck, etc. He was so bluish he looked like a grape. He was still responsive, though, and was fine.

I got chills reading this! Wow!

My ds was born when I was only 6cm dilated by forceps as his heart had stopped. His cord was wrapped around his neck several times and he was not breathing. It took a team of over twenty people to resusciate him and they were in such a hurry to deliver him that they forgot to cut the cord. They were actually going to call it as they worked on him for ages. They had to cut from front to back without any anaesthetic or pain releif as I had been rushed up from the bath soking wet and naked with no cover through two wards. My placenta had aprupted during a too fast labour. Excrutiating.

He too looked straight through as soon as placed in my arms which astounded the entire team as he had had such a traumatic birth and had suffered a head trauma and prolonged anoxia.

He spent the first night of his life on the critical list in scbu itu. I so very nearly lost him.

He spent five days on special care and was lifting his head up to see what was going on by the time he left. He was the biggest baby there at five pounds.

I thought Id had it rough until the girl in the next bed was admitted following a caeser. With no anaesthetic! Seriously.

The funny thing is that they tracked him for a year following that as the forceps caught him and they were convinced he would sustain brain damage.

Not to be a nit picker, but just for the record, MIT does not give merit aid. If your friend's daughter's boyfriend got a full ride, then he was determined to have great financial need. MIT has so many outstanding applicants- there's no incentive for them to give merit aid.

Rachibaby, what a scary delivery! I'm glad that there was no lasting damage.

OK, I don't know the family's financial situation. I knew the kid was very smart and got a full ride to MIT, I'm not sure who paid for his scholarship. Sorry if I presented it as MIT paying his way.

WOW Rachibaby!!! Big hugs! I can't even imagine.

The nurses would laugh so hard at DD (born at 36w weighing 5lbs3oz) b/c they could not keep her in one place in the NICU incubator under the bili lights. They couldn't believe how active such a scrawny early kid was. And when she was hungry, she'd scream so loudly, I'd here as I slowly made it down the hallway to the NICU as postpartem was on a different floor and I had to walk it after over a 2.5hr c/s. That was a lloooonnggg walk lol.

rachibaby, how awful for you to go through that. but a very happy outcome.

dazey - i just posted on another thread about how DS flipped himself over in the bili incubator. I guess those HG kids find a way to really make you listen from day 1! i'm sorry your baby was on a different floor - amazing that you could hear her! I got overly upset that a nurse had given my BF only baby some formula when he was in the nursery, that i made them bring the bili light thing in my room.