Success!!!

Mark this date down on your calendars - December 11, 2012:  the day Rossleigh Dewey breastfed for the first time!!  Okay, so probably not something you'll want to mark on your calendar, but definitely something to go on ours!!  Since we've been home from the hospital, I have periodically attempted to get Rossleigh to latch on so that once she was able to tolerate the consistency of milk, breastfeeding wouldn't be a foreign concept to her.  I would always wait until after I'd emptied my breast via pumping and also tried to wait until after she was satisfied from eating (but still wanting just a little more) so that she wouldn't get too frustrated.  She's latched on before, but lost patience and unlatched.  This wasn't a huge deal in the past because she wasn't physically ready for milk consistency anyway.

Anyway, since Rossleigh tolerated milk consistency well at the swallow test, but did have those "flashes", they suggested we wait about 3-4 weeks before making the full switch to breast milk/regular formula.  Since the last swallow test, I've been having her practice a few times a week (well, it's only been a week, but still).  She would lose patience easily so I was feeling a little discouraged.  I started feeling like I was sentenced to a year or more of exclusive pumping...I won't lie - pumping EXCLUSIVELY really kinda sucks, but I'm still thankful that I have milk coming in so I would do it if I needed to.

So today, we were practicing again...except this time I was a overdue for pumping (so I was full of milk) and she was pretty hungry.  Wait for it....she latched and continued to feed from the breast!!!!!!  Yippee!!!  For those who have never dabbled in pumping or breastfeeding, this probably seems like no big deal (because I know I probably would have felt that way before I had RSD), but I assure you that it is HUGE!!  :)

On top of it, my friend (and one of Rossleigh's Godmothers), Nicole came over this evening to help us out with latching on correctly and gave me some tips to get me to increase my supply.  We're so lucky to have her in our lives!!

Swallow Study Adventure

Everything about arriving to the swallow function study appointment was crazy.  Once the actual study was started, things were fine.  When I received the email regarding the appointment, the instructions were to be at the hospital registration for an 11:00am appointment.  We were running down to the wire, but we managed to make it there with a couple of minutes to spare...except that when we went to check in with registration, we found out that the appointment was actually at noon and was at the Specialty Clinics office instead of the hospital.  This ended up being for the best because grunting started coming from my daughter and then a trip to the bathroom's changing table was needed - badly!!  LOL

We then made it over to the registration desk at the Specialty Clinics Building and were then told to go to a different registration desk down on the lower level.  I finally found that one and got registered, then was sent to radiology check-in, where I was told I needed to fill out 4 sheets of paperwork.  Did I mention that I had already filled out the 3 sheets of paperwork that they had already mailed. to me?  Ugh...that kinda thing bothers me.

Then when we finally get called back, we learn that Rossleigh's speech therapist, Jennifer, had jury duty today.  So we ended up working with another therapist...

For information on the actual test and results, please click HERE.