guest post: top 8 things every pregnant woman should know about breastfeeding

I'm going to start this post out with an admission and then a clear statement so there's no confusion...

Admission: When I was pregnant with Jane and met Moms who weren't breastfeeding, I TOTALLY judged them. If they didn't have a good reason, I completely disagreed with their decision not to breastfeed. In my defense, I also told myself my child would never drink juice over water, I'd never feed her KD, and that I was never going to bribe my child with candy. If THAT me were to visit THIS me, she'd be very disappointed. If THIS me could say something to THAT me, I'd say YOU'RE A CLUELESS IDIOT. :)

Statement: After successfully breastfeeding Jane for eleven months, I now tell my pregnant friends something different. My new advice re: breastfeeding is: If it's a priority for you, you CAN make it happen and it CAN be easy and it CAN be wonderful. If it's not a priority for you, don't stress yourself out about it.

Here's the other thing - this post is completely one-sided. Because I've only had ONE child, and I breastfed, I can only speak to experience with bf-ing. So, anyone who wants to chime in on formula-feeding, do so in the comments section please!

I have no idea why breastfeeding was such a priority to me but it was. I wanted it to work. I wanted to do it right. I wanted to follow all the "rules". I read about it. I learned about it beforehand. I asked questions to friends beforehand. It was just a priority. I think part of my reasons were for "health" reasons for baby. I think part was that I did NOT want to have to pay for formula cause it's $$$ insanity. And I think the last part of me held out hope that bf-ing was going to be the liposuction people claim it is. The last was not the case for me, unfortunately.

It was also one of the hardest things I had to adjust to, learn, struggle with, when Jane arrived. I cannot speak to how my experience would have been different if I was formula feeding - I know there are also struggles that accompany this (gas, which formula to use, having to do all that prep - between sanitizing, mixing, etc.). What I can say is that it definitely made the first 8 weeks of life with a newborn challenging... which, I think they basically are in general regardless of feeding choice. For clarity, what I often say is the first 8 weeks of bf-ing were HELL. Then, it was fantastic. Once I got it all down pat. Once Jane got it all down pat. Once my milk adjusted. Once I relaxed. It was the easiest thing in the world and I loved it. So, as I approach the arrival of my second little monkey... I have no choice but to hope that I can have the same experience as last time.

Of course, this has been on my mind for the past few weeks and coincidentally, in making an invite for a customer on MBD, I came by Gloria - a lactation consultant - who offered me help if I needed once baby arrived. I immediately asked her to write a post on the blog as, I know that I benefited from all the advice and research I did before Jane arrived.

As always, you know my RULE... this post is not intended to (1) sway you one way or the other or (2) judge you for your choice. My only RULE is: Do what works for you! But, if you're hoping to bf, I know you'll find the tips below useful as they were great reminders for me! Enjoy!!


Top 8 Things Every Pregnant Woman Should Know About Breastfeeding


1. LEARN THE BASICS BEFOREHAND. It has been documented that women are traditionally in a poor position to learn new information and new skills during the taking in phase. READ: Its really hard to do anything but panic and love the first days after the baby is born and NOT a good time to START learning about breastfeeding.


2. WATCH BREASTFEEDING WOMEN. If you know women who have breastfed or are breastfeeding talk to them, observe them (if they don't mind). Don't worry no one will think you are weird if you show up to a La Leche League meeting pregnant and ask questions about breastfeeding. They will be THRILLED that you care and HAPPY to share with you. If you have seen it before and have some idea how it normally looks you will likely fall into the appropriate actions and stance when you meet your baby.


