I can hardly believe that the first year has come and gone so quickly. My little baby girl, the girl that I carried for 38 weeks, delivered with relative ease and who cried for the first four months is now a happy little walker who brings joy to every second of my life.
There were times in those first few weeks that I thought "why did we have a baby? what were we thinking?" These thoughts then turned to thoughts of "why is she crying all the time? what can I do to help here?" This went on for FOUR months. Then, as I've mentioned before, the doctor suggested I stop taking my prenatal vitamin since I was breast feeding and, kazaam! No more crying. She was then a happy baby girl.
It was so fun to watch her lift her head, learn to roll over in one direction and then another. Then, to get up on all fours and rock back and forth wanting to move, but not knowing how. So quickly, at almost 7 months old, she started crawling. As the weeks went on she got faster and faster. Boy, was that a life changer! She became verbal, she laughed at things and cooed constantly. I began enjoying her more and more every day.
It's not that I didn't enjoy her for the first few months, it was just a lot of sitting around for me, which was a huge transition from my hectic career that I had just left. Now, I never get to sit still! She has been walking since a little before her year birthday and she never stops. I follow her around and watch as she discovers new things around the house every day.
I love every moment of this new life of mine. I love watching her as she learns to walk. She looks like a drunken soldier most of the time (or the bride of frankenstein) and it makes me laugh. I love to hear her try to repeat words that I say. Dog is aga. Cat is ca. Duck is duh. I understand her little language and it is our special language for this short time.
I even love when she misbehaves. I am so fascinated with her mental development. I know I should be mad when I tell her not to throw her food on the floor and, instead of listening to me she looks me dead in the eye and drops the food once again. She is testing me and, instead of getting frustrated I laugh. I know, not the best form of discipline but I can't help it! i just love watching how she thinks things through!
So, the first year was a learning experience for all of us and I am so excited to see what this next year brings!
Showing posts with label breastfeeding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breastfeeding. Show all posts
Friday, February 5, 2010
Friday, November 27, 2009
The Return on Aunt Flow
Well, after 38 weeks of pregnancy and and 10 months of breastfeeding my period has returned! Let me say that I DID NOT miss it one bit! Wow, what a shock it was to start getting cramps and then have to deal with the period for four days. I stopped breastfeeding 2 weeks ago, so I hear that this is about the right timeframe to have your period return.
I guess these are the only few days where my breasts are mine. Funny, I know, but think about it. During most of my pregnancy my breasts were growing, and often times sore. After the birth of my daughter, my breasts were there for one purpose and one purpose only- to nourish my daughter. Now, my husband is expecting them to be 'his' again, but for now, they are still mine...
I guess these are the only few days where my breasts are mine. Funny, I know, but think about it. During most of my pregnancy my breasts were growing, and often times sore. After the birth of my daughter, my breasts were there for one purpose and one purpose only- to nourish my daughter. Now, my husband is expecting them to be 'his' again, but for now, they are still mine...
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Dirty Stories
Well, it seems I just can't help but share the ickiness of mommyhood.
In the last week, Brett has been spitting up- A LOT. I'm not sure why but she doesn't really seem sick. Anyhow, I was nursing her in the morning (I only nurse morning and night now) and she always unlatches and starts crawling around. I was only wearing my robe because I had just showered. She crawls up onto my tummy and BLAH - she spits up right into my belly button! Yuck!
Brett also isn't sleeping well at all. She seems to half-wake up in the middle of the night and cry. This can happen a few times a night. We, many times, bring her into bed with us so that we can get some sleep. Rubbing her back seems to help calm her down. Anyhow, she is very restless and rolls back and forth between my husband and I. She hits her head on the headboard and sometimes even lays horizontally between us. So, that is where this story goes. She is rolling around and ends up horizontally between the two of us. Her head is by my body and her feet are by my husband. My husband, the cuddly guy that he is, moves closer to her and cuddles in. It is at that moment, as her little toosh is near his head, she lets out a huge fart! My husband and I, totally sleep deprived, start hysterically laughing! But, we are doing it as quietly as possible because we don't want to wake her up. So, that was a funny, delirious, moment for us.
Last icky story, again, I'm breastfeeding Brett. This time it was the afternoon because she was fussy and needed a nap. As usual, she unlatches and sits up and then crawls up onto me. I think that maybe she is jiggling the food around to quickly after eating. Anyhow, here we go, she is now standing up and holding onto my hair and BLAH- she spits up into my hair! Yuck! So, I had to take a shower. So gross.
