PS Mommy Thread-Newborn to 12 months!

[ChargerGrrl]

Oh, when will i ever catch up with this thread??

The inlaws left last sunday, so this week has been all about spending precious alone time with my little man. The visit was nice, but MIL was here for 3 weeks FIL was here during her last week. It was kinda overwhelming and sometimes exhausting. hope i don't sound ungrateful, because they did kinda help out- especially FIL who painted Nico's room and helped DH with projects around our new home.

Anyway, N is doing great. Growing slowly, but he's healthy and thriving. We had to up his supplement because my milk supply just isn't increasing and he's putting on weight at a snails pace. It looks like i may never be able to EBF, which makes me sad. I'm trying to look at the big picture, that he's getting the majority of his nourishment from me but it's still frustrating that I CANNOT PRODUCE MORE. OK, pity-party over.

He sleeps great at nite- usually goes down by 10p with minimal fuss, and I wake him at 2.30-3a to feed. sometimes he gets up on his own but that's rare. Then he sleeps until 6.30 and we're up for the day. I just can't get him to "effectively" nap at nite, but am thankful that he sleeps soundly at nite!

Question for the newborn BFing mamas- how many nursing sessions do you get in daily? I'd LOVE to hit 8, but it's been more like 7. N is not very effective at nursing, so the session can last 1hr- a bit longer if I throw in a pumping. How do mamas get in 8-10 nursing sessions a day? I'm told that I should wait at least 2 hours from the time i pump until nursing him again.

I've skimmed the thread and see that there's some talk about work schedules. Can I share my situation?
I'm supposed to go back mid-October as per the company letter I received before my mat leave began. They actually break it down to 88 working days- they call it pregnancy disability (as per the state of CA). I've requested to take the rest of the year off (unpaid leave), actually, return that last week in Dec to catch up with the consultant who's covering me. Then I would be able to hit the ground running come Jan 3rd. The gal who's covering me is actually someone I know personally from our industry. She's been out of work and took this "consulting" gig. However, there's now an opening in our dept and she's been offered the job. My boss doesn't think that she can do both her new role and mine for the remainder of the year, so my extended leave may not be approved. However, I "think" that this leave would fall under FMLA, which I believe I'm entitled to. So my request would really be a "notification" that this is what I want to do? HR has yet to get back to me to clarify this, and the CA laws are so confusing! Dunno if my 88 preggo disability days actually count towards FMLA. I hope to get this all squared away by early next week so that i'll know if I'm returning in Oct or Dec. Please send good vibes my way!

Again, I'm so sorry that this post is all about me. Please know that I'm thinking of you mamas and am cheering you on. I just hope to be able to eventually contribute more instead of random posting.

 

[ChargerGrrl]

lulu, another smashing pic! I'm sorry about your doc appt.
MP- great haircut, it suits you
Mara- YAHOO for getting your flex schedule approved. that's great!
Sabine- I hope you're able to put jacks into PT daycare. Sounds like it would benefit you both
Jcrow- good luck with the baptism this weekend!
Amber- HUGS, friend!

Hello to all the mamas!

 

[vespergirl]

Lulu, gorgeous pic of Nora!

MP, I love the haircut - it's very flattering for you, and works perfectly with the texture of your hair.

Here's baby Connor at 14 weeks old with big brother Andrew. Andrew is trying to put a pearl necklace on Connor - I think Andrew is a future PSer in the making ...

 

[phoenixgirl]

Charger, I'm glad things are going well! I did BF 8 or 9 times a day when Claire was a newborn, but I always popped her off the boob when she seemed like she was no longer really nursing, just comfort sucking, which was after about 40 minutes. Others have said that they found their LOs didn't need to nurse for a whole hour (would actually just wind up burning any extra calories they were getting by the work of sucking). But I'd hate to steer you in the wrong direction if your LO really needs to go that long.

Good luck with the FMLA stuff. Maybe a CA mama can weigh in? I had to read my FMLA packet a million times; it was definitely not straight-forward. 88 days is pretty good for the US! I got 65, but luckily I was out over winter break so that was another two weeks off.

