My Postpartum Diary - The Second Week

Day 8 (December 7th, Wednesday)


Jacob's first ride in a car seat

Today was a day of firsts. Jacob had his first real bath. He cried at first, but then quieted down, so I am assuming he enjoyed it. Jacob & I also left the house together for the 1st time to see my midwife for our 1-week check up. The outing was so refreshing! Gerritt told me yesterday he was sad I "didn't take him anywhere anymore." Poor thing! He doesn't have the life experience to understand that the newborn stage is temporary & started to get some of my "cabin fever." I took pity on him & allowed him to skip his nap in order to join me & Jacob at our appointment.


Jacob's 1 week check-up at my midwife's office

He truly enjoyed it since Charlene gave him chocolates, praised him for being a big brother & showed him a couple of interesting games. Jacob got weighed (he was 8 lbs 2 oz) while I got my blood pressure & temperature checked. We also practiced latching Jacob on my breast using the supplemental nursing system (a tube & a syringe) to help make him more interested in breastfeeding.


More flowers for Jacob & I

Today was the first day I felt more like my normal self in a physical sense. Although I miss all of Jacob's little kicks & punches, I am glad to be getting my body back. I am really looking forward to exercising again. I've been missing walks with our dogs Sammy & Maxie since I haven't exercised much during the last month of pregnancy.
Being cooped up in our house for so many days in a row with the furnace on I developed dry skin, chapped lips & dry bloody nose. I started boiling water on the stove & then after almost ruining my pots when water evaporated completely, I remembered I had a humidifier. Now I run it all day long. My skin is thanking me already.
I got so tired of getting cold when getting up in the middle of the night, I've decided to just sleep in my fleece pants & jacket. This way I don't freeze while waiting for my pumping session to finish. Plus I will be able to touch Jacob with warm hands which is a good thing.

Day 10 (December 9th, Friday)


My Prolactation tea

I got a nice routine going. When Jacob wakes me up in the morning, I change his diaper, then finger feed him & pump. Then I go to the kitchen & make my Prolactation tea as well as raspberry leaf/nettle leaf/oatstraw/alfalfa tea. I then have breakfast & take my supplements (making sure not to forget the most important one - my placenta capsules). I try to fit in a shower sometime in the morning. Taking care of Jacob & myself are priorities now since I need to get good nutrition & continue with the supplements to produce enough milk.
It was a sunny beautiful day today. I wanted to take the dogs walking, but then I layed down on the bed to rest for a few minutes after pumping & dozed off. I woke up about 30" later realizing I was still too tired & weak to tolerate our usual 25-30-minute walk outside. It's something to look forward to though!
I had another chiropractor appointment this morning. I am finally able to lay on my abdomen. My full of milk breasts were a bit uncomfortable to lay on, but the adjustment on my back felt so good!
Things are slowly getting back to normal. While Gerritt was gone to a movie (Cars-2) with our neighbor Rinku, I gave Sophia a bath. It's been a week since her last one (she absolutely refuses for our nanny to bathe her). I then decided to take a bath with Jacob. It seemed like a good idea to have him lay on my lap & on my chest for a nice skin-to-skin contact, but he screamed the whole time. He was so scared, he was shaking & turned all red from crying. Poor baby! He kept making a sad face & whimpering in the fretful sleep that followed the bath.
The HR person called me from my clinic. No part-time jobs were available, so they offered me a full-time spot in Bellevue. Of course, I turned it down. There is no way I can work full-time with 3 kids under the age of 5. I am expecting to be laid off soon, which is OK with me.


Rented Medela Symphony breast pump - my constant companion

After more than a week of pumping in the living room, I've made a smart decision to move my pumping station to my bedroom for the night time. This way, when Jacob wakes up I'll change his diaper, finger feed him, then pump while sitting on my bed. After washing the pump parts in the bathroom, I can go back to sleep.
We've also decided to get the baby bassinet out. It's the same one we used for Gerritt & Sophia. We always used to put Jacob on the couch or a rocking chair but it's nice to have a safe & comfortable place especially for him. The bassinet has wheels so I am able to move it next to my bed for the night time.
My husband bought a swing today off the Craig's list ad. We didn't think we needed one, but decided it was necessary after all. Sometimes Jacob cries in the middle of my pumping session. I can't really pick him up since I have to pump for at least 10" straight, so I am hoping to put him in a swing to keep him quiet while I pump.

Day 11 (December 10th, Saturday)


Finger feeding breastmilk using the SNS system

Good news! I pumped 5 oz of breastmilk (the most ever at one time) after sleeping from 3:30 am to 8 am (4.5 hours). It is good to know my breasts are capable of holding that much milk at once. I am keeping track of my pumping schedule & the amount of milk I produce to see whether I can increase my milk production while drinking the Prolactation Tea 3 times a day.
I am proud of myself for keeping up the pumping schedule this far, but it's getting tiring to do the double amount of work (pumping, then feeding Jacob, plus all the pump part washing/sterilizing). I definitely don't put Jacob on my breast enough. I am supposed to do it at every feeding, but it's easier in a way to just finger feed him so he can continue sleeping rather than unwrap his blankets, wake him up & then have him fuss at the breast.


