We do! Olivia started puking quite frequently a few weeks ago. Sometimes it's projectile and sometimes it's not. She can puke up to 4 times after just one feeding! She pukes each night while sleeping. It's quite gross. She soaks her pajamas and her sleep sack/swaddler. Sometimes we have to wash her hair in the morning because it's caked with puke. Sounds lovely right?
Along with the puke, she has become quite upset. This all started on Friday. She screamed all day long. Nothing would console her. Gas drops would work for a short time, but she would be back at it in no time. Saturday was better, but Sunday she was back at it again. This week has been much of the same. We finally got her into the doctor yesterday.
Oddly enough, she had been good all morning long. We got to the doctor and I took her out of her car seat and the show began. She screamed... and screamed... and screamed.
The first thing they do is weigh them. We went out to the scale. I laid her down and then saw a whopping 10 pounds 8 ounces show up. As we walked back to the room I asked the nurse if that was a big weight gain (feeling that it was). She sort of raised her eyebrow, laughed, and said "It is on the high side". She gained 2 pounds, 2 ounces in 3 weeks! (All the while, Olivia screamed.)
Finally the nurse practitioner came in. We had to do most of the exam over screaming. Fun. Even though it was rough, I'm sort of glad it happened that way. That way she could see exactly what was happening. We gave her gas drops and she finally calmed down. We still aren't sure if it's the actual need for gas drops that calms her, or the fact that it is strawberry flavored and she likes them. :)
I pretty much had already ruled out colic. She was having good days and bad days and it wasn't happening at the same time every day. I figured it was either acid reflux or lactose intolerance. The nurse practitioner agreed that it was probably acid reflux. Since we had already tried almost everything already, she recommended we use medication. Remember, my doctor's office tries to avoid medication when possible. She even mentioned that. She said that Olivia was obviously miserable and that is just not normal, so medication really was needed. She also suggested that we try a chiropractor that specializes in infants. Apparently with a small adjustment it can really help?
She said I still need to avoid dairy when possible. If the medication works (and she's hoping Olivia only has to be on it a few months), then I can slowly add in one dairy item at a time and see how it goes. I tried explaining to her that I'm from Wisconsin and giving up dairy is like asking me to give up a limb. She was empathetic, but didn't budge on the no dairy. Ugh. Luckily it's suppose to only be for a small amount of time. We go back in two weeks to follow up.
I asked her about the weight gain. I had read that it is common for acid reflux babies to be overfed. Because their esophagus hurts, it is soothing to them and feels good to eat. Hence, they want to eat more. She looked at the chart, made "whoa" type comment about the weight and then laughed and said, "She's in the 80th percentile!" She didn't seem too worried though. She said it should slow down here soon since she's around a month. I have noticed just in the past few days that she is lasting a little longer between feeds. I was worried I didn't have enough of a milk supply. Obviously that is not the case. :) Also, puking after almost every feed didn't seem to deter her weight gain either.
Hopefully things will get better soon... less puke and less screaming. Fingers crossed!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Good News/Bad News
BAD NEWS
I'm not sure if I mentioned it on here or not... our realtor broke up with us about a month ago. She wanted us to drop the price about $15,000. We would have had to bring anywhere from $20 to $25,000 to closing and that is just not happening.
GOOD NEWS
We hired a property management company to find us a renter. They take over everything, including advertising and running background checks on potential renters.
BAD NEWS
Since the condo didn't sell, we are unable to use a VA loan to get a house down here. (You can only have one at a time.) Who knows what that means as far as our housing future.
GOOD NEWs
We found out yesterday that we have a renter. She wants to move in August 1st! She either lives in our community or has in the past, but likes our unit the best. The property management people said she has the highest credit score of anyone they've ever had (something like 815?). They gave her glowing reviews.
BAD NEWS
Apparently Columbus got hammered with rain over the weekend. Unfortunately, the basement in our condo flooded--along with every other condo unit in our community. From what we've been told, it should just be the carpet that needs replacing.
GOOD NEWS
We have some amazing friends who are willing to take time out of their very busy lives to help us out. A huge thank you to Laurie and Phil who both went over to our condo to look into things and do what they can. It is a helpless feeling to be so far away and not be able to get done what needs to get done. We are blessed by your servants spirit. Also--the renter knows about the water damage and is not swayed by it.
BAD NEWS
We are going to have to get new carpet for the basement and probably the basement stairs as well (so it matches). We may have to replace some baseboards too. We are hoping that it didn't get into the drywall. The less we have to pay--the better!
GOOD NEWS
The property management company that we hired is going to take care of everything. They have people checking it out for us and will oversee the new carpet.
BAD NEWS
Olivia is still puking. It seemed to have gotten better temporarily, but is back to being awful. On top of that, she is now screaming her head off most of her waking hours. It's awful. She seems to be in pain. I'm not sure if it's from acid reflux, lactose intolerance, or something else.
GOOD NEWS
We have a doctors appointment today to get it checked out. Hopefully we'll get some answers.
BAD NEWS
I am back at work. This is causing me a great amount of anxiety--breastfeeding in public, figuring out a schedule, making sure I get both Olivia and I ready and to work on time, taking care of Little Man while holding a screaming baby...
GOOD NEWS
I have a job. I am bringing home a nice income. I get to bring my daughter to work with me. I know I'm blessed. Plus, Little Man has been great. He is in love with Olivia. He asks lots of questions, but is a big help and gushes about how cute she is all day long.
Monday, July 25, 2011
One Month!
Olivia Grace, you are one month old!
(as of two days ago)
(she's doing a little fist pump to say "Yay")
What have you been up to?
*You eat almost every two hours like clock work. Sometimes you are hungry sooner, and a few times you've lasted a little longer.
*If you take a bottle, you usually drink about 4 ounces. You don't have any problems transition from bottle to breast, but you are a very messy bottle eater. Although, you did eat 4 ounces of breastmilk at the restaurant the other night without drooling it all over the place!
*You still only sleep two to three hours. You've made it 3 and a half to 4 hours a few nights and I do appreciate it.
*You have officially grown out of your newborn clothes. Some of the 0 to 3 month clothes are still too big, but you'll fill them up soon enough.
*You are out of newborn diapers and into size 1 diapers as well. They still have a little extra room at the bottom, but that's OK...less blow outs with room for it to go! :)
*You make the funniest faces. Daddy and I are always laughing at you... or snapping a picture!
*You make lots of noises--especially at night. You grunt, honk, and much more.
*Sometimes you love your pacifier and sometimes you refuse it. We have all sorts of pretty ones, but you prefer the nipple on the plain Jane one.
*Your hands are still always up by your face. Sometimes you shove them in your mouth. You can't always find your thumb, but when you do you suck it loudly.
* You are still holding on to that hair. It's a little thinner and lighter in color, but still there.
*Your eyes are still gray/blue. I think they are going to be blue. What do I know though? I've been wrong about everything else so far.
*You enjoy baths for the most part.
*You also don't mind your car seat.
(A cupcake to celebrate the day--her expression cracks me up!)
*You enjoy music. You like when I sing to you. You've watched Praise Baby once and liked it. You enjoy your toys that play songs.
*You love your mommy. You might cry when others hold you, but you stop pretty quickly for me. (Except when you are being super fussy.)
*You have been spitting up less. It's not projectile anymore, and it's not after every meal. I still can't decide if it's from acid reflux or milk intolerance. I'm trying to hold out until your two week appointment to ask the doctor, but I'm not sure we'll make it.
HAPPY ONE MONTH BABY GIRL!
