Kristen's nursing story Of Chance 3 & Loki 1
"Nursing started off great with Chance but reflux started at 2 weeks which in turn effected his growth. We started supplementing with donor milk with a sns at 4 months old one we realized he was only transferring 3oz and vomiting 2 of them.
He was admitted for failure to thrive while trying to get the doctors to prescribe reflux meds this whole time. They tried to force me to not nurse him for 2 weeks to get dairy and soy out of my system and use special formula. After a week or attacking him a million times and doing tons of tests including for malnutrition trying to prove I was starving him. He refused to drink it for 10 hours screaming the whole time pulling at my shirt. Once they told me he lost weight for the first time ever I nursed him. They didn't like it finally did the testing for reflux which was + so they started meds and he started gaining faster instantly. They also wasted the 22 oz I had stored they told me to bring in case he needed a ng tube.
So we were released continued to nurse use donor milk against my family's wishes. They would throw away the donor milk and sneak him formula. So I just started using it as well when around them and nursing wasn't enough. I got pregnant when he was 15ish months old and dry nursing was incredibly painful and nursing adversion began. We started weaning slowly cutting out on demand nursing and eventually getting down to bed time nap time morning sickness & pain.
Then Loki came my amazing unassisted 25 minute birth in my living room. He nursed easily immediately. I was hoping I wouldn't battle with low supply again but I am. I went weekly for weighed feeds at a breastfeeding group held at the local hospital like I did with chance. We noted around 3 months his growth slowed and intake to the point that donor milk had to be introduced.
We used 8oz a day at the max now hes 1 nurses drinks a bottle of donor milk a day and 2 almond milk bottles. My friend also wet nursed him for me when we were in between donors low on milk or when watching him while I do Photoshoots. We're so thankful for her and our numerous donors. This has been an amazing journey and I never would've thought id still be nursing Chance at 3 through a pregnancy nor tandem nursing. Which brings its own struggles alone but especially with low supply.
I now know my supply is hormone related and that's why the tons of things I've tried never effected my supply. Chance is close to fully weaned and while im sad and going to miss it the nursing adversion has not ended with him. I think it's my body's defense trying to make sure baby gets as much milk as possible knowing it doesn't make enough once the pregnancy hormones are fully out of my body. This has been an amazing and tough journey but I would fight tooth and nail to do it all again!!" ~Kristen