The day when I would become envious of my daycare provider. Tommy gives kisses and they are so cute! At first he would give me one if I made kissy noises at him and asked for one. Now he gives them out from time to time. He'll grab my face and attack me! I love it :) Well today I dropped him at daycare and kissed him goodbye. I handed him over to Rosa, the lead teacher, and he immediately started kissing her over and over. It took all I had not to cry right then and there.
I love our daycare and I love that he loves his teachers. I just don't want him to love them more than me. I know I sound childish and ridiculous, of course he loves me, I'm his Mommy. But there is part of me that feels guilty about working. I feel guilty that given a choice, I'd probably still work. I love my job and I love going to work. I love being a mom, but I really don't think I could stay home full-time and feel fulfilled (please know that I don't judge stay-at-home moms, I truly give them so much credit, it's easier for me to work than be home all day).
I'm rambling now. Basically, I want Tommy to love me and this morning I felt replaced...
Showing posts with label daycare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label daycare. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Breastfeeding Update
Who would have thought that I'd keep breastfeeding at 7 months? I had planned on breastfeeding but had no idea how it would go. After a few weeks, I hated it. After 2 months, I had to give up dairy and went back to work. Well now, at 7 months, I've decided to night-nurse.
I gave up my mid-day pumping session and I feel so much more free at work! I nurse Tommy when he wakes up in the morning, he drinks 3 bottles at daycare, then I nurse him around 6pm and again before bed. If he wants to eat overnight I nurse then as well. So far, it's going really well. I was really sore the first few days of not pumping but my body seems to have adjusted. It means that Tommy is getting full formula bottles while at daycare and during the day at home but it doesn't seem to bother him. It's expensive since we us Enfamil Nutramigen but this is way to keep breastfeeding at least some without being tied to my pump. I was starting to get really frustrated at work. I was losing my whole planning period to pump which meant staying later at work and getting less time with Tommy in the evening.
I hope to continue with this arrangement for as long as we can!
I gave up my mid-day pumping session and I feel so much more free at work! I nurse Tommy when he wakes up in the morning, he drinks 3 bottles at daycare, then I nurse him around 6pm and again before bed. If he wants to eat overnight I nurse then as well. So far, it's going really well. I was really sore the first few days of not pumping but my body seems to have adjusted. It means that Tommy is getting full formula bottles while at daycare and during the day at home but it doesn't seem to bother him. It's expensive since we us Enfamil Nutramigen but this is way to keep breastfeeding at least some without being tied to my pump. I was starting to get really frustrated at work. I was losing my whole planning period to pump which meant staying later at work and getting less time with Tommy in the evening.
I hope to continue with this arrangement for as long as we can!
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Yup, sick again
Ugh. Tommy has been sick again. On Thursday morning he woke up just in time for me to change his diaper, get him dressed, and take him to daycare. I did so, then out the door we went. I had taken the morning off of work to go to the dentist to get a crown for my root canal. On our way to daycare, Tommy pooped (which he never does) and needed to be changed. I took him out of his carseat and laid him on the changing table in his room. The lead teacher came over and insisted that she do it (bless her) so I finished putting his bottles in the refrigerator and signing him in. I went over to kiss him goodbye as the teacher pulled up his onsie to reveal a nasty rash all over his torso.
The director of the daycare came in and suggested that I get it checked out so I cancelled my dentist appointment (they were not happy with me but oh well, they'll get over it) and was lucky enough to get a 9:00 appointment at the pediatrician's office.
I got in to see Tommy's specific pediatrician and she diagnosed him with roseola due to his lack of any other symptoms. At the last minuted, she decided to do a quick strep test to be sure she wasn't missing anything and was shocked when it came back positive. The diagnosis was changed to Scarlet Fever.
So I called work and took off the rest of the day and picked up Tommy's prescription for Amoxicillan and we snuggled for the rest of the day on the couch. The daycare policy is 24 hours of antibiotics but since we had our first dose at 9:45am, they let me bring him on Friday at 7:30am. He was in good spirits and napped well. His first two bottles went well but he flat out refused his third bottle. No big deal, I figured I could just give it to him when we got home. He drank about a half ounce before he spit out the nipple and cried. I laid back on the couch and he laid his head on my chest and we cuddled.
