Thank you everyone for your support, prayers and love.... the emergency D&C went well. Apparently they had to pull out several large clots also, and I lost some blood, so they gave me a transfusion after I woke up. There was the beginning of some infection, so they also gave me IV antibiotics during surgery. I feel MUCH better -- the cramping and heavy bleeding has stopped, and I'm just extremely fatigued.
Joe's sister flew out from Chicago and has been amazing -- she stayed up with Emma last night ALL night so we could sleep, and there was enough breastmilk pumped to get her through the night. So the only formula she got was at the hospital -- I actually breastfed her before I went into surgery (according to the nurses in pre-op, it was the first time that had happened!).
The OB gave me the OK to breastfeed after 12 hours (her concern was that I would be too weak to hold Emma), so we were breastfeeding at 8:30 am already. I woke up twice during the night to pump just to make sure my supply was going to keep going. We're back on schedule.
We had my friend Jane come over to hold her for a few hours, which was wonderful... and Emily will come over later (I'll give you a call after my nap!). We're going to survive. Honestly, I was so scared yesterday I just didn't know what to do. And another D&C... just, ugh. But we're back as a family and we'll be ok.
More updates later.... today is a day of rest and relaxation for Mommy & Daddy.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Quick Update from Ob
I do have retained placenta -- about a 2 inch piece. They are worried about infection (VERY worried) and I am going in a couple of hours to have a D&C to remove it.
The good things...
*My hemaglobin is up to 7.5, which is a great thing considering how I am bleeding.
*Nothing is wrong with my little angel -- she's still perfect!
The scary things...
*I don't want surgery -- I'll have to have general, which means I'll feel like crud and won't be able to breastfeed her for 24 hours (pump and dump). I've already pumped as much as I can since we got home and will do more, but it means she has to do bottle and formula for a day. :(
*I'm scared. I'm scared of surgery, of the possible complications, and of not being able to take care of my little girl.
Go in at 6pm, surgery at 8pm, hopefully home by midnight if all goes well. Joe will be in charge of Emma at the hospital that entire time, and then we're having his sister fly in and some other people come over to help tomorrow so he can get some rest.
Good thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated... I may not be able to update for a day or so, but I'll try.
The good things...
*My hemaglobin is up to 7.5, which is a great thing considering how I am bleeding.
*Nothing is wrong with my little angel -- she's still perfect!
The scary things...
*I don't want surgery -- I'll have to have general, which means I'll feel like crud and won't be able to breastfeed her for 24 hours (pump and dump). I've already pumped as much as I can since we got home and will do more, but it means she has to do bottle and formula for a day. :(
*I'm scared. I'm scared of surgery, of the possible complications, and of not being able to take care of my little girl.
Go in at 6pm, surgery at 8pm, hopefully home by midnight if all goes well. Joe will be in charge of Emma at the hospital that entire time, and then we're having his sister fly in and some other people come over to help tomorrow so he can get some rest.
Good thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated... I may not be able to update for a day or so, but I'll try.
Loads of Pictures
Enjoy! We're leaving in about 10 minutes for a Mommy doctor appointment, since I'm still not feeling great.
From yesterday... I love this outfit. She's wearing cloth diaper underneath!
Also from yesterday... I think the swaddlebees all-in-one is a little big yet.
My first wrapping job! At least it held her in, lol...
And this is her, all snuggled in. She slept for an hour and Mommy ate lunch with BOTH hands, yay!
Our wonderful friend Mims sent this gorgeous hat/scarf/mitten set (in addition to a lot of other things!)... isn't she adorable?
And her little bunny! Thank you Mims!
From yesterday... I love this outfit. She's wearing cloth diaper underneath!
Also from yesterday... I think the swaddlebees all-in-one is a little big yet.
My first wrapping job! At least it held her in, lol...
And this is her, all snuggled in. She slept for an hour and Mommy ate lunch with BOTH hands, yay!
Our wonderful friend Mims sent this gorgeous hat/scarf/mitten set (in addition to a lot of other things!)... isn't she adorable?
