He typically wakes at 2am or 2.30am for his first feed. This would mostly be on the boob only and can last around 45mins feeding with 15-20 mins sleep between the boob change over.
After I put him back to sleep I typically pump for 15 mins both sides at the same time (Medela Symphonie double pump) – usually only about 1oz will show.
Second waking is around 4.30-5.30am – depends on the night. This is breast milk again both sides and usually supplemented by formula or expressed breastmilk. 45ml.
BF session anywhere between 30-45mins with short sleep in between.
Then I would pump again. Sometimes if he doesn’t wake I pump instead, then I get around 2oz. Last night I got the most ever – almost 3oz out of one single pumping session (however I had falling asleep and pumped for 30mins instead of 15!)
Yesterday he was wide awake after the feed at 4.30am, so I changed him (wee and poo nappy) and we had a bit of interaction time together. He usually is very awake in the mornings around 8-10am, today was an exception that he was the same so early.
He went back on the boob around 7am (no supplementing) and slept until 8.30am. Nappy change (poo and wee)
That’s when I usually feed him again boob and expressed milk. He then is awake for a couple of hours.
I feed him again around 10-10.30am before going for a walk. boob and formula. Nappy change (wee and sometimes poo)
Walk anywhere between 1.5-2.5hours long. He loves the walks and sleeps deep.
When home I change him (wee) Usually his poo nappies are in the mornings only, but at least one is quite heavy. All yellow seedy poop.
Feeding again after around 12-1pm. Nappy change (wee). Then I pump. 1.5oz. Supplement sometimes but not always. Only when he is unsettled.
Then he would be awake for 30mins to an hour before sleeping in the afternoon.
Feed around 3pm. both sides as usual. Supplement with formula. Nappy change. (wee)
He goes back to sleep till 5-6pm. This is usually a bigger feed, he is more unsettled. So I would give him 2.5-3oz expressed breastmilk plus boob feeding.
Nappy change. He then has a longer sleep till around 8-9pm. boob and supplement at that time 45ml. I go and pump.
Then he sleeps till 11pm for his last feed of the day. Supplement with formula or breastmilk, if I still have any.
Supplementing with formula is always 45-50ml. per feed. Breastmilk supplementing can be just under 2oz to 3oz per feed.
Last two days I have pumped around 3x.
Before always 5-7 times. In the beginning I pumped 6-8 times but found only a little would be available and sometimes after a feed I would have nothing at all. Now I also hand express.
Tonight as I am writing this, he is sleeping and I am power pumping. So far I am 40mins in and have just under 3oz.
He is overall a super happy and content baby.
My pregnancy was amazing. I felt very healthy and fit, out walking every day and swimming twice a week. I had no complaints apart of not sleeping well with the bump.
I wanted to express colostrum but did not have any or was not able to express correctly.
I was overdue 11 days when I went into labour on. During the day I had very mild period like pains all day, the contractions started at 12.30am and they came thick and strong.
2 hours in I lost my mucus plug and some extra blood. I rang the midwife, she came out to check on me but could not find a heartbeat, so we were rushed into the hospital. At that point I had not felt him for over 30 minutes and had panicked that I had lost him. That was 3.30am
In the hospital they were able to pick up the heart rate on the monitor and with breathing I was able to calm my system down. The contractions stayed super strong and I was dilated to 7cm by 5am.
I was hooked up to the monitors at most times, and luckily had done a hypnobirthing course that really helped to keep my breathing under control. My partner was amazing and always by my side.
Because we had been rushed into the hospital we had nothing with us. No water, snacks, comfort stuff, phones… The midwives were amazing, brought water, tea and toast and were overall very accommodating when I felt I needed to change position.
I started pushing around 10am at 10cm dilated. At this stage my back was in bits. It turned out to be a back to back labour. I had taken no medication at all as
I felt the breathing kept everything under control.
The contractions were extremely close and painful, but he did not come any closer.
Finally heart rate dropped again and the consultant was called. Decision for a c-section was made.
After 13 hours of long and hard labour I was rushed into theater. Heart rate at 85 and meconium in the blood.
I was put under general anaesthic as there was no time for an epidural.
Thereafter for me it was a bit blurry. I cannot remember when I had him on my chest for the first time. I have a photo but can’t remember. It must have been 30-40mins after the operation.
He latched and was tired as was I.
The consultant said the next day that he was chin up turned around and was stuck in the canal, hit off a bone and couldn’t go any further, nor down nor up. He said he felt the baby was too big for my pelvis in the back to back labour, but I don’t know.
I found the recovery to be horrendous. I was so sore and found it to be traumatic, I could barely walk for about two weeks as it turned out had an internal infection and had to go on antibiotics for 7 days. I was really sore and only got better by the end of the 3rd week.
In the hospital they were great, he got plenty of colostrum day 2-3. lots of wees and poos
Then I don’t know what happened. Day 4 and 5 he was on the boobs at all times and was all day and night really fuzzy and cried as soon as he was put down.
I had asked about 5 different nurses in the hospital to check my feeding positions and the latch and they found it to be ok and said he just needs to stay on the boob.
Day 4 no poo. Day 5 no poo and yellow wee with crystals.
That was the day I went home. Day 6 the public nurse came. still no poo. She weighed him and he had lost 13% (my osteo after said it was probably more like 9% bc of the fluids from the C-section, but PHN would not account for that). She said I should supplement, so we started supplementing 30ml of formula each feed from day 6.
I bought a pump the week after, very little would come out – pumped 6-8 times a day.
I saw my midwife in the hospital who looked after me throughout pregnancy as she is a lactation consultant. She would help me to latch better and said that he had a tongue tie and mentioned the hospital grade pump.
I saw her by week 3 for first time. Did osteo week 4 (helped colic, she said he was very tight in neck, jaw and diaphragm. she thinks it had a lot to do with birth) Did tongue tie week 5. Second osteo session week 6.
I found the first 3 weeks to be incredibly stressful. Between the awful recovery and the miserable breastfeeding I felt like a failure, was definitely traumatised and felt very sorry for myself.
By week 4 I started going for a walk again and started feeling better. A little more relaxed about the breastfeeding journey I am on. However I would lie if I wasn’t saying that I feel disappointed in myself and my body.
I do try to think positive and give myself positive affirmation and a positive mindset. I find it tough when I see others succeed and I am still at the same level after doing all the things we do.
Everything we do seems to help a little, but the process is super slow.
I take all the herbs and vitamins and started on domperidone two weeks ago. 3 tablets 3 x a day. Sometimes I forget.