 

[Mara]

charger... girl why would you want 8 nursing sessions instead of 7?? the less the better IMO hehe. as long as he's gaining ok.

re: your work situ.. i'm in CA too and i had max 14 weeks of any 'paid' disability. anything after that was unpaid. i took 2 weeks unpaid and then came back.

FMLA is the federal job protection? i think the max is 12 weeks. so it kicked in i think once the baby was born OR a few weeks later, can't remember, but it was either after birth or 6 weeks after birth. so i would think that you prob only have like ~20 weeks of job protection total? after that they do not have to save your job. you can prob google for more info OR ask your HR Dept (i made them do a timeline for me with dates and all that on when each item was valid and when it ran out etc)--but i don't think that you can have them keep it til dec if you were supposed to go back in oct if they don't want to.

we have CA disability which I think is the PFL portion (6 weeks); and FMLA which is the federal portion of protection, there is also some type of CA protection but i think that is the part that works in conjunction with the first 6 weeks?

mp, the hair looks fabulous, great job and good for you for taking a risk!
lulu that pic is adorable. oh it's friday. DOH. i'll have to get a pic of J though you guys see them all the time on TOS (the other site).

sabine, don't feel guilty for wanting some you time. while i would love more time with J and am excited to get it, i don't want to be a SAHM. i could do it, but it wouldn't be what i would totally 'prefer'. and if i was a SAHM i would require some 'me time' so you def shouldn't feel guilty, plus Jacks will prob totally benefit from the social interaction. that is the part of the nanny share i am really excited about for J--he loves looking at and trying to get to other babies.

ETA: i found this re: CFRA and FMLA. they work in conjunction i think so i believe the max is 12 weeks for both total.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) allows eligible employees to take up to a total of twelve (12) weeks, per calendar year, of paid or unpaid job-protected leave. While an employee is on approved FMLA/CFRA leave, the employee's health, dental and vision benefits are maintained.

 

[KimberlyH]

Charger, I have no advice for you, just encouragement! You're doing a fantastic job. I never had to sort out leave, I just requested 12 weeks and was given it, because I'm PT and a consultant.

Cute hair, MP.

Lulu, I'll say it again, Nora is gorgeous and you take the most beautiful pictures!! I'm so envious.

So we bought J a jumper thingamajig and she's loving it (although it's way too tall for her even on the lowest setting).

We celebrated our 4 year wedding anniversary last night, went out to dinner. J grabbed a handful of coleslaw off my plate and tried shoving it in her mouth; she also drank sage water and screamed when I took it away and sucked on purple cabbage and carrots at dinner, plus gumming some bread. The kid is ready for food. She's also eating like crazy. This happened gradually, obviously, her interest growing, but now she seems so intent on eating. I'm feeling a bit torn as I really wanted to wait until 6 months, but I also don't want to be dictated by some arbitrary number when it's clear she's interested and hungry , so my husband is going to purchase some rice cereal today and we're going to see how it goes. She's 3 weeks shy of 6 months.

 

[Mara]

kim i'd just follow her lead...also re the cereal, i think the 'powers that be' have also started to recommend that parents don't need to start with cereal, but veggies are ok too. anyway just figured i'd toss that out there. we did cereal to start but i would have easily done a veggie like sweet potato as well knowing what i know now. happy anni kim.

i forgot to mention it's G's bday on Sun so we are going out to a yummy dinner tonite at this awesome restaurant. i am so excited as its our first time in like 2mo going out on our own to a fancy place. shades of the old life!! i plan to enjoy.

jcrow-forgot to say smocked dresses are sooo cute!! have you seen that blog mila's daydreams? her little petticoat underwear/diaper cover thing is so cute.

 

[jcrow]

Another iPhone drive-by...

Mara, no I haven't. I'll check it out. Em has some white bloomers with eyelet trim that she wears. When I was little I remember being envious of all the other girls that had them. We was too po' for them. Haha. So I knew I wanted to get some for em. They've been super cute and handy. Really completes a dress outfit IMHO.

