But dammit, it's ok!
In fact, Lorelei's pediatrician told me the other day, at her 2-month appointment, that "Mom should get some more rest." It's funny--this doctor is EXCELLENT--but she has this quirky way of talking to me through the baby. Examples:
"So little one, are you eating every 2 to 3 hours throughout the day?"
"Are you letting your parents get any sleep these days?"
"Are you smiling and cooing now?" (Uh, do I let her answer, or....)
And the latest one: "You know, lots of people expect mommies to just get back out there and into the swing of things, especially around the holidays! Yep! But you should tell mommy to just rest in bed because then she'll be able to be happier."
Ok, as long as Lorelei approves....!
So that's what I've been doing the past two days. Not resting in bed, but just lounging in PJs without feeling guilty about it. It definitely helped that we had a huge snowstorm on Wednesday so that was a no-brainer. And yesterday, I could have gone out...but that would have meant scraping off the car...nah.
Today though, I do have an appointment at 2pm, so I am going out! I'm dropping Lei (one of our nicknames for her--her initials are L.E.I.) off with Derek at work so I can get a full hour or so to myself. Then it's off to Target to get some stuff for Christmas cookies (Derek's sister Becca is coming this weekend so we'll be a-baking) and to get Lei a little dumb holiday dress for Derek's office party. Blah.
Happy face!
Friday, December 10, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
BF: Not my Best Friend
So, Lorelei is almost 10 weeks old now. In a few more weeks, she'll turn 3 months old (crazy!).
My mother-in-law, "C," told me that when her daughter "M" had her two babies, that she breast fed them for 3 months. "That was enough for her," C said. "She was very committed to it, but 3 months was when she just said, "Okay, moving to formula."
When I first heard this, I have to say, I felt a little bit of pride (or maybe it was self-righteousness?) well up inside of me. Three months!? HA! I'm doing a YEAR! Six months, at minimum. 3 months is NOTHING!
Um....can we make it to three months, already?!
It's not that I am wanting to quit nursing. It's just that I am...considering it. The most important reason is because after all this time, I'm still in pain. There are other reasons that I could add, and which I will add, when weighing the options of this decision. But the only reason I am even thinking about stopping is the pain.
Here's a pro/con list...
PROS: Continue Breastfeeding Because..
My mother-in-law, "C," told me that when her daughter "M" had her two babies, that she breast fed them for 3 months. "That was enough for her," C said. "She was very committed to it, but 3 months was when she just said, "Okay, moving to formula."
When I first heard this, I have to say, I felt a little bit of pride (or maybe it was self-righteousness?) well up inside of me. Three months!? HA! I'm doing a YEAR! Six months, at minimum. 3 months is NOTHING!
Um....can we make it to three months, already?!
It's not that I am wanting to quit nursing. It's just that I am...considering it. The most important reason is because after all this time, I'm still in pain. There are other reasons that I could add, and which I will add, when weighing the options of this decision. But the only reason I am even thinking about stopping is the pain.
Here's a pro/con list...
PROS: Continue Breastfeeding Because..
- It's best for Lorelei
- It's "easy" (no bottles to make or clean up)
- It's portable
- She gains immunity and will rarely get sick (I pass my antibodies on to her through the milk)
- Easily digestible for Lorelei; fewer stomach problems (potentially)
- Diapers are more "pleasant" (ha ha), less constipation
- Weight-loss booster for me
- Strong bonding sessions between us
- It doesn't cost a cent
- less spitting up/gassiness
CONS: Stop Breastfeeding at 3 Months Because...
- Pain while nursing (left side only); excruciating at times, other times merely bearable (with Advil).
- Recurring clogged ducts and nipple blisters/blebs
- Mastitis - for me, the agony of this infection was worse than labor. I have to take Lecithin, a supplement which helps your milk flow easier, 3 times a day or else the clogs come back.
- Freedom to go out and leave baby with Derek or sitter without having to pump.
