Anyway, our pediatrician appointment showed that So.ren remained the same weight. They would like to see him gaining at this point, so now we are feeding constantly, supplementing with pumped milk, and pumping, pumping, pumping. It is literally all I do right now (along with cleaning the pump components, storing milk, etc.). Except for changing diapers - he has developed an angry-looking rash. Bad parents! Anyway, we go back to the ped in two days to see if things are turning around. I really hope they do.
The main lactation consultant from the hospital called me today, and I asked her about 90 questions. She was incredibly helpful and will check back on me in two days. One piece of information she had was that the flanges on my pump might be too small - I need to check on this tomorrow at the medical-supply place, where the guy who works there is ridiculously knowledgeable but also ridiculously disorganized - the desk is piled high with paperwork, so much so that it stresses me out, and I am a piler myself.
My mom arrived today, which was heartening for the moral support. I am getting very nervous about my husband returning to work next week - right now, we are splitting things 50/50. I looked into importing a night nurse today and will do more investigation into this tomorrow, since it would be better to find someone locally. Surely some of the NICU or mother/baby nurses moonlight, right?
In conclusion, I have fixed upon a breastfeeding milestone: six weeks. If I can do it for six weeks, it should get much easier. That seems to be the consensus. And if it gets easier sooner, well, then, great.
Off to catch a few winks....
4 comments:
The best part about that multi-tasking woman is how they tried so hard to make her look like she was actually multitasking, and meanwhile, she's lounging on the floor of a photo studio with no pump, as evidenced by the complete lack of electrical cord or outlet.
The breastfeeding will get easier. And I'm sure S. will start gaining like a champ. It's still so early.
I was gonna comment on the "hjands-free" photo as well, but jane did that well enough.
I went through so much of what you're experiencing and also felt a lack of support - for me, it was ALWAYS 2pm! I spent my first weeks just trying to survive until six.
Like the others said, it does get easier. Try to think of ways to make this time easiest on you. If you're more comfortable or happy watching movies or whatever, your experience will be more positive and this will DEFINITELY rub off on your baby. That said, don't let anyone tell you that your baby's fussy because you're unhappy. It's tough to be a walking milk machine - it really, really is.
I also want to tell you that when my husband went back to work, I suffered until we figured out that my husband had to do the fiurst late night shift - around 11pm for us. This let him sleep enough to get up for work and took the edge off my entire day of no rest (our son would only sleep if held). It was a lifesaver.
All advice sounds contrived and weird, but try to keep your chin up - take the baby to Target and fake shop while he sleeps just to get some out time. Go to a coffee shop in the morning - establish your own routine. Find other moms on Meetup.com or start your own and then paste up some flyers. You can probably get a student or two to come do some night duty, too.
Since he hasn't lost weight, I would say that means you are doing a great job! Keep hanging in there.
Small.town.fun's advice sounds pretty good, though I think Mr. Motel Manager used to go to bed fairly early.
I could also take the first night shift, as I'm always up until 12 or 1 anyway. Whaddya think?
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