This morning, I said a prayer for mothers of multiples. Because really, how do they do it? I find that every little last iota of my energy is consumed in the care of this 10-month-old. Imagining two at once--or MORE--makes me want to cry. So I prayed that God would bless those mamas who feel frayed at the edges and give them quiet little moments where they can actually watch and enjoy their children today, instead of just rush, rush, rush.
Q got some bloodwork done the other day. The results were fine, except that she has low iron. We have started iron supplement, but they're actually complicated little buggers. Here's what they entail:
1. Ideally, they need to be split up into 3 doses, because they can cause stomach upset.
2. They stain teeth, so after each dose, Q's teeth need to be brushed (yup, brushing a baby's teeth 3x a day).
3. Because of the upset stomach issue, they need to be taken with food. However, dairy prohibits their absorption. So... take them with meals but don't give her any dairy?
4. They cause constipation, which she struggles with. So she will probably have to take lactulose syrup once a day to combat that.
Yesterday I went in and had a loooong talk with the pharmacist about whether Q REALLY needs to be on this. And the short answer is: probably yes. Q's systems are still lagging a little behind. Babies of diabetic mothers tend to have immune systems and digestive systems that take longer to get in the swing of things; luckily they DO usually catch up. In the meantime, though, it's a pain in the butt. I feel like my body has failed her in so many ways. Maybe that's part of the reason I'm obsessive about making it to 1 year of breastfeeding. Speaking of which...
I'm not sure I can make it to 1 year of breastfeeding. She's almost 10.5 months, but she has developed a cold which has been dragging on for about 10 days now. She's very congested, and I had to stop nursing her because she was biting me multiple times (even drew blood once). I can still nurse her at night for some reason, but in the daytime I have to pump. And I'm pumping about 2 ounces per session. Which is roughly half of what she needs. I've been burning through my freezer supply and have ~12 ounces of it left. So I am now on a regiment of Motilium 3x a day (before meals) in an attempt to boost my milk. But I dunno if I'm going to make it. I really wanted this. I'm so dang close. Just 52 more days. C'mon, body, don't fail me now.
All this to say, last night I sat down and wrote out a schedule for Q and myself, because we're on a lot of medications, and it's too much for me to remember. Synthroid in the morning for me, vitamin D for her, Motilium 3x a day for me, iron 3x a day for her, lactulose syrup once a day, and of course all my multiple insulin injections (2 kinds). And three of those medicines have to be planned around meals. And of course, I've added pumping into the schedule, which is fairly time-consuming (and makes Q angry, since she's used to getting her milk RIGHT NOW). And Brewer's yeast.
If you're the praying type, I'd appreciate prayers for us to adjust to this new schedule. Prayers for my milk supply to increase and her cold to go away, because those two things would take a lot of stress away. At the very least, this schedule is teaching me organization and discipline. Last night I made a spreadsheet of what medications are taken at what time, and even added things in like scheduled naps and diaper changes. To accomplish everything I need to, I'm going to have to run this operation in strict, military style for a while.