WE LOVE YOU!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Thank You!
Olivia's one month pictures are coming tomorrow. I promise. They have been taken. I just didn't have time to upload them to our computer yet. I am typing this post one handed while holding our daughter, who is fighting sleep. :)
Thank you to everyone who posted a comment on Paige's blog--and who had friends post on Paige's blog. I got an email saying we had reached the 12 comment minimum. We got to choose a gift print, which is valued at $30. We chose the picture of her on the scale. It is one we liked, but did not make the cut for the CD. We will be getting it in an 8 by 10. I'm super happy about it. We had such a hard time choosing which pictures to get on the CD. We won't be able to make copies of this picture, but at least we'll have one print of it. Thanks again!
Thank you to everyone who posted a comment on Paige's blog--and who had friends post on Paige's blog. I got an email saying we had reached the 12 comment minimum. We got to choose a gift print, which is valued at $30. We chose the picture of her on the scale. It is one we liked, but did not make the cut for the CD. We will be getting it in an 8 by 10. I'm super happy about it. We had such a hard time choosing which pictures to get on the CD. We won't be able to make copies of this picture, but at least we'll have one print of it. Thanks again!
Saturday, July 23, 2011
1 Month Must Haves
Olivia is one month old today! Can you believe it? For me, time has gone both fast and slow all at the same time--if that makes any sense. :) I am going to post her one month pictures tomorrow (since I need to take them still). However, I have a different kind of one month post for you today.
I am going to share my one month "must haves" with you. I saw this on a blog that I follow (who got the idea from a blog she followed), and thought it was great and helpful. I realize that this stuff may seem irrelevant to some of you, but I think it could still be useful. Just think--you'll most likely buy another baby gift for someone at some point. :) I plan on doing this every month for the first year. We'll see how it goes.
Two notes before we get started. First, everyone is different. What works for me may not work for you. What I love, you may hate. What I hate, you may love. That's why there are a bazillion options out there. These are just my opinions. Second, I labeled this as "must haves". Let's be honest--I realize that we are beyond blessed and could get by on much less. Most of the things we use are a luxury to some. In all honesty these posts could be called "useful items I am blessed to have". I don't take that for granted.
Graco Little Hoot Pack and Play
In hinds sight, I should have just stuck with the pack and play and skipped the bassinet. Of course, I didn't know at the time that she was going to hate the bassinet. I went the bassinet route because it was smaller. Our king size bed takes up much of our room (especially since we are in the second bedroom and not the master). I also would have went with a pack and play that had a newborn napper had I known it would be her bed for the first few months. Regardless, she sleeps in it and that makes me happy! It's also convenient to have the changing table there for middle of the night changes. The bassinet had a changing table attachment, but I rarely used it because it was too much work in the middle of the night. I just changed her right on our bed.
My boss saved Little Man's pack and play and has already offered to allow me to use it while at work. It will be Olivia's bed for naps when we are there, so I'm glad she likes to sleep in one!
The Miracle Blanket--Beige
Everyone goes on and on about swaddling a baby. I was actually ready to write a post about how my child hates swaddling. Really, she's not as big of a fan as everyone says. Mostly it's because she wants her arms free (like her mama) and her hands by her face. I have even swaddled her body while leaving her arms out (to use more as a blanket and less as a "feel like their in the womb" tightness). However, now that we've moved her from the bassinet to the pack and play I decided to give swaddling another chance. She didn't seem to mind it as much--even with her arms tucked in. Many, many, MANY people raved about the Miracle blanket, so I made sure to register for one. I have a few different brands of swaddling blankets (hand me downs, gifts), and I like this one the best. The velcro ones don't work for Olivia. One is too small... one is too big and doesn't velcro properly. The miracle blanket does a nice tight swaddle and there is no way a baby is getting out. I don't care what people register for in the future--I won't be buying anyone those velcro swaddlers ever again.
Circo Infant Fish Tubby Towel
Bibs and burp cloths
We started out with a decent amount of burp clothes--thankfully. We go through multiple ones a day. We had just a handful of bibs that I had picked up on a target clearance rack. These became necessary to prevent us from having to change her clothes five times a day. Also, when she takes a bottle she is very messy. I've cut out formula for now, but she will still eventually be taking a bottle of pumped milk--at least one a day so Michael can help with feedings. We recently bought a ten pack from Babies R Us. She goes through multiple bibs a day too. I wish it was safe for her to sleep in one. She pukes on her pajamas (and usually whatever sleep sack or swaddler she's in) almost every night. It's not a little bit. It's enough where I have to end up changing her.
Receiving Blankets
Yep, I find them as a must have. I was told by many people (and read on the internet) not to register for them. It was said that they weren't really necessary and that people would get them for me anyway. I was also told by 3 or 4 different people that that had ones they never used and would give them to me. Well, I got exactly 2 blankets from Michael's sister. Thank goodness we did. I realized in the first week that we would actually be using them--unlike everyone else--and that we needed more. We bought some at Babies R Us. First of all, I have used them as a burp cloth or to wipe up puke when necessary. Second, we use them around the house and out and about a lot. It's July. It's been in the 100's for something like 15 days straight here. Almost all of Olivia's clothes are summer clothes. However, we spend all our time in air conditioning. Michael has our air going at around 69 or 70. When Olivia is hanging out in her swing, bouncer, or even in my arms, she tends to need a light weight covering. It's the same for the car. It starts out hot, but then gets cold (for her) with Michael blasting the air. Stores are the same way. Even I get chilled walking through Target in the summer sometimes. So I always have a receiving blanket handy to cover her legs when needed.
Fisher Price Rainforest Waterfall Peek-a-boo Soother
We attached this to the pack and play. We just started using it this week, but she seems to really enjoy it. It's one of the only toys we've noticed she actually looks at. She also gets quiet and stays quiet while it plays. Sometimes (if she hasn't fallen asleep) she'll start making noises after it goes off, so I know she likes it. I plan on it being part of her bedtime routine. Eventually, when she moves to her own room, we'll play music on her ipod at bed. At this point we are all going to bed about the same time. I don't want to sleep with music all night.
Babies R Us Disposable Pads
These are probably one of the cheapest things on my list of loves, but are some of the most valuable to me. We have one laying on the changing table all the time. It has saved us from having to wash the changing table pad. It has caught poop (hello, meconium incident), puke, and pee. She tends to like to pee when I change her. This is another reason why we've had to change outfits mid day. I also would lay one on our bed for middle of the night changes.
My Brest Friend Wearable Nursing Pillow
Funny story about this--I read over and over how this was a must have for breast feeding. I also had heard that it was most recommended by lactation consultants. I was shopping with a friend a few weeks before I had Olivia and she had said she heard great things about it. I bought it on a whim. After having Olivia, I didn't use it. I used the boppy, other pillows that were handy, or I just held her. I decided to take the brest friend back and get my $42 back. I went to my lactation consultation and don't you know, they had a brest friend to use. I liked it, but still wasn't sure it was worth it. After I went home and tried using the position the lactation consultant used and realizing how much support the brest friend really was, I was starting to regret my decision to return it. I then went to my follow up lactation visit and had to use the brest friend again. After that, I was convinced I needed it. We went straight from the hospital to Babies R Us, where I bought it. It really is worth the $42 to me.
