Other titles considered for this post included:
- Significant Feeding Issues
- Stuff No One Cares About Other Than Kate’s Parents
- Why I Hate Medela
- Mommy’s Going to Punch the Pediatrician
- If You Come to My House I May Offer You Breast Milk Instead of Water Because We Have More of It
I figured the one I chose would at least get you this far before realizing I should’ve gone with #2 and deleting me from your Google Reader.
So let’s talk about boobs, shall we? Mine in particular, although we may have time for a Tori Spelling discussion at the end. We’ll see.
I first flashed my breasts to people who were neither my husband, my doctor, or strangers offering free drinks when Kate was about 30 minutes old. I had just been all stitched up and wheeled out of the You’ll Have a Scar for Life Room and was hanging out in the This May or May Not Be a Supply Closet for recovery. I was determined to breastfeed Kate and to have that immediate skin-to-skin contact so important for reducing the number of times she’ll tell me she hates me when she’s a teenager. Since I’d had a c-section I was already 30 minutes behind schedule, so I pulled down my top to let the bonding begin.
Did you know you can breastfeed without even touching your own breasts?
All you need to do is ask a nurse, “Can you help me with this?” and soon there will be swarms of hands all over you and your baby, squeezing, shifting, squishing, adjusting. Your job is to just lay there and act like this is the sort of thing that happens to you every day.
We worked with the hospital’s lactation consultant right from the start to be sure we didn’t establish any bad habits, and Kate was a very quick learner. It didn’t take long for her to have a perfect latch and for me to feel like this breastfeeding thing was going to be a breeze!
Fast forward one week later. After dealing with a dramatic and incredibly concerning weight loss with Kate and countless hours of working with lactation consultants, we finally met with a feeding specialist from the Children’s Hospital who informed us that due to reasons G and I have decided not to share on the blog, breastfeeding was not an option for us.
I was heartbroken.
For weeks I couldn’t even talk about it without crying. I had no idea how strongly my vision of being a new mom was tied to breastfeeding my baby. BOTTLE FEEDING WAS NOT IN MY PLAN!
G did a great job keeping my Hormonal Mom Mind in perspective by reminding me that the only thing that matters is that Kate gets proper nutrition–it doesn’t matter how she gets it. And of course he was right. But adding salt to my poor wounded ego was that every time I fed Kate with the Medela bottles she required, the message “breastfeeding is best” etched along the side of each bottle stared back up at me.
Ouch.
The good news is I eventually got over myself, my breast pump became my new best friend, Kate took to the bottle like a champ, and we soon had a happy, well-fed, growing little girl on our hands!
And then came reflux.
That sound you just heard was the collective groan of every parent who’s ever had to deal with reflux with their child. For those of you lucky enough to not know what it is, it’s basically baby heartburn. Kate’s reflux bothers her while she’s eating (for some babies it’s after). She’ll be drinking and suddenly her eyes will get really wide, and then she’ll pull off the bottle and burst out crying because she’s in so much pain. And of course crying only exacerbates the reflux, so it’s a terrible, horrible, vicious cycle that NO BABY SHOULD EVER HAVE TO GO THROUGH!
I took Kate to the pediatrician when we first realized she was having problems, and he dismissed my concerns telling me, “She’s just a fussy baby.” I argued that actually she was an incredibly happy baby, and that the only time she was fussy was when we tried to feed her. As soon as we set the bottle down she was all smiles again. To me that sounded like an issue that had something to do with feeding, but he disagreed and sent me on my way. Refusing to accept that answer I emailed the feeding specialist we’d met with at the Children’s Hospital when Kate was one week old. She emailed me back that it sounded like Kate had reflux, so G and I changed how we fed and handled her in hopes that it would help (keeping her upright during and after feedings, rubbing her back for burping instead of patting, elevating her sleep surface, etc.).
