Making progress

Something we hadn't planned on, but which makes perfect sense: medical professionals take vacations during the summer.  As a result, we've now met every lactation consultant in the city.  This isn't a bad situation, though, since they each offer different tips and suggestions.  The one we saw last week helped us work on overcoming Simon's strong preference for the bottle.  The trick is to distract him enough to stop his crying and allow his latching instincts to kick in.  Unfortunately, this entails me holding him like a football and patting his butt while endlessly pacing the hallway.  This doesn't allow me to get much else done, but my arms are definitely getting stronger.  Also, we're now averaging 4+ successful feedings a day, up from zero.

Of course we're still supplementing with formula, but it's good to know I'm providing nourishment too.  Unlike the bottle, it's hard to tell how much food he's getting from me, but the subsequent celebratory naps are a good sign that Simon is satisfied.

If you're happy and you know it, raise your hand!