Comments on: Inshallah http://realityrounds.com/2009/11/12/inshallah/ Get a Second Opinion Thu, 13 May 2010 02:04:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Sarah http://realityrounds.com/2009/11/12/inshallah/#comment-4785 Sarah Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:23:48 +0000 http://realityrounds.com/?p=3191#comment-4785 :'( How absolutely wonderful that you chose to intervene. How very sad that the family was forced into a choice they didn't want, either by the doubt planted that day, or later by a pediatrician. I had great nurses when i had my child, and i was grateful. You make a difference, even when maybe it seems like you don't. :’(
How absolutely wonderful that you chose to intervene. How very sad that the family was forced into a choice they didn’t want, either by the doubt planted that day, or later by a pediatrician.
I had great nurses when i had my child, and i was grateful. You make a difference, even when maybe it seems like you don’t.

]]> By: Jessica http://realityrounds.com/2009/11/12/inshallah/#comment-4666 Jessica Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:20:16 +0000 http://realityrounds.com/?p=3191#comment-4666 I was strongly for nursing, even extended nursing, when I had my first child. He ended up in the NICU for 32 days and I pumped so he had breastmilk (although right after they removed his feeding tube they had to supplement him with formula mixed into the breastmilk because of weight gain, which I wasn't thrilled with). When I took him home it took about 3 weeks to get him switched from bottle to breast. I had significant difficulties keeping my milk supply up, my body is very sensitive to very small changes and 1 day of not quite enough food or water and my supply would plummet. Plus my little one wanted to eat every hour and his latch was horrible. Breastfeeding was painful, time consuming (although not as much as bottle feeding was by the time you heated up the stored breast milk!) and wonderful. I breastfed 20-24 times a day until he was 7 months old, and, unfortunately, would have to supplement with 1 or 2 bottles of formula in the early morning hours because he was hungry and I was dry as a bone. Even after starting solids he still breastfed for several months 12-16 times a day/night. Despite a great deal of pressure from my extended family I stuck with it. We were down to 3 feedings a day and 3-5 at night by his 13th month when he got a protracted head cold that turned into a sinus infection. He was so stuffy he couldn't nurse for a week. By then my milk had dried up. I 'only' nursed until he was 13 months. Despite the near constant feedings, the painful and even bloody nipples, the necessary daily formula, the lack of sleep, and the family disapproval, I consider myself to have successful nursed my first child. And look forward to nursing my second (hopefully with less pain!) If I hadn't had my husband's support, and the initial support of great lactation nurses in the NICU and my midwife, despite all my wishes, I probably would not have made it through those first 3 weeks were I was trying to nurse, then giving him a bottle of breastmilk, then pumping...repeat every hour. I was strongly for nursing, even extended nursing, when I had my first child. He ended up in the NICU for 32 days and I pumped so he had breastmilk (although right after they removed his feeding tube they had to supplement him with formula mixed into the breastmilk because of weight gain, which I wasn’t thrilled with). When I took him home it took about 3 weeks to get him switched from bottle to breast. I had significant difficulties keeping my milk supply up, my body is very sensitive to very small changes and 1 day of not quite enough food or water and my supply would plummet. Plus my little one wanted to eat every hour and his latch was horrible. Breastfeeding was painful, time consuming (although not as much as bottle feeding was by the time you heated up the stored breast milk!) and wonderful. I breastfed 20-24 times a day until he was 7 months old, and, unfortunately, would have to supplement with 1 or 2 bottles of formula in the early morning hours because he was hungry and I was dry as a bone. Even after starting solids he still breastfed for several months 12-16 times a day/night. Despite a great deal of pressure from my extended family I stuck with it. We were down to 3 feedings a day and 3-5 at night by his 13th month when he got a protracted head cold that turned into a sinus infection. He was so stuffy he couldn’t nurse for a week. By then my milk had dried up. I ‘only’ nursed until he was 13 months. Despite the near constant feedings, the painful and even bloody nipples, the necessary daily formula, the lack of sleep, and the family disapproval, I consider myself to have successful nursed my first child. And look forward to nursing my second (hopefully with less pain!) If I hadn’t had my husband’s support, and the initial support of great lactation nurses in the NICU and my midwife, despite all my wishes, I probably would not have made it through those first 3 weeks were I was trying to nurse, then giving him a bottle of breastmilk, then pumping…repeat every hour.

]]> By: Jessica http://realityrounds.com/2009/11/12/inshallah/#comment-4665 Jessica Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:59:57 +0000 http://realityrounds.com/?p=3191#comment-4665 I agree, what else is a 6 week old supposed to do?? I agree, what else is a 6 week old supposed to do??

]]> By: Gert http://realityrounds.com/2009/11/12/inshallah/#comment-4664 Gert Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:53:41 +0000 http://realityrounds.com/?p=3191#comment-4664 Attended a baby shower yesterday and the mom-to-be said she would "try" to breastfeed. I learned the hard way that merely trying leads too often to giving up too soon. And, another mom at the shower couldn't wait to say she hadn't been able to breastfeed any of her three children. You can't question why, either, in case you're thought to be casting aspersions... Good for you, for really trying. Attended a baby shower yesterday and the mom-to-be said she would “try” to breastfeed. I learned the hard way that merely trying leads too often to giving up too soon.

And, another mom at the shower couldn’t wait to say she hadn’t been able to breastfeed any of her three children. You can’t question why, either, in case you’re thought to be casting aspersions…

Good for you, for really trying.

]]> By: Best of the Birth Blogs - Week Ending November 15th | ICAN Blog http://realityrounds.com/2009/11/12/inshallah/#comment-4662 Best of the Birth Blogs - Week Ending November 15th | ICAN Blog Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:45:37 +0000 http://realityrounds.com/?p=3191#comment-4662 [...] Rounds – Inshallah: A bittersweet post on how early seeds of doubt sown during birth can affect a new [...] [...] Rounds – Inshallah: A bittersweet post on how early seeds of doubt sown during birth can affect a new [...]

