Izaak is 1 month old!
Thank you so much, Meli! Breast feeding was the same for me the first time around. It's not been easy going this time, but I haven't had the raw, cracked, blistered nipples this time. I know you're worried about Benji, but I wouldn't start supplementing unless his pediatrician says it's necessary. It's important to remember that breast fed babies are slower to gain than bottle fed babies. I know the nipple pain is brutal, but if you take a break from bfing your supply will suffer. Have you tried lanolin or a different kind of nipple cream/butter? I have first years brand and I really like it.
As for how much you pump keep in mind it's not reliable in letting you know how much you're producing. Baby gets more out of you than your pump ever will. If he's content after feedings, sleeps well for the most part, and produces adequate wet/dirty diapers then he's getting enough. Try not to get down on yourself, mama. You're doing great! There's definitely a learning curve associated with being a new mommy.
If you do start supplementing, having someone else give him the bottle is a good suggestion and always offer the breast first.
My kids have never had colic, but I've heard amazing things about gripe water, so maybe that's something you can try? Is Benji's jaundice being treated with a bili light or anything?
yes they gave us a bili bed for benji but its been really really slow to go away. and i think thats mostly due to the fact that he wasn't getting enough milk so it wasn't going through his system. my midwife and perdiatrician agreed i should try formula bc he was still losing after 2 weeks. meanwhile i had NO idea just how bad it was. i was starving my poor baby. there were weird colors in his pee pee diapers. it turns out his urine was crystalizing bc he was dehydrated. i feel soooo guilty for letting it go on so long but i honestly had no way of knowing. the crying wasn't colic. it was that he was starving. once i gave him the formula it was like day and night. he stopped crying. now he only cries when he needs to be changed or fed. he's like a new baby. i'm glad i didn't wait one more day to give him formula. he desperately needed it. right now i'm pumping and giving him formula. he handles it better and spits up less when i add an oz of breast milk in there. i'd rather give him all breast milk but i'm not pumping enough. i'm waiting for the stupid cracked blistered nipples to heal so i can put him back on the boob. i miss feeding him. but i'm just happy he's well fed. ugh they're taking so long to heal. i've tried everything. loads of lanolin, vaseline, triple nipple, ice, breast milk, you name it. they're just taking a long time to heal. if i put him on now they'll just get messed up again. i have this white blister. its awful. ugh. it even hurts to pump, which it shouldn't.
he went from this
to this
Don't get too down on yourself. It's impossible to know if they're getting enough milk from us because you can't quantifiably measure it like you can a bottle and the weird colored pee is normal for the first few days. Glad you got it figured out, though, and that he's turned around. What a difference there is between the first and second pictures. Love his little smile :)
When he is given a bottle have somebody else feed him that was he only relates your smell to boobs and not the bottle. As far as the colic it's hard. I can't even count how many times I would break down and just cry with her. You feel so helpless when you know they arent hungry, wet or sleepy, we think as moms we should be able to know whats wrong when they cry and be able to sooth an d comfort them. Could you be eating something that doesn't sit right with him and that's making him fussy? I would take a pillow and lay it across my lap then put her on it on her belly and just pat her back and rock. It will pass, not soon enough but it will. I just had another idea.my friends baby was lactose intolerant whi*****luded her milk so she had to stop nursing and give her formula. Oh yeah lay him on his back and push. His legs up so they are bent. This can help move the air around and out. Congrats ,keep up the good work.
