A bit of a warning here... you are about to learn so much about my lactation, it will make your head spin. If you have breast issues, read no further. Though honestly, if you DO have breast issues, you should get over them... b/c boobs rule.
Anyways...
Tim and I talked about my breastfeeding concerns on Sunday and we decided on a system for helping my sanity. My main concerns are making sure that I have enough milk supply to feed Story effectively (you establish your milk supply in the first four weeks and I had spent so many days in the hospital, I am a bit worried about not producing enough) and that I increase my supply effectively before the four week point.
So, we came up with a plan. As of Sunday, I have been pumping at least four times per day, about 1/2 hour after feeding Story for twenty minutes. We've then been giving her that extra milk via bottle at night so Tim can have some feeding/bonding time and Story gets an extra feeding per day. Now I KNOW that lactation consultants usually tell you to wait a month before introducing any form of bottle, but Story has been latching so well that I'm following my own gut here. I figure it's better to increase my production and give Story a caloric boost via breastmilk in a bottle than to go to forumla.
And I am happy to report that it's working! I just did my first pumping session this morning and I have seen a good jump in production. At first I was only getting 1 ounce total from pumping both sides at once, what seemed like a piddly amount. It's only been about one full day of increased pumping and I'm already getting three ounces total! The funny thing is that lefty is a severe underachiever to righty, so I think I'm going to have a few sessions today only pumping lefty to try to get it up to snuff.
I have to admit that I'm crying as I write this, because I had become so hopeless. But things are definitely looking up! Big shout outs to Amy C for all your help and suggestions! Especially a big thank you for suggesting Breastfeeding Made Simple, as it's a great book for understanding lactation and solving breastfeeding issues!
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4 comments:
Yayayayayay!!!! I am SO proud of you I could cry!!!!! That is FANTASTIC!!!!!!
I have an underachiever boob too.....apparently, there can be disparities in how much each boob produces, and that is totally normal.
Oh, I am just so happy and proud of you. You are doing such an awesome job, Momma!!!! it is evident that you love your little girl so much---you are making sacrifices for her benefit and it's going to pay big dividends very soon---and sounds like it is paying off already!!! Congrats!!!!
I am SO happy that you were able to find a solution! That is awesome!
Hi :) I've been reading your baby blog for a while now - I guess you're kind of a friend of a friend. Anyway, I wanted to say thank you for being so honest and candid. I'm about to start trying to conceive and your blog has been a huge help (and reality check for me). I'm glad things are going well for you and the fam!
Sounds like intuition worked out again. Plus, now Dad gets to share more feeding time. Is he on the late night shift?
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