Let's get back to the little "what you might not know/expect in real terms when you have a baby" mini series....
WARNING: THIS POST IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART!!! Or if you're like my brother and you don't want to talk about how women make perfect food for babies from their precious bosom.
Next topic in our breastfeeding mini series: Boobs
No seriously, your breasts are amazing. They have the ability to create actual food, perfect food . Not only create it, but also deliver it in exactly the way your baby needs.
Here's the thing: as I said before, I am no expert. I only know my own experiences, and what I have read. There is soooo much to learn about your breasts and how they truly provide life for your lil one.
Actually the production of milk is way to difficult a topic for me to intelligently explain so I will simply reference one of the websites that has been super helpful for me: Kellymom. This page will give you a great description of how milk is made in your breasts.
The most impressive thing I have found about our breasts is that when you are nursing your baby your nipple actually sucks in some of the baby's saliva in order to create milk that is specifically designed for your baby. I mean if your baby is sick, their saliva goes into your nipple, your boob analyzes it, figures out what the baby needs, and makes milk to help heal your baby. WHAT?!
Speaking of nipples: your nips actually have several openings. I did not know this until I started nursing. They also have the ability to shoot out milk to great distances, or simply into your partner's eye as he sleeps so soundly next to you. Yep that actually happened.
When your milk first comes in, it comes like a flood. When in the hospital with Gideon I remember waking up the first morning soaked on my sides. Hello milk, how are you today?
I have been so blessed to have no issue with milk production. There was a time with Harper that I thought my milk was dwindling, but because our bodies are so incredible, it fixed itself! No joke, your body knows how much milk your baby needs. If you find your milk supply is lessening, there are many things you can do from shakes, to simply pumping/feeding more.
So what happens when your breasts fill up in the beginning? Engorgement. That's what happens. It's one of the least happy times in your life. First your boobies fill up with milk and it feels like hot lava flowing through your milk ducts. Burning fire!!! Then they become rock hard, and veiny. I mean my boobs went from a size B to D over night. They were enormous, hard, and so veiny they looked like they belonged on a body builder's chest. You know what I mean.
What to do if you become engorged:
First of all, stop crying. Next, if your baby is not ready to nurse, grab your pump. Pump that shit out. All of it. Trust me, you will make more when your baby is ready to eat. If you can't get it all out, get in the shower. Run that hot water on them. They should automatically release some of the milk, but if not push on the hard parts until you feel them release.
Most women will only suffer from engorgement at the beginning of their baby's life. For me, however, it continued for several months.
If this is you, you will definitely want to get some nursing pads pronto. Some women only need them for a tiny bit in the beginning, but I generally use them for several months. Leaking is a real thing.
Speaking of Pumping:
Pumping sucks. Bottom line. It's terrible. It's degrading, uncomfortable, loud. You might think you are just going to breast feed and not need a pump, but that is likely untrue. If only to relieve yourself from engorgement. If you are intending to go back to work and don't want to give your baby formula, you will have to pump. Again, I have been super blessed to not have an issue pumping enough for my babies. I mean you've seen the pictures of my freezer: 90% milk, 10% frozen veggies. But some women just can't.
Some things to try to pump more milk: pump longer, bring a onesie that your baby has worn recently- their smell can up your production, look at pictures or watch videos of your baby while pumping, just think about nursing your baby- I know it seems weird but it works for me, and lactation smoothies.
That last one is by far the best. Go search lactation smoothie and you will get sooooo many different recipes for smoothies to help with lactation. There are also cookies you can make! There are lots of things that you can eat to up your production.
So some women choose to exclusively pump because they have so much difficulty breastfeeding. Those women have my sympathy. You are doing a great deed by providing milk for your precious babe, but I do not envy you. It's so hard to do what you are doing, and I salute you.
Here are a couple other links to try if you need more info.:
https://www.babycenter.com/breastfeeding
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/breastfeeding/Pages/default.aspx
Thursday, July 18, 2019
Monday, June 24, 2019
Special
After Harper was born, one of my main worries about having a third child was that it would have some kind of disability. I figured, I had two "normal" children, what were the odds of having a third?
When Cyrus was born and we encountered all the issues with feeding at the beginning of his life, I knew this worry was valid.
This little one has thrown me for a loop his entire life. The whole 15 months of it!
We recently found out that he has a genetic disorder called SETBP1. In a nut shell, Cyrus is missing one copy of the 18th chromosome. The implications are many, and varied, including motor delays, developmental delays, hypotonia (low tone), and expressive language delays. So far we have identified these to be accurate for Cyrus.
