Then we had a post shots photo shot. Typical. See two month shot post here.
He had a rough day or two after this set. No fever or anything, just kinda miserable. He's back at it now, though. LOVE HIM!
Showing posts with label breastfeeding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breastfeeding. Show all posts
4.26.2012
Jude's four month shots
My sweet little baby had his four month set of shots a couple weeks ago. Soo sad! I think it was worse this time around. Maybe because he is more aware and alert and just looks at me so helplessly. Or maybe because I've had two more months to love him and get to know him. My friend told me what her former pediatrician's office did to make the shots less traumatizing for the little ones and I thought it was a great idea that every pediatrician's office should implement. The idea is to have two nurses give the shots simultaneously in each leg. He had to get four injections this time, so instead of giving one shot, then another, then another, then another, he only had to get what felt like two shots because he got two of them at the same time. I politely told the doctor about it. I knew if I had the doctor on my side, she would tell the nurses to do it and the nurses do what the doctor says. So the doctor told me that would be fine, it just might take a little longer to wait for two nurses instead of one. And she said she had never even heard of doing that before. I think it should spread and everyone should start doing it! The first nurse came in and then the second. The second nurse acted all perturbed. Really?! She's obviously never had a child. The second nurse was all on her high horse and she said he had to lay down on the table "for safety purposes" although they let me hold him last time. I figured I would pick my battles. So I laid him down on the table. He was smiling and kicking like the most innocent happy little child. Then came the shots. INSTANT HYSTERIA. As soon as they were done I immediately brought him up to me and started feeding him. He calmed down and was just exhausted. He fell asleep on the 0.4 mile ride home and this is how I found him in his car seat once we got home...
2.19.2012
oh, life lately
My two month old baby is precious. He is the young love of my life. The first month was so completely magical, yes, but it was also a whirlwind- very overwhelming, sleepless, and intense. The waters have calmed this second month. He is sleeping so well, usually six to seven hours a night. The days of rocking him endlessly are few and far between. He even likes his swing. He almost always falls asleep in his bassinet on his own. He is breastfeeding like the champion of all champions. We are really getting the hang of it. It's not such an all-encompassing-stop-everything-else-you-are-doing-prepare-for-at-least-an-hour-affair now, it is just kind of a sweet, enjoyable little experience I get to share with my baby eight times a day (at least, Mary says). He loves his little Occy (pacifier dragon). His personality has quadrupled within the past month. He is smiling, laughing, grinning, playing, kissing, talking (baby talk, ya know), and cuddling. My heart belongs to that 11 pound 11.5 ounce babe.
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| nothing like kisses from mama |
I am also feeling so much more like myself. I feel like I am getting my body back and am not just the most awkward, pained, subcutaneous creature on earth anymore. I have been exercising, getting dolled up, getting out of the house, oh it's divine. I even wore my cigarette jeans last night! The joy that filled my bosom when they fit was insurmountable.
We just had the best weekend ever. I finally got Dan to myself so we brought the aero bed into the living room and watched movies, had dance parties, made homemade pizza, talked, cuddled, all the good stuff. I'm pretty sure Dan did not get off that bed for approximately six hours on Friday. He needed some R&R. :)
Now that he is two months old we are do have to avoid crowds like the plague anymore. We still avoid them, but boy is it nice to be able to take him to the store! We celebrated Valentine's Day again last night and went out dinner, compliments of Grandma and Grandpa James and Jude. (They got together and decided we needed a night out and arranged it.) We put in our name at Longhorn Steakhouse and since it was supposed to be an hour wait we walked all around the shops at Midtown Village and pushed Jude around in his little pram. It was freezing cold and raining. We didn't mind. Jude was a trooper as he was harshly exposed to the elements between stores. Whenever he is suddenly cold he takes a huge gasp like he is catching his breath. It is hilarious. Dinner was the most fun ever. We were starving, so bread, water, chicken tortillas roll-ups (our free entree), and two delicious steaks complete with mashed potatoes (of course), sweet potatoes, and salads was the most delicious meal we could have ever dreamed of. Although I wouldn't have minded a little taste of my neighbor's Chocolate Stampede (AMAZING). I was a little nervous when Jude got hungry but I donned my nursing cover and all was well. Our very flamboyant waiter and other father-of-two server were very sweet and made me feel at ease.
