Our fascination with breasts continues...
Last week was tough, hence the lack of posts. Sorry about that. Feeding the Lady has been demanding and at the same time unfulfilling for her. I could go into too much detail but suffice to say she was on the boob for 1 1/2 hours each feeding, then I'd pump, we'd syringe that into her, then she'd take a a little break, and then we'd need to do it over again. I didn't know if I was producing enough for her, if she was just a slow sucker, if she needed formula, etc. All we did know was we were continuing to struggle getting her back to birth weight. Well meaning friends all offered different opinions but this left Josh and I confused about what the problem was and therefore the solution.
It is anxiety inducing thinking you are not providing your child with the needed nutrients.
My mom suggested we go and see a lactation consultant again. The appointment was incredibly helpful. We learned a new hold, changed one of her latches, found a new nipple cream, figured out her weight before, during, and after a feeding, learned how much she was getting with each feeding and how much she needs. We also found a great pacifier that she actually took to immediately, another way to soothe her, and so much more.
The good news: we know what the problem is! Basically, she's a lazy eater. Because she's lackadaisical about it she's not stimulating me enough to increase production. But we're not far off from where we need to be (yay!) AND it's not too late to get my production up (yay again!).
The bad news: the schedule we are now on is quite rigorous. I breastfeed every three hours for thirty minutes only. This includes switch feeding and actively trying to ensure she doesn't rest while eating. After that I pump for fifteen minutes and then feed what I get back to her. We supplement to hit a certain amount of ml's. We do this round the clock.
We've already seen some progress on her end - she finally hit birth weight! And while I celebrate that milestone over here, I hope you are celebrating something equally important to you over there.
Happy Monday peeps.
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