And then it happened.
Tommy picked up his head and projectile vomited all over my chest. I mean, this child is 17lbs and the amount of vomit would have rivaled the amount I had seen adults lose. It seeped through my shirt, my tank, and my bra. It was all down the front of me, in my jeans and even my underwear. The couch under me was coated in vomit. I yelled for Bill to come help me (he was conveniently in the bathroom when this all occurred) and he rushed in with a towel which he used to wrap up Tommy and proceeded to get him cleaned and changed while I showered.
Tommy pretty much slept on and off all of last night. He just could not seem to get comfortable. He didn't want to eat. He didn't want me to hold him. He didn't want me to put him down. He was just miserable.
This morning I tried to feed him several times and every time he would nurse for about a minute or two then refuse. Bill tried to give him a bottle and he drank less than an ounce. This really started to worry me so I called the doctor and they got him in at 10:45.
At 10:00 I tried to feed Tommy again and this time he ate hungrily for about 5 minutes before falling asleep.
The doctor checked him all out and noticed that one of his bottom front teeth seems to be trying to poke through. She determined that this was the reason he wasn't eating. She told us to give him Tylenol and to feed him whenever he seems hungry.
We gave him some Tylenol when we got home and for the next 4 hours he cluster fed. He was probably so hungry! Then he took a long nap and woke up almost a new baby. He was a little fussy this evening but is now sleeping.
It's so hard knowing something isn't right with your baby but not knowing just what it is. The worst part for me is seeing him uncomfortable or even in pain and not knowing what to do. I gave him some Tylenol before bed in hopes that he'll get a good amount of sleep tonight. I'm planning on going to get some teething tabs tomorrow. I've heard good things about them and I'll update on their effects on Tommy.
For now, I'm going to see if I can catch up on some much needed sleep, myself!
The director of the daycare came in and suggested that I get it checked out so I cancelled my dentist appointment (they were not happy with me but oh well, they'll get over it) and was lucky enough to get a 9:00 appointment at the pediatrician's office.
I got in to see Tommy's specific pediatrician and she diagnosed him with roseola due to his lack of any other symptoms. At the last minuted, she decided to do a quick strep test to be sure she wasn't missing anything and was shocked when it came back positive. The diagnosis was changed to Scarlet Fever.
So I called work and took off the rest of the day and picked up Tommy's prescription for Amoxicillan and we snuggled for the rest of the day on the couch. The daycare policy is 24 hours of antibiotics but since we had our first dose at 9:45am, they let me bring him on Friday at 7:30am. He was in good spirits and napped well. His first two bottles went well but he flat out refused his third bottle. No big deal, I figured I could just give it to him when we got home. He drank about a half ounce before he spit out the nipple and cried. I laid back on the couch and he laid his head on my chest and we cuddled.
And then it happened.
Tommy picked up his head and projectile vomited all over my chest. I mean, this child is 17lbs and the amount of vomit would have rivaled the amount I had seen adults lose. It seeped through my shirt, my tank, and my bra. It was all down the front of me, in my jeans and even my underwear. The couch under me was coated in vomit. I yelled for Bill to come help me (he was conveniently in the bathroom when this all occurred) and he rushed in with a towel which he used to wrap up Tommy and proceeded to get him cleaned and changed while I showered.
Tommy pretty much slept on and off all of last night. He just could not seem to get comfortable. He didn't want to eat. He didn't want me to hold him. He didn't want me to put him down. He was just miserable.
This morning I tried to feed him several times and every time he would nurse for about a minute or two then refuse. Bill tried to give him a bottle and he drank less than an ounce. This really started to worry me so I called the doctor and they got him in at 10:45.
At 10:00 I tried to feed Tommy again and this time he ate hungrily for about 5 minutes before falling asleep.
The doctor checked him all out and noticed that one of his bottom front teeth seems to be trying to poke through. She determined that this was the reason he wasn't eating. She told us to give him Tylenol and to feed him whenever he seems hungry.
We gave him some Tylenol when we got home and for the next 4 hours he cluster fed. He was probably so hungry! Then he took a long nap and woke up almost a new baby. He was a little fussy this evening but is now sleeping.
