Here are the contacts I used and found to be incredibly helpful. Several of them you will need to be referred to after seeing a 'regular' LC as they are specialists, but they are worth it.
UW LC's: I found them helpful, but really only helpful for minor problems, they didn't have the skills necessary to help us, but they were wonderfully patient with me and referred me to Childrens as they knew my needs were to great for them to handle. I especially loved Kara, she also happened to be my nurse in the post-partem wing. She was very gentle and helpful with us.
Birth & Beyond: It was nice for once to have the LC's come to us instead of us going to them. Of course Henry was on a BF'ing strike (sigh) so they really couldn't help us much. Same as the UW LC's, for regular BF'ing issues they'd probably be wonderful, but our needs were just too great. I also attended a BF'ing support group (same thing, our needs were too great for them to help) but it was so wonderful to meet other BF'ing mamas and hear their stories.
Childrens PT/OT: This is where I met Robin Glass. She is one of the world's best when it comes to diagnosing tongue ties and helping mom's overcome significant breastfeeding hurdles. The second I have any problems BF'ing in the future I will be getting a referral to her ASAP.
Wedgwood Center for Natural Medicine: Robin Glass referred me to Dr. Maryann O'Hara who is a leading tongue tie expert in the region. She is a very gentle and easy going doctor, one who I'd definitely recommend to other mothers. I love that she has a different approach to getting babies to latch, instead of guiding the baby to the breast, she lets the baby find the way to the breast. I will use what I learned from her with any future children I have. You also need a referral to see her from an LC.
Dr. Stephen Cavanaugh (Osteopathic Physician) treated Henry for his physical limitation/condition (he couldn't turn his head to the left, he had severe spinal restrictions affecting movement etc). We noticed an immediate improvement in Henry's range of motion, his reflux and his gag reflex. We still follow up with him on occassion. What I like about him (vs. a different Chiropractor we'd seen) is that he is realistic in his approach to treatment and isn't in it to make as much as he can. The Chiro had wanted to see Henry 2-3 times a week for 6 weeks BEFORE she'd be able to tell us if she could help Henry out. Dr. Cavanaugh saw us 1 time a week for 4 weeks and now we follow up once every 2 - 4 months. We noticed immediate relief/improvement with Dr. Cavanaugh (and none with the Chiro).
These are all the people I found very helpful in our breastfeeding journey. All people I would go to again, and all people I would recommend to anybody else experiencing breastfeeding problems.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
One last hurrah.
The week or two before our trip to Pennsylvania for Christmas I call up my doula from Henrys birth, Kate. The majority of the time we'd had luck getting Henry to latch it was with Kate there guiding us. To this point I'd say I'd only had two succussful breastfeeding attempts/latches in 3 1/2 months. She arrived and we started trying to get Henry to latch. We knew we were in for a fight. We had luck after only about 20-30 min of trying to get him to latch. Yeah, I had to use a shield, but he was on, it didn't hurt, and he seemed happy with it. Score 1!
It was pretty wonderful to be able to feel what a good latch and breastfeeding experience felt like. Took a bit for us to get there, but it was worth it. The next feeding was in the morning as Henry slept through the night. Not hardly any struggle at all. And I know he got some milk because he vomited it up all over me... Nice. However I discovered that trying to breastfeed while my breasts were full and engorged was much easier for both of us than every other time during the day when I wasn't as full. The next morning pretty much the same thing, he latched, but didn't stay on nearly as long as the previous day. He was done with this 'novelty' way of feeding. He wanted his bottle back.
After having another emotional melt down Jay and I talked and decided that it was in my best interest, and thus Henry's best interest if I accept that he could not successfully breastfeed. I spent nearly 4 months trying to breastfeed, crying over failed attempts, going to dozens upon dozens of various Dr. appointments with Henry. I needed to take a break and just enjoy him. I set a goal of pumping until I started work up in a couple weeks then to see from there how I felt. Before I even got to work I decided to go until Henry was 6 mo's old. Valentine's Day. Then re-evaluate if I wanted to continue pumping or not.
As we approached V-Day I thought, hey, I think I can go until Henry's 1st birthday. Then, after I had decided to do that my supply crashed. I knew I couldn't do traditional supplements (fenugreek/goats rue) as Henry reacted badly to those supplements, mother's milk tea didn't help, and I had already maxed out on Domperidone (Rx used to increase lactation). I struggled coming to terms with not making enough each day for him and what to do. Thaw out some of my hard earned freezer stash or start supplementing with formula to spread out how long he has breastmilk in his diet. After another emotional breakdown and a long talk with Jay we decided to introduce formula, wean off pumping and just do 2-3 bottles of breastmilk a day.
