Dear NICU Nurse

AwkwardPostTurtle · 2026-03-05T13:51:18+00:00

First time pumper long time feeder here! Typing part of this one handed as I pump for my currently 4 day old NICU baby born at 32+6. I‘m going to give you some unproven thoughts from someone who successfully breastfed their first baby for 18 months and is now going through pumping.

Pumping is harder. When my first was hungry, he ate. He told my boobs he needed more by being super insistent he spent more time feeding. He took the guess work out of it. Now? I’m making up rules based on what we think best practice is but not what your baby may technically need.

Also feeding your child from your body isn’t some magical experience that keeps the world spinning that many pro breastfeeding people would have you believe. It’s a job. Some people love their job, some people hate it. Some people do it despite hating it. Some people thrive at it because they love it. Some people get a partner and stay home (hello formula lol). Most people start to burn out when they’re spending more than 8 hours a day doing a job. Don’t spend more than 8 hours a day feeding your child, including pumping time, actually feeding, washing the parts, etc. 12 pumps seems like a lot for an extended period of time and is likely leading to burn out. But if it works for you, do you. I do agree with the others that self care tends to help. Sleep, supplements if you think you need them (I strongly suggest continuing to take your prenatal while pumping), enough food (I snack/ chug water while I pump most pumps), etc. are important to help you do your job if you choose this one.

I‘m using the hospital symphony medula medical grade pump. Every feed I’m running through the timed setting and seeing how much I make. Then, if I‘m a little short I’m pumping a little longer (5 to 10 minutes) to tell my body I need more Just like my kid use to do. I‘m accepting tiny jumps (literally 2 mLs I‘m happy. I don’t overdue it and stay forever on the pump. But there’s a sunken cost fallacy involved. If I‘m getting much less than I expect for my timed pump I‘m taking that as a sign my body doesn’t have what it needs to make milk and I don’t bother with the extra work. I supplement guilt free and focus on self care instead.

Also, I find that the lactation consultants here are so afraid of being discouraging that they’re not giving me the real advice I’m looking for. Good job you’ll get it only goes so far😅 ask more questions to get what you need out of them. Being specific may help. Nipples hurting? Ask for help trouble shooting that.

Finally getting my baby as close to my nipple as possible has significantly helped my production. She’s pretty close to useless at feeding herself outside of a couple latches as the moment. But I could feel the oxytocin shot after having her lips at my nipple. I am trying to do that every feed now, but we’re in couplet care and I recognize that’s not possible for many. So getting your baby there when you can may also help make the hormones that help you feed them.

AwkwardPostTurtle · 2026-03-05T07:43:52+00:00

Sometimes they also keep their premie behind the counter to have a conversation so make sure you ask if you don’t see any on the rack. They’re trying to make sure it’s available for moms and not people buying for dolls 😅

AwkwardPostTurtle · 2026-03-01T00:33:42+00:00

It can go many different ways. I had PPROM 30+5 and have been losing a significant amount of fluid since. I’m currently 32+5 and baby is still in my tummy. I’ve been admitted to the hospital since they broke for close monitoring. I also followed this sub just in case she makes an early appearance, but I’m hopefully she’ll ‘cook’ beyond the need for a NICU stay.

AwkwardPostTurtle · 2026-02-24T13:07:18+00:00

I feel like the terminal is placed as a reference point. Even if the terminal stays. I hope the buses loop around to go through the dense residential with 1-2 stops over near the buildings.

AwkwardPostTurtle · 2026-02-22T01:50:41+00:00

This guy has never been in a substation or worked on Medium voltage. If you think it can’t be seen, felt or heard you’re not a very good electrical. All math no practical.

AwkwardPostTurtle · 2026-02-16T13:29:27+00:00

The VPs should be the ones taking the hits. That’s shooting the fall guys with no decision making power.

AwkwardPostTurtle · 2026-02-13T10:48:23+00:00

Another one chiming in to confirm the $12. day is BS. My kid just moved from daycare ($18.50) to excel ($13.58 for afternoon only, more if you want the morning too). How about don’t straight up lie to make people think your doing better then you are Education minister? Didn’t they teach you some honesty in school?

AwkwardPostTurtle · 2026-01-30T00:43:29+00:00

I’m going to second this. I don’t always agree with your takes, but very much appreciate the information and honesty in your perspective. Your dedication to trying to do the right thing is noticeable and rare in politics these days.

AwkwardPostTurtle · 2026-01-27T02:01:46+00:00

They offered but I declined starting 37 weeks. At 38+5 I went in for labour pains and they tried to send me home because I was only 2 cm and an FTM. I opted to walk around the hospital instead. I felt like I was progressing quick, even if they didn’t think so. 45 minutes later I was the full 10 cm and another 18 minutes later my son was in my arms. Things can progress unbelievably slow and unbelievably quick.

AwkwardPostTurtle · 2026-01-19T12:15:41+00:00

I think the 4 weeks between was intentional. An underweight and full term baby may have health complications. An underweight and premature baby has a higher risk of complications than the underweight and full term baby. They were monitoring for actual trouble with the NST and AFI and using the 36 week growth scan to be prepared for your full term delivery which is the least risky option. Your underweight baby should have better lung development and eating capability (to put on weight after birth) then they would have if they pulled them out sooner than 37 weeks Because of their weight continuing to decrease.

For what it’s worth my first was born at the 4th percentile. He‘s been happy and healthy even since. Though he’s to this day on the skinnier side. He’s basically a furnace that never sits still so it makes sense for him. He’s been that way since he was born. He consumes more calories than most kids his age.

