Today we went to see a lactation consultant/RN at Centerpointe to help with our latch. We met with Sheri, one that I hadn't met before. Well, she is a godsend! I really liked her as she was so easy to work with and she worked with us for an entire hour!! She gave great tips that were practical and specifically for Eli. She took her time to watch us and hold Eli to see what was really going on. She was great with Eli and said he reminded her of her own son who had similar issues at Eli's age. She believes his fussiness is due to gas and stomach aches. We are now feeding more upright (he's practically sitting up) which has already helped so much. He latches so much better (just in a couple of feedings since going to the hospital) and it isn't as painful. There is still a little pain due to the thrush which makes my nipples tender, but it is SOOO much better (hopefully I am not jinxing myself for writing this post :) She said he is latching wonderfully and that when he gets frustrated and pulls away it's because he can't keep up with the milk flow (I guess I have a gushing flow!!). She also thought that he gets a lot of air while gulping (which he gulps A LOT) and to burp him when he does this and then put him back on. She also gave ideas for how to make his tummy feel better such as massage and holding him on our shoulder and legs to put pressure and warmth on his tummy. In addition, the pacifier is really good for him as it helps soothe him and give him something to preoccupy himself with. Eli really liked her and was really calm with her, which was awesome to see.
I also asked about how to do tummy time since he hates it. I told her that it seemed like it hurt his tummy. She said it might and that he was pushing up with his head and arms while holding him and she said to not be concerned with him strengthening those muscles as he was already, just in a different way. She suggested doing tummy time a short time on our legs or shoulders or after a diaper change since he likes the changing table so much. This made me feel much better as I was just concerned he would not ever like it and somehow be behind developmentally. She assured me this would not be the case.
So, I feel optimistic once again, so hopefully we can stay on this track. We pray the thrush goes away this week and that we continue to latch correctly. We also pray that we can use tummy soothing techniques to help our little boy feel better. Wish us luck and I'll keep you informed! Oh, and thank you for all the advice on the previous post!
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3 comments:
It's pretty cool how something that seems so minor (sitting him more upright) can make such a big difference! Glad to hear that! Oh and happy early birthday Amy! (9/21)
I'm so glad that things are going better!
You've gotta love lactation consultants. They are so helpful and encouraging and they know all the tricks of the trade. I still visit with the nurse at Liberty Hospital.
Lucy would get such horrible gas in the evening. We tried simethicone (anti-gas drops), but they just made her fussier and spit up foam. I'm sure Em has mentioned it, but Gripe Water was a godsend. It's made with ginger and fennel, so nothing chemical or processed. First we bought the kind that had to be refridgerated, then found one that did not and it worked so much better because I could have one on the nightstand and in the diaper bag. I found myself giving it to her with every nighttime feeding. If you need me to pick one up for you, I would be happy to. Just let me know. AND happy belated birthday!
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