[tri-med] Re: Question

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim vega" <jkvega@xxxxxxxxx>

> With this all being new to me -- did any of you breast feed your babies??
> How long??

Prior to Alex's birth I had taken some breastfeeding classes at the
hospital. I was all set to jet and then he was born with "issues" (didn't
know about the trisomy at the time). Alex had no suck, no rooting reflex, no
interest what so ever in food. He was floppy, weak, lethargic etc.

In the delivery room (before birthing suites!) we put him to the breast,
nothing.
Same the next day, the next, and the next. So every 2 hrs I'd attempt to
nurse, then I'd pump with the electric hospital pump, and then we'd put the
tiny bit of colostrom/milk into a bottle nipple and drip it into his mouth
while stroking his cheek/neck to get it down. This went on a week in the
hospital.

Then we go home, still don't know what's wrong, with no support/outside
help/recourses. Talk about feeling set adrift and alone (no Internet at that
time---it didn't exist).

Would try to breastfeed every 2 hrs. No go, use the manual pump, spend an
hour dripping into Alex, wash and sterilize the stupid hand pump, and then
the 2 hrs were about up and time to start again. It took me 45min-1.5 hrs to
get a few ounces pumped and it was VERY frustrating.

This went on for 3 weeks at home. I'd called LaLeche league to see about
getting an electric pump but couldn't afford the $100 rental per week. The
woman almost sneered at me when I told her was was going on. The breast
feeding instructor from the hosp had a few suggestions via phone but nothing
was working. Never did anyone suggest PT, OT, speech therapy etc. And I
didn't know to ask.

Finally in exhaustion and frustration I told Jim I just couldn't do it
anymore. All the stress of Alex's condition (with no diagnosis) and it being
just me on the front battleline trying to keep him alive were too much on
their own and the breast feeding was an aggravation I could lose. I kept
telling myself that at least he had 3 weeks worth of me.

I cried the day I first mixed formula.

Even that was a trial. It would take an hour to get 1-2 ounces into Alex.
Thank goodness I had that kind of time to devote to him or who knows how it
would have went.

With Molly I again planned to breast feed. A few family members who'd gone
through the Alex issues with it said, "Are you SURE you want to do that?".
LOL

It took her 3 days to get the idea and then she was off and running (or
nursing!). It was so easy. And pumping for her, I could get 8 ounces in 15
min! It was amazing and it showed me part of why it didn't work for Alex. My
milk never "came in" (knew that after I first felt "letdown" with Molly,
something that had never happened with Alex) with Alex. And what freedom to
not have to cart bottles, mixing formula, sterilizing bottles, esp middle of
the night. In my opinion breast feeding is MUCH easier. And you can pump and
store milk for while you're not available to the baby.

I even went back to work 2 days per week when Molly was 4 months old and
continued to breast feed her full time for a year. She only bit me once with
those shiny new teeth and my reaction ( jerk, scream, jumped up) startled
her so much she never did it again.
And I cried when we stopped for good. :0)

If breastfeeding is something you want to do and you enjoy doing then go for
it. If it's not, do what's best for you. I still miss that feeling of
rocking in the rocker with Molly at my breast.......so calm, such a close
time, knowing you 're boosting their immunity with the "perfect baby
food"...........

 I'm glad that I was finally able to experience that after all the pain,
frustration and fear with feeding Alex.

Michelle mom to Alex (16, partial trisomy 14 mosaic) and Molly (13)
MichiganUSA


                  Building ___ooOOoo__ Rainbows
                       www.trisomyonline.org
                  Families Helping Families On-line

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