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@HeartAbandoned: Don't be afraid! With my first, he had to take a bottle early in (NICU stay for jaundice, so we couldn't take him out from under the lights). After that first week, though, he didn't get another bottle until the day I went back to work at 11 weeks (oops). My mom tried to give it to him all day, and he wouldn't take it (he drank 1 oz the entire 8 hours I was gone). When I got home I nursed him right away (because clearly he was hangry) and then I gave him a bottle that night. I just held him the way I normally do for nursing (cradle hold), tickled his cheek/lip with the nipple just like I would normally encourage nursing, and then talked to him calmly and softly until he took it and started sucking. He drank the whole thing and had no trouble after that.
This time, I want to get H used to the bottle earlier. He also took it for the first week because of jaundice (thankfully no NICU stay, but I wasn't messing around with his bilirubin levels, we supplemented with formula to encourage poops!) then my husband tried to give him one overnight last week so I could get some sleep, but it was a big fat fail. Last night when I gave him the bottle, I did the same routine I tried with #1 and it worked beautifully. Well, until the puke
At least for my boys, they seem to take it better from me in the beginning. That goes against conventional wisdom that someone else should feed them because they can smell your milk and/or prefer the boob (which mine do), but I think since they are used to me feeding them, they can kind of be "soothed" through bottle introduction by a familiar hold and voice. I don't know if H will go back and forth easily because I haven't tried it often enough, but J had no trouble and I don't buy "nipple confusion" OR preference - mine know the real thing and want that if given the choice.
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@Happygal: Do you give her the bottle after she nurses, or at another time altogether? Are you just giving her an ounce at a time?
@SleepyMonkey: How often does DD2 get a bottle, and how much each time? I just feel like it's so much less complicated to nurse! I'm hopeful that pumping and bottle feeding will get easier...!
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It's impossible to reply on my phone when I'm a few pages behind but sounds like everyone is doing pretty good!
We met L's teacher last week and she was great. He is going to the same center as DD but they have too many infants so are opening a new room with just L and one other baby! I think it will be great to ease his transition since there won't be a full room yet.
I have my (late) 6 week OB appmt tomorrow and am hoping to get an IUD, not sure if they'll make me come back another day to get it put in?
I tried the crib for a nap today and yesterday and he only lasted 15 minutes! Otherwise he is doing good though, he eats 3.5 oz every 3-3.5 hours during the day, and wakes up around 2-3am to eat every night.
I am SO sick of EPing but I hope once I go back to work it will be better since I have a laid back workplace and won't also be caring for a baby while pumping. I'm doing 6 pumps a day now but am dying to go down to 5, but I make exactly what he eats so it's probably not smart to drop.
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@Happygal: hugs
I like the others swear it gets easier. @keepcalmcarrie: @oliviaoblivia: sorry your still stuck inside with J & L going stir crazy. It seems to be getting better here although it was never as cold here as it is for you guys.
@mfa_lady: glad to hear you're doing well. We have pretty much the same schedule. Feed between 10:30-00:30 when I go to bed, MOTN feed between 3:30-4:30 usually and then up for the day at 7.
Thankfully I'm feeling a million times better today then I did the last two days. All your very much appreciated well wishes seemed to have helped
Little J finally passed her hearing test today
and scored really well. The good thing about having gotten it done at the audiologist is that it was a way more in-depth test then the newborn hearing test they do in the hospital upon birth.ETA bottles: We semi regularly give her a bottle of pumped milk instead of a nursing session. She has absolutely no problem going from bottle to boob and back. I think with introducing a bottle the use of a pacifier has helped in our case(s) since the kids already knew the feel of "plastic" in their mouth.
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@oliviaoblivia: That sounds like a really do-able schedule! Thank you for sharing! And I'm jealous of your 6-minute MOTN feeding. C usually feeds for about 40 minutes every time, even overnight.