At his one year appointment, the pediatrician began referrals for him to see various specialists, as well as have a genetic test. This resulted in him getting Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy. While he will most certainly have difficulty verbalizing we have not yet begun speech therapy.
When I say the implications of a SETBP1 deletion are varied, I do mean to the greatest degree. There are children who speak at a later age, think 3-8 years old. While there are still those who are never able to verbally express themselves.
As of yet, we have no idea where Cyrus will land on that spectrum. The fact that he does respond well to the therapies he is receiving is a great encouragement.
Right now, I can only cope by learning sign language as quickly as possible. I'm not able to sit and think about the worst case scenario. However, I'm also not able to pretend he is OK. The most helpful responses I have received from friends and family have been those who simply say, "I'm sorry" or "How are you feeling?" or "Well, I'll learn sign too!" It is not a help to me to hope and pray that this somehow fixes itself. This is the way Cyrus was born. This is in him. It's a part of him. He is perfect just the way he is, and he does not need his genetic makeup fixed. What he needs is support. He needs people to talk to him, all.the.time. He needs people to sign with him. He needs people to believe that the way he is is the way he was meant to be.
He needs a tribe of people around him to see the perfection and beauty of who he is, and not wish he was something else.
And that is what I intend to be.
When Cyrus was born and we encountered all the issues with feeding at the beginning of his life, I knew this worry was valid.
This little one has thrown me for a loop his entire life. The whole 15 months of it!
We recently found out that he has a genetic disorder called SETBP1. In a nut shell, Cyrus is missing one copy of the 18th chromosome. The implications are many, and varied, including motor delays, developmental delays, hypotonia (low tone), and expressive language delays. So far we have identified these to be accurate for Cyrus.
When I say the implications of a SETBP1 deletion are varied, I do mean to the greatest degree. There are children who speak at a later age, think 3-8 years old. While there are still those who are never able to verbally express themselves.
As of yet, we have no idea where Cyrus will land on that spectrum. The fact that he does respond well to the therapies he is receiving is a great encouragement.
Right now, I can only cope by learning sign language as quickly as possible. I'm not able to sit and think about the worst case scenario. However, I'm also not able to pretend he is OK. The most helpful responses I have received from friends and family have been those who simply say, "I'm sorry" or "How are you feeling?" or "Well, I'll learn sign too!" It is not a help to me to hope and pray that this somehow fixes itself. This is the way Cyrus was born. This is in him. It's a part of him. He is perfect just the way he is, and he does not need his genetic makeup fixed. What he needs is support. He needs people to talk to him, all.the.time. He needs people to sign with him. He needs people to believe that the way he is is the way he was meant to be.
He needs a tribe of people around him to see the perfection and beauty of who he is, and not wish he was something else.
And that is what I intend to be.
Monday, July 16, 2018
Milkin' It- Latching
When I started writing on this topic I realized that there is so much to cover with breastfeeding that I need to break it down into smaller chunks.
Stick out your pointer finger on one hand- that's your nip
With the other hand make it look like a mouth-
that's baby's mouth
The important part is the placement of your baby's mouth on your nipple. If you place your baby's mouth straight on to the nipple that's going to make your nipple bend, not good! This happened to me with Gideon and I thought I was going to die.
This topic: Latching
Let's start with the basics. What we know is that breastmilk is amazing. It's been called "liquid gold" by many. I mean formula producers are always trying to mimic breastmilk as closely as they can for a reason. I have definitely shed a few tears when accidentally spilling some pumped milk.
Let's talk Latching
When your baby connects his itty bitty lil mouth to your sensitive, probably chapped, giant nipple it's called a latch. For a "good" latch your baby must open super wide, otherwise you risk lots of discomfort. In my experience, the latch of your baby is extremely important. When you have a good latch you know baby is getting a good amount of milk, and your nipples will be ever so happy. When you have a bad latch baby has a sad tummy, and your nipples are cracked, red, and possibly bleeding. No bueno!
There's lots of ways to get a good latch. It was explained to me like this:
Stick out your pointer finger on one hand- that's your nip
With the other hand make it look like a mouth-
that's baby's mouth
The important part is the placement of your baby's mouth on your nipple. If you place your baby's mouth straight on to the nipple that's going to make your nipple bend, not good! This happened to me with Gideon and I thought I was going to die.
You want your nipple to go in deep, so baby's head has to kind of go up and over. I'm no lactation consultant, so I'm not sure how to explain it. I'm much better with a visual!