Baby ESP app
Michael found this app for us, and I use it all day every day. Originally he found a free app, but it wasn't as useful. We ended up paying $5 for this one, but we can sync the information, so we both know what is going on. It tracks everything. I track when I pump and how much I get. It tracks how long I breastfeed and which side I used last. It even does statistics and tells me what percentage I have fed on each side in a day. It tracks dirty diapers, sleep, medication (for me and baby), and can set up reminders. I know a lot of people say, "Oh, I did that with my first kid. Then I got over it." That very well may be the case, but it has been very helpful for us. For each lactation consultation and for the doctor's appointment we needed to know how many wet diapers she had, how many poopy diapers, how many times I breastfed in a 24 hour period, how many times I pumped, and how many times she took a bottle. The app had all of our information stored, so it made it easy to fill out the questionnaire.
Lastly, our ottoman--she seems to enjoy it more than her swing and bouncer at the moment.
I am going to share my one month "must haves" with you. I saw this on a blog that I follow (who got the idea from a blog she followed), and thought it was great and helpful. I realize that this stuff may seem irrelevant to some of you, but I think it could still be useful. Just think--you'll most likely buy another baby gift for someone at some point. :) I plan on doing this every month for the first year. We'll see how it goes.
Two notes before we get started. First, everyone is different. What works for me may not work for you. What I love, you may hate. What I hate, you may love. That's why there are a bazillion options out there. These are just my opinions. Second, I labeled this as "must haves". Let's be honest--I realize that we are beyond blessed and could get by on much less. Most of the things we use are a luxury to some. In all honesty these posts could be called "useful items I am blessed to have". I don't take that for granted.
Graco Little Hoot Pack and Play
In hinds sight, I should have just stuck with the pack and play and skipped the bassinet. Of course, I didn't know at the time that she was going to hate the bassinet. I went the bassinet route because it was smaller. Our king size bed takes up much of our room (especially since we are in the second bedroom and not the master). I also would have went with a pack and play that had a newborn napper had I known it would be her bed for the first few months. Regardless, she sleeps in it and that makes me happy! It's also convenient to have the changing table there for middle of the night changes. The bassinet had a changing table attachment, but I rarely used it because it was too much work in the middle of the night. I just changed her right on our bed.
My boss saved Little Man's pack and play and has already offered to allow me to use it while at work. It will be Olivia's bed for naps when we are there, so I'm glad she likes to sleep in one!
The Miracle Blanket--Beige
Everyone goes on and on about swaddling a baby. I was actually ready to write a post about how my child hates swaddling. Really, she's not as big of a fan as everyone says. Mostly it's because she wants her arms free (like her mama) and her hands by her face. I have even swaddled her body while leaving her arms out (to use more as a blanket and less as a "feel like their in the womb" tightness). However, now that we've moved her from the bassinet to the pack and play I decided to give swaddling another chance. She didn't seem to mind it as much--even with her arms tucked in. Many, many, MANY people raved about the Miracle blanket, so I made sure to register for one. I have a few different brands of swaddling blankets (hand me downs, gifts), and I like this one the best. The velcro ones don't work for Olivia. One is too small... one is too big and doesn't velcro properly. The miracle blanket does a nice tight swaddle and there is no way a baby is getting out. I don't care what people register for in the future--I won't be buying anyone those velcro swaddlers ever again.
Circo Infant Fish Tubby Towel
We actually have two of these--this blue one and a pink one. One we registered for and got as a gift, and the second we went out and bought after realizing two would be handy. You get it wet with the bath water and then lay it on the baby while you are cleaning them. The bottom of the fish actually goes up by the babies head. Can you picture it? Those two little fish tail things go on the shoulders. Olivia loves this. It keep her warm while daddy is washing her face. He then just moves it around to wash the necessary parts. She's even held on to it and a few times has tried to suck on it. We bought a second one to have handy in case the first one is in the wash.
Note: We got this at Target, but I couldn't find it on their website. I know it's still available in stores though, because I just saw them a week or two ago. The link is from Amazon.
Bibs and burp cloths
Receiving Blankets
Fisher Price Rainforest Waterfall Peek-a-boo Soother
Babies R Us Disposable Pads
My Brest Friend Wearable Nursing Pillow
Baby ESP app
Lastly, our ottoman--she seems to enjoy it more than her swing and bouncer at the moment.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Tummy Time
We finally did our first official tummy time this week. Technically she's had lots of "tummy time" on our chests. She has had good neck strength and head movement from the beginning. Because of this, I haven't been in too big of a rush to lay her down and try it. One--because I always hear that babies hate it and scream their heads off. That scared me. :) Two--because she's hardly ever awake and you have to do it while they are awake. She has finally started being awake for good stretches of time during the day, so I figured we better get on it.
She did great. She actually really enjoyed it. I guess that shouldn't surprise me since she loves being on her stomach. She turned her head from side to side multiple times.
Michael was video taping it and I was paying close attention to make sure she could breath. I finally decided to get a few pictures, and don't you know... that's when she started to get fussy. She lasted a good 10 minutes before that though, so I was pretty pleased.
Note, she wasn't that close to the edge of the ottoman when she started. Her legs and feet were going the whole time (even when she was happy). She scooted herself closer to the edge.
She did great. She actually really enjoyed it. I guess that shouldn't surprise me since she loves being on her stomach. She turned her head from side to side multiple times.
Michael was video taping it and I was paying close attention to make sure she could breath. I finally decided to get a few pictures, and don't you know... that's when she started to get fussy. She lasted a good 10 minutes before that though, so I was pretty pleased.
Mid turn
She found her hand to suck on.
MAD! "Mom, put the camera down and pick me up!"
OK, content again!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Newborn Pictures
**EVEN IF YOU'VE SEEN THE PICTURES ON FACEBOOK, PLEASE READ---I have a request!
Newborn pictures were something I knew I wanted. They aren't cheap by any means, but are becoming the trend. I am not usually one to throw around money. I do like to shop, but I try to be somewhat frugal. However, well done pictures of my first child was of high importance to me. I searched and searched for the right photographer (style I liked). After my first choice fell through, I ended up finding Paige. I'm actually glad my first choice didn't work out, because I think I got a better deal.
If you have not checked out the pictures yet, you can do so here. The password is Olivia. They will be up until tomorrow.
We are ordering a CD with eleven of the images. (#'s 1, 5, 9, 10, 13, 14, 16, 18, 22, 23, and 24) I wish we could get them all, but it's just not in the budget. I'm pleased with having the good choices that we do have. Once we get the CD with those 11 pictures, we have the rights to print them or reproduce them however we want (up to a size 8 by 10). I can't wait to get the CD and start printing!
The request--Paige also has a blog where she highlights some of her pictures. She just sent us an email saying she is trying something new. If we can get 12 comments on Olivia's blog post from family and friends then we get a "special little prize". I have no idea what it is, but if it gets me a free picture or a discount on a future session then I am all game. I don't even know if there are 12 of you out there who read this, but if you can please go to the blog and comment on how great the pictures are--I'd appreciate it greatly! :)
Oh, and Olivia is famous. She is featured on an etsy seller's sight (for the ruffle bottoms in the bed picture) and on a website that sells vintage props to photographers. She's in 3 of the 5 pictures from this collage. Rock star! :)
Newborn pictures were something I knew I wanted. They aren't cheap by any means, but are becoming the trend. I am not usually one to throw around money. I do like to shop, but I try to be somewhat frugal. However, well done pictures of my first child was of high importance to me. I searched and searched for the right photographer (style I liked). After my first choice fell through, I ended up finding Paige. I'm actually glad my first choice didn't work out, because I think I got a better deal.
If you have not checked out the pictures yet, you can do so here. The password is Olivia. They will be up until tomorrow.
Paige does sneak peeks and these are some of the ones she had up on facebook.
