Here's another post that you don't have to read if you don't want to. It's all about my boobies.
So, I wanted to love on Amelia immediately after she was born. That's when they are most receptive to learning to breastfeed. Well, I wasn't able to, since she was having a little bit of respiratory distress (minor retractions and nasal flaring). After about 30 minutes in the nursery, the nurse came in and asked me if I wanted to see her or if I wanted them to go ahead and clean her up. I told them to bring her to me, since I wanted to breastfeed as quickly as I could. Amelia immediately latched on and did fantastic. We were able to feed twice before the nursery came to take her away for the doctor's rounds.
After the doctor saw her, the nursery brought her back to me. She refused to feed at the breast. Wasn't going to happen, no way, no how. I requested that a lactation consultant come talk to me, and she did. She talked to me a bit, then told me that it was normal for her not to feed because she was a preemie and that she had to eat. So, she brought me formula and told me to give her that. That was the extent of my help with the lactation consultant at the hospital. So, I would pump and only get just a bit, then give her formula. My recovery nurse suggested that I put the pumped milk (colostrum) into a medicine cup and give her that. So, when we went home after she was born, she was taking formula. My milk came in on Sunday, so I was able to pump and give her breastmilk and stop the formula. I continued to offer the breast at every feeding, and Amelia would scream and cry and not feed from me. More often than not, it ended up with Amelia crying, me crying, and occasionally Wes crying. It was totally miserable for all of us. After calling my mom crying for the 3rd or 4th day in a row, she contacted a friend of hers that has a friend who is a lactation consultant in the area. Rebecca (the lactation consultant) and I exchanged e-mails, and she came over on Sunday (10 days after Amelia was born). In a 3 hour afternoon, she was able to get Amelia to latch on and successfully nurse. Wow.
It has been a learning process...Amelia and I were just getting the hang of it when, on the following Friday, I woke up in the middle of the night with severe chills and a 102 degree fever. I had incredible malaise and a very sore, red breast. So starts mastitis. I called the doc when they opened and got a script for dicloxicillin. Just for the record, nursing with mastits hurts. A lot. Like, vomitting because the pain was so much and crying hysterically every time I had to nurse kind of hurt. It was not good at all. Then, it started getting a little better, and my nipples decided to start burning all the time, even when I wasn't feeding. I also noticed cracks and bleeding on both nipples. I talked to Rebecca (my savior!) to see what she thought I should do. She suggested that I see her doctor, she pulled some strings and got me in to see him. He told me that I had thrush on my nipples, brought on by the antibiotics I was taking to take care of the mastitis. Sigh.
So, here's we are now. I can feed without crying. However, Amelia is not latching on properly still, so the initial latch-on part is pretty tense. Once we get past the first 30 seconds or so, we are fine. It is a little uncomfortable, but I can deal with uncomfortable. I will probably try to see Rebecca again once I'm sure the mastitis and thrush are gone. I just feel like I have to get rid of a myriad of problems to be all better.
On a positive note, Amelia is doing very well with her feeding. She is having very good output (lots of poops and pees) and her weight gain is great. I went into her pediatrician's office today (where I work...one of the perks) and weighed her. She weighed 7lbs, 5.5 oz. Holy cow! She has gained almost 2 full pounds since Wes and I brought her home 3 weeks ago! So, even though it has been really hard for me, it is worth it to make sure she is healthy.
I do need to give heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps of praise to Rebecca. She has spent countless hours on the phone with me, e-mailing me, and physically working with me to make sure that Amelia and I are working on a positive nursing experience. She is patient beyond measure and one of the most compassionate people I have ever met. I am a perfect stranger to her, known only because my mom knows one of her friends. She is an amazing person, and I am so very thankful that our paths crossed and she has been able to be in our lives.
