Tits Up to Tits Down...

I was recently browsing through old posts (procrastination on writing a new post... lol) and came across this one...

I remember basically having a break-down one night when Ms. Mack was about two weeks old... it was pre-lactation-visits but a few doctor appointments into a shaky weight gain...

Well.


Here we are, 8months (and 1 week) later - STILL NURSING!!!! (and pumping at work...)

Now I feel like I should kick myself in the butt, because I somewhat blame my fatigue for her poor weight gain: I could barely keep my eyes open even while standing, so to get some sleep I just laid her on my chest, so we both slept for more 4-5 hour streches, when really - she should have been waking up to eat...
Que sera, sera...

Of course, it hasn't been smooth sailing the whole way - as I currently down 4 lecithin horse pills a day for a recurrent clogged duct and carry around tweezers/safetypins/alcoholswabs to keep the clog-causing milk bleb open... (a case of chicken-or-egg, this bleb/clog combo... I thought the bleb caused the clog, but then I'm opening the bleb nearly every nursing/pump session, so lactation-consultant-friend thinks the bleb is a symptom of a deeper clog, hence the lecithin (a fat-emulsifer))

This development has also totally impacted pump out-put: my first-morning session at work went from a typical 5-6ounces to a measly 3-3.5ounces, and the second session went from a typical 3-3.5oz to 1.75-2oz...

but - but...

My nine-month goal is fast approaching, and given Ms.Mack's affinity for all things food (baby purees, bananas, cut-up blueberries, pieces of bread, puffs, carrot sticks that she gums) I am anticipating a transition to cow's milk at the nine-month mark, releasing me from my indentured servitude (of work pumping twice a day). 

We'll heavily depend on the freezer stash (down to 75 ounces) for the next few weeks (the three previous work days she's taken all three bottles at daycare (10oz) whilst I'm only pumping on average 5oz at work...) and I'll squeeze in a hand-pump session before bed here and there (will usually yield just under 2oz!) and we should just* make it...

*ok, we'll make it if I use no more than 3.4ounces a day from the freezer stash... yup, I am that freak that creates and runs formulas to calculate if Sally has 1,000 ounces of breast milk, and wants to make it last for 49 calendar days, but wants to wean and use 1 ounce less per day as each week passes, at what rate should she decrease....
ok yea, you get it - I ran those formulas... lol and I can't use more than 3.4 ounces per day, or I'll run out before she makes her nine-month appointment!

And this mathematical brain of mine always feels so much better with a plan in place, The Plan now being: keep pumping x2 a day at work; if the freezer stash diminishes too quickly before her 9 month mark, we'll supplement with a little formula to get us there...
Once nine months hits, I'll drop to pumping once a day at work (still nursing in the am and pm, and weekends) and eventually all-together drop pumping at work (OMG CANNOT WAIT! the work-wardrobe options that will open up when I no longer have to access my boobs twice a day!

2 MONTHS!

I can't believe I'm a week late posting this...

Who am I kidding?! of course I can believe it - I'm only on the computer once a week, if that!
well that's about to change... this is my last full week of maternity leave *SOB!

Ok I'm lying again, I can't say I don't look forward just a little bit to going back to work- especially since, for the month of March, I'll only be working three days a week (MWF) and home with her the other two!

I did that anticipating being able to successfully set up a nursing relationship, and I think I can say I've already done that!!!
(exciting, yes? especially after the disaster with Button and the EPing for months...)
We are EBF (exclusively breast fed!) and for a few weeks now have not supplemented with anything (pumped milk or formula - except two nights last week where apparently E couldn't wake me around 10pm and gave her a bottle. lmao) and she's gaining weight fabulously (last Thursday's BF Group weight showed a 6oz gain over the previous week!)

so I know I've promised that story a few times, and since Ms. Mack is currently enjoying her morning nap, here goes (as I type furiously fast - I'm sure I've just jinxed her peaceful sleeping...)

