Last night James was at his fussiest. We just couldn't figure out what was wrong! He always seems to be a little fussy at night, as if he knows we're going to turn off the lights. He was extra hungry last night so we did let him feed as much as he wanted. I guess he must have had an upset stomach because when I had my hand on his belly, I could feel the rumbling. After a bit of time consoling him, and hearing him scream and scream (totally breaks my heart!), I was able to rock him to sleep in my arms.
And then all was well! He slept soundly and didn't fuss even for that darn pacifier. (I hate it because he doesn't keep it in his mouth well and at night I have to keep getting up to replace it.)
This morning we had a little Tummy Time. Please see the video of this in "My Baby Videos". I really thought he would start crying again when we did this but he didn't. I've read that its really important to start doing this so that he can develop his neck muscles. You start with a minute at a time and then gradually increase the time. Today he tolerated it pretty well but didn't attempt to lift his head. Maybe next time!
I'm resting before we have our 2nd outing into the world. I have a Lactation Consultant appointment at 12:30. I'm kind of dreading it. I know that breastfeeding isn't working for me and I need the help, but I'm not prepared to deny James the extra formula that we're currently giving him. Or denying him ANY bottle (breastmilk or not). I've read (yeah, I read a lot) that you should just let your baby go hungry and eventually he'll work out the breastfeeding, if he's desperate enough. I can't do this, it seems cruel.
So I'm hoping the appointment goes well and she doesn't tell me to do anything I'm not willing to do. Check back later because I'm sure I'll update this in the afternoon with the results!
Oh the other big news is that I'm only up 3 pounds from my starting weight! I have lost about 15 pounds since having James! I did end up gaining a bit of weight towards the end, totaling 18 pounds. So I'm pleased that its naturally coming off. I'm sure I'll lose some other weight with the breastfeeding too.
More later!
LATER: We had our lactation consultant appointment at the hospital today where we were greeted by not just one consultant but THREE! All were older ladies, very talkative, and very hands on. Apparently two of them were being trained in some paperwork/computer procedures so they joined our appointment. The ladies were quite amusing- very passionate about what they do.
Well, to be short, they figured out that James has a short frenulum (tongue-tied) and this makes breastfeeding a little more difficult. We did successfully breastfeed and since I've been home, I've had some progress too. We're getting the hang of it!
So now I just have to adapt to the EVERY TWO HOURS schedule of breastfeeding (up to four hours at night). This is until he reaches his birth weight at least. After that I believe I can switch to every three hours during the day. So we'll see how it goes. Jim is a tremendous help! He's willing to help out in any way he can. Tomorrow I'm sending him grocery shopping. :)
Oh, and about the tongue tied issue... there is a simple procedure that the doctor can perform at the clinic. I guess its not something doctors look for at the usual check-ups, or its not something they're concerned with. The lactation consultants think otherwise. They told me that if the doctor didn't want to perform the procedure to make sure to get a referral to the Ears, Throat, and Mouth specialists.
I put a link to a related article in the "My Favorite Links" area of this babysite.
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