No more breastfeeding

This is a sad and very personal blog for me to write/post. Today I fed Andrina the last of my breast milk. I had to come to a hard and painful decision to give it up for good today.

Today Andrina is 2 and 1/2 weeks old and I can't nurse her any longer. We have seen 4 lactation consultants, used a hospital-grade breast pump, helped Andrina with "finger feeding", taken herbs and prescription medication to help me produce more milk (which also made me sick so I had to stop taking it), been on antibiotics for breast infections, cracking and bleeding, and had blocked ducts. With all these problems, I kept trying to nurse my baby, but with everything that went wrong and no matter how much I tried, it just would not work for us. In the end, Andrina is taking 3 ozs of milk at every meal now and I can only produce 1 oz total each time I pump. So, with pumping 8 times a day and only producing 8 ozs of milk a day, and Andrina needing 24 ozs a day, it is all overwhelming. I am beyond exhausted: pumping around the clock, then giving Andrina a bottle, then changing her, and before I know it, it's time to pump again and I have not had any time to enjoy my baby. If this keeps up, I won't be able to remember much of her. If I could have produced more milk and Andrina could latch on, I would be a happy nursing mother. But life does not work out as we plan. So I must be content to be a happy formula-feeding mother.

This afternoon, alone with my baby, and crying the entire time, I fed my baby the last of my breast milk. I wish it didn't have to end this way.

Mittens

Today, like every other day, Andrina has to wear mittens over her hands. Like so many other babies, her nails grow very fast and they are very sharp! Today she managed to scratch her face while one hand was bare and I was putting a mitten on the other hand! My poor baby! She made herself bleed! You can't see the scratch in the picture but it's there. I hope it heals without any scaring! This is one of those parts of being a parent you really don't foresee...

Andrina and "Teenie"

Look how small Andrina is! I can't believe it. She is next to our Pug Dog, Teenie. Teenie is a "toy" breed and is very small herself, only 16 lbs! And baby Andrina, only 6 days old, is so small by comparison!

However, Teenie is a wonderful "babysitter". Teenie has had puppies before (not with us, we had her spayed when we took her in). Teenie always shows her "mommying" instinct when around Andrina. Teenie loves Andrina, always wanting to lick her and just be next to her! Of course, she can never be a real "babysitter" for baby! And it goes without saying that neither Tom nor I would ever leave any dog alone with our baby...

Andrina's 1st Pediatrician Visit

Today Andrina had her first appointment with her pediatrician for her first well-baby checkup. Everything went great! Andrina's jaundice is clearing up very nicely and she's less than one ounce away from her birth weight - which is excellent! Overall, she is doing so well that her pediatrician said she does not even need to come if for a 2 week-old checkup, she can wait until she is a month old!

Happy Birthday to Me...

Today is my birthday and I barely remembered! However, I got an eary birthday present-a healthy, happy, beautiful baby! The best gift I could hope for!

First Sponge Bath at Home

Andrina getting her first sponge bath at home-courtesy of Mommy and Daddy! She is so small and so cute...

All clean, cute, and cuddly after her first sponge bath at home! Isn't she just adorable all wrapped up in her little bunny towel from friends at Mommy's work?

Meet Auntie Doreen!

Such a proud Auntie holding a very content baby Andrina!

Welcome Home Andrina

Today Tom and I got to bring Andrina home from the hospital!

Soon after our arrival, my parents came to visit and meet their new Granddaughter! Grandma didn't get to hold Andrina because she was getting over a cold... Next visit Grandma! And thanks for the roses!

Meet Auntie April!

Auntie April came to meet her new niece today. Andrina loved being held by her Auntie and I loved that April drove all the way out to meet baby and see me! And, being a very good Auntie-April even brought gifts for Andrina. Even though Andrina was 6 lbs and 6 ozs at birth, she fit into the "preemie" sized clothes that April bought her. This was on April's instinct that since her baby fit into those sized clothes, maybe my baby would too. And she was right. The "preemie" sized clothes fit, even though Andrina is over 5 lbs. Thanks Auntie April!

Proud Daddy!

Just look at all the love and pride in Tommy's face as he holds his baby daughter! I think that look says it all for how much he loves her!

World's Cutest Baby!

Enough said!

We welcome you Andrina!

6 lbs 6 ozs

18 inches long

Andrina is Born!

July 13, 2007

9:29 pm

Welcome to the World, Andrina Katrine Hansen!

Here we all are, a brand new family complete with a beautiful, sweet baby!

Labor began at 11:30 in the morning when my water "broke". I was suprised by how uneventful and pain-free my contractions were for about 2 hours. That changed when Tom and I arrived at the hospital at 1:30. The good news was that I was already 4 centimeters dialated and able to receive an epidural. The bad news was it took an hour for it to be administered! But what sweet relief it was! In that hour I had progressed to 6 cms and my contractions were coming fast and strong! I am so glad I chose the have an epidural. I was able to relax and visualize my baby in my arms, without being in pain. I think that was part of the reason my labor was not very long. By 6:00 I had dialated to the full 10 cms and was able to "labor down" (i.e., not push, let my body contract and "push" on its own) for about an hour. At 7:15 I began active pushing-with Tom holding on of my legs-which lasted for almost 2 hours and 15 minutes. I must say that I am very proud of myself in giving birth to my daughter. I felt the pressure of every contraction and pushed with EVERY ONE OF THEM! I did not take any "breaks". For over 2 hours I pushed and in the end, I gave birth on my own without vacuum or forceps assistance! All that at 32 years old, for the first time, and I was out of shape too!

I'll never forget how Andrina was lifted up and placed on my chest when she was born! I'll never forget how she took her first breath and cried her first cry while in my arms! I waited so long for her to arrive and it was definately worth it!

There are not words enough to describe just how much I love her...