I'm not sure how long this spitting up will last. We have two weeks until her 9-month appointment (I know, can you believe that she is 9-months already?) so we'll get to the bottom of it hopefully.
I think it is funny that, once you are a mom, getting pooped on, farted on or puked on isn't as bad as you might have once thought it would be!
In the last week, Brett has been spitting up- A LOT. I'm not sure why but she doesn't really seem sick. Anyhow, I was nursing her in the morning (I only nurse morning and night now) and she always unlatches and starts crawling around. I was only wearing my robe because I had just showered. She crawls up onto my tummy and BLAH - she spits up right into my belly button! Yuck!
Brett also isn't sleeping well at all. She seems to half-wake up in the middle of the night and cry. This can happen a few times a night. We, many times, bring her into bed with us so that we can get some sleep. Rubbing her back seems to help calm her down. Anyhow, she is very restless and rolls back and forth between my husband and I. She hits her head on the headboard and sometimes even lays horizontally between us. So, that is where this story goes. She is rolling around and ends up horizontally between the two of us. Her head is by my body and her feet are by my husband. My husband, the cuddly guy that he is, moves closer to her and cuddles in. It is at that moment, as her little toosh is near his head, she lets out a huge fart! My husband and I, totally sleep deprived, start hysterically laughing! But, we are doing it as quietly as possible because we don't want to wake her up. So, that was a funny, delirious, moment for us.
Last icky story, again, I'm breastfeeding Brett. This time it was the afternoon because she was fussy and needed a nap. As usual, she unlatches and sits up and then crawls up onto me. I think that maybe she is jiggling the food around to quickly after eating. Anyhow, here we go, she is now standing up and holding onto my hair and BLAH- she spits up into my hair! Yuck! So, I had to take a shower. So gross.
I'm not sure how long this spitting up will last. We have two weeks until her 9-month appointment (I know, can you believe that she is 9-months already?) so we'll get to the bottom of it hopefully.
I think it is funny that, once you are a mom, getting pooped on, farted on or puked on isn't as bad as you might have once thought it would be!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Appetite Changes
Brett was exclusively breast fed for the first 6-months of her life. Around 5-months old I had a reduction in my milk supply (see previous posts). I tried multiple things to increase it and it was the introduction a beer a night that seemed to help (I'm serious).
Throughout my breast feeding I found myself to be STARVING constantly. I had to be eating something almost every hour. If I went more than two hours or so without eating I would start to feel weak, my hands would shake and I could even get to the point of being dizzy. I could out-eat my 6'3" 230 pound husband! My brothers teased me about how many tacos I could eat in a sitting. I would rarely feel 'full' even after eating a ton of food. As crazy as it sounds, I was also continuing to lose weight and was down to my pre-pregnancy weight!
At 6-months I gave Brett cereal and then slowly introduced other solids into her diet. This change to her diet resulted in changes to her poop. It became firmer. She was getting two solid food meals a day. I remained hungry at all times.
Around 7-months I decided to introduce formula. I did this because Brett was basically weening herself. She wouldn't stay latched on to my breast for longer than a minute (no exaggeration). It became frustrating for me and she wasn't eating enough during the day. So, that is why the bottle came into play. I started with 3/4 breast milk and 1/4 formula, then moved to 1/2 formula and 1/2 breast milk until it was completely formula.
Now, as Brett is 8-months old she is nursing in the morning when she wakes up and right before bed. Sometimes I nurse her in order for her to take a nap in the afternoon.
As this change with her eating habits has occurred my eating habits have changed as well. I realized one day that I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast and was only slightly hungry! When I am eating now I am able to eat much less than before. I actually get full rather quickly now. Some of my friends that have breast fed in the past have said that they have gained back about 10 lbs after they stop breast feeding so I'm hoping that doesn't happen to me.
Sounds like it time to watch what I eat again. Bummer...
Throughout my breast feeding I found myself to be STARVING constantly. I had to be eating something almost every hour. If I went more than two hours or so without eating I would start to feel weak, my hands would shake and I could even get to the point of being dizzy. I could out-eat my 6'3" 230 pound husband! My brothers teased me about how many tacos I could eat in a sitting. I would rarely feel 'full' even after eating a ton of food. As crazy as it sounds, I was also continuing to lose weight and was down to my pre-pregnancy weight!
