Part of the problem is that we did end up having to supplement with formula, and apparently babies are known to overeat formula. But, after knowing that for the last four weeks, our son has been hungry, it's hard to deny him food when he even acts remotely peckish. Regardless, he has gained six more ounces in three days on the new food. He's now a whopping 7 pounds 4 ounces, with plenty of room to grow. His cheeks are filling out... both sets. :-)
That said, this week has been a challenge. I went from supplementing at every other feeding, to supplementing and pumping at every single feeding. My day looks like this:
- Feed Guy for 30 minutes
- Struggle with Supplemental Nursing System (which allows me to supplement him while he's still nursing, so it's seamless to him, and he gets more milk with every suck) for 15 minutes
- Grow frustrated with SNS, and put into bottle, after feeding for more than 45 minutes
- Let someone else finish Guy with a bottle
- Pump for 20 minutes
- Rest for an hour, and start the process again
- Repeat 8-10 times a day
I went to a lactation specialist who said that for the next few weeks, all I should be doing is nursing, pumping and resting. No housework, no running around. Just doing my best to make sure I'm relaxed, rested and producing as much milk as possible.
Thankfully, when this sentence came down on my head, my mother-in-law, Cheri, was immediately there to help. For the last five days, she has been at my side, taking care of everything. Laundry, dishes, meals, making the bed, even sweeping the floors. All with a smile. It was a rough week, but it could have been so much worse without her there. I cannot believe how lucky I am to have not only my mother, but also a mother-in-law who is so supportive and caring.
This week, my mother is coming to join me to help. Again, I'm quite lucky. Just like Cheri, I know my mom will do the lion's share of work, and she'll be happy to do it.
We haven't hit many milestones yet. Guy has started sleeping more, now that he is getting plenty to eat. Some nights I get nearly 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep. And if I get two rounds of that? I'm looking at nearly 6-7 hours of real rest. It makes such a difference in how I feel.
He's also on the verge of smiling on demand. His smiles are coming more often, and sometimes when he's awake, though he doesn't yet seem aware why he's smiling. The best moment was when he was laying quietly awake on Greg's chest and I watched as Greg laid a kiss on Guy's forehead, which was followed by a big, gummy smile. I'm not sure if his goatee tickled or if Guy could sense that kisses are a thing to be happy about. Whichever, it was sweet.
I've also developed a routine in the morning with Guy. After his 4-5 a.m. feed, he is difficult to get back into his bassinet. Because usually by that time he's wet through his sleeper, so I've had to change him and wake him up. So, after feeding, I cuddle with him in bed, close to my chest. That, of course, means we often fall asleep together in the bed. (I know - it can be dangerous to sleep with a newborn. I never thought I'd be one to do it, but for those couple of hours in the morning, after I've had most of a night's rest, I feel that I sleep lightly enough that I'm more aware of the baby and less concerned about possible accidents. Still, I understand the concern, trust me.)
It's come to be a special bonding time for us. At least, for me it is. I mean, for 9 months, this baby was so close to me that nothing could come between us, and sometimes a bassinet, no matter how close it is to the bed, is too far away. The other morning, Greg caught a photo of the two of us, enjoying our last morning nap.
So one month, and we're doing pretty well. He's starting to thrive, I'm starting to get sleep, and Greg and I finally had our first date night. Which I'll write more about later. A first date is definitely worthy of its own post.
- Jennifer
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