Today Toby had an appointment to have his frenulum cut to free his tongue. I have to say it was not as satisfying a day as I'd expected. I'll explain why, in no particular order!
The pediatrician that saw us, let's call her Penny, is also a certified lactation consultant. She said that Toby's tongue-tie is actually pretty severe since his tongue was attached right up to behind his gums. She was able to snip it a bit, but it could be that it is not enough, in which case he could require further surgical intervention.
That alone was enough to make my heart ache. It is hard enough to watch one child deal with physical challenges and medical intervention. To have two children with issues seems like some cruel joke. As a mother I just want to give my children the best start in life.
Which brings me to the feeding part! How cruelly ironic that the children of two food-lovers both have feeding problems!! Toby may also have a speech impediment due to the tongue tie. Penny was not sure how well Toby would latch because of the bottle feeding I have been doing. We got him on after he stopped screaming, and he seemed to start feeding. It hurt a bit, but not enough to make me even wince!
If he is able to readjust that will be great. The only issue is that I am producing 2/3 times more milk than he takes. Somehow I have to bring that down so I can stop pumping. That carries the risk of blocked ducts and mastitis from not emptying. Oh joy!!
On a different note, Toby's umbilical stump fell off today (eurgh!) and it was "oozing" a little so the doc treated it with silver nitrate.
We have to go back in a week to check his weight with the new feeding, and get his belly button treated again.
Right now I'm feeling pretty discouraged, not knowing if he'll nurse properly, and get enough food. It's so tempting to stick with pumping since I know how much he is getting and it's more convenient to bottle feed, however I don't want to be a slave to the pump again.
And in the back of my head (right at the back, but there nontheless) I'm wondering how much all these appointments etc are going to cost because Toby doesn't have medical assistance like Emma. I would never let money be a factor in our getting medical attention, so I am ashamed it even occured to me.
The pediatrician that saw us, let's call her Penny, is also a certified lactation consultant. She said that Toby's tongue-tie is actually pretty severe since his tongue was attached right up to behind his gums. She was able to snip it a bit, but it could be that it is not enough, in which case he could require further surgical intervention.
That alone was enough to make my heart ache. It is hard enough to watch one child deal with physical challenges and medical intervention. To have two children with issues seems like some cruel joke. As a mother I just want to give my children the best start in life.
Which brings me to the feeding part! How cruelly ironic that the children of two food-lovers both have feeding problems!! Toby may also have a speech impediment due to the tongue tie. Penny was not sure how well Toby would latch because of the bottle feeding I have been doing. We got him on after he stopped screaming, and he seemed to start feeding. It hurt a bit, but not enough to make me even wince!
If he is able to readjust that will be great. The only issue is that I am producing 2/3 times more milk than he takes. Somehow I have to bring that down so I can stop pumping. That carries the risk of blocked ducts and mastitis from not emptying. Oh joy!!
On a different note, Toby's umbilical stump fell off today (eurgh!) and it was "oozing" a little so the doc treated it with silver nitrate.
We have to go back in a week to check his weight with the new feeding, and get his belly button treated again.
Right now I'm feeling pretty discouraged, not knowing if he'll nurse properly, and get enough food. It's so tempting to stick with pumping since I know how much he is getting and it's more convenient to bottle feed, however I don't want to be a slave to the pump again.
And in the back of my head (right at the back, but there nontheless) I'm wondering how much all these appointments etc are going to cost because Toby doesn't have medical assistance like Emma. I would never let money be a factor in our getting medical attention, so I am ashamed it even occured to me.
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