I honestly think my body was ready to be done. The next day I went from 5 pumping sessions to 4 sessions. I got about 5 oz less than normal. The next day was 3 pumping sessions, I got half of 'normal'. I used to make a little over an ounce an hour (27-30 oz a day). Today, I'm making less than half an ounce/hour. Today is day 3 of weaning off pumping and I'm not even engorged or full. I've only pumped one time and will pump once more before bed. We'll see what I get tomorrow morning. But I think I will go to work w/o my pump for the first time since I went back to work 2 1/2 months ago. It'll be nice to have my body back, but I still wish I could be breastfeeding. I wish I didn't have to deal with bottles and cleaning pump supplies (although the latter I won't be dealing with much longer). I wish I could have that bonding time of looking down at him while he eats from me. That's probably why I grudgingly let others feed him, is that time was supposed to be mine (according to my plan) and I don't like giving up on my plans.
I have several hundred ounces frozen, enough to probably give him 2 bottles of BM a day for several months. So that makes me happy. He doesn't seem to care that he is now getting formula. He has no preference. So it's on to the next stage for us.
Things I have learned:
1. Plans are good, but don't plan on it going 100% to plan. Be flexible.
2. Don't do something that makes you miserable. I don't think I will try this hard again in the future if/when we have a second child.
3. It does no good to be so hard on myself. All I did was make myself miserable and stressed.
4. Regrets - they suck. I wish I had that time back so I could enjoy Henry more instead of being so stressed out.
5. Have breastfeeding support appointments set up in advance, even if you don't have problems, no harm can come from having someone give you a helping hand.
6. If I'm going to attempt breastfeeding in the future - NO bottles of any kind unless medically necessary. I think this is part of where I went wrong.
7. Forgive myself.
It was pretty wonderful to be able to feel what a good latch and breastfeeding experience felt like. Took a bit for us to get there, but it was worth it. The next feeding was in the morning as Henry slept through the night. Not hardly any struggle at all. And I know he got some milk because he vomited it up all over me... Nice. However I discovered that trying to breastfeed while my breasts were full and engorged was much easier for both of us than every other time during the day when I wasn't as full. The next morning pretty much the same thing, he latched, but didn't stay on nearly as long as the previous day. He was done with this 'novelty' way of feeding. He wanted his bottle back.
After having another emotional melt down Jay and I talked and decided that it was in my best interest, and thus Henry's best interest if I accept that he could not successfully breastfeed. I spent nearly 4 months trying to breastfeed, crying over failed attempts, going to dozens upon dozens of various Dr. appointments with Henry. I needed to take a break and just enjoy him. I set a goal of pumping until I started work up in a couple weeks then to see from there how I felt. Before I even got to work I decided to go until Henry was 6 mo's old. Valentine's Day. Then re-evaluate if I wanted to continue pumping or not.
As we approached V-Day I thought, hey, I think I can go until Henry's 1st birthday. Then, after I had decided to do that my supply crashed. I knew I couldn't do traditional supplements (fenugreek/goats rue) as Henry reacted badly to those supplements, mother's milk tea didn't help, and I had already maxed out on Domperidone (Rx used to increase lactation). I struggled coming to terms with not making enough each day for him and what to do. Thaw out some of my hard earned freezer stash or start supplementing with formula to spread out how long he has breastmilk in his diet. After another emotional breakdown and a long talk with Jay we decided to introduce formula, wean off pumping and just do 2-3 bottles of breastmilk a day.
I honestly think my body was ready to be done. The next day I went from 5 pumping sessions to 4 sessions. I got about 5 oz less than normal. The next day was 3 pumping sessions, I got half of 'normal'. I used to make a little over an ounce an hour (27-30 oz a day). Today, I'm making less than half an ounce/hour. Today is day 3 of weaning off pumping and I'm not even engorged or full. I've only pumped one time and will pump once more before bed. We'll see what I get tomorrow morning. But I think I will go to work w/o my pump for the first time since I went back to work 2 1/2 months ago. It'll be nice to have my body back, but I still wish I could be breastfeeding. I wish I didn't have to deal with bottles and cleaning pump supplies (although the latter I won't be dealing with much longer). I wish I could have that bonding time of looking down at him while he eats from me. That's probably why I grudgingly let others feed him, is that time was supposed to be mine (according to my plan) and I don't like giving up on my plans.
I have several hundred ounces frozen, enough to probably give him 2 bottles of BM a day for several months. So that makes me happy. He doesn't seem to care that he is now getting formula. He has no preference. So it's on to the next stage for us.
Things I have learned:
1. Plans are good, but don't plan on it going 100% to plan. Be flexible.
2. Don't do something that makes you miserable. I don't think I will try this hard again in the future if/when we have a second child.
3. It does no good to be so hard on myself. All I did was make myself miserable and stressed.
4. Regrets - they suck. I wish I had that time back so I could enjoy Henry more instead of being so stressed out.
5. Have breastfeeding support appointments set up in advance, even if you don't have problems, no harm can come from having someone give you a helping hand.
6. If I'm going to attempt breastfeeding in the future - NO bottles of any kind unless medically necessary. I think this is part of where I went wrong.
7. Forgive myself.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)