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The first couple of days of Amelia's life were very rough. D & I didn't get any sleep but that's the easy part of it. I would feed Amelia for an hour at a time but she would still scream after each feeding and especially at night. I thought she had gas and was hurting which was bad enough, but on Monday at our lactation appointment they told me she was hungry because my milk hadn't come in yet. My heart broke. Really, I think it broke. Just thinking about how my baby was hungry and I had no clue why she was crying so much makes me want to cry even now. There were times those first couple of nights when I would try to feed her and we would both end up bawling.
At our appointment at the Women's Clinic on Monday they weighed Amelia before I fed her and she was down to 7 lbs - a full pound below what she was at birth. After I fed her they weighed her again and determined that she was burning more calories eating than she was getting nutrients/calories from me. Her weight was a concern because my milk hadn't come in so we were offered a supplement called Nutramigen which is a formula as close to breast milk as you can get. It's pricey, but the lactation nurse gave us a couple of boxes full which we really appreciated. The lactation nurse told us that we can use my breast milk in a bottle or via a tube when it comes in to supplement because she wanted me to pump anyway. This is getting into the "TMI" arena so I'll steer away from that...
While we were at that appointment the nurse called Amelia's pediatrician's office and asked that we be seen the next day for a weight check. Her pediatrician wasn't in but we got an appointment with another doctor in that office. Apparently between Monday at 5pm and Tuesday at 11:30am my milk came in because Amelia gained 3 1/2 oz overnight! That meant she had lost less than 10% of her birthweight and her weight was considered normal and nothing to worry about. We are continuing to supplement a little bit until our next lactation appointment tomorrow.
By the way, I have to sing the praises of a product called "Itzbeen". It's a baby care timer that lets you keep track of the last time you...
At our appointment at the Women's Clinic on Monday they weighed Amelia before I fed her and she was down to 7 lbs - a full pound below what she was at birth. After I fed her they weighed her again and determined that she was burning more calories eating than she was getting nutrients/calories from me. Her weight was a concern because my milk hadn't come in so we were offered a supplement called Nutramigen which is a formula as close to breast milk as you can get. It's pricey, but the lactation nurse gave us a couple of boxes full which we really appreciated. The lactation nurse told us that we can use my breast milk in a bottle or via a tube when it comes in to supplement because she wanted me to pump anyway. This is getting into the "TMI" arena so I'll steer away from that...
While we were at that appointment the nurse called Amelia's pediatrician's office and asked that we be seen the next day for a weight check. Her pediatrician wasn't in but we got an appointment with another doctor in that office. Apparently between Monday at 5pm and Tuesday at 11:30am my milk came in because Amelia gained 3 1/2 oz overnight! That meant she had lost less than 10% of her birthweight and her weight was considered normal and nothing to worry about. We are continuing to supplement a little bit until our next lactation appointment tomorrow.
By the way, I have to sing the praises of a product called "Itzbeen". It's a baby care timer that lets you keep track of the last time you...- Changed the baby's diaper
- Fed the baby
- How long since the baby slept or how long the baby slept
- A timer for whatever you want (for me, it's when the last time I took my pain relief medication)
There's also an alarm on it for each button. We set the alarm on the feeding button to wake us up if Amelia goes more than 3 hours at night without being fed. We haven't heard that alarm yet, but I'm sure it works :)
The timer even has a night light on it that is a really nice bright light that D & I have used several times. I love this timer. It's so easy to just push a button and let this device keep track of things for you instead of having to write everything down. We were writing down when and how long Amelia ate for the first 4 days as well as when she needed her diaper changed and that whole thing was a pain. D of course did a great job writing it all down but I always forgot. If you're expecting a baby or know someone who is, this is a great item to register for because, trust me, it will be used!
It's now Thursday. I was too tired to finish this last night. Amelia did so well last night! At first she was really fussy and would cry when we put her in the bassinet in the Pack n Play. Every time we laid her down she'd cry. Finally, I suggested that we bring her swing into the room and lay her in that. We didn't turn it on - just brought it in and laid her in it. She was OUT! She slept for 3 hours the first round, woke up and I fed her, then she slept for 3 1/2 hours and I had to wake her up to feed her. She's sleeping in her swing right now and is a little squirmy so I might have to cut this short.
Today we have another lactation appointment and I'm excited to find out how much she weighs today. She is the gassiest baby, though. I'm not sure what's causing it because it's not like I eat the same thing every day. I'm hoping that it's just left over from earlier this week when she wasn't getting enough to eat. Woooo it's smelly. I'm sure she'll love that I wrote about this in about 15 years.
So she has a couple of "moves". One I call "the turtle". She cranes her neck and makes a kissy face with her lips. It reminds me of a turtle coming out of its shell. What's so funny to me is that she has never lifted her head then banged it into anyone's chest. From day 1 she cranes her neck and lifts her head then gently places it back on your shoulder/chest. Amazing strength in her neck already...and believe me when I say her legs and arms are super strong, too. She's had the poo on her foot to prove it.
Another "move" is what I call the Stevie Wonder. She'll either be eating or just laying on my shoulder and all of a sudden she tilts her head back and does the Stevie Wonder thing with her neck. You know what I mean.
Ok, I'll stop dragging on and post pictures I took last night. Isn't she gorgeous? I know I'm partial, but I seriously want to eat her up. I can't stop kissing her. I can't believe the Lord let me grow her inside of me!
