news from the last week..long

Since the 24th, Nathan has been nursing like a rock star. Just about every 2 hours with a 4 hour one thrown in for good measure. It wasnt all that, um, comfortable, in the beginning and I got a blood blister on my right nipple. If you have the chance to experience that, skip it. I toughed it out though and it got better. He is really getting better with his tongue so I thought it was just a learning curve.

Let me back up. When we first went to the LC (Lactation Consultant) at 6 days for him not latching, she thought he might have a minor posterior tongue tie. He wasnt able to put his tongue to the roof of his mouth or even stick it out to his lips. There was a possibility we would have to go to an ENT to talk about having it clipped if he kept showing interest but wasn't latching. I had started to pump at day 2 just to get him what colostrum I could and protect my milk supply once it came in. We had to use formula for 2 days until I could pump what he needed at each feeding. During that time, we used a syringe to feed him then moved to attaching a tube to it, feeding it next to a finger in his mouth and encouraging him to suck enough to pull the milk down. This was every 1 1/2 to 2 hours round the clock. Jeremy would feed and I would pump. Fast forward to now: he can stick his tongue out just fine and moved it where he should when prompted.

I had a really hard time with pumping and not being able to get the bonding time of feeding him. Hormones did not help the matter. It was very important to me to do everything I could to make it work as long as he was in good shape in the mean time. Using formula for even 2 days really upset me. I know it was necessary and I got over it but I will admit to being very down about it. But, the night after I had a pretty good breakdown, he figured it out. Pushing me to the edge already. =)

Back to the original train of thought...Then, Thursday, it happened again and I couldnt handle it. I called the LC at 9:30 at night b/c I couldnt handle the thought of nursing him on the right side and the left side was headed in that direction. She told me it was ok to just nurse from the left and pump the right and to use the Adiri bottle if we needed to just to make it through the night. We go in to see her the next day and she worked with the latch. Much better now! He is back up over his birth weight too which makes a momma so happy. He gained almost a pound in the 6 days since he started nursing! chunky thighs, he we come =)

If you are nursing, do not make the mistake of not asking for help. I learned this lesson from my friend Kristin and Im glad I listened. Its not something that just magically makes sense to most people so you have to work at it in the beginning. Doesn't mean it wont ever work!

What else.... he discovered this thumb and that it can be sucked. SO cute. I have a picture but cant upload it until I run up to my office. I hate my computer....

He's sleeping in about 3 hour blocks at night which is great. Those I can handle.
The cloth diapers are going great. He used to get really upset when he peed and stay upset until we changed him. As soon as we made the switch to cloth, he only fusses as he pees then settles right down. I started experimenting with the bigger dipes but I think they are still too big around the thighs.

Jeremy is great with him. From the start, he has changed diapers and was amazing when we had to do the finger feeder. Only once, at 2 day at 2am, did he ask if we couldnt just "fill him full of formula and get some sleep". I just took Nathan, figured out how to feed him myself, and he slept on my chest on the couch. I know it was just the lack of sleep talking and he has never been less than 100% supportive since.

I think that about catches us up. Now that Jeremy is back to work and I am figuring out how to make it work with Nathan alone, I think I can give more frequent updates.