Hi ladies
Wow been off for a couple of days and look at all the reading i had to do to catch up.
I had been crying everyday for the last week and yesterday i finally decided to call the Child Health Nurse who is also a Lac Consultant, anyway she is coming out in the next hour or so to see me regarding re-lactating so i am going to need all the strength, determination and support i can gather. I haven't talked to DP about re-lactating yet so i am hoping that he understands why i want to do it
He had a whole week off last week just to help me as he could see i wasn't coping, funnily enough he could see i wasn't coping more than i could see it myself...i love him so much for just being by my side when i need it most. I just really feel as though i need to try one last time as this may be my last bub and i will always wonder what if IYKWIM.
LEE great to see you had a nice short labour, mine was only 3.5hrs as well....i couldn't believe it went so quick, too the point he was nearly born me standing in the corridor between the two birth suite and poor DP holding me up and trying to get to the nearest nurses buzzer as bub was crowning then and there. A far cry from me having to push for 1.5hrs before my first DS was born. I was told if i have another one i might want to go to the hospital fairly quick.
Anyway i am off as Jaxon is due for a feed any minute now.
Jaxon is sleeping again so i thought i would post again to update my visit from the lac consultant.
She has given me strict instructions to follow and to start with i have just made an appointment with the GP tomorrow to get a prescription for medication to make my milk supply to come in again and to give it up to 5 days to work. In the mean time i am to put him to the breast as much as possible before giving him a bottle and even when he stirs between feeds to get as much stimulation as possible and to limit the dummy as much as i can and instead put him on the boobie. Then 1-1.5hrs after feeding i am to express, i am going to be a busy girl for the next month with this and she thinks the plan should be that i can drop one bottle every week until he is fully on the boobie again. One really good thing is that he hasn't lost his interest in the boobie either now i just need to ignore any negative breastfeeding comments and just stay focased on the job ahead.
Oh i have just noticed my platinum membership has expired, i had better mix that asap.
That's wonderful new Danni, i'm really happy that your happy with the decision you have made. Yes it is going to be alot of hard word and if you ever need any support pease dont hessitate to contact me. I'm not an expert in anything baby related but i am a good listener and have opinions!
Danni, I just want to wish you the very best of luck with relactating... I seriously don't think I could to it. Apart from realising that the amount of medication I'm currently taking would probably mean that breastfeeding Samuel would likely be poisoning him... so we're sticking with formula. I think that if my arthritis hadn't flared after birth I'd have been able to cope with the pain of pumping, but not with all the other pain I was in - it was just too much. We had Samuel weighed today - he's now over 3kg, which means he's gained 500g from birth... he's obviously doing really well, so we're pretty happy with how he's going and the decision we made.
Hey Dannii - way to go with your lac cons and the plan to keep bfing. Good for you hun for giving it a red hot go!! I have a lac cons appt tomorrow actually.
After my mat nurse appt yesterday, we figured that April's lack of interest at the breast could be due to her being a little weary with not being totally over the jaundice. So we'll see how all of that goes after the appt tomorrow.
Re the rest of the appt, April is now 4220g (40g over her birthweight) and doing all the right developmental things.
Oh to have a full night sleep........
Thanks ladies for all your words of encouragement and thanks Kristy i might just need you for when i have those extra bad days ahead of me. Well off to the Dr's in just a few wee hrs so i should really get some sleep now that my little man is in bed asleep.
I was just looking through the posts and i was thinking why are they all saying that i posted yesterday when i was sure it was earlier this arvo......ahh derr it is after midnight.....major baby brain!
I've been a little bit slow to come and post in here myself. Emily is 4 weeks old tomorrow!
I'm like Kristy - a little jealous hearing about those who've had shorter labours - my waters broke and 32 hours later (with no sleep) I had to be augmented as labour was not progressing enough. Another 8 hours later and I still hadn't dilated past 3cm and it was in for the caesarean!
DanniiM - my hat's off to you for your attitude and determination to relactate. That's fantastic. I wish you all the best with it, and you have my support and an ear here too if you need it!
Kristy - really glad to hear Byron is going so well and the BFing is going well for you. He sounds so alert! It's lovely when there's longer stretches between feeds, isn't it? Emily can sometimes go 5-6 hours at night when we finally get her settled (which can take 3-6 hours some nights, up to 3am!) But she still has a tendency to cluster feed at least once during the day/evening (inclduing those 3-6 hour stretches in the middle of the night), so we can go only an hour or two between feeds immediately after a big 4+ hour stretch. It's hard not having a routine yet, but the longer stretches make me realise what we have to look forward to more often down the track!
Paula - Awesome to hear that April has put weight back on now plus more! I've realised now too that Emily was doing the whole sleepy thing due to the jaundice (which took over 2 weeks to clear up) - but now she seems to do the opposite - she's wide awake at the end of a feed very often (even at 4am - argh!) so I'm hoping little April will be more awake and alert during her feeds once the jaundice clears properly, so that will help you with the BFing more. You're doing really well, hun.
BW - sounds like Samuel is really doing brilliantly! I hope his feeds are continuing to go well and it's great to here he's putting on weight so well. How is the arthritis for you at the moment? I hope it's not giving you too much trouble and settling a little more. Do you think the flare could be related to the change in hormones after birth?
Lee - I hope everything is going well for you
Bec - how are you managing with DH back at work?
AFM - I'm up and down a lot at the moment with anxieties. We are BFing, and all is going so well with that - Emily is thriving - she was weighed today and she's now over 1kg heavier than birth, and has put on around 1.2kg since her initial weight loss (She was 3.45kg on day 3 and is now 4.62kg). Emily has a lot of wind (both ends) that makes her very uncomfortable and it's hard not to feel like it's something I'm doing as she is getting wind when she feeds, even though our attachment is great. I have tried lots of things and now just have to realise that I've done everything I can, and she will get better as she gets older and as her digestion matures. Trying not to think it's something I'm doing wrong, and I'm focusing on the fact that she is doing so well and thriving. She's not the best sleeper as she's often in discomfort, but we are managing day to day, as I know everyone here is, I'm sure!
Take care everyone. Hope you get some time to rest and relax.
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now i just need to ignore any negative breastfeeding comments and just stay focased on the job ahead.
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