It's so hard knowing something isn't right with your baby but not knowing just what it is. The worst part for me is seeing him uncomfortable or even in pain and not knowing what to do. I gave him some Tylenol before bed in hopes that he'll get a good amount of sleep tonight. I'm planning on going to get some teething tabs tomorrow. I've heard good things about them and I'll update on their effects on Tommy.
For now, I'm going to see if I can catch up on some much needed sleep, myself!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
A Day in the Life
Jen over at Stay At Home {Mom}ents challenged the Bump mommies to a Day in the Life blog post. I thought, why not? Let's give it a try! So here goes. (By the way, all pics are from my iPhone and not amazing)
5:45am My alarm goes off. I was already awake because Tommy woke up at 5:30 looking for his pacifier.
6:00am I drag myself out of bed and begin to pump and do a little lesson planning.
6:30am Tommy wakes up for the day.
I get him dressed and ready for the day.
Tommy had some morning Jumperoo time while I finish getting ready for work.
7:15am All of our bags are packed and ready to go, my pump, my work bag, my lunch, and Tommy's bottles and food for daycare.
I pack and start the car,
because it's a balmy 14 degrees outside with a windchill of 3. Brrr
7:20am We're all bundled up and ready to brave the cold.
7:25am We arrive at daycare which is located in a wing of another elementary school in my district.
It's for kids of employees only and I love it!
7:35am I'm off to work. I have a very typical morning, prep for the day, meeting with my grade level team, greet my class as they enter, and a small group reading lesson.
10:00am The kids are at their special (gym day) which means time for me to pump.
I pump in a small closet in the school. It's not cozy but it locks and has an outlet!
10:40am Back to teaching!
12:05pm Lunch which means it's time to pump again.
4:45pm My work day is finally over. I return home to my sister playing with Tommy! (Bill was able to pick Tommy up from daycare)
5:45pm I nurse Tommy then he takes a short nap while we snuggle. I missed him all day!
6:15pm Tommy wakes up and Auntie JoJo feeds him some pears. Mmm
Then we play for a while.
7:30pm PJ time then nursing again before bed.
8:00pm Tommy is asleep. I make up bottles for tomorrow.
8:15pm I make a bagel with E arth Balance for dinner since I' m not super hungry.
8:20pm A little bit of American Idol then bed.
So there it is! A day in the life on Longmeadow! Nothing glamorous but I love it!
5:45am My alarm goes off. I was already awake because Tommy woke up at 5:30 looking for his pacifier.
6:00am I drag myself out of bed and begin to pump and do a little lesson planning.
6:30am Tommy wakes up for the day.
I get him dressed and ready for the day.
Tommy had some morning Jumperoo time while I finish getting ready for work.
7:15am All of our bags are packed and ready to go, my pump, my work bag, my lunch, and Tommy's bottles and food for daycare.
because it's a balmy 14 degrees outside with a windchill of 3. Brrr
7:20am We're all bundled up and ready to brave the cold.
7:25am We arrive at daycare which is located in a wing of another elementary school in my district.
It's for kids of employees only and I love it!
7:35am I'm off to work. I have a very typical morning, prep for the day, meeting with my grade level team, greet my class as they enter, and a small group reading lesson.
10:00am The kids are at their special (gym day) which means time for me to pump.
I pump in a small closet in the school. It's not cozy but it locks and has an outlet!
10:40am Back to teaching!
12:05pm Lunch which means it's time to pump again.
4:45pm My work day is finally over. I return home to my sister playing with Tommy! (Bill was able to pick Tommy up from daycare)
5:45pm I nurse Tommy then he takes a short nap while we snuggle. I missed him all day!
6:15pm Tommy wakes up and Auntie JoJo feeds him some pears. Mmm
Then we play for a while.
7:30pm PJ time then nursing again before bed.
8:00pm Tommy is asleep. I make up bottles for tomorrow.
8:15pm I make a bagel with E arth Balance for dinner since I' m not super hungry.
8:20pm A little bit of American Idol then bed.
So there it is! A day in the life on Longmeadow! Nothing glamorous but I love it!
Monday, January 16, 2012
Another Cold
Poor Tommy, I feel like he's been sick all winter. Last Monday he woke up with a small rash on his forehead that I thought was just because he woke up in a puddle of drool. I took him to daycare and by the time we arrived, it had spread all over his body. I packed him back up and took him to the doctor. They told me it was viral and we would just have to let it run its course.
