Victoria is 11 days old today, her technical "due date". 11 days which as of today feels like a lot longer than that. The adjustment to having a baby in the house, her feeding schedule, her sleep schedule, trying to get into a routine, etc.. it is overwhelming to say the least.
The first stress we have encountered has been her eating. She and I just have not been able to get on the same page as far as breastfeeding and latching. When we left the hospital she was about a pound less than what she was when she was born. It is not uncommon for babies to lose weight but this was the maximum amount that the Dr would like to see. They recommended I start pumping and supplement at least an ounce per feeding of either my breastmilk or formula to help her gain some weight. The introduction of pumping really did help put me at ease as I am a control freak and was really, really upset over her weight loss. With pumping, I have been able to know exactly how much she is eating and it brings my anxiety down a lot. We had a follow up with her pediatrician 3 days after our initial visit and she had gained 8 whole ounces. The pedi was really happy with that and said she would have even been ok with less than that. So as of right now, I am regularly pumping at least every 3-4 hours for at least 15-20 minutes, I am glad to be able to give her my breastmilk but at the same time, the whole thing is really exhausting. Waking her up every 2-3 hours to feed her and then on top of that keeping up my pumping schedule.. its a lot of work. I am giving myself small goals of pumping exclusively for one month and then from there deciding if I can do two months, etc. I am also still considering trying to get her to latch again once she is a little bigger(maybe another week or 2) and see if I can get her back on the breast again. I have heard sometimes little babies just have problems latching to begin with but it is a skill they can develop as they get a little bigger. Her next appointment is Friday, so if she has gained more weight again I may schedule another appointment with a lactation consultant for next week to help me out.
I have felt so stressed with her feedings. I know a lot of formula & breastfeeding moms & I cant help but feel inferior to the breastfeeding moms. I don't think anyone has bad intentions but I do feel overall that breastfeeding moms seem to be more judgemental than non breastfeeding moms. It has made me so upset and feel like I am a bad mother if I cant get the breastfeeding figured out. Luckily my husband is really supportive & has stressed to me that whats important is that Victoria is getting everything she needs.. not how she is getting it. I know he is right & I need to stop being hard on myself. I am a new mother, I am a good mother.. as long as I am doing the best I can to keep me & baby healthy & happy then I am doing the best I can.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 Kommentare
Post a Comment