This one seems to be everyone's favorite!
The request--Paige also has a blog where she highlights some of her pictures. She just sent us an email saying she is trying something new. If we can get 12 comments on Olivia's blog post from family and friends then we get a "special little prize". I have no idea what it is, but if it gets me a free picture or a discount on a future session then I am all game. I don't even know if there are 12 of you out there who read this, but if you can please go to the blog and comment on how great the pictures are--I'd appreciate it greatly! :)
Oh, and Olivia is famous. She is featured on an etsy seller's sight (for the ruffle bottoms in the bed picture) and on a website that sells vintage props to photographers. She's in 3 of the 5 pictures from this collage. Rock star! :)
Sunday, July 17, 2011
The Happenings
Breastfeeding
*It's still frustrating, but not in the way I was expecting. We pretty much "have it down". I just hate that I have no idea how much she's getting. She seems to be hungry sooner than I think she should be (as in anywhere from a half hour after she just ate, to an hour and a half after...instead of the two to three hours 'they' say). This makes me feel like she's not getting enough/I'm not producing enough. And yes, she IS hungry and not just crying.
*Sometimes she'll eat for five minutes and act like she's done. She's not. Other times she'll feed for literally a half hour. The unpredictability of it all is just not me. This worries me for the future when I actually have to go to work and be on somewhat of a schedule. I'm hoping it's just because she's a newborn and is still figuring it all out.
*She goes from 0 to 60 in a matter of seconds. She'll be fine and then all of the sudden she is MAD and screaming for food. I have no idea where she got her impatience from. ;)
*I am probably not eating or drinking enough. I need to do better about that since it could affect my milk supply. I eat when I'm hungry, but I am definitely not eating the 500 extra calories that they say you need. I'm barely eating my normal amount of food. I went from drinking 120 PLUS ounces of water a day while pregnant to hardly making my 64 ounces now. Everything they said about breastfeeding has not been true for me so far---I'm not starving, I'm not thirsty, I don't feel my "let down", I don't leak (and have a box of breast pads not even open!). Oh well.
*I am still giving her a bottle of formula at night. Mostly because I want to make sure she's getting enough. Also, to help her go to sleep on a full belly. I may stop this at some point. I just don't feel comfortable yet that she is getting what she needs. She will drink 4 ounces. That's more than I've ever been able to pump.
*I need to pump more. I just don't have time. She's hungry so quick between feeds that if I did pump there would be nothing left for her to eat.
Fluids and such
*She is having the correct number of wet and dirty diapers, so that does make me feel a little better.
*She does have some stomach issues though, which makes her fussy. I have to work her legs to help her out sometimes.
*She pukes. A lot. I'm not talking baby spit up. She pukes and it's projectile puking at that. It's also an excessive amount. This is also probably why she's hungry so much. I don't recommend you look this up on the internet. They'll tell you your child is dying. OK, not really, but they scare the crap out of you. I called the doctor and they said try to keep her upright for a half hour after every feed. If it doesn't get better over the weekend, then we'll have to take her in on Monday. It seems to have gotten a little better. I'm also going to try to cut out dairy as much as I can. Cutting it out all together is nearly impossible for me. I'm hoping that's not the issue.
*Because of that, we had to buy sensitive formula.
Sleep
*We are on no sort of schedule. From what I understand, it's basically baby led until 6 to 8 weeks. Since I've been off work this whole time, there hasn't been much need for a schedule. She still only sleeps on 2 to 3 hour intervals. A few times she's slept 4. She basically slept all day long the first two weeks of her life, so it's just this week that we have been dealing with awake time.
*She hates her bassinet. Hates it. She will be dead asleep and I will lay her in it. Immediately she starts crying. I even tried putting a blanket under the mattress to try to make it a little softer. Nope. Didn't work.
*She loves our ottoman. It's a big one that goes with an over-sized chair. She will sleep on it for hours. She will lay on it while awake and look all around. We lay her on it and play with her. We even put her play mat on it one day. Michael was tempted to put it in our room at night. :)
*I decided it may be time to try out the pack and play. Michael put it together and we are going to see if she'll sleep in that better than the bassinet. I think she just likes to be held.
*Her favorite position is to be vertical on your chest. I think she'd sleep better if it was safe to let her sleep on her belly. I'm guessing that when she starts to roll over, she'll end up on her belly in the middle of the night.
Other
*Bath time is suppose to calm and soothe a baby and make them sleepy. Our doctor even told us to do this at night time to try to tell her that it's almost bed time (pretty common). That's all well and good, but bath time does not make her sleepy. Every single time we have given her a bath, she is WIDE awake after. We'll still do night time baths--it's what is going to work with our schedule.
*Her hair is lightening up. It's not turning blond by any means. It's just not the super dark color it was when she was born. It's a real pretty brown right now. It's closer to Michael's color. It's not quite as thick as it was either. It gets super fuzzy after her bath. I love it.
*I am happy to announce that she has worn all of her newborn clothes! Most of them she has worn 2 and 3 times. We have about 20 outfits. Some we bought, some were gifts, and some were given to us. When I heard how big she was going to be, I was worried that I had this whole section of clothes she'd never use. I feel pretty good that they weren't a waste. Yes, she's been alive 24 days and she's worn 20 outfits 2 and 3 times. Mostly it's because of puke. There has only been one blow out. I finally got smart and bought a pack of bibs. (You know--those things everyone said not to register for because you'd get a ton and I got none! :)
*She's still wearing newborn clothes, but some are getting small. Then again, some are still pretty big on her. It depends on the brand. I know most babies grow out of newborn within a few weeks. I think since she lost almost a pound in her first week, she's taking a little longer to bulk back up.
*It's still frustrating, but not in the way I was expecting. We pretty much "have it down". I just hate that I have no idea how much she's getting. She seems to be hungry sooner than I think she should be (as in anywhere from a half hour after she just ate, to an hour and a half after...instead of the two to three hours 'they' say). This makes me feel like she's not getting enough/I'm not producing enough. And yes, she IS hungry and not just crying.
*Sometimes she'll eat for five minutes and act like she's done. She's not. Other times she'll feed for literally a half hour. The unpredictability of it all is just not me. This worries me for the future when I actually have to go to work and be on somewhat of a schedule. I'm hoping it's just because she's a newborn and is still figuring it all out.
*She goes from 0 to 60 in a matter of seconds. She'll be fine and then all of the sudden she is MAD and screaming for food. I have no idea where she got her impatience from. ;)
*I am probably not eating or drinking enough. I need to do better about that since it could affect my milk supply. I eat when I'm hungry, but I am definitely not eating the 500 extra calories that they say you need. I'm barely eating my normal amount of food. I went from drinking 120 PLUS ounces of water a day while pregnant to hardly making my 64 ounces now. Everything they said about breastfeeding has not been true for me so far---I'm not starving, I'm not thirsty, I don't feel my "let down", I don't leak (and have a box of breast pads not even open!). Oh well.
*I am still giving her a bottle of formula at night. Mostly because I want to make sure she's getting enough. Also, to help her go to sleep on a full belly. I may stop this at some point. I just don't feel comfortable yet that she is getting what she needs. She will drink 4 ounces. That's more than I've ever been able to pump.
*I need to pump more. I just don't have time. She's hungry so quick between feeds that if I did pump there would be nothing left for her to eat.
Fluids and such
*She is having the correct number of wet and dirty diapers, so that does make me feel a little better.
*She does have some stomach issues though, which makes her fussy. I have to work her legs to help her out sometimes.