She was born (12/21/15) at 7lb11oz (bigger than Button!)
and was discharged from the hospital (12/24/15) at 7lb1oz...
The next weigh-in was on 1/2/16 (we had an earlier appointment, I didn't write the weight anywhere I don't think...) she weighed 7lb5.5oz
And then we hit the snag - two days later (an appointment I made mostly for E's peace of mind, as I was all - I got this nursing thing!) she hadn't gained.  ANYTHING...
I started pumping after her morning nursing session and supplementing with that at night (usually 1-2 oz) trying to fight the denial that I wasn't enough for her alone...
That helped a bit: three days after that (1/7/16) she was 7lb7oz - and so appeased the doctor's desire to see an average weight gain of at least 1/2 oz a day...
Her next appointment (again solely for weight check) on 1/13/16 she weighed 7lb14.5oz (YAY!!) That's a gain of about an oz/day!!! (still supplementing with pumped milk during the night)
The doc was happy enough to say, "ok we'll see her for her 5 week check up!" EEEK!

The next day, I started going to a BF Support Group run by an IBCLC (see acronyms!) which was free - and had other moms going through similar/same/worse situations - AND A SCALE WAS AVAILABLE! What better for a weight-worried mama than weekly weigh-ins!
I freaking LOVED the first meeting - as women began nursing their babies throughout the meeting, I popped my boob out and just enjoyed the company of peers and listened to their questions and feedback...

The meeting the following week, I couldn't wait to get Ms. Mack on that scale! We had scaled back on the pumped milk and supplementing, and I was anxious to see how it showed in her weight!

cue sad trumpet wah wahs...

Her weight (on 1/21/16) was just 8lb1.5oz... In 8 days (from 1/13 - 1/21) she had only gained 3 ounces...

I am so thankful I was going to this group and was able to take advantage of the IBCLC there (made an appointment for the very next day!) because we would probably have had a repeat of Button's case - at the 5 week check-up we may have been slapped in the face with horrible weight gain...

So the next day, we did a weighed feeding (her latch and everything looked good, the LC said!) except - she only transferred about 1 oz at first - I told the LC, "If this was home and I was nursing her, I honestly would have put her back on the boob since she wasn't latched for as long as normal"
So we did that, and she took in more milk - to make a total transfer of about 2oz.

The LC then used this nifty formula (baby's weight - 8lb at the time - times 2.25(or2.5)) for the daily number of ounces they needed (18-20)... Taking an average of 8 feedings a day, she should have been getting 2.25-2.5oz/feeding.

She had me pump, and I got another ounce from each breast. We gave Ms. Mack one ounce, and packed the other for home.

Diagnosis?
"Borderline low milk supply"

And enter stage right:
   More Milk Plus (herbal supplements via pill)
   Mother's Milk tea
   Calcium supplements (1000 mg per day recommended!)
   dietary changes (70g of protein per day recommended!)
   SHIT TON OF WATER!

aaaaaand - the pump (pumping after every nursing session to increase the demand, and hence increase the supply) See previously blogged notes on how this turned out!

Long story short (kind of... it's already a novel...) it worked - some formula supplementing here and there (mostly by E because he's a guy, doesn't understand breastfeeding, wanted to be the one to feed her and get that satisfaction/oxytocin high - choose any of the above...) and we've gotten over the hump!

The BF Group weigh-in (1/28/16) one week after starting the pump-a-thon was 8lb7oz - a 3.5oz increase from a 1/25/16 dr appt weight!  (Her 5 week check-up, where she looked "perfect!")

The following weekly weigh-ins at group were:
   2/4/16     8lb14.5oz (+7.5oz!)
   2/11/16   9lb2oz
        (2/15/16 doctor appt - 9lb4oz)
   2/18/16      9lb6oz
   2/25/16      9lb12.5oz

So there was a bit of a slow-down briefly (and that was when E was giving her some formula at night!) and then it was great this week (after having no supplements at all!)

I wanted to dance a jig when I saw that scale... (of course, these are all rough weights as she's wearing a dry diaper and onesie, an ounce or so, but I'm looking more for just good increases... figured - as long as each week's weigh-in she's wearing the same amount, we're good! and the "slow-down" may not have been one, between the doctor scale and the group scale, and between trying to figure out and subtract what diapers weigh, etc. now we're just watching the amount of increase each week!)


SO - that's the BF story so far... (I'll go ahead and hit "post" on this and have a separate actual Two Months on Ms. Mack post so the insane scrolling isn't required...)

If you made it this far, here's a reward!