complaints/questions/brags
Posted: August 21, 2007 Filed under: Uncategorized 29 Comments »So, um, when exactly does the screaming nipple pain end?
I had planned to post today asking when people introduced pacifiers, because I am bound and determined not to become a human one and we were getting downright desperate. Then, of course, we went ahead and stuck one in him somewhere along the line of misery last night and I am really rather convinced this was a life-altering decision that may actually make us that little increment more sane. I didn’t know what else to do when he wanted to endlessly suck, and the boobs hurt so much and I know that he and the pump have taken all the milk and I just wanted to cry when I saw that mouth gaping at me. I can’t bounce or sway too much thanks to the c-section and anyway it seems like he can’t handle me doing anything but boob since he knows I am the boob person. Wes can bounce for an hour or so before he starts to look like he may actually fall over. Sometimes Beckett will tolerate the swing a little. And then what? What else was there to make him not cry when not sleeping (and he just doesn’t sleep for that long, our boy). Now there is sucking. Hallelujah. Sucking apparently makes all other activities acceptable, including the before-reviled diaper changes.
We went to the pediatrician and liked him because he told me I was being used. This is the type of thing that many crunchier breastfeeding moms do NOT enjoy hearing, as many feel that infants should be fed on demand no matter what. I personally need some structure as soon as possible so was hoping for ways to delay feedings just a tad if he demands to eat 10 minutes after I have fed him everything I have, for example. And the 90 minute feeding the other day seemed excessive to me, so I was happy to have someone agree with me. So we are dropper supplementing feedings that are too short or before we hope foolishly for a stretch of sleep. All breastmilk supplements at this point thanks to the pump.
Speaking of which, pumpers, that noise the Medela makes? That squeaky weird voice-like sound when you’re pumping? Do other people like to try to figure out what English words it sounds like? We have settled on "Died of boooooredom died of boooooredom died of boooooredom."
Anyway, the pediatrician was also nice and non-alarmist and not forcing us to worry yet about MORE supplementing, as my milk has so newly come in. Beck is now at 8lbs 1oz (9 oz down) and we go back for a weigh-in on Thursday. If he is gaining on track by then, we are good to go. If not, well, I am working on stockpiling some breastmilk if I can. And we’ll move on to bottles for them if we need to. He is definitely not dehydrated now and the jaundice is only above his chest at this point, which suggests it is getting better. So that was good.
And another thing – is it just sleepy laziness that makes him start to slide out of his latch about 10 minutes into a feeding? We latch (with screaming, of course) and things are OK after lots of deep breaths and curses. And then it suddenly starts to burn and I have to either get him off (can someone please give me a description of how to get him off the nipple with a little less agony?) or just try to bear it because I SO don’t want to do the take-off and latch again. I know. I am being foolish and making it worse by not perfecting the latch. But sometimes I am delirious. You know. So what’s that about and how do I keep him latched on better for a whole 20 minutes or so?
And another… what do you do with a baby who won’t sleep at night on his own for anything resembling a sane stretch? The last two nights we have only accomplished sleep of more than 2 hours by holding him while we sleep. Wes had him in bed and we got 4 hours. Last night I had him on my chest while I slept on the couch and got 2 hours. I am not entirely worried about it from a spoiling point of view (though we want to be wary on this because GMB didn’t get out of our bed until age 10 and we are traumatized by that) but I do worry from a SIDS angle. I know we should be sleeping with no pillows or blankets if he is with us but I totally can’t do that right now. Maybe the pacifier will help this issue and he will sleep in his basket. But I also know that sometimes we just sort of dissolve into sleep while holding him. And I worry. Is this a needless worry? What about if we take into consideration the final sentences of this post?
And finally – we have directions but could someone offer further guidance on getting him into the Kangaroo pouch carrier thing? Our first attempt was laughably bad. Melissa and laGiulia used this so we will eventually call and ask them, but thought it couldn’t hurt to stick it on here as well.