I spoke too soon about em's sleep. She didn't go down till after midnight. In other news, she said her first word tues. Hi. I've said it to her for so long, like when she wakes from a nap. She now says it and can repeat it if i say it too.

Lulu- love the pic. Like everyone said, you take fab pics!! I love the f.bros dresses. So delicate and such pretty detailing. I have one hanging in a frame in her room. It was one in the family. Em also has a soft pink one with a matching slip. After the baptism, we are going to put her in a white one borrowed from a friend for the little party.

Mp- super cute hairdo!!

 

[cara]

Charger, for ref. here is my understanding of what you get in CA. It is generally more generous than FMLA. (FMLA just gets you 12 weeks unpaid leave.) This is for someone at a large employer for more than a year, yada yada.

Pre birth:
You can leave on disability up to 4 weeks before the due date. However, if you leave before hospitalization or birth, your disability pay only begins after you have been out a week. My HR person said I was entitled to use sick leave during that week to get receive normal pay, then transition to disability pay until the birth. Disability pay is usually not full pay but 55 or 60 % of your usual pay. This leave does not count against your post-birth leave at may be as much as 6-weeks if you chose to go out 4 weeks early and the baby was 2 weeks late.

Post birth:
Disability pay for 6 weeks or 8 weeks, depending on vag. or c-section birth method.
THEN 6 weeks of partially-paid baby-bonding leave, generally also paid by the disability insurer or another insurer at a similar rate.
THEN additional option of 6 more weeks unpaid baby-bonding leave for a total of 18 (or 20 for c-section) weeks of leave post-birth.

I think that the baby-bonding leave can be spread out over the first year of baby's life rather than taken all at once.

Obviously check with your HR rep to see if this is correct, but at least this was my understanding. My company also tops off my disability leave to full pay for a certain number of weeks, but it is possible that I will be out on disability for longer than that if I go out pre-birth or have a c-section. But I think that is optional on their part to top off my pay rather than required by statute. Hope this helps.

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Phoenix- THANKS for chiming in on you BFing experience. I've been trying to get a good sense for how long N should nurse on each side. Right now i'm doing 20 on the right and 25 on the left (it yields much more than righty). but then you throw in the bottle AND pumping and each feeding session can turn into an hour long which is why i'm finding it challenging to add an additional session to bump it up to 8

Mara- HA! I know i'm nuts for trying to get it up to 8- yeah, would do it to get him more nourishment as he's an uber-slow gainer, but also thought it could help increase my production. As it is now, I'm nursing him every 3 hours from the time we get up at 6:30a-ish until his last feeding at 9p (oh yeah, plus the 3a nite-time stint), and that's 7 times. DH jokes that I could add in another session if I wanted to get up 2x at nite- um, NO! I may have "slow mommy brain", but I'm not crazy!

Kim- Happy Anniversary! our 4th is next month. WOW, how time has flown

JCrow- Yay for 1st word, boo for yucky sleep!

RE: my leave- Trust me, I know that 88-working-days is generous, but I figured that it didn't hurt to ask for that extended unpaid time. The worse they can say is no and that would be that. I wouldn't risk my job over it. Anyway, I heard back from my boss that HR will be contacting me to further discuss, so we'll see... However, I'll need to shift my work-life balance once I return- no more late nights and eating lunch at my desk. my company would never approve any kind of flex schedule, so it's up to me to maximize my time at work so that I can leave at 5p and also take a lunch. There's been some staffing changes since I've been gone, so I've been thinking of drafting a new job description proposal that meets the direction our dept (marketing) is going so that my duties are better balanced.

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Cara- we were posting at the same time.

THANKS for that info. It's on par with what I thought. Good thing is that I literally worked right up to the day before my c-section, so I didn't use up any time pre-birth.

