it's thanksgiving week and i am thankful most of all for my son. but these days i am also thankful for little things like being able to sit at the computer and type while he's quiet and (possibly?) sleeping strapped to my chest in the sling. i don't know how long this will last. this is the edge-of-my-seat thrilling nature of the life of the parent of a five week old. but while it lasts, i will try to document the past week or so.
EATING
nursing is still going ok, though i've run into a few more obstacles. nothing major. i've had some blocked ducts, which are super uncomfortable. but basically they go away on their own with heat (my good ole heating pad, so helpful for my sciatica during pregnancy, comes in handy again) and with plenty of nursing. i also have an unproven theory that when i wear nursing bras or nursing tops with built-in bras that are too tight on the bottom of my boobs that it exacerbates the problem. i've stopped wearing the ones that felt too confining and haven't had a duct problem in awhile. we've had some temporary issues caused by his lazy latching on, but luckily nothing there has developed into anything substantial. it's a day or two of pain -- the crazy sore nipple pain like in the beginning -- but then if he chills out it goes away. sometimes i get white patches on my nipples which i've ready are circulation issues caused by bad latching. like the blockages, they generally take care of themselves. i have gone to a couple of breastfeeding support groups, and they've been hugely helpful for tips, strategies, and just general moral support from other nursing moms and from professional lactation experts. i still don't think i have it down to a science, but we're doing okay. he weighed 10 pounds, 3 ounces at his one month check up, so i'd say he's definitely receiving nourishment. pumping is going well and being able to give him a bottle once in awhile is heavenly. the issue is the days that he nurses every hour or so... when there is no time to pump, and also no time to do anything else (see general babycare/functionality).
SLEEPING
thank my lucky stars, we are still on a good nighttime routine. he's still sleeping well in the bassinet and sleeping soundly (and longer) between nighttime feedings. he doesn't eat for a long time at night, which is good for me (less awake time) and because he should eventually not need to nurse overnight at all. hopefully sooner rather than later, but i'm not complaining right now.
GNERAL BABYCARE
ok, so this part has gotten harder the past few days. he is awake SO much more now. like, most of the day. one day he was awake for 12 hours. this would be ok if he were always happy and content while he's awake, but some days he is a screaming lunatic who needs attention 24/7. and when it's just me to give him said attention... it's a bitch. the hubby was gone nearly all weekend at a bachelor party and i was MISERABLE. but now it's been four days of this new normal, and i'm starting to figure it out. i think he actually gets bored. seeing different people and going out and doing things actually makes him much happier. even moving into a different room of the house helps. who knew? i guess his little brain is really taking a lot more in than i realized at this early stage. the challenge then is making sure not to OVER-stimulate him, which also makes him a raging monster. because he often will not let himself go to sleep. so we're working on strategies for all of this. it's trial and error, but this is my full time job right now so i'll deal.
GENERAL FUNCTIONALITY
this category seems to be directly related to the previous. obviously i am much less functional when babycare takes over the entire 24 hour span of the day. or at least the 12 hours that we're not in bed/sleeping. showering has become less frequent. preparing my own meals is an impossibility a lot of times. and it's totally unpredictable, which is the biggest challenge. i never know if i'll get a solid period of time when he's sleeping or at least quiet and calm and not needing me to hold him. sometimes i do, and then i scramble to prioritize what needs to be done. should i poop? or do the dishes? or put in that load of laundry? it's not as easy as it was. i'm hoping by strategically dealing with his new daytime needs that i can figure out ways to work it, because there have been events in the past few days that i'd like not to repeat, such as not eating for almost 8 hours and not realizing it until i got dizzy.
both my parents and my in-laws will be here this week for thanksgiving. i hope they will forgive my filthy house and also not be totally freaked out by the increased fussiness of their grandson and virtual uselessness of their daughter/daughter-in-law. i can really only claim responsibility for the baby's needs at this point... anything else is a crapshoot. but they'll understand that, right? we're about to find out. at the very least i hope someone will be able to hold him so i can take a shower. one day.
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