The best advice we got just so happened to be the advice we didn't take...sleep at the hospital! Avery was born at 1129pm so it was after 3am when we got to a room. After her breathing situation earlier, and not to mention childbirth, I could not sleep that first night. I stared at her in pure awe and amazement...and to make sure she was breathing. Our families arrived the next morning and we had visitors off and on all day. And then night two happened...cluster feeding. A wanted to nurse constantly. Hours at a time. She'd fall asleep on my boob, I'd put her down and she'd cry. The only thing to soothe her was more nursing. Repeat for two weeks.
Everything we read online said it was totally normal, newborns nurse constantly. Some people agreed. Some people said there was no way she was hungry so much. Some people said I should pump to see how much she is getting. And me? I cried, a lot. I didn't know what to do. All I knew was it felt like she was attached to me 24-7. I love my child but I was losing it. I felt like the worst mother ever for feeling that way, so I just pushed through exhaustion and let her nurse...all day, every day...because that's what newborns do.
When she was a day shy of two weeks old I went to a breast feeding group at the hospital led by a lactation consultant and a nurse. We weighed in at the beginning and A was weighing in at 6lb,13oz. She was 6lb,12oz at her checkup 2 days after discharge. She was supposed to be back up to birth weight at 2 weeks old, the next day. So we nursed and weighed again to see how much was transferred. Still 6lb,13oz. The LC recommended I go home, pump & see how much I could get. The goal was 1.5oz and she gave me some syringes to feed her with since bottles aren't recommended for a few more weeks. She also prepared me that the pediatrician will most likely want us to supplement.
I pumped, got right at 1.5oz of breast milk and attempted to feed her with a syringe. And cue breakdown. Feeding my two week old via syringe is something I never pictured. It was so...distant. She's not a science experiment. I got a bottle and cuddled her close. She did great!!
The next morning was her 2 week appointment. It's good that I was prepared for being told we needed to supplement with formula, because between that and the doctor saying things like "don't worry baby, I'm going to feed you" and "you must be starving poor thing", I probably would've lost my mind. Yea, I've been starving my child for 2 weeks because I had no idea what I was doing. Just what every mother wants to hear. Anywho, we gave her her first bottle of formula as soon as we got home and for the first time in her two weeks of life she was quiet and content. I was the happiest mama on this earth!!
For now I am pumping and supplementing with formula. I'm not getting a ton of BM so she's getting formula the majority of the time. It was not the plan, but whatever makes a happy baby makes a happy mommy and daddy. And full baby equals happy baby!! We have the happiest baby now :) She's been busy catching up on eating and sleeping!
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