We also went to church today. Jude's first time. It was so nice to be there together as a family. I'm a proud mama. He was awake for the first two hours laying contently in his pram, slept for almost one, and then got hungry about ten minutes before church got out. What a good boy.
In sacrament meeting Dan looked over at me and with a sweet smile said, "I've waited for this for so long... sitting in church with my little boy." I will say, looking over seeing my gorgeous husband sweetly cradling our swaddled up sleeping baby was one of those moments where everything makes sense, life is perfect, and nothing matters but the love we have in our little family. The love we have, centered on Christ, is all we need in life. With that we are strong enough to venture our way through the world and be stronger in the end.
Life has been a little crazy. Dan has hardly had five minutes to relax up until yesterday. He has been out of town for the past two weekends, leaving me a lone woman in the wilderness. My shotgun skills are now up-to-date (just in case), I learned that I may not leave the lights on in the car for ten measly minutes while I feed my unhappy, bawling baby or it will die twenty minutes out of town in the back corner of a dark parking lot where the semi drivers sleep and I must trek into the gas station to ask a complete stranger to help me (don't ward a family from the ward just happened to be there), I got caught up on the Bachelor (my guilty pleasure), and ate instant mashed potatoes for every meal. Dan was at MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) in Montgomery. Yes, for the Navy. The Navy?! The Navy. We are pursuing the Health Professions Scholarship in the Navy and the Air Force (shh, don't tell our recruiters). Dan was put up in the fanciest hotel (potential Officer treatment), woken up at a sunshiney 4:00 AM, and had to waddle on his knees in his underwear for a crowd, obtain a urine sample with his five closest strangers while standing on a line of tape and being carefully watched, and other fun things. Oh, the things we do. We also sent in our official acceptance to VCOM!
Life is the biggest adventure. We love it.
2.13.2012
Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk Part 1 // Jude's shots
In my researching on breastfeeding, I found an awesome article on breastfeeding by the American Association of Pediatrics. It should be required reading for every mother! I had done a lot of research before the baby was born, but I wish soo bad I would have read this before I had Jude. I will be going through the article one section at a time and discussing it so we can be well-informed and backed up by a reliable source when we go in the hospital. Go here for the full text.
"INTRODUCTION
Extensive research using improved epidemiologic methods and modern laboratory techniques documents diverse and compelling advantages for infants, mothers, families, and society from breastfeeding and use of human milk for infant feeding.
These advantages include health, nutritional, immunologic, developmental, psychologic, social, economic, and environmental benefits. In 1997, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published the policy statement Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk.
Since then, significant advances in science and clinical medicine have occurred. This revision cites substantial new research on the importance of breastfeeding and sets forth principles to guide pediatricians and other health care professionals in assisting women and children in the initiation and maintenance of breastfeeding."
"Child Health Benefits
Human milk is species-specific, and all substitute feeding preparations differ markedly from it, making human milk uniquely superior for infant feeding. Exclusive breastfeeding is the reference or normative model against which all alternative feeding methods must be measured with regard to growth, health, development, and all other short- and long-term outcomes. In addition, human milk-fed premature infants receive significant benefits with respect to host protection and improved developmental outcomes compared with formula-fed premature infants. From studies in preterm and term infants, the following outcomes have been documented.
Infectious Diseases
Research in developed and developing countries of the world, including middle-class populations in developed countries, provides strong evidence that human milk feeding decreases the incidence and/or severity of a wide range of infectious diseases including bacterial meningitis, bacteremia, diarrhea, respiratory tract infection, necrotizing enterocolitis, otitis media, urinary tract infection, and late-onset sepsis in preterm infants. In addition, postneonatal infant mortality rates in the United States are reduced by 21% in breastfed infants.
Other Health Outcomes
Some studies suggest decreased rates of sudden infant death syndrome in the first year of life and reduction in incidence of insulin-dependent (type 1) and non–insulin-dependent (type 2) diabetes mellitus, lymphoma, leukemia, and Hodgkin disease, overweight and obesity, hypercholesterolemia, and asthma in older children and adults who were breastfed, compared with individuals who were not breastfed. Additional research in this area is warranted.
Neurodevelopment
Breastfeeding has been associated with slightly enhanced performance on tests of cognitive development. Breastfeeding during a painful procedure such as a heel-stick for newborn screening provides analgesia to infants."