If anything, I may be entitled to those 2 xtra weeks since I had a c-section. I hope that I'll be able to take that extra leave I requested. It may not end up being FMLA, just an unpaid leave between me and the company. I'm trying to be optimistic, but there's just way too much going on with my dept/company and it may just not be feasible. oh well, at least I'll know so I can begin making plans for childcare- OY!

 

[cara]

Charger, if your 88 workdays leave = 17.5 weeks and you had a c-section, you are probably entitled to another 2.5 weeks of post-birth leave. It would be unpaid, and not FMLA but also not just a gift from your company - I think you may be entitled to it under whatever the name is of the CA law on parental leave. Best have your ducks in a row for the HR meeting. Good luck!

 

[somethingshiny]

Kimi~ Happy Anni!

Sorry that I haven't caught up yet. I suck.

Our nights have not gotten better and today Lily has been up for over 12 hours and only napping for like 45 minutes every 1.5 hrs or so. She hasn't been fussy really, just wakeful. Maybe she's finally flipping her days and nights. I've been trying to get her outside into the sunshine as often as possible (while staying in the shade). Our house is like a cave so maybe she just wasn't regulating to daytime.

On the feeding issue, Lily has begun requesting 5oz! I can't believe the amount of food she's taking! She'll take 5oz and then only 3 oz on the next feeding so she's still at the same 32oz a day, but I can't figure how she can hold 5oz at one time!

I hope all of you and your LOs are doing great! Have a wonderful weekend!!

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Charger, if your 88 workdays leave = 17.5 weeks and you had a c-section, you are probably entitled to another 2.5 weeks of post-birth leave. It would be unpaid, and not FMLA but also not just a gift from your company - I think you may be entitled to it under whatever the name is of the CA law on parental leave. Best have your ducks in a row for the HR meeting. Good luck!

Oh, I'll def bring up these xtra 2.5 weeks of post-birth leave! But I'm also trying to go for extended unpaid leave which would begin whenever my entitled leave ends and go through the end of the year- that extra (unpaid) leave is what I suspect I need my company to "gift" me since it sounds like my current leave may exhaust my FMLA benefit

 

[KimberlyH]

Mara, I have it all mapped out. I want to start w/ rice cereal so we can mix fruits and veggies in to it and then fade the cereal out. I'm not concerned with what the powers that be say, I just think it's the best way for Jane.

SS, were you able to get a carrier of some sort?

Baptism: I'm having an internal debate about doing so....don't want to violate PS policies, but it's been a real struggle for me to decide.

JCrow, my mom's neighbor bought Jane a gorgeous smocked dress. She's originally from the South and she said it's a "must have" for every baby girl. So sweet.

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Wow- when it rains, it pours! This is like my 4th post today!

I need nap advice! Nico goes down each nite with hardly any fuss and sleeps for a good 5-hour stretch. I'm not so lucky during the day. This kid doesn't nap!

Note that we go full throttle with the HAPPIEST BABY ON THE BLOCK items at nitetime (swaddle, shush, side/swing, etc..). I don't really do this during the day- maybe a little rocking/side swinging in my arms. He'll drift off, but isn't really asleep as he wakes the minute I put him down in the pack and play.

Do you follow the exact same routine when you put your LO's down to nap during the day as you do at nite? And what kind of nap schedule are they on? Maybe I should at least be swaddling him for naps? Want to keep his napping to the PNP though, and keep his co-sleeper as "the place" for nitetime sleep.

And also thought I'd share some pics from his newborn shoot- he was 2 weeks old, so almost 6 weeks ago. WOW, time has flown...

 

[ChargerGrrl]

I love how he's holding on to my finger here!

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Baptism: I'm having an internal debate about doing so....don't want to violate PS policies, but it's been a real struggle for me to decide.

From one Catholic school gal to another, I can commiserate!

 

[taovandel]

Haven't had a chance to read but wanted to update everyone about Evan.


We went to the Pedi yesterday...9 month well baby check up.

He is cutting three teeth right now.

He weighed 17 lbs 11 oz. and was 27 1/2 inches long. (10th percentile and 25th percentile).

Be back later.

