Breastfeeding Charlie It Took A Village Liquid Gold 2014

Breastfeeding
Charlie
it took a village
yvettesramblings.blogspot.com
Introducing the family .
Kaitlyn is our second-born child, her older
sister Melissa is now 30, her younger
brother Kieran is now 23. Kaitlyn and
her husband Ashley are about to turn 27.
Charlie is now 15 months old!

Kieran lives at home with my husband
Rod and I. In April this year, we
welcomed Kaitlyn, Ashley and Charlie
into our cosy household!

Melissa lives nearby, with Kaitlyns cat
7 Years breastfeeding experience
29 years NMAA/ABA membership
20 years breastfeeding education and counselling
15 years breast pump hire coordination
5 years Mothers Direct retail experience
5 years Breastfeeding Centre drop-in service
20 years on Breastfeeding Helpline
10 years hospital antenatal breastfeeding classes
10 years hospital postnatal visiting
10 years Breastfeeding Education Classes
15 years Group Leader
5 years coordinating ABA photo library
Grannys Resume
Mummys Resume
25 year motherhood apprenticeship
Daddys Resume
Never breastfed
Married into breastfeeding family in 2010
ABA Breastfeeding Education Class
Labour Day Three
Birth Day
Our vision of breast crawl and unassisted first feed went out
the window as Kaitlyn experienced hand expressing rapidly
by the midwife and Charlie was unceremoniously attached to
her breast to get oxytocin pumping to prevent
haemorrhage.
Not quite the first feed I had envisaged, I found myself
coaching my granddaughters father through the process!
By now exhausted and recovering from the effects of a general
anaesthetic, she was nonetheless keen to cuddle her baby and
spent some time holding her by her side before moving on to skin
to skin and an attempt at the breast.
12
th
April 2014
I arrived in time to see my friend, fellow counsellor and
hospital lactation consultant Janette help Kaitlyn
successfully get Charlie on the breast. Janette had come in
on her weekend to see the new mother and baby and give
them all the help she could.
13
th
April 2014
Today was all about getting milk out of the breasts
and into the baby. The clock was ticking towards the
48 hour weigh-in at 7pm and we werent seeing
much in the way of wet or dirty nappies.
14
th
April 2014
15
th
April 2014
The appearance of Kaitlyns milk
moved quickly to transitional milk
and we celebrated the first
measurable out-put we collected:
1ml!
Just when things seemed to be improving,
Charlie began not going on the breast at all.
For a whole day, attempted feeds were
unsuccessful and she was cup-fed donor milk
entirely.
16
th
April 2014
While both parents and baby had a nap, I used social
media and my network of breastfeeding supporters
and by the time they all woke, the first delivery had
been made, others were on the way and we had offers
of even more if we should need it!
17
th
April 2014
She confirmed there was a sub-mucosal tongue-tie and an upper lip tie, was able to get
Charlie on the breast and observe milk transfer and suggested a wait and see approach.
18
th
April 2014
We headed in to the hospital for the
final midwife check and hearing test
and were greeted by one of the
midwives I have known for twenty
years! She placed the baby on the scale
and all Kaitlyns hard work had paid
off Charlie had gained 120gms!
19th April 2014
Well, Lauren must have found and activated the
poo button, because soon after the first arrived
and then they started coming almost constantly!
20th April 2014
21st April 2014
Although feeding with a nipple shield,
Kaitlyns supply was now good to
abundant and there was plenty of milk
being transferred. In fact, maybe a little
too much! Where only days before she
had been switch feeding, now I suggested
keeping Charlie on one side until she
complained, even if she went to the breast
multiple times in a feeding session.
22
nd
April 2014
Now that Kaitlyn had completed her antibiotics, I was alert to the
potential for thrush and had started her on probiotics. Charlie was
beginning to get a bit of redness on her bottom, possibly due to the
influx of poo. I started to keep an eye on it
The Maternal and Child Health
Nurse visited and revealed that
Charlie had gained a whopping
130gms in 3 days!
23rd April 2014
Charlie was happy to feed, but only
when Kaitlyn was sitting up, not content
with her usual bed-sharing feeding lying
