A Word About Breastfeeding...

If you don't want to read about my boobs or breastfeeding I suggest you skip this post...I'm compelled to write it to give a head's up to my friends who are due to give birth soon.

Breastfeeding is HARD!! It is more than hard...it is probably the hardest thing I have done in my life thus far. I want to share my experience so other new mothers will know what to expect.

I attended a breastfeeding class while pregnant. I read all the literature about breastfeeding. I made a decision that I would breastfeed exclusively without formula or bottles for at least 4 weeks. After 4 weeks, I will introduce bottles with pumped breast milk and breastfeed or feed with pumped milk until Preston is 6 months old. At 6 months, we will introduce solid foods to mix with breastfeeding until 1 year. This is my plan. It was my biggest worry and stressor while pregnant that I wouldn't be able to fulfill this plan.

Never in a million years did I expect it to be this difficult. Ugh!

All the medical professionals that I have come in contact with since P's delivery have tried to push formula on me. Let me say that formula feeding definitely has its advantages and at times is the only option...but for me breastfeeding is the best choice and one that I will stick with unless there are circumstances outside my control that keep me breastfeeding. I made it very clear to everyone who would handle my baby in the hospital that I wanted NO FORMULA, NO BOTTLES, and NO PACIFIERS. If you will be breastfeeding exclusively I suggest that you request the same to keep nipple confusion to a minimum in those first few days. Well, P was a very sleepy baby right out of the gate. Maybe it was the epidural or maybe he was just sleepy. But whatever it was he didn't want to eat and that worried everyone. He didn't latch on after birth like is recommended. I then tried to get him to latch on and eat for the next 12 hours and all he wanted was to sleep. I trusted my instincts and assumed that he would wake up and eat when he was hungry. The staff threatened me that if he didn't eat they would feed him formula so I kept him in my room all night the first night to make sure that no bottle or formula was given to him. First thing in the morning I met with the Lactation Consultant and she was WONDERFUL!!! After a few minutes she got Preston latched on and he fed for 20 minutes on each breast. It was the most wonderful and fulfilling moment as a Mom knowing that I could provide nutrition for my newborn son.

P continued to nurse throughout our stay in the hospital even though he was still very sleepy and we often had to wake him to eat but he seemed to be getting the nutrition that he needed. At first, you are feeding your baby colostrum until your milk comes in around day 3 or 4 post delivery. On Saturday, we took P home (thankfully)!! I continued to nurse him every 2-3 hours and anxiously waited for my milk to come in. Preston was now 3 days old and he was getting really hungry....and fussy!! So, our first night home was pretty miserable for everyone involved. P was hungry and I didn't have any milk to feed him...only the little bit of colostrum that your body produces in the first few days. Luckily, I woke up on Sunday with my breasts much fuller...my milk had come in...YAY!!! P would finally get a full belly...I was soooo relieved.

On Monday, we had a weight check with the pediatrician. Most docs of breastfed babies will do a weight check a few days after you leave the hospital to make sure breastfeeding is working and baby is gaining weight. Well, P had lost more weight since we left the hospital...not an alarming amount but it raised a red flag to our pediatrician. He then told me that he wanted us to supplement with formula for the week to get his weight back up. Again, I told him that I didn't want to use formula to which he was fine with. BUT, he wanted me to pump and give P a bottle of breast milk every day for an extra feeding to supplement. Well, I wasn't ready to introduce the bottle during his first week either. So, I trusted my instincts and decided that I wouldn't follow the Dr.'s advice and give P a bottle or formula. As long as P was producing enough poopy and pee diapers then he was getting enough milk and no supplementing was needed. By Friday we had to do another weight check and he had gained lots of his lost weight back and his pediatrician was pleased. By his 2 week appointment he was 5 oz. above his birth weight which is a HUGE accomplishment for a breastfed baby.

So, essentially what I'm trying to say above is that breastfeeding is emotionally draining. I didn't really feel like I had much support out of the gate (from the medical community). Everyone will agree that breastfeeding is the BEST option but when it really comes down to it they don't waste any time compromising your efforts to breastfeed by throwing formula, bottles, and pacifiers in your face. My advice is to stand your ground and trust your instincts. You are the mother and as long as your child is satisfied then you will always be doing the right thing for him/her.

