14 days old
Happy 2 week birthday, BG!
Hubby found a way to make BG calm down during a particularly challenging gas attack or bowel movement, he places her in a modified child’s pose on the Boppy. The pressure on her belly relieves the gas or intestinal discomfort. Our pediatrician said it is really strange to see how besides themselves a baby is when it comes to their digestive tract. I figure, I’ve been processing all her food for her for 10 months. She’s expected to learn to digest, pull out the nutrients and weed out the waste from day 1. That’s got to be as tough for her as it is for me to learn to breastfeed her. We’ve both got our homework.
Anyway, being the worry wart that is part of mommy personality, whenever hubby places BG in child’s pose, I make him promise not to leave her sight. “The doctor even said that we were raised in child’s pose.” “Yes, but I’ve heard and read and seen enough ‘Back to Sleep’ informational pamphlets to be paranoid. For your wife’s sanity, do not leave your baby’s side when she’s in child’s pose.” “Yes, dear.”
On the breastfeeding front, I expressed 2 ounces during one particular pumping session today. Talk about increasing my endorphins when I hit that 2 ounce mark. On average I’m still at 1.5 ounces with my left breast being the Michael Phelps of expression.
I finally received a call back from the lactation physician. She wrote my information incorrectly and was unable to contact me. She came today for a consultation. She asked me a bunch of questions over the phone and asked what I wanted to do. I suppose I could have just taken her phone consult but I needed the assurance and the support.
She is a physician and a lactation consultant. She took my medical history, my husband’s medical history, examined my breasts, weighed BG before and after feedings, assessed BG, watched latching, feeding and pumping and made assessments and gave me tips and suggestions.
First the good news. BG is back to her birth weight! Thanks to the aggressive pump and feed and supplement of formula, she’s back to her birth weight in less than 5 days from her last weigh in. That was the news I was looking for. Thank you, Lord!
As for my concerns with milk production, she told me that she believes I do not have a milk production problem. 1.5 ounces per pump every two hours is not a bad thing at 2 weeks post partum. She told me that my breasts look good, my let down is good and the latching seems to be good. She believes BG has a short frenulum but she doesn’t think that snipping it would be necessary. She’s just a slow eater. She’s got a good suck but just gets too cozy on the breast. Instead of 2 sucks then a swallow, it takes her 3 sucks then a swallow.
She said with continued herbal usage (blessed thistle and fenugreek), I should be up to 3 ounces within 4 weeks. If I want to try to increase this earlier, we can opt for medications.
I told her I’d like to hold off on medications but I’m not sure if I can continue the aggressive every 2 hour pumping sessions and SNS tube feedings as needed. She changed my schedule to breast/SNS feed as BG needs it. No longer do I have to wake her up every 3 hours to eat. After meals, I should pump for 15 minutes of 2 minutes after let down stops. She showed me how to use the pump more efficiently and suggested a lower setting for me as it seems my let down happens at lower settings. Most women let down at higher sucking settings.
She wants me to increase my oatmeal, almond, barley intake and continue usage of the herbal supplements. If all goes well, she wants me to give her a follow up call next week.
She left and I felt so much better. I know it sounds crazy but that reassurance was what I needed to help boost my confidence in my BF’g. I took a 3 hour nap for the first time since delivery and woke up refreshed and ready to face another day of BF’g.
Milestones:
2 ounce pump!
Made it to my first BF goal: hit the two week mark. My next goal is 1 month.
