Oliver Feeding Update

I know I have commented on social media about our continued journey of feeding but I thought I would update here in case I am missing someone and for reference later.

So if you didn’t read the saga before, go here {it’s cool…I’ll wait}. So yeah…it was stressful but looking up. The Saturday after that post, I had had enough of that syringe. It was driving me bonkers. I got so flustered. I made a bottle and used the only nipple we had and handed to Kevin. I braced myself for the possibility of him loving it and hating my boob but whatever. I was exhausted from feeding him for an hour, syringing and pumping around the clock. Fortunately, he A)took the bottle like a champ (Landon was picky and took us awhile to find one) and B) still wanted boob. I can now give him a bottle too (which I do sometimes if I feel like he could have more). A small victory there.

The last weight check was set for Monday at lunch. We went in and sure enough, 7lbs 11oz. Homeboy gained 10oz in less than a week. HOLLA!  They said that was OUTSTANDING and way more than they expected. He said they would see us in 2 weeks just to make sure it was still going well. We could supplement when we felt like he needed it but not every feeding. We have been giving a bottle of .5-1oz maybe twice a day now. I do it before bed if anything to set up a routine that can be done with anyone later on when I can be free. It is going well. Most of the time he comes off of me with milk spilling from his mouth and a giant milk gut. On top of that, after morning feedings I can go on to pump another 2 or more oz. I am freezing milk like mad. YAY!

As for the biting, I made an appointment that Monday for lactation again at SAS with the person I saw with Landon. She is just awesome.  Full of resources and help. She noted his short tongue and recommended us to talk to an ENT…and gave me specific recommendations (while all ENTs can technically do the snip, a lot don’t know the feeding reasons behind it. She pointed me to someone specializing in it). It was a short chat but I came away feeling better. In the mean time, I figured out that Oliver likes to eat on his left side. He just latches way better. So I could cross him for my right side and football for my left. Worked pretty well…just still a little biting if he was lazy or in a hurry. So I finally got an appointment this past Monday with Raleigh ENT. We saw Dr. Laura Brown and she was great. I even found out he clipped Landon’s BFF as a newborn too. She said he had a very mild case. She didn’t see it was one to effect speech or dental problems later on…it was all my call based on my discomfort. We could see that he is latching and getting milk…it is just uncomfortable on me. So there it was..my choice to have him cut based solely on my level of pain. Oy. Well I said yes. They told me to go wait in the lobby and they would do it. It took maybe 5 minutes and when I got back there, he wasn’t even fussing. Teeny bit of blood in his mouth and he was starting to fall asleep. Clearly not phased. They put me in another room and I nursed him. I felt immediately better. If anything, he could latch without a big production. Before that, I had to line him up right and wait for his mouth to open JUST right and jam it into his mouth. Now? I could be lazier. Well not lazier but more relaxed. This was key for public feeding where I don’t have 3 pillows and props. So 3 cheers for clipping his tongue. High fives all around. Part of me thinks that maybe as his mouth gets bigger, it would have fixed itself but I am still glad we had it done. It was so minor and worth it for my comfort. Selfish mommy, FTW.

There we go. The quick and dirty update. We go Monday to see how he is doing again.  I know K and I are curious to see how much he weighs.

7 thoughts on “Oliver Feeding Update

  • August 23, 2012 at 10:35 am
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    That is wonderful news! So glad things are going better. 🙂 And Oy is right, that had to be a tough decision, but good for you for making it. It will be better for both of you in the long run.

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  • August 23, 2012 at 10:53 am
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    Can I just say how awesome it is that you did something like that for your comfort!! Seriously. Breastfeeding is not as natural and beautiful as some people make it seem. It isn’t a huge hit for everyone and as you pointed out, it can be VERY painful even if the latch is correct. I know that I would not have had the courage to say, “you know what, I want to do this for me!” I would have continued to be uncomfortable and miserable when there existed a simple procedure that would benefit the both of us. As a person who is always bending over backwards for others to make sure THEIR needs are met before my own, I applaud you and hope to start doing the same for myself.

    Thank you for sharing the “dirty” as much as the joys of breastfeeding!

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  • August 23, 2012 at 2:00 pm
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    My son had a similar side preference leading to one boob being “side boob” and the other being ” football boob.” sorted itself out by the time he was too bug for the clutch hold. We figured out that it was how he’d been positioned on the inside and so his right side was more familiar to him. Babies can have such funny preferences!

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  • August 23, 2012 at 2:12 pm
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    So glad to hear thing are going better!!! I am so glad to hear that you don’t feel guilty and had no issues with getting him clipped. It will be better for him in the long run if you are comfortable, don’t flinch at latching and feel no pain. It is easier on both of you. I don’t think it was a selfish decision at all. If you had not clipped him, you might not breastfeed as long as you planned because of the discomfort and the experience of it won’t be warm and fuzzy for him. So really, it wasn’t selfish at all. You did the right for both you and Oliver. Good for you, I think you are doing a great job.

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  • August 23, 2012 at 5:32 pm
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    So glad things are getting better. Because of Abby’s vocal cord paralysis and aspirating while eating, when she finally decided to BF, she was only allowed to lay on one side to help her breathe while eating. So I don’t know any other way that the shuffle to the other side 😉 And it’s one less thing for you to worry about with Oliver. I think I would have chosen the same exact path you did with the clipping making it easier for everyone!

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  • August 23, 2012 at 11:31 pm
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    Glad everything is better.

    Let me tell you, as someone who held Isaac in my lap while they snipped his frenulum, they barely cry at all. He was mostly pissed that I was holding his hands down. So fear not, he’s already forgiven you (especially after his feeding) 🙂

    Reply
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