I'm glad you're in a place where you feel comfortable, and able to rest and recharge. Good on your for being so determined to keep going with the pumping - it's amazing that they need so little to start with (although my DS was bigger and having more, 10mls every 4 hours) but soon enough you find that their need increases, and the milk starts disappearing from the fridge and freezer so much faster! Which is why it's so important to establish a good milk supply at the start, so it's there for them when they're bigger. Do you have any literature about breastfeeding prems? If you don't have the ABA booklet 'Breastfeeding Your Premature Baby' I'd love to organise to send you a copy. My DH found it a really helpful thing to read too. If you don't have it, swing me a quick PM with your address and I'll get a copy off to you.
You're doing so well by the sounds of it, just hang in there, and keep doing what feels right for you
Janie, you're a sweetheart. I've been meaning to track down a copy of the ABA prem booklet but haven't got my head on straight yet! I will PM you, thank you so much. I don't have the words. The nurses suggested that for the first few days I don't get myself up at night to pump to try and rest a bit which was very kind of them, but now that I've had a few good nights sleep to re-charge, I'll be getting up to pump at least once overnight. I'm so determined to keep my supply strong, I don't want it dwindling.
DD is still doing really well. She will have some big changes today though with her central line so one step at a time.
Wishing your DD well with her big changes today. Looking forward to hearing more about her progress!
You're more than welcome hun. The midwives said the same thing to me...........it is very important to recover, but night time pumping is crucial to establishing a good supply. I know as well as anyone that dragging yourself out of bed to sit with a bit of plastic is horrible, and very difficult. I never would have thought it could be so difficult. But it is so so important. Even if you can keep the pump next to your bed so you don't actually have to get up. I know it seems a very long time away, but sometime in the future you're going to bring this little girl home, and she's going to want to feed in the night . Do you have a double pump? It makes a huge difference to you if you can double pump. Can I ask, were you able to breastfeed your son?
Speaking of, how is your DS going so far? And your DH?
ETA Sorry for the million questions. Feel free to answer, or not, in your own time
Thanks Janie for your kind words & support. Heidi is still going really well, nice & stable and doing all the right things. Still has minimal breathing assistance, but she's the most amazing little girl. She's the tiniest one in the NICU but is the most settled and calm which is lovely to see. They weren't able to get a central line in yesterday so they'll be trying again today, probably as we speak. She had an ECG just to check her heart this morning which was all perfect and she is having head scans every 2-3 days to monitor things in her brain. So far so good. Her jaundice and bruising is all resolving nicely too so her pretty little face is getting even more beautiful every time we see her.
As for the expressing, I'm doing the best I can right now. I am sensing my supply starting to dwindle a little bit, but trying not to stress too much about it. I'm just trying to pump more often and during the night. I have purchased an electric pump which should arrive tomorrow hopefully, I've been using my trusty manual pump that I had when DS was born so hopefully that will make a big difference. I've been making the most of the pumps in the NICU when we're visiting too. Breastfeeding DS was an absolute disaster - really long story. I had a great supply, he just managed to rip me to shreds early on and I never recovered. I had a series of infections, one after the other and I got very unwell. We managed to express and feed EBM for 6 weeks then I was just too weak and had to make a decision that I never wanted too and still struggle with every day. So my milk for Heid is so important on so many levels.
DP and DS are doing well. We're all tired and drained but coping ok looking after each other. DS is kind of a bit little to really understand what is happening as yet. He's just spending a bit of extra time with his Nanna's which he loves. But he does know something is up. We took him in for a quick visit this morning and he was more fascinated by the blue lights Heidi was under rather than her! It won't take long and he'll get it though, he's a smart little cookie. DP is being my rock right now. He is still stunned that he has a baby girl and she is alive and doing so well - we both are. He misses her terribly and feels a bit helpless but is supporting me in every way I need.
Have been thinking of you, and glad to hear things are going ok. Great work with the expressing, your milk will be helping your little girl grow big and strong.
It is such a spin when your world is turned upside down when your little girl arrived so quickly and all in such of a hurry.
I found that I went through the "baby blues" as such a few times, and it is really important to have those times to yourself to have a cry and let it all out.
