timeline of a breastfed baby

thank goodness for pinterest.

i came across this and was thankful i did.

lots of good information.

thought i'd share.

p.s. "nappies" are diapers.  i didn't know what they were referring to...

timeline of a breastfed baby.

 

baby gear.

i just wanted to share our favorite things for the time being.  i like seeing posts like this, so i figured someone out there might like to see this one!

1.  dr. brown's wide-neck bottles, 2. Summer Infant Video Monitor, 3. Fischer Price Snug-a-Bunny Swing

4.  Aiden and Aines swaddle blankets, 5.  Bath Luve, 6.  Nap Nanny

 1.  bottles - we originally tried the standard dr. brown's bottles but switched at about 4 weeks because she started to have difficulty latching on to them.  the wide-neck bottles have a little different nipple which flattens out more at the base, resembling a natural 'boob'.  she's done great with the dr. brown bottles and actually spits up less with a bottle than she does when I nurse.  hmmm...

2.  monitor - two mommy friends recommended this monitor.  drew has been in her room since 3 weeks because i would wake up to every.little.noise she made and this monitor has been so handy!  if i knew those first few weeks what i know now about drew, i'd get more sleep and i wouldn't have picked her up in the middle of the night so much.  we've learned that if her eyes are closed and she's grunting and making noises, she w i l l go back to sleep.

3.  swing - always puts her to sleep if she's ready but fighting it.  love that it plugs in [doesn't guzzle batteries] and love that you can change the direction of the swing.

4.  blankets - these are light and airy for summer, great to cover her up when out and about, excellent hooter-hiders and the perfect size for swaddling.  love.

5.  luve - my mom got me this bath luve and drew loves it.  i love baths and i know if you're not totally submerged or covered up, you get c.o.l.d.  this is basically a giant washcloth that covers baby's chest and shoulders.  we love it.

6.  nap nanny - we have a love/hate relationship.  we originally bought it because she wasn't sleeping well in the pack'n'play early on.  she would also spit up in her sleep, so i was uber nervous to lay her flat.  and while she seems to sleep well in it [6+ hours five nights last week!], i am a little nervous about the transition out of it.  she can't sleep in it forever.  i've tried a few naps without it.  just her on her back, in some kind of swaddler.  naps last, maybe, 20 minutes.  i will keep trying... 

i will leave you with another pic taken by amy at glory photography.

makes the delta zeta in me smile...

 

...

the 4 stages of breastfeeding

i know i have been m.i.a., but i have been trying to figure out some sort of balance with a newborn.  it's quite a task.  that, and i've been writing posts in my head.  so here's this one.

my 4 "stages" or "mind.sets" of breastfeeding

stage one | whatev.

while i was pregnant, everyone asked if i would breastfeed.  my answer always..."i'm going to try".  without divulging too much information, let me just say that i don't exactly have the most optimal anatomy for breastfeeding.  the girls are a little "shy"...so i've always been concerned that it just wouldn't work.  with that said, i did all the reading...talked to friends and family...got the top of the line pump...and told myself that it wouldn't be the end of the world if it didn't work out.  and while, no, it wouldn't be the end of the world...i think i would have been a little lot let down if it didn't actually work out.  regardless, i walked around with a "whatever" mentality.  and then she came...fast forward to june 3rd...

stage two | yikes!

at some point during drew's first days with us, my nurse came in to try her first feeding.  i should rewind and say that i'm about as modest as they come.  so, not only was i uptight about breastfeeding in and of itself...i was also anxious for any nurse or lactation consultant to give me a "hand" [based on some horror stories i've heard].  so - the nurse tried to get us going [she was a little odd to begin with] and, bless her heart, she tried and tried.  and i tried.  and drew tried.  and it wasn't happening.  the nurse didn't have many suggestions, except...a nipple shield.

in case you didn't know.

so, she would latch on to that.  but would pass out almost instantly.  even naked.  even while i tickled her feet.  even while we tried everything...probably because she was so little and it was just a lot of work to get much out [considering my milk hadn't 'come in' yet].  so we tried the shield through the night and it was going so-so and by morning, the pediatrician came in a little concerned about the amount of wet and poopy diapers.  she was only 5 lbs. 2 oz. to begin with and dropping.  so, she said we'd either have to supplement with formula bottles or try a supplemental nursing system [sns].

that tiny tube goes through the shield and the bottle is filled with formula.  p.s. that's not me.

