SOCIAL MEDIA

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Pumping to Breastfeeding

I thought I would be able to crank out some posts for you all for this week, but I failed.  I have Part 1 of the girls birth story written and I am working on Part 2.  But other than that, I have been consumed with working from home (got it all set up this week), going to see the girls twice a day and I don't know where the other hours in the day go.  Oh that's right....to pumping.

Wow, pumping has been a weird experience.  I knew from day one of being pregnant that I would want to breastfeed my girls.  The connection you make with them, the nutrients from your breastmilk, the cost savings, the ease of feeding them and so much more seemed so alluring to me.  But then life happens, the girls go into the NICU and I am stuck pumping eight times a day.

I feel like a cow, but know in my heart that this is the best for the girls.  But I fear that I have gotten comfortable (if we can even call it that) with pumping that I won't be that good with breastfeeding.  We have had the girls nuzzle my chest, have them latch on a bit and just see what happens, but in the NICU they don't focus on breastfeeding.  I know that when they get home it will be a new battle to tackle.  Trying to breastfeed them and then bottle feed until they get it down. 

So other mommies out there, what are some techniques you used to get your babies to transition from bottle feeding to breastfeeding?  Were you able to transition at all?  Are you still pumping exclusively for them?

And I can't have a post without pictures, so enjoy two photos I took this afternoon at my visit with the girls.
 Sutton wide awake after her feeding
 Avery snoozing after her bottle

4 comments :

  1. The girls are SO adorable!

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    1. Thank you. I think so too but I may be biased!

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    2. Go you! When Juliette was born she was quite little (not quite as little as you Avery) and I struggled terribly with breastfeeding. I ended up pumping and bottle feeding for four months before I was successfully able to transition her to actually breastfeeding. In my experience transitioning a baby from a bottle back to the breast just takes time and patience and for me using a nipple shield was tremendously helpful. You are doing great and you'll work it out, that mommy nature will guide you!

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    3. Thank you for the info. We try to breastfeed and they do a pretty good job. It's just off one breast though. Luckily we are starting lactation consultations and hope they can get there faster. I'm not opposed to the breast shield either.

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