Weigh-in update...

Good news. He'd put on 310 grams in not quite three weeks. I was pretty happy with that, since he'd only put on 350 grams in the two months before we saw the GP.

So no tears happened. Fortunately, it was the lactation consultant I was seeing. I have cried in front of her previously so if I had ended up being a bit emotional, it wasn't like she hadn't seen me in that state before.

I've been trying to slow down and enjoy the breastfeeds more lately. This is the last time I'll be feeding a baby so I need to make the most of however many feeds are left. I'll miss them when they're over.

Thanks to all for the support. And Petrina, yes, avocado and double cream (I sometimes add a spoonful of cream cheese as well) is rather yummy. But one spoonful is really all I can manage to eat myself, it's pretty rich!

We're off for a weigh-in this afternoon

Not for me. For Rowan. This is the test to see if we're going to have to start some formula supplementation to keep his weight on track.

I'm nervous. It's a big test of motherhood, being able to get enough food into your kids to keep them growing. I didn't realise that until I had difficulty doing it (had no issues with the first two, but the third one caused me some grief). And after a good start fourth time around, we've gone off track a little bit. Since we discovered this almost three weeks ago we've had to ramp up Rowan's solid food, I've had to take a pretty disgusting tasting herbal mixture to boost my milk supply and we've been hoping and praying that these things will make a difference.

I think he looks a bit fatter. It might be just me seeing what I want to see. But surely the mashed up avocado and double cream I've been feeding him on a regular basis over the past few weeks must have made some difference?

I hope I won't do something stupid like cry if it hasn't worked. Chris is running a meeting this afternoon at work so I can't  call him if the news isn't good.

I know what you're all thinking. Formula isn't the end of the world. In the end, I guess it isn't. But I worry that it might be the beginning of the end of breastfeeding. And I don't think I'm ready for that yet.

When parenting on the run comes back to bite you

Took Rowan for his 6 month check up and vaccinations last week to discover that his weight gain has slowed fairly dramatically. He gained only 350 grams in just over two months. The average gain is something like 500g a month. Anyway, it wasn't much. He'd dropped back a percentile band on the growth charts and the GP started talking about formula supplements if he doesn't gain another 500g in the next month or so. We only started solids a couple of weeks ago, but I think the gains have been slow for a month or so longer than that.

I think that in the busyness of life, work, managing the other kids, church stuff etc etc, my milk supply has dropped off without me noticing. Perhaps I've been a bit too casual about not bothering with weighing him because he's the fourth child and I thought I knew what I was doing. And Rowan hasn't complained, although he certainly was very excited about the solids starting and has already been gobbling up huge amounts in the relatively short time since we started them.

So it was back to the lactation consultant for some advice. I'm now drinking a fairly yukky tasting herbal mixture that's supposed to increase supply. Eating lots of porridge for breakfast (oats are good for milk supply too). Expressing after the morning feed when there's a bit more milk.  Trying to convince Rowan to take extra feeds during the day. He's not particularly convinced. I think he might have gotten used to me saying "just let me do this one more thing, and then I'll feed you" so he's not sure why he's getting all these extra offers.

Debating whether to go and get a prescription for some more Motillium. I used this with Rosie to keep my supply up in the early days when she wasn't feeding well and stayed on it for months until solids were going well, which meant I really didn't have to think about milk supply at all with her. I have about four days worth of that left but I'll need more to keep going with since you can't just stop taking it cold turkey.

Determined to avoid formula if I possibly can. I've never had to give it to any of the other kids and I'm not keen to start now.

Trying to stay calm about it (not easy, but I had a good expressing session this morning which made me feel a bit better about things). We have a quiet week coming up. The silver bus is back at the repair shop after my latest crash in it so we won't be going far from home. Plenty of time to sort things out.

Typing one handed

Very limiting for blogging efforts, unfortunately.

Cuddling Rowan with the other hand, however, is enormously rewarding.

Not much happening here. Feels a bit weird actually. Usually this is a crazy time of the year but I am feeling surprisingly un-stressed about it all.

Breastfeeding entertainment for the week is Love My Way series 2 and 3. A bit too much bad language and bed-hopping going on between all the lead characters, but other than that it isn't too bad.

Time now to feed unsettled Rowan...

Just when I thought I had this newborn feeding thing together

Feeding dramas are back. After having to take motillium and expressing for months last time around because of worries that my milk supply wasn't enough to meet Rosie's needs, this time it seems that I have been blessed with too much milk.

Which is proving hard to get out efficiently with a relatively small newborn mouth. After gaining 110gms in the first couple of days after coming out of hospital, Rowan has slowed right down with his weight gain and only managed to add another 50gms in the next six days since his last weigh in. And he is becoming fussier with his feeds, and taking a lot longer to get through them.

Sigh. So it was back to the lactation consultant today. The good news is that this should be a quicker fix than Rosie was, but I was so hoping for an easier run this time.

One feed at a time. One day at a time. And after this many babies with different feeding issues, I at least have a multitude of solutions hiding in the cupboard. Bottle teats that are the closest brand to the shape of a breast (in case we need to express and bottle), nipple shields for the reluctant latcher, the list goes on. Luckily I hadn't gotten around to throwing any of it away yet.

We will get there. I am determined.