Almost 3 weeks in and I am still breastfeeding my PFB! In fact as I type my beautiful baby is on the boob!
This may not sound like an achievement to many but let me explain some of the hurdles....
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Breast reduction 9 years ago (large reduction 7lbs taken out- one nipple doesnt function so well)- not even sure if I can breastfeed until I tried.
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Flat nipples so baby can't latch on without the disovery of fabulous nipple shields (genetic issue but not helped by reduction)
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Traumatic delivery and baby in NICU for first 5 days- no cuddles for first 24 hours of babies life, limited skin to skin- tricky with all tubes etc. Baby was oxygen starved (possible damage) and initially showed poor suck reflex but that improved within a day or so.
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Baby being tube fed my EBM every hour means baby full and has no interest in latching- keeps falling asleep at the boob- i have to maintain these top ups but once they are reduced to three hourly I can sometimes also get her latched for a feed. Except I also still have to pump and invariably she gets hungry just after I have expressed and there is no more milk! Breastfeeding support at hospital limited (lactation consultant promised everyday and never materialised) had help from speech and language therapist with latch though which was fantastic.
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Baby has to have MRI, she is sedated with suppositories she keeps pooing out (effectively enemas)- she ends up going without a feed for 6 hours due to the sedation, I pump in meantime but this mucks up the baby hungry, mums boobs full thing again plus difficult to get her feeding due to sedation.
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Baby loses 14% of bodyweight (not helped my mri enemas etc). Sent to hospital for dehydration check- supoosed to take an hour- takes 7 (and results come back fine). Mum doesnt have enough to eat or drink and feeding is tricky in hospital as doesn't have pillow etc, and its not home.
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Baby put on intense regime of feeds- Every 3 hours -feed at breast, give 40ml top up, then pump next feeds top up then sterilise everything for next feed. We have been doing this for a week now.
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Baby is slow to gain weight but is weeing pooing fine and feeding really really well. Midwifes keeping an eye but happy for the moment- next weight sunday. We sometimes have to give a 30ml formula top up if I dont have enough expressed or in boobs but its getting rarer as my boobs and baby are getting better synced (considering we are effectively a "week behind" on our breastfeeding establishment due to time in hospital then this is fine.
So yeah am just so so proud we are still feeding despite all these massive hurdles- and to think I only thought the breast reduction was going to be the issue (hadnt even realised about the flat nipples latch issue!).
So pats on the back would be nice to help inspire me to keep going because its really flipping hard sometimes! (once she has regained birthweight our feeding regime can ease off a bit- but until then its a bit mad! Oh but midwifes now suspect anyhow her brithweight (9.5lbs hence traumatic delivery I couldnt get her out) may have been inflated from all the drips i was on during labour- as she was a very very puffy baby when she came out and within 12 hours looked much more normal- trouble is the paeds wont believe that and will keep trying to admit us if her weight doesn't go up satisfactorily. Bah! We refused to be admitted last time as we have had a terrible time of it in hospital and are keen to avoid them as they dont help with getting her going on the boob!