@keepcalmcarrie: That is super helpful! Maybe I'll get some milk out of the freezer and try today. DH is working from home thanks to snow, so it might be a good time to try - while I have back up here!
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@HeartAbandoned: my first was a marathon nurser, it's been strange having a sprinter. Super convenient!
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@Pumuckl: What a great update! Glad you're doing better.
And you reminded me--DH does our dream feed with a bottle while I pump! At that nighttime pumping session (all I'm doing right now) I can usually get enough for her bottle the next night and a little bit to put in the freezer. DH is much better at feeding her without waking her up.
The only thing that messes us up these days is that she's started pooping less...and the last two nights her poos have been in the middle of the night! That makes it SO much harder to get her back to sleep. Hopefully she'll regulate soon!
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@HeartAbandoned: Welcome!
@keepcalmcarrie: DD2 has food intolerances/allergies just like DD1 has. Ugh. Thankfully the diagnosis came a lot sooner this time and I don't have to see another child suffer for too long. The pediatrician just put the insurance authorization in today for DD2 to be on Alimentum. I was EPing but she wasn't tolerating my breastmilk. Then we tried different combinations of breastmilk and formulas to no avail. She was on Zantac but it wasn't working either. At least this time we don't have to see an additional GI Specialist like we did for DD1. I'm guessing it's because siblings have a higher chance of similar allergies.
I had a great supply this time and even have a nice freezer stash. I was pumping 4 times a day and haven't pumped overnight in several weeks, which is great because I haaaaate pumping when I could be sleeping. I don't want my milk to go to waste now that DD2 can't have it and I have to keep pumping for awhile because I need to wean, but I don't know how to go about donating breastmilk.
I'm so sorry some of you are getting your PP periods back already. Too soon!!
Yesterday DD2 started smiling these big open mouthed happy grins. The best part was DH had just gotten home late from a bad day at work. He took DD2 from me and she gave him a huge smile (her first real one) and it totally changed his mood and melted my heart.
DD2 finally switched her schedule so she is sleeping at night and more awake during the day. The past few nights we've had her on the Alimentum and she's sleeping great with only one MOTN wakeup around 2am then she and DD1 wake up for the day between 5-6am.
@Mrs. Blue: How are you feeling? Did you get any help from the doctor?
@Radish: Same here, the tingling letdown is really intense this time. It's actually slightly painful. We stopped swaddling in the hospital because she kept breaking out. We've had her in the Halo Sleepsack swaddles for warmth because it's so bitter cold here, but we wrap it around her torso with her arms out.
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Thanks to everyone who has checked on me. I talked to the nurse yesterday and she didn't seem too concerned but wanted me to come in anyway since it had been going on so long. Saw my OB this morning. He ordered some blood work and had me give a urine specimen to check for a few things, including infection and thyroid issues. He said he thought it was just my body's way of telling me to slow down so it can fully recover and to "really rest" for a few days. It looks like it was probably exactly what I expected, but I was really hoping for an easy "take these pills & you'll be better soon" thing. I was kind of upset afterwards because "really resting" is impossible with two toddlers and a new baby, but then my parents had mercy on my soul and offered to take the big boys for a. couple days. They are coming to get them tonight. I feel guilty, but I'm so excited to be able to just focus on Graham and my own health for a few days.
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@HeartAbandoned: I SAH, but we introduced the bottle at 1 week. We did the same with LO1. DH gives her the bottle and she doesn't love it, but she will take it (sometimes after a little fussing). I prefer to have the bottle option for a lot of reasons (like in the car when she has to be strapped or going out to eat - I don't like nursing at the table) but mostly so DH can take over when I need a break. LO1 would take cold breastmilk, but I think LO2 much prefers it to be warm so that has been our only hurdle and the flow has messed with her a few times. She has taken up to 4 oz at a time (more than LO1 every took at this age).
@MapleMoose: I had such a good freezer stash last time and ended up throwing most of it away because we didn't use it often enough. It was more of an emergency stash than anything, but it was past the recommended timeline so I couldn't donate it.
