It's hard to believe that two weeks have already gone by. They say that things get easier...I will say that they have, although I'm still finding struggles along the way. Let me back up for a minute and recap the last two weeks from when we left the hospital...
The day we left, I was having trouble nursing. Austin has a bad latch and it was becoming extremely frustrating for me and for him. I had a great lactation consultant that worked with me for a long time but I was still not feeling 100% confident about going home and doing things on my own. The nurse said that Austin's bilirubin (sp?) level was a little high and the doctor wanted to see him first thing the next morning. Since we were coming off of a bad night, full of screaming and fussiness and no sleep, we were not excited to get this news. We had had a long night and ended up sending Austin to the nursery around 3:30am because Justin and I knew that we had to get SOME sleep in order to function the next day. I wish I could say that things got better when we got home, but they didn't. We had another sleepless night and didn't know what in the world was wrong with him.
At the doctor's appointment the next morning, we found out that his bili level was too high and they were going to send a nurse out to our house to set up a jaundice bed/light for him to sleep on for the next few days until his level returned to normal. The doctor also suggested that we supplement formula until my milk came in. When we got home, the first thing we did was give Austin a bottle of formula. Hearing him gulp it down and hearing it hit his stomach was music to our ears. Justin and I were both in tears but it felt so good to hear our baby getting some nutrients. It was hard hearing that though because as a nursing mom, you begin to think, "Why can't I give that to him? Is there something wrong with me or my milk?" I know that is far from the truth, but the thoughts run through your head and you begin to feel so inadequate.
The nurses came out every day to check his weight and bili level, and finally on Saturday we got the news that his level was normal and he could come off the bed. We had to see the doctor again Sunday morning so we actually kept him on the bed during the night, just to be safe. The next day the doctor confirmed that his level was back to normal and everything was looking great. Yaaaay!! We could finally hold him and play with him! When they are confined to the bili bed, they can only be out of it for about an hour at a time for feedings, so our first few days at home with him, we couldn't even hold him or cuddle with him!
Since then, things have been going really well until last night - he is having some gas problems so he was very squirmy and fussy ALL night. Waking up during the night for feedings and pumping has not really gotten easier, but it's doable. The good thing is, I'm able to nap during the day to catch up on sleep.
Today I am attempting our first outing. I am very nervous about it but I know it needs to be done sooner than later. So we're going to Hobby Lobby and to visit Justin at work. ***It's now Tuesday afternoon and I'm finishing the post! Our outing went great - no mishaps or breakdowns! Enjoy a few pics below!
Leaving the hospital
Austin's first car ride, going home from the hospital!
One of my favorite pics - look at that sweet little face!
An up-close pic of Austin in the bili bed
In the bili bed!
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