3. SKIN TO SKIN CONTACT. THIS would be my number one piece of advice if those other two bits of advice didn't chronologically need to happen before the baby was born. Skin to skin contact means having your NAKED baby in ONLY a diaper resting belly down on top of your NAKED chest with a blanket, hospital gown or sheet over the baby's bare back. While I always explain this the same way I sometimes find my patients "doing skin to skin" while the baby is wearing a onesie, or the mother is wearing a bra - neither of which actually count as skin to skin. SKIN TO SKIN is ABSOLUTELY the very best way to spend THE MAJORITY of time with your newborn. It helps to elicit their natural instincts to open their mouths, root around and properly latch to the breast. The most important time of all to do skin to skin is in the first two hours after the birth. In hospitals sometimes skin to skin is delayed for the repair of a tear or episiotomy or because the nurse assumes you wouldn't want a bloody baby placed on your chest. This delay in the first skin to skin contact is INCREDIBLY detrimental to your chances for EASE and successful breastfeeding. It doesn't mean you won't or can't breastfeed however, it will likely mean that you will have more difficulty achieving the elusive "perfect latch". As a patient in a hospital let your nurse and Dr. know ahead of time that you absolutely WANT your baby put skin to skin immediately after delivery and for as long as possible. After this time try to spend AS MUCH TIME AS YOU AND YOUR BABY LIKE in skin to skin until you feel that everything is going PERFECTLY with your breastfeeding. If I could go back and do one thing differently with my first son I would throw away all his adorable "newborn" outfits and have him skin to skin with me for the first 4 weeks of his life. YES, it's that important. Yes, you should do it for at least 8 hours out of every day! Since mothering is the most important job you will have in the first weeks after birth imagine that topless is your uniform and baby's too!


4. FOLLOW BABY'S CUES. When your baby is opening her mouth, looking around the room, frowning, trying to eat or lick her hand or fingers SHE IS HUNGRY. It does not matter if she just breastfed for 10 minutes, 45 minutes or 300 minutes. It does not matter if she has eaten 12 times already today. IF SHE SHOWS SIGNS OF HUNGER.... SHE IS HUNGRY. That seems so obvious but I can't tell you how many people just don't believe the incredible frequency that breastfed babies need to eat with. PLEASE FOLLOW YOUR BABY... she will never lead you wrong. Baby's who are crying have passed the earlier hunger cues mentioned above and are already in distress. If you wait until the baby cries her attempts to nurse will likely be uncoordinated and less successful.


5. EXPECT EXHAUSTION.  There is NOTHING you can do to prepare yourself for the absolute exhaustion that will overtake you as a new parent but try to envision it and embrace the idea of being up to feed your baby. SLEEP as much as you can before baby comes, especially starting the 38-40th weeks of pregnancy. These are your last chances to sleep well so try to enjoy them even if you aren't exactly comfortable with the largeness of the baby who will inevitably wake up and kick your bladder while you are resting. Once the baby is born I want you to take a deep breath, look at his little face and say "goodbye sleep it was so nice to know you". Accept that it is NORMAL for a breastfeeding mother to sleep in SHORT segments of time (sometimes 15 minutes) several times in a day. This is NOT what we were used to and it will not feel like real sleep. It will not kill you but you may feel like it will. In the first few weeks after my son was born I used to repeat the mantra "it is my privilege and an honor to be able to wake up and feed you". I needed to remind myself that not everyone is LUCKY enough to 1. Get pregnant and have a baby and 2. breastfeed.


6. ASK FOR HELP. With everything and anything. Shamelessly. When your mother-in-law comes to "help" with the baby remind her that what you really need help with is dishes and laundry and fresh meals. If breastfeeding isn't going well seek the help of a professional lactation consultant or a La Leche League leader. Don't be afraid to say I need help, something is not right. Ask your husband or partner to help you with ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING. With breastfeeding they can help you by handing you the baby, removing baby's clothes for skin to skin, stimulating a sleepy baby, bringing you water.... heck, I've even seen dad's holding breasts for baby as mommy slept.

7. Buy AMAZING support tools. I HIGHLY recommend the pillow "My Brest Friend". This pillow snaps around your waist so it won't slide away from you like the Boppy tends to. It has lumps to help correctly position baby's butt and head. Quite frankly I can't say enough nice things about it... I loved mine and wouldn't have survived nursing without it.


8. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. The number one concern I hear from mothers is "I don't think I have milk" or how do I know the baby is really eating. Remember that our bodies are divinely created to provide for our children. It is incredibly rare that a mother MEDICALLY can not breastfeed or that a baby is actually incapable. BELIEVE that you are completely capable of sustaining your baby. Just the way you grew her when she was inside of you and your body provided what she needed - now you will continue to grow her as your body provides. 


 Namaste and good luck earth mamas =) 
 Gloria, RN and soon to be IBCLC

Worried about Weening

It's been awhile since I've asked for some help. God knows I'm always in need of it but I'm a bit of a research nerd, so I like finding the answers myself. Yes, I am that annoying person who likes to be a know-it-all! :p tee hee hee.

Seeing as there is potential for me to return to work in the near future (fingers crossed), I want to start transitioning Jane from breastmilk to formula now so that, if an opportunity does arise, I've already got one big thing taken care of. For the last two months, Jane has gotten a tiny amount of formula every night. After the Zombie Christmas experience, I had to find a solution to the middle of the night wakings that, I knew, were for comfort rather than hunger. So, I started giving her a scoop of formula mixed with 4 ounces of water (basically really diluted formula). It worked for us - she still got the comfort of some milk but not exactly what she was looking for (boob) and, eventually, she ended up sleeping through the night. That is, of course, until this week when the combo of a nasty cold and a front tooth breaking through the gums has resulted in her waking 2-3 times a night again. :p

I understand, from researching (again, yes, geek, whatever) and from my friend's experiences, that it's best to transition as slowly as possible - mixing 3/4 breastmilk with 1/4 formula for a while, 50-50, and so on. That part I get. Unless anyone has any other recommendations, which I also welcome. Here's my problem - I hate (hmmm, should probably stop using "hate" as it's a "bad word"), so I really, really, really don't like pumping. As if you didn't feel cow-like enough as it is, now you have to be hooked up to a "milker" that makes a "mooo-ooooo" noise. Also, after Jane was about 10 weeks or so, my milk had completely adjusted to her demand (breastmilk is a supply-demand system) and so I can't get more than a few drips outta these boobies at this point. So, what the heck do I do? I know that, if I want to get enough milk to pump, I have to start pumping more to increase demand. But isn't that counter-productive? Increase my supply when I'm trying to ween? Is there another way? Could I feed her 2 ounces of formula from a bottle and then let her finish her feed on the breast?

This is also made difficult by the fact that my little angel (tiny bit of sarcasm there) has a painful front tooth coming through and is on a bit of a hunger-strike, only willing to eat foods that she can see and pick up herself. This is common for teething babies as it can be painful to suck. At this point, she's so nervous about me putting anything in her mouth that when I give her the soother for nap time she turns her head away at first until she realizes what it is... imagine the fun of trying to give her a little tylenol for the teething pain? It's like a wrestling match. Poor little girl.

Aside from the difficulties in the logistics of weening Jane, I have to admit, it's a little heartbreaking as well. Although, after having thought about it for the last month or so, I am getting used to the idea and half-excited about having my 34-Cs back. Initially, however, I was almost in tears anytime I talked about it. It's not that I enjoy breastfeeding, rather that every time I feed Jane, it's like a special little moment for the two of us. The only experience I think I can relate it to is when you're pregnant and you get used to feeling your baby kicking you. It becomes a part of you and, as delighted as you are about your baby's arrival, you kind of miss those special movements in your belly.

So, here it is - I need your help again. Any advice you have on weening, avoiding pumping (booooo), etc. is appreciated.

