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Breastfeeding - I never knew this time it would me

Breastfeeding - I never knew this time it would mean so much to me.

I’ve been fortunate to be able to breastfeed all three of my babies, but until I had Olivia, I was always the first one to suggest supplementing with formula from the start, just so I could be sure of how much they were taking in. It was a control thing; the idea of relying exclusively on my milk for my baby to survive scared me so much that I didn’t even want to try exclusive breastfeeding.

This time, maybe I had more support; maybe I was older and more experienced; maybe I gave my milk the best chance from the start by fiercely pumping when I couldn’t feed her; maybe it was the fact that Olivia is a preemie and that much more vulnerable… maybe it was a combination of everything with a sprinkle of luck. Or maybe it was just meant to be!

Despite all my doubts and worries, Olivia has been consistently putting on weight, outgrowing her clothes and absolutely thriving on my milk alone.

My confidence is slowly growing in myself and I really hope we have many more months of breastfeeding ahead of us!

Tell me: was there an aspect of parenting that surprisingly meant everything to you?

P.S: It goes without saying that I’m not against any forms of safe feeding your baby. This isn’t an anti-formula or pro-breastfeeding post; it’s a celebration of a successful and positive feeding journey so far! 🤍
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#breastfeedingjourney #33weeker #33weekpreemie #6weeksold #OliviaJoy

Oh yeah, baby! That’s the face of someone who’

Oh yeah, baby! That’s the face of someone who’s graduated from Tiny Baby 4lbs to Tiny Baby 5-6lbs clothes! ❤️🙌🏻 Look at how much those cheeks are filling out!

Any other preemie parents celebrate every little bit of chub your baby gains? I swear I can see the start of a little leg roll and maybe even a double chin! 🥰
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P.S: I apologise for the annoying baby voice… I can’t help it! 😬
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#preemiestrong #preemiebaby #33weekpreemie #5weeksold #preemieawareness #tinybaby

4 weeks of little Joy 🤩💗 You blink and she’s almost a month old. How?! Oh Olivia, we love you SO MUCH. I can’t imagine life without you in our family! ❤️
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📸 1: the proudest big brother and sister!

📸 2: tiny feet and heel prick scars from the NICU days

📸 3: Skin to skin, soaking up that beautiful newborn baby smell

📸 4: Always holding hands

📸 5: Wind smiles! ☺️
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#33weekpreemie #4weeksold #37weekspregnant #OliviaJoy #littlemomentsofjoy #littlejoy #motherhoodunplugged #newbornbaby #lifewithanewborn #mumof3 #threeunderseven

Sisters 👯‍♀️💗 Bella has taken to the r

Sisters 👯‍♀️💗 Bella has taken to the role of big sister so naturally!

She helps me out with nappy changes, sings to Olivia and always wants to be near her. I think all her dreams came true when Liv came home!

On the other side of the coin, we are having to learn to manage the opposite end of becoming a big sister… it’s not all cuddles and helpfulness, and she is not short of words to tell us!

Her emotional maturity and eloquence are unbelievable for her age, so hearing your 4 year old say “it’s hard having a baby because I now have to wait so much for everything” or “I like being a big sister, but now I don’t get as much attention from you and dad” came as a shock.

We are trying our best to give all three kids an even piece of us, but the newborn days are savage and there is definitely an uneven split at the moment.

I’m making sure to apologise to the big kids at the end of each day for not spending as much time playing or for being short with them when I’m stressed. I want them to know that we’re trying, and every day we get a little bit better at being a family of five. ❤️
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Please share below your experiences with juggling newborn babies + siblings. It definitely makes me feel less alone hearing that I’m not the only one in this rollercoaster of emotions right now!

#33weekpreemie #sisterslove #isabellarose #oliviajoy #3weeksold

We are home!! 🙏🏻🏡💗 After 18 long days

We are home!! 🙏🏻🏡💗 After 18 long days of NICU, Olivia got the green light to come home, weighing exactly 4lbs!

We are overJOYed to have her here. The last couple of days were spent being smothered with kisses and cuddles by her big brother and big sister, and adjusting to our new lives as a family of five. Liv has slotted in perfectly!

I’m so happy I get to sleep in my own bed after what it feels like living at the hospital for the past 8 weeks. I can’t thank the staff at the Grange Hospital (@aneurinbevanuhb) enough for all their care for Olivia and I, especially the Maternity and NICU teams. ❤️
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#bornat33weeks #20daysold #33weeksold #preemiestrong #preeclampsiasurvivor

Baby Olivia is 12 days old 💗 We are still in NI

Baby Olivia is 12 days old 💗 We are still in NICU, but thankfully no health concerns, just establishing feeding and waiting for her to put on a bit more weight. She’s recovered and surpassed her birth weight, but we are about 150g short of the “going home” weight.

This past week has been full of ups and downs. Liv has quite thick blood, which is challenging for the labs to process. That means she’s had more bloods taken from her in the past week and a half than I’ve had my whole life. 😢 Thankfully we’ve managed to get a sample analysed yesterday to tell us that her jaundice levels are under control, so fingers crossed no more blood tests!

Little Miss Joy also pulled off her feeding tube last night, so we are going tube-free as long as she continues to breastfeed well. It’s lovely to see her pretty face properly. She has daddy and James’s chin dimple!

We are just so happy she’s close to being discharged so we can properly start our lives as a family of 5 with James & Bella.

Thanks for keeping us in your prayers. I’m confident it’s made a huge difference in how well Olivia is doing! 🧡
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#OliviaJoy #33weekspreemie #bornat33weeks #12daysold

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