Some days I feel like a cow

I read The Breastfeeding Book by Dr. Sears and took a 2.5 hour breastfeeding class at Full Bloom during pregnancy. I knew that breastfeeding would be demanding as I am the sole responsibility for the nutrition of our baby. Breastfeeding is a supply and demand regimen. There is no schedule. When we see the signs of hunger, such at rooting and sucking hands, we know he is hungry. We try to feed him before the signs turn to crying. It could be 30-minutes or three hours after I fed him last. The important thing is to fill him up so the feedings aren't as frequent, but when he is going through a growth spurt, he may want to eat around the clock, which is telling my body I need to make more milk to accommodate his growing appetite. I see why so many women turn to formula either immediately or after a short time after trying. It is emotionally and physically draining most days. Thankfully, milk production isn't an issue I have had to deal with on top of the rigorous demands of feedings approximately every two hours. I do feel like I don't have much of a life right now besides eating (barely have time for that) and sleeping (intermittently).
There are so many factors with breastfeeding:
  • speed of milk flow
  • too little or too much milk
  • frequency of feedings (nipple stimulation=milk)
  • length of time spent feeding
  • breaks in-between breasts (we call intermissions here at our house)
  • relieving gas (burping and pooting)
  • milk digestion associated with urine and stool diapers
  • milk storage aka pumping
  • nipple confusion (breast vs. bottle vs. pacifier)
  • latch issues
  • positions
  • reading all the signals he communicates while he is eating (frustration, satisfaction, confused) 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mastocytosis (Urticaria Pigmentosa)

Image
Probably around January we noticed 3 brown spots on Lincoln. We thought he was getting moles or something. They popped up around the same time. The brown lesion is above his nipple At his 6-month well check (3/19/12), I asked the pediatrician to look at them. She said that moles don't pop up like that so we should have a dermatologist take a look at them. We scheduled an appointment with Joy Chastain's office (3/23/12), which Joe and I have been to for our skin. There are three ladies that work there and the one we were there to see, went to get another lady to look at them too. They were spouting off a lot of medical terms with their predictions. Ultimately, they recommended a biopsy so we could see what they were. Joe held Lincoln tight, which he didn't like. They injected numbing medicines and then they cut a piece of the one on his back. It was over quickly. I didn't like my babies' smooth skin being cut and scarred. We were told to keep it moist with Vasel
Read more

Adjustment Disorder "Stress Response Syndrome"

Image
My frustration with watching the kids at home 12+ hours a day and being unemployed since June had taken a toll on me. The kids were going to school part and full-time over the summer and up until October 31. For the last month and a half, I had both kids home all day. My temper, patience, and boredom were reaching an all time high. Having a second was like having 10 to us. When people talk about wanting kids or a second, inside I yell, "Don't do it!"   I know it is just a matter of perspective and capability. For Joe and I, we struggle regularly to survive and work cohesively. Everyday is a battle. What to eat, which bathroom to potty in, stool or no stool, lights and fan, door open or closed, what shirt/pants/socks/shoes, what cup to drink out of, brush teeth or not, which paste/brush to use, what snacks/lunch/dinner to eat, which car seat to sit in, water or milk to drink, which movie to watch, bath or not, bubbles or not, which toys to play/share, which route to
Read more

Hypomelanic Macules "Ash leaf spots"

Image
On November 30, I noticed a white spot on Grey's upper left thigh. I know the date because I keep a calendar with all the daily events and I record them for her (and us). Anyways, the spot looked like a birthmark to me. I have a port wine mark on my upper left thigh too. So I wrote on her calendar- birthmark. I took her for her 6-month well check on Monday, December 23. After her exam, I asked about her scalp (cradle cap) and the spot on her leg. Turns out, it isn't a birth mark...Before he replied, he asked, "Is that the only one?" I told him as far as we knew and it popped up a few weeks ago. He said it was there when she was born, but it is just now noticeable because pigment in her skin. Apparently, if there are a few, it is tuberous sclerosis and it is dangerous. He didn't go into detail, but he did say you don't want that. Like any curious and concerned parent, I researched "ash leaf spot" so I could learn more about what my daughter has.
Read more