Nursing/Pumping Story (Public Entry)
I'm applying to be a mentor for adopt_a_mom, so I'm typing up my nursing story as part of that application.
My daughter Evie was born on April 10, 2007. I was "overdue" according to the doctor's and I had what was for me, a traumatic birth experience. I was induced with the fear of big baby, only to be told over and over again that the induction was pointless, I would end up with a c-section anyways. I think that I was so scared of the c-section that I made myself go into active labor and I birthed Evie vaginally, 14 hours after the start of the induction. She was 8 lbs 5 oz. I had taken two doses of Stadol late in the induction and I think they made her sleepy. I knew to bring her to the breast ASAP to be successful, but all she wanted to do was sleep. They tested her blood sugar and told me they needed to supplement with either formula or sugar water. As a first time mother, I chose sugar water, scared my baby would be sick if I didn't and they wouldn't let me go home.
I thought she was nursing okay at the hospital but everyone found something wrong with my nursing. She was nursing too long and wasting too many calories, according to the Lactation Consultant. I should only leave her on 10 minutes each side. I fell for it and my baby continued to sleep, sleep, sleep.
We left the hospital and I continued to feed on a timed schedule. At our pediatrician checkup, she had lost too much weight. I was told to supplement. I did, stupid decision. I rented a hospital grade pump and pumped after every feeding. My husband fed her a bottle after every feeding. Soon, I couldn't latch her at all. I went to an IBCLC and was given a nipple shield. That worked a little bit but was terribly inconvienent as I couldn't figure out how to nurse in public with that piece of silicone. I tried to wean her from it, but could not. I realized I was doing twice the work (trying to breastfeed and pumping every two hours), so I dropped trying to breastfeed her.
I continued pumping every 2-3 hours until she was 8 months old. At 8 months, I switched to every 3-4 hours, and still kept waking at night to pump several times.
After pumping for 11 months, I found out that I was 5 months pregnant (whoops!). I quickly grew wary but made it to 14 months of pumping exlusively. My first baby only had about 4 ounces of formula, total!
Fast forward to the second baby (Adelaide), born August 7, 2008 to a mom with a lot more guts to stand up for what she wanted for her child. We had a great birth with no pain meds and I was given a 9 lbs 12 oz awake baby to nurse that first time. I could tell we clicked from day one. We nursed without a schedule and things took off.
I had to pump a few times in the first few weeks because she slept for longer periods than I expected. I have the opposite baby this time around--one that refuses to develop any kind of preference for a nipple! She refuses to take a bottle or pacifier AT ALL, no matter how hard we try, with every type of bottle known to man!
Nursing at the Hospital with Addie:
My daughter Evie was born on April 10, 2007. I was "overdue" according to the doctor's and I had what was for me, a traumatic birth experience. I was induced with the fear of big baby, only to be told over and over again that the induction was pointless, I would end up with a c-section anyways. I think that I was so scared of the c-section that I made myself go into active labor and I birthed Evie vaginally, 14 hours after the start of the induction. She was 8 lbs 5 oz. I had taken two doses of Stadol late in the induction and I think they made her sleepy. I knew to bring her to the breast ASAP to be successful, but all she wanted to do was sleep. They tested her blood sugar and told me they needed to supplement with either formula or sugar water. As a first time mother, I chose sugar water, scared my baby would be sick if I didn't and they wouldn't let me go home.
I thought she was nursing okay at the hospital but everyone found something wrong with my nursing. She was nursing too long and wasting too many calories, according to the Lactation Consultant. I should only leave her on 10 minutes each side. I fell for it and my baby continued to sleep, sleep, sleep.
We left the hospital and I continued to feed on a timed schedule. At our pediatrician checkup, she had lost too much weight. I was told to supplement. I did, stupid decision. I rented a hospital grade pump and pumped after every feeding. My husband fed her a bottle after every feeding. Soon, I couldn't latch her at all. I went to an IBCLC and was given a nipple shield. That worked a little bit but was terribly inconvienent as I couldn't figure out how to nurse in public with that piece of silicone. I tried to wean her from it, but could not. I realized I was doing twice the work (trying to breastfeed and pumping every two hours), so I dropped trying to breastfeed her.
I continued pumping every 2-3 hours until she was 8 months old. At 8 months, I switched to every 3-4 hours, and still kept waking at night to pump several times.
After pumping for 11 months, I found out that I was 5 months pregnant (whoops!). I quickly grew wary but made it to 14 months of pumping exlusively. My first baby only had about 4 ounces of formula, total!
Fast forward to the second baby (Adelaide), born August 7, 2008 to a mom with a lot more guts to stand up for what she wanted for her child. We had a great birth with no pain meds and I was given a 9 lbs 12 oz awake baby to nurse that first time. I could tell we clicked from day one. We nursed without a schedule and things took off.
I had to pump a few times in the first few weeks because she slept for longer periods than I expected. I have the opposite baby this time around--one that refuses to develop any kind of preference for a nipple! She refuses to take a bottle or pacifier AT ALL, no matter how hard we try, with every type of bottle known to man!
Nursing at the Hospital with Addie:
