I learned something new while I was in the hospital. When I asked the lactation consultant if there are any foods to avoid while breastfeeding, she told me that it is an old wives tale that what you eat gives the baby gas. She said your milk doesn't come from your stomach; it comes from your blood. Well, on one hand, that was great news. I can eat whatever I want, with only a few exceptions (cow's milk, caffeine, etc. has to be limited). On the other hand, that was bad news. Since I lost so much blood during delivery, it has taken longer for my milk to come in. It normally takes 10-15 days for it to come in, but it's taking longer for me. The milk is definitely there, but right now my body is not producing enough to meet Isaac's needs. So in the meantime, I'm pumping my milk and supplementing with formula.
Isaac's birth weight was 8 pounds, 11 ounces. His weight when we were discharged from the hospital was 7 pounds, 11 ounces. Dr. Ramos wasn't worried, though, because he still looked very healthy and his bilirubin levels weren't too high. Well when we went to his office on Friday, Isaac's weight had dropped down to 7 pounds, 8 ounces. Dr. Ramos encouraged me to keep trying to breastfeed, but to keep pumping my milk and supplementing with formula until my milk production picked up. He also told me to make sure that Isaac eats every 2 1/2 to 3 hours, even if that means waking him up to eat. He gave me what I thought was a great deal of formula, but by Monday afternoon, we were already buying more.
After we left Dr. Ramos's office, we went to my OBGYN so that Janice could check on my incision site. She also talked to us about what happened during labor/delivery some more. It really felt like more of a counseling session than a doctor's visit. I really appreciated it though.
Last Monday, we went to Dr. Persad's office so he could take out my staples. He also checked my hemoglobin level. It was 10.3, which was much better than the week before. He wants it to come up to 12, though, and he has me on iron pills for the next six months. Originally, he told me I would need to wait two weeks before picking up the baby, but he changed his mind after he saw me. He said I could go ahead and start picking up Isaac now. That made me really happy, to be able to do that. It's hard to explain, but I just felt more energized...more...alive, after hearing that. Dr. Persad also talked to us about what happened during labor/delivery. He reiterated the fact that he'd done everything he could before taking out my uterus, and he encouraged us to be grateful for what we have. He also told us that we were very polite patients and thanked us for not making his life difficult during my labor, especially when things weren't going as planned. I thought that was a little comical, but then again I guess some pregnant women do make things really difficult for doctors sometimes.
Last Tuesday, we took Isaac to Dr. Feldman, our pediatrician in Statesboro. By that time, Isaac's weight was already up to 8 pounds, 1 ounce. He said everything looked good and that we were doing a good job with him. We were really encouraged by that visit.
This week, we visited the OBGYN on Tuesday so that Janice could monitor my recovery. She also offered more counsel, and she gave me an article about peripartum hysterectomies. It was really helpful to read that, and I appreciated her thoughtfulness. Apparently, when they told me that what happened to me is rare, they weren't kidding. It occurs in only one out of 100,000 women, and it is one of the top five causes of maternal death. I'm just thankful that I live in the United States. There are many women in developing countries who die because the doctors don't have access to adequate medical equipment or a good blood supply.
After we left my appointment with Janice, we caught a quick bite to eat and then headed up to the special care nursery. Isaac had his circumcision done in the afternoon, and then we finally went home. By the time we got home, we were worn out. It was a long night, though, because Isaac was a very needy baby after having that procedure done. We were really freaked out by it (it was probably more traumatic for us than him), but thankfully we had an appointment with Dr. Feldman in the morning.
Dr. Feldman looked at his circumcision site in the morning and said that he's a little more swollen than normal, but that it will go down. He also showed us how to better take care of the area from what the nurses at Candler showed us. Hindsight is 20/20, but I do regret that we didn't have him do the procedure. He probably would have been a better choice than Dr. Morgan, since he is a man and more in tune with boys' issues. Dr. Feldman said that everything else with Isaac looks fine, though, and he also told me to keep doing what I've been doing with him. Isaac now weighs 9 pounds, so he was happy about that.
Next week will probably feel a little odd, because it will be the first week that we haven't been to the doctor in a really long time. Isaac's next checkup is in two weeks, and my next checkup is in three. But stay tuned. Next time, I'll write about adjusting to motherhood.
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