And her little bunny! Thank you Mims!
I'm Wearing my Baby!
Today my "one" thing to do was figure out my wrap. Well-- it's not perfect, but she's in it (lying sideways) and sound asleep. Mommy is typing with BOTH hands today! And going to be having some lunch in a few minutes. AND washed out a poopy cloth diaper while wearing her daughter without asking Daddy to help.
Pictures forthcoming!
We had a rough night, she just didn't want to sleep in bassinet after each feeding, but we muddled through. Mommy and she took a nap on the couch this morning while Daddy was out at his eye appointment. I'm afraid of what's going to happen to my energy when the adrenaline wears off!
Pictures forthcoming!
We had a rough night, she just didn't want to sleep in bassinet after each feeding, but we muddled through. Mommy and she took a nap on the couch this morning while Daddy was out at his eye appointment. I'm afraid of what's going to happen to my energy when the adrenaline wears off!
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Daddy and Emma (Plus CD)
He's been so good with her -- we got this picture yesterday afternoon. Right now she's snoozing in my arms, and I've finally figured out a way to type on the laptop at the same time (thank you TV table!).
We *finally* got a cloth diaper on her today! I was feeling overwhelmed with the breastfeeding, so this is the first I've got the courage up to do it. So far we're on our second prefold of the afternoon with success. Obviously she wasn't a big fan at first, lol! There's that fist that we saw on the 20 week ultrasound... hehehe.
This was right before her 1:00 feeding today. Hopefully I'll get the hang of it! Really though... my goal is to accomplish one small thing each day. Whether that is latching, or folding a cloth diaper, or doing a load of laundry, all I want is to achieve one small thing. So far, so good!
We *finally* got a cloth diaper on her today! I was feeling overwhelmed with the breastfeeding, so this is the first I've got the courage up to do it. So far we're on our second prefold of the afternoon with success. Obviously she wasn't a big fan at first, lol! There's that fist that we saw on the 20 week ultrasound... hehehe.
This was right before her 1:00 feeding today. Hopefully I'll get the hang of it! Really though... my goal is to accomplish one small thing each day. Whether that is latching, or folding a cloth diaper, or doing a load of laundry, all I want is to achieve one small thing. So far, so good!
Monday, December 28, 2009
1st Pediatrician's Appointment (and misc)
We had our first appointment this morning at 9am. The roads were snow-covered and a little slick but it wasn't too bad. I'm SO proud of my little Emma Bean! She did well on the trip and with the doctor, and even on the trip home she wasn't fussy.
Some details...
Original birth weight: 6 lb, 5oz
Discharge weight: 6lb, 1oz
One-week weight: 6 lb, 8 oz!!!
The doctor was very happy about seeing her up above her birth weight and seemed pleased we were exclusively breastfeeding. We saw an alternative pediatrician because ours is still on vacation, but we'll see her next week at the 2 week appointment.
Now, some gory details you really don't want to read if blood isn't your thing......
After feeding her this morning, I went to the bathroom as usual... used my sprayer and was feeling a little bad, little pain and cramping, but nothing that I thought was out of the ordinary. When I stood up, a blood clot the size of a softball came out onto my pad. Needless to say, I was scared -- it was larger than anything I passed (within my memory) at the hospital. I woke Joe up and had him help me with Emma. My temperature and BP are normal, and I don't feel "sick," but called the OB's office anyway. They're having me come in at 1pm for bloodwork and then possibly an ultrasound on Wednesday to check my uterus for any bleeds or retained placenta. Hopefully it is just an anomaly, but I'm a little worried and just want to be ok.
Gotta feed the burrito now...
Some details...
Original birth weight: 6 lb, 5oz
Discharge weight: 6lb, 1oz
One-week weight: 6 lb, 8 oz!!!
The doctor was very happy about seeing her up above her birth weight and seemed pleased we were exclusively breastfeeding. We saw an alternative pediatrician because ours is still on vacation, but we'll see her next week at the 2 week appointment.