if you think it looks complicated, it is.  and ours didn't have that handy neck strap.  jake had no choice but to hold it for the 45 minutes it took for her to down not even an ounce, until he figured out a way to rig it to the pillow.  but, the purpose of it was to get her interested in latching on and actually staying awake long enough to get a decent amount without straining herself...while still getting some colostrum or breast milk.  this seemed to be our best bet, but yikes...was it a production.  every.time.we.fed.

stage three | meltdowns

there were a handful.  will i blame it entirely on breast feeding?  no.  i think it was a bit of the baby blues.  but between the nursing every two hours and pumping about 5 times a day in the first few weeks [to really drive home that milk supply], i was a little warn out and seriously ready to give up at times. there were a few times when jake walked in to me pumping...in tears.  the one saving grace about the using the nipple shield, is that i could use a bottle much sooner, and pacifiers for that matter too.  this meant that jake could help, at times.  and since my pediatrician wanted us to supplement every 4 oz. with 3/4 tsp. formula in a day, i was "forced" to give myself a break and bottle feed her 2-3 feedings in 24 hours.  we had no issues with nipple confusion.  the downside to the shield, there's prep work involved every time you feed.  and juuuust when you get situated...she knocks it off. 

stage four | i am woman!

somewhere around 3 1/2 to 4 weeks, i finally felt like i was getting the hang of it.  jake was back to work and we were getting somewhat of a rhythm.  i was even able to phase out the use of the shield, on one side...at times.  we still go back and forth.  it depends on how much she's willing to work for it.  cut to six weeks [today!] and i'm pretty darn proud of myself for making it this far.  and while, yes, it can feel like a chore to pump three times a day and it's exhausting, at times, that she is completely and totally dependent on me...that's also the best part.  they need their mommies.  and i'm totally ok with that.

my words of advice - if you can just get passed that 2 to 2 1/2 week hump...it's a pretty awesome thing.  and the best part....it's free!

before i go | a list of breastfeeding must-haves...

1.  nursing tanks (mine are from motherhood and i love them)
2.  nursing bras...for the day and for bed (i recommend gap)
3.  lanolin and lots of it
4.  a really good, hospital-grade pump (my mother.in.law bought me the medela pump in style from cotton babies, where the price is the lowest we've found)
5.  a pump bra (thank you, marge)...hands free!
6.  nursing pads
7.  a dvr to record all your shows so you can watch them at 3 am

...

one month.

i know everyone says it, but...where did the month go?  i can't wrap my head around that.

today, we visited daddy at work...

and went to the doctor...and got a shot :(

{that is as bad as all the moms say.}

stats:

6 lbs. 4 oz! (this is huge.  she's up almost a lb. in 2 weeks!)

19.5 inches

that's only the 1st percentile for weight

and second percentile for length

but all that matters is, she's growing!

this picture was impossible to take.

...i have a breast feeding post in the works.  stay tuned.

 

jake's first father's day.

wanted to give a shout out to mr. menz for being who he is.

these past two weeks, he's been what i call a "well oiled machine", as we've settled into blindly tried to figure out parenthood.  he was an amazing support during labor and delivery and couldn't have been more present.

most nights, i wish i had his patience.  most days, i wish i had his stamina.

he's a dynamite diaper changer and superb swaddler.

and he sure loves his girls...me, drew and remy.  and i love the way he calls drew his little sweetie poops.  with a dad like that, how could you not be a daddy's girl?

a card from drew | talking with daddy | daddy's girl | that's his nose and lips.

...

sorry to leave you hangin'...

so, i left off talking about the contractions...

i forgot to mention that somewhere in there my nurse told me that my doctor was "in house".  yay!! i was very relieved my doctor was there and she'd be delivering our little one.  then, nurse jess came in and told me she was in an emergency c-section then had to go to a different hospital to deliver another little one.  okay, fair enough.  we have plenty of time and she will be back.  so in came the on.call ob [who just so happened to be my friend's doctor...loved her].  she was cool, calm and collected.  checked me.  i was at a 3 and 100% effaced.  and my cervix was completely to the front.  she also confirmed that i was 'grossly' ruptured ...but i could have told her that. we were certainly having a baby.  i thought, ok.  i know how this goes.  we might have a baby by lunch time.  then i asked jess about that epidural again, because then things got pretty serious.