At 6-months I gave Brett cereal and then slowly introduced other solids into her diet. This change to her diet resulted in changes to her poop. It became firmer. She was getting two solid food meals a day. I remained hungry at all times.
Around 7-months I decided to introduce formula. I did this because Brett was basically weening herself. She wouldn't stay latched on to my breast for longer than a minute (no exaggeration). It became frustrating for me and she wasn't eating enough during the day. So, that is why the bottle came into play. I started with 3/4 breast milk and 1/4 formula, then moved to 1/2 formula and 1/2 breast milk until it was completely formula.
Now, as Brett is 8-months old she is nursing in the morning when she wakes up and right before bed. Sometimes I nurse her in order for her to take a nap in the afternoon.
As this change with her eating habits has occurred my eating habits have changed as well. I realized one day that I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast and was only slightly hungry! When I am eating now I am able to eat much less than before. I actually get full rather quickly now. Some of my friends that have breast fed in the past have said that they have gained back about 10 lbs after they stop breast feeding so I'm hoping that doesn't happen to me.
Sounds like it time to watch what I eat again. Bummer...
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Quick Thinking Mommy
I'm sitting here at home enjoying a beer (to help with my milk production, obviously) while my husband is at a business dinner and Brett is fast asleep and I thought I had to share this story that I thought was proof of how a mom can think so quick-on-her-feet!
I had a meeting for the Tinkerbell Guild tonight. The Guild is a volunteer organization of women committed to raising funds to support the growth and development of Children's Hospital Orange County and CHOC at Mission. Check it out at: http://www.tinkerbellguild.com/
Anyhow, I had to bring Brett with me because, as I stated above, my husband had a last minute business dinner come up and my other babysitters (Grandma and Grandpa) were busy. So, Brett did a great job 'entertaining' the group of girls as she crawled, pulled herself up, babbled, etc.
At the end of the meeting I was talking to another mom when Brett spit-up a nice, chunky spit-up that went down her dress, on my shirt and onto the tile floor. I'm looking from her, to me, to the floor, to my purse... I had only brought in my purse, which was loaded with the essentials for a one-hour meeting: rattle, teether, bottle. I had not, of course, brought a burp cloth!
So, in the quick thinking way that only moms can think- I reached down my tank top, pulled out a breast pad and wiped off my top, Brett's dress and then the floor! I walked over to the garbage bin and threw it away. Done and done!
It's amazing what we come up with...
I had a meeting for the Tinkerbell Guild tonight. The Guild is a volunteer organization of women committed to raising funds to support the growth and development of Children's Hospital Orange County and CHOC at Mission. Check it out at: http://www.tinkerbellguild.com/
Anyhow, I had to bring Brett with me because, as I stated above, my husband had a last minute business dinner come up and my other babysitters (Grandma and Grandpa) were busy. So, Brett did a great job 'entertaining' the group of girls as she crawled, pulled herself up, babbled, etc.
At the end of the meeting I was talking to another mom when Brett spit-up a nice, chunky spit-up that went down her dress, on my shirt and onto the tile floor. I'm looking from her, to me, to the floor, to my purse... I had only brought in my purse, which was loaded with the essentials for a one-hour meeting: rattle, teether, bottle. I had not, of course, brought a burp cloth!
So, in the quick thinking way that only moms can think- I reached down my tank top, pulled out a breast pad and wiped off my top, Brett's dress and then the floor! I walked over to the garbage bin and threw it away. Done and done!
It's amazing what we come up with...
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Sick or Teething
Yes, another teething post. This seems to be a common dilemma that new moms face. The signs can be very drastic or non-existent.
A week and a half ago Brett was pulling on her ears so I took her to the doctor. The doctor said that one ear had slight congestion that is associated with teething. Ok, great. So we went home and thought, at 7 1/2 months she is finally starting to teeth.
However, other than the ear pulling there weren't many other indicators- until this week!
Brett continued to pull on her ears. She also has been waking up at least once a night, when typically she sleeps at least 10 hours. Finally, Monday afternoon she got a very runny nose. I knew she wasn't sick because the snot was clear. She became very fussy. She is also drooling like crazy! I actually got her ready for bed early and she went down at 7pm. Not only that, she slept 12 hours! She got up the next morning and, even though she had a runny nose, she seemed quite happy. I decided it was safe to take her to a Baby Safety class that I had already committed to. She did great at the class but had a major meltdown on the drive home.
