I used to be pretty darn happy with my perky Ds. Then I got pregnant and they got alarmingly large. Now that I’ve stopped breastfeeding…let me paint you a picture.
Have you ever blown up a balloon, not tied it and let it go? It flies around the room, finally sputtering and dying, completely deflated on the ground.
Yep, that’s about accurate.
Last week, I blogged about the formula experiment we were trying. We first opened one of the Enfamil samples that we had received in a childbirth preparation class, but the next day I purchased a can of Nestle Good Start Gentle (orange can). It had good reviews online for being gentle on a baby’s stomach and I remembered that my sister-in-law had used it for her girls. Enfamil Gentlease seemed to have good reviews, but I was slightly alarmed to see that the first ingredient in that formula is corn syrup solids. I have an allergy to corn syrup and, regardless, I didn’t feel that corn syrup should have that much prominence in the ingredients of a formula.
We noticed a difference in C almost immediately. He was generally more relaxed. When we picked him up, he kind of melted into us and cuddled instead of being more stiff and uncomfortable. Within about three days, it was like we had a totally different child. He now loves to smile and coo. He sleeps even better during the night than he used to. On breastmilk, he would sleep about 4-5 hours at a time. Last night, he slept for a 7-hour stretch.
It’s awesome to see him happy and comfortable. Granted, he still gets gas and fusses; but, I think that’s because he takes his bottles so quickly. It’s just the way he eats! There’s nothing we have been able to do to slow him down. Now I think it’s a normal fussiness, though, instead of a 24/7 colic.
So glad that we found our answer!
I couldn’t take it anymore. Watching my son have stomachaches every day. A smile quickly turning to a frown. Fuss and fuss and fuss.
We’ve tried everything. Chiropractic care (which definitely did make an improvement), baby Zantac, propping him, burping him often, tracking what I eat, avoiding certain food triggers, various gas drops…the list goes on and on. Nothing has made a difference. Tonight, he seemed to refuse his bottle of breastmilk.
That was the final straw for me. It’s been heartbreaking knowing that he has stomachaches and the only nutrients going into his body are from me. So I am the reason he is hurting, and there’s nothing that I have been able to do to make it better. He had never refused his milk before. I couldn’t take it.
I opened one of the numerous samples of formula that we received from the doctor’s office, hospital, and childbirth preparation classes. He was skeptical of it at first, but he ate. And he didn’t cry. I can count on one hand how many times he has taken a bottle of breastmilk and not cried after eating.
We’re going to try this for two days. I am definitely pro-breastfeeding and it breaks my heart that it has come down to this experiment. If it doesn’t work, then we’ll keep trying to come up with different things to help him. If it does work and we need to switch to formula-feeding…at least I was able to give my son the advantage of 8 weeks of breastfeeding.
As I posted yesterday, my nipples took a beating from C’s barracuda nursing style. I was desperate for some relief. After reading up on some customer reviews of several products, I decided to try Motherlove Nipple Cream. I liked that it had all-natural ingredients – and that it didn’t smell like lanolin. I hated that smell!
It was like a miracle cream for my nipples. By the time it arrived, I had started exclusively pumping but still had cracking and bleeding from the damage C did. I used it before and after each pumping and within a few days, everything was healed up. I continue to use it after pumping and haven’t experienced any soreness.
I’d definitely recommend it!
(Note: I have not been compensated in any way for this review.)
According to WhatToExpect.com, there’s the Barracuda, the Excited Ineffective, the Procrastinator, the Gourmet and the Rester.
C is definitely a barracuda. He attacks his food like it’s going outta style. It’s no wonder my nipples couldn’t take it. By his second week of life, I had already decided to exclusively pump (EP).
To this day, the kid attacks his bottles. It’s a good thing I’m EPing, or I may have needed reconstructive breast surgery by now.
What nursing style does your baby have?
C had his first checkup with his pediatrician this afternoon and he did great. At 8 pounds, 13 ounces, he successfully surpassed his birth weight! His doctor prescribed Zantac for his acid reflux. We will be able to start and stop that for him as we wish to experiment and see if it helps him. I’m relieved that we can have that to fall back on, since my own experimenting with avoiding certain foods for breastfeeding (spicy, citrus, chocolate, etc.) has yielded zero results.
I’m really excited that his pediatrician is very nice, thorough and didn’t make us feel rushed at all when we were asking questions. This doctor was recommended by Hubster’s supervisor, who has three boys, and I couldn’t be happier with his recommendation.
C is now in the 82nd percentile for weight. That just makes me laugh, because he looks so scrawny! His arms and legs are a bit too long for most of his newborn-size clothes, but all the 0-3 month clothes just hang on his little frame.
Hoping the Zantac will give our little man some relief!
This afternoon I had my two-week doctor appointment to check on my cesarean incision. I was worried about stepping on the scale at the doctor’s office, because I inevitably weigh more there than I do at home. Admittedly, I kept my shoes on so that if the result wasn’t favorable I could blame it on that. 
However(!), I lost 22 pounds!!!! I am SO excited. The most activity I have been able to do in the past 13 days since C’s delivery is going on a couple of slow walks and running a few brief errands around town. Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that breastfeeding is simply the best diet ever.
I am hungry ALL. THE. TIME. Way hungrier than I was at any point in my pregnancy. (Okay, except for the few times that I was ravenous.) Yet, I’m dropping weight so quickly. I love it!
Here’s to hoping that the weight loss will continue to come easily, especially as I heal and am able to become more active.
It’s amazing how little it takes these days for me to feel like Superwoman! C was content long enough for me to pump while he sat by me in his Boppy. Then he hung out in his swing while I did dishes, changed the load of laundry and then made myself look presentable for the day. I even fixed myself a snack before he started to fuss! Breastfeeding makes me SO hungry.
Woohoo!