Getting those Zzzz's

As I have said in previous posts. my LO sleeps through the night. She started doing this at about 6 weeks. When you are home with a newborn, You can never imagine sleeping through the night again. Especially when you are feeding the baby every 2 hours. People always ask me how I did it! Well, it was actually quite easy. We made a schedule. Not a strict, by the minute, must be followed schedule (we are so not that type). But a works for us schedule. One that is easy for us, that matches our schedule.

The truth is, our bodies do well on a schedule. We sleep better, eat better, feel better and their little bodies are no different. The first place to start is getting them adjusted to day and night. When they were in the womb, they were rocked to sleep by your movements. I'm sure you felt (or feel) less kicks during the day when you are most active, but at night they are little swimmers, moving and kicking non-stop. Well, now they need to learn daytime and nighttime. During the day, keep them out in the house where it is bright and loud. Put the TV on, play music, do the dishes, clean the house. Let them nap where you are and around everyone. Pack-n-Plays, Rock-n-Plays, portable bassinets are all great places to nap, which in the beginning will be most of the day. At night, start making it darker and quieter. We dimmed the lights starting around 7, lowered the tv, made sure the dog was fed and walked and would not bother us or make noise. Our bedtime (well, mostly Dad's because he went back to work) was around 9 PM. Usually closer to 9:30, but we try, lol. By 9, all of the lights in the house are off (night lights help a lot). DD sleeps in a wooden bassinet that rocks in our room with us. We go into the bedroom, start the humidifier, turn on the night light (which is part of our humidifier and makes starts on the ceiling) and feed her. There are many places that say not to nurse to sleep, and honestly I agree, but if she is tired or we are a little off schedule (like going out to dinner and getting home late), sometimes she falls asleep while nursing and I think it is ok. Just don't make a habit out of it. After her feeding, I hold her a little bit and rock her. I think this might be more for me than her, but we enjoy it. Then I put her in her bassinet with her pacifier. She was a major thumb, finger and fist sucker from day 1. The nurse got us a pacifier while we were in the hospital because she hated being swaddled because she couldn't get to her hands. We waited 2 weeks before we gave in to her, lol. But, it soothes her and self soothing is a great way to make bedtimes work.

What also works really well for us is that our bassinet rocks. There is a lock on it, but our LO has learned that if the brings her legs up and then pushes them down, that the bassinet will rock. My little smartie pants. Between this and her paci, she will put herself to sleep with little help from me. When she is very awake, we sill take turns sitting next to it and rocking it until she falls asleep, but most nights she goes down herself and falls asleep quick. I am not saying that you should go out and buy one of these, but it worked out very well for us. Just not sure where we are going to store it once she moves to her crib....

Swaddling is also a great way to get them to sleep. Some babies love it, some hate it. But, in the beginning it is very helpful. We had the most luck with ones that zippered because they were quick and easy. Our DD was also very petite. The Velcro ones were big on her and would tend to slide up over her mouth, which made me very nervous. She always managed to get her hands out of every one too. From blankets (even when the nurses did it), to the Velcro, to the zipper (which surprised the Hell out of me), she ALWAYS got her hands out to suck on them. We even tried swaddling with her arms out, but she would still get the swaddle undone or off her body. We stopped at 2 weeks and used sleeper blankets instead and she loves them. We use the long sleeve ones since it is winter and they fit her better and she loves that she can move her feet in them.

Once your baby learns night and day, starts to self soothe and learn a night time routine, they will start to create their own feeding schedule. I hate that everyone says to feed them every 2 hours. Yes, it is a good guideline, but in reality it is not true and tends to confuse a lot of parents. The more accurate statement, and usually the one you will hear from experienced moms, is feeding on demand. I love my Baby Tracker App because it lets me know when her last feeding was, how many dirty diapers she had in a day and how much pumped milk I have, but I never use the timer to tell me when it is feeding time. If it has only been 30 minutes to an hour since her last feeding and she is cranky, I will try other things before feeding her again. But, if it has been an hour and a half, she may be hungry again. Or, if she is sound asleep and it is 10 pm and It was been 2 hours, let them sleep a little more (if they are showing no signs of being hungry). Also, trust your boobs. They will tell you when it is feeding time, lol. Babies also can Dream Feed. This means that they can latch on and feed while not waking up. So don't pinch or undress your baby and force them to feed if it has been 2 hours. Try and if they don't feed, wait a half hour and try again. And at night, if you fall asleep because they are asleep and you go 4 hours without feeding, don't freak out. Just pick them up and feed. They may go longer, but that is a good thing. It teaches them that they can go longer and get as much as they need. My DD feeds twice as long right before bed than she does any other feeding during the day. She in preparing for a longer stretch. NEVER make your baby wait to feed, especially if they are hungry, but following a "every 2 hour'" rule is not an exact science. Don't let it stress you out.