- Freedom to drink alcohol without worrying about it getting to the baby.
- Freedom to eat anything I please without worrying about reactions/sensitivities (this was a huge problem before, but she has since outgrown the dairy allergy, THANK GOD!, so that's not really an issue. However, sometimes she has horrible gas/fussiness and we can't pinpoint whether it's something I've eaten that is troubling her.)
- Can still bond with bottle, as long as I maintain eye contact and snuggle while feeding her.
- Derek can have more of an active role in feedings (right now he feeds a bottle about 2x or 3x/week total). This is nice so he can spend more time with Lorelei, but also to relieve me "from my duties" and allow me some more sleep.
- Unconfirmed - but theories are that formula-fed babies sleep longer because they are fuller longer, whereas breastfed babies wake more often to feed. Right now Lorelei is waking a minimum of 2x/night to eat and I am getting choppy, restless sleep because of it.
- No more NIP (nursing in public). Oh, how I hate that. Or nursing in the car. Or in a public bathroom. God I hate that. I do have a nursing cover, but it's awkward and I am such a modest person that I really feel uncomfortable with NIP.
- No more worrying about pumping. I am SO SICK OF PUMPING. Pumping to maintain or build supply, pumping to relieve clogs or PREVENT clogs, pumping to empty the breast if she falls asleep, pumping to have a bottle for Derek in case I have somewhere else to be. Plus I am having very little success while pumping. Not really getting a lot of milk. It's almost better sometimes if I hand-express it. Which is ridiculous and takes FOREVER. Thank god I don't have to go back to work now, because I have nothing saved up at all.
- Which leads to....no more feeling incompetent or like a failure. :( Of course, I WILL most definitely feel like a failure for probably a couple weeks when I do decide to stop BFing (provided it's before six months). But right now, I have so many questions. Is she getting enough? Is she gaining enough weight? Is she happy at the breast, or frustrated? Is she constantly hungry? Is she just comfort nursing? With formula (or at least with a bottle - even of expressed milk), I know what she's eating and it's not a guessing game. I know that "we produce what our baby needs" and that nature is a remarkable thing, but I can't help but wonder sometimes if she is unhappy because I am not giving her enough milk. Sometimes I feel as though my right side (which, luckily, never hurts while she nurses) hardly produces anything at all, whereas my left side, my super producer, is the one that KILLS when she nurses. I have seen an LC more than once, have attended multiple breastfeeding classes and groups, have seen a nurse from the OB-GYN's office who specializes in BFing, and have had a nurse come to the house to coach me with her. I have tried a nipple shield. And then a different nipple shield. The left side STILL HURTS. I am so frustrated and don't know what to do!!! Hence feeling like a failure.
- Possibly, but maybe not - I will stop being a total bitch due to being overtired and cranky. Maybe I will have more energy and be nice to Derek instead of snapping at him. Maybe I will have more patience with Lorelei when she is screaming and crying, instead of crying myself and passing her off to Derek so I can cry in the shower.
Whew.
As you can probably tell, this is a highly sensitive, emotional decision for me. It consumes most of my day. It's not an easy decision to make. And the question I guess becomes, whose health is more "important?" Mine, or Lorelei's? Yes, BFing provides her with everything she needs. It is the "perfect food." But is that more important than having a mom who is happy and well-rested? Who has more energy to take care of her and play with her because she is not throughly exhausted and both physically and emotionally drained every day?
I do want to wait until three months, though, because I have heard that things improved drastically at this point for most babies, even ones with colic (which I am pretty sure Lorelei has). Maybe once she starts sleeping more and being less irritable, I will relax, produce more milk, be less stressed, etc. Maybe the pain will subside, like so many BFing veterans have told me. Maybe.
I guess I'll just have to see what three months will bring.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Back from NY
I never thought I'd say this, but...I am glad to be back in Cleveland!
