Monday, December 3, 2012

Almost 6 weeks update on Magpie


Time keeps passing so quickly - the day a constant whir of feeding and burping and pumping and soothing - all as it should be, but not leaving much time to even think about posting. I will try to get in at least little posts rather than have so much time pass.

So, to begin with: Ms. Magpie. She is delicious. She will be six weeks old on Tuesday at 11:39pm. Hard to believe. She is making lots of eye contact now and debuted her social smile last week, becoming more and more practiced at it as the days go by. We don't have any pictures of her smiling yet, but I'll post one as soon as we capture one. She is also starting to track objects. Just this morning she looked at a toy overhead and both followed it with her eyes and turned her head toward it. I know, I'm the mom, so I'm biased, but I was very impressed!





So far, Magpie is a petite girl. We have had significant feeding issues since her birth that merit their own multiple posts, but basically, she still is not able to get much milk directly from the breast, although she enjoys hanging out there (which I appreciate!). She also was not able to suck sufficiently to get enough milk from the supplemental nursing system that was introduced to us by lactation consultants (a tube that I tape to my breast so she can nurse and get additional milk at the same time). She would try and then would fall asleep. I would wake her and we would try to continue...the whole thing would take over an hour. She was exhausted; I was exhausted. And for a few weeks there, she was not gaining much weight.

Finally, the pediatrician called a halt to the madness (I think she was sick of seeing us week after week). And then, based on the ped's call, the lactation consultant we've been working with recommended we try the Haberman bottle. It's a bottle made for babies with significant feeding issues. And it still requires her to suck to get the milk...but she is able to drink it successfully now. We've also made the amount she has to drink smaller (60 ml) and are giving it to her more often (every 2 hours during her 16 hour "day"; then 2 feeds 4 hours apart overnight). This seems to be working. It takes her about 45 minutes to drink the 60 ml, but she can do it. And for the first time, she gained what the pediatrician says is acceptable.

So at a day shy of 6 weeks, Little Miss Petite now weighs 8 pounds 15 ounces...up from her birth weight of 8.1 pounds.


It's hard to say what her temperament will be like because she's so little, but so far she seems to be a very easygoing and mellow little girl. She doesn't cry very much (hopefully I'm not cursing myself by writing that!). She loooovvveeeesss to sleep, especially when it's time to eat (the doctor thinks this is partly because eating is so exhausting for her). She also loves to look around and take in everything around her. She likes tummy time, she loves to nurse (even if it is just for comfort), and she loves to look into people's eyes. She hasn't really noticed Moxie yet...still waiting for that to happen!

Mo

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29 comments:

  1. She likes tummy time? You have the most amazing baby!

    Sorry to hear about all the feeding issues... that's just incredibly depressing whatever the resolution. Glad she's finally gaining though, and that she's mellow. The fussy peak is generally around six weeks, so hopefully if she's not crying much now, she'll stay laid back!

    And she is just gorgeous! Congrats again!

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  2. So lovely! So glad you've found a fix that works for both of you--I can't even imagine the frustration that must have caused when she wasn't properly gaining!

    Can't wait to see you & meet her one of these days. She's absolutely beautiful!

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  3. She is so beautiful! I hope the feeding becomes less stressful all around very soon. So very, very happy for you!

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  4. What a cutie!

    Glad you've found a bottle and feeding system that works.

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  5. Oh she's SO beautiful, I'm melting over here! I'm so happy for you and Will. And I'm glad you've found a solution for feeding. Nothing seems to be more frustrating than feeding in those early weeks.

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  6. She is beautiful! Gorgeous....and she likes tummy time! That's awesome...my kid is almost a year old and just now has decided tummy time is OK....she sleeps that way now, freaks me out!

    So glad you found something that works for both of you. Here's to her weight gain and hopefully things continue in a positive direction for you all...definitely miss your posts, but with a newborn, yeah, not always easy to get those posts out!

