K and I headed in for our LC visit by subway bright and early this morning. She weighed in at 3168g, up from 3114g at the appointment on Wed morning. That made for a gain of 18g/d in the intervening time, which is within the acceptable 15-30g/d range. Of course as I was about to put her diaper back on, she promptly peed all over herself, and weighed in after peeing at 3156g. That would put her at 14g/d gain, so just borderline less than normal.
We did pre and post feed weights again, and found that she managed to eat 26cc of milk, or just under 1oz. I have to work on getting her to latch on a little deeper, as she has a tendency to slip back on the nipple a bit. She is also only good for about 5min a side before she gets sick of sucking for little return. If I go back and offer her each side again, she'll get a little more out of each. Doing breast compressions while she's sucking helps too.
I asked about the breast shields for the pump, since I went out on the second day and bought the smaller size of the shields. The LC said that the size of the shields isn't too critical, as long as the nipples aren't so tight in there that they're rubbing along the sides while pumping. I decided to try out the original soft shields again, and miraculously managed to get 31mL out with the pumping session. Add to that the 3-4cc that I caught as my left breast dripped while I fed her from the right side, and I managed to produce over an ounce extra!
The pumping session after I got home got us 28cc of milk, so maybe things are looking up? Or maybe it's just the soft shields work better for me? Either way, I'm relieved that she's almost getting the 2oz a feed that she should.
We also had the most massive diaper blow-out yet today. Killed her Thir.sties Du.o wrap, her onesie, and her sleeper. I froze my fingers off washing everything quickly in cold water before spraying on the Shout to help get the poop stains out.
And that's about all for now!
9 comments:
I'm really impressed at how hard you are working to make bfing work. I'm glad that it sounds like things are looking up.
(We also had our first major poop blowout today, too!)
She's so beautiful! I love her open mouth in the second picture. We've always referred to that face in our boys as being 'drunk on boob juice'. So glad to hear you're beginning to get more from pumping. You must be exhausted!
Sounds like you got some good advice. My little one always tries to self-adjust once she's latched on - usually that means pulling back down toward the nipple - and that ends up hurting! Hope that things keep getting better for you guys. And what a little cutie - keep the pictures coming.
Keep up the good work! It will pay off, I feel sure - just take it day by day and try not to look too far ahead of yourself. Sounds like you're doing EVERYTHING right!
-Carrie
So cute!!!!!
Wow- I hope that as the weeks go by it gets easier and easier to breastfeed. Kudos to you for your dedication.
Yeah for a little improvement, we'll take it! I'm sooo glad I signed up for a breastfeeding class now! She is adorable, keep the pics coming!
I had the same dilemma. When I was renting a lac.tina, I went out and got the smaller shields, but I think I do better with the soft shields that came with the free.style.
Back when I first started pumping (just before 2 weeks), I could only pump about 2oz every couple hours and I wasn't feeding at all on that breast, so it sounds like you are probably doing pretty well really. Things will pick up and you will probably be able to get more soon, it just takes a little time to build supply and get better at pumping.
Thanks for your comment! The cysts make a cycle so unpredictable. The RE who did my scan said they often don't aspirate b/c they just fill up again. Anyways, I was in a lot of pain and really nausaus last night and then way better this am, so I'm thinking it actually may have ruptured on its own?
Keep up the good work with the BF. You are trying incredibly hard and must have the patience of a saint. Good luck!
She is so cute! I'm sorry that the breastfeeding has been so difficult. You are doing a great job though, and I hope that it starts getting a lot easier soon. When I first started pumping, getting an ounce was a huge victory. I'll never forget the first time I pumped 50ml!
Even now, when I am tired and stressed, sometimes I only get 1/2 ounce. I hope the domperidone helps. I can't get it here in the US. Fenugreek and blessed thistle have helped me a lot. Last night I pumped 3.5 ounces from both breasts. Of course, she woke up right after I finished and I had to feed it all to her right then.
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