 

[steph72276]

Oh Charger, BEAUTIFUL pictures...you will treasure those forever

 

[ljmorgan]

Charger -- I feed A usually 8 times a day (he's 11 weeks) -- a typical day would go like this -- feeds at 7am, 9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, 7pm, 2am (the times vary slightly every day, but now that he is sleeping that longer stretch at night, he wants to eat every 2 hours during the day instead of every 3 hours like he used to. Sometimes he also wants to eat at 4-5am which puts us at 9 feeds in a 24 hour period.)

The first few weeks with A I BFed, pumped, and bottle fed so I completely understand how time consuming and exhausting that is. As for not feeding until 2 hours after pumping -- totally not true. Sometimes I pump after a feed, which makes it 1-1.5 hours before the next time I feed A. The more frequently you drain your breasts, the more your body will get the message to produce milk. Some babies want to nurse every 1-1.5 hours! So don't feel as though you have to wait any certain amount of time. How much does N take from a bottle at a time? How much are you pumping and/or supplementing? I know it is frustrating when your body doesn't always cooperate, but it sounds like you are working hard at giving N great nourishment.

Lulu Your photos as always are beautiful Too precious!

vesper Connor looks so grown up, and look at all of that hair! When did you start putting him in the bumbo? My kiddo is 11 weeks and his head control is still not fantastic.

AFM I don't have the energy to write much here but I do still read this thread daily! Andrew is truly thriving and we are so thrilled. I was looking through his photos tonight and could not believe how much he has changed. His first photos he was covered in wires and tubes, and now he is just a healthy looking baby boy. His blood levels have finally stabilized and it looks like he won't need any more blood transfusions. I finally feel like all of that is behind us. Here is my little guy at 11 weeks!

 

[Sha]

awwww Lindsey! What a cutie face! So sweet! So glad he's doing well.

lulu, chargergrrl and vespergirl - awesome pics!

Where are the others? My camera broke a few weeks ago, but I just got a new one. So no pics from me today.

Kim - happy anniversary! I would totally try solids at 5 months +. That's not too far off from 6 months - I don't think it'll make that much of a difference, really. I started Dalila on rice cereal at almost 5 months and other solids at 6 months.

 

[drk]

I thought all was going swimmingly well with the pumping at work thing. All the surgeons seemed to be supportive, none of the nurses complained. Until yesterday when I went to the other hospital site, and had one nurse exclaim "You can't bring that in here, no fluids are allowed in the OR!". I told her that I could do it sitting away from the patient and the surgical field, and that if it made her feel better, I could dump the pump bottle contents into the storage container outside the OR. There was some muttering on the far side of the room between two of the nurses, and when I came back from getting some IV fluids a little while later, one apologized to me for seeming like she was coming down hard on me. But I had to understand that it wasn't really allowed.
Fast forward to this afternoon when the department chief suddenly wants to speak with me at the end of the day. He's received an email from the director of medical affairs, because I can't do this in the OR any more. They claim they're worried about infection control and patient safety, because I might not be paying attention to the patients. Last time I checked, breast milk was sterile, and besides, I have alcohol hand wash at my work station and wash up before and after touching anything to do with the pump. And I still perform my work in exactly the same manner as I would have if I weren't pumping.
I ended up calling the medical affairs lady to say I needed to talk about this. Why did this suddenly become an issue after 8 weeks back at work? She claims that they have pumping rooms over on labour and delivery at my hospital that I can use. I had to say that that didn't sound like it would work, since I have to pump 3 times a day to be able to feed my daughter (given my poor supply, I pump every 2 hours), and there was no way that I could leave the OR for that length of time to go pump. Even if I had 20 min between cases, that wouldn't be long enough (I need about 25 min each time probably). I also don't feel like I can stop the flow in the OR by saying that I need to take a longer break in between. Some rooms have such quick turnover that you only have 5-10min between cases. I also have some days where I have a 4h case in the morning and a 3.5h case in the afternoon. Having a colleague give me a break wouldn't work either, because that would be dependent on one of them having a long enough break in between cases to relieve me to go do this.
I was in tears during the phone conversation with her, which I had while sitting in the OR doctor's lounge at the end of the day. One of the general surgeons and one of the oral surgeons were near me during the conversation, and were outraged when I explained what was going on to them. They said there's no problem at all infection control or otherwise with me pumping in the OR. And they'd be happy to write letters to the hospital on my behalf, or to sign a petition that they'd suggest all the docs and nurses in the OR should sign.
I'll be very interested to see how this plays out. I did tell them that I should be able to continue providing breast milk for my baby, and that I didn't think I should be financially disadvantaged by needing to do so, nor should the surgeons have their lists affected by my needs. This woman seems to think there must be some solution, but I really don't see what it might be.

