I am so much more than frustrated. There's no word in my vocabulary to describe what I am. And I have a fairly large vocabulary! Eriana will cry to eat, then immediately fall asleep. I've tried EVERYTHING: wet washcloth, stripping her down, changing her diaper first, swaddling her, unswaddling her, baby "sit-ups", blowing on her face when she's latched on and stops eating, every different nursing "hold", tickling her, moving her around, talking really loudly, loud and annoying kisses. Sometimes I do a combination of several or ALL of the above and she's snoring while I'm trying to wake her!
Meanwhile, I'm engorged and in pain and oh-so-very FRUSTRATED! I just spent 1.5 hours trying to feed her. I'm tired! I guess I need to pump and feed her breastmilk from a bottle? No clue what else to do at this point.
Argh!
Hey, Tara, so sorry you're having a hard time! My first baby was a tough one--screamed all day and hardly ever slept :) But, "this too shall pass" became my mantra, even when it didn't seem like a particular trial would ever end. Do what makes you comfortable (pumping?) and don't make yourself crazy following the advice of "experts". No one knows your baby (or yourself) like YOU and having a newborn is hard enough without putting yourself under the expectations of others--or your own preconceived expectations, for that matter! Love you and praying for you!
ResponderEliminarJosh was the exact same way. He would fall asleep while nursing and then cry 20 mins later to eat and then nurse for 5 mins and fall asleep. I tried all the "wake up tricks" and still nothing. he was never "eat every 2 hours for 30 mins" by the book baby. But he's 4 now and (I) survived the frustrations he through at me the first year. Just pump and freeze your milk if you have left overs. That way when you go on a date or back to work you'll have it stored up. Good luck!
ResponderEliminarYou are so lucky to have milk to pump for Eriana:) Don't frustrate yourself, like you told me before, just make sure she is fed and nice and healthy:)
ResponderEliminarTara, I'm so sorry you are having any trouble at all. I would be frustrated, too! I would definitely pump, but I wouldn't recommend feeding her from a bottle. Just freeze the milk and save it for when she really has to be fed with a bottle, like when you're gone. The book we used suggested feeding after naps, not before, so she wouldn't get used to drinking herself to sleep. The first few weeks are the hardest, hang in there! And if you want the book (I know you have tons already) I can send it to you. It's called Save Our Sleep by Tizzie Hall and she tells you all about feeding, too, not just sleep. That book saved our sanity, too. I so wished we'd had it with our first.
ResponderEliminarYou are doing great!!!! Hang in there sweet friend! It is so wonderful that you are willing to try so many different approaches to find what works for your baby. And that just takes time!
ResponderEliminarTara you're such a great mom and you're doing such a wonderful job. You're little bundle is so blessed to have a mother who will go through so much to make sure she is loved, fed, comforted and healthy. Just hang in there. Pump if you can't wake her and if she wakes up you have the milk but not the fully throbbing boobies. Thinking of you and praying for you often.
ResponderEliminar