They came in, weighed her and said that for some reason she wasn't getting enough milk (or colostrum right now) from me by breastfeeding. They think maybe she's not latching right or something, but they did notice that I had an okay supply of it coming out. So they suggested that I pump after I feed her with a double breast pump and feed that to her as a supplement in the next feeding. In the mean time I can supplement with formula. I said okay to that plan...afterall it was just me feeding her, then Eric could feed her the supplement while I pumped. Easier said than done!
When we got home and it was time for a feeding she was falling asleep after feeding from just one breast. We tried to wake her up to have her feed on the other side, but she wasn't having it! Which meant how could we really supplement her? Man...it's been frustrating. I tried to use my breast pump but I can't figure out how to get it to pump my breasts right..so I haven't been able to supplement that way. We've been using formula to supplement, but since I can hand express colostrum, there shouldn't be a reason for me to have to do that if I can figure out the pump. We meet with the lactation person tomorrow, and she'll look at our form to see how our baby has been feeding to see how she can help. I wish I had someone to call 24/7 that could show me how to use my pump right, and could help us figure out how to effectively feed our little girl.
Okay baby girl is up.... will write more later..
So sorry you're having so much trouble feeding. I remember the first two weeks of breastfeeding was very difficult and I almost gave up a few times. But here I am over a year later and still going! What pump do you have? Maybe we can talk later and I can attempt to help somewhat? The other thing is that Hannah wanted to sleep a lot too, so we had to pretty much undress her to her diaper and use a cool wet cloth to help keep her awake. I would HIGHLY recommend the Salem hospital lactation specialists and La Leche League. Good luck, you can do it!
ReplyDeleteAgain girl, thanks for sharing your "progress" in mommiedom!
ReplyDeleteIf at first you don't succeed, try, try again! ") Yeah, I know, easier said than done til I try it huh?!
I have heard too, about undressing the baby and using a wet cool cloth to keep them awake. Sounds cruel, but...in the end, I think it's worth it because it gives them the nourishment they need.
Good luck with the breastpump...I'm nervous about using it too!
Will continue to pray for you all.
Love you!
Hi Kristine,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, you are welcome to call me anytime 8 a.m. to 10 p.m if there's any way I can help or lend some encouragement. If I'm going to bed early I turn my phone to silent, so I just won't answer.
It could be that you don't have the right size shields for your breasts. There is a 'standard' set that comes with your pump, but you may need to find a different size. Check with lactation tomorrow, and/or call the company and find out if they have different sizes available. You can also try hand expressing milk into a bottle, but that can be tedious. If you still just have colostrum and your milk hasn't completely come in yet, drinking a beer and/or other lactogenic foods like oatmeal and barley can help your milk come in quicker and in higher volumes.
You might be able to also rent a baby scale from a local medical supply store. It is very difficult to tell with just one reading at the doctor's office how much milk your baby is getting with each feeding because it can vary so much. Using a home scale could give you confidence and give you a better idea of what she is taking in on a regular basis.
One very important thing to remember, that I HOPE your doctor and/or lactation consultant is taking into account, is that babies who come out by C-section and/or by moms who had an epidural have the potential to lose MUCH more weight in the first few days after birth. This is because their birth weight was artificially inflated by the extra IV fluid that you were given during labor with the epidural and during the C-section that was intended to stabilize your blood pressure. This is why you will want to try a home scale, or frequent visits to the pediatrician or lactation consultant to use theirs, to find out what her trend is from here.
I love your friends' suggestions of lots of kangaroo time! Also try tickling her feet when she starts to fall asleep, that helped a little with Isaiah. I know what it's like to have difficult, fussy feeders, and man is it discouraging and frustrating. Praying for you. I have a lot more ideas but this is already getting long. Please feel free to call anytime.
Pumps are DIFFICULT! Even the good ones are difficult. I had a heck of a time collecting anything in them even after my milk was fully in. I can tell you this - my babies wanted to fall asleep between feedings as well. However I was determined to get them eating regular healthy "meals" from week 1, so I would be quite persistent about stimulating them before, during, and between feeding on both sides. I'd undress them so they wouldn't be so toasty, I'd mess with their toes, wiggle them around when they stopped sucking, blow on them, sometimes even pick them up and lift them up and down so they startled awake - whatever I could. And let me tell you, most of the time it hardly phased either of them - they'd still want to passing right out again each time they latched on. But, if you want Jenna to get some food in that belly, you might just have to get creative with keeping her awake as well. Other advise: get AS MUCH advice out of that lactation nurse as you can - they love your questions, they're more invested in yours and Jenna's well-being than the docs and nurses are, even the good ones, and they have more time to give you. And chances are, you could probably call them with questions in between visits as well.
ReplyDeleteHaving not had a baby yet, I know little to nothing about breastfeeding. I have recently started working at WIC though and have heard Le Leche League is a great resource. The WIC clinics should also have resources. Good Luck! :)
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