Down and Out

I'm sick with the flu. Don't remember feeling this bad for at least 13 years. It feels like I'm being repeatedly punched in the stomach and I ache everywhere from the hips up. Awful awful. Awful. Praying the girls stay well. Olivia doesn't know the meaning of contagious, so this morning she kept offering to take care of me and cuddle me. Bless her heart. She is so sweet It's hard to say I love you so please stay away. Plus, she is upset that my birthday party was cancelled. Remind me to not complain about waking up every 3 hrs with a newborn. I'd give anything to feel up to that right now. Yuck.

Friday, February 1, 2013

I visited with a lactation consultant this afternoon. Abigail was thrilled that she got to go somewhere to eat. All of the other babies there were maybe 5 lbs, so my 10 lb baby looked like a giant! LOL. Anyway, she ate for about 45 minutes and only got 80 ml or just over 2 1/2 oz. The minimum per feeding at her age is 2 1/2 oz, but she has to work really hard for it. So that's probably why she likes a formula bottle. She gets more and gets it faster. So, I'm trying to boost my supply by drinking more water and taking a supplement called more milk plus by Motherlove. It would also help, I'm sure, to reduce stress and get more sleep. I may also look into a dairy elimination diet to see if that helps with the gassiness and fussiness.

Anyway, I'm thrilled that she's gaining weight so well, but wish she didn't have to constantly eat to do so. Praying I can boost my supply for her. After feeding her a few bottles, I was reminded of how much I hate bottle feeding. . .getting the bottles ready, having it drip down their face, having to pack bottles in the diaper bag. Ughh. Really hoping I can do this until she is 1 yr old. We'll see.

Here is a picture of Abigail heading out with me today. And, it was pajama day at school so Olivia was thrilled!

Things Olivia Is Afraid Of

So, I really really needed a laugh today. Olivia was sitting on the couch with me and decided to list off all of the things that she is scared of. By the end of the third one, I was laughing so hard that I had to write them down. So, here they are:

Nail pops
Scary hands
Scary hand on a stick
Monsters
Ghosts
Spooky Old Tree bats
Vampire bats
I'm not scared of any fruit bats though.
Mean people
Scary faces
Spooky haunted house
Knives
Spoons
Boxes
Moving walls
Low voices
Whoopee cushions
Socks with a hole in them
Closets
Throw up
Loud noises

Thursday, January 31, 2013

I bought some Similac Sensitive this morning and so far I've fed her two bottles of it and have noticed no difference. And poor thing just wanted to nurse so badly, so I caved and nursed her. I love nursing so much compared to bottle feeding. No bottles to get ready, no messy formula dripping down her chin, etc. So, I think after I take Olivia to school tomorrow, I'm going to visit a lactation consultant. It is free at the hospital where she was born. Maybe they can provide some insight as to what is going on. Praying for answers. I just want my happy baby back. I also have an appointment with Dr Scharenberg on Monday. After 10+ recommendations, I have to check him out!

Lactose Overload

Okay, so I'm pretty sure that Abigail has lactose overload as a previous commenter has mentioned. The only thing inconsistent with it is she does not have the issues with bowel movements. Everything else is spot on! She screams and cries all of the time unless I feed her. Then, she eats and seems very gassy and uncomfortable. And so the only thing that calms her down is to feed her and the cycle continues. It seems that I have two solutions. One is to block feed which I already do and it hasn't helped. The other is to switch to a lactose free formula and quit breastfeeding. And if I do, does anyone know whether it can be soy or actually a lactose free formula? So, hoping to get into see a lactation consultant to examine any other ideas before I make changes. Because I seriously have a baby who cries all the time. First she cries because she's mad unless I feed her. Then, she cries in pain from the gas.

Here are some things I have read about it.

Gas and fluid build-up cause tummy pain and the baby 'acts hungry' (wants to suck, is unsettled, draws up his legs, screams). Sucking is the best comfort he knows and also helps move the gas along the bowel. This tends to ease the pain temporarily and may result in wind and stool being passed. Since the baby indicates that he wants to suck at the breast, his mother, logically, feeds him again. Sometimes it is the only way to comfort him. Unfortunately another large feed on top of the earlier one hurries the system further and results in more gas and fluid accumulation. The milk seems almost literally to 'go in one end and out the other'.

What are the symptoms of lactose overload?

Frequent watery bowel motions (can often be green in color but not always)
Bowel motions often have a slightly to very offensive odor
Bowel motions could be frothy or 'explosive' (shoot out with force)
Bloating
Cramps
Excessive gas
Irritability/screaming
Sleeplessness or wakefulness
Baby appears to be constantly hungry
Baby gains large amounts of weight (which is not the case when a baby is lactose intolerant)
Baby is usually less than 3 months old, but this problem can continue to the age of 5 months
Symptoms are often mistakenly diagnosed as colic, lactose intolerance or milk allergy or intolerance. Because lactose overload is associated with an oversupply of milk and/or overfeeding, spitting up is increased and a diagnosis of gastro-esophageal reflux is common.

Sisters

My beautiful baby

Two month checkup

Abigail had her two month checkup today. She screamed a lot which was consistent at least with what I was talking to him about. It was her mad cry, however, because she was awake and not being fed. She also has a pain cry when she eats. He upped her Zantac dose, but I don't think it is doing anything for her. Her doctor thought she might be happier when taking formula because it is thicker than breast milk. Maybe that's why she is more content? Anyway, super fussy tonight because of her shots today. Poor baby.

As of 11 pm, she has a 100.1 fever and just feels miserable. These vaccinations were brutal. Gonna be a long night.

Weight: 9 lbs 12 oz and in the 16th percentile. Wow, I don't believe Olivia has ever gotten over the 1 percentile.

Height: 21.3 inches and in the 7 th percentile

And cute as a button!!!

Saturday, January 27, 2013

The other day, Olivia and I spent the afternoon shopping together and had such a good time. Do you know what she bought with her Christmas gift card? Zinkies ( no surprise since she loves Squinkies, however, I despise Zinkies! They are a cruel joke to parents and once Abigail is mobile, they have to go away for awhile.) And. . . She bought her own pink blow dryer. LOL! It's what she wanted.

Still struggling on the breastfeeding front. I started taking a fenugreek supplement to increase my supply and it has definitely worked! It also has the added benefit of of lowering your blood sugar. I just constantly smell like maple syrup, eh, small price to pay. But the way she screams when she breastfeeds, I feel like I'm poisoning her. I can't say that it feels like I'm doing what is best for her. :(. I'm so discouraged! Her 2 month appointment is tomorrow and I'm going to talk to her doctor and also try to get into a lactation consultant. I have GOT to figure out what is going on. Her weight gain is super though. She is over 9.5 lbs I think. Just look at those little chubby legs.