It is getting better. He was a perfect baby yesterday. Saturday night I went into the bedroom after his feeding at 10pm and nursed him in bed in the dark until he fell asleep. I didn’t put him in his cosleeper until midnight and fell asleep while nursing him, so I have no idea when he fell asleep, but he didn’t stir or cry during that time. He got up once in the middle of the night to eat and I tried nursing him, but it wasn’t cutting it for him, so I had to get up and get formula ready. Afterward, he fell right asleep.
Through out the day, he’d be up for maybe 45-120 minutes at a time, then would take a 1-4 hour nap. He fell asleep last night on the boppy while I was nursing him around 9pm and was due to be fed again around 10-11, so I just napped with him in the recliner with him on the boppy. I woke up at 12:30 and he was still sleeping soundly, so I got up to change his diaper and by then he seemed hungry, so I fed him again. We repeated the process of going back into the dark bedroom to nurse back to sleep last night and it seemed to work well.
He hasn’t been fussy since Saturday morning. We got him infant anti-gas medication and the formula we’re using is 1/4 lactose, so one or both seem to be helping.
In breastfeeding news, I nurse him pretty much ALL the time. My supply doesn’t really seem to have increased very much, but it’s been at least a little bit since I started the Reglan. On Saturday I was able to hand express maybe 1/4 ounce in 15 minutes or so. I decided to go ahead and buy a AVENT Isis hand pump to see what I can get that way. It’s much cheaper than an electric pump. I think it’d be a pipe dream to be able to pump enough to sustain him or increase my supply enough to sustain him, but any breast milk I can mix in with the formula is better than none.
This was my first day going out on my own (well, with the baby) since having the baby. I hadn’t driven in nearly a month! It was a bit difficult juggling two bags and a carseat, but I managed.
He’s now up to 9lbs 11oz! Holy Jesus! We were expecting him to be at least 9 lbs, but we had no idea he’d chunked up SO much in the past week and a half! He was 8lbs 4oz the Friday before last. The LC said he’s gaining more than what he should every day, so I can probably cut back on the formula. She recommended that I continue trying to skip the SNS a couple times a day (she recommended night time and early morning feedings) and see how he does.
We tried the pump in her office and I didn’t produce a single drop. It kind of makes me feel better about not using it, although I am somewhat discouraged that when I go back to work, he’ll probably need to be on formula exclusively when I’m not around. I will get to work from home 3 days a week, though technically I am not supposed to be taking care of my child at the same time. I am all for breaking the rules though if I can do it and still get my job done, but I’m not sure how demanding a 3 month + child can be. I can’t imagine it’s more demanding than a newborn, but I don’t think I’d be able to work from home at this point at all.
Now that I’ve braved going out into the world with a baby I might try going to the grocery store or someplace close (like to a drive thru to get lunch) one day soon. As I’m sure is pretty typical with babies, if he’s well fed, driving around in a car seems to put him out like a light!
Just came back from the LC. He gained 5oz sine Friday. She doesn’t seem to think I have enough milk glands and will never be able to exclusively breastfeed. She lent me a hospital grade pump to use after feedings. I’m trying to put him to each breast and then if he needs it (usually does) supplement with 1oz - 1.5oz of formula. At the LC, she had me feed on both sides and weighed him before and after. She said he was only getting about 0.1 ounce of milk and that I should probably be giving him at least 2oz of formula with each feeding…
She said being on the herbs (fenugreek and blessed thistle) are probably a good idea, but didn’t think that Reglan was going to do anything.
I guess all I can do at this point is nurse nurse nurse to see if my supply corrects itself. I feel very discouraged at the thought of having to supplement with formula from now until he’s weaned or can get an equal amount of nourishment from solids.
Recent Comments