2003-Nov./Dec. Mamas and Babies (New Thread) - Page 3

[beanma]

hey y'all,

bec, sorry to hear about the cleft palate. i guess it must not be very severe or it would've been obvious. will it require further treatment? hope you can get your supply back up.

sorry to hear about the in-law troubles, PL, and the dh, too. that'll blow over though, i'm sure.

we're doing okay here. still tandeming along, though there are days i wish dd1 had already self-weaned. i can't bring myself to think about weaning her 'cause she's soooooo attached to her milk-milks, but sometimes it would be nice to have my nipples to myself for a minute or two. :LOL

ellie goes to the ped for the first time on the 6th. i'm not looking forward to it too much. dd1 will be going, too, and she is hysterically afraid of the dr. i really like our dr, though. our midwives did the initial care on dd2 and the ped's office kinda gave me a hard time about that :. i've been going back to the midwives almost every two weeks or so for one check or another. i think the last time we were there last week she was 12lbs 12 oz with her clothes on, so that's probably 12.5 lbs or so at 6 weeks. she was 9lbs 4 oz at birth, so i'm not worried about weight gain. i checked dd1's records and dd2 weighs more than she did at the same time and dd1 was in the 90th percentile across the board except for her head which was the 95th!

ugh, i have a nagging headache and poor dh stayed home sick from work today -- food poisoning we hope. isn't that a horrible thing to hope for, but better that than something contagious. we've already been passing a cold around which i hope baby doesn't get.

dd1 has had a bit of trouble with some tantrums lately which i think must be related to dd2 and also asserting her independence. she's miss contrary a lot these days, but today has been a great one. her little cold might've put her out of sorts a bit, too.

well, this is long so i'll quit now. hope everybody is doing well and getting lots of baby smiles and loving!

[3 Little Monkeys]

she giggled!!!

Jessica laughed at me today!!! There was no mistaking it, it was her first official laugh and I thought I was just going to melt. She's been making ahh ahh ahh noises when she's smiling real big, but today it was more of a true laugh. I got on the cell phone (we were waiting for big sis to get out of school) and called dh so he could hear her do it, but she wouldn't do it again. I can't wait for him to get home tonight - hopefully he'll play with her a little (for a change) and try to get her to laugh for him.

[Christy1980]

oh how i've missed you all!
I hate to gripe on my first post back...I'm sorry:

my mom is driving me crazy!! we met her at walmart yesterday to have sage's pictures taken, (she was paying) and this also happens to be the store that she and my DP both work at. after the pictures are over, she wants to hold sage and take her to show a couple of coworkers. that was fine with us, but i told her "do not let anyone touch her, I don't want her to get sick." my mom starts talking about how you can't keep them well forever, that she will eventually get sick and i cant' do anything to prevent it, and DP says "yeah, well we don't want to accelerate it either."

then, instead of taking sage to see a couple of her friends in the back, she parades her through out the entire store, showing her to every employee, and one lady grabbed sage's hand. I said, "please don't touch," and the lady put her hand down, then mom said, "yeah, they don't want anyone touching her" as she rolls her eyes very sarcastically. when we walked away, i said if she let anyone else touch her, i was taking sage away from her. so everyone else we saw she very sarcasticlly said "her mother doesn't want anyone to touch her, so DON'T TOUCH." then they look at me like i'm some kind of bad person. I just said, "we don't want her getting sick already, she's only 5 weeks old."

I was already angry, (so was DP) that she insisted on parading sage around to like 30 employees, and then acting like sharing germs with all these ppl should be ok...dang we were aggravated. she never would have let anyone touch me or my brother when we were that little, so i don't know why she is being such a meanie about her grandchild.

[Christy1980]

i didn't want to update any info in a gripe post LOL!

sage is smiling and making noises that we interpret as beginning giggles. i can't wait to hear her laugh. she is growing like crazy. she is already outgrowing her nb/small diaper covers, so i need to by some mediums already. as of last week, she weighed 9.5#'s YAY!!

oh, and i look HOT! :LOL i'm losing weight and i look better than i've looked in years. DP says having the big BF boobs helps, too, LOL. I'll have to post a picture soon.

[WickidaWitch]

Christy~
How I dont know but bf'ing burns calories......
Next time you have to go to walmart just make sure you have her in a sling of some sort.
Hope the pictures came out good.