We noticed immediate improvements as a result of these changes and Kate went from having painful feedings at every feeding to having only one or two difficult bottles per day. But that still wasn’t good enough in my opinion. Kate deserved to have all of her feedings be pain-free, so back to the pediatrician we went. Once again he dismissed my concerns and told me Kate was “just a fussy baby,” and once again I told him that the ONLY TIME SHE FUSSES IS WHEN WE’RE TRYING TO FEED HER!! We went a few more rounds with him telling me we should switch from breast milk to formula, and me telling him that wasn’t going to happen, before he finally agreed to prescribe a reflux medication to see if that would help.
And luckily it did.
For about a week.
Let me tell you–there is nothing more upsetting than knowing your child is in pain and not being able to make it better for them. Nothing. Kate’s reflux continued getting worse and nothing we did seemed to help. I got so desperate one afternoon when it was so obvious that Kate was hungry but she just couldn’t eat because she was in so much pain, that I ran to the store and bought the reflux formula the pediatrician had previously mentioned. That bottle of formula was the first bottle Kate was able to drink without pain in over a week. When she finished she had the most beautifully satisfied look on her face and I was so overjoyed I cried.
Today we have a new pediatrician who is absolutely wonderful and we finally feel like we’re getting the support we need. We continue to try different things to help Kate’s reflux, but so far what seems to be working best is a combination of the reflux formula and medication. I continue to pump in hopes that we can switch her back to breast milk, because as I’m sure you can imagine formula was not in my plan either dammit, but once again G puts things in perspective by reminding me that the only thing that matters is that Kate gets proper nutrition–it doesn’t matter how she gets it.
There are definitely those days when I think it would be so nice not to be strapped to my breast pump 24/7, or to not wake up with a wet shirt, or to finally wear a normal bra again, but each time I decide I’m going to stop pumping I just can’t bring myself to do it. So for now our freezer is piling up with so much frozen breast milk that we’re almost out of room for G’s Hot Pockets, our daughter is happy as can be drinking formula from her “breastfeeding is best” bottle, and I continue to pump and hope.
Thanks for sharing your story! I’m in Week 35 and hoping to breastfeed, but your post reminds me that it’s not always possible (even though it’s no one’s fault). I’m glad the new formula is helping Kate.
you are awesome for saying so much! i think the hardest thing about being a mom is everyone telling you how lovely and wonderful it is while you struggle and smile, hoping they will believe you also think it is easy–good for you to show the difficult side!
Hi Dusty,
I know how you feel. I sent you a mail as I was expecting the same time as you. My little man arrived on 12 Jan and for a number of reasons I had to stop breastfeeding so have been pumping since he was 6 weeks but I’m giving up over the next week or so as it is very tiring. He also has reflux or something! we are not sure but he was put on meds last week I’m hoping things will improve as it is horrible seeing them in pain. Good luck. Kate is adorable!
Good for you for being persistent! As a pediatrician myself, I am hyper-aware of reflux in babies and am apt to treat, because the treatment works well and has few side effects. Hopefully you will be able to use the breast milk, but even if that doesn’t work out, the most important thing is that she is growing and thriving! Congrats!
Hi,
Just wanted to say it sounds like you are doing a GREAT job with little Kate. I know how difficult it is to pump because I did so for ten months for my son! I breastfeed his older sister for a year, and then had trouble with him…anyway, hang in there! I hope that little Kate will eventually be able to use your liquid gold. Maybe half formula half milk? And, if not, don’t feel bad!!
You are awesome for sharing this!
I hope things continue to go well
Oh, how educated I am on this topic. Our daughter was diagnosed with reflux at 2 weeks old and unfortunately it took another 2 to get medication right (she’s now on Prevacid). Thankfully, the symptoms are at bay for the time being. But you’re right when you say a parent with a reflux baby knows just how awful it is. We were lucky enough to be able to keep her on exclusively breast milk, but I would have done just about anything to give her some relief. My heart goes out to you guys and I’m glad you have a happy baby. Us reflux moms are in a club of our own, that’s for sure.
What a terrible thing to write on a bottle! That’s like putting ‘hey fatty, you should have a carrot instead’ on a candy bar wrapper.