If you are worried about your supply maybe looks at ways to boost your supply, as you will be short on time I wouldn't worry about the Lactation cookies atm, unless Nanna cane make some up for you, but you can go for Fenugreek, Blessed Thistle, Milo and Aktavite are also great boosters and will also give you some energy, along with drinking lots of water. I went onto Motilium as it is hard work expressing all the time, I completely understand that part of what you are going through, because my DD wasn't anywhere near as early as Miss Heidi, but the getting up all hours of the night to hook up to the pump can be very tiring, I had alarms on my mobile phone to wake me up to express, a double electric pump is most certainly the way to go, it is a lot quicker and easier, you will really notice the difference.
I know it is hard, but for now don't worry about the amounts you are getting with each express, you will be easily covering what Heidi needs, just keep goin every 2-3 hours during the day for 20min or so and at night try not to go more than 5 hours between expressing sessions, and at most one large gap between. I know it is going to be hard work and I really wish I had the wealth of information that I have gathered from BB and the ABA when I was going through it all.
I hope things went smoothly with her central line today, and if it didn't happen it will in time, she is doing very well, and such a clever little girl to be doing so much breathing on her own, the girls are always stronger in NICU, they are just that bit further developed than the boys
One thing that might help DS is a few pictures of the NICU, ie entry doors, washing hands, Heidi's crib etc, so that he can look at them and you can sort of tell a story as you show him the photos, a bit like reading a book, that way he can become more familiar with the NICU, without it being all new with each visit.
Definitely the photos etc laminated and put on her isolette are a lovely idea, we have all of DD's and they are also a lovely keepsake. She also had a Panda given to her by DH he search the city for 4 hours finding the right one, and the Panda is symbolic of goodluck on the birth of a new baby and he was her protector, it was nice to know that he was always there watching her
Take care hun and I have you in my thoughts daily xxoo
It was wonderful to read that little Heidi is doing so well breathing with minimal assistance at her gestation is amazing! She has already overcome one of the major hurdles on the NICU journey & to receive an excellent ECG result, I know, is such a huge weight off your shoulders.
I cried when I read that you had your first kangaroo cuddles. Such a special moment for so soon after her birth and it is so important for your milk production and her development. It was 18 days before DS was aloud out for our first kangaroo cuddle. It felt like a lifetime.
Expressing can be difficult task sometimes. If you feel that your supply is beginning to decrease, try to increase your fluid intake of both water & milk. If you're not a milk drinker, try adding aktavite to it (so called old wives tale). If you find you are really struggling, your GP can prescribe something to increase your supply. It was something that I really didn't want to do but it was more important for me to be able to supply DS with as much EBM as possible and for as long as possible.
Hoping the NICU journey for you, your family and your beautiful girl is a smooth one. Sending lots of healthy and growing vibes her way. Remember, staying positive is a very good thing but it is also ok to have a cry.
Infinity, you are doing so well and my heart breaks for you having to leave your tiny girl behind at the hospital when it's time to go home. I hope your DS is better soon. What a fabulous job you are doing juggling everything! Your expressing efforts are obviously helping Heidi enormously. LOL at the slow rightie. It might be frustrating, but if it makes you feel any better, many, many women have an underperforming bb. Mine was leftie. I'm sure it produced about a quarter of what the other side did. I used to console myself with the idea that if a mother can feed twins, then only one bb needed to be firing on all cylinders to keep one baby going really.
It's great to hear from you. Take care of yourself, it sounds like you are doing a very good job of managing what you can and can't cope with. I am seriously in awe.
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. Do you have a double pump? It makes a huge difference to you if you can double pump. Can I ask, were you able to breastfeed your son?
xxoo
breathing with minimal assistance at her gestation is amazing! She has already overcome one of the major hurdles on the NICU journey & to receive an excellent ECG result, I know, is such a huge weight off your shoulders.
I hope your DS is better soon. What a fabulous job you are doing juggling everything! Your expressing efforts are obviously helping Heidi enormously. LOL at the slow rightie. It might be frustrating, but if it makes you feel any better, many, many women have an underperforming bb. Mine was leftie. I'm sure it produced about a quarter of what the other side did. I used to console myself with the idea that if a mother can feed twins, then only one bb needed to be firing on all cylinders to keep one baby going really.
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