Here's a graphic for you:
Now, it may look easy, and eventually it will be, but it's just not at first. It can be very frustrating, especially when your baby is crying his face off because he's hungry. When I first started breastfeeding I assumed my baby would just know what to do, but that is not the case. Nursing is just like everything else; your baby has to learn how to do it, and how to do it right. It's essential that your baby latches well for your sake and his.
There are so many factors that can hinder a good latch: sore nipples, small baby mouths, giant nipples, tongue tie, engorgement, inverted nipples, etc. If you experience ANY discomfort see a lactation consultant pronto! Those women are angels sent from heaven. They have so many tricks it's amazing. They can help you get a good latch. I promise it's possible!
Even after nursing two babies, I learned something new about latching. Who knew about the frenum and didn't tell me?!
Basically, latching is about as important to breastfeeding as the milk itself. Don't give up just because it's uncomfortable. The discomfort goes away. Just make sure to talk to your child's pediatrician or see a lactation consultant right away. Shoot, ask a friend who breastfeeds to watch her technique.
If I am said friend, holla at me girl!
Sunday, June 10, 2018
Get This Baby Out of Me!
My first post in the "What's Normal" series is about what happens to you when you go past your due date.
As you get further into your pregnancy you start to realize many things:
Everything is sore
Sleeping is over
Your face can have more than two chins
Acne isn't just for teenagers
Farting just happens
You hate all maternity clothes
You really need a drink
Nothing is funny
You'll do anything, ANYTHING to get that baby OUT
I did. When I went to work on my due date with my first baby, all of my wonderful co-workers felt the need to say, "What are you doing here?", and "Isn't today your due date?", and "Wow, you haven't even dropped!" To all of which I gracefully nodded and smiled on the outside, while quietly crying on the inside. Granted he was my first baby, and I had no idea what to expect. So I looked up what I could do to get things going, and I tried a gamut of things.
Eat a whole cabbage-- check
Walk-- check
Sex-- check
Exersize-- check
Stripping membranes-- check, check, and check
It was the third time that finally did it...
Now, with my last baby things went a little differently. By this time I knew that none of those (see above list) worked. Nothing works. Don't try it! Your baby is happy and warm and comfortable and not willing to leave his happy little home until he's darn well ready. Don't pressure him!!! It just makes it worse! Of course the alternative is not any better. As I was sure to find out.
I tried the membrane stripping again, and initially it helped. Of course Cyrus didn't grace us all with his precious little self until a good WEEK later! And thus begins the depression. Yes I knew about postpartum depression, but I didn't know about pregnancy depression.
Here's where we get a little real.
Many women experience some form of depression during pregnancy. Depression is some serious shit. Don't feel bad if you are pregnant and suffering through depression. Get help. Right now. Stop reading this right now and call your doctor. I'm serious.
I was lucky that I didn't start the depression until the very end of my pregnancy. But when every single day you think you're going into labor and then after hours and hours of contractions they.just.stop. It gets very frustrating. The day before I finally gave birth to Cyrus I woke up and couldn't get out of bed. My body was sore. I hadn't slept more than a couple of hours a night. I was 10 days over my due date. I was super frustrated and tired, and I just couldn't. I couldn't get out of bed. You know how people say they want to pull the covers over their head and hide. Well, that's exactly what I did. I didn't get out of my bed. I just laid there and cried. I don't even know what I looked like when I finally emerged, but I know I gave Daniel a scare. The rest of the day is a blur. I actually don't remember it.
Moral of the story is, waiting for your baby is pretty damn hard. There is no part of it that is easy. You don't have to try to find the positive. If you need to sulk, sulk. Be sad if you need to. But if you feel like you're falling into a dark pit without any way out, get help. Don't be alone. And know this: you are a part of something bigger than yourself. You are about to receive the most amazing, difficult gift you could ever be given. I won't say it is all worth it, because I'm not sure it is. But you will get through it. I did. So did many others.
You can do this!
As you get further into your pregnancy you start to realize many things:
Everything is sore
Sleeping is over
Your face can have more than two chins
Acne isn't just for teenagers
Farting just happens
You hate all maternity clothes
You really need a drink
Nothing is funny
You'll do anything, ANYTHING to get that baby OUT
I did. When I went to work on my due date with my first baby, all of my wonderful co-workers felt the need to say, "What are you doing here?", and "Isn't today your due date?", and "Wow, you haven't even dropped!" To all of which I gracefully nodded and smiled on the outside, while quietly crying on the inside. Granted he was my first baby, and I had no idea what to expect. So I looked up what I could do to get things going, and I tried a gamut of things.
Eat a whole cabbage-- check
Walk-- check
Sex-- check
Exersize-- check
Stripping membranes-- check, check, and check
It was the third time that finally did it...
