Monday, November 22, 2010

Nursing 101

A lot of you know that my nursing experience with Jaycoby was not a positive one. After two months of nursing/pumping/bottle-feeding, we had to quit the nursing and just switch to the bottle. Then, after another two months of pumping for all of his bottles, I was informed that I had "skim milk". I was instructed to switch him to formula so he could get the fats and nutrients my milk wasn't providing. At that point, I was willing to do whatever they told me we needed to do in order for him to gain weight.
So here we are again...round 2. It was a slow start with the nursing, but I could tell in the hospital that Ella was going to figure out the concept of nursing (unlike her brother). Long story short, she went from 25% in weight at her 2-month appt. to 8% in weight at her 4-month appt. The doctor wasn't too concerned, but my mothers intuition wouldn't let it go. I knew there had to be something to it, but I wasn't sure if it was my supply, having "skim milk" or Ella (no....it couldn't be her fault, could it???). I decided to book an appointment with lactation today and the specialist said she was really glad I listened to my gut and brought the little girl in. In the past ten days, Ella had dropped one ounce. Not a huge amount, I know, but she should definitely be gaining. The lactation specialist told me that I need to feed her until she stops crying. This has never really happened with Ella. She cries after every feeding, whether it's nursing or having a bottle. Then we give her the pacifier, she calms down, and is usually pretty happy. Only lately, her happy spells were fading faster and faster. It's no wonder. The poor kid is starving!
So here is to "Nursing 101"....give your baby milk. Go figure!

Here she is, grinning from ear to ear after her second 7 oz. bottle today. Her happy spells definitely lasted longer after these two feedings.

1 comment:

jana said...

Becca Riddle gave me the best advice when I was freaking out about having to give Finn some formula (and I dont even think she knew she was giving me advice, but just telling her story). She said formula is not poison. That statement just stuck with me. I was acting like it was poison, which was so stupid. I finally got to the place where I realized that I was going to give Finn as much of my milk as I had and if he needed more, he was getting formula. It was so freeing when I finally let it sink in that 4-6 ounces a day was not going to kill him and was going to make him so much happier! Good luck in figuring it all out.