Analgesia = pain relief! How amazing is that? After reading that I was just even more in love with breastfeeding. This article is written for pediatricians and I'm sure most all pediatricians have read it. Then why do they not encourage mothers to breastfeed while their babies are getting their heel pricks and other painful procedures in the hospital? Probably out of inconvenience. That's bothersome. If we, as mothers, are informed we can request, and demand, this if necessary. Maybe it will be commonplace and more accepted in health care.
Jude has his two-month appointment last week. Which means.... shots. Ugh. Many mothers dread this because it's so hard to see our babies so distraught. After reading this article, I knew that I wanted to breastfeed while he was getting his shots. I wasn't sure how that would be accepted by the staff, but I was already prepared to do it and defend my rights if necessary.
The doctor left and said the nurse would be in soon to give him his shots. I decided to just start breastfeeding and that way I would already be doing it when she came in. She came in and was totally understanding. She had no opposition to it and was willing to do whatever I thought would help Jude. He was contently eating when she started her first of the five shots. FIVE. Separate. Shots. He let out a blood-curdling scream and was so red in the face I thought he might burst. I had to pat him a little bit to get him to breathe again and he was pretty worked up for a couple minutes. Once he calmed down, I was right there to breastfeed him and any mother knows nothing makes a baby happier or more content than that. I know he certainly still felt pain but I think it was, if nothing else, comforting for him to be able to nurse as soon as he was calm enough too and feel that safety in mother's arms.
The article clearly states that breastfeeding is superior to formula. Many may think that because we live in a such a modern world and science has come such a long way, they have made formula to be just as good as breast milk. The commercials make it seem like formula might even be healthier for our babies development. We must know that breast milk truly is best, and nothing else can come close to it when it comes to the healthiest nutrition for our babies.
I know sometimes mothers can not breastfeed or try their hardest and have to stop. My point in this is for us to be informed and to try our hardest to breastfeed as long as possible and not stop for convenience purposes, lack of knowledge, or just because we have reached our year mark.
"INTRODUCTION
Extensive research using improved epidemiologic methods and modern laboratory techniques documents diverse and compelling advantages for infants, mothers, families, and society from breastfeeding and use of human milk for infant feeding.
These advantages include health, nutritional, immunologic, developmental, psychologic, social, economic, and environmental benefits. In 1997, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published the policy statement Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk.
Since then, significant advances in science and clinical medicine have occurred. This revision cites substantial new research on the importance of breastfeeding and sets forth principles to guide pediatricians and other health care professionals in assisting women and children in the initiation and maintenance of breastfeeding."
"Child Health Benefits
Human milk is species-specific, and all substitute feeding preparations differ markedly from it, making human milk uniquely superior for infant feeding. Exclusive breastfeeding is the reference or normative model against which all alternative feeding methods must be measured with regard to growth, health, development, and all other short- and long-term outcomes. In addition, human milk-fed premature infants receive significant benefits with respect to host protection and improved developmental outcomes compared with formula-fed premature infants. From studies in preterm and term infants, the following outcomes have been documented.
Infectious Diseases
Research in developed and developing countries of the world, including middle-class populations in developed countries, provides strong evidence that human milk feeding decreases the incidence and/or severity of a wide range of infectious diseases including bacterial meningitis, bacteremia, diarrhea, respiratory tract infection, necrotizing enterocolitis, otitis media, urinary tract infection, and late-onset sepsis in preterm infants. In addition, postneonatal infant mortality rates in the United States are reduced by 21% in breastfed infants.
Other Health Outcomes
Some studies suggest decreased rates of sudden infant death syndrome in the first year of life and reduction in incidence of insulin-dependent (type 1) and non–insulin-dependent (type 2) diabetes mellitus, lymphoma, leukemia, and Hodgkin disease, overweight and obesity, hypercholesterolemia, and asthma in older children and adults who were breastfed, compared with individuals who were not breastfed. Additional research in this area is warranted.
Neurodevelopment
Breastfeeding has been associated with slightly enhanced performance on tests of cognitive development. Breastfeeding during a painful procedure such as a heel-stick for newborn screening provides analgesia to infants."
