Breastfeeding, etc. - Page 28 « Back to Group Discussions

[TalkToMeNow]

Originally Posted by LunaLady 

That's awesome, Amanda! What a great resource. Have you pumped and chatted with anyone else? Like how people do on a smoke break? 

Lol! That would be funny. No, it's a single person room. One at a time! There are actually two at my location. I have only had to wait once, so it's been pretty cool.

[dashley111]

That's amazing Amanda!

[seraf]

How many lactating moms do you work with?

[birdhappy85]

Originally Posted by LunaLady 

Joanie, so sorry you're sick! That's awful. I'd be so worried, too. How are things today? Are you feeling better? How's Sora?

Thanks for all of the well wishes, everyone. I think my fever finally broke last night. It got up to almost 105F Monday night and DH had to put cold wet towels and ice packs on me to cool me down. Every time we lowered the fever a few degrees, the meds wore off and the fever went right back up. It was horrible.  I haven't been able to eat much of anything. When I force myself, it goes right through me. I'm pushing fluids at least. We've had to supplement Sora with some formula and goat milk more often. I've only been able to nurse her once a day. She doesn't even want to nurse because it doesn't seem that there's anything in there really... I'm not well enough at this point to do too much to increase my milk supply again. It's probably not even a good idea with how little I'm nourishing myself. I'm starting to feel a little better and accepting of things... I'm happy to have even made it this far nursing! And Sora doesn't seem to mind at all that nursing has decreased, so that's a plus. We have been giving her bottles for a few months now and are transitioning to sippy cups more, so I think weaning will go just fine and not affect her at all if that's what we're facing.

Sora is doing well. She got over being sick the day before it hit me bad, thankfully.

[Jaimee]

Glad that things are turning around, Joanie!  Being that sick just plain sucks. 

I'm not well enough at this point to do too much to increase my milk supply again. It's probably not even a good idea with how little I'm nourishing myself. I'm starting to feel a little better and accepting of things... I'm happy to have even made it this far nursing!

Please don't give up on nursing!  After my bought with stomach flu and nearly losing my milk when Avalon was 8 months old, I was so thankful I powered through and my milk came back.  There were so many times after that time that I was thankful for breastfeeding.  There were more stomach viruses after that one and injuries and tantrums and breastfeeding got us through all of them.

I know how hard you worked to get through those first few months of breastfeeding and I'd hate to see you feel forced to end the relationship now due to an illness.  Your body is amazing and it can bounce back.  I would highly recommend putting Sora to the breast frequently to stimulate your supply.  If you're getting fluids down and keeping them down your body will be fine.  This is what those mama reserves are for!

[TalkToMeNow]

Originally Posted by seraf 

How many lactating moms do you work with?

No clue. I've only had to wait one time, so there clearly aren't a million of us. I work for the major children's hospital system in Atlanta. I think they have to be super pro-breastfeeding!

[dashley111]

Now I *know* people always say "she will eat when she is hungry, she wont starve to death", but Im pretty sure B has set out to set them wrong.  The kids is PICKY.  She used to eat everything, but since she has started teething she practically eats only bananas and peanut butter sandwiches.  Today she wont eat anything but 4 raspberries and half a string cheese.  I give her what we eat for dinner every night and she cries at it, throws it off her tray to the dog, then waits for me to nurse her   She is back to being almost exclusively breastfed.  She still wont take a cup or bottle.  The girl needs some fat.  I don't know what to do...

You would think that by kid 3 I would have more ideas, but I just don't.  I feel like Ive exhausted every idea now.

[jbk21]

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Edited by jbk21 - 10/6/12 at 9:35pm

[mamabelle]

Sorry to hear about the ER visit and being so sick Joanie, that totally sucks. I hope you are fully recovered soon.

Ash, my first definitely went through that with teething and was always a small kiddo (2nd percentile at one point), so I worried about getting him enough food. One thing that went over well was smoothies and smoothie popsicles. You can use whole milk yogurt (protein and fat!) and whatever else you want (bananas, berries, we've even snuck spinach and kale into ours). There were days when he ate 2 or 3 smoothie popsicles but if you make them yourselves you know what they are getting for nutrition and just know that it is a phase that will pass. Good luck!

[Jaimee]

Ash, I know it's difficult to not worry, but seriously, I wouldn't worry about the food situation.  Avalon was little like B and was exclusively breastfeed until she was about 13 months old.  I couldn't feed her any solids b/c she reacted to everything and by the time we got that figured out, she had to figure out how to eat so that took a few more months.  Avalon also had a little friend that was even lower than her on the charts and her mom was constantly trying to get fat into her- letting her eat whatever she would even straight butter, full fat sour cream, etc.  But in the end, the girl just needed time to fill in.  Really, I'm sure that B will be just fine.  I wouldn't stress about getting a bunch of fats into her.  Breastmilk is sufficient for many, many more months.  Stress if she's not meeting her milestones- but since she's about to walk at 9 months I don't think there is any concern there at all.  B is just on her schedule.

[dashley111]

We were doing smoothies for a while, with kale...but she wont eat them anymore.  I will try pops, she definitely knows what those are.!