During our two weeks in New York, I kept thinking about all the places I wanted to go and things I wanted to do--back home. This is big for me. Since moving from NY 2 1/2 years ago, I have always missed it. I still do, but I never missed HOME when I was visiting, well...my first home!
Lorelei did great in New York. Of course, she still had her incredibly fussy moments, but, considering we were in a new environment, she slept fairly well. And she even transitioned back to our own apartment nicely! (Except for the fact that since we had turned the heat off when traveling, our apartment was friggin' FREEZING for a few hours while it warmed up.) She's been giggling and smiling more often. She's napping now in her swing, which we both missed very much (mostly me, because it is a surefire way to get her to calm down and/or nap while I take care of chores and stuff).
While in NY, we visited a store called Waddle 'N Swaddle in Poughkeepsie (right near Vassar's campus -- we took a day trip there). We throughly spoiled Lorelei by getting her some really nice stuff, including two blankets from Tickety Bu and (for me AND her) a Beco baby carrier (the one pictured here is the design we got). I'll have to post some pictures soon (this is obviously NOT me! Ha ha).We also visited Vassar's campus and ate at The Dutch Cabin...oh, the memories.
We saw a bunch of friends during this visit, including Trish, Eliza, Heather, and Mike (who came over the day after Thanksgiving); Matt and Sarah (who we visited in Brooklyn); Rob (with whom we met up for dinner); and Kristin and Wil (who had us over to their Washington Heights apartment this past Friday night.
All in all, we had a great time, but I was very glad to get back home last night.
 |
| Lorelei at almost 9 weeks |
We definitely have hardly any food in the house. I was going to go to the store, but with the snow, I think I may just do a makeshift meal in the crock pot instead!
Here's a picture of Lorelei in her car seat on our way to see Kristin. (This was BEFORE she started screaming her head off in the car...oy vey.)
Just a couple more weeks until Derek and I go to Michigan to spend time with his family! He's going to use the rest of his vacation days, so he'll be off as of December 18th. And I think Derek's sister Becca will be paying us a visit next weekend to hang out and give us a hand. Something to look forward to!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
This run was made possible by the Glee Pandora station
BREAKTHROUGH!
I ran for the first time in six months yesterday!!
I am spending two weeks in New York with my family (we came out almost a week early for Thanksgiving, and then decided to extend our stay because Derek has a conference in the city this week and didn't want to travel back and forth). I packed not one, but two running outfits. I had such grand ideas about doing a crisp, sunny Thanksgiving morning run, reminiscent of the great one I did in 2007 in Riverside Park by the George Washington bridge--never forget that feeling!
But low and behold, stuff happened. Most notably that I got a bad cold and that the baby was not napping and was VERY cranky, making it nearly impossible to just feel okay about passing her off to someone and go running. So my plan for a Thanksgiving run came and went. I imagined all the Turkey Trots I was missing and got a little sad.
But then an amazing thing happened. Well, two amazing things. One: I started to feel better VERY quickly. That almost never happens. Actually, let me clarify: I used to never get over colds for like a week. Then I started running, and I virtually stopped getting colds, or if I got one, it was gone in about two days. (In fact, amazingly, the entire time I was pregnant, I only got sick once, right at the beginning, and it was very brief. I haven't had a cold since January.) When I stopped running due to being--well, humongous--and then stopped walking so much a couple months later, I dreaded getting sick because I thought that my immune system--previously protected by running--would be like, "WTF?" and leave me sick for a long time.
But no! Apparently I have trained my body to reject sickness. Nice! I must have residual runner's health. Either that, or the prenatal vitamins that I am still taking are actually doing more than giving me strong nails and hair.
Anyway, the second amazing thing that happened was that the weather...actually...stayed....sunny and beautiful for a few days! What?! (Now watch, now that I said it, it's going to snow.) But yesterday was the perfect opportunity. Derek was working, but my mom and Jack were both home on vacation. It was mid-day and about 50 degrees (perfect!). I fed Lorelei, then changed and was out! I took only my phone, which, with headphones, can double as a music player thanks to the Pandora app. My plan was to walk/run for one mile. Just one! I asked Jack for a route that was either about a mile or which would take me no more than 20-30 minutes to walk/run. I got the info, and was out the door!
