I'm panicking, I'm pretty sure I'm running low on milk and going to be forced to supplement with formula and Maddie isn't even 3 months old yet!!
Like I have mentioned before I work every day from home which leaves me at the office Mon, Wed, Fri. I can be gone for up to 14 hours a day which also means I'm pumping for all this time. Its so stressful because sometimes I don't have the luxury to pump on a regular 3 hour schedule.
Now over the weekend I came to the conclusion that Maddie is not getting enough from the breast. She was really grabby all weekend not taking extensive naps during the day as she usually does and at night having a difficult time falling asleep. I feed her in the middle of the night once around 2 am and another time around 5 am. To add to that I'm reading on all these mother/baby websites that by this age their babies are sleeping although all the way through the night. So I'm obviously doing something wrong!
Today my husband is at home watching Maddie while I am at work. I fed her around 7 am this morning and she ate again around 10 from the bottle. In the past she was regularly eating around 3 oz per feed. This morning my husband informed me she "GOBBLED" (his words) down 4.25 oz. Again I couldn't pump at the exact time she ate, but I pumped at 11:30 and only get 4.5 oz out of both boobs together!
When I'm saying I'm panicking I don't been oh this is funny I'm panicking blah blah blah blog talk....I'm literally stressed to the max! I took her to her 2 month check up a couple weeks ago and she was in the 90th percentile which technically should mean she is getting enough food from me right?? She's growing she's healthy, but now she's not sleeping like she use to which means she's probably not satisfied in regards to eating. I'm not pumping enough at work to keep up with my storage in the freezer (I have probably an extra 10 feedings or so in the freezer, if I'm lucky) I don't think the every other day she eats from the breast is stimulating my supply enough. And to seriously top this stress monster off my pump broke last week and I've had to manually pump for like 2 or 3 days now!! AHH my sister has a Medela Swing, which is a significantly smaller pump, but would do the trick so I'm going to snag that from her, but still....
I know formula isn't all that bad and that she'll be happier and healthier in the end, but honestly every time someone looks at her and sees how healthy she is and they ask oh is she breast/formula fed...when they hear me say "all breastmilk!" they get this smile on their faces and say "good job mommy!" like it's something to be seriously proud of....and I am!! What do I do now???
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Sorry Kirsten! I can't imagine the stress you are feeling. I've been fortunate enough to not have to pump or work away from my little guy, a luxury I surely don't take for granted.
ReplyDeleteI am of course no expert, but it sounds to me more like she is going through a growth spurt. Around 3m dominic went through a week or two when he was nursing every. Single. Hour. Including at night. Also try not to get too caught up in what other people's babies are doing. Every child is different, has different needs, and habits. Dominic still doesn't sleep through the night. As long as you are okay with Maddie's "schedule" then there is nothing to worry about! Also I have learned that just when you get the hang of your child's breastfeeding needs, that is when they change. :)
You are doing a great job momma, and you have a very healthy and happy little girl. Keep it up!
I'm so sorry you're feeling so stressed! I would agree with Dacia that is sounds like a growth spurt. "They" say there is one at 3 months and another at 4 months (more or less). For Gus, I remember one of those growth spurts (can't remember which now) seemed to go on *forever*. Okay, about a week, but that seems really long when you are feeding all the time! He was also waking up a lot at night then. He still feeds (at least) once during the night, actually.
ReplyDeleteIf you are really worried, you can try contacting either your local La Leche League or a Lactation Consultant / IBCLC. They could give you tips and / or reassurance to help you. I don't have a local group here, but I know my mom loved her La Leche group when she breastfed my sisters. Here is a website to start your search: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/bfhelp-find.html
And you *should* be proud! Everything I have read here and on FB makes me think you are an excellent mama. And exclusive breastfeeding, for any amount of time, especially when you have to work away from the little one, is definitely something to be proud of!