down. Even her third bath at 2am didnt
settle her but in the end, a womb -sound
app on mums iPad did the trick!
I packed my overnight bag and
planned to stay again. I also bought a
white noise toy which played various
sounds and we began trying that when
settling her. She seemed to like the
whale sounds best.
24th April 2014
Recognising their sleep stages by their
breathing, I could feel when a feed would start
and end. Kaitlyn would rouse only enough to
make sure the nipple shield remained in place
and that Charlie went on, then fall straight
back into her light sleep stage. Charlie would
actively suck until she too fell asleep.
I stayed over but got
a full nights sleep. Today
would be a session with the
photographer, another
friend and ABA member and
supporter, Susan Drcy.
25th April 2014
Down to visit the Maternal and Child Health
Nurse for the two week check. Charlie was
bang-on her birth weight, the goal to be
reached by two weeks! The nurse also thought
the nappy rash looked like thrush, so we
headed off to the GP to get the prescription for
Kenacomb for the nipples.
26th April 2014
Back to the GP, printout of thrush in lactation policy
in hand, to his relief, I seemed to know exactly what
he needed to do and he wrote the needed scripts. He
also took a swab to confirm if Kaitlyn was infected by
thrush/staph or nothing at all at the wound site.
Back again to the chemist for more tablets for mum
and oral gel for Charlie.
Then back home to boil everything that had touched the breast or milk, to
reduce risk of reinfection and instigate a higher level of hygiene.
27th April 2014
Charlie is a very frequent feeder who
comes off the breast sleepy, burps
easily and briefly naps in arms before
repeating the process. She sleeps
longest in a baby sling or carrier or
when held. Luckily, she was born into a
family of baby-wearers and cuddlers
who think this quite normal! At night,
she co-sleeps and her feeds barely
interrupt her mums sleep
- rarely her dads
Three Weeks
Note the external signs of mid-line defects
At her check-up, Charlie has gained an
impressive 3cms in length, more than
one centimetre in head circumference
and 175gms in weight. The length is
evident in her arms and legs in the week
before-hand, when she had visibly looked
longer and her family are confident in
her growth. However, the expected
weight gain of 200gms had not been
reached and the child health nurse
suggests expressing and topping up, with
a follow-up weigh- in the following
week.
Four Weeks
After an informal weigh at the breastfeeding drop-in on Wednesday, when Charlie had
gained 130gms in five days, it was no surprise to find she reached a 170gm by the Friday
weigh-in. She had gained in one week about the same she had gained in two weeks!.
Five Weeks
This has actually continued to be Charlies growth pattern large
increase in length, followed by corresponding increase in weight.
And I got to be the bad cop, who lies reclined on the dental chair, with the baby lying on her back with
her head on my right shoulder. My left hand covered her eyes while my right held down both arms. Yay!
Granny of the year award!!
Six Weeks
When she later woke, she fed on
both breasts in the cradle
position with Kaitlyn sitting on
the couch (a relief, as the thought
of only being able to feed lying
down would seriously impact on
their coffee shop habits!)
Seven Weeks
Sixteen weeks: August 2nd
Charlie continues to breastfeed, mostly with
the nipple shield. In the end, it is what is
easiest for mum and baby. Kaitlyn has a
healthy milk supply and Charlie now feeds
quickly at the breast.
Until, one day, aged five months,
Mum leaned over to pick up the
shield prior to feeding and Charlie
latched on without it and continued
to do so!
BUT ..
Almost thirty years later, I find that the issues I faced
are largely still factors and that new ones have added to
the challenge. Now I look forward another generation,
to the time Charlie comes to breastfeed her own babies
and I wonder if I will look back to this time as the bad
old days or will I need to step up alongside Kaitlyn to
seek out the very best support possible? Only time will
tell.
Our Village
Be the change you want
to see in the world

Breastfeeding Charlie It Took A Village Liquid Gold 2014

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