As I reflect on our time together I'm compelled to say it's been an absolute joy. Even though I'm still healing from a venous insufficiency complication, taking care of my daughter is the highlight. People comment she's my twin and I often look and think, "is that what I look like?" lol. It's like watching myself grow up. I'm curious to see who she will become. What her personality will be like.
Breastfeeding or Formula?
I am pumping/bottle feeding my breastmilk (with fortification of an additional calories in formula) and also feeding her formula when we're out running errands. Soñai was born 33 weeks 3 days, April 15th 1:48am, 4lbs 3oz, 17.32inches. So about a month premature up to 37 weeks or a month and a half if consider or due date May 31st.
With her being a premie she was introduced to a feeding tube down her mouth and then her nose as she got older. Because I was still healing from complications and waiting for my milk to come in, she was enjoying donor milk from the bottle. I did get her to latch on which was great but upon coming home her preference is the faster flow of the bottle. Every woman is difference and my milk doesn't come out as fast naturally. They had her on a strict schedule of 9a 12p 3p 6p 9p 12a 3a 6a. 8 feeds a day and I was encouraged to pump 8 to 10 times. My complication from the pregnancy had me in continuous excruciating pain which interrupted my sleep. This lasted for about a month and a half until all the tissue effected on my toes has pretty much died. I was wheeled in a wheelchair about 2 times a day to NICU to visit Soñai and do cares. Cares included checking her temperature, changing her diaper and feeding her my milk. I would stay for about 2 hrs or 3 before I needed to head back up to the maternity floor for my meds and food (lunch or dinner).
I was in the hospital for a full week, Soñai for a little over 2 weeks. She graduated the NICU in 17 days. That first week was tiresome. I eventually gave myself some slack. Use the feeding schedule as a guide but I tweaked how often I pumped. I have some milk stored in the freezer and now I'm pumping on demand as much as 5 out of 8 or as little as 3 times if I have an extremely busy day. Obviously in between I'll feed her formula. If I'm particularly low one day I'll do a power hour/session:
pump 20, rest 10, pump 10, rest 10, pump 10 = 60 mins.
pump 20, rest 20 pump 10, rest 10, pump 10 - just a longer session to promote more production.
Sleeping while baby sleeps is a thing but you also need to take time for yourself to get miscellaneous work done.
Body Image
healing
exercise
July 20th, 3:15a I revisited this draft and decided to publish but it hosts the raw details in our 1st month together.
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