Judi, you are doing great! the fact that you are trying to breastfeed is fabulous! My sister also had a difficult time breastfeeding with her son mostly because he was a preemie and she had to take his clothes off to wake him up so he'd eat :) She did for a while but then he just wouldn't eat at all so she had to go over to formula despite her feelings on the subject.
Give it some time to get comfortable, give it your best shot, and if it doesn't work out don't beat yourself up. A kid's gotta eat!
Sleep whenever she does, take every opportunity :) Go MAMA!
wow. i'm so sorry to hear that... that must have been so difficult. was "rooming in" with the baby an option at all? i had mine with me the whole time, and so had the opportunity to get used to her throughout the day/night, and when she was doing weird things (like the heavy breathing) the nurses assured me it was normal. they also taught us how to give her a sponge bath and how to swaddle. because i was in the hospital for 2.5 days, i had the time to practice it with someone professional looking on.
and yeah, sometimes the breastfeeding was painful, particularly when my milk first came in. the first night thereafter, i had a difficult time too, because apparently the baby gets confused by the different feel of the breast and has trouble latching on as before. luckily, the next day i happened to have my midwife followup appointment, and they explained to me that this was normal. but i can def relate to the frustration and fear that you're starving your kid.
rooming in was an option, but i thought i could probably take advantage of the sleep? that was definitely a mistake. i should have taken the chance to get to know her true schedule with a nurse call button on hand... now when she cries at night, there's no nurse's station around the corner
( ... )
i'm glad to hear you're pumping. i think the important thing is that Harley is getting breastmilk. as for bonding, i'm sure you hold her often enough for it not to be a concern. :)
honestly, though, your story kinda horrified me a little, because it's so ridiculous that hospital practices like this can cause huge problems for new parents, just because they haven't been warned of potential consequences. you know? but in any case things have worked out for you anyway, which i'm very relieved to hear. how is Harley now? i hope you are enjoying motherhood. :)
Bravery isn't the absence of fear, but the spirit of action despite fear.
Be brave.
I'm sure you've heard this a million times, but there is no instruction book for parenthood. If your kid is still alive, you've done a pretty damn good job. That's about all i had to measure my "success" as a parent those first months. "Is she still breathing? Yeah? Phew! Good."
But yeah, this shit's scary, and it's supposed to be. Being scared, though, shows how much you care for your child. And while i can't say the fear goes away (because you'll always love your kid) i can say it gets easier to deal with over time.
A book recommendation: HAPPIEST BABY ON THE BLOCK and HAPPIEST TODDLER ON THE BLOCK by Dr. Harvey Karp. As i'm sure you're aware, there are many books out there representing a lot of different theories on child-rearing. Every family is different. But we found that these two titles worked very well with our parenting style and with our daughter's personality.
You are in for the ride of your life! Good luck! :)
first of all... THANK YOU. i said it in a previous comment here but just hearing a few encouraging words makes SUCH an enormous difference - especially from another parent. thank you thank you thank you.
secondly - my boss bought me happiest baby on the block and i've definitely been using his techniques. i thought the book was excellent and like you said, a good fit for our style as well.
we'll keep working at it every day :-) thanks again!
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Give it some time to get comfortable, give it your best shot, and if it doesn't work out don't beat yourself up. A kid's gotta eat!
Sleep whenever she does, take every opportunity :) Go MAMA!
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rawee1
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and yeah, sometimes the breastfeeding was painful, particularly when my milk first came in. the first night thereafter, i had a difficult time too, because apparently the baby gets confused by the different feel of the breast and has trouble latching on as before. luckily, the next day i happened to have my midwife followup appointment, and they explained to me that this was normal. but i can def relate to the frustration and fear that you're starving your kid.
i'm dying to read an update--how are things now?
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honestly, though, your story kinda horrified me a little, because it's so ridiculous that hospital practices like this can cause huge problems for new parents, just because they haven't been warned of potential consequences. you know? but in any case things have worked out for you anyway, which i'm very relieved to hear. how is Harley now? i hope you are enjoying motherhood. :)
thanks for your wishes. :)
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Be brave.
I'm sure you've heard this a million times, but there is no instruction book for parenthood. If your kid is still alive, you've done a pretty damn good job. That's about all i had to measure my "success" as a parent those first months. "Is she still breathing? Yeah? Phew! Good."
But yeah, this shit's scary, and it's supposed to be. Being scared, though, shows how much you care for your child. And while i can't say the fear goes away (because you'll always love your kid) i can say it gets easier to deal with over time.
A book recommendation: HAPPIEST BABY ON THE BLOCK and HAPPIEST TODDLER ON THE BLOCK by Dr. Harvey Karp. As i'm sure you're aware, there are many books out there representing a lot of different theories on child-rearing. Every family is different. But we found that these two titles worked very well with our parenting style and with our daughter's personality.
You are in for the ride of your life! Good luck! :)
Reply
secondly - my boss bought me happiest baby on the block and i've definitely been using his techniques. i thought the book was excellent and like you said, a good fit for our style as well.
we'll keep working at it every day :-) thanks again!
Reply
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