Tues July 22: 11 lb 3.3 oz
Thurs July 24: 11 lb 2.4 oz (down 0.9 oz)
Fri July 25: 11 lb 4.4 oz (up 2 oz)
Tuesday July 29: 11 lb 10.5 oz (up 6.1 oz)
Thursday July 31: 11 lb 7 oz (down 3.5 oz)
Tuesday August 5: 11 lb 12.3 oz (up 5.3 oz)
The advice I was given last time I saw a public health nurse at the breastfeeding clinic was to continue supplementing Gwen and to weigh her twice a week. For the past two weeks, the Thursday weigh-in has indicated a loss from the Tuesday weigh-in. Now, I understand that "some babies just gain weight slowly" but nothing I've ever heard or read has indicated that an actual loss was anything but abnormal. And for this to happen twice in a row is really weird.
Now, you might be wondering, so let me assure you:
- same scale used every time
- same person weighing her every time (me)
- same circumstances (naked, no diaper) every time
The only thing I've not paid attention to is whether I'm weighing her before or after a feed, or before or after a poop, etcetera.
After this happened for the second Thursday in a row, I made another appointment at the breastfeeding clinic. Seriously, what else can I do? I'm already supplementing, or as I call it, "stuffing as much food down her throat as I can". What more is there?
The nurse I saw was incredibly positive and helpful, and we talked about a lot of things. We talked about reflux. We did a pre- and post-feed weigh-in (she got less than an ounce during the feeding, which is appalling. Fortunately, I am not taking that as 100% accurate or typical). We talked about what a great job I'm doing breastfeeding (yes, she told me I am doing a great job, and told me to keep up the good work. Did I need to hear that? Oh hell yes).
The main message I got was that the breastfeeding clinic could not really do too much more for me, as my breastfeeding was fine. What I need to do, she told me, is take Gwen to a doctor to eliminate any medical cause for her weird weight patterns. So that's what we're doing today.
The nurse also gave me a growth chart and showed me how to plot Gwen's weight from birth. I did so, and learned that while she started out on the 90th percentile, she is now on the 25th. This is not at ALL normal, and while I am not terrified of something being seriously wrong, I do feel it would be foolish to blithely ignore these symptoms. Reflux and milk allergy are our main suspects at this point, as Gwen does spit up a LOT (often it seems she spits up everything we just fed her, which would explain the inability to gain weight steadily!).
I'm nervous about this appointment, mainly because I fear not being taken seriously by the doctor. Doctors, unlike midwives, are not going to take a full hour to examine the tiny patient, take a full history from her parents who are ultimately just making wild-ass guesses about what is going on, and come up with a treatment plan. I fear that the doctor will just brush us off as nervous parents, or declare instantly that "she has colic" (which is a meaningless term if I've ever heard one). The nurse I saw last week assured me that if I didn't like what the doctor had to say, though, I could ask for a referral to a pediatrician for a second opinion.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Lake Trip!
Two trips down and one to go. (What was I thinking?)
The trip up the lake was terrific, if not exactly restful. We took an afternoon ferry from Comox on Tuesday, meeting by pure chance our friend Sheila who came and sat with us and cooed over Gwen. We had a nice visit with her, marred only by the yokel who stormed off after Gwen had been crying for a solid 10 minutes, throwing a comment about duct tape at us as he left. We all mockingly agreed that yes, we loved hearing the baby cry and scream, and it just had not occured to us that others might feel differently. Dumbass.
After the ferry docked, I followed Sheila to Kat's car, which also contained the incredible Ira and the radiant Rachael! I even got to hold Ira for a moment, confirming to myself the amazing fact that yes, I have already forgotten how to hold a newborn. All the cliches are TRUE. In any case, Ira is a wonder, and his mother is a hero, and somewhere in there I got to give Kat a hug too, and then it was off to the lake in my Dad's van.
Gwen had no problem on her first boat ride, and we all chuckled at how adorable she looked in her lifejacket. It was great to finally arrive at the cabin and unload our gigantic backpacks, change into cooler clothes, give Gwen to her adoring grandparents, and dip our tired feet in the cool lake.
The next day, Sara and her boys arrived. Oh my, but those boys are busy. (Note for non-parent-types: when people say kids are "busy", it means they are "FULL OUT CRAZY WHIRLWINDS OF MADNESS AND HYSTERIA". But, you know, in a good way.) I had looked forward to having some good visiting time with my sister, but it was hard to do when one or the other or the other other of the three kids was always demanding our attention. Still, we did have a good time together.
Chris was an absolute hero. He took care of Gwen for a couple of hours each day so that I could have time to visit with the grownups or hang out with my nephews. I played "War" and went on a couple of boat rides with Andrew, and amused Scotty with my willingness to pour ice-cold lake water on my head. I also got to spend time with Karin, an old friend I hadn't seen in a while.
