There is a particular way that moms in Pittsburgh would say "I don't know" that made it perfectly clear you were NOT to ask them any more questions. With the accent it was something like "OYI doe-n't knoe-w," with an unmistakable air of annoyance.
I keep saying this over and over again, my miffed mother mantra. Listen, I don't know.
Baby V wants more milk than my breasts produce in the evenings. She is sitting here next to me (see photo) working on her pacifier while I bounce her bouncy chair with my foot and try to reason this whole thing out.
See, if she drinks formula, she gets stopped up -- she didn't poop for three days after I started giving her formula. Now that I've put her on breastmilk only, she's pooped NINE TIMES in the last two days. During the big poop strike, none of us got any sleep. She was drastically uncomfortable and we don't need to mess with that scene again.
However, now she's hungry. My boobs have let down more times than, I don't know the joke here -- my science grades, the Star Wars prequels, Frasier's ex-wife Lilith's hair? -- anyway, they've let down (milk, in this case) more than any time in their nursing career.
PLEASE don't suggest teas or pills or any of that to me. I'm not looking for a pharmaceutical solution to milk production. And TEA? Don't screw with me during the precious hours that Chebbles is sleeping and Baby V won't freaking sleep also. You know what you can do with your tea.
What I want is something Baby V can drink so that she can relax and sleep, best off in her own bed, but won't make her constipated until summertime. Hm, maybe there is some kind of baby brandy? And perhaps I'll partake in a nip as well. I'm getting so uptight, my boobs are getting all tense and curdly.
I don't know.
13 comments:
Argh, I remember the pain. The nursing pain. There is so much pressure as we define for ourselves, What does a Good Mother do? And am I Good or even OK? Just the fact that you care enough to be frustrated shows how much you love her, love them both actually. Obviously you are searching for what's best, and I am sure you'll find it in time.
I know that you said no suggestions, but oatmeal is supposed to help. Of course, I had over supply and my little one still seemed to not be satisfied at night for the first four months. I think that they are building the supply, but it is SO frustrating. Remembering those long stressful evenings makes me scared of having another one!!
Yeah, I gave E a bottle of formula in a moment of "My boobs can't DO that!" desperation and we had monstrous, painful gas and constipation. No more of that. I give her warm water sometimes to, if nothing else, fill her tummy with something warm. Doesn't do much and it results in one soggy, soaked diaper in the morning, but it has saved me a few nights.
Yeah. F the tea.
And E has that same buzzy chair. We have a love/hate relationship with it right now. She's all about it until she realizes she's in it. Then GOD HELP YOU...
Hey mama, Baby V is just a cutie pie! so sweet! Oh, sorry to hear about the formula constipation, that is no good. I don't know either (spoken with a Boston accent).
All I will suggest is that you drink more water in the afternoons. It's really easy to get dehydrated while nursing. You might also try soy-based baby formula -- the dairy formula made my son really gassy and upset, but the soy formula worked well. Maybe your pediatrician or doula can recommend one. Oh, and what a CUTE BABY. That hair! She is precious!
Agreeing with MM: we switched to soy after many screaming nights of constipation. That worked very well.
I think the 3-day constipation thing is pretty normal, even for an exclusively BF'ed babe. Cate poos every 2-3 days and it's such an effort it wipes her out---evidenced by one gargantuan poop and my resulting all-day napping milk-leech and leaky boobs. Hang in there--as she stimilates your plumbing you'll start to produce more milk.
Mama D
I have absolutely no idea, but if one makes her poop and the other stops her up, can you mix them half and half and see what happens? Or is that against the rules?
Dark imported German beer--relaxes you and Baby V. and the B vitamins encourage milk production. Just grab a cold one the next time you nurse and settle in! It worked for me--and doesn't seem to have done you any harm. Who knows--it might even have stimulated your creativity!
G.R.
Ok. Let's see. That's called cluster feeding. It's normal. I swear. A LOT of babies cluster feed in the evening. Most of them? Just let her do the crazy cluster feed every night, and your milk WILL up, then you'll be producing tank-up amounts for night. Our 2 bf babes pooped easily 5-10x/day, I've heard the formula can really stop them up.
Just reading about breastfeeding brings back my own nightmare breastfeeding memories. I'm just glad it's you and not me. Gotta run; I can't sit around reading your blog all day. I have to get back to not breastfeeding. Wheeeee!
Karla, you are mean, mean, mean.
I second the motion on beer, I hope it is great for adoptive Mom's now because I could really use one!
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