Email trouble

Monday, Mar 17, 2008

13 Comments

1. Yep, I wrote you, but it was just a quickie and I didn’t expect a response.

   Comment by Rocks In My Dryer (March 17, 2008 @ 10:00 am )

2. I got it if it was about the QF thing. Now, if it was about something stuck in my teeth, please resend it!

   Comment by Amy Scott (March 17, 2008 @ 12:32 pm )

3. Hi! I emailed you a question about how you deal with sleepless babies - since you mentioned in passing that yours don’t sleep. I’m on number two (neither slept as little ones. The current babe is almost 4 months). Finally have down a workable nap sked but I’m still hauling her into bed with me at 3 am because she’s up at night so much. I did the baby whisperer with this one - and it totally helped with some aspects, but I still cheat and let her nurse to sleep sometimes. And I rock and bounce her to sleep as well. There is NO WAY she’d just lay down and drift off. Just wondering what you do. And on a different topic, wondered what you will do about the general election since your man dropped out. Thanks - love your blog!

   Comment by Katie (March 17, 2008 @ 7:30 pm )

4. Katie,

   Frankly, I’ve just given in to doing whatever works. I used to be hyper and over-freaked about getting my babies to sleep and trying to force them into correct timeframes of doing whatever milestone they were supposed to do. I’m much more relaxed now with the baby stage. I realized that I liked rocking them to sleep and that that was OK. If you don’t enjoy that, then you should gently nudge them the other way. (I’m more of a proponant of nudging instead of forcing.) I am comfortable in my own skin and in my mothering now, and I think that relaxed moms make relaxed babies. That is to say, each mom has her own style and particular family dynamics.

   My thing (like you) is that I hate getting up for frequent feedings. I can’t function the next day, yada, yada, yada. With our #6, I have been feeding her about every 3 hours during the day (sometimes more) even though she is four-months-old and should technically be going longer. These cluster feeds have helped her tank up during the day so that she is sleeping through finally. Praise. The. Lord.

   As far as the general election goes, I’ve been telling everyone that I’m going to write in “my man” [Ron Paul for those of you who've been asleep] but I reserve the right to change my mind. I don’t know.

   Comment by Amy Scott (March 18, 2008 @ 8:47 pm )

5. I should add that all my babies have terrible reflux so smaller feedings at more frequent intervals are helpful. They still spit up huge amounts all day long but it does seem to help.

   Comment by Amy Scott (March 18, 2008 @ 8:49 pm )

6. Amy, I have mentioned this before about a year ago. Consider getting her some Zantac-if I remember right it was about 1/2 tsp once or twice a day. We also pumped breastmilk and used Dr. Brown’s bottles. They really cut down on sucking in air–even breastfed babies do that. It worked miracles for our son. Within two days he smiled and cooed for the first time. Made my heart melt. The little one was in such agony even from when we were in the hospital for his birth. I’m sure you are ready to try anything at this point. It may really help. You and she will be in my prayers.

   Comment by Another Heather (March 18, 2008 @ 9:37 pm )

7. Thanks for your response, Amy. I’m with you - whatever works. I don’t particularly LIKE bouncing, rocking, nursing to sleep. But it works. Actually nursing to sleep is good for me because I have this awesome bookholder and I read while she nurses. I just finished 490 pages of Jonathan Edwards sermons in less than 3 weeks. Anyway, my babe doesn’t just wake up several times a night. I’d be so happy if she just woke up a few times. She generally wakes up 6 or 7 times (five min asleep then wakeup) after the 10 pm feed (the first wakeup is usually a burp, so that doesn’t count - but what’s with all the others?). Then after I collapse in bed at 1130, she’s up at 1 am, then 3, (after which I usually quit and bring her to bed), if she’s still in her bed, then 4 then 5:30, then 6:30. Its pretty insane. She is swaddled, sleeps on her back (her preference) and on a sleep positioner, which is slightly elevated. We are now on a 1 week trial of Zantac (started Saturday and apparently no difference except she doesn’t spit up as much). Anyway, I’m not telling you this to burden you - but since this is a comment and not a private email, maybe someone knows what the problem is. I really think it is intestinal. My first babe had the same problem and it totally went away at 5.5 months. We’re getting closer, but man, it’s like a marathon. I just wondered how you deal with all the time that is consumed getting a sleep-resistant baby to sleep. I feel like I neglect my two year old sometimes (during the naptime wrestling). I’m concerned about her getting into something while I’m getting the baby to sleep. But to put a little perspective on this sad story - the Lord is good in it all. Teaching me persistence. I thought today that you don’t learn persistence when you’ve had enough and think the hard time should be over. Then you are just getting started, right? The Lord has truly provided for all our needs (husband is away, so I’m the only parent on-scene right now). He is so good.

   And I wondered if you would write in. I might, too. I ‘m not a huge fan of Paul, but he’s right on with abortion and the UN and those are my top issues.

