So for a very, very long time we've been hovering around the 14 pound mark with Nash and just hoping something would change to allow for him to gain weight. Yes, I became obsessed and yes, it was hard to think about the fact that I should stop nursing and switch to formula. Well, from two weeks ago my plan of weaning him over a period of 6 weeks went completely out the window. Basically the first day I stopped one feed I got a pain and worried that it might be something more than just being sore. I called the Breastfeeding Clinic and booked an appointment for few days later.
I started to feel better before I had the appointment but still went and when she checked she said everything seemed to be ok but if I was to develop a fever than it could be Mastitis, a breast infection that would require antibiotics. That was Friday and by Monday I felt like I had been hit by a truck. After calling Health Link I was advised to go to Urgent Care which luckily for me is very close to my house. Once there sure enough I was diagnosed with Mastitis and put on Tylenol 3's, as well as antibiotics and booked for an ultrasound for the next day to check to see if there was an abscess which if present would require surgical draining. Awesome...well, Nash was so good for me over the days that followed, but the ultrasound report was unclear so I spent more quality time at Urgent Care. It happens to be in the same building as where you can weigh the babies but since that scale and the one at Children's Hospital are different I resisted the urge to weigh him. That was the first thing P.J. asked when he came home that night was if I had weighed him and I proudly said no!
No surgery was required but with being on medications I decided to "pump and dump" my milk and Nash went straight to being a formula-fed baby. I was a bit disappointed but honestly, it was like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulder. I now know exactly what his intake is and hoped to see weight gain at our appointment this past Wednesday. Well, that 15 pound hump, we jumped over it! Well, pretty much. He went from weeks of no weight gain only to go from 14 pounds, 10 ounces to 15 pounds, 13 ounces! I was so relieved! I can't believe how much he eats! He honestly has a bottomless pit and I hope when we go back in two weeks to see a continued improvement! I feel like I can let go a bit of this obsession as I see that he is healthy and I know that he's not that far off the mark when it comes to his weight. I was just stressed as it had been so long since I had seen much of a difference and he had previously been gaining so well.
In regards to no longer nursing, I have to say I feel like a whole new person. The combination of losing weight, being sick and stopping nursing all at once will do that quick, and just that stress gone! I don't feel as tied down, I can easily feed him in public, I'm not as worried about what I'm eating, the list goes on and on. Yes, I know all the benefits of breastfeeding and I'm glad that I stuck with if for almost 7 months but I'm pretty happy that things worked out the way they did and my 6 week plan went out the window!
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