Gloria has apparently been reading up on newborn development as she is right on track for the first 7-10 day old growth spurt. Her latch and my nipple sensitivity have improved markedly in the last 48 hours – she still clicks but about half as much. Last night I put a premium prefold on her because she flooded the infant size the night before. I think I can safely say she is getting plenty to eat!
Oh she’s rolled over twice from back to stomach. Crazy!
So don’t forget! Sean laid in our supplies today.
The rules are simple:
1) Eat ice cream
2) for breakfast
3) on the first Saturday in February.
ICFBD 2008 is on February 2nd. Spread the word!
So I kept notes on the clickity girl. She needed relatching less and less over the last few days for pain, but still had the same amount of clicking. The air swallowing is getting a little better, but not consistently.
At this time, I’m not going to consult a doctor. I found out without a referral we would pay out of pocket, and we have our first appointment with the family practice assigned to us by the state (we have state insurance) on Feb. 13th. Can’t get them to see us any sooner, but it’s okay. I’ll ask for a referral then, unless it gets awful between then and now.
My major concern is of course how much Gloria is eating. As long as she’s growing, sleeping well, and going through lots of wet and messy diapers (she is) my fears are assuaged. I also worry about her latch affecting my milk supply and/or damaging my nipples – if I can’t feed her because of this that’s obviously a big problem. So far we are only dealing with minor pain on my part, no actual injury. I’m used to pain.
So, as it stands we will continue to do what we’re doin’.
She sleeps well at night, which makes everything easier. Wakes up about 3-4 times, nurses for a bit, gets burped, and we go back to sleep. I have had much more trying newborns than her, sleep-wise.
All is going as well as it can, which is pretty good, you know?
Ricki Lake’s documentary, “The Business of Being Born” will be shown at Circle Cinema in Tulsa, Oklahoma on February 17, 19, and 21.
I probably can’t make it – it would mean being gone from my home for far too many hours – but I know many locals who would love to go. If I hear of an OKC to Tulsa roadtrip I’ll edit this post and give details.
Many of you know that several years back, my mother made and sold cloth diapers called SleepyKats.
Here I present the SleepyKitten!
With gussets!
Diaper modeling is hard work.
I spoke to a midwife-recommended lactation consultant this morning about Gloria’s tongue tie. She had a number of suggestions and they seem to be helping. She thinks that Gloria’s tie will resolve over time, and with careful management it doesn’t need clipping. So that was good to hear. I’ll talk to her again in the morning after a day of note-taking on the number of relatches neccessary per nursing session to avoid the click and airswallow.
I also have the number for a local doctor who knows how to clip the frenulum. I’m going to call him on Monday and schedule an exam. Thanks to CBE Hyphen for finding the info for me. edit: another doctor now, too! yay!
The pain isn’t horrible because I’m able to get her in different positions to avoid the gum rub on the same spot each time, and also because her tongue just reaches over her gum line, it just is uncomfy for her so she retracts as soon as she gets tired, or has to coordinate suck-swallow-breathe. It’s a significant discomfort but manageable at this point.
I’m not comfortable with the idea of clipping it myself. For instance, I only trim fingernails when the child in question is sound asleep because I nicked Faith once and, well, that was enough. So, yeah, no surgical procedures, no matter how minor, performed by me on squiggly little newborns and infants.
She’s waking! No time to proofread, off to lather-rinse-repeat.
Gloria’s bellybutton made its appearance this evening. I think this is the earliest we’ve ever had that happen, and it’s also the first time I did nothing more than keep the umbilical cord clean and dry, no alcohol or any other substances applied.
I had read that you don’t need to use alcohol, that the use of alcohol was not evidence based, and in fact had been shown in a reputable 1998 study to cause the cord stump to stay on on average two days longer than if nothing was applied.
But it gets all gloopy. And, honestly, stinky. So I always caved in, before, and used alcohol.
But this time, I held firm, weathered the smelly day (it’s only bad for a day, really, and not that horrible) and lo and behold – a perfect little belly button has emerged after only five days.
First bath tomorrow. I love newborn baths.
Great information here. Gloria is Type 3, I think. She’s sleeping right now. I’ll check later.
I’m really ticked off. I was treated poorly this morning by people who should have wanted to help me and my daughter. It hurt my feelings and made me feel angry and helpless.
First, a brief anatomy lesson.
Gloria has a very “clicky” latch. She also swallows air, audibly. Her latch hurts a bit when she first attaches (normal) and then progresses to a different sort of discomfort as she retracts her tongue and starts clicking and swallowing air. It doesn’t have anything to do with my milk ejection reflex as it happens before it lets down, after, during… it’s independent of that.
