* Sigh *
I feel like we are going crazy. These past few evenings, Gigi has absolutely refused to be satisfied by anything but three hours of non-stop feeding. After she finishes one round, barely half an hour elapses before she is screaming to be fed again. She has a very strong neck, so when I hold her and she smells mommy's skin, she shows off her baby bird skills and bobs her head around against my body with her mouth wide open, searching for her hidden treasure. It is very cute, but significantly less so by round three.
So my imagination takes all sorts of creative turns for the worst, and I suspect that she might have Prader-Willi Syndrome - you know that one when people don't have the part in their brain that tells them that they are full, so they just keep eating? Fortunately, after some consultation with the google search bar, it seems that she doesn't have it. Babies with Prader-Willi Syndrome typically have very low muscle tone at birth and can't even suck on their own at first, so it appears that they have no interest in eating. And then by age two they start stealing your cupcakes and then the locks are put on the fridge and cabinets...
But anyway, Giovanna has very good muscle tone, and eats like a horse, so I think that we are in the clear.
But I get the feeling that this isn't the last time I'll be google-searching various symptoms and diseases...
8 comments:
Leina was the same way. Hang in there, she'll get faster at eating and you'll have more in between time. All I can say is sleep whenever she sleeps!
Enzo was the same. Maria eats so fast she drowns.
Be careful about feeding too often and turning your milk supply into snack sized amounts. I didn't know anything about this until I did it myself!
The babywise books really helped me with breast feeding. Sara Heaton actually invited me over one day and read the 1st book to me. After I used the advise and felt the paybacks, I was and am eternally greatful.
Every single feeding for Amaya took at least 2 hours. And that was the first 3 months of life. And sometimes the break was less than 1/2 hour in between.
Totally normal.
What I suggest:
1) pacifier. Teach her to take it even if she acts like she doesn't like it. Sometimes they don't know what to do with it. It takes a week to teach it. Some babies need to suck. I was against it, but not after my nipples fell off. The "Happiest Baby on the Block" has suggestions for this.
2) Daddy takes her and finds some other distraction for her. She won't die from crying. Sometimes it's the only way you'll get a break.
3) Sometimes it just takes that long. Especially at the beginning your breasts are actually learning how to release milk properly. They're slow, basically.
Totally recommend The Nursing Mother's Companion as THE BEST book on breastfeeding. Bar none.
Can I also recommend My Brest Friend nursing pillow? The only one that gives you enough arm support and control to help her get on. Amaya was like that too. Like a little woodpecker and very difficult to maneuver.
Good luck. I'm not looking forward to round 2 of that.
My only advice is to stay away from google for a little bit... You'll drive yourself CRAZY doing that. Your baby is fine. She just inherited Marcos' bottomless pit of a stomach :)
Hang in there!
Oh... there's nothing wrong with supplementing too.
Oh..she is just like her daddy! I love the little birdy description. Livi does that too...even when she isn't hungry! I hope you get more sleep soon.
You're doing great, Metta! It's really hard, but so so good to be a breastfeeding mama. Every baby's different, too.
Kadin would have just segments of a day that would be like that, like a really rough afternoon or late evening where he would nurse nonstop. People told me it was a growth spurt, and that helped me get through it!
I didn't train Kadin to take a pacifier, but I'm all for it with this next baby, especially since I won't be able to devote all my time to the new one with Kadin running around!
Even now that Kadin CAN sleep 9-10 hours straight at night, he sometimes acts ravenous a couple of times a night. Luckily, this too doesn't last forever.
yeah, rent some good movies and remember it won't last forever. I wish there was a way to read while nursing but I was never able to figure that out.
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