Analgesia = pain relief! How amazing is that? After reading that I was just even more in love with breastfeeding. This article is written for pediatricians and I'm sure most all pediatricians have read it. Then why do they not encourage mothers to breastfeed while their babies are getting their heel pricks and other painful procedures in the hospital? Probably out of inconvenience. That's bothersome. If we, as mothers, are informed we can request, and demand, this if necessary. Maybe it will be commonplace and more accepted in health care.
Jude has his two-month appointment last week. Which means.... shots. Ugh. Many mothers dread this because it's so hard to see our babies so distraught. After reading this article, I knew that I wanted to breastfeed while he was getting his shots. I wasn't sure how that would be accepted by the staff, but I was already prepared to do it and defend my rights if necessary.
The doctor left and said the nurse would be in soon to give him his shots. I decided to just start breastfeeding and that way I would already be doing it when she came in. She came in and was totally understanding. She had no opposition to it and was willing to do whatever I thought would help Jude. He was contently eating when she started her first of the five shots. FIVE. Separate. Shots. He let out a blood-curdling scream and was so red in the face I thought he might burst. I had to pat him a little bit to get him to breathe again and he was pretty worked up for a couple minutes. Once he calmed down, I was right there to breastfeed him and any mother knows nothing makes a baby happier or more content than that. I know he certainly still felt pain but I think it was, if nothing else, comforting for him to be able to nurse as soon as he was calm enough too and feel that safety in mother's arms.
 |
| Five shots. Five bandaids. Yuck. |
I know sometimes mothers can not breastfeed or try their hardest and have to stop. My point in this is for us to be informed and to try our hardest to breastfeed as long as possible and not stop for convenience purposes, lack of knowledge, or just because we have reached our year mark.
2.04.2012
breastfeeding what?!
I knew very little about breastfeeding before I had Jude. I just knew I wanted to do it because I had heard it is the best for the baby. I knew a little bit about the colostrum and that it gave them good nutrients and antibodies. I knew I wanted to breastfeed to decrease the chances that Jude would have allergies/asthma. I knew that you breastfeed exclusively for six months and with other food for a year, ideally. And I had had some mothers tell me that it is hard and doesn't always come naturally so not to expect it to.
I have learned so much since then and I am so glad. I feel like the average person is underinformed about breastfeeding, maybe I feel that way just because I was. I have so much more to learn, but have found it so interesting and have been doing a lot of research. I have been eternally grateful to the mothers who have helped me and I would love to help someone else. Even if only one mother-baby pair benefits from all this, I know it is worth it! I am going to do several posts on different aspects of breastfeeding in my attempt to increase awareness in my small circle.
After I had the baby at the hospital, the nurses kept asking me... "Has you milk come in yet?" I would reply, "No.. not that I know of..." They would then just simply say "okay" or "have you felt any tingling in your breasts?" I just told them I hadn't and that was the end of the conversation. I really had no idea what to expect. The colostrum was no big deal. It really didn't have any side effects or anything funky or unexpected so I really didn't know what was coming.
The day I got home from the hospital, a Saturday, "my milk came in." And there was no way I could not know it! My breasts were completely engorged. I didn't know it at the time, but Jude had jaundice and he was hardly eating anything so they just stayed engorged. I did not understand the supply/demand system at that time so didn't know I should have been pumping. I also didn't realize he wasn't eating enough (see previous post). I had no idea what was normal and what wasn't.. My mom and dad had ordered me a breast pump but it wouldn't get here for another week. By Sunday, I was completely desperate and had Dan run to Target to get me one of those hand pumps. That was painful. And unbearable. I probably only did it twice.
We had an appointment with the lactation specialist on Monday... by then I was completely desperate and beaten. I was worried about Jude because he would either be in hysterics or totally lethargic every time I tried to feed him and I was just so confused. I walked into her office with a page full of scribbled notes of questions and worries and things to ask her. Mary McAteer, IBCLC (Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant), saved my life. I call her my angel and hugged her and cried out of love and am eternally indebted to her and I let her know it! She told me Jude had jaundice at that's why he wasn't eating (I felt horrible). She showed me one of their breast pumps and how to use it (finally... relief!). We had to bottle feed Jude for the next couple weeks until the jaundice cleared up. So I rented the breast pump and pumped all his milk for him every two to three hours so he could still be breastfed.
It has all worked out since then! It was not easy, but we got him back to nursing. (He was too used to that high-flowing bottle buffet) and he is doing well. For a while, I thought he would never breastfeed again.
Moral of the story...