I suspect posterior occult tongue tie, or tight frenulum. It’s treated by applying a topical anesthetic to the underside of the tongue (that banana stuff they use before the shot at the dentist) and then the tissue holding the tongue to the bottom of the mouth is cut, and when it heals it’s not as tight. It’s almost painless (even without anesthesia) and it provides immediate resolution of the problem.
The trouble is most doctors have never heard of posterior tongue tie because it doesn’t affect bottlefeeding much. They think tongue tie is largely related to the position of the frenulum, not the length. So you have to really look around to find a pediatrician experienced enough in breastfeeding difficulties and, more importantly, solutions, to diagnose and treat it.
OK, OK Fee, you are thinking. Cut to the chase, as it were.
This is the most breastfeeding friendly pediatrician in Oklahoma City. I’ve met him. He’s really nice, down to earth, and intelligent. (Also, I happen to know he knits. Which, you know, would irrationally predjudice me in his favor.) We went to him about eight years ago when Faith was tiny, I think twice, then moved to Wichita, Kansas. When we moved back to Oklahoma four years ago we didn’t use him as a ped because our insurance had changed.
OK, fast forward to this morning. I called to see if I could schedule a visit today for Gloria. We’d have to pay out of pocket, I knew, but I figured one visit and one procedure would be doable. I was hopeful that we could be seen today, even, since feeding difficulties are very important to catch.
They won’t see us, ever.
Apparently we owed them some money from 8 years ago, like $30 that insurance didn’t pick up, and since we never paid, they very snippily told me ”your family is not welcome at our practice and has been discharged.” I asked if we could pay the past due amount this morning and was told no. I said “but my daughter really needs to see Dr. Moore! He’s the only pediatrician I know of with enough breastfeeding experience to diagnose her! Please, let us pay you this miniscule bill we knew NOTHING ABOUT!”
“No.” said the office manager haughtily from her high horse. ”You are no-good, no-count people who shouldn’t have children anyway, and they deserve to suffer for your irresponsibility.”
Well, okay, she didn’t say that last part, but she implied it.
So now I have a clicky latch air swallowing kid, an angry feeling in the pit of my stomach, and no other ideas. I guess I get to hope it resolves, which it can, but it’s not fun while you’re waiting for the frenulum to stretch. It takes months.
Those rotten bastards.
ETA: Have mustered some other troops – CBEs, LLL Leaders, and local midwives. Maybe someone has a recommendation.
I knit her diaper soaker out of the lovely softy bulky lambswool Tabitha gave me.
My milk came in last night and I have a full-tummied sleepy girl.
I’ve got her in my Maya Wrap and she loves it. So do I. Aaah!
9 pounds 10 oz (4366g) and 21 inches (53cm)
Exactly Gil’s size! Wacky!
most definitely today is the day.
wish me luck!
eta water broke 4am
I’ve had disorganized contractions since about 5 or 6 AM (no clock n the bedroom) but they aren’t getting stronger, closer together or more regular, so I’m not banking on them. I did notice the baby is wigglier than usual and also my oxytocin-induced mood is pretty good.
But really, nothing’s going on. Soon, though!
So we’ve been trying to avoid artificial colors and keep a decent amount of protein in the kids’ diets. It’s been working very well – I learned just how well today.
Faith had artificially colored cereal for breakfast, and not much milk, so lots of carbs… and this afternoon has been awful. Gilbert too.
Abby, Trixie and Bede are unaffected.
So now we know!
Karen McCarron guilty on all counts.
Finger-flick, as usual, to Autism Vox.
So. Bede continues to amaze.
We have several computers in this house. OK, more than several. We have five. One is exclusively Bede’s, one is for Faith and Abby, one is mine and two are Sean’s (the old Mac and the new Mac.) Bede has been using the computer since he was two years old and taught himself to read and it is a necessary item for him. He will likely favor typed and written communication over spoken for the rest of his life. He loves the computer. LOVES.
He generally confines himself to his machine, leaving the girls’ computer alone (all the family computers are in the livingroom.) But sometimes he wanders over and fools with theirs. I’ve never worried because I had passwords on the accounts, so what could he do, right? He wouldn’t hurt their stuff, but he might rearrange favorites, or rename files on their desktop, or in some other way be pesky and little brother like on their account. ANd mine needed to be secure because it’s administrator level and he could really screw something up.
He hacked the passwords.
From a combination of watching us type them and sheer luck, he figured out what they were and was delightedly clicking about on the girls’ account. As I said to a friend, HE IS FOUR YEARS OLD. FOUR, people!
I think we’re in real trouble here. Let’s hope he uses his powers for good instead of evil.
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