We are here in the capital city of Ethiopia. Picked up Helina a week ago and have been staying at a guesthouse in a little suite which is quite comfortable. We have another week here before we come to the States.
Helina is 10 months old and has been bottle fed since 5 weeks old. She is used to drinking her bottle on her back in her crib, holding it herself.
We are holding her for feedings, and at first it had to be a loose hold with her able to look around or even face out, and sometimes she would knock my hands away to hold the bottle herself. She took breastmilk in a bottle immediately and liked it. She's getting about 23 oz or so per day of bmilk/formula and it's about half and half, so I am pumping 11 oz per day, and that's pumping about 6 times per day since I don't have as much time to pump now as I did earlier. The sore nipples have completely resolved, thank goodness and pumping is no longer uncomfortable.
We have made some progress since the first days. I try to go topless when I can and Helina at first just looked at my breasts like WTH are those!!! I think she hasn't seen breasts since she arrived at the orphanage. Now I can feed her her bottle in a breastfeeding hold, topless, with my breast up against her cheek, the nipple right up against the side of her mouth. I think we have come a long way!
I am not able to really start any complicated techniques or use the lactaid until we are home, and when we get to the states I am giong to see if there is a LLL group I can take her to so she can see other babies breastfeeding. I think that will help her a lot. Right now if I try to touch her mouth with the nipple she turns away.
Will keep you all up to date on how it's going. She's a great baby and we are so thrilled!!
jenny
