Monthly Archives: June 2010

Weight Gain in Babe 2

So Sue was born 15 1/2 months after Caitlyn.  By this time Caitlyn was doing much better in her weight gain and development.

So I guess it must have been time for round 2 of why gain weight…

Sue, from the very beginning, decided not to gain.  She lost her entire 10% plus a bit, and then thought gaining an ounce about every 3+ days was a good idea.  Mind you, the experts like to see babies gain on average an ounce a day.

Praise the Lord we had our wonderful doctor.  She understood my little girl.  And decided we could just watch her.  Sue thought it would be fun to spit up a lot.  She would eat and spit it up.  She was a happy spitter…she did not seem to be in any pain…the only pain was having to change her clothes, and mine,. all the time.

The doctor and I just watched it.  And watched it as Sue very consistently gained slowly in the under the 3rd percentile.  Then she started gaining even less.  At 10 months the doctor decided it was time to treat the reflux.  I hated it, but my doctor had continued to earn my trust by taking things very slowly.

She had not jumped to formula supplements.  She knew breastmilk was the best thing for Sue.  While babies on average take in less fluid ounces than a formula fed baby, the breastmilk can be more completely used by the baby–giving more caloric bang for her eating buck.

She had also not forced early solids.  To the contrary, we had actually backed off Sue’s amount of solids to make sure she was taking in as much breastmilk as possible…you know that caloric bang for her eating buck.

We did some lacto-engineering.  I pumped after she would nurse to increase the hindmilk, the fattier milk with more calories.  We even did a little bit of playing with her pumped bottles.  I would take 2 after they cooled, skim the heavier milk off from both and combine it in one bottle.  Did it help?  Hard to tell, but some combination did, Sue went back to her 3rd percentile weight gain.

Shortly after she turned a year, she started gaining a bit more for a few months.

Right after she turned two, we finally got decently on the chart.  That lasted a few months, then she got a stomach virus and lost a pound in 3 days.  But we got that back on.

The child eats, a lot.  Half the time she out eats her older sister.  So do we know why she gains slowly, no.  Maybe she is just lucky and has a fast metabolism.  Maybe she will catch up later.  We don’t know, but we do know she is healthy and developmentally does fantastic. 

I am so thankful for a doctor who watched the situation, intervened when absolutely necessary, and let my daughter be herself, in personality and growth.

Again, none of this is meant to be medical advice at all.  Nope. It is just our experience with little kids and a great doctor.  For her patience and trust we are very thankful.

Weight Gain in my First Babe

Recently I have had a couple friends dealing with slow gaining babies where doctors are wanting to do lots of tests, interventions, etc.  I have had two experiences with slow gaining babies.  I thought I would share one of my experiences today (I’ll get to Sue’s another day).  Please know I do not mean for this to be any type of medical advice and I absolutely know there are times that require intervention.  I am only speaking from my experience.

Caitlyn was 6 lbs 8 ounces at birth.  She gained the 1 ounce per day the doctors like to see from the beginning.  It was amazing to see how fast she grew.  Then at 6-7 months, she stopped expressing hunger.  It was weird.  I would realize, from looking at the clock, she had not eaten in 5 hours and she was happily playing and doing her thing. So I started to watch the clock a little more closely, but we kept nursing and introducing solids.

Then I took her for her 9 month check up with a new pediatrician.  The pediatrician freaked out.  I mean freaked.  Caitlyn had only gained about 5 ounces since her records showed at her 6 month appointment.  The woman told me to wean her immediately and give her whole milk (yeah, at 9 months) and that if Caitlyn did not like the cow’s milk, to put strawberry or chocolate syrup in it.

I was in shock.  Really.  I asked the doctor questions about how you wean a baby but not much about her idea of cow milk…

Then as I drove home I started to freak out and cry.  What was wrong with my baby?  How desperate was our situation if I was being told to bribe her with chocolate milk at 9 months old????  I cried for days.  I just could not bear to wean her.

By this point I was pregnant with Sue and had a midwife appointment just a few days after the doctor appointment.  So, I took Caitlyn with me.  I held her up to my midwife and sobbed out my story.  How the doctor wanted me to put her on cow milk with chocolate syrup and wanted her assessed for developmental delays.