The Glee station on Pandora, might I just mention, is awesome! I heard a few winners, including "Eye of the Tiger," which was just perfect because it was right as I was starting out.
To be honest, I was very happy with the amount that I was actually able to run. I thought I would start out all show-offy and strong, and then stop gasping for air after two minutes, clutching my side as I walked it off. Like I used to. (This is square one, isn't it?) But, amazingly, it wasn't like that at all. Not only did I retain all the "muscle memory" on how to maintain a good stride and run economically and all that, but I didn't lose my breath. Maybe that's because I didn't go off sprinting down the road like I had naively tried when I first attempted running five years ago. (Geez--has it really been five years?!) No, the reason I slowed to a walk three or four times during this mile was a combination of: 1) running stitch in my upper stomach - funny how those present themselves more when you're first starting out; 2) very rationally (ha ha) not wanting to "push it" too soon because I knew I'd probably be sorry. If there was an instance during the run where I was like, "Hmm. Should I keep running, or should I walk here?" and I was in mild to medium discomfort, I usually walked. Nobody needs to be sidelined even longer by a dumb injury. (Listen to me, all calm and mature. Yeah, right!)
I made it back as Jack was out walking the dog....and part of me thinks he might have gone out to check up on me because both he and my mom were a little bit nervous about it. That is so funny to me. But it's cute.
Here is the route I ran. (Actually, according to gmap pedometer, it was 1.6 miles!)
In other news, Derek's dad and grandpa want a picture of the three of us for their Christmas letter..but Lorelei was not having any of it! She cried the entire time. Here's a semi-decent one:
Anyway, that's all for now! Have a great Tuesday.
I ran for the first time in six months yesterday!!
I am spending two weeks in New York with my family (we came out almost a week early for Thanksgiving, and then decided to extend our stay because Derek has a conference in the city this week and didn't want to travel back and forth). I packed not one, but two running outfits. I had such grand ideas about doing a crisp, sunny Thanksgiving morning run, reminiscent of the great one I did in 2007 in Riverside Park by the George Washington bridge--never forget that feeling!
But low and behold, stuff happened. Most notably that I got a bad cold and that the baby was not napping and was VERY cranky, making it nearly impossible to just feel okay about passing her off to someone and go running. So my plan for a Thanksgiving run came and went. I imagined all the Turkey Trots I was missing and got a little sad.
But then an amazing thing happened. Well, two amazing things. One: I started to feel better VERY quickly. That almost never happens. Actually, let me clarify: I used to never get over colds for like a week. Then I started running, and I virtually stopped getting colds, or if I got one, it was gone in about two days. (In fact, amazingly, the entire time I was pregnant, I only got sick once, right at the beginning, and it was very brief. I haven't had a cold since January.) When I stopped running due to being--well, humongous--and then stopped walking so much a couple months later, I dreaded getting sick because I thought that my immune system--previously protected by running--would be like, "WTF?" and leave me sick for a long time.
But no! Apparently I have trained my body to reject sickness. Nice! I must have residual runner's health. Either that, or the prenatal vitamins that I am still taking are actually doing more than giving me strong nails and hair.
Anyway, the second amazing thing that happened was that the weather...actually...stayed....sunny and beautiful for a few days! What?! (Now watch, now that I said it, it's going to snow.) But yesterday was the perfect opportunity. Derek was working, but my mom and Jack were both home on vacation. It was mid-day and about 50 degrees (perfect!). I fed Lorelei, then changed and was out! I took only my phone, which, with headphones, can double as a music player thanks to the Pandora app. My plan was to walk/run for one mile. Just one! I asked Jack for a route that was either about a mile or which would take me no more than 20-30 minutes to walk/run. I got the info, and was out the door!