On Thursday, he had some yellow tinted goop in his eyes but when I took him to the doctor for it back in September, they told me it was just a clogged tear duct so I cleaned his eyes and away we went.
Friday daycare called me and said that the goop in Tommy's eyes was really flowing and had turned green so someone needed to pick him up. Luckily for me, my mom had cataract surgery on Wednesday and was home all week. She was doing really well from the surgery and was able to pick Tommy up and take him to the doctor. It turns out that the eye goop was an infection so they prescribed eye drops to be given 3 times a day for 5-7 days. These eye drops were no joke. Without insurance they would have been $130! We're lucky to have really great insurance so they only cost us $23 out of pocket. They cleared him up quickly though! We haven't seen any goop since Saturday morning.
The doctor said that what probably happened was Tommy most likely rubbed his nose then rubbed his eyes and the infection came from that. All I know is that Tommy is only 5 months old and has been sick A LOT. I'm sure it has a lot to do with daycare. They really do their best to keep things clean there but there are bound to be lots of germs with lots of kids running around.
Sunday morning was probably the worst day of the cold, he slept terribly Friday night and woke up completely stuffed. He had tears, drool, and snot coming out of every hole in his face. He just whined all morning long. I felt terrible for him. He cat napped on and off until finally at 2:30 I laid him down in bed next to me and nursed him to sleep where he stayed for 3 solid hours. He woke up feeling much better.
Yesterday the cold moved down into his chest some so now he has a cough. I'm just praying that it doesn't get too bad. I don't want to have to use the nebulizer on him again. Poor guy!
On Thursday, he had some yellow tinted goop in his eyes but when I took him to the doctor for it back in September, they told me it was just a clogged tear duct so I cleaned his eyes and away we went.
Friday daycare called me and said that the goop in Tommy's eyes was really flowing and had turned green so someone needed to pick him up. Luckily for me, my mom had cataract surgery on Wednesday and was home all week. She was doing really well from the surgery and was able to pick Tommy up and take him to the doctor. It turns out that the eye goop was an infection so they prescribed eye drops to be given 3 times a day for 5-7 days. These eye drops were no joke. Without insurance they would have been $130! We're lucky to have really great insurance so they only cost us $23 out of pocket. They cleared him up quickly though! We haven't seen any goop since Saturday morning.
The doctor said that what probably happened was Tommy most likely rubbed his nose then rubbed his eyes and the infection came from that. All I know is that Tommy is only 5 months old and has been sick A LOT. I'm sure it has a lot to do with daycare. They really do their best to keep things clean there but there are bound to be lots of germs with lots of kids running around.
Sunday morning was probably the worst day of the cold, he slept terribly Friday night and woke up completely stuffed. He had tears, drool, and snot coming out of every hole in his face. He just whined all morning long. I felt terrible for him. He cat napped on and off until finally at 2:30 I laid him down in bed next to me and nursed him to sleep where he stayed for 3 solid hours. He woke up feeling much better.
Yesterday the cold moved down into his chest some so now he has a cough. I'm just praying that it doesn't get too bad. I don't want to have to use the nebulizer on him again. Poor guy!
Friday, January 6, 2012
Solids Success!
I'm so happy that Tommy has responded well to the sweet potatoes. He gobbles them up! After we finished the first jar of sweet potatoes I gave him some homemade ones thinned with breastmilk and he really loved them! He has been getting 1 ice cube sized serving mixed with half an ounce of breastmilk every morning at daycare. Today I am packing 2 cubes with 1 ounce of breastmilk to see how that goes over. I have also given him pears twice now in the evening. The first time he really liked them. The second time he gave me a face like, "um, this is not a sweet potato, what are you feeding me?" but then gobbled the rest up!
This weekend I'm going to give him carrots and see how those go over.
I cannot tell you how relieved I am that he is able to eat some solids. I was really worried when he didn't tolerate rice cereal. Now I'm going to give him another week of just veggies and fruit and then try to mix in a tiny bit of cereal and see if his tummy can handle it. If not, then I'm going to give him some spinach for the iron content.
