It's no use crying over spilled milk...

...unless its breast milk that you have worked incredibly hard for!  Then its ok to cry :)  And yes, I did dump over a bottle of expressed milk the other day and there might have been a few tears...

So, its been 2 weeks since I started my crazy pumping campagn to increase my milk supply.  Many of you have asked how things are going...  Well, not as great as I would like, but they are going.  I'm still not producing as much as Phoebe needs, but I am certainly pumping more than I was two weeks ago.  This past weekend I was discouraged because I felt like my supply had leveled off and wasn't increasing anymore, but the past couple days I've been able to get quite a bit more, so who knows.  Currently she's eating 2.5oz every feeding and I'm pumping probably an average of 1.5oz.

She is eating well now and on Tuesday August 30th she weighed 7lbs 7oz at our lactation appointment! She's becoming a fatty :)  And yes, we are probably doing insurmountable damage to her self-esteem by telling her this.  Look how she's filling out and at her little belly!

1 week old.
August 10th

4 weeks old
August 31

A big THANK YOU to my friend Liz who has given me some of her extra breast milk from her deep freeze, so I've been able to supplement Phoebe with breast milk rather than formula, which has been wonderful!  (Again I'm not saying there is anything wrong with formula.  It is a great option if you cannot breastfeed or choose not to breastfeed.  Who knows we might need to supplement with formula in a few weeks if my supply doesn't catch up to her needs.  But I do want to breastfeed and would prefer her to get breast milk if at all possible, especially during these early weeks.  Even the formula cans say "experts agree breastfeeding is best")

Also, a big THANK YOU to my neighbor Judi, who has come over multiple times to help me nurse her with the SNS (because it requires an extra set of hands), has come over and talked me through several breakdowns, and has gone with us to two lactation appointments and an Occupational Therapy/Speech Therapy appointment.

So now what?  Well I will continue to pump, but only 8 times a day when she feeds.  This should help with my sanity.  I'm still eating oatmeal, drinking beer, and taking the fenugreek (which makes you smell like maple syrup...and its not a subtle smell either).  I've added blessed thistle and alfalfa to my list of supplements.  (Thanks Camerie!) I'm going to try to take some more naps during the day too, in order to be well rested.

Speaking of my sanity, Mary and Joshua came over yesterday afternoon for a play-date!  Mama and Mary might have have more fun than Phoebe and Joshua...

I will post again later about how the actual breastfeeding is going and my desire and attempts to get her to nurse.  But in the meantime, if you think about it please pray for Phoebe's hearing test tomorrow morning.  She has failed her hearing test in her left ear 4 times now, so we are going down to Egleston to see an audiologist.