Familiar Comfort
Carmen Jacobsen
Cordova AK USA
From: NEW BEGINNINGS, Vol. 16 No. 6, November-December 1999, pp. 201
We provide articles from our publications from previous years for reference for our Leaders and members. Readers are cautioned to remember that research and medical information change over time.
I am a 37-year-old mother
of a beautiful baby boy. In the early months, everything went well.
He was fully breastfed and rarely took a bottle.
Unfortunately, at the age
of six months he was diagnosed with sagittal craniosynostosis,
which meant that the fontanel, or soft spot, on his skull had closed
up early and he needed surgery. After exploring our options in various
parts of the United States, we ended up at the International Craniofacial
Institute in Dallas, Texas. Sean had surgery on his tiny skull to correct
his condition and allow for better growth of his skull and brain. After
the surgery, he was in the intensive care unit. I stayed with him around
the clock, pumping my milk to keep up my supply and have milk available
just in case.
When Sean started coming
out from the effects of the anesthesia, it was really hard to feed him
at first. His head looked so delicate and I was afraid of hurting him,
even though the pediatrician had said it was okay for me to pick him
up. The first day was hard. I realized that he wanted to nurse, but
I knew he couldn't have too much milk or he could vomit. So I would
pump my breasts first and then let him breastfeed just a little. Breastfeeding
helped me give my baby the best of care through this difficult time.
Breast milk is considered a clear liquid because it digests so quickly,
so I was able to nurse him up until four hours before the surgery. Throughout
his recovery, my milk provided all the nutrients he needed and was easily
digested so his body didn't have to work any harder than necessary.
On the second day after the
surgery, he was released to his room. Doctors say that one of the hardest
things for the little ones in this situation is not being able to open
their eyes the first days after the surgery. They cry a lot and get
really frustrated at not being able to see, since their heads become
swollen and their eyes close due to the swelling. But since Sean was
breastfeeding, he had the familiar comforts of the sound and scent of
me and skin-to-skin contact at a time when he could not see and was
still in pain from the surgery.
Sean is now a year old. I
am still breastfeeding and he is doing great. You can hardly see his
scar and he is more handsome than ever!
Last updated Friday, October 13, 2006 by njb.
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