Later in the evening the woman called back to say that I absolutely cannot continue to do this. That they have told my department chief that he needs to figure out a way for my colleagues to help me meet my pumping needs. I truly see no way for that to happen. None of us have 3x25 min a day to allow me to pump. Heck, none of us ever usually have a 25min break, and if we do have one, we need to eat lunch or pee.
I reiterated my suggestion that perhaps I could be allowed to pump at my work station in the OR, but could step outside into the "soiled utility room" to attach or detach the pump, and could leave my cooler bag with the milk bottles in it out there until I could transfer the milk to the fridge.
I'm not sure that they'll go along with this, but it's really the only way I can see this working. I don't want to not work just to pump, nor do I want to stop feeding my baby breastmilk because they're trying to make it harder for me to pump. My job just really doesn't offer any other possibilities, and me taking breaks to pump would mean that my OR would have a long delay because of me.
I'm so stressed and worried now. Not good for the milk production either.
ETA. She claims it was the plastic surgeon who made the complaint. How nice of him to discuss it with me first before escalating it. And there I thought we'd had a nice day together in the OR. Why the hell did I have to pick that room?

Charger - I agree with Lindsey, the more often you empty your breasts, the more milk you will make. That's why I pump every 2 hours during the day now, since K had settled into a 3h routine of eating and sleeping, and I was always having to pump after every feed to empty things well enough, and still couldn't keep up with her needs then. 8-9 pump sessions/feeds a day seems to maintain my supply at a "keep-up" level. Sorry to hear you're dealing with supply issues too.

 

[Mara]

OMG charger those are some of the best newborn photos i have seen. What a fabulous photographer!!!! I am in love with that 2nd pic...I really wished we had gotten something like that! Plus N is so cute.

Tao YAY for great stats!!

re: leave.. so I believe you cannot take any of the time you did not take PRE BIRTH and use it POST BIRTH. that is what our HR told me anyway--basically before birth in CA you use it or lose it. that is why i took 2 weeks before birth and it was fully paid at 100% by my company. i was like basically you are paying me regardless of if i am here or not, why be here?!?!?

also--i think you should bring up the extra 2 cesarean weeks before you go back because i think you need to claim it before? i am surprised your company isn't more hands on with their requirements because my HR had a disability company who did everything for them and they were like a stalker about me sending in forms etc--i had to send in docs after the baby was born, showing i had a vag and not a csect, and what date he was born, and then they adjusted dates accordingly and would keep updating me as the leave continued saying what 'stage' i was in. they also had a return date on record.

also, i believe the max for job protection is 12 weeks, not 18 weeks though you may take the additional 6 weeks unpaid but your job is not protected. anyway--even if it was 18 weeks it would not get you to that dec date, so i hope your company tries to be flexible!!

re naps: our night routine with J was diff than daytime, but eventually we found a daytime routine that worked for us overall too. but his night is still way more consistent than his day because sometimes he ends up having to nap in carseat while out somewhere.

(and umm i started composing this 3 hours ago then realized it was still sitting here, oops!)

ETA... after reading the last few posts, i just have to say i do not miss not bf'ing..!!!! seriously something like that should be SO SO SO much easier on all counts. i am ecstatic my boobs are my own again, a selfish love i am sure. hang in there drk and hope there is a solution that works for you.

