Breastfeeding is difficult. We probably have to go to the doctor tomorrow morning because Natalie is starting to show signs of dehydration. I had visits from lactation consultants and nursery nurses while at the hospital and really thought Natalie was making excellent progress, but she has had a very minimal amount of wet and dirty diapers since she's been home. She's also pretty much given up on staying awake long enough for a feeding. I made the mistake of assuming she was full and was just a "good baby". Little did I know I was not giving her enough! So, I've been supplementing her feedings with formula for the past few times since my milk has not come in and she's showing little to no interest in the colostrum. After calling her pediatrician and speaking to the nurse and consulting Dr. Google, I have come to the conclusion that she's dehydrated. She was supposed to have 4-6 wet diapers a day by now, and so far she's only had one wet diaper and two dirty diapers. Very frustrating. And her stool is still the tarry black poop of a newborn. It should have been making the transition to mustardy yellow today...
My poor baby! Please pray for her. I don't know what to do beyond try to get her to feed every 2 hours and go to the doctor tomorrow morning. She's been so sluggish; I just hope she's not growing weak. I love her so much. As soon as I found out she could be dehydrated, I started bawling. I didn't know. And no one told me. The nurses told me that the colostrum would provide everything she needed and that she would definitely perk up and show much more interest once my actual milk came in. It could be an after effect of the medications I was given for epidural and c-section. I kind of thought she would "let me know" when she was hungry. This is all the trials of being a new mother, but I absolutely HATE the thought that I could have unintentionally harmed her in any way. My sweet baby...
Anyhow... more to come. Newborns are tough, but she is sooooooo worth it.
Hey girl!! I'm so excited to read that Natalie is here!! I'm dying to see a pic of her. I just want to first off send you some huge encouragement with breastfeeding. I had the same exact issues with Aubrey. I thought she was just being a good baby but here she was just getting dehydrated. It;s true that the meds from a c-section slow down milk production so it may take a day or two longer to come in. I was encouraged to undress Aubrey (down to a diaper) to encourage her to wake up to feed bc she just wouldn't. Also using a wet washcloth on her will help to wake her up to feed. We also dropped a few drops of forumula on my nipple to help encourage her to latch on. That often worked. But, even through these tricks, Aub still wouldn't latch or wake up well. On Christmas eve, day 4, I called my midwife sobbing bc my baby was hungry and I couldn't feed her. It was so hard! I felt like a terrible mother. My midwife suggested to supplement with formula - just two ounces at a time - because formula and breast milk are so different. It satisfied A's hunger and I felt so much better. Check out kellymom.com for a TON of bfing info. There was a link there that talked about a deep latch and after practicing that for a few bfing sessions, A "got it" and bfing has been amazing. No more issues. I too had a c-section and bfing forced me to stay still and recover. Try side laying down - it may work and be easy on you. I just really want to encourage you with bfing. It's not a cake walk at first but it really is so worth it. I cried through the first few weeks bc I was feeling so many emotions, but now, three months later, I am loving feeding my baby. It's so bonding and something no one else can do for her. If you need any advice or encouragement, I'm just an email away. I'm not an expert -just a new mom too. :)
ReplyDeleteI also want to mention a few other things that I read that were helpful as far as bfing goes. I was encouraged to practice a lot of skin to skin contact. It helps with bonding. Also, allow her to spend as much time at your breast as she wants. Even is she's just suckeling and not actively drinking, she is building your milk supply. Don't be suprised if in the next few weeks all it seems that you do is feed your Natalie. You'll finish a marathon feeding and then minutes later she'll want to feed again. This.is.normal. I had no clue. But again, she's building up that milk supply so settle in! It came at night for us and Aubrey would feed from like 9 pm - 2 am. It REALLY helped that Shane stayed up with me and we watched movies and tv seasons on dvd together. It was TOUGH to say the least but once she got through that spell, life was great. Seriously, it does get better. The first three weeks are the toughest. Hang in there! And please, honestly, email me if you ever need any encouragement. And check out that website for a ton of info!
So happy to hear that your precious girl is here. What a scary labor you had!! Yikes - to loose so much blood!! So glad you are now home and on the mend. Take it super easy girlie and love on that special bundle that you've been blessed with. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!