*She pukes. A lot. I'm not talking baby spit up. She pukes and it's projectile puking at that. It's also an excessive amount. This is also probably why she's hungry so much. I don't recommend you look this up on the internet. They'll tell you your child is dying. OK, not really, but they scare the crap out of you. I called the doctor and they said try to keep her upright for a half hour after every feed. If it doesn't get better over the weekend, then we'll have to take her in on Monday. It seems to have gotten a little better. I'm also going to try to cut out dairy as much as I can. Cutting it out all together is nearly impossible for me. I'm hoping that's not the issue.
*Because of that, we had to buy sensitive formula.
Sleep
*We are on no sort of schedule. From what I understand, it's basically baby led until 6 to 8 weeks. Since I've been off work this whole time, there hasn't been much need for a schedule. She still only sleeps on 2 to 3 hour intervals. A few times she's slept 4. She basically slept all day long the first two weeks of her life, so it's just this week that we have been dealing with awake time.
*She hates her bassinet. Hates it. She will be dead asleep and I will lay her in it. Immediately she starts crying. I even tried putting a blanket under the mattress to try to make it a little softer. Nope. Didn't work.
*She loves our ottoman. It's a big one that goes with an over-sized chair. She will sleep on it for hours. She will lay on it while awake and look all around. We lay her on it and play with her. We even put her play mat on it one day. Michael was tempted to put it in our room at night. :)
*I decided it may be time to try out the pack and play. Michael put it together and we are going to see if she'll sleep in that better than the bassinet. I think she just likes to be held.
*Her favorite position is to be vertical on your chest. I think she'd sleep better if it was safe to let her sleep on her belly. I'm guessing that when she starts to roll over, she'll end up on her belly in the middle of the night.
Other
*Bath time is suppose to calm and soothe a baby and make them sleepy. Our doctor even told us to do this at night time to try to tell her that it's almost bed time (pretty common). That's all well and good, but bath time does not make her sleepy. Every single time we have given her a bath, she is WIDE awake after. We'll still do night time baths--it's what is going to work with our schedule.
*Her hair is lightening up. It's not turning blond by any means. It's just not the super dark color it was when she was born. It's a real pretty brown right now. It's closer to Michael's color. It's not quite as thick as it was either. It gets super fuzzy after her bath. I love it.
*I am happy to announce that she has worn all of her newborn clothes! Most of them she has worn 2 and 3 times. We have about 20 outfits. Some we bought, some were gifts, and some were given to us. When I heard how big she was going to be, I was worried that I had this whole section of clothes she'd never use. I feel pretty good that they weren't a waste. Yes, she's been alive 24 days and she's worn 20 outfits 2 and 3 times. Mostly it's because of puke. There has only been one blow out. I finally got smart and bought a pack of bibs. (You know--those things everyone said not to register for because you'd get a ton and I got none! :)
*She's still wearing newborn clothes, but some are getting small. Then again, some are still pretty big on her. It depends on the brand. I know most babies grow out of newborn within a few weeks. I think since she lost almost a pound in her first week, she's taking a little longer to bulk back up.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
"The Great and Terrible Meconium Exodus"
If you are friends with Michael on facebook, then you may recognize the title. This is what he called our little poop incident.
This is one of those stories that is probably best told in person. It's the kind that my family beg for me to tell. I'm not sure how writing it out on the blog will work, but it's just too funny to pass up. Hopefully I can write it in a way that you will find it as funny as we did and not just file it under "I guess you had to be there".
Our dear little child came into this world not wanting to eat or poop. She had two meconium diapers in the first day, but then didn't have another one for a long stretch of time. I mentioned yesterday that the nurse had to assist her on Saturday morning. When we got discharged from the hospital, they told us that she needed to have another meconium diaper by the end of the day. She did not.
Not only did she not have another one on Saturday, but she did not poop at all on Sunday as well. I knew this wasn't good, but wasn't exactly sure what to do. She also had not pooped on Monday when we went to the doctor. The doctor told us we needed to stimulate her rectum with a q-tip or rectal thermometer and some KY jelly. Mmmm... fun, huh? The joys of being a parent!
So Monday night I did this and we got a meconium diaper. Woo Hoo! Neither Michael nor I had ever been so happy to see poop! :) Then came Tuesday. Guess who still wasn't pooping on her own? So I did the whole q-tip and KY thing again, but got nothing. (For whatever reason, I think I was more scared the second time around and didn't put it in far enough to do anything.)
I really didn't want to keep going about things this way, but I knew that it was not good she wasn't pooping. At this point she was suppose to be having 3 poopy diapers a day and she hadn't poop for 48 hours. Also, the doctor told us all meconium needed to be out of her body by day 5 and we were on day 6. So Wednesday night I once again "stimulated her rectum" with the q-tip and KY. I handed her off to Michael and went to the kitchen to get something to drink. Not five minutes after I handed her off he was saying, "If that wasn't pooping, I don't know what is". She had been having lots of gas all along, so I went to peak in her diaper to make sure it was indeed poop. Boy was it. I said, "This is a two person job for sure".
We took her into the nursery. We have disposable pads on the changing table. We laid her down on that and I began changing her diaper. It was a TON and was a crazy consistency. It was the last of the meconium mixed in with breast milk poop. I had never seen anything like it. I made a few comments like "Oh my goodness" and "holy cow" or something like that. This was not a good idea on my part. It sent Michael into a bit of a tizzy. He kept saying "What?" and "You being taken back is making me nervous". His reaction was making me laugh. I kept telling him to stop it or I was going to pee my pants.
I got her almost all cleaned up and had the new diaper underneath. There was just one more little spot closer to her back. I lifted her legs up to reach the area and wipe. That's when the fun began. She started pooping right there and then. I said something like "Whoa" and tried to catch it in the clean diaper. You can only imagine Michael's response. He started freaking out a bit. I'm pretty sure he was sort of pacing behind me. I was laughing so hard at his response that I was bent over trying to hold my pee in. Tears were streaming down my face. All of the sudden I hear him say in a some what panicky voice, "What can be done?". It was all down hill from there.
Don't worry about Olivia. She was as content as can be. She probably felt the best she had felt since birth getting all that out of her. I waited until I thought she was done and then wrapped that diaper up and cleaned her off. Unfortunately, she was not done. This time there was no diaper to catch it. Not to be graphic in talking about poop, but it came out in a swirl looking like soft serve. Michael was now on the other side of me (from his pacing) and said, "It's like a freaking play doh factory in here". Yeah, I peed my pants. Seriously. I'm not too proud to admit it either. I had no bladder leaking issues all of my pregnancy. I had no bladder control issues postpartum up until that point. However, with all the pooping and Michael's one liners and the hilarity of it all, I could not hold it in. Thankfully, things were in place for postpartum healing and I didn't make a mess--if you know what I mean. :)
I told Michael he needed to get rid of the disposable pad and put a new one down. I'm pretty sure he was in shock. Never in a million years could he have been prepared for this. He took the pad, but didn't know what to do with it. It ended up in my bathroom sink!?!? Just when he got the next pad down... guess who pooped again!?! I guess that's what happens when you hold it in for 2 days. This time it made noises and bubbles accompanied it. I have no idea what Michael said, but I was still bent over the changing table laughing. My face was soaked from the tears I was crying. I SO wish the whole thing would have been video taped. I'm convinced we could have made some money. All of the sudden Michael grabbed the giraffe off the back of the changing table (no where near the poop) and said, "This should not be here!" Yeah. That was helpful. I am working on cleaning up poop #4 and he is worried about a stuffed giraffe!