Oh dear Lord, I almost forgot - any advice on formula? Let's not even get into brands because I'm sure everyone uses something different and everyone likely thinks theirs is best. But what's the difference between powder and concentrated/pre-made? Update: Commented below after reading that powder may cause more gas because you have to shake it up, which puts more air in it... which makes NO SENSE to me because the canned, prepared stuff requires your to "shake thoroughly" before use as well. Nonsense I tell you. I think it's just a matter of convenience. With that said, you still have to prepare the concentrated stuff as well... so, really, how's that so much more convenient? Why would you pay more for canned then? Unless you can give me a good reason, I think you might have gotten suckered people! :p I'm open to being enlightened... :)

Today is the last day to enter the Bright Starts Giveaway for a chance to win an awesome playard, automatic bouncer (WIN) or one of two different swings! Winner will be announced tomorrow afternoon-ish as we'll have to read and rate all your hilarious stories! :)

Weird Stuff Warning

There's not a whole lot I can say about this...

They've actually developed a breastfeeding DOLL for little girls to play with! Supposed to develop their nurturing side... Seriously.

Apparently the doll comes with a little vest with flowers where the girls boobs would be (if she wasn't SIX) and the baby sucks on the flowers or something creepy! What the heck?!?!

As if it's not bad enough that we have dolls that teach little girls how to potty train and put on diapers, now we have one that teaches them how to feed a baby - does it come with some sort of cream that makes your nipples hurt like hell and puts little wet stains on your shirt at the most inappropriate times as well?!?! WICKED!

Click here to read one of the many articles on this one. Super creepy if you ask me - I think it did come with good intentions, but it's just going WAY too far!

Jen :)

What are your thoughts?

PS - Lots of love to my American friends who are remembering with sadness the horrible events that happened 8 years ago today. How different the world seems.xoxoxo.

Braving the Bottle

I decided to write this post after talking with a new blog-friend, Stephanie, about introducing the bottle for the first time. Starting a bottle was stressful for me as I worried about doing it too early or not doing it "correctly". This seems to be a common fear...

I'll start off by saying every baby is different so, obviously, what works for me may result in hell for you... if you've had a different experience, leave a comment and let us know what else to expect! Also, not everyone needs to or wants to introduce the bottle at all... I know Moms who never did, which is great too. However, I wanted Jane to be comfortable with the bottle so that it was possible sometimes for me to have a little alone time.

For breastfed babies, "they" say to wait until 4-6 weeks to introduce the bottle to avoid "nipple confusion". We introduced the bottle to Jane when she was 4 weeks old. Jane's latch was solid from the get-go, however, I was still stressed to the max about screwing anything up as I was having a hard enough time with bf-ing as it was! If you've followed my blog for awhile, you'll remember that I struggled with bf-ing until Jane was about 6 weeks old (see these posts from June).

Here are some of the tips that I have learned - basically common sense but mine got up and left in the 12th week of pregnancy, so maybe these will save you a headache:

• The first few times we tried the bottle, I fed Jane. I thought it would be too much change if suddenly she was not feeding from the nipple and that it was now coming from Daddy.
  
• Initially, I just used the bottles that came with my breastpump. I found these gave Jane a lot of gas. I switched to "Playtex Vent-air" and they work great. My sis uses "Dr. Browns" and she likes those a lot as well.
  
• Perhaps it was the bottle's fault (see point above) but, at first, I was giving Jane her bottles at the 9 o'clock feeding. I found that she would be so gas-y that she'd grunt the whole night after a bottle-feed This was before I switched the bottles but after a few night's of poor sleep, I never tried the nighttime bottle again... not worth the risk for me! :p
  
• Unless necessary, I only give Jane one bottle, every other day. I've heard it's easier for them to get milk out of the bottle and it's definitely a different "sucking"... so I don't want her to realize that she'd prefer the bottle and give up on my boob.
  
