Hannah is doing quite well. She had her IV removed this morning and is no longer getting nutrition from any source other than me (well, we're supplementing what I can produce with donor breast milk until I can cover all of her feedings).
She is now "eating" 24mL at each feeding. It seems like each time I turn around the number goes up. We started at about 5, then have quickly increased to 8, 16, 20, and now 24. It's exciting to see the improvements.
I'm working pretty hard to supply all of her nutritional needs. I'm drinking about 120 oz of water every day (I fill up this giant jug the hospital gave me about 4 times!) and eating like crazy. I'm pumping every 2-3 hours, which is not easy but I know how important it is, so it that makes it easier to continue. Tomorrow morning I'll be switching to a different brand of hospital-grade rental pump, since I've recently learned that I have a bad pump for a "preemie mom" and they actually make a special pump for NICU moms who have to do all of their pumping with no baby at home to "help out." Thank goodness for my friend Kim, who is a lactation consultant, gave me all sorts of advice/information on this stuff (and drove to my house immediately when I called and told her I was having a problem with production on Saturday morning)! The consultant who saw me in the hospital never mentioned the NICU brand (Symphony) to me, and neither did the woman at the rental center at the hospital. Oh well -- at least now I know.
4 comments:
Congrats on your success! I'm so glad that Hannah seems to be growing well and is eating well, on her own at that! The message boards on mothering.com have a really extensive board for moms of preemies/NICU. It's a great resource for advice from pro-breastfeeding moms who have been there & done that. It may be useful for you. Here's the link, don't know if you need to sign up for a free account to view the threads:
http://tinyurl.com/23aqtd
We're so glad to hear that everything is going well. Hang in there with the pumping. Kendra also had to supplement Taryn as her milk didn't come in right away. We pray everything continues to go well. Love, Marcia
Good for Hannah and good for you. Pumping is tough. Hang in there. I'm so happy to hear that she is doing so well so quickly.
Congratulation Julie & Jon! We're so thrilled for you both. Keep up the great work Julie! Sounds like you're doing a wonderful job with breastfeeding! I'm impressed with your dedication and determination. It is all worth it! I'm praying Hannah will be home with you and nursing successfully very soon. God Bless your newly formed family!
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