Tag: breastfeeding

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Babies

Zach’s Weight Check Update

We went Monday morning as a follow up from Zach’s 9 month pediatrician check up. If you’ll remember, that’s when our PA was nervous at how small Zach still was. We decided as a result of that appointment, for me to stop breastfeeding him in the evenings & give him fortified bottle{s} instead. We also talked about continuing to encourage solids.

I’m happy to say the appointment Monday morning went really well. Zach had gained a pound {he was 15 lbs 5.5 oz naked}. So yes, he’s still little. And yes, he’s still not on the WHO growth chart. But as I told the doctor, I can see in photos that his cheeks are puffier & he’s eating bottles & solids great.

His doctor felt like he showed enough improvement that we don’t have to go back until their 12 month appointment! Our plan is to stick with what we’re doing. Keep encouraging healthy high fat solids & doing fortified bottles at daycare & in the evenings. She also recommended added rice cereal/oatmeal into yogurt/fruit to up the calorie count just a little bit more.

She gave me samples of a new preemie formula to start using. Gerber Good Start {the preemie 22 cal version}. Anyone used it? Since I noted my frozen stash is dwindling & we might have to give part formula bottles at some point in the next couple months, she recommended the Good Start stating it was supposed to taste more like breast milk than Enfacare while still having all the preemie formula benefits. So we’ll start giving that a try when our current can is done.

Yay for our ‘{not so} lil guy beef up goal’ to be working! Here’s hoping he’s grown into the 9 month {16.5 lb+} summer outfits I got him at the consignment sale last Friday night by spring!

Categories
Motherhood

And Then There was Blood

Breastfeeding at 10 months is all fun & games until someone gets hurt.

And by hurt, I mean bit {again}. And by bit, I mean 6 tiny teeth & blood & pain. And by blood & pain, I mean having to pump afterwards all that day at work.

No one said motherhood was easy.

A certain male baby is not deterred by my yelping & finger pointing & quick removal from nursing with Mommy. Lucy girl, on the other hand, cries when he does it, startled & sad. She gets comforted & all the nursing time while lil dude gets another fortified bottle. And I get Motrin & lanolin & probably a glass of wine.

{I’m not giving up on breastfeeding either babies at this point. Nor am I sharing photos of this. But this has happened two Sun nights/Mon mornings in a row. I’m open to suggestions &/or sympathy at this point.}

Categories
Babies

Finding Time for Me {Liberating Working Moms}

I thought I’d carved out last night for ‘me time’. The plan was for Jason to spend yesterday & today relaxing after his last day Wed & before he starts a new job Monday. And since he’d be off work, he could pick up & handle Zach & Lucy for a few hours Thurs evening so I could have a after work girl’s night with coworker friends.

Instead, he has pneumonia & spent the day at various doctor’s offices & the night in bed while I wrangled Zach & Lucy. Thankfully, the babies were great.

But that still leaves me questioning, when’s my time?

I’m six months into being a working mom & almost ten months into being a parent, & I feel like I have it kind of down. Of course, when Lucy &/or Zach are sick or teething, a wrench is thrown into the mix & I’m thrown off my “I got this” game. But those days aside, I’m fairly confident that I’m doing a good job balancing work & motherhood.

What I’m realizing I haven’t been doing such a great job keeping up is sometimes me. My one hour of pumping each work day {broke into three sessions} is my only ‘me time.’ It’s sometimes the only time during the whole week when I can sit down uninterrupted by work & personal phone calls, work & personal emails, coworkers, my husband &/or my babies. That hour a day is just me & my book or kindle or silly games on my cell. And yes, I happen to be attached to a machine pumping milk out of my breasts during this time which might tell you how chaotic my life is; that being hooked up to a pump is what I consider one of the most relaxing parts of my day.

I’m over at Liberating Working Moms today talking more about ‘me time’ & what I’m going to do once I stop pumping & lose that hour of ‘me time’ a day. From comments already & my social post, I know it gets easier & better. But I’d love you to jump over to LWM & tell me what you do for yourself.

Categories
Babies Food

Nine Month Appointment Update

We had Lucy & Zach’s 9 mo pediatrician appointment this morning.

I wasn’t shocked by Lucy being 17.5 lb & 27 in long. Still right above the 25th percentile. She took her Hep shot like a champ & was deemed perfectly healthy. Ped said see ya in three months!

Now onto Zacher. He’s still little. I said in his 9 mo update that I hoped he was over 14 lbs. My secret goal was for him to be over 15 lbs. He’s 14.5 lb & 26 in long. He’s under the 1 percentile for length {for first time} & well under the 1 percentile for weight. Da dum.