Now, with my last baby things went a little differently. By this time I knew that none of those (see above list) worked. Nothing works. Don't try it! Your baby is happy and warm and comfortable and not willing to leave his happy little home until he's darn well ready. Don't pressure him!!! It just makes it worse! Of course the alternative is not any better. As I was sure to find out.
I tried the membrane stripping again, and initially it helped. Of course Cyrus didn't grace us all with his precious little self until a good WEEK later! And thus begins the depression. Yes I knew about postpartum depression, but I didn't know about pregnancy depression.
Here's where we get a little real.
Many women experience some form of depression during pregnancy. Depression is some serious shit. Don't feel bad if you are pregnant and suffering through depression. Get help. Right now. Stop reading this right now and call your doctor. I'm serious.
I was lucky that I didn't start the depression until the very end of my pregnancy. But when every single day you think you're going into labor and then after hours and hours of contractions they.just.stop. It gets very frustrating. The day before I finally gave birth to Cyrus I woke up and couldn't get out of bed. My body was sore. I hadn't slept more than a couple of hours a night. I was 10 days over my due date. I was super frustrated and tired, and I just couldn't. I couldn't get out of bed. You know how people say they want to pull the covers over their head and hide. Well, that's exactly what I did. I didn't get out of my bed. I just laid there and cried. I don't even know what I looked like when I finally emerged, but I know I gave Daniel a scare. The rest of the day is a blur. I actually don't remember it.
Moral of the story is, waiting for your baby is pretty damn hard. There is no part of it that is easy. You don't have to try to find the positive. If you need to sulk, sulk. Be sad if you need to. But if you feel like you're falling into a dark pit without any way out, get help. Don't be alone. And know this: you are a part of something bigger than yourself. You are about to receive the most amazing, difficult gift you could ever be given. I won't say it is all worth it, because I'm not sure it is. But you will get through it. I did. So did many others.
You can do this!
Saturday, June 9, 2018
What's Normal
You'd think by the third baby I would have experienced everything possible. You'd think there would be no more surprises. You'd think that wouldn't you.
Nope. There are lots of surprises. Like, hey, did you know your baby boy could lactate? Did you know your baby girl can have a baby period? Yeah me either.
So due to this, and many other reasons, namely that no one tells you anything you really need to know before it happens to you!!!! I mean there are so many things that happen to you during and after pregnancy that no one thinks to tell you. I don't think people are hiding the truth, I just think that so many women black out those parts that they don't think about it until it's too late to warn new moms.
Enough of the rant....
Due to this I have decided to do a series of posts about pregnancy and postpartum. I am by no means an expert so PLEASE DO NOT take my advice as medical. It is purely anecdotal and from my own experience, and also lots of searches and reading on babycenter.com .
I would encourage any other moms who have experience with these topics to add their comments to this post so any other women who come across it will have those to look to as well.
I mean, we're all in this thing together!
Nope. There are lots of surprises. Like, hey, did you know your baby boy could lactate? Did you know your baby girl can have a baby period? Yeah me either.
So due to this, and many other reasons, namely that no one tells you anything you really need to know before it happens to you!!!! I mean there are so many things that happen to you during and after pregnancy that no one thinks to tell you. I don't think people are hiding the truth, I just think that so many women black out those parts that they don't think about it until it's too late to warn new moms.
Enough of the rant....
Due to this I have decided to do a series of posts about pregnancy and postpartum. I am by no means an expert so PLEASE DO NOT take my advice as medical. It is purely anecdotal and from my own experience, and also lots of searches and reading on babycenter.com .
I would encourage any other moms who have experience with these topics to add their comments to this post so any other women who come across it will have those to look to as well.
I mean, we're all in this thing together!
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
It Happened To Me
Have you ever read those "It happened to me" sections in Parents magazine or newsletter?
They always give some horrible story about something that all parents do, that they know they shouldn't. You know, like when you place your baby in the car seat on the child seat of the shopping cart. You know you're not supposed to but who really ever heard of a baby actually falling off of the cart? Parents magazine that's who!
I had just such a moment the other night. Though I'm not sure anyone ever thought this could happen.
True Story: It happened to me; my infant choked on his sock!
I was happily sleeping in the middle of the night (which is rare since I have a 6 week old), when I was suddenly awakened by my infant screaming and coughing. I turned him on his side and patted his back while he violently screamed and thrashed about. I picked him up and felt his face, no spit up. Felt the mattress, no spit up there. Hmmmm... As my sweet little baby nursed I started feeling around on his bed and there it was. His sock. Soaked.
