i had no idea feeding a baby would be such hard work!! the past two and a half weeks have been exhausting, both physically and emotionally. of course, everyone warned me it would be...but the ups and downs of being a new parent is apparently one of those things you just have to learn the hard way.
it all started on day one, when theo first tried to nurse. he had an incredibly strong "chomping" latch, which badly bruised my left nipple and only woke for 2 feedings that first 24 hours. i wish someone had gotten more suspicious about this before we left the birth center, but alas, we didn't know any better.
on day 2, when he still wasn't waking for feedings or latching very well, i looked in his mouth and realized that he was tongue-tied. luckily, we had the number for a lactation consultant and got an appointment later that week to get it evaluated and clipped.
days 3-7 are a blur. his bilirubin level went up high enough that we had to go to the hospital, and after 11 hours under the bili lights and a full night of formula feeding (which i was FURIOUS about), he was much much better. also, he got his tongue-tie clipped and we had to learn how to latch all over again. because of this, he wasn't eating enough and didn't gain enough weight in the first week.
days 7-14 - focus on fattening him up. 3 lactation consultation visits later, i am now offering the breast first, then supplementing with expressed breastmilk for every feeding. it SUCKS. pumping hurts more than that first terrible latch, it's boring (but a MAJOR shoutout to my wonderful husband for going out to buy me a pumping bra so i can have both hands free during these 20 minute pumping sessions and for renting a hospital grade pump all by himself!), and it really limits my ability to "sleep when the baby's sleeping" since i am basically a human milk machine at this point. pumping is not only helping him get the extra food he needs, but it's also working to increase my milk supply as well (which fell off when he wasn't eating well those first few days). but still. it sucks.
oh, also somewhere in there he had to get his tongue-tie clipped AGAIN because it had started healing up wrong and was interferring with his latch still. insert MORE re-learning how to latch work.
yesterday (day 16) - stayed up all night fussing and screaming. i think it might have been the broccoli i ate for dinner, since he also fussed a few nights last week when i had salad for dinner. guess this means no more green veggies for dinner anymore. luckily, we were both able to sleep for most of the day to make up for the craziness of this night. hoping this doesn't become a pattern.
today (day 17) - he has gained enough of his birth weight back that the pediatrician is no longer as worried about him. however, we still have to pump until his latch gets good enough that he can transfer all the milk i have to offer. and my supply still isn't where it should be either. i've started taking the herbs fenugreek and blessed thistle to help increase my milk supply. i take it in this tincture form that is also 50% grain alcohol, so it basically feels like taking a shot of whiskey 3 times a day. not fun, but hopefully it'll help. also, since my internal clock is a lot less flexible than his, i am still awake at 2:15 AM while he is fast asleep. guess i can't win either way.
i've heard this gets easier as time goes on.
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ugh, I am SO sorry. My first one was 5.5 weeks early and didn't nurse well either, She also wouldn't wake for feedings and we had no clue. She ended up on an IV, under bili lights for 28 hours or so. it's so hear breaking to only get to hold them for a few minutes at a time. 2nd one was on a bili bed for a few days as well, but she was at home. So sad.
ReplyDeleteYou would think kids would just be born knowing how to nurse... I feel so bad for parents who struggle with it. I'll be praying for sleep and better nursing for you and Theo! and praises to your husband for being awesome!
Hang in there. May take several weeks for him to get good, but just know you're doing the right thing it trying to continue nursing. Turn down the suction force in the pump. There is a tea called "Mother's Milk" that is out there at health food stores. It worked great for me when I was transitioning to my new diet for Avery. Also, don't assume that it's not other food groups like dairy,etc. Lots of those signs show up early. I would suggest giving up dairy if you see any constistency at night because it takes about a week to fully get out of your system so if you suspect it at all go ahead now and give yourself the time to get it out before it's too many nights of no sleep.
ReplyDeleteHe will adjust as long as you make sure you stay calm and teach him what to do. Don't be afraid to make it him work at it for a good while before you switch to bottle.
I've had tons of nursing issues with both girls and would love to chat anytime. I also offer way too much unasked for advice so please shut me up anytime :)