The Glee station on Pandora, might I just mention, is awesome! I heard a few winners, including "Eye of the Tiger," which was just perfect because it was right as I was starting out.
To be honest, I was very happy with the amount that I was actually able to run. I thought I would start out all show-offy and strong, and then stop gasping for air after two minutes, clutching my side as I walked it off. Like I used to. (This is square one, isn't it?) But, amazingly, it wasn't like that at all. Not only did I retain all the "muscle memory" on how to maintain a good stride and run economically and all that, but I didn't lose my breath. Maybe that's because I didn't go off sprinting down the road like I had naively tried when I first attempted running five years ago. (Geez--has it really been five years?!) No, the reason I slowed to a walk three or four times during this mile was a combination of: 1) running stitch in my upper stomach - funny how those present themselves more when you're first starting out; 2) very rationally (ha ha) not wanting to "push it" too soon because I knew I'd probably be sorry. If there was an instance during the run where I was like, "Hmm. Should I keep running, or should I walk here?" and I was in mild to medium discomfort, I usually walked. Nobody needs to be sidelined even longer by a dumb injury. (Listen to me, all calm and mature. Yeah, right!)
I made it back as Jack was out walking the dog....and part of me thinks he might have gone out to check up on me because both he and my mom were a little bit nervous about it. That is so funny to me. But it's cute.
Here is the route I ran. (Actually, according to gmap pedometer, it was 1.6 miles!)
In other news, Derek's dad and grandpa want a picture of the three of us for their Christmas letter..but Lorelei was not having any of it! She cried the entire time. Here's a semi-decent one:
Anyway, that's all for now! Have a great Tuesday.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Never leave home without these five things
1. Pacifier
2. Change of clothes for baby
3. Ziploc bags to put gross things in
4 and 5. Your boobs.
Today Lorelei had to have an ultrasound of her hip done. I made sure I nursed for as long as she wanted before leaving. However, low and behold, she was hungry again during the ultrasound! (growth spurt, probably).
Anyway, the technician could not get a good picture because of Lorelei's fussing and squirming. She asked if I had a pacifier, and I said no. I didnt think to bring a bottle of breast milk either since we were gone such a short time. I tried giving my pinky...nope, not good enough!
The technician said, "We have some sugar water. Can we give it to her?" I almost gave in, but then said, "This is gong to sound weird, but can I breastfeed while you give the exam?" to which she replied, "Of course!"
So I leaned over and nursed her and the tech got her pictures!!! LOL! It wasn't too comfortable to bend over, but oh well. It had to be done.
Of course, in true baby fashion, she dirtied not one, but TWO sheets, and three towels. Yep, she peed twice, and sharted twice. Nice job little one!
2. Change of clothes for baby
3. Ziploc bags to put gross things in
4 and 5. Your boobs.
Today Lorelei had to have an ultrasound of her hip done. I made sure I nursed for as long as she wanted before leaving. However, low and behold, she was hungry again during the ultrasound! (growth spurt, probably).
Anyway, the technician could not get a good picture because of Lorelei's fussing and squirming. She asked if I had a pacifier, and I said no. I didnt think to bring a bottle of breast milk either since we were gone such a short time. I tried giving my pinky...nope, not good enough!
The technician said, "We have some sugar water. Can we give it to her?" I almost gave in, but then said, "This is gong to sound weird, but can I breastfeed while you give the exam?" to which she replied, "Of course!"
So I leaned over and nursed her and the tech got her pictures!!! LOL! It wasn't too comfortable to bend over, but oh well. It had to be done.
Of course, in true baby fashion, she dirtied not one, but TWO sheets, and three towels. Yep, she peed twice, and sharted twice. Nice job little one!
Monday, November 15, 2010
Fussy Time: It's not just for babies
I was thinking about "Fussy time" today. Although most babies do have a few hours or so each night where they are acting extra...well...nuts, we all stress about it and sometimes even call it "colic." Even though babies cry! A lot! They're supposed to. But sometimes, adults get just as fussy about it.