Now, some gory details you really don't want to read if blood isn't your thing......
After feeding her this morning, I went to the bathroom as usual... used my sprayer and was feeling a little bad, little pain and cramping, but nothing that I thought was out of the ordinary. When I stood up, a blood clot the size of a softball came out onto my pad. Needless to say, I was scared -- it was larger than anything I passed (within my memory) at the hospital. I woke Joe up and had him help me with Emma. My temperature and BP are normal, and I don't feel "sick," but called the OB's office anyway. They're having me come in at 1pm for bloodwork and then possibly an ultrasound on Wednesday to check my uterus for any bleeds or retained placenta. Hopefully it is just an anomaly, but I'm a little worried and just want to be ok.
Gotta feed the burrito now...
Pictures!
We have more, but this is all Mommy has energy for right now. We took our first bath tonight and she did NOT like it, but she's clean and slept very well afterward. BF is going better, although my nipples are still very sore (her latch is getting better but not perfect).
Mommy is very tired, but very happy. :)
Emma on Christmas day, dressed in her cute little outfit that Uncle Dean got for her! Mommy is still very pale, but happy.
Mommy's silly monkey... lol. :) She has a lot of nicknames already... Emma Bean, Bean Burrito (from when she was getting swaddled), and Sweet Pea. This was from this morning, she's 6 whole days old!
Mommy is very tired, but very happy. :)
Emma on Christmas day, dressed in her cute little outfit that Uncle Dean got for her! Mommy is still very pale, but happy.
Mommy's silly monkey... lol. :) She has a lot of nicknames already... Emma Bean, Bean Burrito (from when she was getting swaddled), and Sweet Pea. This was from this morning, she's 6 whole days old!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Emma's Birth Story
All day on Saturday, 12/19, I was wondering if our little one would start making her appearance "on time" (like Mommy) or be late (like Daddy). At our Tuesday appointment with the OB, I was only dilated 1cm and maybe 50% effaced (guessing from what the OB said). We had scheduled a NST for the following Wednesday and talked about possible induction dates if she didn't come before the 27th. I knew as a first-time Mom I might be later, but was prepared for that. We took a long, long walk that day (about 3.5 miles) and took care of lots of things around the house. The only thing on the "to do" list that I didn't get done was vacuum.
At 2am on Sunday, 12/20, I woke from a sound sleep with some menstrual-type cramps and strong pains. By 2:30am, they were not going away and were about 10 minutes apart. I ran into Joe in the hallway (I was sleeping in the guest bedroom so I could spread out with all my pillows!) and told him hat I was cramping and thought I was going into labor. I went downstairs to use my exercise ball and lie on the couch, and told him to go back to bed. He did, but didn't go back to sleep. :)
Between 5am and 10am the contractions slowed to every 30 minutes, and I was worried that this might be "false" labor and they would stop. By 10am, they picked back up and were averaging 5 minutes apart, about 45-50 seconds long. I used the exercise ball and the heat sock, and wasn't doing too badly. That lasted through the afternoon and early evening, and by 5pm the contractions were about 60-70 seconds long and between 4-5 minutes apart. My lower back was starting to hurt, but not too badly.
Around 6pm, we took a short walk around the neighborhood to help me feel better. We looked at the Christmas lights, and when I had a contraction, Joe would help support me. It was such a pretty night, and I really enjoyed getting out of the house. When we got home, I ate some supper and noticed the contractions were getting stronger and closer together. By 10pm, they were about a minute apart and 70 seconds long. I lost my mucous plug around that time, and got very excited!! My back was getting more sore and we were using the heat sock more often. I told Joe it was time to head to the hospital around 11pm.
We got the hospital at 11:30pm and I was dilated 2-3, so they had me walk around some more. After 45 minutes of walking around, I was in pretty excruciating pain and my lower back was killing me. Turns out little Trouble was still posterior and pressing on a nerve. But at least I was dilated 4cm. I couldn't really support myself during my contractions at this point. They were super-strong and because I had no exercise ball and no where I could really get comfortable, I started to feel horrible. Between the sleep deprivation and the lengthy home labor, I was also exhausted.