Gwen slept well during the night, especially since I was co-sleeping with her and thus the mid-night feedings required only a few snufflings on her part to get the message across. Naps were not so great, as we were without our usual naptime props (swing and stroller), and in an environment of great noise and chaos. I think the longest she napped in the entire four days was just over an hour (compared to her usual two).
The trip was sure different for me, as a parent. Typically, my lake time would be spent curled up in a lounge chair for hours on end, either reading or working on crafts. I can remember times when I would bring 3-4 books up the lake and it *still* wouldn't be enough to keep me entertained. This time around, I bought myself a bargain book specifically for the cabin trip, and managed to read about 60 pages of it in the entire four days. It will take some time to wrap my head around the fact that holidays are not about relaxing anymore!
We came down the lake yesterday afternoon, a very choppy trip due to the strong winds. Gwen paid no mind to the chop and actually fell asleep on the sort of trip that typically inspires stress and seasickness (lakesickness?). The ferry ride home was fairly uneventful, and then we were back in our own car and headed for home.
This morning, I woke up with Gwen in my bed and Chris not. He was already up, busily cleaning and laundering and organizing. "Who are you and what have you done with my husband?" I demanded, but no satisfying answer was forthcoming. I think he washed every washable item in the house today, including the cover for our futon, which he is selling this week (the entire futon, not just the cover). He also vacuumed and did the dishes. I got up and took Gwen to church, which didn't work out very well, and then took her for a walk, which worked out similarly poorly. She has not quite been herself today - Chris theorizes it's being back on dry land that is bothering her. Perhaps she's got the same vertigo I experience.
In any case, she is now in bed, which is where I will be soon. T minus 36 hours or so until we leave home again.
The trip up the lake was terrific, if not exactly restful. We took an afternoon ferry from Comox on Tuesday, meeting by pure chance our friend Sheila who came and sat with us and cooed over Gwen. We had a nice visit with her, marred only by the yokel who stormed off after Gwen had been crying for a solid 10 minutes, throwing a comment about duct tape at us as he left. We all mockingly agreed that yes, we loved hearing the baby cry and scream, and it just had not occured to us that others might feel differently. Dumbass.
After the ferry docked, I followed Sheila to Kat's car, which also contained the incredible Ira and the radiant Rachael! I even got to hold Ira for a moment, confirming to myself the amazing fact that yes, I have already forgotten how to hold a newborn. All the cliches are TRUE. In any case, Ira is a wonder, and his mother is a hero, and somewhere in there I got to give Kat a hug too, and then it was off to the lake in my Dad's van.
Gwen had no problem on her first boat ride, and we all chuckled at how adorable she looked in her lifejacket. It was great to finally arrive at the cabin and unload our gigantic backpacks, change into cooler clothes, give Gwen to her adoring grandparents, and dip our tired feet in the cool lake.
The next day, Sara and her boys arrived. Oh my, but those boys are busy. (Note for non-parent-types: when people say kids are "busy", it means they are "FULL OUT CRAZY WHIRLWINDS OF MADNESS AND HYSTERIA". But, you know, in a good way.) I had looked forward to having some good visiting time with my sister, but it was hard to do when one or the other or the other other of the three kids was always demanding our attention. Still, we did have a good time together.
Chris was an absolute hero. He took care of Gwen for a couple of hours each day so that I could have time to visit with the grownups or hang out with my nephews. I played "War" and went on a couple of boat rides with Andrew, and amused Scotty with my willingness to pour ice-cold lake water on my head. I also got to spend time with Karin, an old friend I hadn't seen in a while.
Gwen slept well during the night, especially since I was co-sleeping with her and thus the mid-night feedings required only a few snufflings on her part to get the message across. Naps were not so great, as we were without our usual naptime props (swing and stroller), and in an environment of great noise and chaos. I think the longest she napped in the entire four days was just over an hour (compared to her usual two).
The trip was sure different for me, as a parent. Typically, my lake time would be spent curled up in a lounge chair for hours on end, either reading or working on crafts. I can remember times when I would bring 3-4 books up the lake and it *still* wouldn't be enough to keep me entertained. This time around, I bought myself a bargain book specifically for the cabin trip, and managed to read about 60 pages of it in the entire four days. It will take some time to wrap my head around the fact that holidays are not about relaxing anymore!
We came down the lake yesterday afternoon, a very choppy trip due to the strong winds. Gwen paid no mind to the chop and actually fell asleep on the sort of trip that typically inspires stress and seasickness (lakesickness?). The ferry ride home was fairly uneventful, and then we were back in our own car and headed for home.