Like me! I stress out at practically anything and everything. And, after a good day with (hopefully) 2-3 naps for Lorelei and one for me, a nice bath, changing, feeding, burping, and snuggling...it is stressful and confusing for parents when babies just act like a crazy baby has taken his or her place. "Why now?" we say. As adults, we want to relax at night. We've had a busy day, we've worked, ran errands, etc. and now we have cooking and dinner to accomplish. Yes, it IS an accomplishment to cook dinner with a whiny baby! Even bigger of an accomplishment is when we actually have a second to sit down and EAT said dinner. Derek and I often have to take turns soothing the baby while the other scarfs down dinner. And, even more often, even if Lorelei has ALREADY eaten, she'll have to have dinner #2 before I can even have dinner #1. So my dinner gets cold, and I'm cranky because of hunger. And Derek is probably getting work done, and even if he's not, he wants some time to unwind too and just enjoy the baby - not console her.
Enter adult fussiness! During the day, we adults expect to be annoyed at stuff. Daytime is for doing important stuff. Nighttime is for doing what WE want. Wait, what?! There IS no more "what we want?" Oh, right, I forgot. This pisses me off! Making my tolerance for baby's screams lower. Adult fussiness, I tell ya!
In other news...the question of the day for babywearing moms is...
How do I, like, go to the bathroom when my baby is sleeping in the Moby?
Answer:
Very carefully.
Like me! I stress out at practically anything and everything. And, after a good day with (hopefully) 2-3 naps for Lorelei and one for me, a nice bath, changing, feeding, burping, and snuggling...it is stressful and confusing for parents when babies just act like a crazy baby has taken his or her place. "Why now?" we say. As adults, we want to relax at night. We've had a busy day, we've worked, ran errands, etc. and now we have cooking and dinner to accomplish. Yes, it IS an accomplishment to cook dinner with a whiny baby! Even bigger of an accomplishment is when we actually have a second to sit down and EAT said dinner. Derek and I often have to take turns soothing the baby while the other scarfs down dinner. And, even more often, even if Lorelei has ALREADY eaten, she'll have to have dinner #2 before I can even have dinner #1. So my dinner gets cold, and I'm cranky because of hunger. And Derek is probably getting work done, and even if he's not, he wants some time to unwind too and just enjoy the baby - not console her.
Enter adult fussiness! During the day, we adults expect to be annoyed at stuff. Daytime is for doing important stuff. Nighttime is for doing what WE want. Wait, what?! There IS no more "what we want?" Oh, right, I forgot. This pisses me off! Making my tolerance for baby's screams lower. Adult fussiness, I tell ya!
In other news...the question of the day for babywearing moms is...
How do I, like, go to the bathroom when my baby is sleeping in the Moby?
Answer:
Very carefully.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
A swing is not a boob (and other six-week musings)
Today marked Lorelei's six-week birthday (at 6:17 am! Hell yes I was awake). So many things have been going so much better, and others have been continuing to confuse and frustrate us.
Right now Lorelei is spending some time in her lambie swing, which she just loves! However, something strange has happened. The last few times she's been in there, she has craned her neck to one side and started to fake nurse on the pillow part of the swing! WTF!?! And I know she's not hungry, because I just fed her.
This, of course, worries me a bit due to the whole SIDS thing - is she going to smother in there? But the other part of me is just amused, because, well, she nurses probably 18 out of 24 hours every day, it's no wonder she is always looking for a boob!
The other thing she's doing in the swing right now--and in general--is smiling, cooing, and making baby noises other than crying. That is a huge relief. Not only that she is somehow developing different types of communication skills, but also that I know that she's not really so unhappy all the time, which I had no way of knowing before.