Now, I have no idea how he managed to get the sock off, let alone get it into his mouth. But it happened. True story.
So now of course I have to ban all socks on him at bed time.
Beware moms and dads... it could happen to you too.....
They always give some horrible story about something that all parents do, that they know they shouldn't. You know, like when you place your baby in the car seat on the child seat of the shopping cart. You know you're not supposed to but who really ever heard of a baby actually falling off of the cart? Parents magazine that's who!
I had just such a moment the other night. Though I'm not sure anyone ever thought this could happen.
True Story: It happened to me; my infant choked on his sock!
I was happily sleeping in the middle of the night (which is rare since I have a 6 week old), when I was suddenly awakened by my infant screaming and coughing. I turned him on his side and patted his back while he violently screamed and thrashed about. I picked him up and felt his face, no spit up. Felt the mattress, no spit up there. Hmmmm... As my sweet little baby nursed I started feeling around on his bed and there it was. His sock. Soaked.
Now, I have no idea how he managed to get the sock off, let alone get it into his mouth. But it happened. True story.
So now of course I have to ban all socks on him at bed time.
Beware moms and dads... it could happen to you too.....
Monday, April 30, 2018
A Day In the Life
Some days are better than others.
This is just one of them...
This is just one of them...
Good morning?
Yes, my kitchen is a mess.
Sometimes they get along.
Uneaten waffle and last night's dinner on Harper's seat.
The carseat is the devil.
Feeding #239589374950
Never leaves my side. Ever.
Nap time!
Lunch time!
So helpful to have a 3 year old wrapped around my feet while I do dishes.
I don't even know how long this clean laundry has been there....
Someone hurt himself...
Oh no! I turned off the T.V.
Still mad....
Finally nap time for EVERYONE!
Post nap cuddle party
It's so nice to get to change two different size butts.
Riding bikes is hard
I can't even remember
All that hard work...
Bed time.
Not pictured:
2089745878787 feedings for the baby.
3 year old laying across my lap while I try to go to the bathroom.
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
Fatty Fatty 2x4
Here's the latest in the weight gain story:
Just when you think you've solved a problem, that exact same problem reappears!!!
After the amazing weight gain we experienced, a week later this tiny baby went back down in weight!!! Not by a significant amount, but enough.
The doctor, of course, wanted me to start supplementing with formula. Every time I hear that from the doctors I want to shove their faces into my freezer which is overflowing with so much breastmilk that I'm going to have to start throwing everything else out of there in order to make room for more. Sorry guys, no more frozen waffles for breakfast, Mommy's a milk machine.
Anyways, the thought was that maybe my milk isn't super fatty. So what do I do? What any other semi-crazy-worried mom would do. I searched "how to increase fat in breastmilk".
At first, there were articles saying there is no way to increase fat. Just ways to access the more fatty milk already in your breasts. Not what I wanted. But then I came upon this other mom's blog who said that she used a supplement called Sunflower Lecithin to increase the fat content in her milk.
Thus I began a steady regimen of pumping before feeding to make sure he gets the "hind milk", supplement with some defrosted colostrum by syringe, and take the sunflower lecithin.
We went back to the doctor 4 days later, and lo and behold, baby gained 4 ounces! What the heck?! That's the most he's gained in his whole life since birth!
I don't know what it is. Maybe all the stuff I've been doing. Maybe divine intervention from all the prayer I've been getting. Maybe Cyrus is just taking his sweet time. I don't really care. I just hope it keeps going.
We go back to the doctor in a week. I'm hoping baby is 10 pounds by then.
Just when you think you've solved a problem, that exact same problem reappears!!!
After the amazing weight gain we experienced, a week later this tiny baby went back down in weight!!! Not by a significant amount, but enough.
The doctor, of course, wanted me to start supplementing with formula. Every time I hear that from the doctors I want to shove their faces into my freezer which is overflowing with so much breastmilk that I'm going to have to start throwing everything else out of there in order to make room for more. Sorry guys, no more frozen waffles for breakfast, Mommy's a milk machine.
Anyways, the thought was that maybe my milk isn't super fatty. So what do I do? What any other semi-crazy-worried mom would do. I searched "how to increase fat in breastmilk".
At first, there were articles saying there is no way to increase fat. Just ways to access the more fatty milk already in your breasts. Not what I wanted. But then I came upon this other mom's blog who said that she used a supplement called Sunflower Lecithin to increase the fat content in her milk.
Thus I began a steady regimen of pumping before feeding to make sure he gets the "hind milk", supplement with some defrosted colostrum by syringe, and take the sunflower lecithin.
