12 weeks and finally we seem to have got the BFing down!

Discussion in 'The First Year' started by nerdgirl, Aug 14, 2012.

  1. nerdgirl

    nerdgirl Active Member

    I am amazed this has actually worked, but after weeks and weeks of pain and misery and failed after failed attempt to get DD to nurse, she's got it. Still not perfect, but so, so much better than it ever was before. I'm still shocked it worked - I went up to three weeks at a time between nursing attempts and while she was MAD every time I tried to shove boob in her mouth, she would still give it a go after a few minutes of screaming. My LC told me the babies' rooting reflexes are pretty much gone by twelve weeks, so that lit a fire under me to get serious about getting DD on the breast (they're 12 weeks/9 adjusted).

    So it's working. I'm going to keep going with this, trying to minimize the number of bottles I give her and trying not to pump as much. I'm afraid of a drop in my supply, though. DS is a great nurser at this point, so there are no problems with him getting full feedings every time on the boob. DD, however, I worry about whether or not she'll be able to do it. Any ideas on how to do it? Here's my rough pumping/nursing schedule as of now:

    7:30am - pump
    8am - bottle (both)
    11am - nurse DS, bottle DD, pump
    2pm - pump
    2:30pm - bottle (both)
    5-7pm - nurse DS, bottle DD, pump, repeat (sort of clusterfeeding)
    7:30pm - bottle (both)
    10pm - pump
    4am - nurse DS, bottle DD, pump
    Lather, rinse, repeat.

    There is so much bottle feeding as they are both slow nursers still and I have to get out the door to do school drop offs/pickups and this is the only way the babies would be able to get sufficient naptime as I can let them sleep until the last minute and shove a bottle down for ten minutes before we have to bolt out the door (nursing would take nearly an hour). Also, the bedtime bottles are so that I can help put the older kids in bed rather than DH do it every night - they need their mama, too.

    So what do you think? I look at this schedule and think no wonder I never get anything done, no wonder I'm exhausted by bedtime. Thank goodness they both sleep all night except for the one feeding or I'd be a basket case. I think my primary worry, aside from a drop in supply - from dropping pumpings - is that they babies won't gain weight like they should. They really, really struggled with weight gain for the first eight weeks, and now that they're both finally gaining well, I hate to mess it up. It also doesn't help that DS is not gaining as fast as DD; since he's the one that nurses far more, it doesn't give me the confidence I'd hope to have in nursing being enough on its own.

    This is a lot of information, I know. Thanks so much for reading if you got this far. :)
     
  2. Mom2VLS

    Mom2VLS Well-Known Member

    I don't know that I have much advice on the pumping schedule. However, I would say don't take your DS not gaining as fast as DD necessarily as a sign that he isn't getting enough. My girls are about 1 pound apart in their weight difference. Sometimes one just gains more than the other. :) Congrats on making it this far!
     
    2 people like this.
  3. cheezewhiz24

    cheezewhiz24 Well-Known Member TS Moderator


    This is very, very true. Shoot, my identical twins were more than 3 pounds apart at some stages. Everybody grows differently. As long as they are eating enough times a day, somewhat satisfied after a feed and peeing and pooping normally, they are doing just fine. :)
     
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