OK. The good stuff:
He has the most expressive arms. They are constantly moving when he is both awake and sleeping unswaddled. He appears to be conducting a complicated orchestral piece. Or performing illusions. Or sometimes counting to infinity.
He has a vaguely suspicious and grumpy face much of the time, which naturally pleases and amuses me to no end. He also frequently looks around sternly with one eye open and we call him Mad Eye Moody.
And finally…
He rolled over this morning. From stomach to back. Age 6 days. Thank you, thank you. His brilliance is absolutely overwhelming. And we are so, so screwed as far as mobility.
You can always try a nipple shield if it gets to be too much. Maybe nurse for a set time then put on the shield and nurse as long as he continues to need it. Bliss got nipple confusion in the hospital and needed a shield for a while. It can ease nursing if you get cracks also. Target sells them, they are a silicone shield that babies can nurse through. I also cannot encourage sunlight on breasts enough. I promise it gets better soon. You are doing a terrific job mom.
lol and Bliss rolled over the day after he came home from the hospital. Crazy huh?
First – Congratulations, he’s beautiful!!
Second – to get him off your nipple without the pain, you need to insert your finger, pinky, whatever in the corner of his mouth to break the suction. It will get better, i PROMISE. Now, he may be popping off 10min in, because the normal cycle when your milk comes in is something like this:
latch
shallow/fast suck to get let down
letdown all current milk in the boobies (his suck is deep and slow)
then the current milk is gone, and he has to switch back ot a shallow/fast suck to get a second let down. This is good, the second letdown is the higher fat hindmilk.
Repeat, etc.
so he’s popping off when he finishes the current milk, and getting pissed that he has to work harder to get a second let down. Its normal, he’ll learn. My best assvice on this is to nurse out of one side for at least 2 letdowns (pump the other if you are dripping), and then the next session do the other side.
third – i’m so happy for you that he took a paci. Mine would never take the damned thing, he only wanted boobies. It will make your life MUCH nicer, because the suck need is so strong.
fourth – the sleeping thing. i promise it will start to sort itself out soon. The first week is the WORST. For cosleeping, we never followed the rules regar4ding pillow/blanket. What we did was DH was on one side of the bed, i was sort of in the middle, and DS was on the outside, with my arm around him. literally, i was touching him all night. If his breathing shifted, i woke. This is bizarre because normally i sleep like the dead. anyway, The arm that was around him, that hand held the covers downaround his waist. when he wanted to nurse, i did sidelying nursing, and managed to sleep thru most of it. We got most of our best baby sleep from about 2weeks to 6 months – he totally didn’t cry, he kicked me when he needed something and because i was right there, it didn’t involve waking all the way up.
You’re doing great!!
I will give no assvice, but simply relay our experience with the overwhelming difficulty of having a newborn. The first two nights, the only place he would sleep was in his Boppy (gasp!) on the couch (double gasp!). I would “sleep” sitting up, leaning over him and startling myself awake every 20 minutes, until the marathon nursing session (first growth spurt happened REALLY early for us) between 1:00 AM and 4:00 AM. Bad scene. We transitioned to exclusive co-sleeping (with him swaddled) for the first 5 weeks. Then we began putting him in his Arms Reach co-sleeper, which we could never figure out how to hook to the bed so it was essentially a bassinet. He would sleep there for the first part of the night and then after first wake-up, we’d co-sleep until morning.
At this point, beautiful and brilliant Mr. Beckett may still be getting used to what the world is like on the outside. He probably doesn’t even know when it’s daytime and when it’s nighttime yet. He is very wise, though, because he knows you so well and knows you will give him what he needs.
You are doing a wonderful job negotiating the wild, unpredictable newborn seas – soon you will be able to chart them expertly. My nips stopped burning after about a week and a half (once the damn cracks scabbed over – yuck). Lansinoh was my breast friend, along with a great salve by Wise Ways called All-Heal Salve – completely safe for Beckett to ingest.