I think B is going through a growth spurt and I'm really hoping that is all it is because she is wearing me out. She suddenly is not napping for more than 5 min in her crib and it is driving me bonkers. Luckily, her night sleep last night was solid.
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@Mrs. Blue: Sounds awesome! Don't feel guilty, it is a win for everyone to have a healthy mama.
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@HeartAbandoned: we try to do a bottle 1x/day, but we miss a day here and there. she drinks anywhere between 3-4 oz per feed. it seems really complicated to pump and do a bottle at first, but after the first time, it is a piece of cake!
@Pumuckl: awesome news about the hearing test!
@MapleMoose: i donated a ton of milk with dd1...i pumped so much extra and she hated bottles so she never used any up. i did it through you local facebook group of Human Milk 4 Human Babies. you can just look up that name and the name of your state, and it should pop up. lots of parents in need of breastmilk. i did look into donating thru official channels, but you have to get doctor's notes and physicals and lots of other stuff that i didn't have time for.
@Mrs. Blue: so glad you are going to have a break, and hoping you feel better soon.
i think we have created a monster here with baby only being able to fall asleep if she is being held or right next to me. eh.
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@Mrs. Blue: So glad you are going to get a break. Rest always helps. And I bet the boys will have a great time being spoiled by their grandparents.
@SleepyMonkey: Thanks, I'll check that out. I did a quick Google search after I wrote the post and I did see something about getting a blood test through one of the sites. Definitely need to do some more research on this.
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@Mrs. Blue: glad you're getting more help. And isn't it funny how our not even 2yrs olds are suddenly big boys?
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EPers what are you doing for MOTN feeds? Right now L goes to bed around 9/10 and wakes up once. I pump at 8:30 and just leave that bottle out for the MOTN feeding. But now I'm thinking of putting him to bed earlier so he'd probably wake up twice and one bottle would need to be from the fridge. Do you use any fridge bottles in the night?
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@HappyBaker: I just warm one up for the motn feeding. I pump around 11pm and then not again until 6am-ish. LO wakes up around 3/4am to eat. I typically run down stairs to start it when he first starts to fuss to minimize any crying to make sure his brother doesn't wake up ( his door is open at night ).
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@oliviaoblivia: The LC clinic is on Mondays at 10:30 and it's been impossible to get to! She seems to be doing much better/getting heavier so I want to wait until her two month check up and then make a decision if she's still losing/not gaining since it's right around the corner.
Thanks for the well wishes everyone! I am looking forward to this time. We visited friends at their job for lunch and I met up with another friend for our weekly Starbucks chat this evening. A has been a champ today, even for a rainy day.
The mini pill makes me nauseous. Ugh. Any advice on that? Will try to catch up when I'm not on my phone.
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@Radish: @SleepyMonkey: Thank you ladies!
We ended up giving C his first bottle this afternoon, and he did great! He has also nursed great since then. He decided that today he wanted to eat every 2 hours, and my poor boobs just couldn't take it after our every-4-hour schedule of the last week or so. DH gave him about 3 ounces, and it wasn't nearly as traumatic for anyone as I expected it to be! I really appreciate everyone's encouragement!
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@HeartAbandoned: awesome!
@namaste: just got an rx for the mini pill. Sorry about the nausea! I am guessing it will go away as your body adjusts to it. Have you noticed any other side effects?
One wake up at 3am last night! Down at 10:30, up at 7:30. Woo!
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@SleepyMonkey: Yay, awesome! We had a similar night - down at 10:15, up at 3 AM, but then he woke up at 5:15 with a terrible burp!! I briefly nursed him and he fell asleep on me in our bed until 7.
The early mornings are still a bit of a mess - he always seems to wake up between 4:30 and 5:30, and fusses continuously unless I let him fall asleep on me.
I'm planning to do Ferber sleep training with him between 10-12 weeks, but until then I really have no qualms with any and all methods that get him to sleep!
