found an update on juliewantsababy (Julie)

SmittyJr · #1 (**permalink**) 09-08-2006, 08:19 AM

I was nosing around the DI August board and found her post. (Hope you don't mind Julie.)

Hope you and Henry and DH are doing great!

Henry John
August 14, 2006
7 lbs., 15 oz.
21 1/4 inches long

Henry was born on August 14 at 8:14 am (how weird is that - born on 8/14 at 8:14?!?!) via a scheduled c-section. We arrived at the hospital bright and early at 6:00 am. Things got off to a bit of a rocky start when they couldn't get my IV in - the horrible woman trying to do the IV butchered me in both arms and I still have awful bruises on both forearms from her efforts. Then my nurse anestheologist (sp?) came in and it turns out that I knew her! She is one of my sisters' best friends and was at our wedding. Anyway, she got the IV in like a pro and we were off to surgery. It was wonderful to have someone there (other than DH and my OB, of course) who I knew.

The c-section itself wasn't nearly as bad as I feared. They did NOT tie my arms down like I had heard they might - they just made me promise that I wouldn't move them and I crossed them over my chest. The spinal eipdural did not hurt at all, although it was a bit weird feeling all of the sensation leave my legs and feet. The surgery itself took just a couple of minutes, and although I did feel some tugging and pressure, there was no pain. Then suddenly Henry was out and I heard this amazing cry. They showed him to me, let me give him a kiss, and we took our first picture together as a family. Then they gave me a sedative, which knocked me out, and took DH and the baby to the nursery while they finished sewing me up.

We have been out of the hospital now for almost two weeks, and so far the only bad thing has been breastfeeding. Apparently I have flat nipples (who knew?!?!) and we had trouble getting a good latch. Henry started losing weight (down from 7 lbs. 15 ozs. to 7 lbs. 4 ozs. in two days) and the lactation consultants advised us to start using nipple shields and a SNS, which is this little tube that you can use to supplement with formula at the breast. So the SNS was terrible - Henry would sit at the breast for literally an hour and a half and get 15 ml of formula, plus whatever he was getting from me, which wasn't much. By the time we were discharged and saw the pediatrician the day after discharge, he was down two more ozs. to 7 lbs. 2 ozs. So I reluctantly started pumping a

nd bottle feeding him EBM supplemented with formula. We continue to have weight issues - ten days after our first pediatrician visit, he has gained only 3 ozs. So I am continuing to pump and have pretty much given up on the idea of straight breastfeeding - I am just too concerned with making sure he gets enough to achieve good weight gain. We rented a hospital grade pump and I am pumping every two hours during the day and every four hours at night.

Other than that, things are going great. Henry is a very good baby - he sleeps for three to four hours at a stretch, and would sometimes sleep longer, except we still have to wake him up to feed due to his weight issues. He has a very mellow personality, which I hope continues. We are all learning to be a family and are doing great.

I will try to post pics and some updates over the next couple of days - I am learning all kinds of new things about time management, so I can't promise when, but I will try!