We had to go to Babies R Us yesterday to return something and while we were there I picked up a couple of newborn outfits. She only has maybe 3 things in her closet that were newborn...I would never have thought I'd have a small baby!
Ok, baby's restless. Need to check her diaper :)
Have a great Thursday!
- Fed the baby
- How long since the baby slept or how long the baby slept
- A timer for whatever you want (for me, it's when the last time I took my pain relief medication)
There's also an alarm on it for each button. We set the alarm on the feeding button to wake us up if Amelia goes more than 3 hours at night without being fed. We haven't heard that alarm yet, but I'm sure it works :)
The timer even has a night light on it that is a really nice bright light that D & I have used several times. I love this timer. It's so easy to just push a button and let this device keep track of things for you instead of having to write everything down. We were writing down when and how long Amelia ate for the first 4 days as well as when she needed her diaper changed and that whole thing was a pain. D of course did a great job writing it all down but I always forgot. If you're expecting a baby or know someone who is, this is a great item to register for because, trust me, it will be used!
It's now Thursday. I was too tired to finish this last night. Amelia did so well last night! At first she was really fussy and would cry when we put her in the bassinet in the Pack n Play. Every time we laid her down she'd cry. Finally, I suggested that we bring her swing into the room and lay her in that. We didn't turn it on - just brought it in and laid her in it. She was OUT! She slept for 3 hours the first round, woke up and I fed her, then she slept for 3 1/2 hours and I had to wake her up to feed her. She's sleeping in her swing right now and is a little squirmy so I might have to cut this short.
Today we have another lactation appointment and I'm excited to find out how much she weighs today. She is the gassiest baby, though. I'm not sure what's causing it because it's not like I eat the same thing every day. I'm hoping that it's just left over from earlier this week when she wasn't getting enough to eat. Woooo it's smelly. I'm sure she'll love that I wrote about this in about 15 years.
So she has a couple of "moves". One I call "the turtle". She cranes her neck and makes a kissy face with her lips. It reminds me of a turtle coming out of its shell. What's so funny to me is that she has never lifted her head then banged it into anyone's chest. From day 1 she cranes her neck and lifts her head then gently places it back on your shoulder/chest. Amazing strength in her neck already...and believe me when I say her legs and arms are super strong, too. She's had the poo on her foot to prove it.
Another "move" is what I call the Stevie Wonder. She'll either be eating or just laying on my shoulder and all of a sudden she tilts her head back and does the Stevie Wonder thing with her neck. You know what I mean.
Ok, I'll stop dragging on and post pictures I took last night. Isn't she gorgeous? I know I'm partial, but I seriously want to eat her up. I can't stop kissing her. I can't believe the Lord let me grow her inside of me!
We had to go to Babies R Us yesterday to return something and while we were there I picked up a couple of newborn outfits. She only has maybe 3 things in her closet that were newborn...I would never have thought I'd have a small baby!
Ok, baby's restless. Need to check her diaper :)
Have a great Thursday!
8 comments commented:
She is absolutely gorgeous! You are such a good mommy. Trust me the second one is easier. With Sarah, Mitchell and I worried and fretted over everything. I cried everytime she cried because I thought I was supposed to know why she was crying. It is tough in the beginning, but a strong marriage, like yours, is the key to survival! Keep up the good work!
Jamie - She is so gorgeous! I am glad that you milk finally came in and things are starting to settle down a tad bit. I am going to definately have to register for the timer, I saw it and wasn't going to register for it but after hearing your praises on it I think I will. I can't wait for more Amelia updates!
Whew, I'm glad you didn't have to wait too long for your milk to come in. I just love looking at the pictures of her. So adorable. I can totally see why new mothers say they can sit for hours on end staring at their child knowing THEY grew them. :)
Great idea on the swing!
I know it is sooo stressful when the baby is crying all the time and the feeding isn't going that great. I'm glad that you were able to figure out what was going on and that she's doing great. That itzbeen thing looks awesome...wish they had that when I was doing the baby thing!
Bless your heart!!! Your experience sounds soooooo much like mine!!! I seriously didn't sleep for a week after the birth it was very stressful!
Hang in there with the BF! I actually had to supplement with formula one or two bottles a day for a few weeks. Then baby wouldn't touch it at all after that.
As for the gas...mine was too. He had colic from day 1 as well. I found the most wonderful gripe water, Colic Calm, online. You can only buy it on line but it is W O N D E R F U L. I suggest you try it if the gas keeps on. Since our colic was from day 1 I didn't think it was something I was eating. The Colic Calm helped it go away within a couple weeks.
She is SO cute. So cute. I am a fan of the itzbeen, too, but I have to say I have stopped using it now. It was my LIFE SAVER the first few weeks though.
She is so precious! Beautiful, truly. Way to hang in there with the breastfeeding. Take comfort in knowing that it's often a guessing game with babies... just when you've figured them out, they change it up!
What a precious little girl! I sooo remember the first few weeks of the newborn stage. I suffered with PPD and it liked to kick my hiney. I dealt with very challenging BF'ing issues for the first 3 weeks, and it felt like an eternity. Just remember, this too shall pass whatever stage it is big or small, you'll soon be looking at a 6 month old asking yourself where the time went.
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