i've been trying to explain serious, intense, full.blown contractions to people who have never experienced them and that is very difficult.  then, a fellow blogger described them perfectly.  she said, "i felt like a giant had picked me up, given me a wicked indian rugburn all over my stomach and back, and then kicked me with steel-toed boots just for good measure".  and even that doesn't explain it fully.  while i wasn't necessarily prepared to handle contractions this intense [i had planned on that epidural], i tried all the techniques i could think of.  the 'hee-hee-hoos', the focal points, counter pressure.  nothing worked.  all i could do to get through them is lean on my side, grab the rail of the bed and move my legs in a motion similar to riding a bicycle.  and just when you get relief from one...you can't help but think about how another one is just two short minutes away.  

nurse jess came in to let me know that both anesthesiologists were still in surgery.  i'm pretty sure i cried at that point and maybe let out a few french words.  poor jake was trying so hard to make things better, but there is just nothing on this green earth that he could have done to help.  jess informed me that she needed to place an iv line, at this point.  typically, i hate this part.  but, i have to say...having her poke at me twice to try to find a vein almost felt good compared to those contractions.  when she couldn't get a good vein, she brought in another nurse who had to poke me twice as well.  and while i had absolutely no concept of time [remember, we haven't been to sleep yet], we believe i got my iv somewhere around 2:30 or 3 am.

the next hour to half hour was a total blur.  more contractions, tears, swear words, breathing...begging jess to go wrap up one of those surgeries.  and then finally....he walks in!!  an anesthesiologist sent from up above.  foreign as he ever could be and i couldn't understand a word he was saying, but i had watched enough episodes of a baby story to know how these things went.  i didn't feel the giant needle one bit between my contractions [which are a gazillion time worse when you're sitting up and someone is telling you to sit still].  all i remember is that he told me i would have one more contraction and then i shouldn't feel a thing.  and he was right.  and i was in heaven.  and i could have kissed him.

again, not sure what time that was but we're thinking sometime around maybe 3:30 or 4 am.  jess wanted to check me and place my catheter.  i was at a 9!  we decided to make some phone calls to parents to let them know that we were probably going to have a baby sooner than we thought!  jess told me she'd check me again in an hour and we'd go from there.  oh, and my doctor was still back at the other hospital at this point.  after making some phone calls i started to feel an e n o r m o u s amount of pressure in my behind.  the only possible way to explain it is like you have to go #2 like no other, but a bathroom is nowhere to be found so you're doing everything you can to hold it.  i started feeling this pressure regularly [like contractions].   and they were just teetering on being painful.  jess told me she would check me sooner than an hour unless i started to feel constant pressure.  well, just as soon as she left the room, that pressure went from intermittent to constant and i experienced that 'need to push now' feeling.  and the more pressure i felt, the more that pressure became painful.  painful?  didn't i get an epidural?   i swear.  i pushed that epidural button as often as i could, but...nothing. 

jess scurried back in, and checked me...and i was at a 10!  problem was, my doctor was still at the other hospital but soon to be on her way.  i was aware of the driving distance from one to the other and i really did not think there was time.  i think jess could read the desperation on my face and all of the sudden there was another anesthesiologist in my room.  i'm not sure exactly what she gave me but it was through my epidural and was supposed to be more localized to the nether region...specifically the perineum.  in fact, i think it was called perineal anesthesia.  she gave me the one dose, and nothing.  so much pressure.  she gave me a second dose, and still nothing.  now, might be a good time to also note that i could totally move my legs at this point.  i had complete control of them, which made me nervous.  i was afraid i was going to feel everything.

the pressure continued to intensify and i asked the nurse if i could push.  in fact, i pretty much just begged her to have the house ob come in and deliver our baby.  i didn't care who it was at that point.  i would have even taken that anesthesiologist that i couldn't understand.  finally, she let me do a few 'practice pushes' [it's tricky to get the hang of that pushing stuff].  suddenly, jake became leg holder and lead counter.  he would count 1-10 three times during contractions [which i could feel].  i think this all started happening somewhere around 5 am.  then, finally...somewhere around 5:30 or so...in comes my doctor!!  in a total fog and state of exhaustion...i pushed for about 30 minutes, practically sleeping in between.  i had almost forgotten that we were about to get the most awesome surprise of our lives.  was he a she or was she a he?  the last leg of the delivery went pretty quickly.  i remember one big push, then a little snip [yep]...then out she came!  