I’m not a mom yet but I feel for you. It has to be so hard not to have things work out the way you’ve planned it out in your head. I hope it gets easier for you and that little cutie!!
You are doing an amazing job!
I pumped a lot with my son and ended up with more milk than he would ever use – so I donated it! 5 grocery bags full. The milk is used to make food for babies in the NICU and some of the milk is sent to Africa for babies with HIV. It felt so good to give my extra milk to a good cause!
I am so sorry that breastfeeding didn’t work out for you, but like your hubby says, as long as she is getting the nutrition she needs it will be ok! You are doing a fantastic job. Thanks for being so candid.
I’m thinking I have a reflux baby as well. Going round with the pediatrician has been very frustrating. Would you share what formula they recommended and is working?
i have a question i know you’re super smart/in touch so i’m sure you’ve already checked this out, but have they checked for a lactose allergy? my friend’s baby had reflux and was allergic to milk, so she couldn’t take her mama’s breast milk unless there was no dairy in it & had to be on medication, etc. might wanna check for that just in case, too!
also – have you considered donating to a milk bank if your daughter can’t go back to using your breast milk? not sure how you feel about it or what the rules, etc. but it might be worth checking out, too
We had the same issue from day one with Kylee and it turned out to be, as Kalen said, a milk allergy. I was only able to BF for about a week before nothing would happen anymore and then had to switch for formula so she wouldnt starve! But with both she was silent refluxing and choking and gagging while she ate, and choking in her sleep, etc. =( After switching her to sensative, good start (broke down protiens) and then finally to Soy (thankfully no soy allergys so no super $$ formula needed) and almost instantly she was better and happy and not choking anymore!! I never got to try out the reflux meds because I was constantly blown off by her pedi. The only issue I had with soy was constipation, but diluted juice twice a week seemed to help that and I felt much better about giving the dreaded juice then seeing her die everytime she ate. So perhaps if things keep on and your willing to do some experimenting, this might be something to look into. Either way I hope things look up. And remember! Most babies grow out of reflux thankfully!
Someone has already mentioned it but if Kate remains happy on the formual and you do not have a need for the milk anymore you could donate or sell to a milk bank. Or even better, if you know or met someone personally who is unable to produce. Think about the joy it would bring to a mom like yourself.
keep posting pictures- she’s adorable!
Thanks for your comments, feedback and encouragement everyone! I really appreciate it.
@Laptops to Lullabies–I hope you have a comfortable last few weeks, and a quick and healthy delivery!
@Danielle–We tried half formula/half breast milk and that worked for about a week, but not anymore. I’m trying to re-introduce the breastmilk by adding just a little bit at a time to her formula bottles, so we’ll see how that works.
@Lisa–So sorry to hear you went through this with your little one, too. I’m happy to hear the medication is helping, and I hope she continues to do well!
@Tristina and kalen–Thanks for your feedback. I actually have looked in to donating it and I will definitely be doing that if Kate’s not going to take it. I can’t stand the thought of throwing it out knowing that another little baby could benefit from it.
@Anonymous–The formula that was recommended is Enfamil AR. It’s got added rice starch which makes it thicker so it does a better job of staying down in her little belly and not coming back up. Target makes a generic of the Enfamil AR which we just started using and it seems to be working just as well. The only problem we’ve found with it is that it’s a little more difficult to mix (it gets lumpy) but it’s $10 cheaper/can so for that savings we’re willing to do a little more shaking.
@kalen–Thanks for the question. You just never know if something was overlooked, so I appreciate it! I actually cut dairy out of my diet a couple weeks ago and it didn’t seem to make a difference unfortunately.
Hi. I’ve been a reader for quite some time but never commented before. I know exactly how you feel. Formula and bottle feeding weren’t part of our plan either, until our son was born with a very weak suck reflex, and wouldn’t eat at all. He had to be fed through a tube for the first 10 days of his life, and it was all we could do to get him to eat from a bottle, let alone the breast. He was burning too many calories trying to breastfeed, so we had to feed him from a bottle. Any breastmilk that I pumped had to be fortified with high calorie formula and then given to him in a bottle. But you know what? He started eating, and gaining weight, and that helped me tremendously to get over the guilt. Now he is a healthy, happy 6 month old who eats formula exclusively. You made the best decision for your family-that’s what matters most!