In other news, I *think* being very strict now about cutting dairy is already making a difference after just a few days. Since I was already restricting with just a few indulgences over the past two weeks, I don't think there's a lot in my system and he seems less fussy. Still some mucousy diapers (ew, sorry) but they're not as bad today as they were the past week. Hoping this translates to even better naps and night sleep too.
There's really nothing I'm super attached to in parenting EXCEPT getting my babies to sleep well, for their own sake as well as mine. That phrase "this is not the hill I die on" applies to everything except ZZZs
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Had my postpartum OB visit and they can't insert my IUD until April because they are fully booked. So annoying!
I baked some lactation cookies today, I am skeptical to see if they work because they taste SO good!
L and I picked up DD from daycare and he ended up napping in his car seat from 5:30- 8, so I'm pretty sure tonight is going to suck! Trying to put him to bed now...
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How is everyone doing with the "witching hour?" We really hadn't experienced it with Henry until tonight. He scream-cried for almost an hour straight. Any other time he's been fussy, a) it's been earlier in the day and b) he's been easily consoled. Not tonight!
All my good feelings about dairy elimination are gone. I just have this pit in my stomach - the colic was so, so bad with J, I have a lot of anxiety about going through it again
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@keepcalmcarrie: I'm so sorry tonight was rough! Praying it was just a fluke and that your family won't have to endure colic again.
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@keepcalmcarrie: the witching hour sucks! We've been lucky and only had maybe four nights where C was really upset. But man, in those moments I'm bowing down to the colic moms. Good work on the dairy, in glad you're noticing an improvement already!
@HappyBaker: that is annoying!
I've never made lactation cookies, wanna share your recipe?@HeartAbandoned: yay for the bottle!
@namaste: only one day a week?! That's crazy! Ours had a 24 hour hotline and is open seven days a week. I'm so glad she's gaining now though!
So yesterday was my birthday and Mila slept for nine hours and fifteen minutes straight! Girlfriend knows how to deliver! Unfortunately L decided to throw a random 2am temper tantrum so I didn't get to enjoy the long sleep, but I'm hopeful she'll repeat again. A
ND both my nephew and my cousin had their babies yesterday!! I get to share my bday with two sweet babies and C has two more friends!
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@HappyBaker: Lactation cookies worked for me when I needed a boost. Did you make them from scratch or the Milkmakers mix?
@keepcalmcarrie: Ugh, both girls scream during the witching hour every evening. They seem to wait until I'm cooking dinner. It's a conspiracy. DH is never home from work early enough to witness the craziness but he gets a nice dose of it on the weekends.
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@oliviaoblivia: Happy birthday to all of you!!
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@oliviaoblivia: yay!! happy belated!!
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@oliviaoblivia: Happy belated!!!!
Yeah it's a little weird how it's setup (and inconvenient). So glad C slept like a champ and now she has new baby friends.@HappyBaker: Lactation cookies?! Googling right now. That sounds helpful as a just in case!
@SleepyMonkey: Lots of water retention and I got the awful bleeding that everyone was talking about whenever I looked it up. I got AF at 5 weeks so I'm just so over this lol
@HeartAbandoned: So glad bottle feeding went well!
@keepcalmcarrie: I haven't experienced yet but I'm so sorry you're having so much trouble. Hope things are better tonight!
Scored a swing for $30 and a new playmate for A from one of the moms in my prenatal yoga class. For today's win, I think I'll treat myself to froyo
Solo parenting has been pretty good. A sleeps 6-7 hours at night, I've gotten a lot of work done, and I'm loving our play time in the morning. We've sort of established a routine and now I think DH may ruin it lol
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@oliviaoblivia: Happy birthday and wow - amazing sleep! My toddler is also sleeping worse than the baby.