Sherri~
Did you get your kids picture done the other day?

Baby talk is totally awesome!
My babe is fussing on her Daddy so break time is over.
T

[3 Little Monkeys]

Tammi - I took Jessica to Penneys and got her picture taken alone. The photographer surprised me and had me lean in and kiss her forehead for one (had I known she was going to do that maybe I would have done my hair and make up :LOL) and she also took one where she had Danielle lean in and give her a kiss. That one was sweet so I ordered a copy of it. I got a bunch done on a bed of roses. I stripped her down to just her Little Lambs white aio. It's a sweet picture, but I think it would have turned out better had she been a little older. I get them back next week (I got the thing where they email them to you but they haven't done it yet) once I get them I'll post it so you can see.

Christy - I totally understand where you are coming from. It's so frustrating when people (especially family) don't respect your wishes and berate you for how you raise your child. I don't think your request for people not to touch Sage was at all unreasonable - I don't want a bunch of strangers touching my babe either!

Speaking of babes, mine has decided she needs the milk makers. At least someone is getting some good use out of them :

[1jooj]

Wow--lots going on!

Christy, something happens to them when they become grandparents. They lose every shred of parenting common sense they ever had...well, not every shred. My mom is still very helpful, but just her...energy...in our house screws up the routine and Meryem takes days to recover.

(She gave Mama a 7-hour stretch of sleep the other night--wow!)

And Bec, thank God you found the cleft when you did. I hope she keeps gaining like a champion.

I am sooooo hungry all the time. I want to be one of those moms who lose weight, but I feel like I cannot stop eating. I might join the local Curves if dh will help me work it into the schedule. It would basically eat an hour of my day to go.

[Christy1980]

Next time you have to go to walmart just make sure you have her in a sling of some sort.

I had her in my infantino carrier, (a snugli knock-off), and took her out for her pictures. I was going to put her back in it, but mom said, "hey don't put her back in that thing, i want to hold her and show her to 2 friends that work in the back. you can't see her in that thing." :

and sage slept through the whole picture-taking session. I think the pictures will still be really nice, but i know tht certain relatives are going to call me and say, "why didn't you wake her up for the pictures? It would have been so much prettier with her eyes open." UGH!! i think we tried to wake her before every picture. My mom was complaining about that, too, and as soon as the pictures were over, sage woke right up, LOL.

gotta go~~i'm leaking AGAIN!! dang these things just dont' want to stay dry, LOL.

[bec]

Originally posted by 1jooj
And Bec, thank God you found the cleft when you did. I hope she keeps gaining like a champion.

Now that she has food to eat, she's doing so well! Since Saturday afternoon, she's gained 8 ounces!

Unfortunately, we're still waiting for my milk supply to get back up there. I'm pumping non-stop it seems, but I still need to supplement with a bit of formula.

We see some cleft palate specialists tomorrow, and I'm trying to think of questions to ask.

Well, gotta pump! Talk to you later.


Bec

[KindRedSpirit]

Hey,

Bec,I could send my toddler over,she is an expert at stimulating strong milkflow... regaining 8 oz. already! That's great!!!So many moms would have given up on nursing from this experience,so GOOD FOR YOU!!!!And look at the immediate difference

Eve is one week away from 3 months old!!!!!And boy does it make a difference!I can see a light at the end of the tunnel now-even though Dd1 likes to play with the switch, if ya know what I mean....We are still standing,and still tandeming, and I think we may just make it to Dd1 self weaning when she is ready.(I almost weaned her a few times in the last 3 mo.to say the very least!)

I am so exited for spring to come!I so want to go on walks again!( our stroller is burried in a snowdrift turned ice,and it takes 10 min. per kid to get out the door,and Dd1 gets tired of walking after passing 3 houses!.....)

[bec]

KindRedSpirit - Thanks for the offer of the nursing toddler, but I have one of my own!:LOL

As far as Emily is concerned, we went to the cleft palate center in Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago today. We finally have some answers as to what to expect.

She is not a good candidate for a prosthetic palate (that only works, apparently, if the cleft goes all the way through the gum line, which hers does not). This means that, until she has surgery, she will not physically be capable of sucking. It's kind of like trying to suck a drink through a straw that has a big hole in the side. Simply doesn't work.