Finally some assvice that I might know what I am talking about. To get him off of your nipple without the searing pain you have to slide your pinky in between your nipple and his mouth. Try right in the corner of his mouth. That is where it was easiest for me. And since I am already blabbering I may as well ask if when you go to latch him on have you tried to get him to suck your pinky before you put him to your breast. Not as crazy as it sounds. Rub the rood of his mouth with the pad of your pinky. When he latches on to that try to pull your finger out of his mouth and poke your nipple in there before he freaks out. That was the single piece of advice I got on breast feeding in the hospital. From the OB I saw the last day I was there. I hope that helps you a little. Can’t help with the sleeping though. Mine didn’t sleep in his own bed until he was 18 months or so.
Paci: good.
Sleeping: go read your Moxie. WHATEVER WORKS for the first 4 months is her mantra. NO worries about spoiling. If he sleeps on your chest or Wes’s that’s lovely. No need to worry about blankets or pillows because your body will keep him away from them.
Pump noise: yes, people’s pumps say ALL kinds of things. Mine even spoke French sometimes (which is weird ’cause *I* don’t).
Sling: fold up his legs and tuck his butt into the pocket first, facing sideways. Then rotate him so he is chest to chest and snuggle him in so the pouch is snug. If the sling seems too big – it should be snug on YOU as well, tighten it (kangaroo slings have snaps, right?).
Don’t panic too much about the rolling (but do enjoy his brilliance!). He may do all kinds of advanced movement things in the first six weeks which may later fade away as his newborn reflexes and jerky motions disappear.
So glad to hear from you!
Oh, and the screaming nipple pain? It should be getting better soon, as you toughen up and he gets better at nursing. *DO* use Soothies or other gel pads as much as possible. Work on the latch as much as you can stand. Hang in there.
Everyone said what I was going to say about “unlatching.”
Re: burning horrible nipple pain. Do you have “comfort gel pads” for between nursings? I owe the fact that I did not rip my own boobs off to those things. Also, it seems to me that the pain lasted something more than a week, but less than two.
Also, DO NOT FRET if you feel like you just can’t nurse right now, your boobs need another (10, 20, 60?) minutes of quiet. Yes, Beckett will be hungry frequently. But he won’t starve waiting a little while, and if it makes you more sane, it benefits him too.
FWIW, during the first ~month, Noah maybe slept once/day not in a parent’s arms or on one of our chests. Maybe not even once/day that first week or two.
Re: the Paci — Noah never took to it. However, he was totally willing to suck on an adult finger instead of a nipple much of the time. This is not the most convenient comfort for a parent, but it worked! And it had the added benefit that he pretty much weaned from the constant sucking by 8 or 10 weeks, and we never did have to wean him from a paci, with all the attending drama some people have from that.
I am sorry about the sleep thing. I think you will probably be deprived and stressed and a little extra nuts because of that for at least 1-2 months.
Until they are oh, 3-5 months or so, you do WHATEVER WORKS in terms of getting them to sleep.
Have you tried the car seat? They like the sense of confinement, it’s more “womb-like” for them. Even Malka will still sleep better in her stroller when on the road. Th car seat SAVED our asses, when we finally said FUCK IT, let’s just get this kid some freaking SLEEP.
And therefore, us, too. We “sleep trained her” at 5 months old – ie: Narda did it, and I went and stayed over at Bobby’s.
But again – for NOW? Whatever works. Seriously. No one will remember it anyway, so go for it.
And no answers about nipple pain. Sorry!