I had another diaper laying on the pad waiting for everything to be pooped out. Michael picked it up and said, "Ugh, why is this wet?" It was literally wet from my tears. I laughed so hard that I wet myself and my tears wet a diaper. Michael admits that he was probably more of a hindrance than a help. Really, all he did was remove the disposable pad twice. While that was necessary, his one liners, distraught demeanor, pacing, and shock caused me to lose it. Oh well. It's one for the books.
Things finally settled down and we got a clean diaper on Olivia. That was the last time we had to use a q-tip and KY. I'm hoping we never have to use it again.
This is one of those stories that is probably best told in person. It's the kind that my family beg for me to tell. I'm not sure how writing it out on the blog will work, but it's just too funny to pass up. Hopefully I can write it in a way that you will find it as funny as we did and not just file it under "I guess you had to be there".
Our dear little child came into this world not wanting to eat or poop. She had two meconium diapers in the first day, but then didn't have another one for a long stretch of time. I mentioned yesterday that the nurse had to assist her on Saturday morning. When we got discharged from the hospital, they told us that she needed to have another meconium diaper by the end of the day. She did not.
Not only did she not have another one on Saturday, but she did not poop at all on Sunday as well. I knew this wasn't good, but wasn't exactly sure what to do. She also had not pooped on Monday when we went to the doctor. The doctor told us we needed to stimulate her rectum with a q-tip or rectal thermometer and some KY jelly. Mmmm... fun, huh? The joys of being a parent!
So Monday night I did this and we got a meconium diaper. Woo Hoo! Neither Michael nor I had ever been so happy to see poop! :) Then came Tuesday. Guess who still wasn't pooping on her own? So I did the whole q-tip and KY thing again, but got nothing. (For whatever reason, I think I was more scared the second time around and didn't put it in far enough to do anything.)
I really didn't want to keep going about things this way, but I knew that it was not good she wasn't pooping. At this point she was suppose to be having 3 poopy diapers a day and she hadn't poop for 48 hours. Also, the doctor told us all meconium needed to be out of her body by day 5 and we were on day 6. So Wednesday night I once again "stimulated her rectum" with the q-tip and KY. I handed her off to Michael and went to the kitchen to get something to drink. Not five minutes after I handed her off he was saying, "If that wasn't pooping, I don't know what is". She had been having lots of gas all along, so I went to peak in her diaper to make sure it was indeed poop. Boy was it. I said, "This is a two person job for sure".
We took her into the nursery. We have disposable pads on the changing table. We laid her down on that and I began changing her diaper. It was a TON and was a crazy consistency. It was the last of the meconium mixed in with breast milk poop. I had never seen anything like it. I made a few comments like "Oh my goodness" and "holy cow" or something like that. This was not a good idea on my part. It sent Michael into a bit of a tizzy. He kept saying "What?" and "You being taken back is making me nervous". His reaction was making me laugh. I kept telling him to stop it or I was going to pee my pants.
I got her almost all cleaned up and had the new diaper underneath. There was just one more little spot closer to her back. I lifted her legs up to reach the area and wipe. That's when the fun began. She started pooping right there and then. I said something like "Whoa" and tried to catch it in the clean diaper. You can only imagine Michael's response. He started freaking out a bit. I'm pretty sure he was sort of pacing behind me. I was laughing so hard at his response that I was bent over trying to hold my pee in. Tears were streaming down my face. All of the sudden I hear him say in a some what panicky voice, "What can be done?". It was all down hill from there.
Don't worry about Olivia. She was as content as can be. She probably felt the best she had felt since birth getting all that out of her. I waited until I thought she was done and then wrapped that diaper up and cleaned her off. Unfortunately, she was not done. This time there was no diaper to catch it. Not to be graphic in talking about poop, but it came out in a swirl looking like soft serve. Michael was now on the other side of me (from his pacing) and said, "It's like a freaking play doh factory in here". Yeah, I peed my pants. Seriously. I'm not too proud to admit it either. I had no bladder leaking issues all of my pregnancy. I had no bladder control issues postpartum up until that point. However, with all the pooping and Michael's one liners and the hilarity of it all, I could not hold it in. Thankfully, things were in place for postpartum healing and I didn't make a mess--if you know what I mean. :)
I told Michael he needed to get rid of the disposable pad and put a new one down. I'm pretty sure he was in shock. Never in a million years could he have been prepared for this. He took the pad, but didn't know what to do with it. It ended up in my bathroom sink!?!? Just when he got the next pad down... guess who pooped again!?! I guess that's what happens when you hold it in for 2 days. This time it made noises and bubbles accompanied it. I have no idea what Michael said, but I was still bent over the changing table laughing. My face was soaked from the tears I was crying. I SO wish the whole thing would have been video taped. I'm convinced we could have made some money. All of the sudden Michael grabbed the giraffe off the back of the changing table (no where near the poop) and said, "This should not be here!" Yeah. That was helpful. I am working on cleaning up poop #4 and he is worried about a stuffed giraffe!
I had another diaper laying on the pad waiting for everything to be pooped out. Michael picked it up and said, "Ugh, why is this wet?" It was literally wet from my tears. I laughed so hard that I wet myself and my tears wet a diaper. Michael admits that he was probably more of a hindrance than a help. Really, all he did was remove the disposable pad twice. While that was necessary, his one liners, distraught demeanor, pacing, and shock caused me to lose it. Oh well. It's one for the books.
Things finally settled down and we got a clean diaper on Olivia. That was the last time we had to use a q-tip and KY. I'm hoping we never have to use it again.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Jaundice and Breastfeeding
Sunday (the 26th) was our first full day home. I noticed that she was more and more yellow. I was feeding her every couple of hours, but she still wasn't eating great. She slept all day (because of the jaundice). I was worried, but didn't really want to go to the ER. The hospital had sent home 4 of those ready made similac bottles that they use in the nursery. I decided to give her a little on Sunday afternoon. I knew she needed to eat in order to flush her system. She took some, but we found out later that we didn't give her enough of that either. The hospital called to check on us and we did ask about her looking more yellow and not having another bowel movement--which she was suppose to have already done the day before. They weren't much help. We decided to just call first thing Monday morning and try to get her into the pediatrician since that is what she had instructed us to do.
I continued on with the breastfeeding. I also tried pumping, but was getting little to nothing. At our 3 AM feeding she was literally screaming and I could do nothing to get her to latch. I had also become engorged that evening, so it was even harder for her. Michael finally got out of bed, grabbed a bottle, and we decided it was time to give her that. As important as breastfeeding was to me, feeding my starving child was more important in that moment.
We got in to the pediatrician Monday afternoon. She had been 8 pounds 8 ounces at birth. She was 8 pounds 2 ounces at discharge on Saturday morning. This was a 5% weight loss and was considered normal. By Monday afternoon (the 27th) she was down to 7 pounds 9 ounces. Not good. She had lost almost a pound. Our pediatrician said she was "glowing" and was about a 16 or 17 (out of 20) on the bilirubin scale. She said we needed to be feeding her 2 ounces every 2 hours for the first two weeks. That included the middle of the night. However, she said we could go 3 hours at night if Olivia let us. Obviously I have no way of knowing whether I was giving her 2 ounces of breast milk. She said we needed to supplement with formula as needed and to see a lactation consultant to have her measured. Since she is a holistic doctor, she's obviously highly in favor of breastfeeding. She encouraged us to do what we needed to do to get back on track and to not give up.
