Hello Again Boobs

You knew there would be a breastfeeding post coming soon didn't you?  I endlessly blogged about boobs and breastfeeding and all of Jack's issues so why not keep up the theme?

Don't get me wrong, Cal is doing a good job.  It's just that he could be doing better.

In the hospital, he was nursing great!  Every 2 to 3 hours and 45 minutes or so at a time.  Then on Thursday evening when my milk came in, he went on strike.  My nipples (sorry folks) changed shaped and he didn't recognize them.  He would latch on for a second and then off.  Eventually he would get it, but that was after bribes of a drop of sugar water or some drops of breastmilk. 

I had a lactatation consultant visit me (per my request) and she confirmed that Jack was nursing great.  In the course of about 20 minutes, he ate 2 ounces.  However, they wanted me to pump just in case he wouldn't latch.  That way he could have a top off of breastmilk.  God, I hate pumping.  I was soooo hoping to avoid it this time around.  Oh well, you do what you have to do.  Just as an FYI, I have super boobs.  My milk started coming in on day 3 postpartum and I pumped 2 ounces.  The nurses kept ooohing and aaahing at me.

On Friday before we were discharged, because he wasn't latching great, the LC suggested we start topping him with a finger feed.  If you don't know what that is, it's a syringe hooked to a tiny tube that gets taped to your index finger.  You place the index finger in babe's mouth and it teaches them how to suck.  So we started doing that on Friday when we got home from the hospital.

By the time we went home, Cal was down about 10% of his birthweight.  This also happened with Jack and I freaked.  This time?  I knew my baby wasn't starving and that he would be fed and I wasn't worried.

Friday we tried latching him which was pretty unsuccessful most of the time.  So we had to resort to finger feeding most of the day.  Which by the way is a pain in the ass.  Our main goal, per the LC's, was to fatten him back up.

Saturday at the pediatrician's office he was up 3 ounces from the day before.  Score!  I knew we were doing something right.  The pediatrician did suggest that since my stupid nipples had changed shape and that I was engorged maybe a nipple shield was in order.  I hate using a nipple shield, but again, whatever will get the boy to eat.

The rest of the weekend I would latch the babe with the shield for a few and then we would top him off with the finger feed.  We eventually started moving to bottles rather than the dumb syringe because as previously mentioned, it's a pain.  I would also pump and then the process would repeat itself.

Yesterday, at the lactation clinic, Jack had gained another 4 ounces!  So now that he is gaining weight and not so sleepy, we are back to latching with the shield most of the time.  He is doing a pretty good job at that.  It's not the easiest thing for him since the boy wants his food NOW!  With breastfeeding, he needs to work at it and he doesn't particularly care to do so.

The whole point of this post?  To state that again, I am having slight issues.  Nothing that can't be worked around.  This time around, I am going to ENJOY feeding my baby and not freak out.  I am going to NOT stress and worry everytime a feed doesn't go the way I had hoped.

It IS easier this time around.  I am less worried.  I think it's that first time mom thing.  You have no idea what you are doing.  Second time?  Piece of cake.  Well, respectively speaking.  It's not exactly easy to feed a kiddo when you are chasing another kiddo around the house trying to wipe his face.

Hello again boobs.  Let's make sure to work this time k?  Thanks.