I’m so sorry for your struggles but am glad to see that G keeps reinforcing what is most important – that your little girl gets the nutrition she needs regardless of the source.
I am sure my mom could tell you hours of stories about pediatricians that don’t listen. She was iron deficient during her pregnancy with me and they put her on an iron supplement. The result? I was allergic to iron. Which also meant I was allergic to my formula. So every time she fed me? I projectiled vommited everywhere. For months and months. I was constantly in a vicious cycle of being hungry, eatting and projectile vommiting. She finally decided that if the pediatrician wouldn’t listen she would show him. She fed me right before my appiontment handed me to the doctor and I vommited on cue…all over the pediatrician who said it couldn’t possibly be my formula.
THank you for sharing. I could have written a lot of your post, except i had supply issues in addition.
Reflux is a bitch. We do not get along. Brady is 6 months old (today, sniff sniff) and we just recently added in mylanta twice a day and it has helped tremendously. He still pukes buckets, but it’s better, lol!
I had the same reaction with my ped, so much i went to see a pediatric GI bc i knew his reflux was bad and she shrugged it off as colic. I showed her. lol. But i know all too well how frustrating that is and how awful it is to see your kid in pain, and refusing to eat.
Anyway, thanks for sharing!!!
I can definitely relate with the disappointment of not being able to breastfeed… I just didn’t produce enough milk – I tried everything and there just wasn’t enough to feed my son. Hopefully Kate will be able to take your breast milk soon. The best thing is that is happy and growing, and such a cutie Good luck and thanks for sharing your story, sometimes I feel like all I read is how easy people have with breastfeeding.
I’m literally sitting here with tears running down my cheeks because I’m so glad you shared this. My little girl is almost 2 years old and I still feel badly that I didn’t breatfeed. I tried, pretty briefly if I’m honest, to nurse, but she never really latched on and my milk never really came in (due I believe to having PCOS). I gave up and just starting using formula. She experienced what sounds like the same reflux symptoms Kate did and we wound up using the reflux formula and medication as well.
Truth be told, I’ve never really stopped feeling badly about not breastfeeding because so many people around me spout off that breast is best. It may be the best and it may be the most natural, but it didn’t work for me. I hate being made to feel like I’ve permanently scarred my child when I know that’s not the case. So thank you for being so honest. I don’t know you at all (other than keeping up with your blog, of course) but what you’ve said has really and truly has made me feel like I’m not alone.
Gosh, who knew boobs could be so freaking complicated? I’m sending you my label maker – you can print out your own messages for those damn Medela bottles – like “Drink up mama, this bottle has formula”.
Or maybe I’ll just send you the bottle of wine, it would probably be more productive than the label maker.
Normal Bra? Oh yeah, the ones pushed all the way to the back of the drawer because my ever so big nursing bras are #1 these days. My husband laughs at them now because they are way too big since my breast have adjusting to how much baby needs… i.e. my boobs are small again. But I am too cheap to buy new ones since I only have 1 more month to go. Hang in there!
My mom breastfed me…and I STILL told her I hated her about 20x a day between the ages of 14 and 18.
It’s naaaaaaaaatural! 😉
xo
Dusty-
Same issues with LO. Your milk will keep in the freezer for 6 months (there are several other suggested time periods). It is AMAZING what her digestive system will grow into in the next month and even 2 or 3 months from now. She will be able to get your BM-it might not be this month or all in one feeding but she will soon take right to it. LO was a champ right around 5-6 months. We also found luck with the Playtext vent air bottles and Dr. Brown. Keep up the great work- Kate is beautiful!
