Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Thankful

I'd thought about writing a post about the fiasco that is feeding Lincoln...

...how breastfeeding has been (and is still) extremely challenging for us...

...how healing from a 4th degree tear caused by emergency forceps delivery is extremely traumatic for a body...

...how it totally kills milk supply...

...how 6 weeks later I still feel like I had a baby less than a week ago in many ways...

...how hooking yourself up to a supplemental nursing system almost every time you nurse can be extremely demoralizing...

...how formula is expensive and obnoxious and smells bad...

...but it's Thanksgiving tomorrow...

and maybe instead I should be grateful.

So, here we go.

***

I'm grateful that I can at least feed Lincoln a little bit so that he can get my antibodies, especially through this flu season.

I'm grateful that Lincoln arrived safely and that we had a skilled doctor who took care of things.

I'm grateful that he knew how to fix me up properly afterwards.

I'm grateful that formula exists so that Lincoln can get enough food.

I'm grateful for a supportive husband who helps me make this all work (even in the middle of the night) and always cheers me on.

And besides, how could I be frustrated for very long when we're doing it all for this cute boy?







4 comments:

  1. AMEN!!!!! Love y'all!!! Mom and Dad

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  2. Goooo Lindsay (and Bryan and Lincoln)! It's hard when feeding is so frequent (and your nethers are so sore), but when people focus too much on how important breast vs bottle is they forget what a small blip in a life it is. I'm glad you are able to see some of the bigger picture. Your baby is beautiful, and you are a strong woman.

    -Lisa (Craig) Roper

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  3. Lindsay, I totally hear you! That traumatic delivery stuff is no joke. I wish people had spoken more openly about it before I had my first vaginal birth because I thought something was uniquely wrong with me! No way did other women have it so hard, otherwise they'd never go on to have any more kids. Clearly I was wrong. I pray your healing continues and you can feel normal soon. And yay for formula! My first was entirely formula-fed from about 5 weeks on and I have zero regrets about that!

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    1. Thanks! I really wish people talked more about this stuff too. Ha ha... I've thought many times, "wow, people do this more than once?" but I hear it can be easier the second time. :) I definitely hope so! I look around sometimes and am totally amazed by the number of women who have multiple children and are functional. :) It gives me hope!

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