 

[jcrow]

4 months today!

Re: restless while nursing - I turn on my white noise app and 'em calms down instantly and eats.

Charger- gorgeous pics!! What a beautiful baby.

Re: naps- em had a period where she didn't nap. We've since figured out a schedule led by her. She takes two to three naps a day - morning midday and evening.

As for us it's baptism day. Hope she's a good girl for it. She also is four months today!

Also, my hair decided to start the great shed of 2010. Boo.

 

[vespergirl]

Jcrow, congrats on baptism day!

Charger & drk, I love the baby pics!

Drk, that is just awful about your pumping predicament. Since I've never worked in a medical environment, I can't offer any advice, but I just wanted to say that I support your decision to keep pumping & I hope that you all can find a resolution at work. I had the worst time with milk supply with both of my boys, and with both of them I only managed to BF for 3 months. You are doing an awesome job, and it's just so unfortunate that your work is making it even more challenging for you.

 

[swimmer]

DrK, Kara is so beautiful and happy! She really looks like she is thriving, you are working so hard for your baby it is just unimaginable that yet another hurdle is being thrown in your path. Of all places a hospital is getting in your way of feeding your child and during World Breastfeeding Week of all times. I don't know if you want to stir the pot, but La Leche League would be thrilled to support you and do a feed-in at your hospital to promote awareness of the benefits of bfing and supporting mothers in their efforts to do so. I'm outraged at the display of ignorance being directed at you and really hope that some resolution can be found.

Have you considered donated milk? Like lots of women I have oversupply; I donate about 24 ozs a day to a local woman I found through a milk donation site. (I still freeze about 18 ozs a day and E is ebf) Some hospitals collect milk donations but I wasn't interested in keeping a food diary (it would be horrifying to me to read how much I eat in a day). I know that formula is good stuff too, but I was so frustrated with oversupply -drowing e at every feeding, being engorged all day- that when my LC told me about donation, it was a way to feel better about the situation and help someone else. I totally know that donation isn't for everyone, but just wanted to put it out there to a fellow hypno-natural momma who I care about so much. The lengths you and your DH have gone to are really amazing for this wonderful baby. Sending you love and support.

JCrow, hoping the baptism is wonderful and happy 5th ps anni tomorrow, somehow that just caught my eye.

Lindsey, A is just amazing! And Charger, she is dead on that you don't have to wait that long to pump. Do you think N's naps would get longer with a light swaddle?

Lulu, your photos are fantastic! To respond to you question way back: My LC said that once the night sleep gets longer just expect baby to want to feed ferociously after not getting any for so long. Luckily for us that stage just sort of ended, E is 12 weeks and sleeps 7ish hours for his long night stretch but it took a week of him waking up like a little wolverine or something and wanting to be fed forever to make up for that long span without. The older and fatter they get apparently the longer they can go, he now wakes up much less desperate for nourishment, you will see the same I'm sure. Oh man, your Doc's appt sounds awful, glad you were able to laugh at the chaos!

Vesper, all that hair! Love the accessorizing!
Cara, hugs, awesome that you guys are doing great.
Kimberly, good luck with the internal struggle, that is not easy.
MP, Jealous of your curls! Hugs to M.
Meresal, wonderful that you can stay with your gorgeous boy!
Mara, hugs and thanks for all the good insight.
PrettyBlues, I can't believe M is now so old! We were going to be date twins! What is it they say, "look at the baby not the scale" You guys are doing great!

Sorry just to drop in from nowhere, I read sometimes while E eats so keep up but only when he drifts off can I type. Here is my 12 week 13lb babe, we are wondering if his eyes will stay blue...

 

[ChargerGrrl]

THANKS for chiming in on N's pics! We got some great shots from his newborn session that we'll always cherish!

I really appreciate the clarification on the pumping timing. I kinda thought that the 2 hour window seemed a bit rigid! Although I follow a loose feeding/nursing schedule, I also try to do it on demand, looking to him for direction.