   Comment by Katie (March 19, 2008 @ 8:19 pm )

8. Katie, How old is your baby?

   I think you need to definitely make sure she is getting enough. I have some ideas after that, but this is what it sounds like to me (assuming she is not a newborn).

   This pattern you’re describing is how I can tell my supply is low. A tired nursing mom generally decreases supply, and it becomes a vicious cycle. Another thing to rule out is tongue-tie, because you can have evidence of a full supply but the baby is unable to extract.

   Have you weighed Baby?

   Comment by Amy Scott (March 19, 2008 @ 9:52 pm )

9. Thanks for your thoughts, Amy. She is 4 months (tomorrow) and she is a peanut. Just had her appt last week and she’s gone from pretty normal at 7 lb 12 at birth, to 50th percentile at 2 months to 25th percentile at 4 months. She’s 12 lbs 9 oz.

   Comment by Katie (March 20, 2008 @ 7:12 am )

10. Katie,

    I completely feel for you and the constant waking. My baby is also 4-months-old, but she is now sleeping 10 hours at night since I switched her to formula.

    I am not suggesting formula as something to try first, but I would go to great lengths to make very sure that she is getting enough to eat. What you describe sounds like a hungry baby.

    First, the frequent feedings make it very probable that she is not getting the hind milk at the end of a feeding. This is the fatty milk that chunks up your baby. She is snacking, but I don’t think the remedy is to just let her cry it out for 3-4 hours until the next feeding. (At the same time, if you keep feeding her, the cycle continues. I’d supplement with a little formula, even though my La Leche friends will hang me for saying so. Another option is to only feed one side, completely emptying.) Hindmilk will fill her tummy and make her more content, so it is important for her to completely empty the breast. Have you tried only feeding one side at a feeding?

    I’d suggest pumping to assure yourself that she is getting at least 5-8 oz. at a feeding. This is typical for her age. (I know that’s the last thing you want to do….) When you refridgerate the milk, does a nice layer of cream form at the top or is it “see-through”?

    There are many ways to increase your supply. They do not work for all women, but it is worth a try if that is the issue. (fenugreek, blessed thistle, oatmeal, Reglan, domperidone, etc.)

    When I try to ease my babies into sleeping, it is after I am completely sure that they are full and satisfied. I am so sorry that you are struggling with this. I hope something I’ve said is a little helpful.

    Comment by Amy Scott (March 22, 2008 @ 9:16 pm )

11. Hi Amy! I am very grateful for your comments - they have been very helpful indeed. After seeing your comment on the milk supply I immediately started mother’s milk tea, oatmeal and more rest (ha!). I have my friend’s super duper pump, so I may try to pump and see what I’m getting. I definitely have more milk than I did a few days ago. Not enough for a full night’s sleep, though.

    I decided to supplement with a little cereal (okayed by the dr.) We’ll see if that gets me more rest. I figured we won’t be competing with nursing that way. Not my favorite route, but poor kid needs to eat if she is really hungry. I’ll try formula if the cereal doesn’t work.

    I have tried feeding on one side and it doesn’t satisfy her. I am now feeding a loooong time on one side and then giving her the other for as long as she’s awake or wants it. I may try pumping a little more regularly, too, to feed back to her.

    Thanks again for your comment. It didn’t really register with me when the dr. said I could try feeding her a bit of cereal that the real problem could be an insufficient milk supply. He didn’t really approach it that way (it was a shotgun answer: try cereal, try Zantac, try moving the crib out of your room….see if any of those work!).

    Yeah, its a tough situation. But the Lord works everything for our good - broken sleep and crying babies included. :-)Thanks, Amy.

    Blessings,
    Katie

    Comment by Katie (March 24, 2008 @ 9:06 pm )

12. Hey amy and Katie,
    http://www.kellymom.com is really great online resource for nursing information too.
    Amy,
    I’d love for you to see
    http://www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com if you have any time and let us know what you think.
    I just wish the hippies weren’t the leaders in proclaiming how well women’s bodies can work if there is less intervention.

    Comment by MEG (March 25, 2008 @ 1:12 pm )

13. Hi Amy! Here’s my update. We have found the root of the problem and so a half dozen random symptoms now all make sense. Praise the Lord! She has reflux. Because of that she arched her back and cried a lot during bedtimes; she woke frequently because the acid was hurting her; she didn’t eat well (not enough) because of it (leading to low milk supply and slow growth) and she ate frequently (daytime and nighttime) because she was hungry yet probably didn’t like her tummy too full. So, I had tried her on Zantac and she did very well until a couple days ago when it all dissolved and all the old symptoms came back. I’m working with the dr. to figure out if the medicine was not mixed right; if she needs a higher dose, or if she needs a new drug to help her. You were absolutely right about the low milk supply - that was not something the dr. addressed. While the Zantac was working - and after I got my supply back up - she was able to nurse much more normally and she gained good weight in the past several weeks. Thanks for your insight. Hopefully we will find a solution to this soon, though I am also hopeful she will grow out of it pretty soon, too.

    Comment by Katie (April 4, 2008 @ 2:31 pm )

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