And this means she will not be able to nurse at my breast. I'm very sad about this. It is one of the things I have really enjoyed with dd1.

But, my priorities have changed drastically. I'm now just concerned with her getting enough to eat, and not so much with how she gets it. My milk supply is starting to respond to the pumping, and starting to really pick up. I'm hoping that, within a week, I'll be able to pump exclusively for her, and get her off that nasty formula.

They were very nice and informative at the hospital today. They gave us a bunch of bottles that are specially made for babies with cleft palates. They have a very long nipple, so it can get past the cleft. And they have a cross-hatch opening, so it doesn't require suction to get at it. And they are made of a slightly softer plastic, so I can help things along if need be.

And the best news, is that she's packing on the ounces! From Saturday, she's gained almost a pound! And she's smiling, letting out contented coos, is spending more time bright and alert, and spending her sleep-time in a deeper more restful sleep. In short, she's doing all the things a baby is supposed to do.



Bec

[1jooj]

Bec, that is really great news--your supply picking up and the weight gain, etc. I hate to "go negative," but were you going to tell us all how the clefft was missed in the first place? Is it because it is so far back in her mouth?

KRS--what is this "spring" of which you speak? I feel imprisoned at this point. It has been below zero for what feels like forever. Mom came yesterday so I could run (very very quickly) to the store all by myself.

Meryem took an ounce from a bottle from dh last night. He was MYSTIFIED. He never fed ds from a bottle, so this was his first time. She gulped it down and wanted more, but I am wary of doing it too much--and besides I need to save the pumped milk for when I really need it. Our goal is to have a good stash so I can start going to the Y ASAP. Lack of activity is really really bad for me. Dh almost cried, though, feeding his baby. Made me feel really lucky to have the gift of lactating breasts, kwim?

Any recommendations about the acne? Her forehead, ears, cheeks, neck, shoulders, chest are FULL. Judging from all I have read re: baby acne, this is it. But it looks sooooo awful, especially when it is red.

[3 Little Monkeys]

bec - I'm so glad things are looking up for you and Emily. It's great that she's putting on weight now. I hope things continue to improve!

1jooj - Jessica has had the baby acne too, on her face and chest, sort of a ring around her neck - it's awful! I've been wiping her down with warm water a few times a day and it seems to help a bit. I've noticed that when she nurses and gets milk on her face and it dries there she ends up with really red acne so I try to make sure nothing is on her when she finishes eating. She's got such sensative skin that just about anything touching her leaves a red spot. I've also been putting powder on her neck (under all those chins :LOL) and it has helped with the chest acne. If you find a miracle cure for it, please let me know!!

[Christy1980]

bec~~so glad to hear that Emily is doing better. at least if she can't be at your breast, she can still get your milk. that's a good thing. When will she need to have surgery?

Sage's acne seems to be clearing up, (well, it isn't any worse anyway), and i'm not doing anything special, so i guess the only cure is time. sorry ladies.

I'm having a wonderful time trying to do DP's taxes...I have to wait for Sage's social security number before i can finish.

i think i'm gonna bundle up my baby and go for a walk. I need some aerobic activity, LOL, I don't need my butt to get any wider!!

[Plaid Leopard]

Bec- Sorry to hear about the cleft palate but glad to hear that things are going well and Emily is gaining weight.

Felix is all right as far as baby acne goes - a few flare-ups here and there. But hey, what's the deal with the Mama acne? Anybody else's face breaking out?

Anybody in cold climates give their baby Vit D supplements? The ped prescribed them but I haven't given them. Felix really has not gotten any sunshine at all since he is always bundled up under my coat when we actually make it outside -so I'm wondering if I should go ahead and give them.

I am going to start going to a postpartum exercise class soon - where the moms bring their babes. I've lost a lot of weight but I cannot stop eating sugar. ANd I'm stuck in no-pants land. My maternity pants are too big but my regular pants are way too small. Guess it's time to go shopping.

[bec]

Well it's been a week since Emily was at her lowest weight, and she's gained exactly 1 pound! She's now 8lbs, 8oz, and eating constantly. I love it!

My supply is steadily picking up. I'm currently pumping about 16 ounces in a 24 hour period. I need to be up around 24 ounces to be able to get off the formula, so I'm pumping like mad!

1jooj - I couldn't even begin to tell you how it was possible for it to be missed this long. It seems pretty obvious to me.