Bri–dunno whether this’ll apply to you or not, but since our medical histories are similar in a lot of ways I thought I’d throw it out there: Raynaud’s. Do you have it, as far as you know? Do your nipples blanche white and burn after the baby pops off, or in response to his sucking? I have Raynaud’s in addition to Fibromyalgia and a host of other syndromes, and for me, the pain NEVER ended (my record for breastfeeding, with three kids, was three and a half agonizing months, and yes, I had many, MANY lactation consultants have a look at us during that time). I kind of debated whether to say anything, because I don’t want to discourage you in any way, but in the end it kind of made me feel like less of a failure in the sense that it wasn’t my “fault.” Except for when it made me feel like MORE of a failure because it was ALL my “fault.” I dunno. In the end, mine proved to be among the extraordinarily tiny minority of children who actually are allergic to breastmilk (well, not breastmilk so much as the protein molecule, even hydrolized into wee little peptide chains), and I cried for many different reasons when I found that out, foremost among them grief over loss of one more little bit of “normalcy,” JOY over not having to subject the baby and myself to the miserable latching/nursing anymore, and guilt over said joy. What my kids have is really, really rare and I am not saying Beckett is protein-allergic. Most likely he is not (although if you are allergic to Penicillin you might want to ask you ped. about this–for some reason the mothers of protein-allergic babies almost always are, and there also seems to be a mostly anecdotal correlation between autoimmune diseases and protein allergies in children of sufferers), but with your FM the Raynaud’s thing is a distinct possibility on your end. I forget what the LC said was supposed to help with the pain–I think I was supposed to put warm compresses on my boobs or something but it never helped all that much. At the very least, you are giving him an incredible gift by trying so hard to breastfeed, and as you well know, the first days of colostrum-y goodness are the most important. Hang in there–someday there will be more than the couch, and the screaming, and the miserable, sore nipples, and the sleep deprivation. Just not for…um…a little while. E-mail me anytime if you have questions about autoimmune diseases/FM and breastfeeding, because I am at heart a lactivist and have a whole shelf full of books in which to look things up (of course a professional’s advice is always best, but I’m usually up in the wee hours and might be able to find something for you that helps). You’re a great mom; everyone falls apart at this point and I think you’re actually holding up magnificently!
When I began breast feeding, I truly could not imagine doing it w/o pain. but, here we are 9 months later and I think it’s the greatest thing. It took me a few weeks. My girl had a bad latch, i got an infected sore, i thought people were crazy for ever bfing, but it got so much better and now is actually a pleasant experience. The gels help, but time just helps too — he’ll get bigger and better at it. Hang in there — you’re doing great!
I second (and third) everyone’s advice about using your finger to break the suction.
I was very lazy about getting the latch right. I didn’t want to keep putting them on and taking them off the boob hoping they finally got it right. I started checking out the placement of their bottom lip. If it wasn’t flanged out properly I’d use my finger and adjust it while they were latched on. Once I started doing that the pain got much more manageable.
I also subscribe to “whatever works” parenting. Both my kids slept on my chest for the first few weeks. They seemed to prefer being on their tummies and I finally was able to get some sleep lounging on the sofa.
Keep up the great work.
I have very little to add, as you have very wise readers, but I do have one thing. Is the burning from the poor latch or could it be another let-down happening? I would describe letdown as sort of feeling like your boob is being electrically shocked, but I’ve read lots of other descriptions. It only last a second and then suddenly the wee one is much more interested again.
As far as the two hour sleep stretches are concerned – since I know nothing about breastfeeding except that this post made my tits hurt in sympathy with you all – I believe that’s Normal for a Newborn. Their tummies are too tiny to eat enough to sleep for longer stretches. It’s also why Newborns are Nervewracking.
Would love to see more pictures of his cuteness when you’ve got the time…
I’ve been doing research for us about doulas in the area, and they have post-partum services where they come help you with stuff. If you’re interested shoot me an email, I can give you phone numbers, prices, etc.
No advice, just wanted to say that I’m here, he’s beautiful and I’m so very very happy for all of you.
I didnt read any of the above post so I dont know if any of you said this but FROM EXPERIENCE I say this
1.Having the baby sleep with you now might spoil him because it spoiled my Angie and she slept with us until she was three. Once asleep we transfered her to her bed but it was such a hassle!
2. Just as every pregnancy is different, every child is different and so Beckett might not get spoiled by it at all and eventually sleep without the
support of his parents arms.