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  7. I look forward to your posts. So glad to hear baby and Mommy is well. She is just adorable!!! Yummy fits her perfectly! Words can not express the joy I have in my heart when I am reading your posts. Good job Mommy and Daddy. A long time coming but you both are just amazing!
    Erica

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  8. Was thinking about you guys just this weekend. Glad to see an update (with pictures!) and know that things are coming along. It sounds like you are finding your way. New motherhood isn't easy, especially the 4th trimester as you try to work through the needs of your particular baby.

    I also wonder how YOU are coming along? How have you and Will adjusted to the sleep deprivation? How are you feeling in light of your hormonal changes? How does motherhood feel in comparison to how you thought it would? In relation to your struggle to get here? My inquiring mind wants to know but can wait until the mood strikes you.

    Looking forward to your future posts.

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  9. Good heavens, Mo, she is absolutely perfect. Seeing her face - quite literally - has me in tears. I'm so happy for you and reading a post from you on A TAKE HOME BABY! has me just beside myself. I'm thrilled for you. She's lovely.

    I'm sorry that she's had so many feeding issues, but good for you for persisting with breastmilk. I hope that she continues to gain weight and grow and be healthy!

    (And selfishly, I would love the more frequent little posts, even if they're just a picture. Blogger lets you email a post to yourself that is instantly published, soooo you could post pictures :) or join instagram! Magpie's adoring public loves pictures!)

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  10. hot damn! so great to see you as a mama!!! WHOOP WHOOP!!! Keep up the good work, it gets so much easier (we are in 14th week, he's smiling and just a huge turkey!) XOXOOX

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  11. beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful

    wow Mo, just
    wow.

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  12. She is indeed delicious! Sorry to hear that feeding has been such a struggle...

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  13. Thanks for the update. Can't believe she is 6 weeks already. She is adorable. Sorry that feeding isn't going well, but glad all else is!

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  14. She is so beautiful.

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  15. So beautiful! And some breastmilk is better than none so keep at it if you're both willing! Either way, shes perfect!

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  16. Love the update! I can't believe it's been 6 weeks already.

    I'm glad things are starting to look up with Magpie's feeding. Sorry the two of you have been having such a time of it.

    Miss A began to really notice our dogs around 6 or 7 months. She's just started to notice the cats around 8 months - I'm thinking maybe because they're smaller? But she loves the dogs. With one of them in particular, she giggles and giggles whenever she looks at him. It's so funny - it makes us totally laugh too.

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  17. I would just like to compliment you on how calm you seem to be under the stress of feeding. I think I would be a mess -- much kudos to you for being so easy going about it! I wish you could bottle that up and send it to me!

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  18. She is so beautiful! So much baby cuteness, agh! I hope the mellowness and lack of crying continue, and that she continues to do well with her new bottle.

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  19. She is just lovely. What a sweet little girl.

    Smudgie didn't really notice Bella until he was 6 months. Now he lives for "petting" her, which resembles whacking her in the face, poor dog. At least his dropped table food makes up for it.

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  20. I also have a non food-addict child... She is still very slender and just isn´t that interested in food... She eats only the bare amount needed, knows when she is full.

    Next time I round I won´t worry so much or let the pediatrician make me worry... a weight gain is a weight gain.. no matter how small it is, and if the baby is happy, healthy and meeting all developmental milestones (peeing+pooping regularly)... all is well...

    acceptable weight gain is different for each child...

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  21. should maybe mention that my non-food loving child is 2 years old... and healthy... happy, and ahead in many ways (speaks constantly, does puzzles for 3+ year olds, jumps, swims and all sorts of things)..

    just relax and let her control her food intake.... (if she is pooping and peeing and everything else is fine, sleeps ok and is happy)

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  22. Finding a bottle that a baby likes takes a while, it's great that you've found something that's working. Also, great news about the tummy time. Little ones tend not to like that so much early on.

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  23. Your baby is soooooo beautiful! And I am so glad you are continuing to blog even though you now have your little one...really enjoying reading about your adventures with Magpie!

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  24. i commented before,
    but i just scrolled down at her pics, and the one of you and her... thinking back to what you have been thru, i am just so happy for you! look at that baby! what a cause for celebration. she is *something else*.

    you guys must be over the moon. so happy for you, mo! thanks so much for sharing pics...

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