• If you are going to do the nighttime bottle for Daddy feeding, which may help the Moms out there who needs a few extra hours sleep (OK, what Mom doesn't need more sleep?), I'd recommend pumping the milk for that bottle the night before. The nurses here really stress the difference between daytime milk and nighttime milk - night milk is thicker so it keeps baby fuller longer so they sleep longer (in a dream world). So, it would probably be best to use nighttime milk for a nighttime feed to ensure you don't counteract the whole point of having hubby do the night-feed! :)
• I was unable to pump a bottle the night of for a nighttime feed because my milk was so thick after 8 o'clock-ish that the pump couldn't get it out of my boobs! The first night this happened I messaged my blog-friend Lara freaking out because I thought my milk had disappeared! When I put Jane on the boob, however, she came off with a face covered in milk so no worries (i.e. don't freak if this happens to you too)! ha ha ha.
• As far as "how much milk?"... I'm sure this is different for every baby. When Jane first took the bottle at 4 weeks, she drank about 2.5-3 oz, so I'd pump 4oz just to be safe. Now, at 11 weeks, I usually pump about 6 oz and if she's still hungry afterward, I give her the boob, but that's rarely happened.
  
• Last point, make sure you buy bottles with "slow flow" nipples. There is a difference (who knew?) and the slow flow is best for new babies. I am still using slow flow with Jane and I have NO IDEA when I'm supposed to move her up - I'm hoping she'll tell me, ha ha ha, which is hilarious because you'll probably hear about it as I'll be freaking out as to why she's so grouchy on the bottle in however many weeks until I realize that it's because she wants more milk, more quickly! :p
  

I hope this helps... these are definitely not anything I learned about or knew about before Jane arrived! :)

Jen :)

Vitamin D-RAMA

I mentioned in my bf-ing post how much I hated the vitamin D drops but now I need a solution! Before, Jane was having a hard time getting them down, so I broke up the 1ml dose into four smaller doses. But now, she's vomiting every time I give them to her, so I've stopped. What the heck do I do now? She's also stopped accepting the Kolic drops which she didn't have problems with before... it's like anything that doesn't taste like milk makes her gag and then she vomits. It's a sin for her and I'm officially out of clothes as everything's been barfed on! :p

Someone commented on my bf-ing post about some info on BabyCentre about one-drop vitamin D for infants... anybody know anything about this? I'm going to do some research today and see what options I have. I can put it in her bottle every other day, but I'm curious about what effect this would have, if any, as it will definitely alter the flavour of the milk. I thought perhaps I'd put it in the last ounce of milk so the entire bottle isn't "tainted". I'm going to call on my Fabulous Council of Pharmacists (FCP) :p - Sam, Kerianne and Laura - as well and see what they recommend.

Will keep you posted but I know I've gotten some AWESOME ideas/advice from "y'all" so far... so if anybody has suggestions, keep 'um comin'! ;)

Jen :)

Breastfeeding - What I didn't know...

When it comes to breastfeeding, I'm a devotee. I learned as much as I could pre-baby to make sure I was prepared and educated on what to do, how to get a good latch, etc. Yet, everything I read could not have prepared me for the challenges and frustrations of breastfeeding... I never anticipated it would be so difficult for both baby and I to figure out.

Here are some things I did not know before I started breastfeeding -

• You will know when your latch isn't right... it hurts like hell if the baby is sucking on your nipple only and not a big chunk of your areola. Plus it is hard as hell to get babe off your nipple if their latch is good.
  
• There are two types of milk - foremilk and hindmilk. Hindmilk is the fatty milk at the "end" of your boob and it's important for baby to get this. I knew this part... what I didn't know is how challenging it is to make sure baby gets this. Who knows when you're near the "end" of your boob? And Jane often only fed for short spurts in the beginning. AND you're told to alternate boobs each feed, but if baby is only feeding for 10mins and then feeding again an hour later, should you alternate? Personally, I haven't been. I've been going back to boob #1 if that's the case. I think I've got it on track now... think being the key word. Every day is a new adventure with bf-ing.
  
• You are going to get pressure from everyone about everything (soothers, bottles, etc)... stick to your guns.
  
