For some reason, Rebekah is still refusing to nurse. Her skin is really getting dry. Her little mouth is drying up too. We're getting worried.I called Nyasha, and she told me that I probably have a lot of engorgement. She said to pump for a few minutes before trying to nurse Rebekah. That's easier said than done since I don't have a pump. At the suggestion of a friend, I expressed some milk by hand in a warm shower and then tried to nurse Rebekah. Still, no success. I think Rebekah's too hungry to try to nurse.

We called Nyasha again. She said it sounded like Rebekah was getting dehydrated...that we should pump some milk and feed her from a little medicine cup. I hand-expressed 1/2 ounce and was hot, sweaty, and shaky by the time I was done. Joe tried to feed her from the cup, and she got maybe half of what I expressed, but at least it was something.

Despite all of my frustration with wanting to nurse Rebekah and having all these problems, I am, in some ways, thankful that I have these problems. I realize that if I had lived 100 years ago, Rebekah probably would not have been born...and I probably wouldn't be around anymore either, since a surgical birth was truly necessary in our case. This realization certainly puts things into perspective, and I thank God that we are both here.
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