Speaking of schedule, here's what I got going with his feedings:

2a- nurse & pump
6a- nurse, bottle & pump
9a- nurse, bottle
noon- nurse
3p- nurse, expressed milk bottle
6p- nurse, bottle
9p- nurse, bottle, pump, 2nd expressed milk bottle
He goes down around 10 and can go until 2a when I wake him to feed. He then again sleeps like a champ from 3a to 6a.

BM: From my LC visits, we've determined that he gets around 2-2.25 ozs per nursing session (closer to 2oz)
supplement: 4 formula bottles, each is 1oz
I pump 3x, and yield about 1.5 - 2 ozs from those pumpings, which i break down into 2 bottles.

According to the LC, he's supposed to get 20 ozs daily. With the 7 nursing sessions, 4 supplement bottles and 2 BM bottles, we're exactly on track.

My supply increased from no milk at his birth, to 1oz, then 1.5oz, and has stabilized at 2-2.25 oz (per feeding). I'm almost done with a month supply of the prescription med, REGLAN- dunno if it really helped, but i was willing to take it! Also have 2 cups of the Mothers Milk tea daily, take the MotherLove More MIlk Special Blend supplement 4x/day, and eat oatmeal for brekkie. DH baked the brewers yeast chocolate chip cookies this morning, and is making a low-alcohol oatmeal based beer as I type this (he's a homebrewer). I really don't know what else I can do except to add in another nursing session, but honestly, I'm wiped! BFing is WORK!!

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Oh my, the pics are great!
Lindsey- those cheeks, PRECIOUS!
Swimmer- i hope his eyes stay blue- they're so pretty
DrK- what a happy bathing beauty! I'm sorry to hear about your pumping at work situ
Vesper- your boys are darling!

 

[gingerB]

drk - <<hugs!>> it really is hypocritical that the medical community makes it so hard for working mothers to feed their babies. i'm struggle to squeeze in my 1 pump during the workday, it would be impossible for me to do 3. you are a super mom!! i hope things work out so you can continue to do what you need to feed your beautiful daughter.

charger - you are doing an awesome job mama! i can't remember how old N is, but i had trouble initially with supply also. VERY slowly, doing a schedule of 7-9 pumps per day, i went from supplementing, to barely making it to 100%, to comfortably making the 100% to easily freezing a reserve to almost an oversupply! it happened almost without me noticing and took a loooong time of pumping 8x per day. the two things that made the BIGGEST differene in my supply was oatmeal for brekkie every day (the steel cut ones!) and HYDRATION. i can literally see the difference in my pumping sessions on the days i drink tons of water versus when i'm dehydrated. it is ESP apparent now as i get dehydrated more easily working in the hospital. it makes sense as it takes a lot of water to make BM, but your body needs water too. so the more you give you body, the easier it is to make BM. i used to try to drink a big glass eveytime i sat down to pump. good luck! and i think it's SUPER cute your dh is making you "mother's milk" beer! lol

A has never liked being still, and now that he's figuring out that he can be mobile on his own, he is motoring about! LOVES tummy time now as he can move about pretty easily to different toys. HE is REALLY loving playing with his toys now. He is finally comprehending enough to get enjoyment out of the buttons and sounds and colors. it is so friggin cute! HIs tripod is pretty stable now and he can sit on his own for a few minutes at a time playing.

oh and he has discovered chewy. he squeals delightedly when we have him on our lap and chewy stands and put his paws on our knees. and the surest way to induce A to crawl is to be a distance away holding chewy. and chewy seems to finally acknowledge A. before he woudl sniff disinterestedly, a little curious, but prettty much ignored him. yesterday he came over and gave A little lick, then stood back and watched him. then today i was sitting on the couch next to chewy holding A and A tried to lunge for chewy to grab him. i held him back becausei was afraid A would accidentally hurt chewy as his movements abviously are still kinda uncoordinated, so then chewy turned around and reached over and gave A's hand a little lick. best buddies in the making? or chewy's initiation to the terror of being chased by a toddler? i guess we'll see how this relationship unfolds!!