After I got home and my milk came in, I could not believe no one had warned me. The nurses so carelessly asked if my milk had come in yet but did not explain what to expect or what would happen or how to regulate it or anything. (In their defense, they might have told me all this and I was just so overwhelmed and sleep deprived I don't remember it). I felt so unprepared and underinformed and had no idea how to handle the engorgement or the milk dripping and leaking out all the time or the pain or awkwardness of it all or just what to do at all! I did not know that milk is on a supply and demand system. The more that is used, the more your body makes. If it is not used, your body will stop producing it. (It's really amazing, isn't it?!)
Not everyone needs a breast pump, but I sure have. I wish someone would have told me that I might really need a breast pump. If for whatever reason your baby cannot nurse (like jaundice, which many babies have), then you need to pump or you will lose your milk supply. I did not really understand why I needed a pump so I figured I would just buy one whenever I ended up needing it. But when I needed it, I needed it, and I didn't have it. Since they are pricey and some people don't end up needing one of their own, I would recommend to rent one from the hospital and have it on hand for when you get home just in case you need it. If you end up needing one, you can purchase one.
I need one because I will be going back to work at the end of this month and I need to pump to keep my milk supply up. I have been pumping quite frequently so I can make plenty of extra milk for Jude to have. When I go back to work, he will have a plenty of breast milk that Dan can feed him with a bottle. I want to there to always be enough for him so he can have breast milk exclusively. (I will do another post about that later.)
So, women... do your research and be prepared! The more educated you are, the greater the chance that you will breastfeed longer because you will prepared for how hard it may be, you will know what to expect a little bit more, and you will have a better understanding of how important it is! Breastfeeding is such a huge part of having a baby. Newborns breastfeed 8-12x/day all throughout the day and night. It has been one of the hardest things I have ever done but also the best and most rewarding.
I love for this to be a place for us to share experiences and encourage each other! :)
I have learned so much since then and I am so glad. I feel like the average person is underinformed about breastfeeding, maybe I feel that way just because I was. I have so much more to learn, but have found it so interesting and have been doing a lot of research. I have been eternally grateful to the mothers who have helped me and I would love to help someone else. Even if only one mother-baby pair benefits from all this, I know it is worth it! I am going to do several posts on different aspects of breastfeeding in my attempt to increase awareness in my small circle.
After I had the baby at the hospital, the nurses kept asking me... "Has you milk come in yet?" I would reply, "No.. not that I know of..." They would then just simply say "okay" or "have you felt any tingling in your breasts?" I just told them I hadn't and that was the end of the conversation. I really had no idea what to expect. The colostrum was no big deal. It really didn't have any side effects or anything funky or unexpected so I really didn't know what was coming.
The day I got home from the hospital, a Saturday, "my milk came in." And there was no way I could not know it! My breasts were completely engorged. I didn't know it at the time, but Jude had jaundice and he was hardly eating anything so they just stayed engorged. I did not understand the supply/demand system at that time so didn't know I should have been pumping. I also didn't realize he wasn't eating enough (see previous post). I had no idea what was normal and what wasn't.. My mom and dad had ordered me a breast pump but it wouldn't get here for another week. By Sunday, I was completely desperate and had Dan run to Target to get me one of those hand pumps. That was painful. And unbearable. I probably only did it twice.
We had an appointment with the lactation specialist on Monday... by then I was completely desperate and beaten. I was worried about Jude because he would either be in hysterics or totally lethargic every time I tried to feed him and I was just so confused. I walked into her office with a page full of scribbled notes of questions and worries and things to ask her. Mary McAteer, IBCLC (Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant), saved my life. I call her my angel and hugged her and cried out of love and am eternally indebted to her and I let her know it! She told me Jude had jaundice at that's why he wasn't eating (I felt horrible). She showed me one of their breast pumps and how to use it (finally... relief!). We had to bottle feed Jude for the next couple weeks until the jaundice cleared up. So I rented the breast pump and pumped all his milk for him every two to three hours so he could still be breastfed.
It has all worked out since then! It was not easy, but we got him back to nursing. (He was too used to that high-flowing bottle buffet) and he is doing well. For a while, I thought he would never breastfeed again.
Moral of the story...