Some mothers also find (especially later on) that a feeding schedule works for them as well. At 3 months, I still feed on demand. Some days we sleep a little later, our naps are a little longer, or we are more active and hungry earlier. Most of the time, she now goes 3 hours between feedings and drinks more during them, but sometimes it will be an hour and a half and she wants some more before a nap. I do what works for her, and me, but that may be something to look into if you think it is best for you and your LO. Also, I hear a lot of parents say that they like to give their LO a bath before bed. I find this hard for me to do, and a bath every day can dry out their skin *always use lotion after a bath, but avoid hands and feet and anything else that goes in their mouth). Some babies also hate baths. Luckily, mine is not one of them, but yours may hate it. About 3 times a week is fine. You clean the most important parts several times a day anyway.

Do you have any more advise on how to help moms and babies sleep through the night? Let us know! Leave a comment below!!

It's all about the Boobs. 'Bout the Boobs. And Bottles...

Because in reality, no matter how hard you try to feed only from the boob, the day will come when you will need a bottle. Whether it be pumped milk or formula, the day will come. And it will not be easy. Maybe your LO will take it from you, but no one else. Maybe you have to try 1, 2, or 10 different bottle before you find the "right" one, aka the one your BABY chooses, not you. I already covered a lot of things about breastfeeding, but that was just the beginning. And, I am sure there will be more in the future as I learn more myself. I am a first time mom (FTM) as well....

Some things I have not even touched base on yet are clogs and mastitis. I have only had a clog once. It took about a week of massaging and hot showers and pumping to get it out. It was not painful, but quite annoying. I could tell DD (Dear Daughter) was frustrated too with how little was coming out of that boob. I am lucky enough to not have had mastitis, but it has only been 3.5 months, so it is still early (knock on wood). I have read up on it and tried to find ways to avoid it, but it seems like there is no sure way to do that. I have even read up on how to reduce pain and engorgement from that and other breastfeeding related issues, but find that hot water, ice packs, massages and feeding/pumping often are the best things (and a prescription from your Dr. when necessary, esp when it comes to mastitis).

There are a lot of people on the internet (the WORST place for treatment) that claim cabbage leaves are great for breasts.  Here is my major issue with that.... it cannot do everything and is dangerous. What do I mean? Well, you will find a lot of pages about how it is great for breastfeeding moms when they are in pain or engorged. First, if you are in pain, please see a Dr. or LC (Lactation Consultant). It could be something as simple as nipple and breast tenderness that happens around your period or when you are ovulating (yes, that will happen), or it could be a sign of something serious, or that something may be wrong (latch, ties, etc). Second, if you are engorged, and not close to a feeding, than pumping would give relief as well as help you to build up a stash for that bottle I warned you will be needed. Third, there are also a lot of pages that tell you how it helps dry up your milk when you are weaning. If that is the case, that why would you EVER do it while breastfeeding???? That is extremely counterproductive. These people are completely contradicting each other. Finally, the most serious thing is that cabbage can cause Listeriosis. This is a SERIOUS infection that comes from eating contaminated foods and primarily affects pregnant woman and newborns because of their weakened immune systems. While you are not ingesting it, are you sure that after hours of them on and even after taking a shower, that all of the germs are off of you and dead before you go to feed your baby?? Maybe, but I would never want to take that risk!!

Back to those bottles. I needed them early on because of cracked, bleeding nipples (as I'm sure I have mentioned several times already). I repeat it because on top of my DD have a lip tie, NO ONE told me that your nipple has to be at the top part of your LO's mouth. Maybe you do not have to worry about this, Some nipples naturally point up. Lucky you. Mine don't. Apparently they point slightly down. Who would have ever thought? I sure didn't. Strangely enough, it was my best friend who pointed it out while I was struggling to get a latch my first week home. Two seconds later, I'm feeding without a problem. The reason I bring it up is because bottle are the same way. In order for your LO to get a good latch on a bottle, it has to be at the top of their mouth. You figure somewhere this would be taught, but no. The classes I took at my hospital before giving birth went over diapering, swaddling, and breathing, but not different was of feeding or how to put a baby to sleep (which will be my next post).

And now we are back to why I have a blog to begin with. I love my DD more than anything in this world. I call her Baby Girl, Peanut, Sweetie. But, I still call her my little brat as well. When she pinches my nipple when taking a break while feeding. When she pulls my hair, Covers me with puke. Pees on the changing table. Throws her paci (yes, takes it out of her mouth at 3 months and THROWS it). She may be my brat, but she is teaching me everything I need to know about taking care of her and more. She is teaching me how to be a mom. The best job in the world.

Breastfeeding, Easier Said Than Done.

Breastfeeding is easy. Right? I don't think that there is anything more untrue! I have already posted about our issues with a lip tie and how painful it was before that. But, it does not end there. There are so many moms who try to and can't for so many different reasons. I wish more moms knew about lip ties and that more hospitals and doctors checked for them, but that is only the tip of the breastfeeding iceberg. Some moms have to, or choose to, go the pumping route, but that is just as difficult, if not harder. Pumping does not empty as well or as quickly as a baby does, which makes it more time consuming. On top of cleaning parts, pumping on a schedule, making sure to get new parts when you need them and finding a place to pump (which can also be harder than finding a place to feed because you often need an outlet), you ALSO still have a LO to take care of.