I'll be honest, I was pretty discouraged. I didn't feel like the breastfeeding thing was going that great, nor did I think it was going to get back on track. The only thing that kept me trying was my stubbornness. I had decided before having Olivia that no matter what, I was going to give breastfeeding my best shot. I knew it was going to be hard, but so many people I know go into it already giving themselves an out. I had given myself a challenge, and I wanted to hold up to it and prove that I could do it. I couldn't get in to the lactation consultant until that Thursday. So for the rest of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and part of Thursday, I breastfed (more so to stimulate the boob, I wasn't convinced she was getting much) and then gave her a bottle after. I also continued to try to pump every once in a while, but was still just getting drops.
Our lactation consultant was very helpful. They weighed her. Thankfully she was up to 7 pounds 13.5 ounces. At least we made progress. We also weighed her a few times in the middle of the feed. She got one ounce from one breast and a half an ounce from the other breast. Then she took about a half an ounce of bottle--equally the two ounces she needed. The lactation consultant gave us lots of useful information. That one hour appointment was more valuable than all the books, blogs and classes. She also loaded us up with more ready made similac and two packs of diapers! She said I needed to breastfeed every two hours (as my doctor said) and then supplement with formula as needed. She said that it would all work itself out within the next few days and eventually Olivia would quit taking the bottle. She also said that every time Olivia took a bottle, I had to pump. THAT I didn't know. It makes sense though. She said that if Olivia is drinking an ounce from a bottle, that's an ounce that my body doesn't know she ate. If my body doesn't know she ate it, then my body doesn't know to produce it. Duh! Why had that not been mentioned in any books, the class we took, or any other source I've scoured in the last few months?!?!
Needless to say, it was a tiring process. Every two hours I had to breastfeed. Then I would hand her off to Michael, who would give her an ounce of formula. While he gave her the bottle, I had to pump for 10 minutes. I still wasn't getting much, but I was sending my body the message it needed. Eventually we quit giving her the formula and she seemed to be doing better.
We had a follow up appointment with the lactation consultant on Tuesday (the 5th). She weighed 8 pounds 2.5 ounces. She had gained an ounce a day, which is in the high end of what they should be gaining (a half ounce to an ounce a day). Then we did the whole weighing and feeding thing again and she got a little over 3 ounces of breast milk from our feed. The lactation consultant was thrilled with her weight gain, with our progress, and with how much milk she was getting. Thankfully it seemed to have worked itself out!
We had her two week appointment with the pediatrician (to check on the weight gain, since it had gone down so much after birth). She said she was still a little jaundice (her head and chest), but that it looked much better. She said it usually takes a month to run it's course. Also, she was weighed again and she weighed 8 pounds 6 ounces. She was only 2 ounces under her birth weight, which considering the circumstances, was pretty good.
Because of the jaundice, she has basically slept the entire two weeks away. When she opens her eyes it's like the freaking paparazzi in our apartment. It happens so rarely that cameras go off in every direction! :) It's getting better though. There has been lots of improvement even just in this week. The pediatrician had said that we needed to start getting her days and nights straightened out within the first few weeks of her life. How can you straighten out her days and nights when she literally is always asleep?! She is just starting to come out of the fog, so hopefully we can get into some sort of routine in the next few weeks--before I have to go back to work and a routine is a must.
I continued on with the breastfeeding. I also tried pumping, but was getting little to nothing. At our 3 AM feeding she was literally screaming and I could do nothing to get her to latch. I had also become engorged that evening, so it was even harder for her. Michael finally got out of bed, grabbed a bottle, and we decided it was time to give her that. As important as breastfeeding was to me, feeding my starving child was more important in that moment.
We got in to the pediatrician Monday afternoon. She had been 8 pounds 8 ounces at birth. She was 8 pounds 2 ounces at discharge on Saturday morning. This was a 5% weight loss and was considered normal. By Monday afternoon (the 27th) she was down to 7 pounds 9 ounces. Not good. She had lost almost a pound. Our pediatrician said she was "glowing" and was about a 16 or 17 (out of 20) on the bilirubin scale. She said we needed to be feeding her 2 ounces every 2 hours for the first two weeks. That included the middle of the night. However, she said we could go 3 hours at night if Olivia let us. Obviously I have no way of knowing whether I was giving her 2 ounces of breast milk. She said we needed to supplement with formula as needed and to see a lactation consultant to have her measured. Since she is a holistic doctor, she's obviously highly in favor of breastfeeding. She encouraged us to do what we needed to do to get back on track and to not give up.
(On the way to the doctor)
I'll be honest, I was pretty discouraged. I didn't feel like the breastfeeding thing was going that great, nor did I think it was going to get back on track. The only thing that kept me trying was my stubbornness. I had decided before having Olivia that no matter what, I was going to give breastfeeding my best shot. I knew it was going to be hard, but so many people I know go into it already giving themselves an out. I had given myself a challenge, and I wanted to hold up to it and prove that I could do it. I couldn't get in to the lactation consultant until that Thursday. So for the rest of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and part of Thursday, I breastfed (more so to stimulate the boob, I wasn't convinced she was getting much) and then gave her a bottle after. I also continued to try to pump every once in a while, but was still just getting drops.
Our lactation consultant was very helpful. They weighed her. Thankfully she was up to 7 pounds 13.5 ounces. At least we made progress. We also weighed her a few times in the middle of the feed. She got one ounce from one breast and a half an ounce from the other breast. Then she took about a half an ounce of bottle--equally the two ounces she needed. The lactation consultant gave us lots of useful information. That one hour appointment was more valuable than all the books, blogs and classes. She also loaded us up with more ready made similac and two packs of diapers! She said I needed to breastfeed every two hours (as my doctor said) and then supplement with formula as needed. She said that it would all work itself out within the next few days and eventually Olivia would quit taking the bottle. She also said that every time Olivia took a bottle, I had to pump. THAT I didn't know. It makes sense though. She said that if Olivia is drinking an ounce from a bottle, that's an ounce that my body doesn't know she ate. If my body doesn't know she ate it, then my body doesn't know to produce it. Duh! Why had that not been mentioned in any books, the class we took, or any other source I've scoured in the last few months?!?!
Needless to say, it was a tiring process. Every two hours I had to breastfeed. Then I would hand her off to Michael, who would give her an ounce of formula. While he gave her the bottle, I had to pump for 10 minutes. I still wasn't getting much, but I was sending my body the message it needed. Eventually we quit giving her the formula and she seemed to be doing better.
We had a follow up appointment with the lactation consultant on Tuesday (the 5th). She weighed 8 pounds 2.5 ounces. She had gained an ounce a day, which is in the high end of what they should be gaining (a half ounce to an ounce a day). Then we did the whole weighing and feeding thing again and she got a little over 3 ounces of breast milk from our feed. The lactation consultant was thrilled with her weight gain, with our progress, and with how much milk she was getting. Thankfully it seemed to have worked itself out!
We had her two week appointment with the pediatrician (to check on the weight gain, since it had gone down so much after birth). She said she was still a little jaundice (her head and chest), but that it looked much better. She said it usually takes a month to run it's course. Also, she was weighed again and she weighed 8 pounds 6 ounces. She was only 2 ounces under her birth weight, which considering the circumstances, was pretty good.
Because of the jaundice, she has basically slept the entire two weeks away. When she opens her eyes it's like the freaking paparazzi in our apartment. It happens so rarely that cameras go off in every direction! :) It's getting better though. There has been lots of improvement even just in this week. The pediatrician had said that we needed to start getting her days and nights straightened out within the first few weeks of her life. How can you straighten out her days and nights when she literally is always asleep?! She is just starting to come out of the fog, so hopefully we can get into some sort of routine in the next few weeks--before I have to go back to work and a routine is a must.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Going Home
Oddly, we have no pictures from our two night stay in postpartum (except for pictures of our visitors). I guess we had too many other things taking up our time.
