Author Topic: the hardest thing I have ever had to do  (Read 9916 times)

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Offline firsttimemummy

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Re: the hardest thing I have ever had to do
« Reply #45 on: June 05, 2011, 07:10:13 am »
Sorry it didn't go as planned but great your LO is doing better.  You did fantastically to b/feed for so long with all her issues, and the main thing is she is happy and healthy :)
L x Having a bw break from 1 Feb 2012 - if you want to get in touch please send me a pm.  I may not be here but you are all in my thoughts xxxx (probably be back some time)

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Offline Edesanja

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Re: the hardest thing I have ever had to do
« Reply #46 on: June 05, 2011, 07:36:31 am »
Great job, Jutka. You can be very proud.
Jenny - mama to



Offline maggie2

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Re: the hardest thing I have ever had to do
« Reply #47 on: June 05, 2011, 09:19:22 am »
Yes - you SHOULD be proud!  Not only of BF'ing your lo for 5 months, but also for having the guts and love for your lo to make a tough decision - something you yourself didn't want to do, to nurture her in the best way possible.

The truth of the matter is - some children really DO do better on an elemental formula like neocate.  Despite all of my own negative experiences with a similar situation, I'm still very happy that we live in a time when formula is available for children who truly need it, and grateful for the doctors who help us try to figure out how to help our lo's grow and thrive.

Hope you can begin to feel some peace with the decision.

Quote (selected)
Unfortunately (or not) she IS doing better on the formula. Sleeping better, less windy and generally happier.

I understand why you wrote it in this way, but now practice saying "Fortunately, she is doing better on the formula!"  :-* 

Offline my3girlsjde

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Re: the hardest thing I have ever had to do
« Reply #48 on: June 05, 2011, 09:32:21 am »
Biggest of {{{hugs}}}. I KNOW how hard this has been and you have done so wonderfully.

I highly recommend some skin to skin time when giving her bottles - it helped me so much.

You are a wonderful mummy to her. :-*
Vicki - nursing student and proud mother to three refluxers in two years





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Offline EloysH

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Re: the hardest thing I have ever had to do
« Reply #49 on: June 05, 2011, 09:44:11 am »
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Wish I could have gone on longer but we only lasted 5 months and 1 week. Still doubled the time I breastfed her from when they originally wanted me to put her on neocate...

I am really happy for you that you got this far, really, you jumped through every hoop possible to keep breastfeeding, I honestly don't know what more you could have done  :D  And you really didn't have much support from your health professionals to breastfeed or to support an eliminationdiet so that makes it even more amazing  :D  The fact that you ate such a restricted diet for so long shows how committed you were to breastfeeding. We just want the best for our LO's and the fact that she is doing better on neocate is great news really,  you have found a way to make your baby comfortable.  :)

I hope you enjoyed the BBQ  ;) 

And again, I hope you can feel immensly proud of yourself and take the time to have someextra cuddles with yourlittle one whilst you are weaning. Well done.

Offline bjutka1

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Re: the hardest thing I have ever had to do
« Reply #50 on: June 05, 2011, 10:50:43 am »
Oh girls! I can't believe I'm back with bad news so quickly. Just had Julia screaming for over an hour and half with TERRIBLE wind and constipation from neocate. In the end I had to put a tube up to help her poo. And honestly, the crying was awful- she last cried like this before I started the EDs. So I'm really upset...

Is this to be expected when you first start neocate fully? Should it get better in time? How long before the stuff I ate yesterday and this morning clears from my system? I'm thinking I can't have her cry like this - half and half was the best so far. If I have to, I will go on with the diet if half and half helps her best...

Wish I never had the bbq. (It was nice but made me sick - was up all night running to the loo...)
« Last Edit: June 05, 2011, 11:03:07 am by bjutka1 »
Jutka - lucky mother to 2 gorgeous babies
Peter 25 Oct 2009 and Julia 28 Dec 2010
Married to a loving and proud husband on 25 Aug 2007

Offline my3girlsjde

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Re: the hardest thing I have ever had to do
« Reply #51 on: June 05, 2011, 11:34:26 am »
Oh {{{hugs}}} sweetie. So sorry this is happening to you :'(

If there was milk unfortunately it can be up to 10 days until it clears your system. My public health nurse did advise when my twins were constipated to the point of bleeding that a tsp of sugar in the bottle could help things along. Have you considered trying another type of formula?
Vicki - nursing student and proud mother to three refluxers in two years





Remembering my sleeping angels: 17 Jan 06, 30 Jul 09

Offline bjutka1

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Re: the hardest thing I have ever had to do
« Reply #52 on: June 05, 2011, 13:22:19 pm »
Serioulsy! 10 days - I did have some chocolate and a small ice cream. Can't believe that I was so stupid. I thought it was the best thing - making sure that I don't cheat and feed her when it's better for her if I don't. Now I'm not so sure...
Jutka - lucky mother to 2 gorgeous babies
Peter 25 Oct 2009 and Julia 28 Dec 2010
Married to a loving and proud husband on 25 Aug 2007

Offline maggie2

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Re: the hardest thing I have ever had to do
« Reply #53 on: June 05, 2011, 13:41:25 pm »
So are you sure that she's reacting to something in your milk?  Have all other possible causes been investigated?