But, back to breastfeeding and the things no one told me about it.

One thing that pumping has over feeding straight from the breast is that you know how much they are getting and how much you are producing. Several times my daughter has acted like she wants more. My boobs are soft, I can't hand express anything and I am sure they are empty. But, yet she is fussy and crying and luckily we keep around formula as a backup. I try to make sure we always have some pumped milk fresh or frozen and ready, but it is hard to find time to pump when she eats every 2-3 hours and I am exhausted by the time she goes to sleep (which luckily is through the night, but I go to sleep when she does, so I am NOT staying awake another hour to pump, lol). I also make sure to have oatmeal and Mothers Milk tea every day. When I pump, I get between 6-7 oz usually, less when I have my period (which yes, I already got back even though I was told I wouldn't if I breastfeed and she is only 3 months old). I am a "just-enougher". Not an over or under producer, but just enough to feed my baby what she needs. This is a good thing, but does make it hard to build up a "stash".

We try not to give formula, but sometimes it is necessary. One day, my LO just WOULD NOT latch! She screamed and cried every time I offered her the boob. She just did NOT want my milk. After 8 or more hours of not eating for more than a minute, Dad finally offered her a bottle. We were out of milk in the fridge, so formula was all we had. We started with 2 oz, which she chugged down in no time. At this point, I started to cry. I knew she was hungry, but why wouldn't she let me feed her? And she just cried most of the day. I was definitely producing, but she didn't want it. I got nervous that this may be the end of our BF journey. Was she done with it? Was it not enough. She drank between 5 and 6 oz in under 5 minutes. I left her with dad who finished feeding her and put her to bed. It was an emotional night. Luckily, the next morning she latched right back on and it was a normal day again. I still do not know what happened or why, but this is just part of the BF life that no one tells you. Not every day is easy, even if you are able to feed this way.

Oh, and do you want to also know what you NEVER hear about??? The fact that for many moms, BF has a laxative effect. The urge to poop while breastfeeding can be awful. Sometimes it comes on so quick, I have to stop and run to the bathroom mid feed. It is not easy, believe me, to wait for a baby to take a break and then get up quick while grabbing a baby, dropping a Boppy, finding something to put her in and drag it quickly near the bathroom door so you can get on the toilet before.... well, you get the idea. Sometimes I can wait until she's done, or it goes away completely after, but other times it is strong. And OMG, the itching!! Why does breastfeeding make you so itchy??? It is only while you are feeding and then it stops! Crazy, right?

Also, not all moms leak. I heard stories about moms leaking onto their clothes when they skipped or were late to a feeding, or even when they are out and hear another baby crying. I have heard stories of swollen and engorged boobs. I was told early on that you knew you were empty when they felt soft. Well, the truth is that this is not true for everyone. If my baby sleeps for more that 8 hours at night, I MAY wake up from or with hard rock boobs. Though, more often than not, they are still pretty soft. Maybe not as soft as when they are completely empty, but not hard. Sometimes they hurt a little, but not bad. I also VERY rarely leak. I was lucky enough to get a whole bunch of free pads from a mom on FB, but I may never need any more than that. I wear them all the time, just in case, and since my nipples sometimes stick to my shirt and not to the pads, but I don't really NEED them. I have only started leaking 3-4 times, and every time it was after a hot, long shower.

And another thing. Who are these people that say breastfeeding is cheaper? We all have heard that it is better for the baby, and that is reason enough to try everything you can to do it, but it is NOT cheaper. Well, I have not actually done the math and each baby is different and takes different amounts at different ages and stages, but even if it is, it is not by much. You have to factor in the costs of nursing/pumping bras, tank top and shirts. The cost of breast pads and pump parts, as well as pumping bottles, replacement parts, storage bags, and, if you so choose, a way to sterilize it all (I use the Avent microwave sterilizer and LOVE it). Then there are things to help you keep up or increase your supply. This includes everything from oatmeal and Gatorade to tea, cookies and even pills if you need them. And you may not be completely on top of your nutrition, so you must continue to take prenatals to make sure your LO is still getting all the vitamins and nutrients they need. Speaking of, you also need to buy Vitamin D drops because breastfeeding does not give your LO enough Vitamin D (I highly recommend Carlson Baby's Super Daily D3 drops. One drop on your boob before feeding once a day is 100% of the daily intake requirement). And, the most important thing.... nipple ointment. It does not matter if you are just starting out, or months or years into it. At some point you will need it. Usually it is more during the first few weeks, when your body is getting used to it. But even once your nipples adjust and stop cracking and bleeding, they can still dry out or become sore at any time. As your baby grows, they can go longer or cluster feed, which can do a number on your poor little nipples. I really love Motherlove Nipple Cream because it dries quickly, a small amount goes a long way, it helps them heal quickly and it doesn't smell bad. Also, Lanolin may not be safe for babies to ingest (it is still being tested and studied) so anything organic is a good idea.

What have you experienced? Did I miss anything? Leave a comment and help other Mama's with their journey....