Vent

[cathyw]

Hi. Pumping sure does get old! I still hate the sight of my pump and thought I'd lose my mind at times!!! I pumped all of my 32 weeker's milk for the first five months. We needed to add Neosure to the milk for extra calories and he was not a very good breast feeder initially. He loved the bottles and would have been happy enough to stay on bottles but I was determined to get him to breastfeed. For the first five months or so, I would put him on the breast 1-2 times per day. Gradually I increased the number of times he was at the breast. He became much more efficient at bfing over time and I was able to graduate from pumping in approx. one month. He grew to LOVE breastfeeding and it was a lot easier than cleaning bottles, sterilizing pumping equipment etc. He breast fed until 13 1/2 months. I then weaned him because I am currently pregnant with #2..Try not to give up pumping altogether...maybe just supplement. I am convinced that my son had only one tiny runny nose during his whole first year because of the breast milk. Take care and hang in there!!!

Cathy
Johnny, 10-25-02, p/e

[tahoe4]

I can't believe you're pumping for so long! Good for you! I gave up after 2 months as it was so exhausting, pumping, then trying to breastfeed, then feeding a bottle - at every single feeding.

EBay is definitely the place to get Neosure. Very expensive in the stores and you can get it much cheaper on ebay!

[amyk]

Wow, thanks for the responses!
We went to Tristan's checkup on Wednesday, and he's off the fortifier, but now I'm having to add the Neosure to every bottle like a couple of you mentioned above. And this is for at least another 2 months. They did give me three free cans of it at the Drs office, so that at least is one good thing. I'm still going to have to pump all the time though. I really just want to make it to 8 months, but we'll see. I'm supposed to go on a small vacation in June, and I'm NOT lugging that pump with me!

Amy

Chloe (8/6/01) 35 weeks, p/e, hellp
Tristan (9/3/03), 32 weeks, p/e and hellp AGAIN

[jsilvas]

Amy,

I just found this post. I think you and I had the same due date, but I just found out in your signature you had HELLP again. Sorry to hear that. Did you post about the experience? Could you give me the link if you did? I was starting to have trouble around that time also so I didn't get to this forum as often and missed some stuff.

I had to pump exclusively while Ella was in the hospital for her first week. That was not fun, I feel for you. It was weird to get up in the middle of the night to pump instead of feed an actual baby. Now I'm just pumping while I'm at work. . . in an empty office next to the president's office no less. It's a bit awkward, but it has to be done. Ella has had to go a couple of days with formula while I was at work because we didn't have stored milk for whatever reason and each time it made her constipated for days. I know formula is just fine, but I'm going to continue pumping as long as she needs it. I hope you can keep it up also.

I did it with my son also. . . for two years!! But I don't remember when I stopped needing to pump at work since he was just nursing at night at the end. At least Tristan will be on some solids soon and before your eight month goal, so maybe you won't have to do it as much soon.

Keep up the good work. Do you still try to feed him from the breast?

Jeanette - 30
Louis - 32
Ethan - 6/8/98 (36 weeks 4 days - PIH)
Ella - 10/3/03 (36 weeks 6 days - PIH)

[sweetiesuzy]

The cost of formula is so expensive. My oldest son was strickly on formula. If you are interested I know that the community WIC - Women Infants & Children program can help provide you with formula. I think there are income guidelines but it may be worth checking it out.

Hope things start to get easier soon. I know how hard things are when you are in the midst of it all but just think... this is only a moment in time and soon you will be on to a new moment!

Suzanna

DS 3/25/95
DD 10/26/01 stillbirth
DS 12/30/02
AND ~ Peanut edd 8/6/04

[5thtymachrm]

hello,
All of you are very impressive, sticking to the pumping for so long. Indy never figured out how to suck, she only bites(ouch[:0])I tried for 4 weeks to get her to bf and had to pump every 2 hrs. We were sent home from the hospital with similac advance that we fed her through the spaghetti tube and the syringe. I remember getting excited that she had drank an entire 10 ml's not even a whole ounce!

