I mentioned the possibility of my horrendous labor being to blame for my troubles breastfeeding, but my daughters pediatrician looked at me like I had two heads. He doesn't think there is any relation, but I do!!
A bit of history - I have a history of blood clots, and while I test negative for any genetic predispositions, I was treated as a "high risk" patient for blood clots, often being cited as an APS patient (a clotting disorder). Anyway, because of this, I was on heparin (a blood thinner) for my entire pregnancy because my pathombrin times did change, indicating that I could be at risk for another clot. This was fine. BUT, being on the heparin made all my doctors (my OB and the specialist) squeamish about delivery, plus, the heparin made me grow a big baby, which put me at risk for a c-section.
They didn't want to let me go into labor naturally in case I had too much blood thinner in my system, so they wanted to induce me before I progressed too much on my own so they can sort of "time" the delivery to manage my medication. I'm against inducing early (well, pretty much all inducement) but at my 39 week I was 2 centimeters dilated and 50 percent effaced. Big whoop. This is my first child, I could be like that another 2 weeks. But they made a big hairy deal about it, and pretty much scared me with all the risks, so I went through with it. BIG MISTAKE.
I was admitted Sunday night and I didn't have my daughter until early TUESDAY morning. No sooner had they started the pitocin did they break my water, and it was all down hill from there. They exceeded the standing order for pitocin THREE times, and it got to the point where I spiked a fever and starting projectile vomiting. My hopes for a "natural" labor went out the window. My nurse, who I adored (she was very supportive of my wishes) was even advising me to get an epidural so I would relax. And I did. After that I begged them to shut the pitocin off to give me a break, and finally, 30 hours later, my daughter was born. I had a 4th degree tear that required surgery to repair, and I was so dizzy from the loss of blood that I couldn't hold my daughter. I didn't get to nurse her until 3 hours after delivery, and even then, I could barely hold my head up.
Anyway, I'm CONVINCED that my body was not ready to give birth, which I think impacted my milk coming in and/or supply. It took 7 days for my milk to come in, resulting in a lot of weight loss, jaundice and dehydration. But I stuck with it, thinking everything was going well, despite the bloody cracked nipples. LOL. At her 4 week check up she had only regained her birth weight by 2 ounces, and in the following two weeks started loosing weight. I started supplementing, as the dehydration set in (only 2 wet diapers in a 24 hour period).
I bought a double electric madela pump and started pumping after every nursing session to help increase my supply, and to avoid formula. I've got all the supplements possible, but still, it's a battle every day.
I tried the SNS to no avail, and am still pumping and supplementing, although it has improved a bit. We've gone from 12 ounces of formula down to about 5.
No one seems to believe me when I say all the interventions during labor has impacted the beginning of my breastfeeding relationship.
I have been working with a LC and luckily for us my DD has a great latch and shows no signs of nipple confusion. She goes back and forth from bottle to breast just fine. She also does not use a pacifier (she has me for that
). She has been slowly weaning herself from the supplements by actually being content after a nursing session and thus not needing the extra intake (nor wanting it), BUT, she still has poor diaper output.
Just when I think things are going well again I feel like there is another set back. Why would she not be producing enough wet diapers? Because I'm not producing enough milk, right?
I want to stop supplementing, but it seems like I can only produce so much and then it sort of hits a plateau where it doesn't increase at all.
A bit of history - I have a history of blood clots, and while I test negative for any genetic predispositions, I was treated as a "high risk" patient for blood clots, often being cited as an APS patient (a clotting disorder). Anyway, because of this, I was on heparin (a blood thinner) for my entire pregnancy because my pathombrin times did change, indicating that I could be at risk for another clot. This was fine. BUT, being on the heparin made all my doctors (my OB and the specialist) squeamish about delivery, plus, the heparin made me grow a big baby, which put me at risk for a c-section.
They didn't want to let me go into labor naturally in case I had too much blood thinner in my system, so they wanted to induce me before I progressed too much on my own so they can sort of "time" the delivery to manage my medication. I'm against inducing early (well, pretty much all inducement) but at my 39 week I was 2 centimeters dilated and 50 percent effaced. Big whoop. This is my first child, I could be like that another 2 weeks. But they made a big hairy deal about it, and pretty much scared me with all the risks, so I went through with it. BIG MISTAKE.
I was admitted Sunday night and I didn't have my daughter until early TUESDAY morning. No sooner had they started the pitocin did they break my water, and it was all down hill from there. They exceeded the standing order for pitocin THREE times, and it got to the point where I spiked a fever and starting projectile vomiting. My hopes for a "natural" labor went out the window. My nurse, who I adored (she was very supportive of my wishes) was even advising me to get an epidural so I would relax. And I did. After that I begged them to shut the pitocin off to give me a break, and finally, 30 hours later, my daughter was born. I had a 4th degree tear that required surgery to repair, and I was so dizzy from the loss of blood that I couldn't hold my daughter. I didn't get to nurse her until 3 hours after delivery, and even then, I could barely hold my head up.
Anyway, I'm CONVINCED that my body was not ready to give birth, which I think impacted my milk coming in and/or supply. It took 7 days for my milk to come in, resulting in a lot of weight loss, jaundice and dehydration. But I stuck with it, thinking everything was going well, despite the bloody cracked nipples. LOL. At her 4 week check up she had only regained her birth weight by 2 ounces, and in the following two weeks started loosing weight. I started supplementing, as the dehydration set in (only 2 wet diapers in a 24 hour period).
I bought a double electric madela pump and started pumping after every nursing session to help increase my supply, and to avoid formula. I've got all the supplements possible, but still, it's a battle every day.
I tried the SNS to no avail, and am still pumping and supplementing, although it has improved a bit. We've gone from 12 ounces of formula down to about 5.
No one seems to believe me when I say all the interventions during labor has impacted the beginning of my breastfeeding relationship.
I have been working with a LC and luckily for us my DD has a great latch and shows no signs of nipple confusion. She goes back and forth from bottle to breast just fine. She also does not use a pacifier (she has me for that
). She has been slowly weaning herself from the supplements by actually being content after a nursing session and thus not needing the extra intake (nor wanting it), BUT, she still has poor diaper output.Just when I think things are going well again I feel like there is another set back. Why would she not be producing enough wet diapers? Because I'm not producing enough milk, right?
I want to stop supplementing, but it seems like I can only produce so much and then it sort of hits a plateau where it doesn't increase at all.
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Sorry Mamma, but I kinda disagree with your post. In all my BF research I have NEVER heard of a 2wk supply plateau......from what I understand its all about supply and demand....as often as your breasts are *effectively* stimulated, more milk will be produced.
, I just dissagree.
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