Mother's Day Run

Injured boy, 8, dedicates Mother’s Day Run to mom killed in accident (with video)

MOTHER'S DAY RUN

TEAM ELIE WAS AWESOME TODAY, THANK YOU TO ALL OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY FOR COMING OUT AND RUNNING/WALKING IN SUPPORT.  OVER 14,000 PEOPLE CAME OUT THIS MORNING TO HELP RAISE MONEY FOR THE CALGARY NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNITS.

WE ARE FOREVER GRATEFUL TO THE DOCTORS, NURSES AND ALL THE STAFF WHO HELPED IN THOSE EARLY DAYS.  WE ARE IN AWE OF EVERYTHING YOU GAVE AND THE INCREDIBLE DIFFERENCE YOU HAVE MADE TO OUR LIVES.

THIS WILL NOW BE OUR MOTHER'S DAY TRADITION - A GOOD REMINDER OF LIFE'S BLESSINGS.

Benefits denied! UPDATED

I just found out today Manulife will not cover rental or purchase of breastpump under my benefits plan, notwithstanding that it is considered medically necessary.  Given the length of stay in the hospital, his inability to breastfeed afterwards and his allergy to milk protein, I am appalled that a carrier would deny such expenses.

Stay tuned, lets hope that with a little more investigation the appropriate person intervenes.

UPDATE:

I raised the issue with my Benefits Manager and she agreed to follow up.  She advised me yesterday that my employer has expanded coverage to include pumps under their contract with Manulife.  Not only have they taken steps to ensure my expenses be covered, but any colleague will be able to claim for the cost of a breast pump.  This is such a relief and I am so impressed with how they handled this matter.  THANK YOU MR!

Sportchek Mother's Day Run & Walk 2012

Premature Baby Deaths Preventable

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/may/02/premature-baby-deaths-preventable-report

15 Million Premature Babies Born Each Year

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2012/05/02/premature-births.html

Hostage to the Pump - PROS & CONS

For the first 6 weeks of his life, my son received all feeds by nasal tube.  The nurses explained that usually they see babies discharged (provided they meet the other discharge requirements) approximately 5-7 days from the time they are receiving 50% of their feeds by bottle or breast.  It wasn't until he was 35 weeks that we even started to introduce the bottle.  We had focused on feeding him with the bottle because it was easier to measure his intake and he was a very slow gainer.  The biggest issue we had in the last 3 weeks of hospitalization was his slow weight gain.  We tried to get him breastfeeding but we were nervous about how much he was actually removing from the breast and so we stuck mainly to bottle.  After much discussion with the doctors, we agreed to maintain the bottle feeding and only increase breastfeeding one additional daily feed per week.  My father was gravely ill and so I liked the flexibility to travel without my son that pumping gave me.

I struggled with whether there was any downside to continuing exclusive pumping and asked nurses and doctors their opinions. They all told me it did not matter, other than breastfeeding removes milk more efficiently so I may spend more time pumping.  In my case, they were wrong and it did matter.  If I had the choice again, I would have tried harder to breastfeed rather than express my milk.  Here's a point form list of the pros and cons associated with exclusively pumping:

CONS

1. Time: it takes twice as much time to feed my son than if I were breastfeeding. 
2. Difficulty timing pumping and feeding: invariably my son was hungry whenever it came time for me to pump.  Over the last 7 months I have often found myself in the awkward situation of not knowing whether to feed him or pump.  This results in either an unhappy baby or uncomfortable breasts.
3. Drop in Milk Supply: within 6 weeks of my son returning home, I noticed a significant drop in my milk supply.  I believe the inefficiency in pumping and less skin to skin contact are factors that contributed to that drop. Because my supply dropped, I also began to ovulate which resulted in a further drop in supply.  The drop in milk supply has caused so much anxiety it is difficult to put into words.
4. Travel is difficult: I mistakingly thought pumping would give me freedom but it hasn't turned out that way.  The last thing I want to do when I'm on the plane is pump in the bathroom.  It is much easier to breastfeed in your seat - there is no way I am ever pumping at my seat, even under a cover.  The pump is so much more conspicuous than a suckling baby!

PROS

1. Help from others: Other people are able to feed the baby because he/she is bottle fed.  Not only does that lift some of the burden from your shoulders, but it permits other people (fathers, grandparents) to more fully participate in caring for the baby.  It allows others to bond with the child and learn to comfort the baby in a way that is often reserved for the primary caregiver.  
2. Time away: Allows me to be away longer than I would be able to be if I were breastfeeding.  I've made several trips out of province for family matters and my son is able to rely on my frozen reserves during that time.
3. Reserves: I was able to build up a large supply of frozen milk that I rely upon when I'm away or when I want to partake in a few too many glasses of red wine.  
4. Better monitor intake: We are able to monitor precisely what my son's intake is because he takes a bottle and therefore better able to know if he is getting enough milk or going through a growth spurt.     

Ultimately, the decision to exclusively pump or not may not be your decision.  We were warned that it can be difficult to get your baby to breastfeed after being fed via bottle.  There is no question that babies are 'lazier' after receiving milk by tube or bottle and it can take weeks even months to get them breastfeeding.  Whatever you decide to do, recognize that it is not easy and you should be proud of the effort you are making.  Good luck!