Big sigh of relief over here!
This weekend I'm going to give him carrots and see how those go over.
I cannot tell you how relieved I am that he is able to eat some solids. I was really worried when he didn't tolerate rice cereal. Now I'm going to give him another week of just veggies and fruit and then try to mix in a tiny bit of cereal and see if his tummy can handle it. If not, then I'm going to give him some spinach for the iron content.
Big sigh of relief over here!
Friday, October 14, 2011
1 Week Down!
Today was the last day of my first week back at work. Luckily, it was a four day week because of the Columbus Day holiday so it was a nice, short week. Tuesday was really hard. I got up, got myself and Tommy ready, and brought Tommy to daycare. I'm so glad that we decided on this center. I really trust them and know that Tommy will be in good hands while he's there which makes leaving him a lot easier. My cousin's two kids go there and I was very fortunate that his wife was dropping their kids off at the same time as I was on Tuesday. She waited for me and walked me out. I was crying of course and she gave me a hug and told me that he would be great and that it would get easier. She was right.
Wednesday, Bill dropped Tommy off and it was a lot easier leaving Tommy with Bill than at daycare but I was still leaving him for the day. Thursday and today were each easier than the previous time I left him. I only teared up for a quick minute today, no actual crying!
Tommy only ate 2 oz at a time on Tuesday so only 6 oz total for the whole day. He cluster fed like crazy that night but I didn't mind. By today, he was eating 3, 4oz bottles. I'm glad that he is taking to them. He has only been cat napping for the most part but today he did take one, hour and a half long nap! I think they'll get him on an eating and napping schedule before we know it!
For now though, they are feeding on demand.
That brings me to pumping. I have a small freezer stash but can't use any of it since it all was pumped before I found out that Tommy is sensitive to dairy, which I'll add another post about later. We can't use any of that milk. Pumping at school has been interesting. Technically, my employer is required to provide a place to pump and a time other than my lunch or planning period but that really isn't practical. If I pump outside of those two times, I have to leave my class with someone which means writing sub plans everyday. It just won't really work. So I've been feeding Tommy around 5:30 then putting him back to bed while I get ready for work. I pump at 10:00 during my planning period and at 12:00 during my lunch. I pick up Tommy by 4:00 and feed him when we get home if he's hungry, if not, I pump then too.
This has worked alright so far but I don't pump enough. My first pumping session usually gives me a good amount, about 7oz. However, I get 5oz from the right side and only 2 on the left. During my lunch I've been getting about 3-4oz, 2-3 on my right and only 1 on the left. I've only had to pump once when I get home and I got 3oz on the right and 1oz on the left. My left boob is a dud. I bought some fenugreek and planned on starting to take it this weekend in hopes of boosting my supply but now I'm not sure if I should or not. I get a good amount on the right side, I just want to boost my supply on the left. I leave the pump going on the left the whole time I'm getting milk from the right. It takes about 10 minutes to get the right completely "emptied" and only about 3 on the left. I think I'm going to try to call the lactation consultants on Monday and see what they suggest. I have noticed that Tommy definitely eats on the right side much longer than the left irregardless of which side I start him on. I've tried offering him the left side again after be pulls off and he just gets frustrated.
Tommy has also started to get a hang of our bedtime routine! He even moved his bedtime up for me! He was going to bed around 10:00 but decided on Monday night that he was tired around 8:00 so I started our routine then and he was asleep by 8:00 and slept until I woke him up at 7:00am just waking up long enough to eat twice! He kept his early bedtime all week and went to bed about an hour ago tonight!
Overall, my first week back went pretty well. Things are a bit crazy at school and I have to put in some hard work to get my class the way I would like them but it will be fine. My sub did a great job, there are just some things that I do differently! I'm glad to be back at work and even though I miss Tommy terribly, I think it's good for both of us!
Wednesday, Bill dropped Tommy off and it was a lot easier leaving Tommy with Bill than at daycare but I was still leaving him for the day. Thursday and today were each easier than the previous time I left him. I only teared up for a quick minute today, no actual crying!
Tommy only ate 2 oz at a time on Tuesday so only 6 oz total for the whole day. He cluster fed like crazy that night but I didn't mind. By today, he was eating 3, 4oz bottles. I'm glad that he is taking to them. He has only been cat napping for the most part but today he did take one, hour and a half long nap! I think they'll get him on an eating and napping schedule before we know it!
