Conference moira::parenting

170.0. "Baby's First Month" by KAOFS::M_FETT (alias Mrs.Barney) Thu Jun 11 1992 14:21

    I am sitting here reading the copious amount of mail that's piled
    up in 3 weeks, and boy, has time flown. Charlotte is presently in
    the baby carrier in my arms asleep (yay!). Many of you asked what's
    it been like for me now that I have achieved motherhood. 
    Suffice to say I've got no post-partum blues, only the occasional tears
    of frustration when I'm dead tired and she is crying for no apparent
    reason.
    
    The Birth:
    The Doc decided to induce me at 39 weeks - the baby was big, (the 
    last ultrasound said that gestational age was 41 weeks), we were 
    both still anxious that she'd come out okay, and as I mentioned before,
    this was the last weekend she'd be doing delivery before going on leave
    -- its a little surreal to have your delivery done by a doctor who is 
    26 weeks pregnant with twins!.
    We enter the hospital on Saturday morning after a good nights rest.
    I met the doc on the way up to the newly renovated case room area --
    they had just opened the area 5 days ago. We got our own
    labour/delivery room, brand new and pretty spiffy.
    
    Prostaglandin went in at 9 a.m., the senior OB decided to break
    my water at noon. I found the labour slower and HARDER than last
    time - by 2:30 the epidural went in; I was hardly at 3 cm by
    then, and the pain was still pretty sharp (that same amazing 
    pressure in the anal area). By dinnertime I was getting very 
    little relief from the pain (despite the fact that they increased
    the dosage a few times). I was disheartened that at this rate it
    would be pretty slow and painful for sometime to come. 
    
    The nurse decided to check me, and said "Okay, you can push now!"
    No wonder it hurt - I went 6 cm in 1.5 hours!!
    The doc was summoned and she was relatively easy to push out by then.
    It was a little funny though, here I was, a little out of control with
    the pain, and the doctor and both nurses hunting around for all the 
    equipment they needed since these rooms were NEW to the nurses on the 
    weekend shift - and it was my doctor's first and finally deliver
    in the new rooms before her leave. 
    
    Charlotte, as mentioned before was big and did not cry a whole lot,
    quieted down almost immediatey, and when we tried that latching on
    thing a few minutes later, it seemed to work pretty well.
    
    I stayed at the hospital until Tuesday, when ON MY WAY OUT THE DOOR
    the senior nurse spots jaundice on the baby and made us stay hours
    longer while tests were done. She was released since the case was
    not severe enough to merit the suntan treatment.
    
    At home I had to rush out for a nursing bra, since while the hospital
    would sell them to new mothers for a great price, they DID NOT HAVE
    MY SIZE!.  
    
    Once we got home Charlotte became the baby that would not stop crying.
    She'd been great in the hospital, but now was crying constantly.
    We phoned doctor and nursery when we were concerned that she wasn't
    doing any BM. (Only once in the hospital). This went on for some
    weeks  - the only time she'd go is when, as per the doctor's advice 
    that day, we'd put a part of a child's suppository in her.
    
    Finally, after one particular visit to the doctor (my regular doc's
    replacement) she'd become concerned about Charlotte's dramatic 
    weight loss. She sent us to a pedi, who said.
    1/ she has colic (we'd figured that out by her gas problems)
    2/ she needs supplimenting to gain weight)
       (Now, in the last week she's feeding every 4 hours average, 
       with avg 1/2 hour on each breast, AND 2-3 oz of formula!!)
    3/ don't worry about BM, it'll come naturally, anywhere from
       several times a day to once in 15 days!.
    
    So, her crying has lessened, she's getting her double chin back,
    she'd gone the big stuff several times in the last week. 
    - She lets us sleep about 6 hours at night.
    - she's been able to lift her head since the very first week
    - her dark hair is thinning and turning blonde (just as mine did)
    - her eyes have quickly turned a green brown colour (mine are brown
      and Alan's are green!)
    - her umbilical scab fell off on the 16th day (Thank goodness - I
      hate that thing, its so gross!)
    - she's starting to track things with her eyes and take bats at toys
    - she sometimes sleeps long enough for me to do the dishes 8-)
    - she sometimes reminds me of her brother's looks and this makes
      me sad for a short time.
    - she gets along marvelously with her father (he's great at walking
      her)
    - she loves to have her grandmother sing Bavarian drinking songs to
      her 8-) 8-) (family joke)
    
    She's just wonderful - almost 5 weeks old now!. 
    