Perhaps the most difficult part of breastfeeding is the pain. Yes, it is painful. Some days, I would rather go through childbirth again than to breastfeed all day. The first two weeks were the worst. They tell you that you will experience sore nipples only if your baby doesn't have a proper latch. I'm here to tell you that is total BS. P and I still work on getting a good latch at each session but eventually we get there. And SORE nipples doesn't really cover it. Try cracked, bleeding, excruciatingly painful nipples. So sore that you can't even wear a towel out of the shower. So sore that sleeping is painful. It hurts. Be prepared for the pain. Have a painkiller handy for those days. And keep in mind that they hurt when left alone...when it's time for a feeding it hurts even worse but for the sake of your child you must suffer through it. Use lots of Lanolin and keep it in the back of your mind that it gets better. I'm still waiting (hoping and dreaming) for it to get better....it has gotten a bit better...no more bleeding or cracks but there is still pain.

Let me also mention that by breastfeeding you turn your body and your schedule over to your baby. Your baby will eat every 2-3 hours if you are lucky. Preston has times where he wants to eat every hour which is both physically and emotionally draining. There will be days where all you will do is feed, change diapers, take a quick nap, feed, change diapers, etc. It feels like groundhog day after a while. And you can kiss sleep goodbye. I am up at the mininum every 2 hours with him. He has on few occassions slept longer but rarely has this happened yet. Remember that you are the only one who can feed until the bottle is introduced so it is all you. Getting out of the house is another issue...you can leave but only for 2 hours at a time. I have made a few shopping trips and gym visits but other than that we are homebound for the time being. But, if you are like me you will be fine with that. I'm loving the time at home with P so I haven't really missed the outside world much.

In a nutshell, breastfeeding is tough. Preston will be 4 weeks old in two days and he is thriving and growing. I'm persevering through the pain and for that I am proud. And there is no greater joy then watching my boy collapse in my arms after a feeding with a full belly...milk mustache and all. :)

Sabotage

These delicious treats are sabotaging my plans to drop the baby weight fast! For months while I was pregnant, I watched as they built both Dunkin' Donuts and Gigi's Cupcakes within walking distance to our house. Every day I drove by hoping that they would somehow have magically opened overnight so that I could enjoy them without feeling guilty. Because we all know that pregnant women need cupcakes and donuts, right!!!

Just my luck that both opened RIGHT after I gave birth to Preston. UGH!!! Why me???

And, to top it off...I ordered 4 boxes of girl scout cookies from a co-worker months ago that were supposed to come in before the birth also that are conveniently here now...3 weeks late. UGH!The reality of the situation though is that I have been extremely lucky with my weight throughout this pregnancy. I put on a total of 35 pounds which is great considering that I was on Prednisone for the majority of my pregnancy. I lost 25 lbs within a week of delivery and as of today have 8 to go. I think these last 8 lbs are going to be difficult though...especially with Gigi's and Dunkin' Donuts both right around the corner. :)

Preston's First Two Weeks...

Here are some pictures of Preston from our first two weeks for your viewing pleasure. I think he is the cutest baby in all the land and I am so lucky to be his Mommy. :)

Preston with Chuck's Mom, Carol, or "Grandmother"

Preston watching his first North Carolina game with Daddy...good thing he won't remember this season. :)
Preston watching the news with Daddy

One of the few pictures that Preston and I have together. I look exhausted in this picture...but I am exhausted so there it is. I'm going to work harder (or get Chuck to work harder) to get more pictures of us together. The truth is that I'm the one always behind the camera taking the pictures so unfortunately I'm not in any of them. And, at least for the next few weeks until we introduce a bottle, Preston is constantly attached to my boob...and well, I can't really have pictures of that floating around. HA!

Preston's Birthday!