For now though, they are feeding on demand.
That brings me to pumping. I have a small freezer stash but can't use any of it since it all was pumped before I found out that Tommy is sensitive to dairy, which I'll add another post about later. We can't use any of that milk. Pumping at school has been interesting. Technically, my employer is required to provide a place to pump and a time other than my lunch or planning period but that really isn't practical. If I pump outside of those two times, I have to leave my class with someone which means writing sub plans everyday. It just won't really work. So I've been feeding Tommy around 5:30 then putting him back to bed while I get ready for work. I pump at 10:00 during my planning period and at 12:00 during my lunch. I pick up Tommy by 4:00 and feed him when we get home if he's hungry, if not, I pump then too.
This has worked alright so far but I don't pump enough. My first pumping session usually gives me a good amount, about 7oz. However, I get 5oz from the right side and only 2 on the left. During my lunch I've been getting about 3-4oz, 2-3 on my right and only 1 on the left. I've only had to pump once when I get home and I got 3oz on the right and 1oz on the left. My left boob is a dud. I bought some fenugreek and planned on starting to take it this weekend in hopes of boosting my supply but now I'm not sure if I should or not. I get a good amount on the right side, I just want to boost my supply on the left. I leave the pump going on the left the whole time I'm getting milk from the right. It takes about 10 minutes to get the right completely "emptied" and only about 3 on the left. I think I'm going to try to call the lactation consultants on Monday and see what they suggest. I have noticed that Tommy definitely eats on the right side much longer than the left irregardless of which side I start him on. I've tried offering him the left side again after be pulls off and he just gets frustrated.
Tommy has also started to get a hang of our bedtime routine! He even moved his bedtime up for me! He was going to bed around 10:00 but decided on Monday night that he was tired around 8:00 so I started our routine then and he was asleep by 8:00 and slept until I woke him up at 7:00am just waking up long enough to eat twice! He kept his early bedtime all week and went to bed about an hour ago tonight!
Overall, my first week back went pretty well. Things are a bit crazy at school and I have to put in some hard work to get my class the way I would like them but it will be fine. My sub did a great job, there are just some things that I do differently! I'm glad to be back at work and even though I miss Tommy terribly, I think it's good for both of us!
Monday, October 10, 2011
Back to work
I go back to work tomorrow. I'm really excited to get back to school and my students but I'm really nervous. I'm not really very nervous about leaving Tommy at daycare, I really like and trust the center but I have this irrational fear that Tommy will forget that I'm his mom or something. It's a weird thought because I know I'm being ridiculous but I feel like I'm handing the responsibility of raising my child off to someone else. I will be okay and so will Tommy.
Ok, I can do this.
Ok, I can do this.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Bottle feeding
I go back to work on October 11. Eeek. Tommy will be going to daycare at the center for employees of my school district. I feel really good about this. We went and visited today and Bill and I just love the teachers and so did Tommy! He snuggled right into the arms of Rosa, the lead teacher! The other babies were all napping or playing quietly. Side note: the babies sleep in PNPs but there are 2 others who won't so they nap in bouncy chairs for now and they attempt the PNP everyday until they will!
Anyway, I've been pumping and have a small supply and will continue to pump as much as possible when I go back to work but I won't have enough to satisfy Tommy while at daycare so we have been forced to introduce formula. He's been taking 1-2 bottles a day of Enfamil Gentlease which was suggested by our pedi for his gassiness. Every time he takes the bottle, he drinks about an ounce before he startes moaning and pushing it out, then pulling it back in until he stops eating after 2 oz. It's like he's struggling to eat. I just thought it was the bottle itself. Until yesterday. Yesterday I pumped an extra time and fed it to Tommy in a bottle to see if he would act the same way. Nope. He calmly gulped down all 4 oz.
This morning I called the doctor to see if they thought we should switch formulas or if there was something else we should do. They suggested mixing the formula in the morning and letting it rest in the refrigerator to let the bubbles that are formed when mixing, pop. They said that's probably the problem, that it's like he's drinking a carbonated drink and his belly is getting full of bubbles.