    I've sent Liz Wilcox and announcement and pictures; I suppose anyone
    who works at CXO can take a look at them if you're interested.
    
    Monica
    A Very Proud New Mom
    

    
    You said she was big....how big was she at birth?
    
    Just curious.
    
    
    Congrats from Massachusettes!
    
    Sandy
    

    
    You don't know the happiness I have in my heart for you and your new
    family.  After seeing a reply from you earlier today to another note, I
    was hoping you would share your birth story with us! I'm glad I waited!
    
    Congratulations!
    
    Chris
    (and Michael)
    

    as mentioned in the announcement note, Charlotte weighed
    in at 9lb 3.5 oz and was 23 inches long. At three weeks though,
    she'd gone down to 7lb8oz, but was up 4oz the week after. I have
    reason to believe she's gained weight again, since her double chins
    are coming back.
    Despite her hefty size, I tore even less than last time (Daniel was
    almost 6lb @33 weeks) at delivery.
     
    Thanks for the congrats all again!
    
    Monica

    I thought I'd share this with you since our biggest worry with
    Charlotte was her weight loss as I mentioned in the last reply-
    in 2 weeks she's gone from 7lb12oz to 9lb 8 oz !!!!!!!!
    The doc was a little astonished (so were we!).
    One the other hand the bad news is I have not lost more than 2 pounds
    in the last 3 weeks. Bummer. Still can't fit into much of my wardrobe
    (none of my summer stuff fits!)
    
    Oh well, I was more concerned about Charlotte.....I'm really pleased.
    
    Monica

    
    Monica,
    
    Glad to hear Charlotte is doing so well! She sounds like a little
    fighter!  Before you know it she'll be growing like a weed.
    
    Oh, and Cherie Dery (left Digital a few mos ago, and used to contribute
    here) was asking about you the other day on the phone. She was happy to
    hear about Charlottes birth. (she's in CA)
    
    Chris
    

    Monica:
    
    Glad to hear you and Charlotte are doing well. I understand about the
    concern over the baby's weight loss. Neel was 6lbs 13oz at birth and
    dropped to 6lbs 10oz when we left the hospital but at his 2 week
    checkup he was down to 6lbs 4oz (not much of a loss but still enough to
    worry about a little). The doctor asked us to come back the following
    week. He was upto 6lbs 13.5 oz. Then in 2 more weeks he was 8lbs 6oz.
    
    He is a big eater and I have to complement nursing with formula. He
    nurses well (a loooong story - took us 2-3 weeks to get the nursing
    routine down) and then drinks about 4-5 ounces of formula at each
    feeding.
    
    Shaila

    Monica,
    
    Boy do I know how you feel...my baby was 9 lbs, 21 inches...I
    decided to breast feed...by the time we left the hospital he was
    8 lbs 4 oz....took him for his first week appointment he was
    8 lbs....he lot 1 lb!  I felt so incompetent...and was ready to
    give up breast feeding.  My milk took 5 days to come in and
    because he suckled all the time....I never became engorged...
    
    He was 3 weeks old before he finally weighed his birth weight.
    I worried constantly....he would only gain 2 oz a week...than
    one week...when he was about 7 weeks...he gained 11 oz.
    
    He never has gained weight excessively....but, in the past
    2 weeks he has gained a whole pound...he weighs 17 lbs now and
    is 5 months...27 inches.  According to the charts...that is
    50% in weight and 75 % in length.  The only thing my doctor
    requires is that he double his weight by 6 months....I think he
    can gain a pound in a month pretty easily.
    
    Next time after breast feeding first when the baby is first born, I will
    supplement 2 feedings with formula...to try to minimize the weight
    loss....many people do this with no adverse affect...
    
    Be patient....babies don't know how to starve themselves...some
    just gain at different rates....(wish I could of remembered this
    when I was going through it)
    
    Kristen

    
    One thing to remember about those charts is that they were created
    using data from bottle fed babies.  Breast fed babies gain weight in a
    different pattern to bottle fed babies.  Sometimes they will go for a
    week or so and gain nothing then gain a whole pound in a week.
    
    I wouldn't sweat it too much.  As long as the baby is happy and
    healthy and doesn't seem ill (lethargic , etc) then s/he is probably 
    doing fine.  Babies know nothing about "charts" and none of them 
    live by the book!
    
    LaDonna

    I once asked about what the difference was between the 50th and 90th
    percentile in weight was when my son was 9.  At that age the
    differences was about 1 1/2 pounds!!  I would suggest that you ak the
    same question.  At a very young age the difference is only a very
    ounces I wuld guess.