We went back to the doctor 4 days later, and lo and behold, baby gained 4 ounces! What the heck?! That's the most he's gained in his whole life since birth!
I don't know what it is. Maybe all the stuff I've been doing. Maybe divine intervention from all the prayer I've been getting. Maybe Cyrus is just taking his sweet time. I don't really care. I just hope it keeps going.
We go back to the doctor in a week. I'm hoping baby is 10 pounds by then.
Monday, April 2, 2018
It Gets Harder
People usually say that the third baby comes earlier than the others. They say the baby just slides right out.
Those people are liars.
Here's the truth. It gets harder. So.much.harder.
This baby is, by far, the hardest one yet.
11 days late. Suuuuper long labor. "Sunny-side up". And that's just the beginning...
When we went for his first check up with the pediatrician and lactation consultant we found out he had lost 12% of his birth weight. This is apparently high, as the norm is 10% or lower. I was, at this point advised to continue nursing him and then also supplement with 10 mls of milk by syringe. Luckily/unluckily for me, I am making lots of milk.
(It's great yes, but it also hurts like a mother, and makes me wake in the middle of the night to pump.)
That was Friday. So, I do this and then I have to go back on Monday for a weight check with another pediatrician I have never met before.
Monday comes around: He gets weighed and his weight has gone up, but apparently not satisfactorily enough for Dr. I-wear-a-lizard-on-my-stethescope-so-that-must-mean-I'm-a-good-baby-doctor. This man should immediately find a new job. He told me I'm not doing enough and instructed me to feed every 2 hours on the dot, PLUS feed an additional 2 oz. Now, let's just do some quick research, here, and here, and here, and one more, and we find that a one week old baby can only fit 2 oz of liquid in his tummy at one time...... However, trusting the all knowing doctor I do as he advised only to loose a whole ounce of my freshly pumped breastmilk when the baby spat it all out. Well that was the end of that. I still fed every two hours on the dot, which by the way is super difficult. Not only did I have to wake up the baby, but he wasn't really hungry! And forget about night time! Between waking the baby up, feeding him, changing his diaper, and pumping, I was sleeping in one hour increments.
All this work to return to the doctor for another weight check on Wednesday and find out he has actually LOST weight. WHAAAAAAT!!!!!????? Immediately I lost it. I started crying while we were waiting for the pediatrician. At this point every horrible thought ran through my mind. Visions of living in the NICU, or some other horrible disease that my baby obviously has.
Luckily, we were able to see our normal pediatrician. She comes in and starts normal conversation, looks at my face, stops, and says "Are you OK?"
No I'm not OK. My baby is dying!!!!! I haven't slept in a week. There is no way to fix this problem!!!
OK, so I actually just said, "I'm just really worried," and promptly began to cry.
To which she said, "He's fine. Don't worry. We're going to fix him."
And you know what? We did! She listened to the whole saga from the moment he was born, and then she checked under his tongue. She told me to definitely stop feeding every two hours, and just feed on demand when he's hungry. She suggested having his frenulum, the little tissue that connects the underside of the tongue to the bottom of the mouth, snipped. She said she believed that this would help his latch.
By the grace of God we got into the specialist the same day. The procedure was quick and baby was a super champ!
(Before Procedure: sad, hungry baby)
When we returned to see our pediatrician on Friday, he had gained 2 ounces!!!
I cannot express how relieved I am. And I haven't cried since!!!
(After Procedure: full, happy baby!)
Those people are liars.
Here's the truth. It gets harder. So.much.harder.
This baby is, by far, the hardest one yet.
11 days late. Suuuuper long labor. "Sunny-side up". And that's just the beginning...
When we went for his first check up with the pediatrician and lactation consultant we found out he had lost 12% of his birth weight. This is apparently high, as the norm is 10% or lower. I was, at this point advised to continue nursing him and then also supplement with 10 mls of milk by syringe. Luckily/unluckily for me, I am making lots of milk.
(It's great yes, but it also hurts like a mother, and makes me wake in the middle of the night to pump.)
That was Friday. So, I do this and then I have to go back on Monday for a weight check with another pediatrician I have never met before.
