8 week update ~ Eleanor

Switching it up by starting with pictures, although since that is really the best part of the update, I wonder who will stick around to read the rest. Haha.

Also you can always follow me on instagram for pictures (See right side bar or my user name is kelle017)

Favorite picture of the week

We borrowed a bumbo this week.  She seems to like it.

She doesn't appear to be thankful for me in this picture.

Breastfeeding: I know that it has it's own section every week but it's tough, and I need a place to share where I'm at in hopes that others have been there and can offer advice if needed.

So at thanksgiving I was talking to my aunt (who if you are reading this thanks!) about how things were going and I mentioned that her latch on the left side was causing lots of pain.  I told her how the tip of my nipple would sometimes turn white after she nursed.  Sometimes it would be that way right after she nurses and sometimes it would take a minute.  And it would hurt sometimes.  I would put on breast pads just to have a barrier.  

She said that it happens when the baby clamps down and restricts blood flow and the pain is blood returning.  And I've said it feels like she is chomping down or biting down.  So when I got home that night I did some research and found that there is something called a clamp down reflex.  

Now I thought she might have a tongue tie based on symptoms a few weeks ago, and I briefly wondered if it was thrush (but decided against it because she didn't have the white spots in her mouth, and I think she would have transferred it between breasts, although I could be wrong)

I do think this clamp down reflex might be the issue but on a mild level.  It can happen if the baby has a traumatic birth or medical interventions.  I don't think Eleanor had a traumatic birth but maybe it was.

She doesn't have a lot of the other symptoms such as poor weight gain or milk ejection issues )she has adequate wet/dirty diapers so I'm not worried about that) but I wonder if she just has a mild case.  She has a doctors appointment next week (ummm. 2 month checkup already), so I might ask then..

On the plus note the research said most babies grow out of it, so I've got high hopes.

Oh and I realized that I might actually be feeling my let down.  It's almost a painful heavy feeling, but I felt it one day on the right while nursing her on the left and almost right after noticed I was leaking milk out of the right.  I don't usually leak when I feel it or not enough to go through my bra.

Sleep:

She's doing well at night.  She'll go 4-5 hour stretches.  And she'd probably go longer if I let her, but sometimes I will wake her up to nurse because I need relief.  Sorry E!

She stopped liking her arms swaddled around 4-5 weeks so I didn't do it anymore, but I was stalking her watching her during nap and noticed how much she flails and startles herself.  So I tried Friday night.  She fussed but I didn't give in and release her arms, and she fell asleep and was fine.  Success!

I kind of got lazy this week with her sleeping in the crib. It was hard with us being gone for the holiday and I think it threw her off a little. She did a few times, but I let her nap on me a lot.  I loved those snuggles.

Misc.

She's really ramped up the smiling this week.  I want to melt every time she does it.  She does it with purpose now.  I'll look at her and smile and she will smile back.  Sometimes I'm convinced she knows what I am saying and smiles because how can you be mad at such a cute face?  For example, I wanted to take a nap Saturday.  She had fallen asleep so I got ready to lay down myself and was about to fall asleep and then she woke up.  So I asked her "your not going to let mama take a nap are you?"  cue big smile.  

We still don't have a schedule, but are getting into more of a routine.  She's been pretty consistently waking around 8/8:30 am.  She'll be up for a little bit and then nurse and take a nap around 9:30/10.

Then it's a 30/45 minute nap. After that the afternoon varies, but usually around 5:30/6 she'll take a pretty long nap and then go down for the night between 11 pm-12 am and waking back up around 4 am to nurse

During her morning wake period I try to do tummy time with her or use it to put away laundry or dishes since she seems to be the most receptive with it at this time.

She's been sucking on her hands a lot and they have been turning red.  I put mittens on her hand one night, and that helped, but swaddling helps as well, when she will let me at least.

Me:

I'm doing pretty well.  Nothing really new to report.   

I'm still having the stomach pain.  It was strong enough this week that I took aspirin,  but it really comes and goes.