First and foremost we took the little M into the pediatrician today for another weight check. He had his six month check up on the 31st and hadn't gained enough weight for the pediatrician's liking. The pediatrician (whom I LOVE! I would recommend him to anyone in the SLC area who is looking) was concerned that the little man wasn't getting enough to eat and wanted me to top him off with formula to see if he was still hungry, then come back a few days later to check his weight. I was really unhappy with that plan because I had made it my goal since before he was born to breastfeed him exclusively. However, having the tiny's best interest at heart I did attempt to top him off for the few days, but I did my best to get him to nurse as much as possible before I offered him a bottle. The most he took at one time was about half an ounce, so once I really started pushing him to eat he was getting enough. I started feeding him every two hours, whether he acted hungry or not. We went back in for a weight check last Friday and he had gained an ounce, which wasn't too shabby for three days, but still wasn't what the pediatrician was looking for. We were offered two choices, one was a three day blitz where I pumped constantly and feed Malcolm pumped milk combined with formula to see how his intake versus my output compared. The other option was a one week test to see how much weight he would gain if I continued really pushing him to eat. We chose the one week and it was up today. We went back to the pediatrician hoping for at least three ounces of weight gain. He gained EIGHT ounces! All of us were ecstatic and the pediatrician said I was doing the perfect thing and wants us to come back in two weeks to see how he's progressing, we're looking for 12-16 ounces of weight gain in the next two weeks. Hopefully Malcolm and I can keep this pace up, but if you are looking for me at Uprising I'll probably be holed up somewhere comfy and shady feeding the little man.
Quick formula/breastfeeding disclaimer. I don't have a problem with formula, I know it's the perfect option for a lot of families...I just didn't want to deal with it. My not wanting to give Malcolm formula is all about my own personal goals, and having done it for a few days I can say that for my situation it was a MUCH bigger pain in the rear end than breastfeeding.
2 comments:
Oh congratulations! I know just how hard it can be and how much pressure you put on yourself when you try to do the best for your child. You are doing a fabulous job. Eat lots of oatmeal, drink lots of water and here's loads and loads of virtual hugs. I'd make them real ones but I won't be at Uprising. What a great accomplishment, and don't take this as patronizing, but I am so so proud of you.
Thank you! It didn't sound patronizing and I really appreciate the support. This has been harder than I ever imagined it would be, but it's completely worth it!
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