Breast is Best...says the mom of a previous formula fed baby

This is the breastfeeding saga of Charlotte and the boob. I want to start by saying that when I had Clayton I was interested in breastfeeding because I thought that was what I was supposed to do, not because I felt like it was best and I believe that because I had not personally decided to put my whole self into BF him I was able to walk away from it. With Charlotte I had/have a different outlook on it. I want to do this for her, I want to save the money that I would spend on formula and I want to prove to myself and others that I can do it. I read somewhere that if you did not BF your first child you are even less likely to BF your second and I can see that but for me it was the opposite. Clayton was not sick one time until he was 15 months old and he is very bright child and he was formula fed after his 3rd week of life so I can say from experience that formula fed babies are just as capable of having immunity and brain development as BF babies...but this blog is about how Charlotte and I are conquering BF.

Right after she was born the nurse asked if I wanted to try to nurse. I said yes please! I knew it was not going to be easy and I was not looking forward to the horrible cramping that comes with it right in the beginning (at least for me) but I wanted to get into it as soon as possible with the help of the nurses and lactation consultant. From the first try she latched on pretty well and I felt pretty comfortable. Things were going well in the hospital and she was never given a bottle and I felt like she was getting the hang of things. And the we got home...she stopped latching as well and stopped wanting to feed from the right breast AT ALL. I know that babies will favor one breast over the other but she wanted NOTHING to do with the right one. Needless to say my already sore boobs were really hurting from this! Luckily because she had to go into the Dr everyday after she was born to have her bili levels checked I was able to talk to a nurse everyday and get the help I needed. Don't be fooled though I enlisted the help of my friend Google. I read some sights and reviews that mentioned using a breast shield to help with the latching. I have a few friends that had used these and said it was a slippery slope to a disaster but that it helped with the initial latching problem. I mentioned it to the nurse on one of the days we were in to check Charlotte's levels and she offered me the same advise about the sheild that my friends had...could lessen supply, baby can become dependent, may not help the problem at all while introducing a different kind of nipple to early in the BF process. But since we had to give her some formula for weight gain (she was borderline readmitted for weight loss) we tried the shield anyway.

We tried it while in the hospital so the nurse could monitor and assist. She latched on immediately with the sheild! The nurse had Charlotte suck on her finger and realized that her soft palate which is what initiates the sucking reflex is REALLY far back and my natural nipple does not reach it therefore not signaling to her that she needs to suck. The shield does reach it and that's why she is able to suck and latch on so well with it. We are still using at 7 weeks and there are some problems...she is dependent on it most of the time of the left and always on the right. I start with it and can take it away sometimes after a few minutes but it makes it so hard to nurse anywhere other than home where I can nurse openly without the cover, which she hates anyway!

For a little while I was convinced she was tongue tied. It was as if she could not stick her tongue out at all. We talked to the pediatrician about it at her 2 week check up and he said she would outgrow it and sure enough just 4 weeks later it is already better.

So once she started latching (with the shield) I noticed that she seemed to be chocking when she would nurse, especially in the morning which is the longest stretch without feeding. She would push away and spit out milk all over me and her. So back to Google I go and it sounded just like I had an overactive let down. Meaning that once she started sucking I was virtually chocking her and she was unable to control the flow with her tongue and didn't know what to do once the milk was in her mouth. I read all kinds of tips on how to control it including to lean back a little so that gravity was not working with the flow and to pump a little before nursing to relieve myself before she tries to nurse. All great advise and it has helped tremendously. But I believe that a strict feeding schedule and my body adjusting to the schedule has been the real key!

Speaking of pumping though I can pump on average 5 oz in 20 minutes and I do it usually once a day. In the morning when I am the fullest. I use the Playtex Petite Double Pump and really like it because it is small and easy to travel with and works with any bottle on the market except Advent!

  

She takes a bottle well unless it is an all day thing. There have been two times that she has had to bottle feed more than 3 of her feedings and she had a horrible gas night! 

 This is Charlotte's shelf

Back to the overactive let down for a second. While I have figured out how to handle it while nursing I still leak a ton on the non nursing breast. I had read about these things called Milkies when I was pregnant. Basically it is large breast pad looking thing that you place in your bra on the non nursing side and it catches the leaking milk that naurally comes down when your milk lets down on the nursing side. I thought I would never have enough leaking milk to matter...I was wrong! I realized I was leaking so much and decided to try these crazy things. There are times I can get an oz or more of leaked milk! That is just milk that was wasting away in my breast pad that I can now transfer to a storage bag and use later..yes please!! Oh plus I have saved on breast pads because there is not nearly the leaking as before!

