Casting all your anxieties on him, for he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7
Every mom knows the struggle of having a newborn: sleepless nights, tons of dirty diapers, and of course the witching hour! For too many mom's however, their struggle and story begins in the hospital. The sound of sleepless nights while caring for a healthy baby sounds like heaven, that is my story for sure. Our time in the NICU has made me treasure each moment with Bree in a way that I never anticipated, and it taught me one of the most important lessons that I had yet to learn- that a healthy baby comes from a healthy mama! My husband and I "moved in" to the NICU after Bree had been there about a month. We spent about 18hrs a day at the hospital for that first month and spent the nights at friend's relatives (now our dear friends), but after that month we decided to start breastfeeding full time, and live in the NICU! Our sleepless nights consisted of monitors beeping, one hard couch that Nate let me sleep on, while he slept on the hard cold floor of the NICU night after night for two months. Let me tell you- he is truly a saint! My favorite times however, were at our 6am feeding when I would just snuggle my little Bree and hold her close! She seemed to be most alert and interactive at that time. We would go days without going outside, and there were times that we were having to make hard medical decisions for her at 2 o' clock in the morning. Due to the fact that we were living in Phoenix we didn't have access to very healthy food. We at lots of hospital cafeteria food, and way too much cheap fast food just to get by. My body was starting to shut down as I struggled to eat healthy, and didn't exercise at all- not to mention the stress of it all piling up.
It was after our second discharge that the unthinkable happened. After being home all of two days I had to perform CPR on our sweet Bree, she was airlifted back to Phoenix and we were back in the NICU for a third time! I was in shock that I had to give my baby CPR and that we were back in the hospital- for two days straight I didn't eat, sleep or drink anything. I just stared at Bree, praying over her, and looking at her. We had been there two days and the doctors didn't know how long they were going to keep her.They had decided to start doing brain testing, metabolic testing etc. I was breastfeeding normally, until the second night that we were there... nothing. I had no milk! For those of you who have been following my posts, you know how hard I fought to breastfeed, and now there was no milk. Bree was crying, I was crying, and my poor husband was sleep deprived, trying to figure out how to get the nurse to order formula down to our room. I began power pumping, every 20 minutes pumping for 20 minutes. I did this for hours, leaving me sore, tired and with only about an ounce of milk. Again, feeling embarrassed, ashamed and helpless. Bree didn't do well on formula, she got really gassy, constipated and had breathing issues due to her pushing gas and being constipated- her life depended quite literally on breast milk and I had none. Each time she got "bagged," (forced oxygen) because she was so gassy and pushing I felt awful.
Our lactation consultant came in so sweetly and said that everything was going to be ok. She asked me what I had eaten in the last 24 hrs to which I replied "nothing." Then, "how much have you had to drink?" "Nothing." She smiled sweetly and told us that we needed to get a couple of nights of sleep and that I absolutely had to be eating and drinking. Some may say that I'm a little bit of a slow learner, but this is when I really understood the power of taking care of yourself to take care of your baby. I began eating some healthier options (nothing great mind you, as we were still in Phoenix), but better. I found some amazing organic lactation tea, and within hours I was able to pump 5-6 oz of milk for our little girl! I couldn't believe it! I started to relax a little bit, and just enjoy the present time that I had with Bree. Nate and I started taking breaks by walking around the hospital, and I even did yoga in the rain one night.
Since being home almost 4 months (praise Jesus!) I have had moments where my milk has diminished and even dried up like that night. These are my staple questions: 1. how much have I eaten? 2. How much have I had to drink? 3. How is my stress level? 4. Have I had time to read my bible/pray/ and go for a walk? While for some moms this seems like a luxury to have time for a walk, devos, a real meal etc. for me they have become vital to Bree's health. Whether you are breastfeeding or not, it is so important to be in good health for your little one! So below I have written some ways that I take care of myself- so that I can take care of Bree! I hope this encourages you, inspires you, and may even make you want to help another mom who is struggling in this area!
1. Drink water, and lots of it! Every time I sit down to nurse Bree I try to drink 12 oz of water. Since she nurses about 8-10 times a day... that's my water quota met in a really easy way! This is good for your even if you aren't nursing, drink when your baby drinks!
2. Utilize nap time for some mom time. Nap time is when I try to do bible reading, yoga, or some home dvd workout
3. Eat healthy: Most moms that breastfeed lose weight right away, this wasn't my story, but one thing that doesn't help is eating processed sugary foods! I try to have a piece of fruit, or veggie when I feed Bree!
4. Laugh with your baby. I have found that stress is the worst for my milk supply and body in general! Taking time out to focus on the good things, and find joy with your little one goes a long way!!
5. Breastfeeding lying down is a great way for you to get some rest, and for your baby to get fed. This advice came from an awesome mom in my life, and she was soo right! This also boosts milk supply! Even if you aren't breastfeeding, lying down with baby near you is a great way to connect and play with fingers and toes. Just relax together!
6. Being in the moment. As a mom this can be challenging as everyday seems monotonous;but take heart, these days are fleeting, as I have been told so many times! Be in the moment with your little one and treasure their little button nose, and their adoring eyes!
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