The doctor wasn't pleased with B's weight gain at her two week check up, so she has me supplementing with an extra ounce 3-4 times a day. So I'm trying to pump to get that. But because I have so much trouble with the pumping, it takes me 4-5 pumping sessions a day to get that much.
I feel like I feed her, change her, get her settled in for a nap, pump, clean up from pumping, and then start all over again.
She thankfully tends to take a 3-4 hour nap from 1ish to 4ish, so I get a few minutes now where I can catch a breath.
We go in tomorrow for her to be rechecked and I really hope the pedi tells us we can stop doing the supplementing. That would add a much needed 30-45 minutes each nap back into my day where I could, you know, pee or something.
Hope all is well with everyone, sorry I've been a bad PALer this week.
Re: No time to do anything!
I agree...do what you need with the baby and let everyone else do everything else! I think I remember you saying your Mom is with you...let her clean, hold DD, make meals...she WANTS to help I'm sure, so let her!
The first few weeks are hard...the biggest job is keep the baby fed. You're doing great! It gets so much easier I promise.
I had to do the pump and supplement thing, too. It's a total drag. I'd suggest that you make sure you a) have the right size breast shields on b/c that can make a difference in your milk output and b) that you have the pump turned up high enough. You don't want it to feel like it's going to rip off your nipples, but you do want it high enough to do the job. For the longest time, I had it on the lowest setting (like just ON), and when I turned it up a bit while still feeling comfortable, my output increased. You can also do breast compressions while you're pumping to make sure you get as much out as possible. Finally, I'd suggest taking More Milk Plus capsules. That's what my LC suggested when I was in the same position, and I did see a boost after a few days.