I'll start this post by saying that our little Charlotte is perfect and healthy. Just gave us a little scare along the way!
As our little miss fell out in three pushes, she had her cord wrapped around her neck- twice (nuchal cord). They cut her cord before she was out and she was a bit purple for a LONG TIME... it was probably no more than seconds but it felt like a lifetime until she cried. They had never seen any drops in her heartbeat on the monitors during labor so the doc guesses that descending is what tightened her cord. Thank goodness she was out in three pushes. She pinked up finally leaving her hands and feet purple for hours later.
Later that night the nurse came into the room to let us know that her blood work came back abnormal and that they would run it again when she was twelve hours old to double check. I asked what was abnormal and the nurse just quickly mentioned her blood levels since her cord was wrapped around her neck.
I left it at that, for a moment. Later I began thinking wondering more about what they were talking about "blood levels." Instead of asking a nurse or doctor I immediately took to Google, of course where I learned the following: the hospital intervention of a too tightly wrapped cord is to cut immediately. By cutting prior to the baby being out and the cord unwrapped, you chance the baby and placenta not being able to regulate it's blood volume. Meaning it may leave the baby with NOT ENOUGH BLOOD. Further research of possible outcomes of this scared the crap out of me, until her 12 hour old blood work came back and she was fine. They reran it again at 18 hours old and that was fine too. THANK GOODNESS.
Crisis number one, avoided.
Next!
Both kids have ended up on the biliruben lights for a week a piece and it always sucked big time. They ended up on the lights because they both developed physiological jandice right after birth but then battle breastmilk jaundice as well. From what I understand, my milk lacks a protein that breaks up the biliruben. So, we were prepared to ride the jaundice roller coaster with Charlotte as well. I was hoping for no lights as that makes life so hard being trapped in one place for a week... Thankfully, we skirted the jaundice as she only got a high at 14.8. She defiantly poops like a champ from day one so I am thinking that helped her numbers stay low.
Crisis number two, avoided.
Next!
So I was able to avoid the formula talk (because that there answer for everything) at every visit to the pediatrician as we were there every other day for the first two weeks because the little peanut wasn't gaining weight... at all. She was stuck at 7 lbs 9 oz for over a week. I tried everything in my nursing toolbox- I've seen/experienced it all. Nothing was putting on weight except supplementing. So I would feed and pump at the same time then put what was pumped from the one side into a bottle and then pump the side she had eaten on because she wasn't efficient and I had to protect my supply. EXHAUSTING! I did this over a weekend and bam, she put on three ounces. They want a half ounce to an ounce a day growth. This is where the pediatrician left me... supplementing. That wasn't okay with me. It felt like it was only fixing her growing problem, not the evident nursing problem we had. So I had to seek other resources.
Crisis number three... NOT AVOIDED.
What to do next? I hit every nursing resource I have, including a friend who is a Le Leche League leader. The pediatrician wrote me a script for the lactation consultants. In the end, I made an appointment with the most respected IBCLC in our area and across the nation, Dr. Jen Thomas. Thankfully, she is very close. Charlotte and I went and bam... we had an answer. She thought Charlotte had a tiny bit of a tongue tie. That combined with her small frame and my apparently endowed tissue made it hard for her to transfer the milk out. She expected that she would get more efficient as she got older and asked us to make a two week follow up. She suggested playing the pumping and supplementing game when I felt like she didn't get a full feed- her demeanor let us know or if I felt engorged. So we did that for a whole week then she started to be more content after nursing and little by little I dropped all the supplements. By our two week follow up, she was only nursing for 4 or 5 days already. Dr. Thomas watched her nurse again and said she was dramatically better that the last time she saw her.
Crisis number three.... IN THE BOOKS!
I am so glad I went further than my pediatrician's recommendation. In the end, I have a champion nurser, protected my supply and (I am currently laughing my ass off as Charlotte just dropped a huge fart and she is laughing at herself!) feel good about our nursing relationship (I was heartbroken to think that we were going to be held hostage to a pump).
So, if we can just keep everyone from breaking bones, we should be ready for spring and all the adventures a family with three kids take on!
A word on Dr. Thomas. I've read a LOT of nursing resources. Almost everything that is out there and her book is the best advice I've ever read. It is an easy read and portrays a realistic impression of nursing. It will probably be my new baby gift! Watch out if you are expecting in the future!
A word on Dr. Thomas. I've read a LOT of nursing resources. Almost everything that is out there and her book is the best advice I've ever read. It is an easy read and portrays a realistic impression of nursing. It will probably be my new baby gift! Watch out if you are expecting in the future!
Other Charlotte Birth Posts:
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