3. They sell these thingamajiggys that mimic moms heartbeat, and it’s warm, It’s like a pillow and you put the baby on it and they are fooled into thinking they are on mommy’s chest (of course they will think that mommy is made of fleece but that can be fixed later:))
4. Dont listen to me because I’m no expert!!
5. You’re doing great let you maternal instincts guide you and you’ll be fine
P.S. Dont let others try to scare you about how you raise your child
Luv ya!
can’t add much but I would peruse http://www.slingsinthecity.com and http://www.thebabywearer.com for how to videos, reviews websites and the former may even have local moms for phone or in person assistance. Warning: they are on the crunchy side so I would avoid any talk on formula, vaccine schedules, the public school system, how much you love steak, etc. Just kidding!
I heard there was a yahoo group on mothers who were colely pumping, PumpMoms.
Just had a babe 2 1/2 months ago. IT IS NOT EASY!
I tried the breastfeeding thing and gave up, formula(I know people will shriek and not want to hear this ) did wonders for our little one. First time we gave her formaula, she slept for four hours straight, in HER crib! I think she was just so damn hungry!
AS for advice….well, I hated it when people gave me advice, so I will not give anymore. Best of luck to you both!
Liz
Okay, here goes my assvice again! The latch pain becomes better when the nipples completly heal. The moister you can keep them the faster they heal. Also when your engorgment settles down the latch gets easier,a nd the pain gets easier. The pain your experience after a few minutes is probably because he si sliding down the nipple and then he just has the end and that hurts like a MF! So as much as it sucks, take him off and put him back on correctly, otherwise he does more damage to the nipple and he doesn’t get a decent feed either as he will not get much milk sucking just the tip of the nipple. So as soon as you feel a difference in his suck, or pain in the nipple after latch, take him off and relatch him.
To take him off use your pinky to break his suction by slipping it between your boob and the corner of his mouth, this will make the suction break and no pain taking him off the nipple. Shame on the LC if tehy did not show you this.
As far as co-sleeping goes, we have done it here for 2 yeras now. It was a saving grace when he was little. Not having to get up to feed him, and him not waking up all the way before we heard him rousing and being able to get him started feeding before he started screaming let us all get more rest. Plus when he slept with us he slept 10 times better than alone, also he slept longer, so we got more rest which made the days so much easier. If you are comforatable with him in the bed, keep him there. Also once you manage to learn to nurse laying down you will be able to start him and fall back asleep and he will wake you up if he needs more from the other side, and then he will drift off all on his own and everyone gets more sleep. We made sure that the blankets were under him, never worried about the pillows and when he was really tiny kept him in the crook of our arm or sleeping in the boppy between us. It worked for us, but this is an issue that you and Wes have to agree on. Really it comes down to getting adequate rest now, adn possibly having a few sleepless nights later when transitioning to sleeping on his own, or making that be the case now. I wish you the best of luck in whatever you decide.
As far as the binky goes, if it gives you rest, use it. Try the ones that resemble a nipple (the long and skinny ones) if you are worried about nipple confusion. Also do not beat yourself up if you have to supplement, it happens, it’s not the end of the world, and if it make life easier go with it. They say a baby only need 4 ounces of breastmilk a day to recieve all the benefits of breastmilk, so don’t beat yourself up over a little formula.
So Bri you are doing wonderfully, hang in there life will get easier. Do what ever works and remember your a good mom and you know what works best for your baby, no matter what assvice the rest of us offer.
I didn’t read all the other comments, so forgive me if I repeat things.
First of all, holy FUCK about the rolling over. Damn overachievers. (KIDDING. I kid!)
As for the sleeping at night, it won’t likely happen for a few more (6?) weeks. One night when Mia was around 2 weeks old, I went to bed for the first time at 6 a.m. It takes them time to figure the night thing out.
And as for holding him and sleeping…our county provides for free a nurse to come to new moms’ residences for the first 6 weeks. The first time the nurse came to our house, her first question was, “Are you sleeping?” We snorted. The baby sighed peacefully in her sleep, since it was broad daylight and all. She said to sleep as much as possible any way possible, even if that meant sitting in the rocker or recliner or lying on the couch with the baby asleep on us. So don’t worry about a) spoiling, or b) him getting too used to your bed. I did worry about having her in our bed and often woke with a start because I’d let myself go too deeply into sleep. She was always fine, though, and even now is a burrower when she sleeps. We did end up buying a little bed that went into our bed, like a portable co-sleeper. It’s all mesh and sturdy plastic sides, and it gave me a great deal of peace of mind. I bought it at Target.