I didn’t know how crushed I would be when breastfeeding didn’t work out for me. I cried and cried and felt like a failure. My milk just never came in. I felt like an idiot when we took my son in for his first after hospital appointment and he’d dropped a pound. I tried everything. I had the herbal stuff and a hospital pump and and and….and in the end, I had to accept that my boobs had let me down and that I needed to start coughing up money for formula. He’s almost two now and I still think about it on occasion – of course now we’re pregnant with number two and perhaps this time I’ll be bursting with milk so that my husband has to give up Hot Pocket room too! In the end, thank god there is medicine for reflux and formula for feedings because sometimes, boobs just suck!
I feel for you! Because of their time in the NICU, neither of my girls was able to breastfeed and so I pumped, every day, to give them each a tiny ounce along with the high calorie formula they required. It’s been 6 months and I just stopped pumping – it just got too hard to manage two babies and consistently sit with that thing stuck to my chest!
And reflux is the worst! Grey had it really bad and is just now starting to see improvements. She’s on a combination of Prevacid in the morning, Zantac at night, and Maalox when she needs it. So miserable! I can’t wait to introduce her to ice cream and other good tasting things since she has had to endure some really horrible stuff!
You are doing a great job! Thank you for sharing your story and I’m sorry you had to go through the trouble with her doctor! Way to be persistent! If you are not able to use your milk, you may be able to donate it to a local hospital. Our hospital (University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics) has a milk bank; they use the milk for preemies whose mothers are not able or choose not to pump.
I don’t even know you and I just want to give you a big, giant hug! I understand! I totally understand. My Amelia is a few months older than your Kate. I always thought that I would try BFing and that if it didn’t work it would be okay. I lied. It didn’t work. And I cried. We had lots of time with the LCs. We did everything right and it still didn’t work. Oh the tears (mine)! I pumped and bottle fed. I could keep going and going but bottom line – I really feel for you! You’re doing a wonderful job! I really hope that the reflux goes away for Kate! Take care
Melissa
Wow. I’m sorry to hear that. I can understand your pain. I wasn’t lactating for almost the first 10 days and I was completely frustrated since nursing was something I was also determined to do. I remember pumping furiously every 2 hours for 24 hours just to get my milk production going.
Thanks for sharing your story!
Hi Dusty,
being a new mom myself and battling with breastfeeding I can totally relate to some of your ups and downs. Like everyone tells me, it will get better. So to you a raise a boob and salute all of your efforts to give your daughter the best of everything possible.
Take care,
Lisa
P.S.
If you get a moment would you please vote for my little girl in the photographers contest she is in? The link is on my page. Thanks
Breastfeeding is hard! I always thought “why do they have people to teach you how to feed your baby … it should be easy .. right?”
I had to feed my Paige (my daughter) formula (because she lost a lot of weight and I wasn’t making enough milk) for about a month in the begining, so I totally understand where you’re coming from. I felt bad about not always breasfeeding her …. but I needed to sleep and when I breastfed Paige she was up every hour for more.
One thing about bottles and a fussy baby:
I learned from my lactation consultant that I was using the wrong nipples/bottles when I bottle fed Paige and she was very fussy because of it. Now we use the Playtex-drop ins and she hasn’t been fussy since. The other brands (born free, mendela & avent) don’t offer the slowest flow nipples that are closest to the “real-deal” and Paige was getting too much at one time and it was hurting her tummy.
I’m now back to work and I’m married to the breast pump. I pump every 3 hours and have to bring that thing with me everywhere. I still breastfeed Paige once a day, but we mostly feed her breastmilk through a bottle. She eats about 5-6 ounces at a time now and she can’t get that much from just breastfeeding.
Good-luck with it all. It’s a challenge for the most of us. Soon our daughters will be eating solids/cereals and then we get to deal with a whole new dealio.
~crystal
Dusty –
I’m so sorry you’ve had such a rough time of it with Kate. It sounds like you have a lot of support and a new great pediatrician, so hopefully things will be looking up.
Unfortunately I never really took to BF. I wanted to, but the LC at the hospital made me utterly insane (but my SIL loved her – go figure) and there were a couple nurses that were adding to the stress and frusration by telling me that if I didn’t figure out how to nurse, my DD’s system would shut down and she would start starving.
