Nursing Jewell
I wanted to reflect on the nursing relationship that I had with Jewell, so you can pass this if you want.
It all started on August 27th 2008. After pushing for 4.5 hours and in labor for a total of 13 hours and 1 min. Jewell came into our lives! I had to have an emergency c-section. I saw Jewell and put her to my breast when she was 1 hour old. The nurse that we had in the recovery room, really helped me out a lot. Jewell did great with latching on to my right side. When I went to go put her on my left side awhile later in our room where we were going to be be for the rest of our stay she did not latch on very well. She would scream. And the nurses we had plus the CNA's really tried helping out as much as they could. They called in a lactation nurse to help me out. Also the midwives came to visit and were very supportive and were also giving me ideas. The next day the midwife was looking at my nipples and they were very bruised and dark. She asked to help me out if we could use a nipple sheild. So we went with that. It worked great. She was able to latch. (I have very flat nipples.) Jewell ended up on day 4 having jaundice. She had to be under the lights for 24 hours. The only time she was allowed out from the lights was to eat. The nurses had me pump since my milk was not in fully. So after I would feed Jewell than I would go and pump.
We went home on day 5. I was scared but I knew this had to work. We were at home together for 6 weeks together. I than had to return to work. About 1 week before I went back to work I started to pump once to twice a day to start building up my supply. When I got to work. It was hard for me to pump. Not because I did not react to the pump but my leads and boss were not that nice about giving me time to pump and a place for me to pump. I would pump 3 times a day, in an 8.5 hour shift. I would make sure I would feed Jewell or pump before I left for the day also. I would pump for 15 mins in the morning, 20 mins or so at my lunch time and 15 mins in the afternoon. When I got home Jewell would be hungry by 4ish which was nice because I would be home by 3:45pm. There was also a month that my FIL would bring Jewell to me on my lunch time and I would feed her than. That was very nice of him.
We breastfeed all the way until Jewell was about 6 months old and than introduced some soilds. She did okay with them. But her main source was still mommma's milk. To get pregnant we had to do an IVF. We knew we wanted to have another one sooner rather than later. So in August of 2009 we started treatment for another round. We did not have to stop breastfeeding. She slowly started to wean herself prior to even starting drugs. I was still pumping 3 times a day at work. Jewell did not really want to nurse anymore she would rather drink out of a cup. On August 25th 2009 Jewell refused to latch on all day. She kept moving away. I knew I was pregnant for sure at that time. (confirmed a few days later) I pumped for a little bit more. I have/had so much milk in our deep freezer that I donated 300oz to one of my co-workers who is having a hard time keeping up with her growing now 8 month old. I still have about 250oz downstairs in our freezer waiting to be moved to my co-workers house or somebody else who could use it.
It is bitter sweet that Jewell stopped nursing. I'm very sad and I know some of it was because of me wanting another baby. But really in the end I gave her a year of great mamma's milk and a brother or a sister to play with her and to hopefully be very good friends. I know some people may look at this as being selfish but I do not and that is all that matters.
I think that is it for now, I may add on more later.
It all started on August 27th 2008. After pushing for 4.5 hours and in labor for a total of 13 hours and 1 min. Jewell came into our lives! I had to have an emergency c-section. I saw Jewell and put her to my breast when she was 1 hour old. The nurse that we had in the recovery room, really helped me out a lot. Jewell did great with latching on to my right side. When I went to go put her on my left side awhile later in our room where we were going to be be for the rest of our stay she did not latch on very well. She would scream. And the nurses we had plus the CNA's really tried helping out as much as they could. They called in a lactation nurse to help me out. Also the midwives came to visit and were very supportive and were also giving me ideas. The next day the midwife was looking at my nipples and they were very bruised and dark. She asked to help me out if we could use a nipple sheild. So we went with that. It worked great. She was able to latch. (I have very flat nipples.) Jewell ended up on day 4 having jaundice. She had to be under the lights for 24 hours. The only time she was allowed out from the lights was to eat. The nurses had me pump since my milk was not in fully. So after I would feed Jewell than I would go and pump.
We went home on day 5. I was scared but I knew this had to work. We were at home together for 6 weeks together. I than had to return to work. About 1 week before I went back to work I started to pump once to twice a day to start building up my supply. When I got to work. It was hard for me to pump. Not because I did not react to the pump but my leads and boss were not that nice about giving me time to pump and a place for me to pump. I would pump 3 times a day, in an 8.5 hour shift. I would make sure I would feed Jewell or pump before I left for the day also. I would pump for 15 mins in the morning, 20 mins or so at my lunch time and 15 mins in the afternoon. When I got home Jewell would be hungry by 4ish which was nice because I would be home by 3:45pm. There was also a month that my FIL would bring Jewell to me on my lunch time and I would feed her than. That was very nice of him.
We breastfeed all the way until Jewell was about 6 months old and than introduced some soilds. She did okay with them. But her main source was still mommma's milk. To get pregnant we had to do an IVF. We knew we wanted to have another one sooner rather than later. So in August of 2009 we started treatment for another round. We did not have to stop breastfeeding. She slowly started to wean herself prior to even starting drugs. I was still pumping 3 times a day at work. Jewell did not really want to nurse anymore she would rather drink out of a cup. On August 25th 2009 Jewell refused to latch on all day. She kept moving away. I knew I was pregnant for sure at that time. (confirmed a few days later) I pumped for a little bit more. I have/had so much milk in our deep freezer that I donated 300oz to one of my co-workers who is having a hard time keeping up with her growing now 8 month old. I still have about 250oz downstairs in our freezer waiting to be moved to my co-workers house or somebody else who could use it.
It is bitter sweet that Jewell stopped nursing. I'm very sad and I know some of it was because of me wanting another baby. But really in the end I gave her a year of great mamma's milk and a brother or a sister to play with her and to hopefully be very good friends. I know some people may look at this as being selfish but I do not and that is all that matters.
I think that is it for now, I may add on more later.