By the time they got me up to a room, I caved and asked for an epidural. The contractions were amazingly painful. It worked great although was a little strong, I couldn't feel my legs and my contractions slowed down. Unfortunately, after a couple of hours my epidural wore off and when they came in to give me a bolus, the line had moved into a blood vessel and my blood pressure shot up to 174/98, and my ears were ringing. I almost passed out, and they ended up removing the line and giving me a second epidural.
Again, that epidural wore off -- I noticed that it only was working on the left side of my body. The right side of my body was completely normal and felt every contraction and pain. At first I thought I could handle it and at noon, they had me start pushing. I just couldn't do it... the pain was so bad with it only being on one side of my body, and after talking with the head anesthesiologist, I decided on getting the third epidural. It was the last one I could get -- so it was either that or nothing.
It worked great, and wasn't too strong. I pushed and pushed and pushed. Started in curved C position, then did side-lying pushing, and for a half an hour or so, did hands & knees pushing. My cervix still had a small lip on it that was preventing her from coming down, but that finally went away. They were not increasing the pitocin enough, in my hindsight opinion, so my contractions weren't pushing her down enough. She was still posterior, and rotated to the right side of my body.
This is where it gets hazy... the OB comes in (not my regular one, but sadly enough, the one I changed from at the beginning of my pregnancy) and was so annoying. I know he was helping "stretch" me, and that I was so fatigued I could barely push. Joe was amazing, and the nurses were amazing -- kept encouraging me. Eventually they did say they needed to use a vacuum to get her out because she was really wedged in my pelvis. It was the most painful thing I'd ever felt, as the epidural had mostly worn off at that point. But she came out.
And she was beautiful... they put her on my belly and I started to sob. She was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen. The nurses had to remind the OB several times that I wanted to let the cord stay intact until it stopped pulsing, and then he cut it. The cord was very small, and my placenta apparently didn't look great, but at that point I didn't care. I had enough energy to push out the placenta and hold my little one. The OB left at some point, saying I was ok. I ended up with one first-degree and two second-degree tears.
At this point I was blissful -- I got two of the three things I wanted. No induction and a vaginal delivery... I'm not ashamed of needing the pain meds!
Things took a turn for bad here....
My tailbone started to hurt, and my pain level spiked. I asked my nurse for help, because I was in so much pain. I even told her I thought I broke my tailbone, and I know I was crying from the pain. The epidural was completely gone at this point, and I was writhing and hurting. The nurse tried to check my uterus but it was too painful, and she couldn't even massage my uterus like she is supposed to after birth. She called in an OB resident and he examined me, and said my uterus was not contracting properly. Then he said something to the effect of needing to get in there and pull out the blood, and he put his hand in *somewhere* and started pulling out blood clots. Big ones. I know I was screaming and crying, and trying to reach down to get him stopped. I begged him to stop. The nurse was so wonderful and got me an order for pain med, and gave it to me through the IV... and then held my hand until the resident was through. Joe said it was a scary amount of blood and clots.
It was finally over, and I was feeling better. We went to our room and got settled in, and at that point it sunk in that my little girl was finally here. When they brought her from the nursery (where she got her first bath), I was amazed at how gorgeous she was.
We stayed the 48 hours in the hospital and then came home. My blood loss was significant... my hemoglobin was 12.3 when I went in the hospital, 10.8 after birth, and then subsequently dropped to 7.3, 6.5, and then the morning before I left, 6.3. I was "borderline" for a transfusion, but I really didn't want to stay another day and so just came home on iron supplements and with strict orders to rest and not walk too much.
Joe has been absolutely amazing, and has taken on so many responsibilities. I couldn't have done this without him. Even with the pain and all the complications, I'm so glad she's here and we're spending this time with her.