  Between the pumping and the Milkies I can usually have around 8oz of stored formula a day. I don't pump everyday and I usually only use it when I am out without her or we are in a place I don't feel comfortable feeding.

I love this First Years milk storage organizer. It stores the milk upright and keeps it from mixing with the other stuff in the freezer like meat.

My original goal was to BF past the point I did with Clayton and I have done that. So then I said 6 weeks and I have done that. My new goal is 3 months. 

There are so many BF products out there and it is nice to try different brands and types but I am usually the type of person when I find something that works well I stick with it.

My favorites:

Medela Nipple Cream

Breast Pads:

 

Advent best for the price

 Lansinoh is best all around but more pricy

Boppy

 So great for posture and positioning. I have 3: one for each level of the house and one for the car!

Newborn Booster for the Boopy

Very useful!!

Hopefully in a few months I will post a blog saying that I made it to 3 months and plan to keep going!!

Clayton and Lottie

When I found out I was going to be induced I was super relieved because it allowed me to put a plan in place for Clayton. My mom was going to take him to school and pick him up a little late so that he could have lunch and nap at school and then she was to take him to our neighbors house to play until we were ready for him to come to the hospital. This plan was made under the assumption that I was going to be laboring for days.

I ended up having the baby before Clayton even got out of school so Jason picked him and brought him to the hospital and we just hung out there until dinner and then my mom took him home.

Meeting Baby Sister for the first time

Ready to take her home

Watching over her during her bath

 So far he is the best big brother.

Charleigh/ Lottie/little bitty is one month old!

1 month old!

How did I have a baby without these things?

With Charlotte being our second child and a child born with a little more preparation and at different place in our lives makes her the "get better stuff" baby. When we decided to have another baby we thought it would be much cheaper this go round because we already had everything. If it was a girl we would add some pink clothes and bows and be done...right? Wrong! First we had to replace the bouncy seat and swing because with 2 government moves since Clayton was a baby we have lost several pieces to both items...thanks movers! But we have also gained some things that we didn't have with Clayton that I now see the benefit in having. With Clayton if we didn't get it as a gift and we could make it through a day with out we didn't bother. But with Charlotte people gave us some things we didn't already have and since we had MOST everything we needed we splurged and got some of the "cooler" things we missed out on with Clayton...here are my now "I don't know how I how a baby with out these things" items.

Diaper Genie
 

We were given 2 Diaper genies this round and I love having 2 of them so much. We have one near the pack n play/ changing table downstairs and one in her room upstairs. I love that they don't smell and I feel like I am saving money by not taking the trash out everyday. Obviously it can be done with out them but I won't do it again!

Video Monitor 
 

This monitor is awesome. great quality and I can see baby girl sleeping (or not sleeping) whenever I want and I don't have to walk in her to check on her. The best part is the 2 way sound feature. When she is crying I can sing through the monitor or talk to her and calm her down without having to go in there. I'm not lazy or avoiding going in her room or anything but once she sees me she wants to be picked up so I try not to let her see me if she is just fussing. This camera has also helped me catch Clayton sneaking in there!

Changing table
I didn't take a picture because I am too lazy to go upstairs and take it and I couldn't find ours online! With Clayton we changed him on the pack n play changing table until he was bigger and then I did it on the floor. But we had a single story house and didn't have a second child to watch. I think it is so nice to have a real place to change her and to store diapers and linens for her room. 
Sound machine

This has been an awesome addition to out musical/lights crap that we force upon our kids in hopes that something other than us can make them fall asleep. This particular one has a projector that displays 3 different scenes on the ceiling and she loves to watch the lights and listen to the animal sounds. I have to say when I need a break the ocean sound is very soothing! 
Baby Bjorn

When Clayton was little I had an infantino carrier and I felt like he was going to fall out all the time! I love this carrier and I am so glad we found one for super on sale at Target in lime green (see picture above) but I would take it in poop brown honestly as much as it has helped me!


These opinions are just that! Every parent finds different things invaluable when they have babies but I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked these items and how glad I am that we are trying them out this time around!

