3 weeks

I can't believe my little Juliet is three weeks old!  Before I know it, she'll be a month.  

Everything is going okay.  I think we're just dealing with typical newborn stuff!  

My milk was a little slow to come in and she dropped a lot of weight and got really dehydrated.  We had to supplement with formula for about a week after 1-2 feeds each day.  We also had a lactation consultant come out to help.  She had me feed every 2 hours for 15-20 minutes a side then pump for 10-15 minutes after each feed.  By the time all that was done, I had about 45 minutes till the next feed!  So exhausting!  We are still having some issues with her latch and it takes a few tries to get it right, and my nips are sore, cracked, scabbed messes!  She just doesn't like to open her mouth to get on-- she tries to suck her way on, which is just no good.  I am still pumping 3-4 times a day to help build my supply.  Please tell me that the nips will get better and this will get easier!  She is also doing the cluster feeding thing for several hours during the day, which makes it harder to fit the pumping time in.  Sometimes I wonder how I have any milk left for her!

She has been sleeping 2-3 hour stretches at night, but she'll only really sleep well on someone.  In the co-sleeper or swing, she will only sleep for 45 minutes or so.  She usually ends up sleeping on my chest or in the crook of my arm.  This talk of sleep is making me yawn!  I hope to get her to spend more time in the co-sleeper as she gets older.  I don't sleep terribly well with her on me.  

She spends more and more time awake everyday and has the cutest reflexive smile.  She likes to sleep on her side and will roll from her back to her side.  Dr said it's fine.  She can hold her head up for short bits of time and has the cutest little face when she does.  She loves her hands and sucking on them.  




Comments

  1. EllaMarch 23, 2011 at 8:10 PM

    Oh the nips... the cracks, the scabs... yes it will get better! Oh I remember that... the toe-curling pain when she latched. Anyway, it really does sounds like you're doing great overall and the challenges are normal newborn challenges.

    She is SO CUTE, Emmy! SO CUTE.

    And don't worry about her sleeping on/next to you for right now - you will still be able to move her into the co-sleeper after awhile. Eliza slept on my chest until she was a month old, it was the only way she'd sleep!

    She is SO FREAKING CUTE!

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  2. AshMarch 24, 2011 at 12:54 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. AshMarch 24, 2011 at 12:55 AM

    She is so pretty! You are doing great everything you are experiencing sounds pretty normal- which doesn't at all mean easy, just know that it does get much, much better!!

    Theodor also slept only on me for the first months of life and transferred to his crib perfectly at 4 months. For some reason I could never convince him to actually sleep in the co-sleeper but that was just his temperament, nothing I did or didn't do would have changed that.

    Hang in there you are doing awesome, and Juliet is adorable!

    P.S. I deleted my last post because there were silly spelling mistakes. Thanks Teddy LOL

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  4. MarianneMarch 24, 2011 at 1:41 AM

    She is beautiful!

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  5. RachMarch 24, 2011 at 5:32 AM

    So sweet and precious! Have fun new mommy!!

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  6. someday-soonMarch 24, 2011 at 8:53 AM

    She is so precious!

    I remember the days of the cracks, scabs, and the pain {{{HUGS}}} For me the first month was the worst and it got a lot better at that point. I used lanolin and gel pads and they helped some. Really it just took some time for the nips to get us to their new job. Good for you for getting some help from a LC.

    The first month or two are so hard. You're so tired (an exhaustion I never new existed actually!) and trying to learn everything at once about how to take care of your wee one. It sounds like you're doing an amazing job!

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  7. JulieMarch 24, 2011 at 12:13 PM

    She is precious.

    At the hospital after I had Cate, they gave me Medela Tendercare Hydrogel pads. (I sound like an advertisement!) They were absolutely AMAZING though. They helped sooo much. In theory, Tar.get sells them, but I haven't found them there. I would really reccomend trying them though!

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  8. foxyMarch 29, 2011 at 10:30 PM

    thanks for the reassurance about not having any pregnancy symptoms. I want this so much and just wish that I knew what was going on in there. :)

    You babe is beautiful! and I can't believe that she is already 3 weeks old! Time certainly does fly!

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  9. JenniMarch 30, 2011 at 10:14 PM

    Gorgeous! Such a beautiful baby. I hope that nursing gets easier - I'm sure it will.

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  10. ventingvaginaApril 3, 2011 at 9:34 AM

    she is so so so adorable!

    ReplyDelete

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