I was intending to go to lunch with my Aunt Mary but it became clear that Brett was going to be in no mood for going out. This is one of those times that I feel fortunate to have family around. I was able to call my aunt and ask her to swing by and pick up baby Motrin. I called the doctor and he said that I could alternate giving Brett Tylenol and Motrin to help with the teething pain.
I started with Tylenol and that seemed to help so I waited on the Motrin until this morning. Unfortunately, I tried to give the Motrin to her this morning and she spit it out! Oh well, her runny nose is gone today but she is still drooling a ton and chewing on everything (mostly her fingers).
While I am still not sure if she has a slight cold or is teething or maybe both I am fairly confident she isn't 'sick.' I'm just hoping she gets teeth before it's time to send her to school!
A week and a half ago Brett was pulling on her ears so I took her to the doctor. The doctor said that one ear had slight congestion that is associated with teething. Ok, great. So we went home and thought, at 7 1/2 months she is finally starting to teeth.
However, other than the ear pulling there weren't many other indicators- until this week!
Brett continued to pull on her ears. She also has been waking up at least once a night, when typically she sleeps at least 10 hours. Finally, Monday afternoon she got a very runny nose. I knew she wasn't sick because the snot was clear. She became very fussy. She is also drooling like crazy! I actually got her ready for bed early and she went down at 7pm. Not only that, she slept 12 hours! She got up the next morning and, even though she had a runny nose, she seemed quite happy. I decided it was safe to take her to a Baby Safety class that I had already committed to. She did great at the class but had a major meltdown on the drive home.
I was intending to go to lunch with my Aunt Mary but it became clear that Brett was going to be in no mood for going out. This is one of those times that I feel fortunate to have family around. I was able to call my aunt and ask her to swing by and pick up baby Motrin. I called the doctor and he said that I could alternate giving Brett Tylenol and Motrin to help with the teething pain.
I started with Tylenol and that seemed to help so I waited on the Motrin until this morning. Unfortunately, I tried to give the Motrin to her this morning and she spit it out! Oh well, her runny nose is gone today but she is still drooling a ton and chewing on everything (mostly her fingers).
While I am still not sure if she has a slight cold or is teething or maybe both I am fairly confident she isn't 'sick.' I'm just hoping she gets teeth before it's time to send her to school!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Little Miss Personality
Brett has certainly been showing more of her own personality lately. We knew almost from the time she was born that she was going to have a firey personality. In fact, she was an extremely active baby in the womb, so we should've gotten our first indication then. Now that her hair is growing in quite red, we see that her hair and personality will match.
On Sunday Brett decided, after almost two months, that she did not like green foods. She first would begin blowing raspberries when the food was in her mouth. Then she decided to keep her mouth closed and not even accept a bite at all. If we could sneak in another bite it was blown right back out. Talk about a mess! We couldn't help but laugh though.
She was fussing the other day so I tried a variety of things to make her happy. First, a pacifier to chew on (she has never sucked on a pacifier). She waved her hands up and down with a frown on her face telling me that is NOT what she wanted. So, I walked over and got a sippy cup. Again, waving hands, frown, no go. Third attempt, I pull out a bottle- same routine. Hmmm, what will make this little one happy? I went to the freezer and pulled out a frozen teething ring. Aaah, a smile and she grabbed it out of my hand and shoved it in her mouth. Four tries ain't bad...
Yesterday, she decided that as she was crawling she would pick things up with her mouth. First, her pacifier, next clean laundry that I was folding on the bed. She liked putting the socks in her mouth and crawling around with them hanging out. I'm not sure where she got this from. She has only seen a dog once!
Well, we can't wait to see her personality continue to unfold. As I tell the moms with the really new babies, it just keeps getting more and more fun!
On Sunday Brett decided, after almost two months, that she did not like green foods. She first would begin blowing raspberries when the food was in her mouth. Then she decided to keep her mouth closed and not even accept a bite at all. If we could sneak in another bite it was blown right back out. Talk about a mess! We couldn't help but laugh though.
She was fussing the other day so I tried a variety of things to make her happy. First, a pacifier to chew on (she has never sucked on a pacifier). She waved her hands up and down with a frown on her face telling me that is NOT what she wanted. So, I walked over and got a sippy cup. Again, waving hands, frown, no go. Third attempt, I pull out a bottle- same routine. Hmmm, what will make this little one happy? I went to the freezer and pulled out a frozen teething ring. Aaah, a smile and she grabbed it out of my hand and shoved it in her mouth. Four tries ain't bad...
