First lesson in Sean's adaptability

Rob & I decided that having a lactation consultant come out to help us with Sean's nursing was a good idea. I couldn't figure out why the tricks I learned while nursing Meredith weren't working. Sean was getting milk and gaining weight, but he wasn't latching well. He was getting a lot of air and it seemed like I couldn't get him latched on properly without a fight.

The lactation consultant was here. I'm happy to report that it isn't anything I'm doing or not doing. He has a short palate. He has really good muscle tone in his jaw, but doesn't open wide enough to take the whole nipple. He opens wide enough to take most of it & I should make sure his lips aren't curled in after he latches. So I have to gently uncurl them. I also have to do some mouth exercises with him to help him with opening wider. When the eval chick comes tomorrow, I need to make sure he gets OT and that will help with his latch. He does slurp, but again due to his anatomy & it doesn't seem to be affecting him aside from getting air & needing to burp. The lc is going to ask around & see if there are any other exercises I can do with him. I asked her how long I should give it before I just give in & give the bottle. Like if I am at my wits end, how long realistically should I fight to give him the breast. She said maybe 20 minutes. Unless I'm really frustrated, then give it to him because it's better to have a less frustrated mother & baby. She also said he doesn't have any nipple confusion so she saw no problem with giving the bottle & paci. Especially since I had already expressed my wishes to continue giving him the bottles & paci. 


He is coordinated & has a good suck/swallow and is breathing just fine while nursing. 


She's a pediatric ER nurse practitioner and reg'd lactation consultant. She works at the hosp the or pediatrician is affiliated with. I really liked that she was unassuming and not pushy at all. I also really like that she's a nurse practitioner. If there was something going on medically while nursing that I was missing, she was there to help & to point it out so I could tell the drs exactly what it was. Thankfully there was nothing medically wrong. 


So this was my first lesson in adaptability. I have always heard from other parents of children with special needs that it's not that their children can't do things, they just do those things differently. I had never had to worry or think about this before in regard to Sean. Until now he has been able to do things like any other newborn. He lifts his head, turns it, rolls over (so proud), etc just like any other newborn. 


Well.... with nursing, Sean nurses. He just nurses differently than other kids. He has to adapt to his anatomy. Yet again we don't have an inability. Hooray!! 


The consultant said he will get better as he gets older and after his surgery. Things will get easier as we learn how to adapt to his anatomy & he gets more coordinated. So while it didn't make me feel any better that there is really nothing I can do at the moment to help things; I'm not doing anything to make things any more difficult. That's a good thing in my book. I'm not screwing it up. Ha ha ha


I'm not ready to give up on nursing just yet. Yes it's a hell of a lot easier to pump & give Sean a bottle, but I have never been known to do anything the easy way. I'm also determined to make this work. Way more determined than I probably should be, but my son will get all of the benefits of nursing and I will gain patience. Well, hopefully. And hopefully that lesson in patience will take me further than just nursing.