Monday comes around: He gets weighed and his weight has gone up, but apparently not satisfactorily enough for Dr. I-wear-a-lizard-on-my-stethescope-so-that-must-mean-I'm-a-good-baby-doctor. This man should immediately find a new job. He told me I'm not doing enough and instructed me to feed every 2 hours on the dot, PLUS feed an additional 2 oz. Now, let's just do some quick research, here, and here, and here, and one more, and we find that a one week old baby can only fit 2 oz of liquid in his tummy at one time...... However, trusting the all knowing doctor I do as he advised only to loose a whole ounce of my freshly pumped breastmilk when the baby spat it all out. Well that was the end of that. I still fed every two hours on the dot, which by the way is super difficult. Not only did I have to wake up the baby, but he wasn't really hungry! And forget about night time! Between waking the baby up, feeding him, changing his diaper, and pumping, I was sleeping in one hour increments.
All this work to return to the doctor for another weight check on Wednesday and find out he has actually LOST weight. WHAAAAAAT!!!!!????? Immediately I lost it. I started crying while we were waiting for the pediatrician. At this point every horrible thought ran through my mind. Visions of living in the NICU, or some other horrible disease that my baby obviously has.
Luckily, we were able to see our normal pediatrician. She comes in and starts normal conversation, looks at my face, stops, and says "Are you OK?"
No I'm not OK. My baby is dying!!!!! I haven't slept in a week. There is no way to fix this problem!!!
OK, so I actually just said, "I'm just really worried," and promptly began to cry.
To which she said, "He's fine. Don't worry. We're going to fix him."
And you know what? We did! She listened to the whole saga from the moment he was born, and then she checked under his tongue. She told me to definitely stop feeding every two hours, and just feed on demand when he's hungry. She suggested having his frenulum, the little tissue that connects the underside of the tongue to the bottom of the mouth, snipped. She said she believed that this would help his latch.
By the grace of God we got into the specialist the same day. The procedure was quick and baby was a super champ!
(Before Procedure: sad, hungry baby)
When we returned to see our pediatrician on Friday, he had gained 2 ounces!!!
I cannot express how relieved I am. And I haven't cried since!!!
(After Procedure: full, happy baby!)
Saturday, March 24, 2018
Party of Five
To say that this labor was the longest would be an understatement. Beginning on Tuesday with my membrane sweep I started having some lovely contractions. They were steady, intense, and gradually increasing. And then all of a sudden they stop....
This happened every day.... for a week.
And every day my spirits fell a little more, until I no longer believed this baby was going to come out on his own.
On Monday March 19th, I was scheduled to go in for fetal testing since I was over the 41 week mark. I woke at around 2 am with more contractions which I didn't pay much mind to since they were just the same as the rest of the week. By 7 am the contractions weren't slowing, and they were much more intense so we decided to just go in. At this point I figured if nothing happened they would just rip the baby out and I was at my wits end.
When they did the initial check I was at 4 cm so they admitted me right away. I cannot tell you how happy I was at this point. Not only was I 4 cm, but my amazing midwife was also in which meant that she would be there with me.
Now, let's remember that I got to the hospital at about 9 am and was at 4 cm. After hours of laboring when I was checked again, I was still at 4cm. I started having flash backs of my labor with Harper where I labored for hours and hours and never made it past 4 cm. 20 hours later he's born. So, naturally I became super frustrated and wanted to give up right then and there. Luckily I have a great support team, and they rooted me on.
But then, hours later, around 4 pm, I'm checked again.... still 4cm. So, at this point my midwife says, how are you feeling? Do you want to talk options? Yes. Yes I do. We decide to go with the epidural.
Now, initially I wanted to do a completely natural birth again, like I had with Gideon. But, for whatever reason, my labors haven't gotten easier, they've become more difficult. So, I came to terms with it pretty quick and accepted the drugs.
I am actually so glad I did. I was able to sleep for an hour, and within that time went from 4 cm, to ready to push out a baby! And you know what, I was actually able to enjoy it. I wasn't too tired, I was happy, and relaxed. It turned out to be a wonderful birth experience.
I pushed out that beautiful baby, sunny-side up, they say, and it was finally over. My last baby. No tearing, no c-section. Just a healthy baby boy.
The End
Tried to keep it short and sweet.... We'll talk more about the dirty details later... 😉
This happened every day.... for a week.
And every day my spirits fell a little more, until I no longer believed this baby was going to come out on his own.
On Monday March 19th, I was scheduled to go in for fetal testing since I was over the 41 week mark. I woke at around 2 am with more contractions which I didn't pay much mind to since they were just the same as the rest of the week. By 7 am the contractions weren't slowing, and they were much more intense so we decided to just go in. At this point I figured if nothing happened they would just rip the baby out and I was at my wits end.
When they did the initial check I was at 4 cm so they admitted me right away. I cannot tell you how happy I was at this point. Not only was I 4 cm, but my amazing midwife was also in which meant that she would be there with me.
