Newborn Weight Gain: We Did It

The reality of being a new mom is that you are no longer calling the shots (temporarily).  Your baby dictates your schedule.  I can't just tell my son, "Carter baby, wait for mommy to finish eating before you eat."  Or "can you just sit in your poop for awhile so I can clean up and shower first?"  If I did that I would be a negligent mother.  Priorities and responsibilities have changed and I now understand why people "change" after they have a baby.  Your baby, this thing you created and brought into existence, will always come first.  Unfortunately blogging takes a backseat.  But then again I had been majorly slacking while working so I don't think I can entirely blame my lack of frequent blogging on new motherhood.  There is just not enough hours in the day sometime to do everything I want to do.

Carter's pediatrician appointment went well.  He needed to gain 7 ounces and gained 8.5 ounces!  Show off!  I'm still trying to pinpoint what issues we are dealing with and supply does not seem to be the issue (perhaps quick let down?).  He's still experiencing a lot of symptoms of reflux, the worst being his nightly episodes of 5 hours of inconsolable crying (aka colic).  The pediatrician had instructed us to continue supplementing at least one bottle a day of Enfamil AR, which is for reflux, as he feels at this point that reflux is the issue.  It is hard to understand how difficult it is to deal with a baby with colic unless you have experienced it.  It is torture to watch your baby in discomfort and be unable to help them in any capacity.  So hopefully today I can get him a medication that is supposed to help treat reflux, which will help with the colic symptoms or at least I hope.  We'll see...

I had been experimenting on and off with ways of increasing my milk supply, but I have not done anything consistently.  (Hey, at least I'm honest.)  The verdict is still out on a few of these methods, but here are my preliminary thoughts:

Lactation cookies: I've made at least 1/2 dozen different recipes and in all honesty I have no idea if these work because they taste terrible.  To make these edible you have to add a ridiculous amount of sugar.  If I'm going to eat a dessert I want it to be something that makes my taste buds sing.  These make my tastes buds sad.  Also, from what I've read, you have to eat a lot of lactation cookies for them to be effective.  

Lactation Tea: I've been drinking 2-3 cups of lactation tea a day.  I don't think it has increased my supply dramatically as I'm still pumping 2-4 ounces at a sitting, but it definitely has not hurt my supply.  I'll continue to drink lactation tea since it tastes good.

Brewer's yeast: Winner winner, chicken dinner.  Brewer's yeast is a byproduct of making beer and I hate beer.  But I see an increase in milk supply about 12-24 hours after consuming 1-2 tablespoons.  However, I'm not taking this consistently.  The only way I can get this down is taken like a shot mixed with orange juice.  I just bought OJ so I have no excuse not to make this a daily habit.  Beer lovers will not have a problem with this supplement.  

Water: When I don't drink enough my supply diminishes.  Water is key.  Obvi.

Just a word of caution, before attempting to increase milk supply make sure that low supply is the issue.  You can put yourself in a situation where you increase your milk supply too much, which can lead to plugged ducts, engorgement, and mastitis so I would always recommend any new mom see a lactation specialist.  And remember what works for me, may not work for you so don't be like me.  Always consult with a professional before experimenting.

Breastfeeding Struggles

I'm feeling a little discouraged.  At Carter's pediatrician appointment yesterday I learned that he has not gained enough weight and is falling on the growth curve.  This was pretty upsetting considering he was right on track, albeit on the lower end of the growth curve, at his last appointment two weeks ago.

During the first few weeks as we were learning this thing called breastfeeding I met with a lactation consultant because my breasts were hard as rocks and filled with plugged ducts.  Breastfeeding was incredibly painful and we were having latch issues due to the engorgement.  I learned during this consultation that we didn't really have a latch issue, but instead were dealing with an issue of overproduction of milk.  Due to the pain I had to pump on many occasions, which confirmed that I was producing more than adequate amounts of milk.  But these issues kept recurring and soon I developed mastitis and have dealt with plugged ducts on more than one occasion.  Currently I have one in my armpit.  Not fun.

It is hard to know exactly how much milk he is getting as I am exclusively breastfeeding and now only pump on occasion.  However, when I do pump the amount I'm getting is much less than I was initially, and less than the amount he should be eating at a feed.  I definitely think that some of the issue is that your body produces less milk when you are in pain and I spent a lot of feeds almost at the point of tears due to discomfort.  And pumping, while the best option at times for me, is not pain free either.

The other possible issue we are dealing with is reflux.  Recently Carter has been spitting up more than usual.  Regardless of what the cause is, whether it is one, both, or none of the above, I do feel like I am producing less and the pediatrician wants Carter to get set amount of nutrition three times a day, which means we need to supplement.  I love breastfeeding, and feel that providing my son with breast milk is important for his health, but at the end of the day I want to do whatever I need to do to make sure that he is gaining his L-Bs appropriately.  If that means I have to give a bottle of pumped breast milk or formula here and there, I will do whatever is best for his health.  In reality I could be dealing with far worse issues, but part of me feels like my body failed him.  

I am going to try not to be discouraged and want to continue this breastfeeding journey if we can.  This is only a roadblock and hopefully a temporary one.  While I'm trying to bulk little man up I'm also going to experiment and see if I too can boost my milk supply.  I mean who doesn't love lactation cookies?  Am I right?  And if you haven't tried them do it!  I had my first lactation cookie before I was even pregnant.  Granted I worked in an OB office and a patient brought extra cookies in for us.  I'm not sure I would have gone and bought one or made one for clinical curiosity prior to being pregnant and having Carter.  

I'm feeling optimistic from reading other mom's struggles with supply issues and hope I can find a routine that works for me.  Only time will time...  

Gamiss for Affordable, Trendy Fashion

So let's be real, my body has changed.  I put on the "freshman 15."  But I'm not a freshman...  Adult life gets busy and I made sacrifices to get to where I am in life.  I'm proud of where I've come, but in the process I got totally out of shape.  

I don't want to invest in pricey pieces since I've decided I'm getting my groove back.  Gamiss was nice enough to give me the opportunity to try them out.  

Trendy V-Neck Floral Print Slimming Women's Romper

I love rompers and this print caught my eye.  This outfit can be dressed up or down, is light and comfortable and totally does what it claims, helps slim my waist.   

I did, however, have to use fashion tape to keep the top from exposing my goods.  No bigs.  

Plus it gives the illusion that I have legs_for_days!  #legsfordays

Fashionable Round Neck Floral Print Layered Women's Tank Top

Lately I have disliked my stomach.  I had a beautiful, flat tummy until I got diagnosed with PCOS and it feels like overnight it became my problem area.  If you have this issue then flowy tops are your friend!  But pair them with something more fitted on the bottom for a streamline look. 

Sizing for these items was a little confusing.  I ordered the romper in a large, which I'm glad I did because I think it would have been too short in a smaller size.  The tank top is a small and is roomy and comfortable.  I also ordered the Trendy U Neck Sleeveless Printed Women's Maxi Dress in a large, but it was too big and was unflattering.  When ordering I erred on the side of ordering the size corresponding to my biggest measurement, but I think you could get away ordering your standard American size.  

All in all I really liked Gamiss and will definitely order form them again.  There clothes are fashion forward and affordable, which means I can splurge from time to time without feeling guilty.