MilSpouse Friday Fill-in...#44

1. When you vacation what type of vacation do you like to take (beach, historic, adventurous, food oriented, etc.)? I really enjoy relaxing beach vacations but I love crazy on the go never stop exploring vacations too. I'm really 50/50 on this one.
2. What is your best memory associated with a song (you know we all have tons!) "Don't Take the Girl" can bring back so many memories from childhood both good and bad
3. If you had six months with no obligations or financial constraints, what would you do with your time? Explore Italy and eat until I gained 100lbs and then hire a personal trainer to help me work off all that yummy pasta!
4. What is one thing about you that people do NOT typically notice at first that you wish they would? That my intense attention to tiny details is not a bad thing and has saved people from some awful situations
5. It’s a summer of sequels, and if you had to live in one of each of the following “worlds” (there are three total) which would you choose and why? 
   –X-Men: Be a Mutant, what would your power be? I have never seen or read anything X-Men so I pass on this one
   –Harry Potter: Be a Witch or Muggle? Witch for sure...Duh they can do magic!
   –Twilight: Be a Vampire or Werewolf? Werewolf...gross on the whole blood drinking thing

Week 5 of Charlotte May 31 through June 7

 Charlotte is 5w and 2 days old today and I am already having a hard time watching her grow so much so fast. She is great baby except when she is hungry and then it becomes a little bit hectic but we are working on patience for both her and me.

Charlotte:

Babywise: So far so good on the BW front. We are slowly working on really sticking to the schedule and following the BW guidelines but also doing what makes the most sense for our family. It is so much harder to do BW with a sibling and also with a daddy. When Clayton was this age Jason was in Iraq and I was basically free to do with Clayton as I saw fit without any one's opinion and now I have to take Jason and Clayton's needs into account when I make her schedule. The biggest thing I am working on right now is the first wake up or the Early Morning feeding. BW says this sets the tone for the day so I am really wanting to get this time set in stone. We are also working on getting full feedings. Charlotte is wanting to be a snacker and I am trying to get full feedings every 2.5 hours instead of the wanted every 45 minute nibble...um no!

Schedule:

 6:30 wake up-diaper-feed

         within that 30 minutes she eats for 10...diaper change and burp for 10...eats for 10

7:00 wake time (WT)

7:30-9:00 nap

and repeat every 2.5 hours until 9pm. At 9pm she eats and goes right back to bed at 10 and will usually want to eat again around 11:30 and then sleeps until 6:30.

Over the last few days she has wanted to get up 6 so I may adjust everything up or wait until she moves on to the 3 hour schedule.

Sleeping: So far she is doing great with sleeping through the night (mostly). She is in her "bed" by 11 for the final time and doesn't get up until 5:30 usually and will go back to sleep until 6:30 when she is up for good. I can work with this schedule. I have to get up to get Clayton to "camp" by 8 so the forced 6:30 wake up helps everyone get up and moving in the mornings. As far as naps she is getting in a more regular schedule . As long as she is swaddled and has a paci she is good to go. I am working really hard at making her nap in the pack and play or her bed and not get used to the swing or bouncy for a nap. This is mostly because she needs something to do during wake time and I want her to associate certain places with certain activities.

 Eating: She is eating every 2.5 hours right now but I feel like she is trying to push to the 3 hour but there are times during the day she just can not go that extra 1/2 hour. There are even times in the evening she tries to cluster feed and eat every 2 hours...um hello we have a schedule in place!  I'm kidding on that but only a little :) She is still breastfeeding and you can read all about that is the post I plan to write soon on our trials and tribulations of the baby vs. boob saga! There have been some issues but we are working through it all and my goal of six weeks is only 6 days away and I am extending it out to at least 3 months...if nothing more than so we don't have to worry about formula in GA.

 Diapers: She is in a size one and doesn't look like she is moving anytime soon
Clothes: She wears a newborn or 0-3 months

 This is 0-3 and it's kind of big still

Pacifier: We offered her a pacifier when she is sleeping or in the car and I hope it stays that way. There are certain times during the day when she will calm if she has it and usually will nap soon after she gets it. She loves the Advent and the Playtex Binky's.

Your Baby's First Year Week by Week: This is where I will touch on the major topics I read about this week:

bathing :she bathes about 3 times a week in the cutes and coolest little tub. YBFY talks about family tubs...no thanks but that's just me.

Obviously not me but I didn't have a bath pictures of her yet ( i know crazy right?)

swing: she is not a super huge fan of the swing and that is so sad to me because Clayton loved his. We got her a new one after we realized the movers in our last move lost the major pieces. It is a safe place to lay her though when I need to do something or run upstairs.

milestones:
-her actions are becoming more voluntary
-she bats at objects not within her reach
-she is calmed faster by me or another woman that a male
-she is retaining memory of objects (such as a paci or sounds)
-can be quieted by a paci
-quiets when held or a familiar face is in her line of vision
-she prefers to watch people over objects

pain: According to what I have read at this point babies can remember pain. They will not remember having a pain at 6 weeks when they are three but they will remember tomorrow when they encounter whatever ailed them again.
sounds: She loves music and sound machine noises. New sounds are supposed to be good for babies so I am trying to find some lullabies to introduce weekly and not just the norms!
physical development: She is working really hard at holding her head up when laying on her tummy.