Nursing is going "well," by which I mean it's still going. I've had a bunch of problems thus far, but luckily none of them have gotten in the way of our Little Miss getting enough to eat. Last week I got mastitis and had to go on antibiotics. :( Three weeks ago I also stopped eating dairy products because of "interesting" diaper colors and textures. However, I've also sorta stopped eating peanuts/peanut butter..and decided to try it out this morning (had a tablespoon of PB on bread). If she has a reaction, then it's possible it's peanuts and NOT dairy (because those two were the only two foods I really consumed on a daily basis). So I'll try a switch if that happens. OR, it could be both! Wonderful. Can you imagine if I had to go about my running life without eating peanut butter?! That's my go-to long run/race pre-snack. Well, I won't jump to conclusions yet...of course, I could always avoid this issue and give formula so that my diet doesn't have to change. But I'm not really interested in that option yet.
Sleeping is sort of better, but not great. For a while, she was only sleeping in the swing for extended periods of time (the longest being 4 or 5 hours overnight) and only like 30 minutes to an hour in the crib or bassinet (and that was if we could even get her to fall asleep--usually putting her down on a flat surface rouses her and she starts crying, even if she is in a deep sleep!). But the last two nights we have been trying harder with the bassinet, because we will be traveling next week for Thanksgiving and won't have the swing with us! She has been doing pretty well - I think she has gotten up to about 2 or 2 1/2 hours now in that. Maybe even 3 hours, although honestly, any times recorded between the hours of midnight and 6 am are quite fuzzy to me, so apologies for not remembering accurately!
Also, we've found this technique from The Happiest Baby on the Block which includes the 5 Ss: Swaddling, Side/Stomach position, Swinging, Shushing, and Sucking. It's pretty amazing how the "shushing" part works. You kind of have to do it loudly, and it sounds like waves crashing or something (and it's more like "shhhhh" than "shushhh"). It's supposed to mimic the sounds inside your uterus--in fact, all of the 5 Ss are supposed to recreate that. Dr. Karp (the creator of this technique) calls the first three months of life "The Fourth Trimester," where babies are really not used to life outside the womb yet. Makes sense!! And, while I cannot "shhhh" all night long, our Cloud B Sleep Sheep helps TREMENDOUSLY with this! There are four sounds: a heartbeat; whale sounds; rain, and ocean waves (which sounds like the "shhh"ing).
Other observations of the past couple of weeks:
1) Your baby will probably have more clothes in one drawer than you have in your entire closet.
2) Some burp cloths are meant to be thrown out. As in, the ones you have to mop up baby crap with.
3) A thank-you email is sometimes necessary instead of a thank-you card in order to maintain sanity (and still give you time to nap).
4) Despite the persistent advice to "avoid housework," you'll still feel self-conscious when a visitor comes, clearing the couch of baby blankets and discarded nursing bras in order to make them feel welcome.
5) A GOOD breastpump is essential! I just ordered the Ameda Purely Yours, which is due to arrive soon, because my manual pump wasn't exactly productive enough.
6) Do NOT skip coffee. Just don't.
7) Have water/snacks at a number of "stations" throughout the apartment, because you never know where you'll be nursing, and you want to be well-stocked wherever you are.
In other news: I had my first workout post-baby! I went to a yoga class called "Beginners and Beyond Ashtanga Yoga." Um, more like beyond beginners! Not too fun. And I'm not really a huge fan of the Astanga style, I realize now. It's ok! Just glad I got back out there. I have my six-week checkup tomorrow, so I'll ask the doctor when it's ok to resume running. Not like I have the time OR energy right now! We'll see.
Here's a recent pic of Lorelei in her crib!
Right now Lorelei is spending some time in her lambie swing, which she just loves! However, something strange has happened. The last few times she's been in there, she has craned her neck to one side and started to fake nurse on the pillow part of the swing! WTF!?! And I know she's not hungry, because I just fed her.
This, of course, worries me a bit due to the whole SIDS thing - is she going to smother in there? But the other part of me is just amused, because, well, she nurses probably 18 out of 24 hours every day, it's no wonder she is always looking for a boob!