I'd like to share a crazy story about the date that Preston was born. P's due date was March 12th (which is two days from today...strange) so I NEVER expected him to arrive in February. However, much to my surprise I was already dilated at 36 weeks. My 37 week appointment was the day before P was born and I was 3 centimeters dilated and the Doc told me that I could have him anytime!!! He also said that if I didn't have him within the week that he was going to induce me the following week because of a recent spike in my blood pressure. So, needless to say I was soooooo EXCITED that we were going to have P here within a week at the latest!!! YAY!! I called everyone I knew and shared the good news.

I immediately started thinking about his birthday and instantly knew that I wanted him born on Friday the 26th...which is the birthday of my dear grandfather, "Poppy." My Poppy passed away last year and it has been hard for everyone in my family to deal with the loss of such a wonderful man. He truly was wonderful.

So, when my water broke on Wednesday night the 24th I was a little sad that P was going to be born on the 25th. I really had it in my head that I wanted him to share a birthday with Poppy. Maybe I felt in some way that it would give us a reason to celebrate rather than mourn his loss.

So, nature took its course and Preston was born on February 25th at 4:54 pm after a surprisingly easy 19 hours of labor. He was (and still is) perfect.

Then last week I was laying in bed when all of the sudden I started thinking that February 25th was an important date other than P's birthday. Was it someone else's birthday? Did I have something important on that date that I missed? After a few seconds I realized that February 25th is the anniversary of mine and Chuck's first date 5 years ago!!! Since we have been married we haven't really celebrated our "dating" anniversary and I was so fixated on the 26th and everything else going on that we both completely forgot!!! What a wonderful anniversary gift for both of us!

And as for Poppy, I think Preston's birthday is his work. He knew that the 25th was a special date for Chuck and I. And, looking back I cannot think of a better date for him to have entered the world than 5 years after the first date with my wonderful husband. :)

Finally!!!

Well, it seems like forever since I started this blog. I signed up only to leave it sitting empty for ages. Now that I have some free time (yeah, right...ha!) on my hands during maternity leave maybe I'll be able to post! Most importantly though, is that I now have an EXCELLENT reason to post! PRESTON! Not that our life wasn't interesting before but I'm sure none of you wanted to read about what Chuck and I were doing on a Friday night...which is ordering take-out and watching our new favorite show...Wheel of Fortune. Sad, right. :)

But, as of February 25th at 4:54 pm our lives have definitely gotten more interesting and fun! Preston arrived 15 days earlier than his March 12th due date but you heard NO complaints from me! I was totally ready. I shouldn't complain because I had a wonderful pregnancy but that last month was really starting to take its toll on me...swollen ankles, HUGE belly, and the anxiety and anticipation of delivering and meeting him. Fortunately for me, he was ready to enter the world as well so it worked out. Preston was born a perfect 7 lbs 7oz, 19 inches long, and has a full head of dark hair. I thought all along that he was going to have hair because of my heartburn during pregnancy...you know that old wive's tale. I'm totally biased but I believe he is the cutest baby I have ever laid my eyes on. He has been with me for twelve days now and I still cannot believe that he is ours.

So, what am I'm hoping to get out of this blog...hmmm. Well, for selfish reasons I'm hoping it will be a sort of diary for us. Of course, I'm not going to bore you or embarass myself with all sorts of personal information. I simply want it to highlight some of the fun things we do and be a place that I can come back to for memories. And the timing couldn't be perfect with Preston's arrival and our recent purchase of a fancy camera that I'm still learning how to use.

Another main reason for this blog is to keep in touch with family. The majority of my family lives 150 miles away...which isn't that far but you really need to understand my family to see that 150 miles might as well be 1500 miles. My family is insanely close and few of us have ever moved outside of Lexington. I LOVE our life here in Bowling Green but it does make me sad for Preston that he won't grow up with my family down the road. So, for that reason I want this blog to serve as an easy way for them to see what he and us are up to! Chuck and I are lucky that his parents live here and are very helpful! But they too have family members all over the place that hopefully will check in on us occassionally as well.

The last reason for this blog is because I simply want to share my experiences. I feel like we all have something to say and I LOVE reading other people's blogs about their life experiences. So, I guess I feel like it is my turn to share my experiences as a new mom and wife. So, we shall see how it goes. Hope you ENJOY!!