Jacob with his big brother Gerritt

I tried the tube at the breast a couple of days ago & even with me squirting milk into his mouth, Jacob didn't get into a good sucking pattern. He usually sucks once or twice, then lets go & cries. Sometimes I pump right before Jacob wakes up so I feel I shouldn't put him to my breast if it's "empty."
With almost 2 weeks of around-the-clock pumping my usually flat nipples have become softer & easier to grasp. The plan now is to help Jacob associate breast with positive emotions, so I need to snuggle him at my breast even if no sucking occurs. Of course, I myself need to work on staying calm & relaxed. I am trying to visualize Jacob breastfeeding peacefully. I remind myself that latching is the last step in initiating our breastfeeding relationship. I have everything else already in place - an almost recovered after birth mother, breasts full of milk, softer/more pliable nipples & my commitment to breastfeeding. I almost wish I had a lactation consultant at my house for 24 hours, with her encouraging me at each feeding ("You can do it!") & making sure I give it a good try. I am debating whether I want to spend another $150 for an additional home visit. If my latching attempts don't work - probably. I've always regretted not trying harder when attempting to breastfeed my other children.

Day 12 (December 11th, Sunday)


My husband took the kids to grandma's house for the whole day. What a relief! Jacob & I watched a few movies on Netflix. I've also read a few articles on breastfeeding from KellyMom.
I am still concerned about not producing enough milk for Jacob. Good news! According to one of the articles, I need to aim for pumping 25-27 oz per day by 7-10 days postpartum. 11-17 oz/day is considered borderline & less than 11 oz/day is considered low. So far I've been able to pump 19 oz on day 9, 19.5 oz on day 10, 22.75 oz on day 11 & 22 oz on day 12. I pump 8-9 times per day & don't go longer than 5 hours without pumping at night. Tips for increasing breastmilk output include resting & relaxing as much as possible & having skin-to-skin contact (Kangaroo care) for at least 1 hour daily. It's a big commitment, but Jacob is worth it. I just hope I won't become someone who has to pump exclusively.


I found the following helpful suggestions for baby who won't nurse:

- Work on latching for up to 10" at a time & if baby is getting upset, make the sessions shorter
- If baby is really frustrated, it's a good idea to take a break (let baby suck on a finger, snuggle baby on mother's chest or hand baby to Dad)
- Take the edge off baby's hunger by offering him a little supplement (0.5 oz) at the beginning of a feeding
- Have lots of skin-to-skin contact & offer the breast often
- "Seduce" your baby to the breast, do not force breastfeeding


Jacob & I did some skin-to-skin snuggling today. It's harder to stay warm (it's December after all!) so I have to cover us up quickly. I've read most babies would be able nurse by 4-6 weeks after birth. I am keeping my fingers crossed!


Day 13 (December 12th, Monday)

This early morning I woke up in a wet bed (!). I get so cold getting up in the middle of the night that I made myself a hot water bottle. I must have not put the cap on tightly enough because the bottle leaked all over my pants & bed. Not fun! Together with my hot water bottle I also use an electric heating pad to put over my back when I am pumping at night. If we have a baby again, I will make sure he/she is born in summer time. I am tired of getting cold!


Not much happened today. My days & nights are starting to blend together. The highlight of my day was getting out of the house for a few minutes to take our nanny to the bus stop. I am still too weak to go anywhere for a longer outing, plus I am pumping every 2-3 hours. I am a bit nervous about going for a haircut & highlighting appointment next week. Usually that takes around 3 hours, plus the driving time. However, I need this appointment badly. I've underestimated the speed of my hair growth & with Jacob being 1 week "overdue," my hair is in desperate need of some highlighting & styling.


I can't stop marveling at the perfection of Jacob's toes

Jacob still sleeps for most of the day allowing me ample time to pursue one of my favorite hobbies - blogging. He is starting to "fill out" more & is getting less jaundiced. He loves to stretch & is getting better control of his arms. I've tried to latch him on this morning & he had a few good sucks. I just can't bring myself to do it at every feeding. I would spend the whole day doing just that. Plus, I am afraid to get behind in my pumping schedule & loose my milk supply. I am probably a little obsessed about preserving it.
I've ordered a few books & CDs from the library. I need something entertaining to look forward to. Most of all, I am counting the days until my Mom arrives to live with us from Russia (sometime after Christmas). I will probably return to my per diem hospital nursing job in about 4 weeks (only once a week, however), so she needs to learn as much as possible about the care of her grandchildren.

Day 14 (December 13th, Tuesday) - Jacob is 2 weeks old!


More pumping & finger feeding today. Tried to latch Jacob on only once - too much work. I think the whole house is covered in my breastmilk including bed sheets, recliner chair & my clothes. I stopped wearing the nursing bra. It's more convenient to just wear a cotton shirt & my fleece jacket that opens in the front for easy access.


I gave Jacob his 2nd bath today & he didn't cry this time. My nanny took some photos of Jacob & me. I also experimented with my camera to take a few photos of Jacob with Gerritt & Sophia.


I am starting to feel pretty bored. The same daily routine is getting to me. Thank goodness, my husband watched Sophia & Jacob in the evening while Gerritt & I went grocery shopping at Trader Joe's & then made a trip to the library to pick up a few books & CDs. It's amazing how Christmas singing by Mariah Carey can cheer one up!


I got the dreaded plugged ducts in both breasts today. :( So more cold Booby Tubes, cabbage leaves & frequent pumping. I definitely need to get more rest. Jacob sleeps a lot even though it's in short stretches. I probably do too much internet surfing to get enough sleep. It's just that sleeping feels like a waste of time when there are so many fun things I could be doing.


My husband is insisting I choose a "push present" at Tiffany's even though I told him I didn't need anything. So I am going to check out Tiffany's website tomorrow for some pretty earrings or a necklace. :-)