Now, let's remember that I got to the hospital at about 9 am and was at 4 cm. After hours of laboring when I was checked again, I was still at 4cm. I started having flash backs of my labor with Harper where I labored for hours and hours and never made it past 4 cm. 20 hours later he's born. So, naturally I became super frustrated and wanted to give up right then and there. Luckily I have a great support team, and they rooted me on.
But then, hours later, around 4 pm, I'm checked again.... still 4cm. So, at this point my midwife says, how are you feeling? Do you want to talk options? Yes. Yes I do. We decide to go with the epidural.
Now, initially I wanted to do a completely natural birth again, like I had with Gideon. But, for whatever reason, my labors haven't gotten easier, they've become more difficult. So, I came to terms with it pretty quick and accepted the drugs.
I am actually so glad I did. I was able to sleep for an hour, and within that time went from 4 cm, to ready to push out a baby! And you know what, I was actually able to enjoy it. I wasn't too tired, I was happy, and relaxed. It turned out to be a wonderful birth experience.
I pushed out that beautiful baby, sunny-side up, they say, and it was finally over. My last baby. No tearing, no c-section. Just a healthy baby boy.
The End
Tried to keep it short and sweet.... We'll talk more about the dirty details later... 😉
Thursday, March 15, 2018
41
Ever wonder what it's like being 41 weeks pregnant?
It's awesome! What makes it especially awesome is having contractions for days with no end in sight.
When you have your membranes swept and it sends your body into "labor" mode for a few hours and then suddenly stops, that's cool.
Then the next night, same thing happens. Oh wait, except these contractions are much longer and more intense before they suddenly stop.
I haven't slept for about 4 days now....
I've lost all hope. This baby is never going to come out. He's just going to live in my uterus for the rest of my life.
It's awesome! What makes it especially awesome is having contractions for days with no end in sight.
When you have your membranes swept and it sends your body into "labor" mode for a few hours and then suddenly stops, that's cool.
Then the next night, same thing happens. Oh wait, except these contractions are much longer and more intense before they suddenly stop.
I haven't slept for about 4 days now....
I've lost all hope. This baby is never going to come out. He's just going to live in my uterus for the rest of my life.
Monday, March 5, 2018
The Unexpected Truth About Parenting
One day when your child turns about 2 years old, something miraculous happens.
That child recognizes their own ability to assert their wants and needs. It's a beautiful chaotic beginning to a long difficult life for child and parent.
The child has a new super power that enables them to be the parent's worse nightmare and greatest accomplishment all at the same time.
But this is not the most miraculous part of the process. Unbeknownst to them, the parent will awake one day with the ability to speak a different language. While this seems like a gift, the parent has no control when they will speak the new language. This is a language which is not understandable by the toddler, and will even at times make the parent say something that clearly means the opposite of what they actually mean.
Example:
Parent: Harper please pick up that toy you threw across the room.
Child: NOOOOO!!!!!!!!! (picks up another toy and chucks it at parent)
Parent: You need to pick that up right now, and say sorry to Mommy.
Child: NOOOOO!!!! I go play in my room.
Parent: If you walk away you are going to have time out.
Child: (walks away)
You can envision the rest of the scenario......
God help us.
That child recognizes their own ability to assert their wants and needs. It's a beautiful chaotic beginning to a long difficult life for child and parent.
The child has a new super power that enables them to be the parent's worse nightmare and greatest accomplishment all at the same time.
But this is not the most miraculous part of the process. Unbeknownst to them, the parent will awake one day with the ability to speak a different language. While this seems like a gift, the parent has no control when they will speak the new language. This is a language which is not understandable by the toddler, and will even at times make the parent say something that clearly means the opposite of what they actually mean.
Example:
Parent: Harper please pick up that toy you threw across the room.
Child: NOOOOO!!!!!!!!! (picks up another toy and chucks it at parent)
Parent: You need to pick that up right now, and say sorry to Mommy.
Child: NOOOOO!!!! I go play in my room.
Parent: If you walk away you are going to have time out.
Child: (walks away)
You can envision the rest of the scenario......
God help us.
Sunday, March 4, 2018
Like a Big Rubber Ball
I have entered the round stage of pregnancy.
My face is round.
My body is round.
My fingers are round.
My ankles and feet get round when I sit for too long.
In order to get out of bed I have to roll my body.
There is no upside to this stage other than the signal that things are coming to an end.
My face is round.
My body is round.
My fingers are round.
My ankles and feet get round when I sit for too long.
In order to get out of bed I have to roll my body.
There is no upside to this stage other than the signal that things are coming to an end.
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