Click here to read Part Three.
Tuesday evening, the lactation consultant I had seen the day before came into my room and explained that Jace’s IV had come out and they were having trouble getting another in. In order for him to get enough nutrients without the IV, he would either have to be breastfed every two hours, or they would have to supplement with formula. She told me that his blood sugar levels would need to be completely normal throughout the night in order for his doctor to be happy. As a lactation consultant, she understood me wanting to breastfeed him exclusively but also pointed out that a little formula wouldn’t hurt, in this situation especially.
Joe was still at work at that point, but my dad was there keeping me company. He encouraged me to do whatever I felt was right. My first reaction was to agree to breastfeed him every two hours. I was already pumping every two hours to try and get my milk supply going, and I would have been feeding him that often if he had been downstairs with me, so it made sense. He was due for a feeding, so my dad pushed my wheelchair ups to the nursery for me and the nurse brought him into a private room with me. My dad headed back downstairs and Jace and I were left alone for the first time. He was SO sleepy, I couldn’t get him to latch on at all. I even asked the nurse to turn the heat down to see if he would become more alert, but it didn’t help.
Since he wasn’t eating and my dad still hadn’t held him, I called him and had him come back up. He held Jace while the nurse and I discussed what we should do. I was so sore from the surgery and completely exhausted. The idea of getting up and being wheeled to the nursery every hour and a half or so for the next 24 hours was pretty overwhelming. The nurse also pointed out that if all he’s getting is the small amount of colostrum at each feeding, his blood sugar levels might not be where they need to be for him to be released the next day. I told her I would think about it, but that was really all I needed to hear. After Joe got back from work that night, we agreed that he would go up and feed him a little formula.
Joe fed him twice that night, and the nurse once. Joe said he was sucking down the formula and doing great. He left the room the following morning around 10 or so to check on him. He came back to the room with a smile on his face.
“He graduated.”
“He what?”
“He was released to the regular nursery. He’s next door right now getting settled. They’re bringing him in here in a minute.”
Oh my gosh.. the relief and excitement I felt is indescribable. They wheeled him in the room in his bassinet a few minutes later and we got to work bonding with our baby boy.
Soon after they brought him to our room, my grandparents arrived.
And after that, some very special guests arrived to finally meet and hold their little brother.
I think it was love at first sight for them both.
My parents, brother, and family friend Gail, who is the teaching assistant for Summer’s class and had brought her from school, also came.
Later that evening, my aunt Susan stopped by on her way home from work (and gave Jace his last bottle of formula!)
It was such a great day!
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