Nursing story
At times, I wasn't sure we would get here, but I was determined and dedicated and here we are!
Fletcher was born full-term, but wound up in the NICU for the first nine days of his life. The hospital brought me a pump the morning after he was born (why didn't I think to ask for it right away?!) and I started trying to pump. I got nothing at first, then droplets, and finally I was able to pump about half what he needed. He was four days old the first time I got to hold him and six days old before I was able to nurse him the first time and then we nursed and supplemented with formula. We brought him home ten days after his birth and I decided there would be no more formula. I trusted that my body would make the milk he needed and we marathon nursed. It worked! We haven't used another drop of formula since.
I went back to work when Fletcher was four months. I had worked hard to build up a freezer stash by that time, but I didn't want to depend on it. I do not respond well to the the pump, so I've never been able to pump as much as he needs while I am away. I battled this problem by pumping the other side every time he nursed when we were together during waking hours. I kept working on that freezer stash during breaks and snow days and had enough banked that I was able to stop the constant pumping about five weeks ago. His intake of solids through the day increased enough that he started drinking less milk and I decided to supplement what I pump at work from the freezer stash.
When Fletcher was almost five months old, he was prescribed his first antibiotic. We both wound up with thrush. It was very painful and my nipples cracked and developed sores. We nursed through it because I had a baby who was going through a growth spurt at the same time! I just gritted my teeth and cried during nursing sessions.
I want to continue our nursing relationship as long as Fletcher wants to nurse. He still nurses frequently - about every two hours - when we're together and he still nurses a lot at night. This should be enough to keep my production up, right?
I am so glad that I have been able to nurse this baby. He is worth it!
Fletcher was born full-term, but wound up in the NICU for the first nine days of his life. The hospital brought me a pump the morning after he was born (why didn't I think to ask for it right away?!) and I started trying to pump. I got nothing at first, then droplets, and finally I was able to pump about half what he needed. He was four days old the first time I got to hold him and six days old before I was able to nurse him the first time and then we nursed and supplemented with formula. We brought him home ten days after his birth and I decided there would be no more formula. I trusted that my body would make the milk he needed and we marathon nursed. It worked! We haven't used another drop of formula since.
I went back to work when Fletcher was four months. I had worked hard to build up a freezer stash by that time, but I didn't want to depend on it. I do not respond well to the the pump, so I've never been able to pump as much as he needs while I am away. I battled this problem by pumping the other side every time he nursed when we were together during waking hours. I kept working on that freezer stash during breaks and snow days and had enough banked that I was able to stop the constant pumping about five weeks ago. His intake of solids through the day increased enough that he started drinking less milk and I decided to supplement what I pump at work from the freezer stash.
When Fletcher was almost five months old, he was prescribed his first antibiotic. We both wound up with thrush. It was very painful and my nipples cracked and developed sores. We nursed through it because I had a baby who was going through a growth spurt at the same time! I just gritted my teeth and cried during nursing sessions.
I want to continue our nursing relationship as long as Fletcher wants to nurse. He still nurses frequently - about every two hours - when we're together and he still nurses a lot at night. This should be enough to keep my production up, right?
I am so glad that I have been able to nurse this baby. He is worth it!