]]> By: RehabRN http://realityrounds.com/2009/11/12/inshallah/#comment-4661 RehabRN Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:12:33 +0000 http://realityrounds.com/?p=3191#comment-4661 Yes, being able to resist the family is tough. I nursed even though many of my family dissuaded me. My biggest supporters were my great aunts, who had nursed all of their kids (6 among them). They were mostly moral support, but I really needed that. The lactation consultant (and a lot of books) kept me going. My child nursed for 18 months before weaning. It was hard, but I can't complaint--never really been sick outside of ear infections and one case of pink eye. Yes, being able to resist the family is tough. I nursed even though many of my family dissuaded me.

My biggest supporters were my great aunts, who had nursed all of their kids (6 among them). They were mostly moral support, but I really needed that. The lactation consultant (and a lot of books) kept me going.

My child nursed for 18 months before weaning. It was hard, but I can’t complaint–never really been sick outside of ear infections and one case of pink eye.

]]> By: Ciarin http://realityrounds.com/2009/11/12/inshallah/#comment-4657 Ciarin Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:09:24 +0000 http://realityrounds.com/?p=3191#comment-4657 Unfortunately RR is very correct. Sometimes, it's just laziness on the part of the nurses. But things that are said to postpartum mothers have a huge influence in some cases - some, not all. I do not judge women who choose to bottlefeed. My breastfeeding history was rough and didn't always involve breastmilk. Breastfeeding can be far more difficult than bottlefeeding though, which is why support and encouragement is critical for women who choose to breastfeed. Akiko, no judgement! Unfortunately RR is very correct. Sometimes, it’s just laziness on the part of the nurses. But things that are said to postpartum mothers have a huge influence in some cases – some, not all. I do not judge women who choose to bottlefeed. My breastfeeding history was rough and didn’t always involve breastmilk. Breastfeeding can be far more difficult than bottlefeeding though, which is why support and encouragement is critical for women who choose to breastfeed.

Akiko, no judgement!

]]> By: Kayce http://realityrounds.com/2009/11/12/inshallah/#comment-4653 Kayce Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:44:42 +0000 http://realityrounds.com/?p=3191#comment-4653 Every time we took my daughter to the ped, because she wasn't on the graph for weight, he would try to talk me into supplementing. Then when she was 10 months old we went on WIC and at the first appointment, they told me that I would have to supplement and they wouldn't give me anything but the formula tickets. I refused and haven't been back. I could pump 6 ounces out of each breast every 3 hours and my baby needed to be supplemented?? I hate when people tell a new mom, or even a mom of a baby that is older that they aren't making enough milk and to use formula. It makes you worry and wonder and this, imo, is the reason so many babies are formula fed. Nursing is so hard when you are doing it for the first time, and it is even harder when you have to fight everyone to succeed. Every time we took my daughter to the ped, because she wasn’t on the graph for weight, he would try to talk me into supplementing. Then when she was 10 months old we went on WIC and at the first appointment, they told me that I would have to supplement and they wouldn’t give me anything but the formula tickets. I refused and haven’t been back.

I could pump 6 ounces out of each breast every 3 hours and my baby needed to be supplemented?? I hate when people tell a new mom, or even a mom of a baby that is older that they aren’t making enough milk and to use formula. It makes you worry and wonder and this, imo, is the reason so many babies are formula fed. Nursing is so hard when you are doing it for the first time, and it is even harder when you have to fight everyone to succeed.

]]> By: Sarah http://realityrounds.com/2009/11/12/inshallah/#comment-4652 Sarah Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:51:39 +0000 http://realityrounds.com/?p=3191#comment-4652 That is so very sad. I was told with my first, that since she was tongue tied and my milk started drying up before she got it clopped and could get a good latch, that I would not be able to breastfeed. I wanted to give up but I wanted to breastfeed even more! I was able to overcome the negative comments and being told my body probably was never meant to breastfeed anyway. I made it 9 months with her before I was talked into quitting because the doctors didn't think she was getting enough and convinced me I needed to stop to be able to take some meds. I still regret listening to them and stopping when I did. My next baby was a preemie and I pumped from the start. Being reminded of my problems with my first by my doctor and being encouraged to just let the NICU nurses give her formula so I could rest, I was determined to make it work! I was pumping 60-70 ozs of milk a day! That's insane. Now tell me that the baby wasn't getting enough! That is so very sad. I was told with my first, that since she was tongue tied and my milk started drying up before she got it clopped and could get a good latch, that I would not be able to breastfeed. I wanted to give up but I wanted to breastfeed even more! I was able to overcome the negative comments and being told my body probably was never meant to breastfeed anyway. I made it 9 months with her before I was talked into quitting because the doctors didn’t think she was getting enough and convinced me I needed to stop to be able to take some meds. I still regret listening to them and stopping when I did.
My next baby was a preemie and I pumped from the start. Being reminded of my problems with my first by my doctor and being encouraged to just let the NICU nurses give her formula so I could rest, I was determined to make it work! I was pumping 60-70 ozs of milk a day! That’s insane. Now tell me that the baby wasn’t getting enough!

]]> By: Dou-la-la http://realityrounds.com/2009/11/12/inshallah/#comment-4651 Dou-la-la Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:16:10 +0000 http://realityrounds.com/?p=3191#comment-4651 Heartbreaking to read. I want to scream at that morning nurse. Thank you for at least trying to do damage control, RR. Heartbreaking to read. I want to scream at that morning nurse.

Thank you for at least trying to do damage control, RR.

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