My midwife, you know the one I adore, said, “she looks healthy to me.  Here is the name of my family doctor, call her and tell her I sent you.”  I called the next day…try as I could to not cry on the phone, I fell apart.  We had an appointment the next day.

This doctor, who I have grown to adore as much as my midwife, looked at my daughter, and said, “yes, her lack of growth is concerning, but no, we are not going to try cow’s milk, nor are we going to put chocolate syrup in anything.  And she does not have to be weaned.” 

She looked at our entire situation, talked to me about nursing and pumping, and we sorted out I was having low milk supply due to the change in hormones caused by my pregnancy.  Not all women see a milk drop, I did.  So we did add formula, but only after nursing.  Caitlyn and I kept going 2 more months before she weaned herself.  And we were both satisfied with the outcome.  We had made the choice that was best for us.  This time around, due to her young age, and our bonus pregnancy, formula was part of the answer.  But it did not have to be traumatic as an immediate weaning would have been.

Did I like the formula route, heck no.  Is that always the answer, definitely not, as my story with Sue will show…

What were the main lessons I took from this?  It is absolutely necessary to have a doctor you trust.  One that resonates with you.  Who trusts your intuition.  Who knows how to communicate with you so when something is needed, you understand why and are willing to walk that way.

And that is what I stress to mama’s when I share my story, to make sure you trust your doctor.  That their philosophy does not always include formula as an intervention.  That respects the personality of the mother and the child.  It truly makes all the difference, whether you end up needing to intervene with a health situation or you find a solution that does not require intervention.

When have you had to trust your intuition?  Have you had to change doctors because you knew something just wasn’t right?

Random Baby 3 Thoughts

I had my 32 week appointment yesterday.  I just wanted to hear baby was head down and positioned well.  Praise the Lord, that is exactly what I heard.  Then I forgot to mention I was getting the pregnancy itchies.  Why remember to ask your questions while there…oh yeah, because a few hours later the itching will be so bad you truly can not function at work.  I was debating whether to e-mail my midwife or just tough it out…and her office called to give me test results from the thyroid test and I was able to ask!!  And the answer was yes, I could use benadryl cream.  Thank you Lord for that perfectly timed phone call!!!!

Then while I am at the store, wondering what else I can do, my midwife e-mails me and tells me I can also take benadryl tablets and to let her know if I don’t get relief.  I once again was praising the Lord for her timing.  And for the blessing she is to me.

The benadryl tablets help a little bit…not completely but I can function.  Except for being so sleepy, but honestly that is better than being so itchy.  You are probably thinking it is my growing belly that is itching, nope, everywhere but my belly.  I had this with Caitlyn.  I remember laying in bed in tears because I itched so bad.  I never thought to ask if there was something more than lotion I could try.

This baby is very, very active.  Sometimes to the point of pleasant discomfort.  Owie from the force of it, but it brings so much joy to see him or her movin’ and groovin’.  And a joy I never had with the girls, I can SEE the baby moving my belly.  I don’t just feel the kicks, I see them.  And can even tell sometimes that it is a foot.  That is soooo cool and such a gift from the Lord. 

Thank you Lord for babies and for just added gifts.  I often whine about parts of pregnancy, but then you give the gift of movement from my little one.  Thank you!!!!

New month Not Me Monday

Mckmama- Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I was not, at first, really jealous that hubby had last Friday off and got to take the girls to the beach while I had to work.  No, I know I get more time with them, so I would not begrudge him the time he gets.  I did not then change my mind and hope they were all still at the beach when I finally got home so I could just take a nap. (I did not get my wish, they were home, no nap for me).

We then did not spend all weekend working on various projects because I decided to start nesting.  No, I would never keep reminding hubby of all we had to do in the 2 months before baby comes.  I  know we need a break and rest and time as a family.

I am not making myself crazy with the nesting.  No, I know we will get done what needs to be done.  Oh wait, I am not still freaking out at how much there is to be done.  I am not worried about getting the girls bunkbeds built (hubby’s project) and getting the wallpaper border up and window valances made.  No, I know we will get it all done…

What did you not do over the holiday weekend?