At 2am on Sunday, 12/20, I woke from a sound sleep with some menstrual-type cramps and strong pains. By 2:30am, they were not going away and were about 10 minutes apart. I ran into Joe in the hallway (I was sleeping in the guest bedroom so I could spread out with all my pillows!) and told him hat I was cramping and thought I was going into labor. I went downstairs to use my exercise ball and lie on the couch, and told him to go back to bed. He did, but didn't go back to sleep. :)
Between 5am and 10am the contractions slowed to every 30 minutes, and I was worried that this might be "false" labor and they would stop. By 10am, they picked back up and were averaging 5 minutes apart, about 45-50 seconds long. I used the exercise ball and the heat sock, and wasn't doing too badly. That lasted through the afternoon and early evening, and by 5pm the contractions were about 60-70 seconds long and between 4-5 minutes apart. My lower back was starting to hurt, but not too badly.
Around 6pm, we took a short walk around the neighborhood to help me feel better. We looked at the Christmas lights, and when I had a contraction, Joe would help support me. It was such a pretty night, and I really enjoyed getting out of the house. When we got home, I ate some supper and noticed the contractions were getting stronger and closer together. By 10pm, they were about a minute apart and 70 seconds long. I lost my mucous plug around that time, and got very excited!! My back was getting more sore and we were using the heat sock more often. I told Joe it was time to head to the hospital around 11pm.
We got the hospital at 11:30pm and I was dilated 2-3, so they had me walk around some more. After 45 minutes of walking around, I was in pretty excruciating pain and my lower back was killing me. Turns out little Trouble was still posterior and pressing on a nerve. But at least I was dilated 4cm. I couldn't really support myself during my contractions at this point. They were super-strong and because I had no exercise ball and no where I could really get comfortable, I started to feel horrible. Between the sleep deprivation and the lengthy home labor, I was also exhausted.
By the time they got me up to a room, I caved and asked for an epidural. The contractions were amazingly painful. It worked great although was a little strong, I couldn't feel my legs and my contractions slowed down. Unfortunately, after a couple of hours my epidural wore off and when they came in to give me a bolus, the line had moved into a blood vessel and my blood pressure shot up to 174/98, and my ears were ringing. I almost passed out, and they ended up removing the line and giving me a second epidural.
Again, that epidural wore off -- I noticed that it only was working on the left side of my body. The right side of my body was completely normal and felt every contraction and pain. At first I thought I could handle it and at noon, they had me start pushing. I just couldn't do it... the pain was so bad with it only being on one side of my body, and after talking with the head anesthesiologist, I decided on getting the third epidural. It was the last one I could get -- so it was either that or nothing.
It worked great, and wasn't too strong. I pushed and pushed and pushed. Started in curved C position, then did side-lying pushing, and for a half an hour or so, did hands & knees pushing. My cervix still had a small lip on it that was preventing her from coming down, but that finally went away. They were not increasing the pitocin enough, in my hindsight opinion, so my contractions weren't pushing her down enough. She was still posterior, and rotated to the right side of my body.
This is where it gets hazy... the OB comes in (not my regular one, but sadly enough, the one I changed from at the beginning of my pregnancy) and was so annoying. I know he was helping "stretch" me, and that I was so fatigued I could barely push. Joe was amazing, and the nurses were amazing -- kept encouraging me. Eventually they did say they needed to use a vacuum to get her out because she was really wedged in my pelvis. It was the most painful thing I'd ever felt, as the epidural had mostly worn off at that point. But she came out.
And she was beautiful... they put her on my belly and I started to sob. She was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen. The nurses had to remind the OB several times that I wanted to let the cord stay intact until it stopped pulsing, and then he cut it. The cord was very small, and my placenta apparently didn't look great, but at that point I didn't care. I had enough energy to push out the placenta and hold my little one. The OB left at some point, saying I was ok. I ended up with one first-degree and two second-degree tears.
At this point I was blissful -- I got two of the three things I wanted. No induction and a vaginal delivery... I'm not ashamed of needing the pain meds!
