How Quick They Grow: From Infant to Baby

Sophia is growing so quickly. We had her 2 month visit on Monday. She weighed 11 pounds 12 ounces, and she was 23 inches long. Since her one month visit she has gained one pound 12 ounces and grown 1 inch. She remains in the 75% for both.

As a mom those are proud moments, but as a consumer, growth is difficult. Being that this has been a particularly hot summer, I have only been putting her in onesies during the day. I now am quickly running out of outfits. I can't keep up with the laundry. Her length is adding to my work load. Having helped my sister so much with her children, I know buying a lot of clothing at this age isn't reasonable, so I have been stretching outfits and considering those onesie extenders. A 2 month old grows too quickly to buy a ton of clothes, yet I have come to a realization that I may have to bite the bullet and buy a few more summer pieces.

I think I will also help myself to some store inventory. I chose those adorable prints that we carry in our store, Little Baby Headquarters, so why not dress my little cutie in a few of those onesies.

Take a look and see if you find a onesie you wish to purchase from Little Baby Headquarters for someone you love.

Sleep, Sophia, Sleep

Sophia is doing so well, but we are crossing some new bridges. She truly is an angel, but we do have one small issue.

Sophia only wants to be held. Now I wouldn't mind, but I mean only held. For the last two weeks, she has only gone down after her 8 o'clock feeding. I must admit that I have enjoyed all the cuddle time with my precious baby, yet I did have to think of the future. Where would we be in one month or 8 months?

So this week I have dedicated all my time to getting her acquainted with her big girl crib.
Also, I have been trying to increase her nap times because I realized she was sleeping much less than all the information on infant sleep indicated was healthy. We are slowly becoming successful. She is spending at least 30 minutes at a time in the crib for naps. The night is much easier for her, and the black out shades we hung have really helped.

Sleep is so essential to infants and necessary for breast feeding mommies. To all you who think it's OK to have baby in bed one more night, don't fool yourself. Start a healthy sleep schedule now for every one's benefit.

Breast feeding tips I learned

As I mentioned earlier, Mary, my lactation consultant, has taught me so much. I wish I knew going in all this information, but I know now and it has made a world of difference. I hope these tips on breast feeding help all fellow moms out there who are dedicated to nursing.

1. Drinking too many fluids could interfere with milk production.
2. One must add 500 calories to their daily in take in order to keep up with lactation.
3. Maintaining a low fat or fat free diet will effect the quality of your milk, resulting in milk that doesn't "fill up" your little one.
4. Sleep deprivation or stress could interrupt milk production.
5. Oatmeal, yogurt, and brewers' yeast should be part of your daily menu.
6. The baby can extract more milk than a pump.
7. Your milk changes everyday based on what the peanut needs that day.

Breast feeding is going nicely for Sophia and I. The only disadvantage is the lack of dieting. I was hoping to have lost my weight by now, but the calorie requirements are hindering my goals. I will have to find time to exercise, but how do you do that with a 7 week old attached to you?

I can't believe we made it: 7 Weeks

After a very long three weeks, everything started to get easier. It took some time, but we are on a schedule and working towards normalcy. The hardest part was the three week and six week growth spurt.

I remember calling Mary to tell her that Sophia was cluster feeding, not sleeping and overall fussy. She explained to Jeff and I that this was the three week growth spurt. We would see a change in behavior and digestion. I definitely thought she was full of it. After two days of crying, I called my doctor and bought her in for an appointment the next morning. Of course, Sophia behaved like an angel, but I was happy to hear all was OK.

Needless to say, all fussiness continued for 5 more days, but shortly after she turned 4 weeks, our little angel returned again. Mary was correct. When we turned that corner, she informed us that there is also a 6 week, 3 month and 6 month growth spurt. We have just battled the 6 week bout, and knowing it was coming really helped.

I laugh at those people who give out advice like they live in your house.

Moms, all I can say is I have some good advice, but you don't have to listen.
I have learned to follow your babies lead. They will let you know what is to come and how to handle it. Also, seek professional advice whenever in doubt. Someone always knows something more than you. Don't reinvent the wheel, roll with the flow.

Little Baby Headquarters; Wipe warmers, clothes and diaper bags

Don't forget to shop for all your baby needs at Little Baby Headquarters

Getting Better? Breast Feeding Tips and more

So needless to say the details aren't necessary, but recovery for the first 7 days was difficult. Try compounding that with the pain of an infected tooth.