This morning, I woke up with Gwen in my bed and Chris not. He was already up, busily cleaning and laundering and organizing. "Who are you and what have you done with my husband?" I demanded, but no satisfying answer was forthcoming. I think he washed every washable item in the house today, including the cover for our futon, which he is selling this week (the entire futon, not just the cover). He also vacuumed and did the dishes. I got up and took Gwen to church, which didn't work out very well, and then took her for a walk, which worked out similarly poorly. She has not quite been herself today - Chris theorizes it's being back on dry land that is bothering her. Perhaps she's got the same vertigo I experience.
In any case, she is now in bed, which is where I will be soon. T minus 36 hours or so until we leave home again.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Also noted yesterday, but missed from previous post
Gwen got through a bath entirely without screaming. In fact, she started to cry only when we took her out. Could this be the start of a new trend? Tune in next week to find out, as we will be camping for the next 5 days and won't have a chance to give her another bath until at least Sunday.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Noted today
Do NOT under any circumstances blow a raspberry on Gwen's tummy. Her dad did so earlier, and Gwen immediately burst into hysterical tears and wouldn't go near him the rest of the evening.
Live and learn.
Live and learn.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
One trip down, two more to go!
Yesterday's SCA event/sitting-in-a-field went pretty well. The weather turned out way hotter than forecasted, so Gwen started the day in a long-sleeved onesie, pants, socks, and sweater, and a few hours later was wearing only a short-sleeved onesie and a diaper. She took one (one-hour) nap in the sling, and another (one-hour) nap on a friend's lap. Then fell asleep again in her dad's arms just before we were going to leave; probably would have stayed asleep indefinitely if not for a 'lord' nearby who decided now was the perfect time to play his bagpipes. It really pissed me off too, as he played for just long enough to wake the baby, then stopped - what was that about? I'm still wondering.
Also learned an important lesson: if baby has been pooping only once every two to three days for a couple of weeks, the day you take her out to the middle of a field, 35 minutes from civilization, with a limited number of diapers and wipes, is the day she will decide to alter her pattern and poop TWICE. We ran out of wipes and Chris had to run to his car to get this ancient container of Kleenex-brand wet wipes, which weren't even wet anymore. It was kind of pathetic. Live and learn.
Gwen was pretty well-behaved, with only one screaming fit (I later realized I'd forgotten to give her the mid-day dose of Ovol, which could have been the problem). For the most part she was alert and happy and very interested in all the people and goings-on around her. She even let several other people hold and cuddle her which I thought was terrific. I EVEN got to sit and eat my dinner uninterrupted! People are amazing.
Oh, and guess what else? This lady came walking along and asked, "Whose baby is that?" When I confessed she was mine, she told me she had a whole bag of medieval clothes for babies/toddlers, as her kids had now grown out of them, and that she had brought the bag along in hopes that she would meet a baby in need of garb. As I can't sew to save my life, Gwen is definitely a baby in need. So now she has lovely garb for the next few years. People are so generous!
We got home shortly after 9pm last night, and got Gwen to bed fairly easily, where she slept for a solid 8 hours. Today has been busy as we rush to unpack from that trip and plan our next adventure. The big challenge for the PR lake trip is the fact that we are walking on the ferry, but must bring a LOT of stuff. So we've got to figure out the best way of transporting all that stuff with only the strength of our backs and four arms between us. Tricksy, but we shall manage somehow.
Also learned an important lesson: if baby has been pooping only once every two to three days for a couple of weeks, the day you take her out to the middle of a field, 35 minutes from civilization, with a limited number of diapers and wipes, is the day she will decide to alter her pattern and poop TWICE. We ran out of wipes and Chris had to run to his car to get this ancient container of Kleenex-brand wet wipes, which weren't even wet anymore. It was kind of pathetic. Live and learn.
Gwen was pretty well-behaved, with only one screaming fit (I later realized I'd forgotten to give her the mid-day dose of Ovol, which could have been the problem). For the most part she was alert and happy and very interested in all the people and goings-on around her. She even let several other people hold and cuddle her which I thought was terrific. I EVEN got to sit and eat my dinner uninterrupted! People are amazing.
Oh, and guess what else? This lady came walking along and asked, "Whose baby is that?" When I confessed she was mine, she told me she had a whole bag of medieval clothes for babies/toddlers, as her kids had now grown out of them, and that she had brought the bag along in hopes that she would meet a baby in need of garb. As I can't sew to save my life, Gwen is definitely a baby in need. So now she has lovely garb for the next few years. People are so generous!
We got home shortly after 9pm last night, and got Gwen to bed fairly easily, where she slept for a solid 8 hours. Today has been busy as we rush to unpack from that trip and plan our next adventure. The big challenge for the PR lake trip is the fact that we are walking on the ferry, but must bring a LOT of stuff. So we've got to figure out the best way of transporting all that stuff with only the strength of our backs and four arms between us. Tricksy, but we shall manage somehow.
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