Things took a turn for bad here....
My tailbone started to hurt, and my pain level spiked. I asked my nurse for help, because I was in so much pain. I even told her I thought I broke my tailbone, and I know I was crying from the pain. The epidural was completely gone at this point, and I was writhing and hurting. The nurse tried to check my uterus but it was too painful, and she couldn't even massage my uterus like she is supposed to after birth. She called in an OB resident and he examined me, and said my uterus was not contracting properly. Then he said something to the effect of needing to get in there and pull out the blood, and he put his hand in *somewhere* and started pulling out blood clots. Big ones. I know I was screaming and crying, and trying to reach down to get him stopped. I begged him to stop. The nurse was so wonderful and got me an order for pain med, and gave it to me through the IV... and then held my hand until the resident was through. Joe said it was a scary amount of blood and clots.
It was finally over, and I was feeling better. We went to our room and got settled in, and at that point it sunk in that my little girl was finally here. When they brought her from the nursery (where she got her first bath), I was amazed at how gorgeous she was.
We stayed the 48 hours in the hospital and then came home. My blood loss was significant... my hemoglobin was 12.3 when I went in the hospital, 10.8 after birth, and then subsequently dropped to 7.3, 6.5, and then the morning before I left, 6.3. I was "borderline" for a transfusion, but I really didn't want to stay another day and so just came home on iron supplements and with strict orders to rest and not walk too much.
Joe has been absolutely amazing, and has taken on so many responsibilities. I couldn't have done this without him. Even with the pain and all the complications, I'm so glad she's here and we're spending this time with her.
Breastfeeding Baby Jesus
Linking from the post on the LJ breastfeeding community... this made me sob with how beautiful it is.... just amazing!
Great Night
Not necessarily from a sleep perspective, but from a Mommy's mental health perspective.
We pooped three times last night... the first one right after midnight that was huge, and starting to turn yellow. The two that followed were definitely breastmilk poops, and a little smaller in volume. I'm feeling so good that the formula is completely out of her system, and her little system is getting more regulated.
She ate really well last night, compared to the other nights. She got satisfied with one exception, and I just put her back on the boob after an hour had passed and she was giving me the signs.
We're getting better at transitioning into the bassinet and staying calm and sleepy. Well, Mommy and she are. Daddy is still struggling and she is more fussy with him at night -- probably because he doesn't have boobs, lol. :)
Oh -- and there was only one really fussy time, and that lasted maybe an hour. Luckily, right now there are several things that soothe her fairly quickly.
Less than 24 hours until our first pediatrician's appointment! I'm actually really excited to go and see how they think she's doing, and to actually get out of the house for a little while. Poor Daddy has been doing all the running to the store. At least he got 5 solid hours of sleep in a row last night.
It is SUNDAY! A week ago I was in labor.... and took my last belly picture. I'm hoping to get some time while she's sleeping this afternoon to upload some more pictures for everyone.
We pooped three times last night... the first one right after midnight that was huge, and starting to turn yellow. The two that followed were definitely breastmilk poops, and a little smaller in volume. I'm feeling so good that the formula is completely out of her system, and her little system is getting more regulated.
She ate really well last night, compared to the other nights. She got satisfied with one exception, and I just put her back on the boob after an hour had passed and she was giving me the signs.
We're getting better at transitioning into the bassinet and staying calm and sleepy. Well, Mommy and she are. Daddy is still struggling and she is more fussy with him at night -- probably because he doesn't have boobs, lol. :)
Oh -- and there was only one really fussy time, and that lasted maybe an hour. Luckily, right now there are several things that soothe her fairly quickly.
Less than 24 hours until our first pediatrician's appointment! I'm actually really excited to go and see how they think she's doing, and to actually get out of the house for a little while. Poor Daddy has been doing all the running to the store. At least he got 5 solid hours of sleep in a row last night.
It is SUNDAY! A week ago I was in labor.... and took my last belly picture. I'm hoping to get some time while she's sleeping this afternoon to upload some more pictures for everyone.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Breastfeeding Continued
I love all the help, by the way!
