How she was born
I had a scheduled C-section that did not go quite as scheduled.... We got to the hospital around 6:30 and I was taken back to the operating room around 11:30. I was supposed to have spinal block so I would be awake during her birth but things didn't go according to plan. For some reason the spinal block did not numb me so they had to give me another one. Well, it didn't work either so they gave me something through my iv (maybe twilight sedation... not sure) but whatever it was it made me feel loopy and strange. I didn't like it at all. I might as well had went under general anesthesia because I felt as if I had been. I don't remember ANYTHING about her birth. I was in la-la land. Matthew was in there with me but I don't remember that at all either. He said I kept talking about crazy things the entire time. Even after she was born and I was in recovery and they brought her to me to nurse is all a blur. Sadly, I don't remember much about that either. It wasn't until the next day that my mind started to un-fog. To make matters worse, since I had two spinal blocks I had complications the day I came home and had to go back to the er and have a blood patch done. The night and few days after the blood patch were some of the most miserable days I have ever experienced. I was in so much pain. When I have another child I will probably go ahead and have my C-section using general anesthesia if there is a likelihood I will go through all that again.
First Week
In the beginning it was taking Anna Ruth a very long time to nurse (about an hour to an hour and a half.) I don't really know what the problem was but even after nursing that long she would act like she was starving. I became engorged quick so I had already started building a milk supply in the freezer so finally the second night she was home after nursing her for a very long time and having her cry and cry immediately afterwards we gave he some of my pumped breast milk in a bottle (2 ounces) and she gulped in down in 30 seconds and fell fast asleep. This concerned me that she obviously wasn't nursing well so I met with the lactation consultant at the hospital as soon as I could and together we worked through it. I made appointments with the lactation nurse about twice a week the first month. She was so patient and so helpful and really helped a lot. The first week, breast feeding was very difficult because she nursed for such a long time and she was fussy after feedings and my breast were painful full. This all worked itself out by the end of the second week.
In the beginning all she wanted to do was sleep all day long and fuss all night long. I guess she had her days and nights mixed up. Also, in the beginning she screamed bloody murder every time she had her diaper changed. Thankfully this worked itself out by the end of the first week. She started out sleeping in her bassinet but this didn't last long because she didn't seem comfortable. She also didn't like to be swaddled, but if we didn't swaddle her then her arms would wake her up. We fought to keep them arms inside the swaddle blanket. Eventually we tried in her in the nap nanny or the swing... It was always a guessing game to see where she would end up to sleep. Also, this week she returned to her birth weight. Her doctor said she returned a lot faster than most babies do.
Second Week
By the time she was 8 days old she started staying awake a little more during the day, but not much. Nighttime was still rough because after each feeding she would fuss and not go back to sleep. Where she would sleep was still a guessing game... To be honest, as tired as we were, she could sleep wherever she pleased just as long as she would sleep! Her longest stretches were 5am-10am (when we couldn't sleep because Sumner would be up then.) Nursing was getting better and better because I got a bigger shield. The lactation nurse could tell by weighing her before and after feedings that she was taking about 2 1/2-3 ounces in 30 minutes. Her weight gain was on the higher end of the growth chart so obviously she was getting enough! Also this week, her umbilical cord fell off (9 days old.)
Third Week
She still slept a lot during the day and was fussy at night. I would pray the entire time I would nurse her during the night begging God to allow her to go to sleep peacefully after she would finish nursing. The times she did go down well I would get on my knees and truly praise him for it. About the time nursing was becoming easy to me she started having some major tummy issues. It was deja vu because Sumner had the same issues.... milk protein intolerance (along with other food intolerances.) The day it happened I had eaten a McFlurry. A few hours later she went to screaming like she did when she was born. It was not a normal scream at all. Even though she had been a little fussy at night, nothing compared to this kind of screaming. Not only was she screaming, she was throwing up, passing tons of gas, and obviously in a lot of pain. I knew immediately she was acting like this because I had eaten the McFlurry. Up until this point I didn't avoid dairy because it had not been bothering her. It wasn't until later I learned babies with these intolerances don't show symptoms until they are around 3 weeks old. She was 2 and 1/2 weeks when this happened. I immediately cut all milk and soy products from my diet. This is VERY difficult because it you ever read the labels on things... there are not many foods out there without milk or soy in them. I also called her pediatrician and knowing Sumner's history, they set me up with an appointment with the same pediatric gastrologist in Macon. It was a week and a half between the day she had the episode and I went on a milk and soy free diet and her appointment. At her appointment the pediatrician confirmed she did have the same thing Sumner had because he found blood in her stool when he did the test. He said hers was a probably a lot more severe than Sumner's because the symptoms were already evident and she still had blood in her stool despite my strict diet. He told me I needed to stop breastfeeding and put her on prescription Elecare formula. I cried and cried about not nursing her. I didn't know that morning when I nursed her it would be my last time. The doctor told me she would eventually outgrow it and if I wanted to keep pumping to keep my supply I could and