• Your baby will lose weight while they are living off your colostrum. Until your baby reaches their birth weight again you're supposed to feed them every 3-4 hours... this means waking a sleeping baby to feed! INSANITY!
  
• You have no idea how hard it is to wake a sleeping baby, and to keep them awake!
  
• The art of burping is a science. I assumed I knew how to burp from seeing others do it... My advice: Look up some techniques, learn them well and do them often.
  
• Vitamin D drops SUCK. Jane literally choked on them when she was one week. Now I split the dose into four smaller doses but I'm constantly forgetting to give it to her four times. I tried yesterday to just give her the one large dose again and she vomited on me immediately after. Awesome.
  
• When one boob feeds, the other leaks and boobs leak often. God forbid you forget your nursing pads or one falls out of place!
  

In pregnancy I was worried about two simple things (1) how do I know when the baby's hungry? and (2) how do I know when she's full? ha ha ha. Hilarious to think about it now. The answer, if any one has a similar fear, you will know. Jane wakes me up with her lip smacking in the middle of the night when she's hungry and literally pushes the boob away with her hand when she's full... she also pulls her head back to avoid going back on the boob. It's amazing how this little bugs communicate!

I introduced my first bottle yesterday (waited until the 4 week point) and all went well. I had gotten pressure to introduce it earlier and pressure to wait longer... but nonetheless, Jane's latch isn't ruined and she didn't refuse the bottle. On the other hand, it was no big life changer either. I thought perhaps she would sleep even better through the night but no change. Really, at this point, the only benefit is that I can go to the grocery store without worrying she'll get hungry and be stranded while I'm gone and I can have a glass of wine if I pump beforehand - YIPEE!

The other thing I am finding for me - manual pumping works better than electric. I have a pump that allows for both and I get much more milk from manual... plus, it makes me feel like less of a cow! When it's on electric it literally sounds like it's making a "moo-oooo" noise, sexy.

Ok, that's it for now... I'm sure I will be able to add to this list regularly as I continue bf-ing. If you have something to add, go for it, comment!

Jen :)

Burping Machine

I have currently accepted the role of burping machine, a slight demotion from feeding/cleaning machine due to my own bad behavior... so far so good.

After speaking with the lactation specialist yesterday we determined that my current issue (fussy, uncomfortable, constantly hungry baby) is a combo of growth spurt and excess gas. So, I'm now pre-feed burping, burping during the feed and afterward! I'd never heard of pre-feed burping as, like most people, I thought that babies got most of their gas during the feed. However, a lot of gas is created after baby eats during digestion (duh!) so burping before you feed ensures you feeding on top of a bubbling belly! I've also been using some new techniques that I got from this website and they seem to going well. I've got a burping cycle now - I start with the over the shoulder, I switch her to the lap-lying position, then I do the sit up position all with a combo of back-patting and circle motions. I've also been throwing in the bicycle legs move once in a while. :p It's still taking me an hour to feed because of all the burping but right now she's staying on my boob (before she was on and off, on and off), she's not crying when she pulls herself off and she's falling asleep afterward (instead of screaming bloody murder for an hour). YIPEE! I'm praying this isn't a fluke!

Also, I realized that I basically have Jane is my arms 24-7 and when I put her down to get things done, I put her in her swing. So, she's not getting any chance to move her own gas by moving around much (stupid mommy). So, I've put out the activity gym - she's currently awake, lying on it, and kicking up a storm... much better for moving gas then being stuck in a swing! I'm learning, slowly, but learning. This mommy brain crap is truly phenomenal as I have literally lost every bit of common sense I had.

Lastly, my mom's friend, Lisa, recommended this product "Bio-Gaia", a probiotic drop that can be given to babies, that apparently reduces colic/gas. I couldn't find it at my pharmacy (it's over the counter) so they have ordered it in for me, I will keep you posted on how it goes. Can't hurt! I've also been using Kolic drops (@ Walmart) when she gets uncomfortable and it seems to help relieve some of the pain within 30 mins or so.

