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Showing posts with label breast feeding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breast feeding. Show all posts

Monday, April 20, 2009

Feeding issues

The pediatrician wants me to continue pumping until I pump 30 mL twice in a row. And then he wants me to alternate pumping and breastfeeding every feeding.
The lactation consultant thinks I should keep nursing. And as much as I hate to ignore a Dr's advice I have to agree with the LC.
So I've decided I will nurse her as much as she wants to nurse and then pump after nursing to make sure my breasts are empty and stimulate them to produce more. I don't even think I'm getting emptied on the pump alone and nursing is much more efficient. I'm going to keep seeing the LC so we can track her weight gain and ensure we are doing everything right. It's a learning process for both of us and I think trying to pump exclusively will only lead to extreme frustration and eventually, a decision to switch to formula.
Currently she's nursing and then taking about another 1.5 oz from a bottle every 3 hours. We have a weight check tomorrow and I'm hoping to see that she's gained.
This morning I woke up with pretty tender boobies, I'm really hoping that means I'm making some progress. It's just breaking my heart that I can't supply what she needs. I've been taking Fenugreek and I am going to call my Dr. for a prescription for Reglan. I'm nervous about taking it as it is known to cause dystonic reactions. So I wanted to be sure I started it when someone could be with me 24/7 just in case I have a reaction I can't control with Benadryl. Since Katie is coming to visit tomorrow, mom has taken vacation for the rest of the week. So I'll have someone available to be here. I've also heard Reglan can cause depression. So I'll have to watch for that.
But overall, despite having to supplement with formula, we're doing much better. Isla is sleeping for longer stretches because she isn't starving. And she doesn't cry anymore unless she is hungry or we're torturing her with a diaper change or bath (and sometimes not even then). She sleeps a lot, but usually after her 8pm-ish feeding, she will stay up and look around for a while before drifting off to dreamland. It's nice to have a happy baby! Last night I got a whole 3 uninterrupted hours and woke up on my own before she did! Now that might not sould like a whole lot, but after a couple of good naps yesterday it was all I needed to bounce back. I've never needed a whole lot of sleep to function. I think if I can get one good afternoon nap in and at least 3 hours at night I'll be set.
I started using my cloth diapers too! So far I'm loving prefolds (similar to what our parents used) the most. They aren't the easiest to get on a squirmy baby, but they are so much trimmer than other diapers. My next favorite would be the Kissaluvs, much easier to get on, but bulkier than the PFs. And my favorite cover so far is my Bummies Super Whisper Wrap. I think I'll like the Thristies too, but they are a little to large for her at this point. Proraps are ok. They are a little gappy in the legs and the tabs don't overlap. But they will suffice for now.
And that's all for now.