I looked at the nurse and said “Since I’m not in an underdeveloped country in the 15th century, I don’t really see that happening” and sent DH down the hall for a bottle of formula. The nurse was a little taken aback but really – telling me that is going to help me figure it out?!
I pumped (pathetically) until I went back to work to offer as many benefits as possible, but today at 10, DD is almost 5 ft tall and healthy as a horse.
We didn’t have the reflux issue either, but hang in there and the most important thing is her getting the nutrition she needs. Love comes built-in, no matter what the delivery system is.
I think one of the hardest things about being a mom is realizing you can’t control everything, no matter how hard you try or how good your intentions are. I was so upset I had to have a c-section because I was never going to have a c-section. Sometimes the course just turns out differently than you planned. For a control freak like me, that was hard to deal with sometimes. I hate to tell you that this is just the beginning of things not going as planned!
Thanks so much for your comments and thank you for sharing your stories with me. I really appreciate hearing from all of you!
@Amy–I’ve never heard of adding Mylanta. I’ll have to ask about that. I’m glad to hear it’s helped Brady!
@Katie–Aww sweetie, I can totally understand where you’re coming from. Lots of hugs to you!!
@E Jones–that’s a really good point, thank you so much!
@Carol–You’re right, thank goodness for medication and formula. I hate that she’s on both, but truth be told I hate the alternative (Kate being in pain) even more.
@Sara–So true! I’m learning that as well.
Thanks again everyone. I really enjoyed reading all your comments. It means so much that you took the time to share your stories with me and I hope ALL your little ones are doing well!
Just wondered since you mentioned that your freezer is full of milk if you’ve thought about donating it? If you’re interested try googling MilkShare, they help you connect with ppl looking for breastmilk for their babies-either adopted, fostered, etc. I was able to donate over 100 oz this past week to a beautiful baby boy. I loved that opportunity and hope to continue that. Thank you for posting this-I’d be heartbroken if I couldn’t breastfeed either! ALSO-have you tried wearing Kate in a wrap? That can significantly improve reflux, too.
Oh I feel for you, I totally understand. I’m on baby #2 and both of my children did not take well to breastfeeding. Both were born after a 24 hour labor after being induced, and had low blood sugar so the nurses insisted they have formula (which I understand). My 2nd was 3 weeks early and according to the lactation consultants 37 week babies are the worst about BF, so she basically warned me not to get too worked up and that I was going to be attached to my pump. And like you I just can’t give it up. Even though he’s almost entirely fed by a bottle, and half of that is formula, I can not bring myself to stop pumping or stop trying. G is right, doesn’t matter HOW they get their nutrition, just that they do! You’ve got a good husband there!
Really feel for you reading this post and just wanted to say you are a HERO! My daughter also had reflux so I totally understand what you are going through there-it is just the most heartbreaking thing. We found that no one really understood unless their child had had reflux too. We were really fortunate to be able to persist with breastfeeding but I had to pump too until six weeks-I think you are amazing for doing it for as long as you have. You’re an amazing mama to Kate and she is just gorgeous. Good luck and I hope that the reflux meds kick in soon! -Kate
Just wanted to offer some encouragement! Good for you for continuing to pump-major props! My daughter had reflux but out grew a lot of her issues when she began sitting up on her own. Developing those muscles really made a difference for her. Hopefully Kate will out grow hers soon! I would encourage you to keep pumping (I know it’s a TON of work). Also wanted to let you know about KELLYMOM.COM which has TONS of breastmilk info!
Please don’t beat yourself up over not being able to breastfeed. I tried with my first and it was just not going to happen. My husband came home to me sitting on the couch, crying my eyes out, and trying to pump. He said, I’m going to go get formula honey, please don’t do this to yourself. Thats all I needed. Not, maybe it will work out if you keep trying, not hang in there… I needed someone to say, you are not a bad mother if you don’t breastfeed. Three (formula fed) babies later and we are all happy and healthy. Good Luck! Jennifer
I loved reading your story. I went through a similar experience with my baby. He took to me just fine but had a horrible reaction after eating. We found out (after 6 very LONG weeks!) that he in fact did have reflux as well as being lactose intolerant. We put him on Alimentum and it worked WONDERS. I totally relate to you.
