Breast Feeding Clinic

On Friday,  I went back to the hospital for a breastfeeding clinic...Alia's first outing since she came home. Here's what it takes to make it out for an hour long private lesson with a lactation consultant.... Ajay's got the Baby Sherpa backpack on his back, full of the reinforcements...change of outfits, pumped breast milk, pacifiers, burp cloths, a whole package of wipes, my vitamin water because I get very thirsty when I pump/nurse, receiving blankets, and Alia's intake/output log, The small green bag in Ajay's right hand is one of my favorite things I received as a gift (from Evelyn and Iman) ...it's a very portable diaper changing station, with a roll-our mat, room for diapers, wipes, and disposable baggies to confine all that extra smelly goodness. And finally, in Ajay's left hand is my Sprite, which keeps me from getting car sick in the event Ajay ends up driving (and no, that's not a comment on Ajay's driving at all...I just get car sick no matter whose driving).

So after packing up all that stuff for about 20 minutes, we borrowed our neighbor Jim's SUV because Maya and my Mom took my car on an over-night adventure. We loaded up the car and set out on our first adventure outside our house since bringing the little one home. We quickly found out that Alia is a very good passenger...she nodded off to sleep almost immediately which was a big relief, because the lady at the Breast Feeding Clinic told me not to give her a full meal, just give her a partial feeding so that she's somewhat hungry when she arrives.

My hope was that the people at this breast-feeding clinic could help me get Alia latched on. I was hopeful, but realistic...she's been bottle feeding my expressed breast milk now for 10 days, with no significant time spent actually latched on to my breast. When I arrived at the Clinic, I found three nurses in their fifties ready to help. We put one of those special pillows around my waist and got ready to attach the little one. She didn't cooperate. Immediately Alia showed them her true colors and turned bright red, began crying and crying, and would not latch on . This continued for about 29 minutes, until we were all defeated and ready to throw in the towel; I told them I was just going to give her some of her bottle because she was too upset to work with us. They agreed.

One of the ladies was late for a meeting. The other lady began helping other struggling Moms. My lady stuck with us. After giving Alia a small taste of her bottle, we tried to place her on my breast again. She struggled. We struggled. We identified that she curls up her tongue and actually blocks the entry to her mouth. In the end, Alia was bright red and upset...tears rolling down her sweet little cheeks. I pulled out my bottle of breast milk that I had brought along and gave her half of it just to calm her down. 

And that's when it happened. Once she calmed down, we slowly placed on the breast feeding pillow in front of me. Within a minute, she was fully latched on and feeding away. Miraculous! After she drained that breast, we successfully switched her to the other side. Again...miraculous. She fed like a champ.

So in the end, we drove home, feeling accomplished. Our girl could in fact do it...you can teach an old dog new tricks!

Here's the little one in the car seat on her first adventure out of the house since being brought home from the hospital.

And here's Ajay, giving me "that look"... suggesting we get on with it and get to the clinic before the little one starts to cry...