So we did better today... nursing is still stuck at about 10 minutes before she wears out and sleeps, but she also suckles much better once we get her latched. If she keeps falling asleep while we're trying to latch, I'm giving up, letting her rest for a little while and then waking her back up.
Today so far... let's see....
9:15 am -- boob for 15 minutes
9:35 am -- pee
11:15 -- pee
11:17 -- boob for 20 minutes (best latch ever!), did another 5 minutes later
11:35 or so -- pee
1:30 -- attempted feeding, no waking up
2:20 -- boob for 15 minutes
4:20 -- boob for 10 min
5:00 -- VERY fussy... Mommy was sleeping and Daddy had her
6:30 -- boob for 10 minutes, changed pee before
6:45 -- big pee, some farting with a little bit of poo in it (but nothing big)
So far, that's not too bad.... still would like to see some longer feedings, but now that I'm getting a handle on the engorgement, it might help her suckle longer. When she gets a good latch, she is getting a lot of deep sucks.
Hopefully Mommy can get a little nap in between all the BF tonight!
So we did better today... nursing is still stuck at about 10 minutes before she wears out and sleeps, but she also suckles much better once we get her latched. If she keeps falling asleep while we're trying to latch, I'm giving up, letting her rest for a little while and then waking her back up.
Today so far... let's see....
9:15 am -- boob for 15 minutes
9:35 am -- pee
11:15 -- pee
11:17 -- boob for 20 minutes (best latch ever!), did another 5 minutes later
11:35 or so -- pee
1:30 -- attempted feeding, no waking up
2:20 -- boob for 15 minutes
4:20 -- boob for 10 min
5:00 -- VERY fussy... Mommy was sleeping and Daddy had her
6:30 -- boob for 10 minutes, changed pee before
6:45 -- big pee, some farting with a little bit of poo in it (but nothing big)
So far, that's not too bad.... still would like to see some longer feedings, but now that I'm getting a handle on the engorgement, it might help her suckle longer. When she gets a good latch, she is getting a lot of deep sucks.
Hopefully Mommy can get a little nap in between all the BF tonight!
We have POOP!
Sometime around 3am, we had a BIG poop. She's past the meconium stage, and last night it was more of a honey-brown color, consistency was soft and gooey, not sticky. *whew* Mommy felt so much better. She was very gassy yesterday, so I think that's the rest of the formula coming out of her system. We are officially 30 hours past when she last had any formula (and NO MORE! I'm still upset with that nurse).
We had one successful breast feeding last night, and one this morning. I woke her up with what I thought were the first signs of hunger (likely in the middle however) and it took us about 20 minutes for her to calm down after stripping down to her diaper for her to relax enough to latch. We had a fair latch -- not great, but she was getting lots of milk.
Going to call LLL today, and the LC at Riverside, as well as having Emily come over and give me a hand. Right now the issues as I see them are...
1) She "hates" naked time. When she is undressed for any reason -- changing diapers or BF -- she gets very angry and it takes a long time to calm her.
2) Shallow latch. She gets latched, but then will de-latch very frequently. I think she de-latched and I re-latched her about 10-12 times this morning.
3) Falling asleep quickly. Once we get a good latch, she'll get going and then after about 10 minutes she'll fall asleep and even with all the techniques, it's difficult to rouse her.
And speaking of my little angel and BF, she's starting to rouse (eye fluttering, some rooting) so I'm going to give this another try. Em -- I'll call you in a little while!
We had one successful breast feeding last night, and one this morning. I woke her up with what I thought were the first signs of hunger (likely in the middle however) and it took us about 20 minutes for her to calm down after stripping down to her diaper for her to relax enough to latch. We had a fair latch -- not great, but she was getting lots of milk.
Going to call LLL today, and the LC at Riverside, as well as having Emily come over and give me a hand. Right now the issues as I see them are...