store the milk and give it to her later when she outgrew it. So, as of now, that is what I am doing. Its a lot of extra work but I don't mind. Nursing her was SO important to me and if there is a possibility I still can eventually I want to try. Her doctor made a follow up appointment for two weeks later so re-evaluate her because her reflux had also gotten very bad and he was concerned about it as well. He told me to limit her formula intake to 2 ounces every 3 hours in hopes it would keep the reflux under control. We saw improvements in her almost immediately. All of a sudden she was content when she was awake (which had not been happening) and she started going to sleep well at night. Her reflux is still bad, but hopefully at the next appointment we will begin to work that out. This was a rough week in another way, too. We found out she had RSV. This came as a total shock because we had not gone anywhere with her other than appointments. Her pediatrician said she probably got it from me since I had a cold too, and RSV in adults presents itself as a regular cold. Luckily her case wasn't very bad because her lungs and oxygen were good and she never ran a fever. She just had a little congestion and runny nose. However, combining reflux with congestion is no fun, so her cough was pretty bad. She would get choked and appear to have trouble catching her breath, and it would scare us to death. Once she got sick she began sleeping in her swing because of the way its elevated so it helps her to breath. She sleeps good in it. My only fear is what will happen when she gets bette*-r... Hopefully we are not spoiling her with the swing. One other thing, up until this week she refused to take a paci. It down right made her mad. But the doctor told us to try and get her to take it if we could because the sucking would help with her reflux. Finally, by the end of the week she started taking it ok... still not great!
Fourth Week
When I took Anna Ruth to check her RSV she was 4 weeks and 1 day old and she weighed 7 lbs 8 oz without her clothes on. One pound bigger than her birth weight. She has started staying awake more during the day and sleeping SO much better at night. She still gets up every 3 hours during the night but that is FINE WITH ME because at least she goes back to sleep after feeding which is a TON better than before. We still have absolutely no schedule as far as when or where she goes to sleep or when she wakes up. The only consistent thing is she eats every three hours, and she does that on her own. Hopefully we will have a little more figured out as far as bedtime routine in the very near future.
Newborn Check-Up
- Height: 19 1/2
- Weight: 6 LBS 7 OZ
- Head Circumference: 34
1 Month Check-Up
- Height: 20 1/2
- Weight: 8 LBS 4 oz
- Head Circumference: 36
Other Facts
- Newborn diapers fit best but she keeps her legs so drawn up that it is hard to put them on her so she still mostly wears size one and we just fold them at the top and pull them really tight.
- She wears newborn clothes
Sumner
Sumner has adjusted wonderfully to his new baby sister. At the beginning he didn't pay any attention to her at all. About two weeks after she was born he would stop and stare at her, point to her body parts and tell me what they were. He even started kissing her and looking for her when she is taking a nap and he can't see her. One day we were getting ready to go somewhere so I was going to put him in the car first and come back and get her. As we were opening the door to walk out he started whining and let go of my hand and ran and pointed to her car seat and instructed me to get her too. I guess he was worried I was going to leave her. He also can tell her among other babies her age. We ate lunch with some friends who both have babies (one is a month a half older and the other is 3 weeks older.) All three babies were in their car seats and I asked him which one was Anna Ruth and he looked at each one and finally decided and pointed to her and said "there she is!". The only time I have seen any jealousy from him is when one of his grandparents is holding her. He will go and point to her bassinet or swing and tell them to put here "there!" Its so cute!
One thing that has changed since she was born is that he has developed a strong attachment to his cup. Some babies get attached to a paci, some get attached to blankets, others stuffed animals... My son is attached to his cup. He carries it everywhere and when it gets out of his sight he gets panicked and runs around the house searching for it and saying "cup, cup, cup." He even pitches a fit to take it to bed with him. I let him for two reasons.... One, its just water in the cup. Two, with all the changes going on in his world I don't feel right taking something away that makes him feel secure. It is so funny when he wakes up in the morning and I go get him and he is standing there smiling with his cup in his hand!
One praise item regarding Sumner is that he is a hard sleeper. All those nights Anna Ruth has kept us up screaming SOOOO loud, Sumner has slept through it. She has not caused him to wake up yet! In fact, since she came home from the hospital, Sumner has started sleeping until around 8:00.
To my sweet babies,
God is SO good. He has blessed me with two healthy children whom I love more than life itself. When I think about how much joy I know I have coming my way because of the two of you my heart nearly bursts! I cannot wait to make so many memories and to see how much you two are going to love each other. I love you both as high as the sky and the ocean is deep and more and more and more!
Love,
Mama
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| First weight check visit |
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| BUSTED!!! |
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| She found her thumb. This is the first and only time I've seen her do this |
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| First bath together |
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| 4 weeks old |
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| Sweetness |
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| Playing together |
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| Friends |
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| First bath at home |
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