Sladjana Cvijetinovic
For Sladjana Cvijetinovic, third time was the charm.
When Sladjana’s third son Anze was born, she worried he might have trouble with breastfeeding like his two older brothers did.
“He would nurse for five to 10 minutes and I didn’t know if he was getting enough,” Sladjana says.
Lactation consultant Nicole Martens, MAN, CNP, IBCLC helped Sladjana gauge how much her baby was eating – building up his weight, and her confidence, at the same time.
They started with “weighted feeds,” weighing the baby before and after nursing to calculate how many ounces he had eaten. “That process assured me that he was getting enough,” Sladjana says.
Nicole also timed nursing sessions to evaluate Anze’s feeding efficiency and make sure he wasn't getting fatigued. She calculated how long and how much he ate, to guide feedings throughout the day. (Not all feedings are the same, so it helps to have a baseline to guide feeding sessions throughout 24 hours.) It reassured Sladjana that she had enough milk, and Anze was eating well.
“Nicole is just amazing,” Sladjana says. “It was good to work with her to make sure he wasn’t having trouble like others.”
Sladjana’s first baby, Luka, took four weeks to gain back his birth weight. “Right off the bat, we were struggling,” she recalls. “I was a new mom, I didn’t know what I was doing.” She shifted to formula, discouraged by the experience.
Her second baby, Milo, fared better with a combination of breastfeeding and formula. “But he gained weight so slowly the pediatrician worried he might have failure to thrive,” Sladjana recalls. “I was able to nurse until he was about 8 months old before he lost interest. It got to be less and less nursing and more formula. I never was sure he had enough.”
It was a completely different experience with her Anze. “It was the first time nursing went really well for me,” she smiles. “He latched on well, and the Birth Center nurses were so encouraging.
“Working with Nicole eased my anxiety,” Sladjana adds. As the baby grew, “she assured me it was normal he’d gain weight at slower rate as he got bigger.”
The baby grew healthy and strong while exclusively breastfeeding. “I wish I could have done that for older ones too,” Sladjana says.
As Anze grew, Sladjana noticed he was spending less time nursing, and she got less milk when she pumped. “I was anxious that Anze wasn’t getting enough milk,” so she made an appointment with Nicole. A weighted feed showed that Anze ate four ounces in just eight minutes.
“Anze’s efficiency at nursing is what led him to have shorter nursing sessions,” Sladjana says. “Nicole, once again, was able to give me peace of mind. My supply after pumping increased after that, and I really believe it’s due to Nicole alleviating my anxiety.”
Sladjana’s advice for other anxious new moms: “A fed baby is the best. If you’re so stressed about nursing that your mental health is affected, it’s okay to supplement with formula.”
And lean on NH+C’s lactation support: “I’m so thankful I can call Nicole up anytime in this whole first year, with any issues we’re having,” she says. “It’s so nice we have that support here. It gives confidence to know you have that support.”
Every time.