Yesterday, she decided that as she was crawling she would pick things up with her mouth. First, her pacifier, next clean laundry that I was folding on the bed. She liked putting the socks in her mouth and crawling around with them hanging out. I'm not sure where she got this from. She has only seen a dog once!
Well, we can't wait to see her personality continue to unfold. As I tell the moms with the really new babies, it just keeps getting more and more fun!
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Moms Day Off
Today my husband decided to give me the day off!!! He likes spending time with our daughter on his own and he was sick of hearing me complain that I never get time to myself (and he does get time to himself when he golfs). I'm not sure what the split was but I'm so happy to have had the day.
It's funny, though. I have all of these hours to myself and I didn't spend the entire time on "me." It's almost impossible to do.
6:30am- Brett wakes up, my husbands gets her, changes her diaper and brings her to me to breastfeed
7:30am- pumped because Brett was too distracted, as usual, to breastfeed. I pumped 4 ounces and put it in a bottle- WENT BACK TO SLEEP!
10am- woke up to find Brett in the middle of her morning nap and my husband watching football. Wonderful!
10:30am- Brett wakes from her nap and I breastfeed her. I am also now realizing I am getting a nasty clogged duct on my right side. ouch.
10:45am- I take a LONG shower (I know there is a draught but I think I make up for it with my usual 5 minute showers)
11:00am- out of the shower, helping the husband pack up to take Brett out. He is going to go buy new running shoes and then take her to Gymboree. I'm a bit nervous about this but I get over it quickly.
11:15am- Say 'bye bye' to my baby and get ready for the day. I actually am able to put on make-up and blow dry my hair! I also decide to strip the bed and throw the sheets in the wash and put all of the dishes in the dishwasher to start it
11;45am- arrive at nail salon for my eyebrow wax and pedicure! I didn't feel rushed at all and enjoyed my hour and a half there
12:15pm- run errand to ship off a gift to a girlfriend who just had her second daughter
12:45pm- arrive home. move the the sheets to the dryer and start a load of towels. Unload the dishwasher. Ate Top Ramen for lunch- I really don't know why it sounded good, but it did, and it was easy to prepare and clean. I also did the People Magazine crossword puzzle while I ate. I didn't turn on the tv or any music- I just enjoyed the peace and quiet while I did this.
2:00pm- blogging and waiting for my husband and baby to arrive back home!
So, sorry if this was too boring but I wanted to show that even when a stay-at-home mom takes a day off it is nearly impossible to not take advantage of the time to do some things around the house. They still haven't returned yet so I am going to go pick-up toys!
It's funny, though. I have all of these hours to myself and I didn't spend the entire time on "me." It's almost impossible to do.
6:30am- Brett wakes up, my husbands gets her, changes her diaper and brings her to me to breastfeed
7:30am- pumped because Brett was too distracted, as usual, to breastfeed. I pumped 4 ounces and put it in a bottle- WENT BACK TO SLEEP!
10am- woke up to find Brett in the middle of her morning nap and my husband watching football. Wonderful!
10:30am- Brett wakes from her nap and I breastfeed her. I am also now realizing I am getting a nasty clogged duct on my right side. ouch.
10:45am- I take a LONG shower (I know there is a draught but I think I make up for it with my usual 5 minute showers)
11:00am- out of the shower, helping the husband pack up to take Brett out. He is going to go buy new running shoes and then take her to Gymboree. I'm a bit nervous about this but I get over it quickly.
11:15am- Say 'bye bye' to my baby and get ready for the day. I actually am able to put on make-up and blow dry my hair! I also decide to strip the bed and throw the sheets in the wash and put all of the dishes in the dishwasher to start it
11;45am- arrive at nail salon for my eyebrow wax and pedicure! I didn't feel rushed at all and enjoyed my hour and a half there
12:15pm- run errand to ship off a gift to a girlfriend who just had her second daughter
12:45pm- arrive home. move the the sheets to the dryer and start a load of towels. Unload the dishwasher. Ate Top Ramen for lunch- I really don't know why it sounded good, but it did, and it was easy to prepare and clean. I also did the People Magazine crossword puzzle while I ate. I didn't turn on the tv or any music- I just enjoyed the peace and quiet while I did this.