And Thanks Jaimee :)  Having a small baby is just so strange for me because we are all tall (and my husband large) people.  Part of me knows I need to relax, but then I put B in a 0-3 sized onesie and freak out a little.

[birdhappy85]

Originally Posted by Jaimee 

Please don't give up on nursing!  After my bought with stomach flu and nearly losing my milk when Avalon was 8 months old, I was so thankful I powered through and my milk came back.  There were so many times after that time that I was thankful for breastfeeding.  There were more stomach viruses after that one and injuries and tantrums and breastfeeding got us through all of them.

I know how hard you worked to get through those first few months of breastfeeding and I'd hate to see you feel forced to end the relationship now due to an illness.  Your body is amazing and it can bounce back.  I would highly recommend putting Sora to the breast frequently to stimulate your supply.  If you're getting fluids down and keeping them down your body will be fine.  This is what those mama reserves are for!

Thanks for the encouragement, Jaimee. I'm sorry if this turns into a cryfest over here, but I'm so emotional over my milk supply tonight. I'm sitting on the couch in tears. Even though I kept giving myself positive affirmations that Sora would be okay and I would be okay if my nursing is done, I ended up in this place again where it's unbearable to even think of the end of nursing. Why is weaning so emotional for ME? I never understood why women become sad sometimes when they stop nursing their children, but now I'm experiencing it. I'm frustrated that I don't understand why I'm sad, though. What is this "hold" over me? Is it like a grieving of a bond we shared? It does feel like grieving. I do know part of it is worrying about Sora somehow being "damaged" by the weaning... even though I have no idea what kind of damage it could do. I'm paranoid. I mean, technically we've been supplementing more and more for a month or two now during the day, so this is actually a very gradual kind-of wean if it is indeed the end of nursing. I should take solace in that it's not an abrupt super disruptive cut-off from the breast, you know? I'm just so so bummed. I tried bringing her to the breast more last night and today, and she doesn't get anything so she has no interest and just sits up to get away... I tried pumping tonight and, well, that's kind of how I ended up realizing just how low my supply is and ended up in this state. I barely got 1/2 oz in 25 minutes of pumping... I bought Mother's Milk tea earlier with the intention of starting that, but maybe now it's fruitless? I took some Fenugreek too. (Not sure what dosage would be optimal to increase my supply?) Worse, everything I'm eating and drinking is still going right through me. I don't think my body is holding onto much of anything while this infection is working its way out. 

Jeez, I am really going to be one of those mothers who has trouble watching her children grow up...

[Jaimee]

Joanie, weaning is very emotional- especially when it's unexpected or sudden.  Even when you plan to wean or come to it naturally, it causes all sorts of emotions to bubble up and your hormones start to balance out again, causing a swing in the other direction.   It is an end of a relationship, an acknowledgement that your baby is growing up.  Top all this off with your weaken state form the illness and sleep deprivation and, well, you've got a real roller coaster of emotions.  This is why so many of us say it's bittersweet.  But, you're right, Sora will be okay if this is it. 

But, again, I would not give up.  If things are still just going through you, your body is probably having difficulty producing any volume of milk.  But the fact that you still got some, means it's still there.  If it were me, I would keep at it.  I would keep offering the breast, frequently.  Keep switching sides as she pops off.  I would also pump periodically throughout the day.  Keep up the tea, oatmeal (if you can), fenugreek, and any other suggestions on this site: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/herbal_galactagogue/

You might be surprised that once your body has healed that your milk steadily increases with your efforts.  I mean, even adoptive mothers can sometimes get milk to flow.  It will likely take some work on your part and you may not feel up to it right now.  That's the tough part.  But I really do think you'll be grateful that you tried.

[jbk21]

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Edited by jbk21 - 10/6/12 at 9:32pm

[Jaimee]

Avalon and Austin both have had that as well (hand, foot, and mouth disease) and I got it, too.  Because I had it, I credit the antibodies in my breastmilk for making the illness much less severe.  Same with rota when Avalon got it.

[jbk21]

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Edited by jbk21 - 10/6/12 at 9:32pm

[birdhappy85]

You're both right. I want to continue. I can do this! I didn't even think of Sora's campylobacter illness being so brief due to my breastfeeding her. I just thought maybe babies have it easier and/or I got a worse infection somehow. But no, my milk does so much for her that I don't think enough about! I'm going to work on this! I drank a cup of Mother's Milk tea before bed and took some melatonin to help with the sudden insomnia I've been having the past few nights. I don't know if sleep, tea, or both helped - but I finally felt one letdown when nursing this morning!!! I hadn't felt a letdown in 4 days. I'm going to try cosleeping more while building back up my supply since Sora is most interested in nursing when sleepy and will stay at the breast longest then. I'll check out that site you linked too, Jaimee.

Thank you so so so so much for the support. Really.

I'm going to go make some more tea and pump!

[Jaimee]

Yay, Joanie!!  You can SO do it!  That let down is very encouraging! 

[LunaLady]

Yay Joanie! You can do it! You'll be so happy you did

[Abraisme]

I agree with the others, it's quite likely that your body will bounce back.  The more you demand, the more you'll supply.  You'll likely be so glad that you powered through and stuck with it in the long run.