So, we'll give it a try and see what happens. I hope that solves the problem but I have a bad feeling that it won't be that easy...
Anyway, I've been pumping and have a small supply and will continue to pump as much as possible when I go back to work but I won't have enough to satisfy Tommy while at daycare so we have been forced to introduce formula. He's been taking 1-2 bottles a day of Enfamil Gentlease which was suggested by our pedi for his gassiness. Every time he takes the bottle, he drinks about an ounce before he startes moaning and pushing it out, then pulling it back in until he stops eating after 2 oz. It's like he's struggling to eat. I just thought it was the bottle itself. Until yesterday. Yesterday I pumped an extra time and fed it to Tommy in a bottle to see if he would act the same way. Nope. He calmly gulped down all 4 oz.
This morning I called the doctor to see if they thought we should switch formulas or if there was something else we should do. They suggested mixing the formula in the morning and letting it rest in the refrigerator to let the bubbles that are formed when mixing, pop. They said that's probably the problem, that it's like he's drinking a carbonated drink and his belly is getting full of bubbles.
So, we'll give it a try and see what happens. I hope that solves the problem but I have a bad feeling that it won't be that easy...
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Having a rough day
It's 9:30am and I've already cried multiple times today. First, Bill had to work today because of the massive flooding in Binghamton. They weren't able to deliver to any of their stops in that area the last couple of days so Bill and 2 of his coworkers had to work today. Luckily, Bill only had one stop but it is 2.5 hours away. He should be home by noon.
The major reason I've cried today, though, is I just feel like I suck at this whole mothering thing. First, we've started supplementing with formula. Just one bottle a day for now. The reason being, that pumping is not going well for me. I get MAYBE 2 oz every time I pump and Tommy eats more than that at a feeding. When I go back to work, I'll be lucky if I can get 2 pumping sessions in each day between my lunch and planning period. 4 oz will not be enough to get Tommy through a day of daycare. I spoke to the lactation consultants at the hospital and the pediatrician and decided to give in to formula. I'm going to keep breastfeeding at night, hopefully. So for now, one bottle a day of formula. And Tommy does not really like it. So I feel guilty that we're introducing formula at all and I feel even more guilty that my baby doesn't like it.
The second reason I feel like I suck at being a mother is because I can not get Tommy to sleep at night consistently. I had one night where I really felt like I had a clue, then we had last night. At 8:00, I nursed Tommy to sleep and got him comfortable in the Pack N Play. 15 minutes later he started squawking so I went in to check on him and he started projectile vomiting, choking, and gagging. I scooped him up and cleaned him while Bill cleaned up the Pack N Play. Then Tommy was awake. I didn't want to try to nurse him again because I was afraid he'd vomit again, and he didn't seem hungry. I finally nursed him at 11 and he fell asleep and I got him in the Pack N Play again but he spit up and woke up again. This time I couldn't get him put back down in the Pack N Play and, if I'm being honest, I was too tired to try. So I let him sleep on my chest until 2. At that point I fed him again and he was WIDE AWAKE and FUSSY. Bill eventually got up with him at 3:30 and walked around with him for an hour so I could sleep. Then I nursed him again. Bill had to get ready for work and left by 4:30 and I was alone with a baby who had spit up twice and still hadn't pooped all night (this kid poops EVERY TIME he eats normally). So I gave up. I nursed him laying down and we slept for 3 hours together in our bed. Not good. If I was a good mom I would have stayed up with him or kept trying to put him down in the Pack N Play. If I was a good mom I wouldn't have given up.
What are we going to do? I need to get him sleeping on his own. He can't sleep in bed with us and he can't sleep on my chest forever. I need to get this figured out. Until then, I'm going to keep plugging along. And wiping my tears.
The major reason I've cried today, though, is I just feel like I suck at this whole mothering thing. First, we've started supplementing with formula. Just one bottle a day for now. The reason being, that pumping is not going well for me. I get MAYBE 2 oz every time I pump and Tommy eats more than that at a feeding. When I go back to work, I'll be lucky if I can get 2 pumping sessions in each day between my lunch and planning period. 4 oz will not be enough to get Tommy through a day of daycare. I spoke to the lactation consultants at the hospital and the pediatrician and decided to give in to formula. I'm going to keep breastfeeding at night, hopefully. So for now, one bottle a day of formula. And Tommy does not really like it. So I feel guilty that we're introducing formula at all and I feel even more guilty that my baby doesn't like it.
