Hey Y'all!
Today's blog post won't be very long, just wanting to share what's been on my heart for the past few days; hoping to gain some encouragement through the mom blogging community on the topic of low milk supply after a c- section. My son will be three weeks old this coming Wednesday and with careful consideration, my husband and I had made the decision to allow Isaiah to be exclusively formula fed. Before I became pregnant and even in the early stages of having my son here on earth's side with us I've never had a doubt in my mind that I wouldn't be able to breast feed for any reason. In fact, before my son was born I went out and got all of the things it took to make my breastfeeding journey a success. It breaks my heart writing these words now because I wanted nothing more than to be able to nurse my son for a year like I had intended. If you've read my Labor and Delivery Story you would know how I had to have a c-section due to labor complications. I have it linked above it you haven't had a chance to read it- I go into more detail about what happened that day. After my surgery I had a hard time producing milk. Those first few days in the hospital were brutal for my son and I. I attempted to nurse him for 30-45 min each side only to have him screaming afterwards. A meeting with a lactation consultant confirmed my milk supply was non existent. She assured me that in a few days it would come flooding in- but it never did. On top of all of this, I was groggy and in pain- It was hard for me to sit up and hold my son from my constant incision pain. Isaiah had a strong latch that would bring me to tears every time he fed- it got to the point where he even popped a blood vessel in my left breast causing blood to form in my colostrum! One night during our hospital time I asked the nurse for formula. I knew my child wasn't getting what he needed and I wanted him to be fed. I couldn't figure out why my milk was taking so long to come in- I didn't have any more than a few drops during our hospital time and even after only was able to pump 1.5- 3oz in one setting. Focusing on recovering plus dealing with a newborn created a recipe of total exhaustion- I couldn't even LOOK at my breast pump, let alone fathom the thought of being hooked up for a half hour, sitting in an uncomfortable position that would make my incision throb. Being Isaiah's main care taker while my husband works throughout the week also causes for little time to sit down and pump. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I would have to stop mid session to tend to my baby's needs. I feel guilty for being tired and wanting to sleep more than to pump milk for my child. I feel like my body had betrayed me for forcing me to recover instead of making milk. Though I have tried boosting my supply with supplements ultimately I've came to the conclusion that I'm just not making enough and my baby being fed is whats best for him, even if it is just formula. I'm hoping to be able to connect with other c-section mommas in hopes in hearing your stories and how you felt feeding your babies post-op. I've tried researching the correlation between c-sections and low supply. There are similar stories to mines out there, just curious if anyone else has experienced the same thing? Let me know below your story!
On a final note If you tried to breastfeed and it didn't work out, know that you're efforts mean so much. Sometimes, some things just don't work out and that's ok... acceptance is key. Make the most of the situation you have now. Stay encouraged, and remember feeding your baby is most important! You're still rockin' motherhood one bottle at a time.
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