Well that's it for today - I know, a lot about gas lately, kind of boring, but this is my life right now. My life has been consumed by gas, poop and burping. Perhaps next week I will be so lucky as to get upgrade to reflux and vomiting! WOOHOO! As I always say, 100% worth it for my little lady.

Jen :)

PS - Ordered my birth announcements - thanks to the poll-voters! I went with the basket pic as recommended!

Growth Spurt

No time to write today - dealing with the three week growth spurt according to the public health nurse (who I called desperately today because Jane's been super fussy for the last 12 hours or so).

To summarize, breastfeeding is freakin' hard when you're dealing with a gas-y, fussy baby. How did the cave-women do it - they didn't have public health nurses!?!?

Jane's basically really uncomfortable which breaks my heart... she'll start to fall asleep and then she wakes up crying a few minutes later because she's moving some gas and it hurts! :( I was actually crying with her this morning - half frustration and half heartbreak for her.

My sister's dealing with a similar issue - Lucy has been crying since yesterday at 2pm and neither of them slept a wink last night. Not sure what the cause of her problem is but we'll see. Thankfully, Jane was fine last night so we slept- but the feeds before and after were challenging to say the least.

Dan's currently on baby duty for a little while so I can get my sanity back... will keep you posted on how this plays out. Hoping, for her sake, that it doesn't last too much longer, poor thing!

Jen :)

Grouchy, Gas-y, Girl

So I screwed up breastfeeding for "a minute". Thankfully I have quickly repaired my stupid mistake...

Three days ago, I noticed Jane's poop (yes, you WILL start worrying about poop) had changed from it's yellow colour (good) to a green colour (not so good). I called our nurse yesterday to check it out as some of the online info I found said it was fine and some said it could be a bf-ing issue. Well the latter was right...

Initially when I started bf-ing, if Jane only fed on one boob for a short time, I'd go back to that boob for the next feed so that she would get the hindmilk (the good, fatty stuff in the second half of your milk). During her visit, the nurse told me to offer the first boob twice, switching to the next boob if Jane pulled herself off boob #1 twice. I started doing this but obviously it doesn't work for me. Jane often feeds for 5-10mins and pulls herself off because my milk flows so quickly that she needs a breather! So if I switched to the next boob after two pull-offs, she hadn't gotten the hindmilk from boob #1. Apparently the result is green poop, and a gas-y, grouchy baby. For the last two days, Jane was not herself - feeding for short periods, more frequently (equals less sleep), super gas-y, and crying for what seemed like no reason. It was a hard couple of days as I didn't realize something was wrong, I just thought this was life with a newborn! The hardest part is that you get frustrated with the baby and then you inevitably feel intense guilt 5 seconds later for feeling frustrated with your sweet baby!

Anyways, long story short - yesterday, I went back to my old method. If she only has a quick feed, I return to that boob for the next feed until it feels empty. Already, her poop is turning yellow again (YIPEE for yellow poop!) and she is sleeping regularly again and, thankfully, not fussy! HALLELUJAH!

So, there ya go, my first new-mommy screw up - many more to come I'm sure! How bad did I feel when I realized that it was my fault that she was so uncomfortable with an upset tummy?!?!

Jen :)

PS - Anybody watching the Bachelorette (guilty pleasure)? I love Jillian but, seriously, she's an idiot - Jake was the best! Why do these chicks go on these shows and let go of the guys who would be "dream" hubbies! Come on people! Yes, you may have more "chemistry" with the bad ass dude, but he's an idiot, and you're gonna regret your decision in 6 months when the "lust" stage ends and you're stuck with an "effin" loser! :p The previews suggest that Jake returns (love a man in uniform), but guaranteed she's going to end up with the annoying, sleazy Wes - YEEHAW and YUCK! :p