Day 6 I woke up with a sore jaw and aching tooth. I called the doctor because I am no stranger to dental problems. I made an appointment for 2 days from then. I still couldn't imagine sitting on a hard dentist chair. By day 8, it was too late. My mouth was so infected, it was difficult to recognize me. I was only consuming liquids and taking a lot of Motrin.

That is what lead me to call a lactation consultant. Day 7 I found Mary. She is a God send. A guardian angel. I knew when I went to the dentist that I would be getting some kind of serious procedure. I knew that invo;ved medication, so I wanted to speak with an expert about the effects on breastfeeding. Mary came to meet us that very day. She weighed Sophia and helped with latching on and feeding positions. But it was the plan she offered that was so helpful. She left a pump with me. She explained that I would have to pump and dump for 6 hours after Novacaine. She also explained how long to pump for, how long to leave in between pumps and how to get back into feeding with the pain killers. I couldn't have done it without her. I was very nervous about all of the dental work and medication effecting Sophia. Her plan and information put my mind to rest.

Here are some tips I learned about breast feeding in general and being on medication while nursing. Hope you find these tips helpful:
If you are nursing:
1. When in pain, Motrin, Tylenol, Percocet are all safe. It won't effect the baby or your milk.
2. If Novacaine is administered, wait 6 hours before resuming feeding. Pump and dump.
3. If you have to pump, pump for at least 10 minutes on each side. The more you empty your breasts, the more milk you produce.
4. Pump every two hours.
5. I found this website about medication and nursing.Hope you find it informative.
http://www.babycenter.com/0_drug-safety-during-breastfeeding_8790.bc

I have learned so much more about breast feeding from Mary. Fill you in tomorrow.

The First Week Home After Baby

Family. That is what God provides us with to get through the hard times. Then they are there to celebrate your good times. To my surprise, the pain from my episiotomy increased. I was taking more Percocet and Mortin than planned. I could not sit at all and laying down wasn't fun either. As a result, the pressure fell on Jeff and my family. I just rested and fed Sophia. She was my only job!

Because the house was still on the market, my mom cleaned every day so we could allow our realtors to schedule showings. She also cooked all our meals and did our laundry for one week. It was such a blessing to see my mom still taking care of me while I was taking care of my new daughter.

My sister visited everyday to see Sophia and tend to my bottom pain. Jeff made sure everything else ran smoothly.
Listen women, the pain doesn't last forever, but prepare that the first week home after delivering baby is NO walk in the park.

We took Sophia to the doctor the next day to get her collar bone checked. Needless to say, I was shocked and worried to find out she was Jaundice. We had to supplement every breast feeding with formula for 48 hours. We returned on Monday. The doctor said the collar bone was healing well, but she wanted us to see a specialist. She also sent us to the hospital to get blood work on Sophia to check her Bilirubin levels. Not how you envision your first 72 hours home with baby, and that's not how it looks on TLCs "Bring Home Baby".

Good news about the blodd work. She was out of the woods. Now I could focus on healing and breast feeding.
Or so I thought...

Hospital Stay

Once we were settled into our hospital room, my mom and sister left for the night. The feeling that came upon me was remarkable. I looked to my right and there was my wonderful and loving husband. To my left was my beautiful, new baby girl. We talked a little and looked at her a lot. Dinner came and Jeff decided he better get something more suitable. After Au Bon Pan and late night cookies we hit the hay. It wasn't until 3 am that I woke up. My baby nurse came in to wake me, so I could feed Sophia. That is when all the questions started.

I realized I didn't know enough about feeding. How often? How? What position? What can and can't I eat? How long does it take? WHat should it feel like? How much does the baby get at each feeding? I kept asking these questions of my baby nurse, my nurse and my lactation nurse, but I was getting conflicting answers. That's why I hired a lactation consultant. I wished I did it sooner. After I could sit up, day 8, I called Mary. I'll tell you more later.

Thursday was a new day. We were told Sophia had a broken collar bone from the delivery. The worry, fear and anxiety of motherhood came crushing upon me. My baby had a broken clavicle. The pediatricians in the hospital said to let it heal naturally. I immediately called my pediatrician and they said the same, but wanted to see her ASAP after discharge.

We spent the day together looking at Sophia, feeding Sophia and talking about Sophia, OH how this peanut changed my world. My sister came to help with the episiotomy care because the pain was unbearable. I started the percocet and was sure to get a prescription for home.

Friday we went home, and I still had so many questions about breast feeding and her collar bone and my pain, but off we went.
We came as two and left as three. That's magical!