After I got home and my milk came in, I could not believe no one had warned me. The nurses so carelessly asked if my milk had come in yet but did not explain what to expect or what would happen or how to regulate it or anything. (In their defense, they might have told me all this and I was just so overwhelmed and sleep deprived I don't remember it). I felt so unprepared and underinformed and had no idea how to handle the engorgement or the milk dripping and leaking out all the time or the pain or awkwardness of it all or just what to do at all! I did not know that milk is on a supply and demand system. The more that is used, the more your body makes. If it is not used, your body will stop producing it. (It's really amazing, isn't it?!)
Not everyone needs a breast pump, but I sure have. I wish someone would have told me that I might really need a breast pump. If for whatever reason your baby cannot nurse (like jaundice, which many babies have), then you need to pump or you will lose your milk supply. I did not really understand why I needed a pump so I figured I would just buy one whenever I ended up needing it. But when I needed it, I needed it, and I didn't have it. Since they are pricey and some people don't end up needing one of their own, I would recommend to rent one from the hospital and have it on hand for when you get home just in case you need it. If you end up needing one, you can purchase one.
I need one because I will be going back to work at the end of this month and I need to pump to keep my milk supply up. I have been pumping quite frequently so I can make plenty of extra milk for Jude to have. When I go back to work, he will have a plenty of breast milk that Dan can feed him with a bottle. I want to there to always be enough for him so he can have breast milk exclusively. (I will do another post about that later.)
So, women... do your research and be prepared! The more educated you are, the greater the chance that you will breastfeed longer because you will prepared for how hard it may be, you will know what to expect a little bit more, and you will have a better understanding of how important it is! Breastfeeding is such a huge part of having a baby. Newborns breastfeed 8-12x/day all throughout the day and night. It has been one of the hardest things I have ever done but also the best and most rewarding.
I love for this to be a place for us to share experiences and encourage each other! :)
12.29.2011
two weeks!
We treated Jude's jaundice with an intense feeding regimen and he is all better! Thank goodness. :) Mary, my lactation consultant, was right when she said we'd have a new baby by the weekend. He is so much more awake and alert now. It's more work but also so much more fun. We had another consultation yesterday and he is up to 9 pounds 1 ounce! You go baby. I absolutely idolize my lactation consultant. She is an angel on earth. The best news of all... he is breastfeeding again! We are still adjusting and figuring it out. But I am soo happy (understatement). Pumping every two to three hours gets old. But the real reason is because I want to breastfeed! Not only is it more convenient, it's important to me. It is the way God meant for us to be and I want that special bond with my sweet baby.
We had his two week appointment with the pediatrician today. She said "keep doing whatever you're doing because you're doing a great job." She said he looked great and healthy. She was impressed that he has gained so much weight and said now we can let him wake us up at night instead of waking him up every three hours to eat. Woah! This is a major landmark.
We love our boy. I wish I could figure out a stronger word than love. It feels like so much more than I could never explain in words. He is getting to be more fun every day. We are just so entertained by his hilarious faces and his eternal cuteness. He makes life so much more fun and full. I love always having him with me. I wish we could sleep together and cuddle all night. I just adore my two boys. Dan is such a sweet father. It has been so nice having him be off school for Christmas because we just get to be together every day!
Dan's mom just landed at the Birmingham airport... Jude is excited to meet his other Grandma!
We had his two week appointment with the pediatrician today. She said "keep doing whatever you're doing because you're doing a great job." She said he looked great and healthy. She was impressed that he has gained so much weight and said now we can let him wake us up at night instead of waking him up every three hours to eat. Woah! This is a major landmark.
We love our boy. I wish I could figure out a stronger word than love. It feels like so much more than I could never explain in words. He is getting to be more fun every day. We are just so entertained by his hilarious faces and his eternal cuteness. He makes life so much more fun and full. I love always having him with me. I wish we could sleep together and cuddle all night. I just adore my two boys. Dan is such a sweet father. It has been so nice having him be off school for Christmas because we just get to be together every day!
Dan's mom just landed at the Birmingham airport... Jude is excited to meet his other Grandma!