The second reason I feel like I suck at being a mother is because I can not get Tommy to sleep at night consistently. I had one night where I really felt like I had a clue, then we had last night. At 8:00, I nursed Tommy to sleep and got him comfortable in the Pack N Play. 15 minutes later he started squawking so I went in to check on him and he started projectile vomiting, choking, and gagging. I scooped him up and cleaned him while Bill cleaned up the Pack N Play. Then Tommy was awake. I didn't want to try to nurse him again because I was afraid he'd vomit again, and he didn't seem hungry. I finally nursed him at 11 and he fell asleep and I got him in the Pack N Play again but he spit up and woke up again. This time I couldn't get him put back down in the Pack N Play and, if I'm being honest, I was too tired to try. So I let him sleep on my chest until 2. At that point I fed him again and he was WIDE AWAKE and FUSSY. Bill eventually got up with him at 3:30 and walked around with him for an hour so I could sleep. Then I nursed him again. Bill had to get ready for work and left by 4:30 and I was alone with a baby who had spit up twice and still hadn't pooped all night (this kid poops EVERY TIME he eats normally). So I gave up. I nursed him laying down and we slept for 3 hours together in our bed. Not good. If I was a good mom I would have stayed up with him or kept trying to put him down in the Pack N Play. If I was a good mom I wouldn't have given up.
What are we going to do? I need to get him sleeping on his own. He can't sleep in bed with us and he can't sleep on my chest forever. I need to get this figured out. Until then, I'm going to keep plugging along. And wiping my tears.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Daycare
I'm not sure if I've written about our daycare options before. If I give birth around my due date, I'll be taking the first month of school off and going back sometime in October which means we need childcare for our very tiny infant. It's not ideal but next school year is my tenure year and while I don't totally believe in tenure (a story for a different day) I do believe in doing what I can to keep my job! They can't deny me tenure because I had a baby but they can push back my tenure date if I stay out too long.
So anyway, we had a couple of options for daycare.
Yesterday I got the call from the director, WE GOT IN!!! I'm still pretty hesitant about putting my 6-8 week old infant in the care of anyone other than myself or my mom but we knew when we got pregnant that this was going to happen. We knew that we couldn't really afford for either of us to stop working and our young parents all still work. The next best option would be to find a center that really works for us and I think this is it! We go to sign paperwork and tour again on Tuesday. It feels like a huge weight has been lifted!
So anyway, we had a couple of options for daycare.
- A friend of the family sits for kids out of her house. Pros: Least expensive, someone we trust because we really know them. Cons: I love this woman but she's a liver and pancreas transplant survivor and because of that, gets sick and needs to go to the doctor quite often. I worry about her being able to take care of the baby regularly enough. We don't have a backup, one of us would have to call in if she couldn't take the baby and Bill doesn't have sick time, he doesn't get paid if he doesn't go in.
- A daycare center by my work. Pros: Highly recommended by several coworkers, close to work, clean and the staff seemed very competent. Cons: Most expensive option (both in weekly cost and we would have to pay for the summer even though I'd be home), long wait list, close to work but not home.
- A daycare center for employees of my school district. Pros: Recommended by my cousin who takes his kids there, clean and the staff seemed very competent, more inexpensive than option 2 (same weekly cost but because it's for school district employees it's not open when school is not so we only pay for the days we're in session), small - the director knows all of the children and parents by name, very close to our house and convenient for us, my parents, and Bill's mom if they ever needed to pick up the baby for us. Cons: Only take 8 infants a year, somewhat long wait list that only lets kids in at the beginning of the school year.
Yesterday I got the call from the director, WE GOT IN!!! I'm still pretty hesitant about putting my 6-8 week old infant in the care of anyone other than myself or my mom but we knew when we got pregnant that this was going to happen. We knew that we couldn't really afford for either of us to stop working and our young parents all still work. The next best option would be to find a center that really works for us and I think this is it! We go to sign paperwork and tour again on Tuesday. It feels like a huge weight has been lifted!
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