To say that i have been frustrated with nursing/pumping is a HUGE understatement! i have known since before i was pregnant that i wanted to breastfeed. abigail, however, has had other plans! we have spent the last 2 months trying to figure this whole thing out. for something that is supposed to be so "natural", it's freakin' hard! she would get very frustrated when i tried to get her to latch on and in turn, i would get frustrated. the lactation consultants in the NICU were of some help, but never really sat down and showed me what to look for in her latching and sucking and what's right and what's wrong. i was also told that since she's a preemie, she may never get it. she had a feeding tube for so long and went straight to the bottle that she just may not get it. needless to say, i was very disappointed but determined to either pump every 3 hrs (which wasn't my favorite idea) or get this whole nursing thing to work once and for all. at abigails 2 month check up, her dr and i talked about our nursing problems and he put me in contact with the lactation consultants and peidmont hospital. to be honest, at first thought, i didn't think it would do any good. but i thought i'd give it one last try -- after all, they are only 5 minutes from my house as opposed to the LCs at Emory Eastside (where i delivered) being an hour away. so today i had my appt. i was excited for it - when i spoke with the LC on the phone last week, she was very positive and, after hearing my situation with a preemie, told me that this isn't insurmountable. that was the first time i had heard that clearly. so i went to this appointment with an open mind but hopes not too high. i got there, undressed abby down to a clean diaper and we weighed her. then the moment of truth: time to get her to latch. and amazingly she took to it right away!! she nursed off and on for an hour and a half taking about 1 1/2 oz total!!! it took everything in me not to turn into a puddle of tears on the floor!!! the LC said that she was doing very well, especially for her first time really nursing effectively. she said that probably within a week, abigail will be nursing exclusively!! i have done one other feeding since being home - she nursed for half of it and took the bottle for the other half. i am so excited!!!!

we still have some "preemie issues" to overcome in regards to nursing, but all in all i now know that as long as i put the time and effort into it (and patience!), abigail will get it! she proved today that she CAN do it! she just needs to learn that she now has to work for her food!!!!