2:00pm- blogging and waiting for my husband and baby to arrive back home!
So, sorry if this was too boring but I wanted to show that even when a stay-at-home mom takes a day off it is nearly impossible to not take advantage of the time to do some things around the house. They still haven't returned yet so I am going to go pick-up toys!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Distracted Baby Breastfeeding
Many of my friends have seen how difficult it is for me to get Brett to breast feed. She sucks for a minute and then unlatches to look around, re-latches on for a few sucks, looks around, etc. This will go on and on for as long as I let it. Now that she is really good at rolling over she will let go, roll over and start to crawl away.
I had the idea to put on a necklace to distract her while she was nursing. I put on a long necklace that is just a bunch of gold rings and long enough to slip over my head. It worked! She played with it while she was nursing and she stayed latched on for 8 whole minutes! This is a record lately (except for bedtime, but that is another story).
I have used this necklace four times now and it works each time. If anyone else is having a problem with a distracted baby give this a try- it just might help you out!
I had the idea to put on a necklace to distract her while she was nursing. I put on a long necklace that is just a bunch of gold rings and long enough to slip over my head. It worked! She played with it while she was nursing and she stayed latched on for 8 whole minutes! This is a record lately (except for bedtime, but that is another story).
I have used this necklace four times now and it works each time. If anyone else is having a problem with a distracted baby give this a try- it just might help you out!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
The Pill Can Affect Your Milk Supply
A couple months ago I really struggled with keeping up my milk supply for little Molly. I even went to a Lactation Consultant at Milkalicious (love them!) to help me figure out how to increase my milk supply. When I did a pre/post weigh with them, Molly was only taking in about an ounce...she should have been getting 3-4 ounces!
After the consultation I started diligently working on some of the things we had discussed, such as feeding Molly more frequently, pumping after every feed for 15 minutes (yuck!) and even taking some medication that is suppose to help. Part way through my quest to ramp up my milk supply, I realized that I had started taking the pill (the mini-pill) right around the same time my milk supply had dropped. I had also remembered my OB saying that any pill could potentially affect my milk, but the mini-pill had the best results overall. This led me to stop taking the pill to see what would happen...to my milk, not reproducing baby #2 =).
Along with the things the Lactation Consultant recommended and discontinuing the pill, my milk supply increased from 1 ounce to 4 ounces!!! More than tripled!
If you notice a drop in your milk supply, the pill could be the cause, so make sure you contact your Doctor or a Lactation Consultant to help you sort through any other potential causes.
Happy breastfeeding!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Very Hungry Girl
As I embarked on feeding my daughter baby food (purchased, not homemade) I have already had so many questions-
Do I wait 3, 4, 6, 7 days inbetween introducing new food?
Should I stick to vegetables (no fruit until she's a year old as recommended by our pediatrician)?
Do I feed her an entire stage 1 container or just half?
I will say that I have been waiting 6-7 days inbetween introducing new food to make sure there is no allergic reaction.
We are three weeks in and we have only fed her vegetables so far (I want to give her fruits but my hubby is siding with the pediatrician).
So, the big question for now is how much is enough? Unfortunately, I learned the hard way when I was attending a little birthday party last night. I brought a stage 1 container, a breastmilk bottle, and, of course, my own milk machines.
First I tried to breastfeed her, but she was much too distracted at everything going on around her. Next, I fed her the 4 ounce bottle I had brought with me. She drank it down, all gone, but she was still hungry! Next, I gave her an entire stage 1 container of carrots, but she was still hungry! She actually cried when there was no more to eat! I put her back on my breast and she ate a bit and seemed to be done.
Her appetite is obviously growing and now I know to carry around more food with me. I guess I learn something new everday.
Some of you may have recognized my reference to the awesome children's book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. It is a great board book for babies. It allows you to count with your baby, discuss colors, and point out different types of food. It is a quick read that is sure to capture your babies attention.
Do I wait 3, 4, 6, 7 days inbetween introducing new food?
Should I stick to vegetables (no fruit until she's a year old as recommended by our pediatrician)?
Do I feed her an entire stage 1 container or just half?
I will say that I have been waiting 6-7 days inbetween introducing new food to make sure there is no allergic reaction.
We are three weeks in and we have only fed her vegetables so far (I want to give her fruits but my hubby is siding with the pediatrician).