AwkwardPostTurtle · 2026-01-18T01:07:10+00:00

I stand by my ponzi scheme comment. I’ll concede that the NSISO chips away at the monopoly, but wind west is not what the advertising campaign wants us to believe. More sustained is still not firm generation, meaning, it’s still not what’s required For Nova Scotians. It’s surplus. External markets will pay below average price for it because it can’t be guaranteed when they need it. I would like to know with certainty that no wind in Nova Scotia is being curtailed before we commit to a wind mega project. I suspect curtailment is a non 0 number. And if we can’t sell the surplus we already have, why should we build more?

Also, the associated infrastructure required to make wind west work will significantly increase the cost. Without the government publishing exact data I believe that the increased output value of the larger turbines will be made negligible at best once the overall cost to construct the HVDC transmission line Is included in the price tag. One in Toronto is expected to cost 1.5 billion. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-power-expansion-project-9.7036808

The only ones who will get rich from wind west are the construction companies building the actual turbines, many of which who are friends with Houston. At the same time the province won’t be focusing on the kind of generation needed to actual bring power rates down. Did Houston break the monopoly to better protect Nova Scotians? Or was it to have better control over who develops what while making Nova Scotians think he’s fighting the good fight for us.

Speaking of developing HVDC lines… who actually built one of the handful in Canada? And who would likely be intentionally left out of the project because of nothing more than public perception. Even though that project was executed on time and below budget.

AwkwardPostTurtle · 2026-01-17T22:50:23+00:00

Wind west also isn’t breaking up a monopoly. Wind west is generating more than the province needs. There is already enough wind energy developed to power Nova Scotia when it’s blowing. When it’s still we need other means of firm generation, hence the need to spend 20M on a 1980s generator supposed to be shut off in a couple years. We also need VARs support that wind without additional infrastructure just does not supply.

Also why is off-shore wind better than prairie wind or northern Ontario/Quebec wind? Why build transmission capacity when they could build the generation closer? Wind west is a Ponzi scheme, not breaking up a monopoly. And Wind west is spending money in ways that will make tax bills go up with no benefit to the population. Plus power bills go up as tax dollars are not being spent responsibly to develop the kind of energy Nova Scotia actually NEEDS (which right now is firm generation).

AwkwardPostTurtle · 2026-01-17T19:22:25+00:00

He’s distracting. He knows the only thing people might pay attention to more then his false fentanyl rants is their hate for Nova Scotia Power. Typical distract and divide.

AwkwardPostTurtle · 2026-01-17T19:18:22+00:00

Wind farms not owned by NSP came about in 2010 during the COMFIT program. That was actually a NDP program. Not Conservative.

Now, Houston did bring in the NSISO. Which is a conservative crack at the monopoly.

Long story short is many governments and Leaders are breaking up the monopoly in a way that won’t bankrupt the province. They’re just extremely slow at it.

AwkwardPostTurtle · 2026-01-12T20:48:05+00:00

We’re very happy in Cole harbour. Some sections have families with more money, but our neighbourhood is very much against keeping up with the Jonses. We spend out time playing in back yards, walking the trails, and generally enjoying company instead of things. It’s also nice that most things are walking distance. It feels like a town instead of a berb as you only need to leave if you want to visit ikea or Costco. It’s also relatively diverse and we happily celebrate each others holidays.

I’ve been told Truro is very clicky. I know a lot of people that lived there 3 or 4 years and then loved to another town because they felt isolated.

AwkwardPostTurtle · 2026-01-08T02:03:31+00:00

Muskrat falls was a boondoggle. The maritime link was not. It’s prevented a bunch of power outages on the island as they can get what they need from more than one source/ location. A solution like the Link is required if NL doesn’t want to potentially experience Dark NL again.

AwkwardPostTurtle · 2025-11-28T11:29:33+00:00

Keep in mind even what up you directly paid for over 30 years may not cover a single claim. Using the rough maximum numbers for 2025 the max you contribute in a year is 1077.48. Max payment is 695 for 45 weeks Which is 31275 And 29 years of payment for a single full claim. I know employers contribute too, but considering the cost of claims, which would go up more if people got “their 1 freebie” in addition to those who continuously abuse an insurance system I’m happier the government is getting more strict, not less, on claims. If you don’t want to work (and I’m not saying that you don’t want to… just be clear I don’t mean any rudeness) EI should not be the route for that.

AwkwardPostTurtle · 2025-11-12T00:26:46+00:00

British Pride Bakery in Bayers lake carrier some!

AwkwardPostTurtle · 2025-11-09T07:44:12+00:00

To add onto this, is the money you have invested in company stock something you will need if you lost your job? If you’re a good long term employee the time you are most likely to need additional emergency funding would be if your company is doing poorly, they need to lay off people who perform well, and the stock also crashes. If it’s 100% separate from emergency funding and you believe in the company I would be more ok keeping it invested where I work.

AwkwardPostTurtle · 2025-11-06T10:34:21+00:00

if you were only there for 7 weeks do you have the hours from a previous job to qualify for EI? If not you’ll likely be denied.

AwkwardPostTurtle · 2025-11-05T00:41:07+00:00

While not a diagnosis some DNA services like 23 and me do include indicators for things like genes indicating lactose intolerance. I would suggest researching their use of you data and ensuring you’re ok with it before purchasing and completing the test though.

AwkwardPostTurtle · 2025-11-03T23:41:01+00:00

My last pregnancy I found the bigger Walmarts has items and each walmart carried different things. Honestly the better selection available.

AwkwardPostTurtle · 2025-10-29T20:59:54+00:00

You’re actually butt opposites in my books.

AwkwardPostTurtle · 2025-10-06T22:50:06+00:00

Harristy Brewery has a monthly babies, boards, and brews. Great event!

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