I was nervous & yet kinda prepared & not shocked by this y’all. He doesn’t eat well when he’s sick. He’s more easily distracted while nursing. I think he stops when he has to work for milk while nursing. He doesn’t eat purees well.

The dreaded “failure to thrive” wasn’t said or even mentioned. He’s been gaining weight. Just not as much weight as they want to see.

So what are we going to do? Here’s the plan. We go back on March 25th for a weight check. Between then & now, we’re going to introduce more finger foods {since he likes to feed himself}. He loved yogurt at daycare the other day & our ped said that was great to add calories, so I’m going to stock up on yobaby. I’m going to try mashed potatoes with him tonight & maybe pasta later this week. We’ll keep trying purees & continue to fatten those up with rice cereal &/or oatmeal mixed in.

And as for nursing/breast milk/bottles/formula. This is where my heart’s a little sad. Since I know my supply in the afternoon & evenings has gotten low, we’re going to give him bottles for these two post-daycare feedings. This way we can fortify them with a teaspoon of enfacare {like we already do to his daycare bottles} & we can also know for sure that he’s getting the 5-6 oz a bottle that he needs. The plan is to continue to nurse him overnight & in the mornings as long as he seems satisfied. If he doesn’t seem satisfied, we’ll add a bottle after we nurse.

Thank God for my crazy pumping over the summer. We’ll be going through my stash more rapidly now & I’m going to keep pumping three times a day at work. Our plan is for me to keep nursing Lucy as she’s growing well on her curve & seems a more focused & patient nurser. I’ll either offer her both sides in the evenings or pump the other side if necessary.

Anyone have ideas for healthy yet fatty foods for 9 mo old who doesn’t love purees? Other tips to fatten up a skinny boy?

Categories
Babies

Breastfeeding Two {almost 9 months in}

We’re still going strong!

But not as strong as it once was. From what I hear & read from other working moms, a downslide in production this late in the game isn’t unheard of. Especially when you account for the fact that Lucy & especially Zach have been sick on & off {mostly on} since mid-December.

Then add in the couple weeks I was sick, getting my period back, stress over sick babies & work, & busyness at home & work that lead to me not staying as hydrated as I should be, and it’s no shock that my supply isn’t where it used to be. I tried mother’s milk tea & upping my water intake, beyond sloshing to the bathroom more frequently, I didn’t see a difference.

Lucy & Zach wake up hungry & I wake up with both sides feeling full. We typically tandem feed around 745a & they pull off & head to daycare very satisfied.

Three hours later, I pump & can get about 5 oz on each side. But the days of bringing home 30+ oz of pumped breast milk are gone. Now I’m feeling lucky if I make 18 oz total in a day.

This was what I was able to pump today afternoon at my 130p pumping session: 5 oz total. The results of my 130p pumping session. #bfcafe #breastfeedingtimestwo httpsuzstreats.combreastfeeding-two-almost-9-months-in

And I’m hoping for 4-5 oz again at 345.

Getting 4 oz a session would be good if I was trying to feed one baby, but I’m not. As a reminder, Lucy & Zach are drinking 3 5oz bottles each Mon-Fri at daycare. That’s 30 oz a day. And I think Lucy would drink more if I offered it. At this point, I’m bringing home typically half of what I need for the next day.

I continue to be so thankful that, despite the precious time it took & strange looks I got & the help it required, I pumped & froze the milk every time after I nursed Lucy & Zach for the 16 weeks I was on maternity leave. Even though for the past month or so, I’ve been pulling out up to four frozen bags a day, I’m still just beginning to make a dent in my frozen stash from July. {I’ve already used up the little frozen from May & gave most of June’s stash to a friend.}

I no longer can pump before I go to bed. There’s little to no milk in there after the babies nurse around 7. I actually have been splitting a bottle to give both close to 3 oz some nights right before they go to bed around 8-830p because they don’t seem to be full after nursing. Since Zach is usually the only one up in the middle of the night, this week I’ve even had to offer him both sides to fill him up at 3am. This bit me in the butt Wed night when Lucy woke up too. Poor girl was sucking all she could to get what I hoped was some fatty milk Zach left behind on each side.

I’m not giving up. Either nursing or pumping. But I can see the end is in sight. My first goal was 9 weeks, then 6 months. We’ve sailed happily past both of those. I’d love to make it nursing until they’re 1. But I also know it’s important to make sure they’re getting enough. So if that means giving up some nursing & bottle feeding them either the pumped milk I can make or thawed frozen stash, I’m good with that too.

I’m waiting to make any changes until their 9 month appointment in two weeks, or if I notice either or both are no longer satisfied after nursing. I’ll keep updating as we go along.