12.21.2011
jaundice
Monday evening:
I didn't know breastfeeding would be the most exhausting full-time job ever. Regular old hospital nursing has nothing on baby nursing! I am supposed to feed him every 2-3 hours since I am exclusively breast feeding. That is a lot! The past day has been especially exhausting. He would not eat and I couldn't figure out why. He was either so, so fussy and hysterical when I tried to feed him and I would eventually have to feed him breast milk out of a bottle or he would be so tired and lethargic-like that I couldn't wake him up for long enough to eat. So we just thought, "Oh, he must be full." He was showing signs of contentment and no signs of hunger. I couldn't figure out what was wrong and why he wasn't feeding. It would take me at least an hour for him to eat five minutes. That can be exhausting at 3:00 in the morning when all you want is for your baby to eat and be happy. He is the absolutely sweetest baby in the whole world. I just die over his lips and little chin. Every time I see him it's like the first time. It takes my breath away and I just can't get close enough to him.
I didn't know breastfeeding would be the most exhausting full-time job ever. Regular old hospital nursing has nothing on baby nursing! I am supposed to feed him every 2-3 hours since I am exclusively breast feeding. That is a lot! The past day has been especially exhausting. He would not eat and I couldn't figure out why. He was either so, so fussy and hysterical when I tried to feed him and I would eventually have to feed him breast milk out of a bottle or he would be so tired and lethargic-like that I couldn't wake him up for long enough to eat. So we just thought, "Oh, he must be full." He was showing signs of contentment and no signs of hunger. I couldn't figure out what was wrong and why he wasn't feeding. It would take me at least an hour for him to eat five minutes. That can be exhausting at 3:00 in the morning when all you want is for your baby to eat and be happy. He is the absolutely sweetest baby in the whole world. I just die over his lips and little chin. Every time I see him it's like the first time. It takes my breath away and I just can't get close enough to him.
We had an appointment with the lactation specialist today at 1:30 as a follow-up that all new moms do. (Thank goodness for lactation specialist! They have my heart.) We waited for what seemed like hours but I didn't mind because I knew I would need a lot of time, too. I brought his "diaper diary" and my list of questions, so hopeful for help and some sort of answers. I had been doing everything I knew how. She saw him and within 60 seconds she knew he had jaundice. He also lost about 4 oz since Saturday. Newborns livers aren't fully developed so they have a hard time digesting bilirubin. She described jaundice as one big sleeping pill. They need to eat, like, twice as much as more frequently. If they go too long they get too hungry and too exhausted to breastfeed because it's too much work. So I was trying to feed him but by that time he was starving because he wasn't getting enough food. So I would try to breastfeed him and he would cry and cry and fight and I couldn't figure out why. It was because he was so starving he just needed food now and he was too hungry to get the tiny little squirts from breastfeeding. At that point he just needed food right away. And that is what will make his jaundice better. Three or four days of feeding him no more than ten minutes of breast feeding (so he doesn't get too tired) and then at least 75 ml of breast milk.
I was so relieved and also felt so bad that he was so hungry and I didn't know. I felt so bad that my sweet little baby wasn't getting what he needed. I was so relieved that now I had answers and knew what was wrong. I felt relieved and empowered that I knew how to help him.
The plan is to feed him no later than every 3 hours. No more than ten minutes of nursing so he doesn't get tired and worn out and then at least 75 ml of breast milk after that. She said the plan is guaranteed to work.
Wednesday morning update:
We have been feeding him like crazy and he is doing so much better! No more hysterical crying fits and he is hardly ever really lethargic acting. He seems so content and happy after he eats. Luckily I have been producing enough milk so he hasn't had to have formula to get to his 75 ml. Mary said he should be feeling better within a few days and will be "a new baby." I feel like a new woman now that I know what to do for him and now that he is feeling better!
We have an appointment with the pediatrician and a baby weigh-in today with the lactation specialist so we'll see if he's gained weight! I love him. I love him. I LOVE HIM!!
The plan is to feed him no later than every 3 hours. No more than ten minutes of nursing so he doesn't get tired and worn out and then at least 75 ml of breast milk after that. She said the plan is guaranteed to work.
Wednesday morning update:
We have been feeding him like crazy and he is doing so much better! No more hysterical crying fits and he is hardly ever really lethargic acting. He seems so content and happy after he eats. Luckily I have been producing enough milk so he hasn't had to have formula to get to his 75 ml. Mary said he should be feeling better within a few days and will be "a new baby." I feel like a new woman now that I know what to do for him and now that he is feeling better!
We have an appointment with the pediatrician and a baby weigh-in today with the lactation specialist so we'll see if he's gained weight! I love him. I love him. I LOVE HIM!!
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