So, the big question for now is how much is enough? Unfortunately, I learned the hard way when I was attending a little birthday party last night. I brought a stage 1 container, a breastmilk bottle, and, of course, my own milk machines.
First I tried to breastfeed her, but she was much too distracted at everything going on around her. Next, I fed her the 4 ounce bottle I had brought with me. She drank it down, all gone, but she was still hungry! Next, I gave her an entire stage 1 container of carrots, but she was still hungry! She actually cried when there was no more to eat! I put her back on my breast and she ate a bit and seemed to be done.
Her appetite is obviously growing and now I know to carry around more food with me. I guess I learn something new everday.
Some of you may have recognized my reference to the awesome children's book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. It is a great board book for babies. It allows you to count with your baby, discuss colors, and point out different types of food. It is a quick read that is sure to capture your babies attention.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
The Big Step to Cereal
While there seems to be a debate on the best time to start giving your infant her first tastes of cereal (some say 4 months, others 6 months) there is no question that, here in the U.S., rice cereal is the first food that a baby is fed.
At our four month doctor appointment our pediatrician told me to wait until Brett was 6 months before I fed her. If you have read my previous blogs you know that Brett has a very sensitive stomach. So, at 24 weeks (technically Brett was 6 months at that point even though her actual '6-month birthday' was two weeks away) I gave Brett rice cereal.
I did the recommended amount to start and I used formula to make it with. I did this based on a recommendation from another mom so that Brett could get used to the taste of formula in case I had to start feeding it to her. I gave Brett cereal at lunchtime every day for almost two weeks. She turned into a very fussy baby during this period but I was convinced she must be teething now.
During this same time I attended a baby shower and was discussing Brett's eating and then her teething with another mom. The mom suggested that I switch from rice cereal (which apparently is very hard on babies' tummies) to oatmeal cereal. She said that rice cereal is very hard to digest and that the oatmeal cereal has 1 gram of fiber in it. So, of course, I went and bought the oatmeal cereal that same day.
Brett really likes the taste of the oatmeal cereal better than the rice cereal. She eats it sometimes faster than I can shovel it in! I still mix it with formula and she has no problem eating it.
It has been 3 days now on the oatmeal cereal. We have a doctor appointment tomorrow and I can't wait to ask what the next food is that I can give her!
I will say that Brett went from consistently pooping every morning to not pooping for 2 days! When she did - WOW! Not only was the consistency different but the smell was awful! I have been spoiled by the breast-fed baby non-smelly poop.
The non-smelly diaper is one of many things that I miss as Brett gets older. And she gets older every day... =)
Monday, July 6, 2009
Sweet Smells
Brett woke up in the middle of the night last night (I will blog about sleeping soon) and I brought her into my room to nurse her. I started smelling maple syrup. I thought that seemed strange. I put her back to bed and then googled 'baby smells like syrup' and to my surprise there are a couple of causes. One is the Fenugreek (which I am taking to help stimulate my milk) but it can also be a sign of diabetes or something called Maple Syrup Urine Syndrome. So... I'm going to monitor the situation today and decide if I need to call the doctor.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Drying Up
What a change... I went from having hyper-lactation after Brett was first born to now having my milk drying up. Breastfeeding has kept Brett healthy. She didn't get sick even once since she was born. I am honestly feeling like a failure and have cried to my husband a couple of times this week.
I spoke with a lactation consultant and she told me to pump once a day for three days but I still haven't seen much of an increase. One pediatrician told me to take an herb called Fenugreek and to eat as much as possible and drink as much water as possible. It seemed to be working for a few days but yesterday Brett was definitely hungry around 6pm and I wasn't making enough milk to satisfy her. I, sadly, left a 4th of July party to get some frozen milk and I added two scoops of formula to it so that she can start getting used to the taste. I only have about 60 ounces stored up in the freezer. I didn't pump and freeze enough while I was over-producing. =(
My first experience with formula is not a happy one. Just 2-oz's seemed to have constipated Brett so I gave her a sippy cup with water in it. She pooped shortly after but I don't think the water could have helped that quickly. I am going to try a different brand of formula to see if that helps.
I am happy I was able to breastfeed her for 5+ months and hope that I can feed her breast milk until she is a year old but I don't know if it is going to workout. I may introduce rice cereal to her sooner than I had planned so that she gets more food in her belly.
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