My baby girl M was born on April 10th and the last month has gone by so fast. I have been meaning to document this exciting time in my life for quite some time now but have finally gotten around to it now. I would like to write more about the actual delivery and will do so in due time but here goes my experiences of being a first time mom reliving the first month of motherhood!
As many sources would tell you, the first month of a baby’s life has exactly 3 components – feeding, sleeping, pooping/peeing. It seems so simple when listed like that and you think how hard can this really be for an adult to do?? Trust me, it is really really difficult. How so?
Feeding – too little, too much? Can I get it right?
The first couple of days when I was at the hospital, I really did not have much milk at all which disappointed me to say the least since I felt that I was failing my girl as a mother. And M was losing weight the first day which all babies as a newborn but in her case she lost a little more than typical which was a cause for concern for both my husband K and me. So, the hospital recommended we use infant formula till my milk supply kicks in by day 4-5 and they suggested we use the SNS system to deliver it so that M thinks she is breast feeding while the milk was actually delivered by a tube connected to the formula. It seems like a good idea but I hated it. That damn tube was slipping all the time and the formula was dripping and we had to balance the formula on a pillow..suffice it to say I prayed to god that my milk supply starts soon! When I was discharged from the hospital, M was on formula. I also got a hospital grade pump to keep my breasts stimulated to kickstart milk production.
I spoke to my dear sister G and she suggested that I supplement my diet with garlic since it helps with milk supply. So, my mil went into overdrive and I had garlic in my breakfast with oatmeal, garlic in my lunch roasted in ghee, and garlic in my milk at night! And milk supply came in fast and before I knew it I was engorged and hurting. I was pumping like crazy to relieve the pain and prevent M from gagging every time she fed. And then I realized that pumping too much only exacerbates the problem since the body thinks we need all the milk and supplies just a little more. So, I slowed down my pumping to relieve the pain a little but not to drain all the milk. On this front, there are a few items that helped me quite a bit – the simplewireless bra for hands free pumping (really amazing product), the lamaze sleep bra for nursing, and the george o’malleys nursing cami.
The first 2 weeks went in my going from not enough to too much and constantly obsessing about my milk production. Finally, we eased off the garlic, stopped pumping incessantly, and reached a steady state this past week. There are still instances where I feel engorged but I feel like I have the hang of it. Now, on to the latch! My advise – work with a lactation consultant the 2nd week after delivery and get this right.
Sleeping
The first 2 weeks were so good since M slept in a crib in our bedroom without a problem and woke up regularly for feeding. But, in the 3rd week, something changed and she refused to sleep when left in the crib. Much against our wish, I had M sleep next to me in the bed and she slept well. But, we had a nagging concern given the danger of SIDS. Finally, the solution we are using now is having M sleep on the changing pad which is kept on my bed. We also elevated the pad so that her head is elevated since she seems to have a gas problem.
The docs sais she needs to sleep or 16 hours but one thing I have realized is that it is impossible to make her sleep when she does not want to..she gets 12 hours at least but some times we just do not get 16 hours and we have learned to live with that.
Pooping/peeing – is that green? yellow?
Never have I thought that I’d ever obsess about the color, consistency, amount, and smell of another person’s poop /pee. But I think about this constantly these days and google every small change. Since we cannot measure how much breastmilk babies get, poop and pee are the best indicators of whether the baby is eating enough.
In a nutshell, the first 2 weeks was literally a blur where I did not even know the date or time, was constantly sleepy but busy, was pretty excited with this new person in our lives. Weeks 3 and 4 seem to be “more” regular but we are far from having a sustainable schedule….so much more to share and will do so in due time!
epiphanu 