Ask Roxanne

Yesterday, I went tumbling down a flight of steps with my one month old son. He is great. Two doctors have confirmed this. I, on the other hand, broke my left arm. Do you have any suggestions on how to get through this while nursing?  I may do a lot of things, but I won't give up on nursing. This baby has nursed so well for a month. I had a really hard time getting started with my first child who is now two, but this second relationship had gotten off to such a good start, and now I try to swan dive at church. Anyway, I would appreciate all ideas. No doctor has had any words of encouragement or even coping skills. 

Thanks, kc

Dear KC:

Ouch! First, let me say I (like you) am so relieved that your little guy is okay. What a horrible scare, plus awful pain for you. Now, more good news. I am sooo qualified to answer this, because I developed an incredibly painful condition (common to mommies) called DeQuervain's Tenosynovitis. It's like carpel tunnel syndrome, but it just hurts like hell in a slightly different place. It made it impossible to do anything with my left hand and really painful on the right.

I finally went to a hand specialist and he gave me two rigid hand splints which made me look (and feel) like Edward Scissorhands. The cure would be to not use my hands. With a baby. Yeah, right. Talk about a lack of words of encouragement or suggestions of coping skills. Sometimes I wonder if they take a little humanity out of doctor brains before they get their degrees. Although, to be fair, it would get very draining to feel the pain of every patient sitting in front of you sobbing, "but how am I going to take care of my baby?" which is what I did on every doctor visit. Maybe it's just easier for them to pretend you're speaking a different language.  By the way, I really hope you're right-handed (since it's your left arm you hurt).

So that long preamble is my way of saying, weaning won't help. You'll still need to feed him or make bottles, change diapers, pick up baby when he cries and generally, be a mom to an infant, whether you wean or not. What you need is someone to help you with lifting and stuff until you regain the full use of your arm. I hope you can find someone, even a neighborhood kid, to hang with you when you're at home alone because one hand + two kids = recipe for disaster.

The other thing you need is a sling (which is like gaining an extra hand). That way, your infant is supported and close to your breasts all the time. To put him down, you just lower your body to the bed and slip out of the sling. With a little practice, you can even lay baby on the fabric and slip your head and one shoulder *into* the loop to pick him up without using your bad hand. This is how I survived my stint without my hands (ended up having surgery, by the way).

Good luck, and remember, ask *everyone* you know for help. Let us know how you're doing, and if you need a sling, you've come to the right place!

Regards, Rox

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