The Sky's the Limit!

As part of her Language Arts assignment yesterday, Honor was asked to answer what she would like to do that she could never do (as an add on to a story about a kiwi bird with an active imagination).

She answered that there was nothing she could never do.

I'm doing something right here!

The Birds and Bees According to Honor

Honor: "Mommy! Conan is sooooo cute!  And just think, just a few months ago you didn't even know you were going to have him!"

Mommy: "A few months ago? Sure I did!"

Honor: "Okay, well a year ago you didn't. But then you and Daddy started kissssss-ing...and you got pregnant."

Yep. That's exactly how it happened...

Waiting on Weight

I hate scales! Without scales, we could go off the way a person looks to determine their health. We wouldn't be held hostage by some arbitrary number that some doctor made up as ideal. Body image issues would decline as women (and men), who would normally feel comfortable in their skin, stop using a number to decide their worth.

And, without a scale, no one would have thought there was anything wrong with Conan.

How on earth did women breast feed their babies before there was a scale to tell them they were doing it all wrong?

Conan was on the larger side when he was born and a lot of that was water weight, so it stands to reason that he would lose a lot of weight in the beginning. However, he was peeing a ton, very alert, and perfectly content. Then the doctor told me he lost too much weight and that if he didn't gain enough back by his next appointment, we would have to supplement...with formula if I couldn't pump extra milk (which I can't...I've never been good at pumping...)

Talk about stress! To tell a mom that she's not producing enough milk to make her son grow for whatever reason puts a ton of pressure on her...especially if that mom is a rule follower like me. And stress affects milk supply.  It's a self-fulfilling prophecy really.

So, for the first month of Conan's life, we were in and out of the doctor and lactation specialist's office twice a week...causing further stress. And every time he was weighed, I expected a massive weight gain because he acted healthy, was very content, and looked bigger...plus he ate ALL the time! I followed all the rules: fed him on demand (and then some!), drank plenty of water, but not TOO much, ate healthy, didn't diet, rested when he rested, and took milk boosting supplements. The    lactation consultant said it looked like he latched on correctly to nurse and it was completely pain  free--both signs that he should have been getting enough milk. Plus there is the fact that all of my biological children are tall and skinny--formula fed or not--Honor didn't reach 20 pounds until she was two!

But the scale said he had not gained an ounce since he was 4 days old. And the scale wins.

The doctor (who I trust completely) said that because  my milk didn't come in immediately, Conan was using all the nutrients he was getting to maintain his weight. If he didn't get an extra boost to help him over the hurdle, he would no longer be able to keep up and he could start having real health concerns. The plan was to supplement for only a few weeks, just to get him back on track.

With the help of a supplemental nursing system (a tube attached to a bottle so that he got the formula  while still nursing), Conan eventually gained weight and at his last doctor visit (1 month), all the hard work paid off. I was told he could wean himself off the formula. If you knew what a pain it was to  hook up the SNS, you would understand the little victory dance I did in the parking lot.

I find myself still a slave to the scale. Is he gaining weight now that he is no longer taking formula? My doctor warned me not to weigh him too often as daily there will be fluctuations, but I find myself fighting the urge to call the lactation consultant to do a weight check. I told myself I would only go in during the bi-weekly breast feeding support group. I'm sticking to it, but the pull t o weigh him is strong...

And that is why I hate scales.

Preparation

Mommy: "Samuel, stop humming and distracting everybody and get back to work!"

Samuel: "I'm just practicing my Happy Birthday song so I'm ready next time someone has a birthday party."

Ariana: "Yeah, like me."

Her birthday is November 26th.

She has been preparing for it since Easter.

So glad Samuel will be ready to sing his Happy Birthday song when the time comes...