@oliviaoblivia: @MapleMoose: @namaste: Here's the recipe, I love oatmeal choc chip cookies anyway but you really can't taste the added stuff that makes them good for milk production. I ordered the brewer's yeast on Amazon because Prime was easier than searching stores!
http://www.food.com/recipe/oatmeal-chocolate-chip-lactation-cookies-by-noel-trujillo-192346 -
L slept in his room last night! Granted he was in his rock and play but at least he wasn't in our room
He did pretty good, but I did end up bringing him in our bed around 5:30 because that is when he gets really fussy / grunty.
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@keepcalmcarrie: ugh, witching hour sucks. She was better this week, but before she'd start crying when DH gets home from work at 6 and didn't stop till bedtime at 9 (unless she's eating). I felt bad b/c DH only saw her when she was unhappy.
@HappyBaker: I've made a couple big batches of lactation cookies and have a couple everyday. I don't know that they helped much though.
@oliviaoblivia: @MapleMoose: I use this recipe: http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2014/10/monster-cookies.html
Then add 4 tablespoons Brewer's yeast, 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed soaked in 4 tablespoons water. I also use 2 whole eggs instead of 1 egg + 1 yolk.
I played around with different kinds/amounts of chips/m&ms (one batch I used white chocolate chips, raisins, cranberries, and cashews instead).@HappyBaker: yay for sleeping in his own room! My girl is so noisy at night that I'm looking forward to moving her to her room
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@keepcalmcarrie: The witching hour is so frustrating! K doesn't really cry, but she is wired from around 6:00 to 11:00 or 12:00. Last night she didn't sleep for more that 10 minutes until 1:00am! She totally takes after me and DH; we're both night owls.
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@charmed: i feel like DH sees her at her worst a lot as well. LO1 is going through some phase where only mommy can help her in the evenings so I end up doing all her bedtime while DH deals with a less than happy LO2. It's like they both need me most at the same time and it's exhausting and frustrating for both DH and me.
LO2 slept 7 hours last night from 11-6!
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@Radish: sorry is A is in a clingy place. The worst nights I've had with both girls has been on nights DH works late. It's so so tough sometimes. Usually when you need them to cooperate. And congrats on some good sleep from B!
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All of a sudden today my boobs are super soft and I'm not able to pump very much. It's impossible to just dry up seemingly overnight right?? Earlier this week I had clog after clog and now they don't hurt at all but I've only gotten half of what I normally would by now!
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@HappyBaker: i think after a clog, supply goes down temporarily but comes back after resuming your normal pumping/nursing activity. My boobs are much softer these days but i think it is because my supply is regulating.
@keepcalmcarrie: we have a witching hour too. Usually 7-10 like @MrsHansen82, she is wide awake and just fussing away. She is not content unless she is being held and even then she fusses. But she usually goes down easy after that.
@Radish: ugh that sounds tough! But glad that you got a long stretch of sleep last night.
@namaste: you make solo parenting sound so easy and enjoyable! Wish i could have that attitude towards it. It is just so daunting to me.
@oliviaoblivia: happy belated bday!
We have been having one wake up at night recently. She usually does a 5 hour stretch followed by a 4 hr one. Better than before but not my ideal night either!
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@HappyBaker: mine has seemed a little lower lately and I think it's because I'm not hydrating or getting enough sleep.
@oliviaoblivia: thanks. I'm glad DH is at least there to bring me things or whatever, I can't imagine having to do bedtime completely solo (especially since we have to sit with A for like 2 hours some nights).
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@SleepyMonkey: forward progress is still promising. Hopefully in a week or two 6-7 hour stretches will be the norm.
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@charmed: Yum, I love monster cookies but I haven't had them in quite a while.
@HappyBaker: Shame on me for even saying this but my first thought was maybe it's your period returning? Hopefully it's just a temporary dip in supply.
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You guys, I just got my period back! Son of a b****!!
I like the others swear it gets easier. 
and scored really well. The good thing about having gotten it done at the audiologist is that it was a way more in-depth test then the newborn hearing test they do in the hospital upon birth.
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