Hang tough–you’re doing great, and it does get so much easier by the week. But then, my kid didn’t roll over until she was 4 months old, so…
I am sure I am repeating but I stopped skimming halfway down the comments.
1) Yes, break latch with finger. Note: babies don’t like this but they don’t have teeth so oh well.
2) Pacifier – we used it early. The only thing I will say about delayed nursing is not to go too long. They need to eat because breastmilk is so quickly digested. Our strategy was to use it in the car and then Beth would walk with her while I prepped. The crying got my milk going and made it a bit easier for her.
3) Keeping the babe awake – the LCs swear peds are wrong about babies only needing one side early on. Mine said to get H naked to the diaper. Make sure he is actively sucking. Pop him off when he isn’t and re-latch if it’s been less than 15 minutes. *OR* you can do what mine called switch feeding and go 5 mins back and forth – I didn’t enjoy this because it took me some time and pillows to get set up. But we put damp cloths on Hannah and tickled her feet to keep her awake.
4) sleep (for you) – I would doze while nursing Hannah and anytime I could. What I’d try to do was not to delay feedings during the day so it was every 2 hours, though I hated the 45 mins on, 15 off, thing. And then 3-4 over night. To get that extra 10 mins Beth was in charge of getting the baby, changing the baby and making her awake enough to feed. In the middle of the night I did my best with latch but all that other crap I didn’t worry about. I let her stay on me as long as she wanted because I could doze!!!
Finally – it gets better around 6 weeks which seems like an eternity but it passes so quickly. Once H & I got the latch and active sucking down it was much much easier.
Can I come visit soon and give you a little sling primer?
You WILL survive.
The nursing will get easier, and you will love it, or it won’t, and you will choose to deal with it or stop. But, really, another week or two and it should be much easier.
Stick a vibrator in your modern, non-vibrating infant seat. Or stick the seat on top of the washing machine like our parents used to do.
And exploit the binky for all it’s worth.
oh, and R just rolled over for the first time this week too! (OK, four months later….)
Our boys took pacifiers and then just eventually stopped. It was very helpful for a while. Sorry about the burning nipples – ouch. Hope it gets better soon!!! Rolling from stomach to back, eh? Pretty good there. P&P did it at about one month, but if you figure that they were six weeks early, they did it at minus two weeks of age. But 6 days isn’t bad either. Heh. (I can only get away with obnoxious joking here because my boys have been “behind” on every developmental thing since. Cute but simple, just like their daddy…) Sorry I haven’t been by. A new bug has now invaded our home,as if the one wasn’t enough. But I think of you every day and resist the urge to call a lot and ask you many questions about life with Beckett. Can’t wait till we are able to see him. Love to you all!
Get sleep any way you can, which means get the kid to sleep any way you can. But BE CAREFUL with the baby on you on the bed… especially after a couple of weeks when he starts moving around a little bit more. That’s when our daughter fell off Jen and off the bed and onto the floor, and NO ONE should ever have to go through that, it was awful. So just be careful. August still prefers to sleep on a person rather than her bed. I think her bed is just a lot colder than a person, you know?
Hang in there. We’re at seven weeks and it’s still hard, and even though she’s primarily formula fed, she still rarely goes more than 4 hours in between feedings unless she’s gotten herself really worked up and exhausted from screaming for several hours.
You are doing a good job.
I have big worries about SIDS. In the hospital, the day after the birth, the nurse tried to get me to sleep with Little Miss tucked in my arm, and I refused. We used to put Little Miss in between us for a few hours in the morning, and I had the blanket down around my waist. These days, at the ripe age of 6.5 months, she refuses to sleep in our bed. K would sometimes sleep with her on her chest in the recliner for an hour or so early in the morning, which completely freaked me out and is not recommended, but there you go.