She is stretching out and uncurling from the fetal position when laying on her back

She can move her hand to her mouth at will to soothe
vision: She is able to focus on people within 18 inches of her eyes

Different Cries: We are slowly learning the different cries and working on what best fixes her problem

This is her I am not happy cry!

Gums: We have not done this but the book suggest even at this age massage the gums and clean them after feedings. It will stimulate growth and help adjust her to cleaning to avoid that issue later.
massage: Baby massage is great and calming for both of us.
where to sleep: The book talks about the family bed. We chose not to do this and instead she sleeps in her Rock and Play beside me. I still have access to her at night and can see her but she is in her own bed. We will transition her in the next few weeks (after out trip home I'm guessing) into her own bed.
hiccups: Oh man she is the hiccup queen! And that is said to be uncommon in breastfeed babies but b/c she is using a shield (whole post on that here...or coming) she may be getting more air then I think. I give her Gripe Water when they get so bad they are interfering with her sleep or causing obvious pain. 
toys: Clayton is her toy of choice followed by me and Jason and then when that fails she likes her own hand.

Me:

I'm doing pretty well with sleep and eating. I am actually finding time for both. 

I of course would love to drop this baby weight a little faster than I am but I am getting into a routine of working out in the mornings while I only have one child and hopefully that will drop the weight! I lost a lot in the beginning thanks to breastfeeding but that was all nature could do the rest is up to me!

Clayton:
He is doing so well adjusting to her and has been a HUGE help! There are times he wants more attention than I can give...usually at feeding times. He is going to camp 5 days a week for 3 hours and loves the time and friends there. He tells everyone that she is his baby sister and all the details about her!

First day of camp!

Recap of first few weeks of Little Lottie's life

I want to blog at the end of each week of Charlotte's life. I sort of did this with Clayton in a legit hand written journal but now that I blog I would rather do it here and eventually make a book maybe. I am counting weeks as in the 'week of life'. So for example she was born on May 3 so May 3rd through May 10th would be week one and I will blog on that Monday night before she turns the next week old...make sense?

[Disclaimer: As I write this she is actually in her 5th week of life! I am behind but I wanted it documented so I am going back and filling in the blanks!]

This time around with my pregnancy I read Your Pregnancy Week by Week so I stuck with that serious and am reading Your Baby's First Year Week by Week so when I compare the "average" baby to Charlotte that is where I am getting my comparison.

Weeks 1-4

Jaundice
Before we left the hospital we were told that Lottie's biliruben (Sp) levels were high but not high enough to stay in the hospital and that we were free to leave with her if we brought her back the next morning for another blood test and weight check. This went on for 4 more days and on Mother's Day she was finally cleared to not come back until her 2 week check-up...Happy Mother's Day to me!

 

This is the best picture I can find where she looks a little yellow

Schedule

 I am really looking forward to implementing the Babywise parenting method into our lives again. It worked well with Clayton and I would like to do it with Charlotte as well. Right now we are letting her get adjusted and she is eating on somewhat of a schedule on her own. She eats roughly every 2 hours as instructed by the Dr to flush out her jaundice.

Growth

At her 2 day check up she had not gained back to her birth weight but was working up to it. (I'm not sure exactly what she was at the time we left the hospital or at her 2 day). She is obviously eating something that is making her gain the weight and that was a huge concern for me sense she is breastfeeding (see post on that). By her 2 week checkup she was at 7lb 10oz and 19 3/4 in. (7lb 9oz 19.5 in at birth) so that is great news and the goal we were told to look for! 

Sleeping 

She sleeps in a Rock n Play ^ and loves to be swaddled! Complete opposite of her brother. She also is already sleeping with a pacifier. I like having her close to me but not in the bed with me at this point. I would like for her to never sleep in the bed with me (it is really hard to get them out...trust me!). She is waking maybe 2 times to eat and going right back to sleep. I feel rested and that is super important with 2 to take care of now!

Reacting with Clayton

Obviously they do not play together yet but Clayton is very respectful of her things and space and the time I need to take out of his time to care for her. There are times I see him looking at her trying to figure the whole thing out but so far they are doing great together. She is not effected by his noise level or his sporadic movements even though I am! 

So far so good on the family of 4 front!