Like I said, my lo did horribly on elecare (same as neocate), but her ng tube could have also been irritating to her (she would vomit profusely after feedings, although she seemed to do fine with BM through the tube - it's hard to know what was going on)  You're not really supposed to be able to react to elemental formula ???  But I swear mine did.

what IS normal when first starting that stuff is lots of mucousy poo - perhaps it's normal to be a bit windy as well :P  I don't know - see what the doc says...

What I would wholeheartedly recommend right now is, whatever you decide to do, try to pump and keep your supply just in case the formula doesn't work out.  There are so many unknowns right now!!

{{hugs}}

Offline Jimbob

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Re: the hardest thing I have ever had to do
« Reply #54 on: June 05, 2011, 16:29:21 pm »
Neocate can be constipating. I know some people have to give their children a gentle laxative to help with this. Would your lo drink some water from a bottle to help with the constipation?

Kelly



James has atopic eczema, multiple food allergies, asthma and late talker

Offline Hedgehog17

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Re: the hardest thing I have ever had to do
« Reply #55 on: June 06, 2011, 09:10:21 am »
Question: Are any of you with these "allergy" problems going 8+ hours at night without nursing? I ask because I read an old doctor's advice about never feeding a baby at night because her digestive system needs time to rest and heal, and cannot do that if it is constantly digesting!

Yes, we did. DS took a DF of EBM at 11pm (I pumped around the same time) then didn't take a BF until 7.30am from about 2.5mo. He slept through pretty quickly, dropping the 2am feed first then the 5am feed without any encouragement from me - he wanted to sleep!

Unfortunately it didn't make any difference and he ended up on HAF at 5.5mo and I dried up within a month :( Now he's doing great, has caught up on his weight & growth and hasn't been having the same digestive issues he used to :) He has a pretty severe reaction to cows milk protein so I won't be trying him on any dairy until he's at least 1 year.

Offline Edesanja

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Re: the hardest thing I have ever had to do
« Reply #56 on: June 06, 2011, 09:20:47 am »
My DD also started STTN at 9weeks (df at 10pm till 7am). I didn't eliminate dairy from my diet until 12 weeks. It was eliminating dairy that changed gave me a different girl. No change just from not feeding over night. Good theory, and it might help to have a break from digestion but I definitely don't think it's the holy grail.
Jenny - mama to



Offline bjutka1

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Re: the hardest thing I have ever had to do
« Reply #57 on: June 06, 2011, 12:46:23 pm »
I think some symtomps are the same when it comes to too much foremilk (wind, mucousy poo, green poo, unsettled) but there is so many more symptoms with allergies, unfortunately...

Just spoke to people in the hospital. They reckon the constipation is from the changeover and should settle within a few days but if it doesn't, a mild laxative will do the job.

She is definitely sleeping better on the HAF so that's good news. I'm still pretty miserable and crying loads though. Just feel an extreme sense of loss...
Jutka - lucky mother to 2 gorgeous babies
Peter 25 Oct 2009 and Julia 28 Dec 2010
Married to a loving and proud husband on 25 Aug 2007

Offline EloysH

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Re: the hardest thing I have ever had to do
« Reply #58 on: June 06, 2011, 12:56:28 pm »
It must be a very sad time for you.  Even when I weaned at 13 months i felt a great sense loss, it did pass though.

Offline my3girlsjde

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Re: the hardest thing I have ever had to do
« Reply #59 on: June 06, 2011, 13:42:51 pm »
More {{{hugs}}} sweetie. I understand the loss, and understand how it is harder to see them doing better on haf when all we hear now is how breastfeeding is the best. E's first full day on haf she sttn for the first time and she was 12.5 months old. I felt guilty for bf'ing so long and just an emotional cycle.

It WILL get better, and you WILL feel a bit better.
Vicki - nursing student and proud mother to three refluxers in two years





Remembering my sleeping angels: 17 Jan 06, 30 Jul 09