February Valentines 2012 - We have our first Valentines!

[suzzle]

hey ladies!! i just found out i'm getting the cerclage removed next thursday!!!!!! im super excited!!!! at that point i'll be about 36 weeks and 5 days. If for some reason I go into labor right away, am I still gonna b able to breastfeed??

I don't see why you would be any different from another woman who has delivered naturally? Some people can, some can't; but I wouldn't think the cerclage would affect anything IMO

 

[Guppy051708]

Zombie, first congrats on getting that out soon! thats so exciting!!!!


Because milk is not dependent on your cervix, or going into labor, you should still be able to BF
If there is a struggle with BFing i would not assume it to be because of that. So no worries hun. If you do have issues with BFing, please let me know! Having IGT ive learned WAY mroe about BFing than ANY normal mother should ever have to know! lol. So i can def help...they should just certify me for it But i do not anticipate you to have issues like that, furthermore, the clercage and labor should have no effect....though sometimes things like interventions during labor or having a c-section or limited skin to skin contact early can delay the milk from coming in, but as far as labor itself and having a clercage taken out goes, that should be not cause you issues with BFing

 

[ZombieKitten]

Zombie, first congrats on getting that out soon! thats so exciting!!!!


Because milk is not dependent on your cervix, or going into labor, you should still be able to BF
If there is a struggle with BFing i would not assume it to be because of that. So no worries hun. If you do have issues with BFing, please let me know! Having IGT ive learned WAY mroe about BFing than ANY normal mother should ever have to know! lol. So i can def help...they should just certify me for it But i do not anticipate you to have issues like that, furthermore, the clercage and labor should have no effect....though sometimes things like interventions during labor or having a c-section or limited skin to skin contact early can delay the milk from coming in, but as far as labor itself and having a clercage taken out goes, that should be not cause you issues with BFing

woot!!! thanks guppy!!

 

[saphire76]

OMG I should be prepared for feedings after these past 2 days!!! My poor son had is tonsils out last week and they were not kidding day 5-7 is a nightmare!!! I was up with him every 2 hrs rubbing his back and singing because he wasn't ready for his pain meds yet. Ugh my poor baby and I am so tired at work right now oh man I just want a nap!! whine whine whine

 

[becstar]

Hi ladies.

Congrats RJ2!!!

I've been trying to cook for the freezer recently... so I'll do lasagne for dinner for instance but make double the amount and freeze individual portions of it. Our freezer is really full though so it's hard to find the space! With little amounts of leftovers I have frozen some little versions for Ilana too so if I am going to eat late with the baby I can grab something for her to eat. For us so far I have some risotto and lasagne, not much room to do anything else!

Baby has been in the perfect position for birth for a while but suddenly I am feeling movements in places I shouldn't... get back in place please baby!


Right, I'd better go and get some food cooking for dinner tonight. Home made pizza I think!

 

[Guppy051708]

i need to prepare some freezer meals as well...lasagna is always good because its high protein and a dish of it can last a while...we ate it for a week after DS was born

aww, sorry Saphire thats rough, i remember how painful that can be!

 

[suzzle]

OMG, you guys are brave. I'm certainly not going to give myself anything more to do at the moment. I have faith that DH will continue to be able to work the oven enough to feed himself & the kids for a few days. Frozen things would just confuse him, lol. No doubt his mummy will sort him out anyway.... Or the local take away contingent!

 

[Guppy051708]

DH can't cook to save his life
i mean he CAN...but he doesn't...even when he's hungry

 

[TeQuiero]

I have no room in my freezer to precook and store.... I keep thinking about getting a deep freezer, but it is just the extra money that we don't have to spend right now! I do feel lucky that my DH knows he is going to be doing some cooking and stuff.... he was a big help after DS2. I am thankful that my best friend is going to be helping me out a lot after Addy gets here, she will be getting DS1 off the bus and I know she is going to be telling me not to do too much cleaning and stuff. So, she and her kids will probably be over here eating with us a bit too (which means she'll be cooking and cleaning).... I guess that is what happens when your best friend has worked in house keeping for the last 3 years!

 

[saphire76]

I'm not doing anything extra either lol I'm hoping people send/bring over meals. I always do!

 

[swanxxsong]

Guppy. Any advice is welcomed. (and if anyone else has advice).

Blah blah so she's early etc etc and lots of preemies don't latch at first etc. so I will skip ahead at the hospital I would try and get her to take the nip and shed sometimes suckle a little but she'd get pissed bc she had trouble gripping my boob so we began pumping and giving anything to her via bottle and then topping her with formula. Not ideal but the hospital nurses agreed it was best for both her jaundice and her sinking weight.

So we worked through that and I'm pumping and my supply is slowly getting larger and slowly comes in at faster than a trickle. I now pump every 2 hours and am getting about 40ml between my two boobs in about 20 minutes. We feed to her until she won't take it. Store the rest, etc because I dare not waste it.

But she's still struggling with accepting the boob. The nurses swore that once it comes in full force, she will "get it" because she can latch, she's just young and confused by needing to use her mouth from being early. Do you think this is true? We do lots of skin to skin and I try to encourage nursing but she wails or falls asleep quickly haha. My biggest fears are that she won't ever do it (though what I've read, would be very extreme as she should be able to get it) and that my flow wont ever grow beyond trickling faucet status.