1) She "hates" naked time. When she is undressed for any reason -- changing diapers or BF -- she gets very angry and it takes a long time to calm her.
2) Shallow latch. She gets latched, but then will de-latch very frequently. I think she de-latched and I re-latched her about 10-12 times this morning.
3) Falling asleep quickly. Once we get a good latch, she'll get going and then after about 10 minutes she'll fall asleep and even with all the techniques, it's difficult to rouse her.
And speaking of my little angel and BF, she's starting to rouse (eye fluttering, some rooting) so I'm going to give this another try. Em -- I'll call you in a little while!
Christmas Blessing
Brief post while she is resting...
This Christmas, we are truly blessed. Our angel is really a sweet little girl -- she's having more waking time, and is so beautiful. I feel SO good about what we've done with her so far, and that both Joe and I are dealing with the sleep deprivation ok.
I wish...
*I felt more capable as a mom! I have tons of questions, and I have no idea if we're doing things right.
*Breastfeeding was going better. I'm making tons of milk, but she does NOT like being naked and at the breast, and her latching is getting worse. Unfortunately, the LC is not working this weekend because of the holiday, so Monday is the first time I can get a consult. The bottom line is that one of the night shift nurses talked me into giving her a bottle that first night, and I caved... :( So now she is wanting more and more to have a bottle nipple instead of mine. Plus, now I'm dealing with engorgement, so it's harder for her to suckle. I am pumping for a few minutes to relieve the engorgement and soften the breast, but she is just not a fan of side sucking. We tried football hold (best success at the beginning, now not so much), cross hold and then tonight, side lying (which was hard becuase my nipple points the wrong direction). :( (Moms, any help? Suggestions?)
*She would poop. She's gone almost 36 hours without a poop, but is having plenty of wet diapers.
Monday is our pediatrician's appointment -- I cannot wait until it gets here so I can get some reassurance that this is all normal and ok!!
This Christmas, we are truly blessed. Our angel is really a sweet little girl -- she's having more waking time, and is so beautiful. I feel SO good about what we've done with her so far, and that both Joe and I are dealing with the sleep deprivation ok.
I wish...
*I felt more capable as a mom! I have tons of questions, and I have no idea if we're doing things right.
*Breastfeeding was going better. I'm making tons of milk, but she does NOT like being naked and at the breast, and her latching is getting worse. Unfortunately, the LC is not working this weekend because of the holiday, so Monday is the first time I can get a consult. The bottom line is that one of the night shift nurses talked me into giving her a bottle that first night, and I caved... :( So now she is wanting more and more to have a bottle nipple instead of mine. Plus, now I'm dealing with engorgement, so it's harder for her to suckle. I am pumping for a few minutes to relieve the engorgement and soften the breast, but she is just not a fan of side sucking. We tried football hold (best success at the beginning, now not so much), cross hold and then tonight, side lying (which was hard becuase my nipple points the wrong direction). :( (Moms, any help? Suggestions?)
*She would poop. She's gone almost 36 hours without a poop, but is having plenty of wet diapers.
Monday is our pediatrician's appointment -- I cannot wait until it gets here so I can get some reassurance that this is all normal and ok!!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
My Living Angel
We're home... I'll be posting my birth story as soon as I can, but I wanted to post a couple of pictures of my angel. We have truly been blessed. Daddy and I are both in awe, and we can't really believe she's here. We also can't express how appreciative we are of the love and support we've gotten from everyone -- especially those of you here who have followed my story. The generosity of everyone has been such an amazing gift.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
She's Here!
Miss Emma Marie (named after my paternal grandmother and maternal great-grandmother, and Marie was my middle name) arrived yesterday! Mommy is sore and tired, and Daddy has already changed his first diaper. We couldn't be more proud!
Pictures and my birth story to follow.... probably when we get home on Wednesday. Thank you all for your love and support -- I couldn't have made it this far without you!
Pictures and my birth story to follow.... probably when we get home on Wednesday. Thank you all for your love and support -- I couldn't have made it this far without you!
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