When Olivia was born, she was not interested in eating. The nurses just encouraged us to do skin on skin and attempt to feed every two hours. Eventually she was suppose to come out of her funk and want to eat. We did a lot of skin on skin and a little breastfeeding the first night. I continued to breastfeed on Friday, but wasn't exactly sure it was all going as planned. A lactation consultant came Friday afternoon to help. She gave me a few tips, but I didn't find her all that helpful. I continued doing the best I could. The problem was, I had a child that wasn't really interested in eating. She was stubborn in the womb and she came out stubborn as well. During the middle of the night Friday night (and into Saturday morning), she went for a 9 hour stretch where she literally refused to eat. She would purse her lips together and not budge. She'd turn her head away. She just didn't want to eat for whatever reason.
Saturday morning the nurse had to "help" her have a bowl movement by using a rectal thermometer. She also mentioned that she was slightly jaundice (9.8 on the scale), but it got better after they gave her something (I couldn't understand what she was saying), so they weren't too concerned. I'm guessing the jaundice came from not eating... and then in turn not pooping. Our pediatrician came and checked her out for discharge and said she wasn't too concerned. She said if she started "glowing" then to come in Monday. If not, we'd go in on Wednesday or Thursday.
When Olivia was born, she was not interested in eating. The nurses just encouraged us to do skin on skin and attempt to feed every two hours. Eventually she was suppose to come out of her funk and want to eat. We did a lot of skin on skin and a little breastfeeding the first night. I continued to breastfeed on Friday, but wasn't exactly sure it was all going as planned. A lactation consultant came Friday afternoon to help. She gave me a few tips, but I didn't find her all that helpful. I continued doing the best I could. The problem was, I had a child that wasn't really interested in eating. She was stubborn in the womb and she came out stubborn as well. During the middle of the night Friday night (and into Saturday morning), she went for a 9 hour stretch where she literally refused to eat. She would purse her lips together and not budge. She'd turn her head away. She just didn't want to eat for whatever reason.
Saturday morning the nurse had to "help" her have a bowl movement by using a rectal thermometer. She also mentioned that she was slightly jaundice (9.8 on the scale), but it got better after they gave her something (I couldn't understand what she was saying), so they weren't too concerned. I'm guessing the jaundice came from not eating... and then in turn not pooping. Our pediatrician came and checked her out for discharge and said she wasn't too concerned. She said if she started "glowing" then to come in Monday. If not, we'd go in on Wednesday or Thursday.
We got discharged from the hospital Saturday morning at 11.
I brought multiple outfits to the hospital because I wasn't sure what was going to fit her.
I went with this newborn outfit (which was still a little big).
On our way
Arriving home
We didn't do much that day. Michael ran out to get a prescription filled and a few groceries that couldn't be stocked up(milk, fruit). Olivia slept almost the entire time, besides waking to eat, so it went kind of easy. Going to bed was a different story. She didn't like her bassinet, nor did she like the lights being turned out. Eventually she went to sleep though.
More on the jaundice and breastfeeding tomorrow...
(eventually I'll catch up!)
Thursday, July 7, 2011
The Birth Story Part 2--She's here!
So I left off with pictures of her just coming out and Michael cutting the umbilical cord. If you are a friend of either my husband or myself on facebook, you may have heard or seen some of this. Again, this is a way for me to document it for us and you just get to peek inside. Hopefully you still enjoy it. Who knows--there may be some pictures or facts that you did not see on facebook! :)
At our hospital, everything for the baby is done in the room. (Unless, of course, she would have had to be taken to the NICU.) A nursery nurse is in the room at delivery, and she has her little station that she goes to. While my doctor was tending to me, Michael was by Olivia taking tons of pictures and videos. The little station was literally like three feet to my right, so I was able to see everything that was going on as well.
She cried when she was born, but she had a little gunk in her lungs that needed to be suctioned out. (She later spit a bunch more out and Michael even had to suction her while in our postpartum room.)
Check out that cone head! She measured at 20 1/2 inches at birth, but they warned us that she might lose some of that height when her head goes down. When we went to the pediatrician a few days later she measured at 19 3/4 inches.
She was also pretty swollen...and not so happy
Everyone (doctor and nurses) kept talking about four things over and over: How much hair she had, how beautiful she was, how chubby her cheeks are, and how huge her umbilical cord was.
I had never heard of a fat umbilical cord before, so I asked what it meant. They said it was a good thing. It just meant that she was getting a lot of nutrition in the womb. No wonder she was so big!
Daddy loving his little girl
First family photo (keepin' it real style)
First bath (by nurse)
The nurse said because she had so much hair she had to wash it in the sink. Olivia screamed the during most of the bath, but she loved having her hair washed (and she still does).
All clean, cozy and cute
As soon as my doctor was done fixing me up, she asked me what she could get me. She offered me a soda and I took her up on it! :)
Also, I was brought a yummy dinner. I could pick anything I wanted. The nurse suggested a mushroom swiss burger, so I went with that. The funny thing is, I wasn't really all that hungry once I was able to eat (even though it had been 24 hours since I ate last). I forced myself to eat half of it. Michael was given whatever the dinner of the night was. He didn't mind. It was all good food.
At our hospital, you stay in the labor and delivery room for 2 hours and then get moved to postpartum. By the time everything got taken care of, we were moving at 10 o'clock. I ended up being in the room 24 hours exactly.
At our hospital, everything for the baby is done in the room. (Unless, of course, she would have had to be taken to the NICU.) A nursery nurse is in the room at delivery, and she has her little station that she goes to. While my doctor was tending to me, Michael was by Olivia taking tons of pictures and videos. The little station was literally like three feet to my right, so I was able to see everything that was going on as well.
She cried when she was born, but she had a little gunk in her lungs that needed to be suctioned out. (She later spit a bunch more out and Michael even had to suction her while in our postpartum room.)
Check out that cone head! She measured at 20 1/2 inches at birth, but they warned us that she might lose some of that height when her head goes down. When we went to the pediatrician a few days later she measured at 19 3/4 inches.
She was also pretty swollen...and not so happy
Everyone (doctor and nurses) kept talking about four things over and over: How much hair she had, how beautiful she was, how chubby her cheeks are, and how huge her umbilical cord was.
I had never heard of a fat umbilical cord before, so I asked what it meant. They said it was a good thing. It just meant that she was getting a lot of nutrition in the womb. No wonder she was so big!
Daddy loving his little girl
First family photo (keepin' it real style)
First bath (by nurse)
The nurse said because she had so much hair she had to wash it in the sink. Olivia screamed the during most of the bath, but she loved having her hair washed (and she still does).
All clean, cozy and cute
As soon as my doctor was done fixing me up, she asked me what she could get me. She offered me a soda and I took her up on it! :)
Also, I was brought a yummy dinner. I could pick anything I wanted. The nurse suggested a mushroom swiss burger, so I went with that. The funny thing is, I wasn't really all that hungry once I was able to eat (even though it had been 24 hours since I ate last). I forced myself to eat half of it. Michael was given whatever the dinner of the night was. He didn't mind. It was all good food.
At our hospital, you stay in the labor and delivery room for 2 hours and then get moved to postpartum. By the time everything got taken care of, we were moving at 10 o'clock. I ended up being in the room 24 hours exactly.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)