my doctor shouted, "it's a girl!".  and jake and i errupted into laughter and tears.  we were so surprised.  we were both pretty convinced it was a boy.  a girl!!  she was here.  exactly four weeks early.  at exactly 6 am on the nose.  she was ready to be in the world.  everyone asked us her name and i felt terrible telling them that we didn't know.  throughout my pregnancy, jake and i said that if it's a girl, and she's an itty bitty thing...we'd name her drew olivia [for some reason, we felt it would fit her].  and when they put her on the scale and she tipped it off at a whopping 5 lbs. 2 oz., we knew...drew olivia she was!

and that's the story of how she came into the world.   

nicu nurse checking her out. 

and baby makes three.

my dad was ready for a second grand.baby

p.s. we did not get the name drew from jessica simpson.  we've gotten that questions a lot.  drew was on our list far before maxwell drew was born!  

...

drew's story [a long post].

i will try to make this as brief as possible, while including all the details.  i'm actually kind of doing this for myself because i don't want to forget any of it!  thing is, a little piece of me is sad the labor and delivery is over.  in the moment, i couldn't w a i t for it to be over, but now....i want to go back.  and it boggles my mind that she's been ours for over a week now.  scary how time can stand still and fly all at once.

her story | so, my in-laws were kind enough to come over the evening of june 2nd to spend the night and then spend all day on sunday, the 3rd, helping to deep clean our house.  that evening, we made a bon fire and relaxed before going to bed around 11 ish [i had just taken the procardia]. at some point in the evening, my father.in.law said "you can't go into labor tonight, i need some good sleep".  he should have knocked on wood.  i remember that as soon as i got in bed, i felt a "pop" in my belly.  i kind of thought that it was weird, but thought maybe it was a different kick or something.  i fell asleep, and then about 15 minutes later i wake up to....a gush.  i thought to myself, "certainly, i did not just pee myself that much".  then, my heart started racing because i knew exactly what it was.  i turned on the light and woke jake up.

jake was just a little out of it!!  he just stared at me for a little bit and then asked if i was okay.  to which i replied, "are you okay?  we need to go to the hospital!"  he woke up my in.laws to let them know that this was the real thing and i called my doctor to explain the situation.  we had originally planned on delivering at a brand new hospital really close to our house, but my ob wanted me to go to a hospital with a nicu [just in case].  so off we went.  oh, but don't worry...first we had to pack that bag that we never packed and...get gas.

and the contractions begin...

i tried timing them on my way to the hospital, but then i gave up and i realized that it might not matter since my water broke.  at this point, the contractions were slightly worse than menstrual cramps and definitely manageable.  we got to the hospital and had to do some serious walking because the main entrance was closed.  upon entering, we had to pick up a red phone, like you see in the movies, and talk to some voice somewhere in the air so we could be let in.  it was funny to hear jake fumble his words a bit; "hi.  my wife is, well...in labor and we need in".  so we gain "access", make the long trek to the side of the hospital we need and then up to labor and delivery.  all the while, contracting more and feeling like the baby could not have been any lower.

getting to the hospital late at night is odd.  this is the second time we've done this [remember the false alarm].  we approached the nurses station and they all happened to be eating.  they looked at me with full mouths and said, "can we help you?".  to which i replied, "i am fairly certain my water broke".  jess [who turned out to be the sweet sweet wonder nurse] hopped up and said, "let's go check things out".  and we were off to room 12.

unless you're unconscious or bleeding from the head, nothing at the hospital moves swiftly.  before even being checked, you must 1) change, 2) leave a urine sample, 3) wait..., 4) hand over your insurance and license, 5) wait..., 6) answer a gazillion questions and 7) sign your life away and wait... through all that waiting, the painful contractions came on faster than you can say "ouch".  and before i knew it, i was crawling up the bed in pain.  nurse jess asked me if i was an epidural kind of gal, to which i replied, "let's just say that i will take it just as soon as you're allowed to give it to me".  i figured it would then be just a snap of nurse jess' fingers and the anesthesiologist would come skipping on in.  very few of my friends who have had kiddos talked much about the contractions.  and if they did, they said they had pretty much gotten an epidural before it got really bad.  i figured i'd be the same.  no.  apparently, the almost full moon that night had caused quite the influx of emergency situations at the hospital because both anesthesiologists were in surgery.  and i was just that lady in labor.  [breathe in, breathe out] it's okay...i can wait.  ......or can i? 

to be continued...
 ....i have a baby to feed.