Christy - Emily will have surgery somewhere between 8 and 12 months of age. It sounds pretty simple and straightforward, but it will require she be under a general.

Anyway, Emily's twin (Lucy Lactina) is calling me!



Bec

[KindRedSpirit]

bec, I wonder if you could just hold Emily w/ her mouth open at your breast for let-down (squirting)?Do you think she would swallow o.k.?Just for the bonding-at-breast.....Also,is your toddler nursing thru all this pumping?I LOVE the name "Lucy Lactina"!! (is that the pump or nursing toddler?)I may adopt the name for Dylan-she is 2 and still nurses more than Eve who, by the way, is HUMUNGUS!(I can squeeze her into 9 mo. clothes!)Although,Emily may be giving her a run for the money with such great weight gain!

[bec]

Originally posted by KindRedSpirit
bec, I wonder if you could just hold Emily w/ her mouth open at your breast for let-down (squirting)?Do you think she would swallow o.k.?Just for the bonding-at-breast.....Also,is your toddler nursing thru all this pumping?I LOVE the name "Lucy Lactina"!! (is that the pump or nursing toddler?)I may adopt the name for Dylan-she is 2 and still nurses more than Eve who, by the way, is HUMUNGUS!(I can squeeze her into 9 mo. clothes!)Although,Emily may be giving her a run for the money with such great weight gain!

Breast compressions were what I was doing for her before I realized there was a problem. She didn't get enough. I am still offering the breast to her as a comfort thing, but she simply isn't capable of getting any nutrition that way. I suppose it is possible that she can nurse after the surgery, but that is quite some months from now, so I'm not going to get my hopes up too much. But that would be ideal if it could happen.

Lactina is the model of Medela pump I'm using, and Lucy just rhymes with it.

And yes, Katie (the toddler) is allowed to nurse after I pump. She usually only wants to a couple of times a day. Her nursing has been quite the comfort to me, as I cope with Emily's inability to.

My goal is for Emily to be big and fat by the time she sees her regular ped again (in 2 weeks)! She's well on her way. It's so good to see her finally doing all the things a baby is supposed to!


Bec

[WickidaWitch]

Hi all~
Angelica is going well. She's been such a good girl in the evenings lately. not nearly as fussy as she used to be.
She is smiling all the time now which melts me every time(i'm sure you all know how that feels). I just love it so much though when she hasnt seen me for a minute the I put my face in her and say hi and she smiles ear to ear.
She is just fine~
She got her first little boo-boo bump on her head tonight. She and Daddy were sitting in a chair next to ds in his high chair. Ds likes to sit his butt at the top of the seat and bounce ( I have told him not to a million times). He's never fallen before but this time as soon as he put his butt up there he fell back. Dad tried to catch him and she started to scream. We both thought she was just scared from all the noise (pauls reaction, Jonathans cry and me yelling what happened while running in). I was so busy cuddling both of them then bf'ing her lying down it was at least an hour before I saw it.
Angelica had her picture done at Target yesterday on a bed of white and pink roses blanket. She was wearing a winter white fleece cover with light pink snaps. Then we took a naked pic of her laying on her belly with her bum in the air a little, knees up just a bit. She had a little smile too.
The pics came out real good. I cant wait to get them back.
Good night

[beanma]

hey y'all,

all is well here. still tandeming away. well, actually, i guess i shouldn't say all is well since poor dh has had something, probably food poisoning, for a week. there's been a big outbreak here and the health dept is trying to track it down. dd1 threw up for the second time in her life on friday night and then had one bout of diarhhea (sp?) yesterday. this is all on the heels of colds for all of us except ellie bean. i'm just hoping to keep her well!

bec, keep us posted on emily! i reread my post and i hope i didn't come off flippant saying it must not be too severe. i meant that it must not be obvious when you first look at her. i'm so glad they finally diagnosed it and hope she gets good and FAT now! i read your other thread about her and wondered how that other mama breastfed. maybe used a SNS where it just dripped out or something? it's great you still have a nursing toddler/preschooler (along with lucy lactina) to keep those milk-milks going. with my two nurslings i've found myself getting engorged and drippy (like in the grocery store the other day ) whenever we go for long without nursing.

tammi, you'll hafta post a link to the pics. they sound really cute. doncha love nekkid baby butts?!