She Reads In The Dark

Milk…it does a body good.

23 Oct 2011 3 Comments

by jhking in Uncategorized Tags: breastfeeding, Domestic Bliss, Me, Urijah

So…Urijah is now 10 days old and we are still working to get more and more milk into that little body.  We’re on a pretty regimented schedule of feeding and pumping, and supplementing…it’s draining and time consuming, but I’m hoping it will do the trick and put some weight on his frame and give my body the clues it needs to START MAKING MORE MILK.

We will forever be indebted to my sister Lisa who has been pumping her own breast milk and FedExing it to us, so that we can supplement with it, rather than formula. As of right now, I’m feeding Urijah for about 15 minutes on each breast, and then Scott gives him a bottle of about 30 ml of Lisa’s milk and my pumped milk combined.  I am pumping about an hour and a half after each feeding session, and am getting about 15 mls total each time – not a whole lot, but better than before.  We’re trying to wake him up to eat every 3 hours.  He’s a lazy nurser, though, and likes to just settle in and fall asleep.  Maybe I should take that as a complement that he finds me soothing?

Aside from the feeding challenges, he’s just amazing.  I am constantly staring at his face and thinking that I can’t believe he came out so perfect.  I can’t stop myself from kissing his cheeks every single time I pick him up, and peppering his scrawny legs and belly with kisses every time I change his diaper.  His has very light downy hair on his back and shoulders, and along his jawline, his feet and hands are big for his body and his fingers and toes are long!  He looks just like Scott and even has his toenails.   I love when he has those little gas smiles…I know he’s not actually smiling, yet, but it makes me so happy to see, regardless.

Speaking of Scott – he has been so amazing through all of these first days.  He has handled so many of the phone calls and scheduling, and meals, and laundry and making sure I have water and that I am following all the activity restrictions the midwives gave me.  He has been so encouraging during my doubtful moments and the crying jags (mine, not the baby’s) and held and soothed Urijah during both of the blood draws he’s had to endure so far.  (One for the newborn heel prick and one to check his bilirubin levels.  Bilirubin came back ok.)  He’s given every bottle and changes his share of diapers.  I couldn’t feel more loved or taken care of.  Especially since my brain has not been functioning very well…I am depending on him to think for both of us until I can return to my normal cognizant state.

So, we’re taking it one day at a time.  We’re hanging in there.  We’re loving this baby a little more each day.  Even when poop gets on our hands.