Breastfeeding: Luke's Story

Part 1 and Part 2 of my breastfeeding journey with my first son, Nathan, was posted on Thursday and Friday.

Luke's Story...

On Christmas day 2010 I took a negative pregnancy test. Or so I thought. A few hours later I glanced at it and saw the faintest second line ever. Seriously. Look? You can't even see the second line but it was there.

Marcus thought I was being hopeful but I knew. God confirmed in my heart that our second child was already being formed inside of me. What an amazing gift on Christmas! Hours later after several tears and holding the test up to different lights I finally convinced Marcus he was going to be a daddy again.

One evening during my second trimester I was flipping through tv channels and ended up watching a tv show featuring a live birth. After the woman pushed her son out they placed him on her chest and she just held him, talking to him and looking him over. They never removed him. They cleaned him up while he was still on her and then she began to nurse him. I started bawling. Marcus asked what was wrong and I said "I want that. I want that so bad." I then realize that I had missed out on this most precious of moments with Nathan since they took him immediately and by the time I got him back he was already bundled up. I longed for the sweet moments immediately after birth to hold my baby close to me.

I was thrilled to find out during a prenatal class at the hospital (a different hospital than I had Nathan in) that they practiced the golden hour. During the first hour after birth the mother and infant get skin to skin contact without interruption (as long as everyone is healthy). I kept thinking about the birth I saw on tv and hoping I would get that chance.

During my last trimester I began researching breastfeeding. I watched educational videos online. I read blogs. I read articles by doctors. I looked at pictures of how to latch properly. I talked on the phone a few times with the LC at my obgyn's office (different office than when I had Nathan) I did everything I knew to prepare for nursing this little one.

8 months pregnant

The pregnancy was uneventul until I developed preeclampsia once again around 37 1/2 weeks. I spent a few days in the hospital when my bp was around 150/105 and then went home on bed rest.

My doctor decided to induced me on Wednesday morning, August 24th 2011, at 38 weeks and 3 days.

My labor progressed more quickly this time because I was already about 4-5 cm dilated. After a while of intense contractions (I think the pitocin was too high) which eventually progressed into back labor I got an epidural (also-the pain was making my bp go higher, so I felt it was safer for both baby and myself that I get one)

After epidural- no pain!

6 hours of labor and 3 pushes later Lucas Wayne Crumbacher entered the world weighing in at 7 lbs 7oz. He looked so much like his brother except he had red hair! (I tease that his hair is red because he was my Christmas present)

I held him and kissed him while the doctor worked on me. He had cried once when he first came out but then his cries were replaced with grunts. I could tell he was working hard to work something up out of his lungs.

His color looked good so I knew he was getting oxygen but he just kept grunting. I began tapping him on his back to help but the nurse eventually took him to work on him. She tried hitting him harder on the back and also tried working a tube down his throat to suction. Neither worked so they let me have a few more minutes with him before they took him to the nursery to help him get the substance up.

Soaking up the moment.

I was a little sad that I didn't get to nurse him within the first hour but my main concern was that he get help so he could breath better.

After I was taken to the maternity ward they brought him to me when he was 3 hours old. He was breathing perfectly fine.

My mom, dad, Nathan, and Marcus' mom all filed in to see baby brother and then left us alone so I could nurse.

As I brought him towards my chest I recalled the trouble I had nursing Nathan and hoped and prayed he would latch and stay latched.

He latched perfectly. He stayed latched and he ate until he was content! I was so thankful. I called my mom and said "guess what?! He's doing perfectly!!!"

The LC from my doctor's office stopped by when I was in the hospital and I pulled out my list of questions I had thought about and began to pick her brain about things. How do I prevent mastitis? How many times should I pump at work? When is it ok to introduce a pacifier? Poor woman never heard back from me after that day! I should probably call to tell her it was because everything went well and not because it didn't work out.

I was concerned about soreness because with using the nipple shield with Nathan I never experienced it. For the first few days I was tender and felt a moment of pain but it quickly went away.

I had more colostrum this time around and my milk came in by day two. I could tell immediately that it was more abundant which is common in second pregnancies and so forth.

We brought our new son home and discovered the tired blessing of having two young ones.

Luke started to pack on the weight and grow like a weed. Before long he was wearing the same clothes at 5 months that Nathan was wearing at 2 years! Now, believe it or not, they can both fit into the same size shorts. Luke is now a little over 11 months and 20 lbs 7oz.

At 2 weeks we tried the pacifier and Luke wasn't very interested. Instead he chose to suck on two fingers on his left hand and it became a bad habit that led to him getting a cranial molding helmet.

Luke had his first bottle at 5 weeks (we use playtex drop-ins) and he has never had an issue of going back and forth between breast and bottle like some infants do.

I began pumping here and there when Luke didn't drain me. Now knowing milk supply increases with the more milk that is removed I was determined to keep sending my body the signal to create more milk. It definitely got the signal! Before long I truly believed I had tricked my body into thinking I had twins. Especially when I discovered my morning pumping was bring in a whopping 16oz!
(I'll explain more about my pumping routine in a later post.)

4 days old- feeling tired but in love with this little one!

With Nathan I was eager to put him on a schedule. With Luke I nursed on demand and still do. During a weekday he nurses in the morning, after daycare and once before bed. During the weekend he nurses probably about 5 times a day.

Another thing I did differently this time around include never giving him a bottle if I could nurse instead. With Nathan I would often pump before leaving the house and then bottle feed in public. With Luke I nurse him when we are together.

There were many times with Nathan that I had recently pumped right before I got home from work only to discover he was hungry when I arrived. I would think "oh no, I just pumped and have no milk left so let me make you a bottle of breast milk." With Luke I would nurse him anyways even if I had just pumped. His nursing would cause another let down and sure enough there would still be some milk for him! I think this is another reason I had an overabundance of milk. Even when I thought I was empty I was sending my body signals to produce more milk.

I can't express how grateful I am that we had no issues when it comes to feeding Luke. Our nursing relationship is still going strong and I have had the added blessing of being able to donate to others in need. I'll post more about that on Monday!

(sorry for the bad picture quality!)

Tomorrow I look forward to sharing my advice and what I have learned during my experiences with both of my boys.

Have a great weekend!