Little Miss was a big fan of cluster feeding, and not a fan of sleeping longer than 20 minutes during the day. We started using the pacifier around a month. It is a Good Thing.
I second the recommendation of Soothies. Also, lanolin. Also, our doula came over a few days after the birth and helped to fix some latch problems, which helped immensely.
I have the Ameda pump, and it says, “Group hug. Group hug. Group hug.”
I have the Advent Isis pump, and when I manage to get it to go at the speed I like (it’s supposed to be some automatic thing), it goes ‘You’re a FREAK you’re a FREAK.’
Ironically, I’m typing one-handed as Ender nurses.
Co-sleeping: Pros and cons. The big pro is more sleep for you. You can nurse him on your side without waking fully and sleep while he eats. Also, he imitates your asleep breathing so it helps him learn to regulate his own breathing. Once the nipple pain passes, and he decides he’d like to suck for 4 hours, he can do this while you sleep. If anything is awry with him, you’ll wake up instantly. Plus, it’s nice for daytime naps– Ender wouldn’t take proper naps till about 5 mos, but we’d both get a nice little sleep if we went to bed together– again, I think he was imitating me, and sometimes I could wake up before him and sneak away, and (gasp!) eat something and throw in a load of laundry before he cottoned on to the fact I was gone.
2 handed typing now.
Ender is 6 mos now and I’m starting to see cons. Sleeping on my side with my arm crooked around him every night is doing my back in, and it’s not exactly comfortable but I don’t like sleeping other ways as I’m likely to bump his face with an arm or roll over on a leg or something. Some nights he wakes up a million times going ‘Unnggh’ with that bird mouth wanting to suck (he can now grab my boob with both hands and tug at my shirt too, and if I wasn’t careful to stash the nipple after the previous feeding it can get crushed in a baby Death Grip), so I get him latched and he sucks about 5 times, goes back to sleep, then repeats the procedure 20 minutes later. It’s the 24 hour Open Milk Buffet. Also he often wakes up very early and decides it’s Super Happy Baby Party Fun Time, with all the punchy flailing arms and kicks that are surprisingly strong. I can point his legs away from me, or even push him to the other side of the bed, but apparently kicking is only fun when it’s on Mommy, because within minutes he’s somehow wriggled his way to right back next to me. But the biggest con is, how will this end? He WON’T sleep in his own bed at night– maybe a few hours, but when he wakes for a feed, there’s no getting him back in there. I try to feed him sitting up, planning to return him to his bed, then fall asleep with my neck all crunched, and as soon as he hits his own bed he wakes up and is hungry again.
The mixed pro-con is that my husband has been in the guest bed most of this time. He’s a violent and deep sleeper, and we don’t trust him next to the baby. So, not super for married people. On the other hand, I secretly wonder which is worse– a sucky, kicky, flailing baby and baby punches to the nose, or man punches to the nose and *loud* snoring?
I’m behind on reading stuff but wanted to reassure you that early rolling doesn’t mean much in the long run. Eva (my first) rolled before a week, but crawled and walked late. And here we are, about to turn nine, and you can’t tell the difference between her and the kids who rolled later, walked earlier, whatever. It’s entertaining at the time, and fun to see people’s reactions when you tell them, and you need to be careful (a neighbor let her roll off of her lap down a flight of stairs bc I forgot to warn her that she already rolled, dumb dumb dumb!) but in the long run, it’s meaningless.
Do you have any close friends who will take the baby for a few hours and let him nurse so you can get a nap?
I can’t remeber seeing this, but have you been to an IBCLC about the pain? It usually shouldn’t hurt so much…
Be careful of the nipple shields — I know a few people whose babies would *only* nurse with them on. Also, they block some of the stimulation, so you can lose some of your supply while using them.
If you want me to come to Bklyn and see if I can help you out with your sling, just let LO and CO know.
There was something else… if/when I remember, I’ll come back