Girl- I follow your blog and you don’t know me, but I am so glad you wrote this post. It really irks me that new moms feel “bad” if they can’t or choose not to breastfeed. I had a similar circumstance with my first and we finally decided that formula was the best thing for our girl. But it seems like new moms are expected to jump right in and nurse, and sometimes they feel guilty when they can’t or just dont feel comfortable. Thanks for reminding everyone that all of our bodies and babies are different, and although nursing is GREAT for some, it is not for everyone. PS My “baby” is six now and you would never know that she was “bottle-formula” fed; she is healthy and brilliant!!!!
I had a very similar experience. At one week old my daughter was hospitalized for jaundice and dehydration. The nurses watched me nurse and told me my daughterwas not even sucking. I had to put her on formula because she would not nurse properly, and had to pump. My milk never properly came in and I was pumping constantly to get a measly one ounce PER DAY.
I pumped, took 3 medications, nursed, hand expressed…did everything I could for 3 months.
Finally I realized that I was doing it for me, and not for my daughter. I felt like a failure and a bad mom and could not let go of the idea of breastfeeding, even though it was quite obvious that it was not going to work.
I gave up pumping about a month ago and it felt good to be free of it, but it was also sad.
I still feel guilty every time I feed my daughter formula. I wish it could be different, but it isn’t.
You’re not alone that’s for sure. I’m hoping it gets easier but so far I still feel like a crappy mom and a failure for having to give her formula.
Sending you kind words and e mail support. Thank you for sharing your story. I was able to breast feed my twins for a year which ws very special for me, and LOVED my Pump and Style Advance backpack. WHATEVER method gets your baby the nutrition she needs is the best method for the whole family. Take care and best wishes on everything from Minnesota.
I have a 5 month old and we are still battling reflux. Check out this website: http://www.marci-kids.com
as well as this board:
http://community.babycenter.com/groups/a3937145/the_reflux_rebels_dealing_with_the_other_colic—reflux_mpsi_and_other_gi_issues?
They have been our saviors, and we have a very happy, comfortable baby now!
That sounds like such a difficult thing to go through, but from your writing I have the sense that you’re a very strong woman and a great Mom – you’ll get through this and Kate will be just fine. {{ HUGS }}
Thank you for sharing your experience. I also had trouble breastfeeding. My little guy is 11 weeks, and I thought breastfeeding would come naturally to me- but it didn’t. Feeding him formula was not in my plan either. There were so many things working against us. After a difficult delivery (forceps) – he had an ear injury, which made it nearly impossible to grab his head. I was also in so much pain for weeks after my episiotomy. Additionally, I also found out at the hospital that I have inverted nipples – so I could only breastfeed wearing a silicone shield, and had to pump after each feeding. I pumped for the first 6 weeks – but then the milk stopped coming in, and we had to move to formula. It was heartbreaking for me – but our baby is thriving…I am hoping breastfeeding will work for me next time…
I left a comment awhile back telling you how our due dates were the exact same (I actually did end up delivering my daughter, Lily, on the 4th.) Anyway, at two weeks we discovered she had reflux as well. Her problem was choking and spitting up. A LOT. It was very scary. The pediatrician put her on soy formula mixed with rice cereal. I too was very bummed that my daughter couldn’t have breastmilk. Good luck to you and Kate. She is a cutie!
Sorry you’ve had some hiccups but thanks for sharing. I have a newborn as well and it’s the worst when her gas pains make her cry and whimper after every meal.
A great little item we use for her is the Fisher Price Rocker/ Sleeper. Its inclined position is great for babies w/ reflux and it’s the only thing she’ll sleep in.
Good luck with precious Kate.