Adventure 2.0

Early in the morning on February 15th, after weeks of prodromal labor and wishing she would arrive, she did. She came fast and furious and is absolutely perfect. C2 was born in three pushes with the help of my amazing husband, a nurse who I was reluctant to have at first but ended up being one of the best labor nurses I have ever met and my OB who I don't know how to have babies without. The birth story itself is for another time and place but I will just say that it could not have been more perfect.

Once she was born and placed on my chest, aside from a brief pause so I could visit the loo, my amazing 7 pound 9 ounce princess stayed on my chest and nursed for about 2 hours after she was born and remained there snuggling for another hour or so before they weighed, measured, footprinted and otherwise processed our new addition. This labor and delivery were so much different than the 11 hours of pitocin, continuous fluids and for the most part being bedridden in labor with my son to then be draped and put in stirrups for delivery. This delivery was so much less traumatic on me since I had fewer interventions and less traumatic on my daughter for all sorts of reasons, including her being in a better position than my son was during his delivery. I really believe that all of this contributed to me having a better supply and establishing a better breastfeeding relationship with her right off the bat than I had with my son.
Remember when I said that I was fairly certain I made skim milk with my first? Guess what - full fat, full force this time around. My son was a few weeks earlier and about 3/4 lb smaller than my daughter. He was constantly on the breast and never....ever slept. The princess eats, gains and sleeps! She was discharged from the hospital weighing just shy of 6 oz less than birth weight and was back up to her original weight before she was two weeks old!

I'm not saying all of this to boast or to get atta-girls on the birth, my supply or even my wonderful daughter. I am saying all of this because it is NIGHT AND DAY from one child to the next. I suffered with slow weight gain, jaundice, low supply, pumping, supplementing with pumped milk daily and the lack of sleep with my son, plus the post partum anxiety and depression for months after. By the grace of God, we haven't had to deal with any of that this time around. To the mothers who had awful breastfeeding experiences with the first child and are debating giving it a go for another round: please do. Please don't be discouraged by the rough patches that come with being a first time mom, a first time nurser and all of the things that come along with it. Please don't decide to deny your second child the most amazing gift of your milk, snuggles and the things that go along with it because you are afraid of having the same experience the second time around. I can tell you that I haven't and I am so grateful. I'm not giving any sort of guarantee, but there is hope, I promise.

I kind of wondered what I was going to write about this time around. I thought I was going to have the same issues but I'm definitely not. In the year to come, I hope to write on tandem feeding, over supply, diet, returning to work and whatever else comes our way.

I'm truly looking forward to sharing the second chapter of my Adventure with you all.

Til next time mamas - 

Keep Calm and Nurse On