Breast-fest 2008

The internet is a great resource for breastfeeding and I really appreciate all the input and comments. I may not have access to a lactation consultant here but a blog and the internet is probably the next best thing.

I realize after reading through some articles on kellymom that I have been stupidly feeding her on just one side each time and not on both sides. Apparently it´s okay to do that after your supply is well established, after maybe say three months, but not early on. Feeding on both sides encourages supply. I had no idea. I had good supply from the get go so I didn´t worry that I was only feeding her on one side but evidently it wasn´t such a good idea.

I´m also going to drink a big frothy Corona tonight which will send me in the wrong direction for weight loss but will be a good promoter of milk as some suggested. And while it will be impossible to have a lie-in, boob-athon, milk-fest, I will be putting her to the breast a lot more often these next few days to get things going. In fact she´s with me now.

The growth stunt

Charlotte is nearly two and a half months old now. She´s growing fast and she´s still a big girl.

We had to take her to the doctor last night to get her eyes checked because she´s had some green goop coming out of one of them. Apparently she has conjunctivitus which is pretty common in newborns. I didn´t know this and I was relieved because it looked like something out of that Ray Charles movie, really horrid. No problem though we just have to treat it with eye drops.

The doctor also weighed her and was quick to point out she has only gained 250 grams (a half a pound) in the two weeks since her last check-up. The doc seemed really concerned about this because the normal gain is nearer to 500 grams or 1 pound each two weeks. Then we measured her and she had gained a whopping four centimeters! She´s completely off the charts for length at her age. Anyway the doc told me "it´s time to start thinking about bottle feeding because your supply is definitely low and there must be a problem with your milk. You could stunt her growth you know." I got a little angry but said nothing and she reiterated by saying, "not all mothers can breastfeed. " and I said under my breath "but luckily those who can´t have earplugs."

Naturally it bugged me that Charlotte isn´t gaining like she should. I´m pretty sure I have supply but I´m willing to admit it may have dropped because good old AF came back last week. It isn´t unusual because I got AF at the exact same time with Little S. I´m just not lucky enough to keep her at bay a whole year with breastfeeding.

I´m also worried about whether my milk is fatty enough to satisfy her and help her grow. I´m looking into that. I think I read somewhere, like in Penelope Leech´s book though that some babies gain length and not weight each time and not to worry if they are a little under.

I really wish there was a La Léche League here so I could go to a meeting and get some support. This doctor is really starting to bug me. She´s been against breastfeeding from day one. My earplugs keep falling out!

This blog has sort of evolved

I´ve decided to write some more in this blog because I have some things to say about breastfeeding Charlotte and some issues on child care that aren´t really appropriate (ie. may be boring) on my other blog. I´m going to adapt the blog description and apoligize in advance if anyone stumbles here looking for an infertility blog and finds all this baby talk.

This is still an infertility blog if you go digging through the archives, and I am more or less still an infertile. But having two children through IVF has made me a very lucky infertile. I hope everyone trying to conceive has an opportunity to be as lucky and as blessed as we have been.