I'm just a little confused and overwhelmed plus sleep deprived AND obviously want nothing but the best for her. She gets weighed Saturday so I am filling her up with BM and weighing her myself and as long as she doesn't go down, NO more formula.

Sigh. I'm just so lost on what to do. People keep saying its okay, Bf Is hard work and it will come together but you know me. I'm neurotic and afraid of messing her up somehow lol.

 

[saphire76]

testing photo

 

[saphire76]

OMG I did it!! there is my 34 week bump

 

[saphire76]

Swan DO you have a nipple guard? I had a problem in the hospital w Jonas and for a week after I would pump and call people for help and all they would say is pumping will eventually make your milk run out because it needs the baby sucking. Id cry and cry then a lactation consultant came to the house and gave me a nipple guard I popped it on a boom baby latched. I used it for 2 weeks then one day he did without and kept on for the next 5 months until going back to work eventually depleted it but still. It really helped. Now I have one ready to go just incase.

Keep up the good work girl

 

[Guppy051708]

cute bump saphire!!!

swan- have you seen a real lactation consultant (LC)?? Nurses...they mean well, but sometimes are not as knowledgable as they think. An LC is something i would HIGHLY recommend you go see. She will be able to help you FAR better than the nurses. Even though she was born a tad early, and even though *sometimes* that can cause issues, in my doula experience, usually the age that your baby was born, they do well BFing...it is true that some babies have more difficulty when they are early, but she wasn't insanly early. ...does it take her a long time to eat? ....has anyone inspected her mouth for tongue tie? I really think you need a second opinion and really believe you should see the LC. utlize her! she is there for you!

pumping is a great way to build your supply, but it is VERY important that baby is at the breast. I know that its a challenge and you are exhausted, but in the long run this will be best. You can still use the bottles, but i would recommend keeping her at each breast for at least 15 minutes every 2 hours (longer if you can! and dont reject the breast if it she wants it more frequently or longer), the do the bottles. Its very important you get baby stimulation but its also very important FOR HER to learn

 

[saphire76]

https://jds.smugmug.com/Events/Izzy-Baby-Shower/i-NStgxxF/0/S/P1080272-S.jpg

My baby shower photos

 

[Guppy051708]

You may also consider getting an SNS. This is a very good tools for babys that are born early and to get them to nurse. You put the suppliment in, it hangs around your neck. Baby feeds off your boob and the suppliment at the same time. It solves both issues. But i still say go to the LC...you could be supplimenting and not need to! A lot of hospital nurses think all jaundiced babies need formula, yatta yatta yatta, but really this isn't true and i question their tactics. It could wreck havoc on your supply...and on her wanting to nurse.

 

[swanxxsong]

I should have said the LCs at the hospital, not the nurses - my apologies. haha. Both the LCs were there for me daily, working with me, but we struggled. I do have a nipple shield and am going to try that when she wakes. My issue so far today is that her belly has been so full of pumped BM that she hasn't even really woken up! She is just beginning to wake now, so I'm going to pop on a shield and see what's up.

Then I'm going to email the LLL and explain my situation to one of the local leaders, see if she can suggest someone local to connect with for this. I'm hell-bent on getting this done. I keep massaging and pumping to get all the milk possible out of every pumping session, and pre-pumping I hold her to the breast and tease her lips, whether or not she's actually awake (because she will FIGHT being woken sometimes, the little punk! lol) for at least 15 minutes. That does get my milk flowing and I end up dribbling it all over her, me and the chair in the process... but it's stimulation.

Thanks ladies! Going to persist, and contact someone who may be able to give me further insight and in-home assistance.

 

[TeQuiero]

Swan, some ways that you can get her awake are to make her be in nothing but a diaper, to tickle her feet, maybe try a wipe on her foot (the coolness can cause her to wake up). Those are a few things that my LCs told me when I was beginning nursing. Just know we are all supporting you! I wish we were closer so that I could help you, I know how it can help to have a friend to lend a shoulder and give some advice.

 

[swanxxsong]

Oh, she hates being stripped down - it's killer lol - but the second she's to the breast she then falls back asleep. I'm like "..." She's like her mom, she can fall asleep anywhere, anytime, and as quickly as possible.

But thank you all, so much. I've been such waterworks this week - and I appreciate the support from you ladies. I just feel so frustrated and down sometimes, like it has to be something wrong with me because she's far too perfect in my eyes to be wrong. I know a few people I've talked to said I should have refused to formula at all, but as a FTM who wasn't 100% ready to give birth (shame on me, as I hadn't read up on things sooner), the threats of them taking her to the NICU if I let her weight slip just broke my heart. Now, I keep second-guessing if I did the right thing, and how badly I messed up with her.

Sorry, total downer post; I swear, I cried more this week so far than my entire pregnancy. I sent a lengthy message to the local LLL leader in the area, and am off to change a diaper and get this peanut awake. I know that persistence, diligence and patience are key, I just wish I could stop beating myself up in the process because it's causing a huge mind block for me. I feel awful for whatever poor LC sap ends up having to meet with me - I am bawling typing this, let along having a face-to-face about it...

I promise, I'll try not to smother our board now anymore pitiful posts like this. >.<