Oh what a night!
Decided to have Jo Ern sleep with the maid so I could take care of baby. As Jo Ern was being readied for bed, she said 'I want oi-oi time!' as usual. But it was followed by, 'Bye-bye Mummy'. Oh what was THIS?? "Oi-oi time" belongs to ME! Bar a night at the hospital for jaundice, Jo Ern has slept with ME every single night. *sobs*
As I was trying to feed baby later that night, heard prolonged crying from downstairs and wondered if it was Jo Ern. Hubby then came back after going back home for supplies. Turned out it WAS Jo Ern crying and hubby brought her to sleep with us. She was so happy, and so was I.
It wasn't a happy ending though. Jo Ern wasn't used to the room. I was busy with baby and couldn't move easily with the post-surgery pain. At one stage, both Jo Ern and baby were screaming at the top of their lungs! Eventually brought Jo Ern downstairs to sleep with the maid. My heart ached that I couldn't attend to her, the one who'd been my first priority since her birth.
It was a long night...
Feeding baby didn't go well. Baby couldn't latch on properly and kept crying for milk. Hubby drove out to get formula but it was too late, the shops had closed.
Took some of cousin Erin's formula to fill baby's tummy. Erin is already on the next stage of formula, but I guess it won't harm baby! Fed her 1oz each twice during the night.
For myself, tried to pump milk a few times and failed. Seriously worried about engorgement.
Somehow... got through the night. Hubby went out very early to buy formula.
Day 4
FINALLY decided on a name for baby. Hello, little Su Ern!
Su Ern slept from 6.30am to noon. Woke up for milk and slept till 6pm. Milk and AGAIN slept. Err.. this can't be good. With all the sleeping, she'd taken very little milk and hadn't poo-ed. Resolved to wake her up every 3 hours for feeds.
Gave Jo Ern lots of attention and was glad to see hubby doing so too.
For myself... getting frantic that I still couldn't get a let-down from either feeding or pumping. The glands in my armpit were so swollen it's scary!
Day 5
Feeding seems to be going better. Maybe establishing supply takes time? Su Ern is such a sleepy baby and just wouldn't suckle when woken up. I'm giving either formula or EBM - at least she takes in milk when not needing to work for it.
Day 6 and onwards
Confirmed Su Ern hates being breastfed. She makes faces, cries, screams or closes her eyes and goes to sleep. But she'll happily suck away when offered a bottle. Hmm... after having breastfed Jo Ern for 1.5 years, I'd taken it for granted that I'd know what to do with the next baby! For now this remains a problem.
Me and baby chitter. Baby chitter cannot 'phak' (phak = hit in Hokkien)
hmm, i'm quite surprised too that breastfeeding is hard with the bubs when you breastfed Jo ern for so long. Keep on trying tho, also got to be consistent, so the body knows it has to produce the milk. take care ya!
ReplyDeleteMc, latching on is the problem. She can't get the aureola (my 'assets' seem to have grown in size!) into her tiny mouth. I'm expressing milk for her at the mo. But it's double effort/time to first pump and then feed.
ReplyDeleteIt aint easy taking care of both ya esp with a new born. Hubby is planning on no. 2 but im not keen at all esp when Bryan is already 5!
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