LONG delivery/bf woes story

Jameson arrived and BF was going so well in the hospital, granted it hurt like hell, but we had a good latch and baby was doing great -until I was told he was loosing “an unhealthy amount of weight” AND my blood count was low and I needed a blood transfusion.

To combat his weight loss, we have to supplement with formula. This caused nipple confusion. Jameson no longer wanted to latch, and I would try so hard with him, it just stressed us both out. Moved to hand expression and gave him the colostrum by spoon then followed up with formula if he was still hungry.

After second weight check, he was still loosing.... born low birth weight for his gestational age, at 6lbs 2 oz; then dropped to 5lbs 11oz, then dropped to 5 lbs 7 oz.... now we risked him not being able to come home with us. Made the decision at 5am with nurse practitioner and lactation nurse to move to formula altogether to get weight up since final check would be done 1 day later to be released or not. We had 1 day to gain weight.

I was a mess. Hubby and I were trying so hard to BF. We felt like we failed. It was such a hard pill to swallow.

While exclusively formula feeding now, I continued to hand express what I could but they stopped producing colostrum. My boobs were like “False alarm, no baby feeding here”

Fast forward to morning of discharge, Saturday, and hallelujah! he weighed the same, 5lbs 7oz during check up and we were cleared to go home, still exclusively formula feeding only and needed pediatrician appointment first thing Monday morning since we were able to maintain his weight and he didn’t loose anymore.

Boob update: hand pumping doesn’t work. Ready to give up. Elect pump hurts like hell, not using that thing that’s for sure!

At appointment doc said weight was 5 lbs 12 oz!! We are getting up there again, slowly but surely. You can even see it in his face now.

Boob update: ENGORGEMENT. I am currently dying trying to heal from engorgement. Hand pumping manually, massaging, warm/hot showers, even took a shot at the electric pump again-still no difference.

Finally boobs started to leak watery substance. Read online this is phase 2 before milk comes in. Phase 1: colostrum. Phase 2: water and sugar mixture that leaks out like clear but foggy watery colored liquid.

Hoping this doesn’t last much longer, boobs are so hard and painful. I sure what else to do. Hopefully milk will break through soon and I can start freezing. Once we get his weight up, I will start supplementing my milk and formula until we are exclusively mommas milk only, even if that means by pump only. 💪🏼