Little did I know...

...that my extended breastfeeding may have significantly helped my son and his lung growth.

As many of you know, my son Par was diagnosed with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia at 21 weeks gestation. Our start was rough--and our road to breastfeeding was L O N G--but all worth it, of course! Because of Par's CDH his lungs and heart were smushed by his stomach, spleen, kidneys, bowels throughout his life in the womb and not able to grow properly--thus, when he was born he was unable to breathe on his own--just one little lung and one little lung bud.
After his repair surgery to put it all back and a month on the ventilator--his little lungs began to expand and grow. After 3 more months on oxygen he was finally able to breathe without any help.
During all of this--in an effort to give him the best food possible and because I wanted to experience at least some normal part of motherhood (Par is my 1st baby)--I was VERY determined to breastfeed him. It was not without challenges--every bit of encouragement went a long way--and the information I am about to share may have made it even easier to persevere.
In a recent article--found here-- the doctor claims that the act of suckling itself improves lung development if breastfeed for 4 months or longer (not just breastmilk, but actually breastfeeding). It is a very interesting article and I am even more excited to see how little Par's lungs look at our appointment in February--and I can't wait to share this info with Dr. Kays.
To see the fruits of my labor...go here!

Routine

I like routine. I probably like routine too much. God designed this universe to be constantly living, growing, breeding, wilting, dying, etc.--change is a part of that--it is natural. Yet, I fight it daily.
If I had my way, I would get up each day and BF Par while checking email and drinking my morning cup of joe. Ideally, Par would remain 9 months old--but maybe I would be 15lbs lighter and with longer hair...anyway, I like the routine we've made.
But things change--and nothing says this more than watching a baby grow.
At this point, Par really doesn't need "me" to eat. A few times lately I have woken up and he has already helped himself to the morning buffet (remember, we co-sleep). I look down at him and he just grins. He's a good boy--he didn't want to wake me.
This morning while checking email, Par managed to kick my coffee onto my computer--he's getting so big--this part of my day is going to have to change.
And now I'm here, sitting by myself because my little boy is sound asleep in his bed--I spent a good bit of his morning nap looking at pictures from his 1st month of life. I do this a lot--but today was especially emotional as there are 3 new little babies born within a day--all afflicted with CDH. I have been praying--begging--looking at my son awe struck at how far we've come.
I know this blog is about BF--I really don't think I can clearly explain how truly amazing it is that Par was able to BF. God gave me the perseverance--I know that much. But Par's ability to BF and without reflux or intestinal issues is miraculous. At this point, I do try and use the words miraculous/miracle conservatively--mainly because I now know how powerful it is--the word alone proclaims God's Glory! So thank you Lord for your gift of breastfeeding my son.
For those of you who have been blessed to breastfeed your little ones from the beginning--praise God! I ask that everyone will offer prayers up for these 3 new little babies--that they may be healed Miraculously by our Father in Heaven. That their parents may know the love of our Lord and find rest, peace, hope & understanding as they endure this roller coaster like journey of CDH.
May they be encouraged by their family and medical team in breastfeeding/pumping for their baby. I know that my success is definitely a product of prayer and encouragement of many people.

I've Gone to Pump

My son was born in November 2007 with CDH (Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia) and required a lengthy NICU stay and ended up going home on oxygen for a few more months. My first days of motherhood I felt so useless--I was recovering from a c-section, trying to visit my son in critical condition and pumping frequently with not much milk to show for the effort.
As soon as my milk came in--I felt like I was finally doing something. Although I was unable to hold my son for the first 28 days-- I was able to pump milk that I knew he would enjoy at some point. Breastfeeding was something that I had always looked forward to and it was difficult not to experience this gift right away-- but I knew pumping would allow me to feed him once he was healthy enough--and I knew the breastmilk that he would eventually receive through his NG tube was the best thing for him.
During my son's stay in the NICU I kept family & friends (and a following of prayer warriors I have never met) updated through a my son's blog. Each day I would give them the gist of the day--adding in some comic relief when possible--but the gist of the day always included the many times I would have to pump--I mentioned it often. One of my well-meaning blog readers mentioned that I seemed to talk about pumping too much--almost to imply I was mentioning how many times I used the restroom. At first I was embarrassed--and then it occurred to me--this is what it is to be a mother. I was pumping my milk--and if I had been saying "I went to feed my baby" it wouldn't have seemed as crass--but I couldn't say that--my baby was on a ventilator--and the next best thing I could do was to pump. I was a proud pumper. I pumped for just about 3 months until one day I looked at my son and said--we can do this. I have been exclusively breastfeeding him ever since--which is a miracle in itself--CDH babies tend to have major oral adversions on top of reflux issues--I thank God for this gift of motherhood.
So what's up with this blog?
In a word--support. A breastfeeding mother needs support--and a pumping mother needs LOTS of encouragement to persevere--because there is nothing endearing about a breastpump staring at you at 3am.
I am not an expert--I am not a nurse or lactation consultant and I don't claim to have any sort of expertise in lactation or breastfeeding. But I do have a unique experience of pumping exclusively for 2 months for a critically ill child, transitioning to breastfeeding a special needs infant in the NICU and now breastfeeding exclusively for a high needs baby. All this to say--I can relate to a lot of different situations. If you have a question--post it in the comments section below each blog entry--if I don't have an answer, hopefully another blog reader will!