The other thing she's doing in the swing right now--and in general--is smiling, cooing, and making baby noises other than crying. That is a huge relief. Not only that she is somehow developing different types of communication skills, but also that I know that she's not really so unhappy all the time, which I had no way of knowing before.
Nursing is going "well," by which I mean it's still going. I've had a bunch of problems thus far, but luckily none of them have gotten in the way of our Little Miss getting enough to eat. Last week I got mastitis and had to go on antibiotics. :( Three weeks ago I also stopped eating dairy products because of "interesting" diaper colors and textures. However, I've also sorta stopped eating peanuts/peanut butter..and decided to try it out this morning (had a tablespoon of PB on bread). If she has a reaction, then it's possible it's peanuts and NOT dairy (because those two were the only two foods I really consumed on a daily basis). So I'll try a switch if that happens. OR, it could be both! Wonderful. Can you imagine if I had to go about my running life without eating peanut butter?! That's my go-to long run/race pre-snack. Well, I won't jump to conclusions yet...of course, I could always avoid this issue and give formula so that my diet doesn't have to change. But I'm not really interested in that option yet.
Sleeping is sort of better, but not great. For a while, she was only sleeping in the swing for extended periods of time (the longest being 4 or 5 hours overnight) and only like 30 minutes to an hour in the crib or bassinet (and that was if we could even get her to fall asleep--usually putting her down on a flat surface rouses her and she starts crying, even if she is in a deep sleep!). But the last two nights we have been trying harder with the bassinet, because we will be traveling next week for Thanksgiving and won't have the swing with us! She has been doing pretty well - I think she has gotten up to about 2 or 2 1/2 hours now in that. Maybe even 3 hours, although honestly, any times recorded between the hours of midnight and 6 am are quite fuzzy to me, so apologies for not remembering accurately!
Also, we've found this technique from The Happiest Baby on the Block which includes the 5 Ss: Swaddling, Side/Stomach position, Swinging, Shushing, and Sucking. It's pretty amazing how the "shushing" part works. You kind of have to do it loudly, and it sounds like waves crashing or something (and it's more like "shhhhh" than "shushhh"). It's supposed to mimic the sounds inside your uterus--in fact, all of the 5 Ss are supposed to recreate that. Dr. Karp (the creator of this technique) calls the first three months of life "The Fourth Trimester," where babies are really not used to life outside the womb yet. Makes sense!! And, while I cannot "shhhh" all night long, our Cloud B Sleep Sheep helps TREMENDOUSLY with this! There are four sounds: a heartbeat; whale sounds; rain, and ocean waves (which sounds like the "shhh"ing).
Other observations of the past couple of weeks:
1) Your baby will probably have more clothes in one drawer than you have in your entire closet.
2) Some burp cloths are meant to be thrown out. As in, the ones you have to mop up baby crap with.
3) A thank-you email is sometimes necessary instead of a thank-you card in order to maintain sanity (and still give you time to nap).
4) Despite the persistent advice to "avoid housework," you'll still feel self-conscious when a visitor comes, clearing the couch of baby blankets and discarded nursing bras in order to make them feel welcome.
5) A GOOD breastpump is essential! I just ordered the Ameda Purely Yours, which is due to arrive soon, because my manual pump wasn't exactly productive enough.
6) Do NOT skip coffee. Just don't.
7) Have water/snacks at a number of "stations" throughout the apartment, because you never know where you'll be nursing, and you want to be well-stocked wherever you are.
In other news: I had my first workout post-baby! I went to a yoga class called "Beginners and Beyond Ashtanga Yoga." Um, more like beyond beginners! Not too fun. And I'm not really a huge fan of the Astanga style, I realize now. It's ok! Just glad I got back out there. I have my six-week checkup tomorrow, so I'll ask the doctor when it's ok to resume running. Not like I have the time OR energy right now! We'll see.
Here's a recent pic of Lorelei in her crib!
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