Introducing Paige Madison

Introducing Paige Madison, born 7/9/2012 at 800 am weighing 5lbs 5oz and 19"

Paige was born via repeat c-section (because of the complications I had with my first daughter) 4 weeks early at 36 weeks.  She was born a wee 5lbs 5oz. 

Unlike Alexa (baby #2) she had some issues after birth.  She was being closely monitored for keeping her own temperature and for rapid breathing.  Thank God she did not have to go to the NICU and daddy stayed by her side.  I was so eager to see her in my bed, especially since my legs were still numb.  I did facetime with my husband to see her as he stood by her side in the nursery, being her protector.

This time by far was the best birth experience I have had, because I had a wonderful team of doctors and nurses working to make me as comfortable as possible.

Once they were finally able to bring my baby to me the first thing I wanted to do was nurse ofcourse.  Not only did she NOT latch, but she had absolutely no suck whatsoever.  The LC came to my room and we syringe fed her donor colostrum.  I also hand expressed my own colostrum for her and the LC and I fed her with a spoon. 

The second day she finally got a latch.  She appeared to be doing well nursing. Yay! We quickly left the hospital so we could be home to enjoy our newborn.  Something was going wrong though.  She rapidly lost weight and was a 4lb 14oz baby when we got home.  Despite supplementation and letting her latch onto me, she did not gain any weight and had a poor suck.  After meeting with the LC several times she was removing a total of 7-10mls from me. 

My pump output was pathetic so I quickly started on domperiodone once again, and am currently making 6oz a day pumping 8x a day.  Although this is more than I made with my first baby, it's only enough to feed a micropreemie.  I made zero milk for my first and my second I had problems with getting a full supply. Her feedings needed thickening and it was too painful for her to nurse.

After two weeks having her home I started to panic one day.  She flat out refused to eat, anything at all.  Her color was not good and she was very listless.  My husband and I rushed her to the ER and they had admitted her later that night.  She was in the same state until the very next day when they moved her into a warming bed and hooked her to IV fluids. 

I had felt bad that I had worn her out with all the nursing rigour.  She was using all her calories to maintain her temperature and nursing/bottle feeding.  They said she also had some pretty bad reflux, like my other two children and that her feeds must be thickened.  After 3 days in the hospital she was discharged a healthy 5 pounds 4oz and she has put on weight every day since then!

I continue to pump for her, even though at times it can seem fruitless.  Still 6 ounces a day adds up, and it's something special I'm doing for my baby.  I hope that as she gets older and stronger, she can learn to latch again and we can have a nursing relationship, if her reflux doesn't get in the way.  My other two children had to have thickened feedings as well because their reflux was painful and severe.  I was very sad at first that this once again has not worked.  But it's not about me, it's about my daughter. 

I am looking for breast milk donations for baby Paige.  She is currently taking in 20 ounces of breast milk per day, and that should get up to 20-24 ounces by the time she reaches 8 pounds or so.  Please let me know if you can help this weak little wee one!

Living with chronic low milk supply


update: Paige is now 6pounds 5ounces!! Thanks to all that good mama milk!! Look at the difference in how she looks, by the way in her first cloth diaper! Message from Paige: Keep pumping for me mamas I need your precious ounces to keep thriving!