I kept on getting mastitis recurring and she had thrush. she would thrash around and scream anytime I tried putting her to bf. it was miserable and I began to despise the pump. it was incredibly painful and didn't work very well(we had the medela rental from the hosp.). I had always planned on bf'ing and it was probably the most important thing for me to do with my baby. stopping was dificult emotionally but a huge relief physically. Indy also wasn't gaining any weight after a week and a half so we switched to formula exclusively.

now she's colicky and its terrible but each day she gets a little better with the symethicone drops and karo syrup daily with water. she actually slept for 7 hours last night!!! with only a diaper change halfway through, it was very strange but very nice.

I say that as long as the baby is healthy, gaining weight, then whatever you do is good. formula these days is very close to bm and your antibodies are mostly given the first few days in the colostrum.

Elizabeth
11/20/03 Indigo E. (born with no PE @ 37 weeks, 5lbs 13oz) (Pg Issues:hypertension(atenolol),hyperemesis, hypothyroidism, cancer remission, asthma, 8cm blood clot @3wks)
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/i/indigopage/
11/17/95 m/c @14wks
1/97 m/c @3wks
2/98 m/c @5wks
8/02 m/c @3wks

[amyk]

Hey there Jeanette!
Yes, I think you're right about the due dates. What kind of problems were you having? It looks like you did a good job though. Your kids are ADORABLE!
My story is posted here:
http://www.preeclampsia.org/stories/story.asp?ID=499

However, I have to warn you that it is long, boring, and probably overly dramatic. These poor women here have had to hear me go on about it for some time now! Never fear ladies, I'll stop talking about it eventually (like maybe when I have a third kid!).

Amy

Chloe (8/6/01) 35 weeks, p/e, hellp
Tristan (9/3/03), 32 weeks, p/e and hellp AGAIN

[jsilvas]

Oh my goodness, that wasn't boring or overly dramatic. Sounds pretty scary to me. I'm glad it turned out well in the end though. I had those same feelings of not wanting to go in with high readings. In a nutshell, my bp's starting staying high at high 140s/high 90s at 34 weeks. I started spilling protein somewhere around then too and was hospitalized for a night, but the peri said to try to hold off until 37 weeks. During that holding off period is when I resisted calling in [:I], but we made it. There were some complications, but this "nutshell" is already too big so I'll just stop there.

We all made it through, now we're just dealing with normal illnesses. I had to take both kids in to the pediatrician today. My five-year-old has strep and an ear infection and Ella's poop has been watery for a while now. We were only taking her in today, but we ended up needing to take both. They're going to do some tests on Ella's stool once we get a sample in to them. The doc thinks it's just something to do with how she handles milk proteins or something and that she'll grow out of it. I don't know if anyone else here has dealt with that. We'll see how her tests come back. . .

I hope Tristan is doing well and that Chloe is enjoying him. Ella and Tristan ended up being exactly a month apart. She was born on 10/3/03 (at 3:03pm in delivery room 3. . . I guess she likes the number 3).

Jeanette - 30
Louis - 32
Ethan - 6/8/98 (36 weeks 4 days - PIH)
Ella - 10/3/03 (36 weeks 6 days - PIH)

[paljane8]

Amy,

Your story is amazing and I am glad you shared it. I am SO glad both you and Tristan are ok!

How is pumping and breast feeding going? You are such a trooper. Did I miss how big Tristan is now?

Nancy-35
dh-34
ds-8yrs
dd-7yrs
Scott-born 05-14-99 @38 weeks-PE
Janie-born 05-12-03 @37 weeks-PIH, small for gestational age (oligo and low blood flow)
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/4/4lbs/

[amyk]

Thanks Nancy!
Tristan is a whopping 11 pounds now, but to me he looks huge. We go next week for his fourth RSV/Synagis shot (or as I like to call them, LIQUID PLATINUM- they are SOOOOO expensive.), but he's doing really, really well. In fact, last night he slept all night long. That is a totally big deal for us, because for 3 MONTHS he got us up every 2 hours.
As for the pumping, it looks like I'll be doing it for awhile. Yesterday he threw up every time I gave him formula exclusively.

I've been keeping up with Janie through your posts, and I have to agree with you that there is no way I could get up in the night for another meal. I would be afraid it would last forever. It sounds like you've got your hands full. She is awfully cute though!

Amy

Chloe (8/6/01) 35 weeks, p/e, hellp
Tristan (9/3/03), 32 weeks, p/e and hellp AGAIN