Wordless Wednesday: Mom Purse

Bottles, wallet, coupons, mail, meds....I'm prepared for the day!

11 months 8.12.11

Tillman at 6AM ready for the day

This little one woke up today and was told he was 11 months old.  He didn't understand all of the clapping and carrying on, but mommy and daddy know that their little one is growing up.
Tillman is on the move these days.  He really doesn't even stop to smile at the camera.  In fact, he gets a little upset if you try to make him stay still.  He enjoys crawling around, banging on everything, and taking things out of cabinets and drawers (oh, can't forget his love for the trash can and Graham's food bowls too).
He is starting to learn his strength and tested it yesterday at the daycare with several of his "cronies." It was reported that he and two girls officially pushed over a rocking chair.  The teacher seemed aggravated about it so, I didn't ask (but wanted to) "did he clap when it went over?" 
Tillman is quite the clapper and waver these days.  He loves to wave hey and bye.  If he knows that Nick is in a room that we are approaching, Tillman gets that arm and hand moving before we enter the room.  He also loves to wave at the other parents and kiddos as they come and go at the daycare too.

Tillman has also started little temper tantrums in several instances.  He *hates* to get his diaper changed.  As soon as he is put on his back, he starts to cry, squirm, and flat out throws a fit sometimes.  He had a pretty severe diaper rash this month after taking a strong antibiotic due to another ear infection.  I think that has a lot to do with him hating diaper changes now.  Ironically this morning, him going on the changing table was the only smile I captured this morning (I think he was smiling because he found the opportunity to grab something and leap out of my arms).
His other temper tantrum mode is when you tell him "no;" he will lay his head down on the floor like he is tired. He was told "no" in the bath last night, and put his head down.  It didn't go over too well in water, so he found out.  It was a little scary for the both of us!

Tillman is in love with his diaper trash can. I don't know why, but he is always climbing up to the bag (the white poking out a bit in the photo), and BITING it (YUCK).  We did just get some Febreze trash bags; I'm thinking that might be what he enjoys?  Just kidding, I really think that the trash can is just his height, and he loves to climb up, tip it over, and see his reflection in it (oh yeah, and beat on it too).

Check me out in my man-tank!

Tiny T is also a fan of our bathroom drawers.  We've had to babyproof the bottom drawer make the bottom drawer Tillman's.  It has his toys and other things for him to dump out, chew, and play with while we get ready in the morning.  The little stinker also knows how to turn on the water in the tub, and enjoys turning it on and off...on and off...on and off (yes, we pick our battles...it's the cold water handle).


Tillman got a "stand up" toy this week.  Nick wanted to make sure we had a good crawler before we introduced him to any type of standing up or walking toy.  Well, this week I picked TT (Tiny T) up a walk behind toy from Once Upon a Child for $6!  He looked at the thing, crawled over, and knew exactly what to do.  I guess it was either walk behind it or fall.  Fortunately, he picked the walk option.

Morning Bottle

Afternoon Snack

Tillman's Stats
Weight: 19.8 lbs (weighted this weekend)
Diaper Size-3 (Little Movers)
Clothing Size-Anywhere from 6 mos to 18 mos (clothes vary so much between brands)
Shoe-bare-foot boy
Food-Only Momma milk up until 8/7/11. Now he gets 2 ounces of formula in each bottle and three meals a day-2 vegetables and 1 fruit (Nick has been doing some reading, so today he'll get some millet in his fruit jars). He currently only feeds himself RITZ crakers. 
Sleeping-through the night in his crib ( 7PM-6AM)
Teeth-4 on the top and 2 on the bottom (still grinding away with those teeth)
Naps-Generally only one nap at daycare and then naps on the way home. We try to get him down for 2 naps on the weekend. It is rough sometimes.

I tell you; the kid loves his bumper!

Play-pulling up, walking around furniture holding on, crawling on knees, free standing for few moments, wanting to step, but falls to his knees or grabs something really fast!
Things we're working on- finger foods (this is hard for me as I don't like messes, but we'll get dirty this weekend), sippy cup (equals a chew toy to TT now), holding his bottle (I think he thinks that is my permenet job)
Things mommy's working on-Tillman's 1st Birthday!

Cluster Feeding...Growth Spurt...or what?

More email exchanges with the MUSC Lactation Consultant....
I wish I had more time to write about my experience, but figured sharing emails I have exchanged will give you insight to how Tillman and I are doing.  I really don't intend for this to be a lactation blog, but breastfeeding seems to be 90% of where my energy is going these days (this breastfeeding thing is not easy!).  As for the other 10% of energy, it goes to sleep!  Nick has been cooking, which has been awesome! 

Sent: Tuesday, October 12, 2010 8:50 PM
Subject: feedings

I think Tillman is cluster feeding, but not sure I even know what that is. He has been feeding for the past 60 hours all the time...ever 20 mins or so. He has only slept for two 2 hour stretches during that time. He is always at the breast....exhausting.
Is there anything I can do better to get him more satisfied?
Does this mean I am not making enough to allow him sleep? Low milk supply? (I did purchase some milk thistle and red raspberry leave pills....are they ok to take? A friend mentioned these as helping with the quality of milk produced)
I have no idea if he is gaining weight since we haven't been to the doctor, but he has plenty of wet and soiled diapers.
How will I increase my milk supply to get ahead of him, so I can store to go back to work? I feel like he needs everything I make and maybe more.
Also, he seem mighty gassy. He doesn't really burp, but does have the gas. I often wonder if that is what is keeping him up. We did purchase some mylicon today and gave him his first dose tonight.
Thanks so much for your support!
Meredith

Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 2010 1:59 PM
Subject: RE: feedings

Meredith,
Well, let's see. This sounds more like a growth spurt which does usually involve cluster feeding. He is a month. They are often at 2 and 6 weeks but can be anytime. If you can survive, I would watch it for the next 24 hours to see if there is a shift.
The capsules are fine. Blessed Thistle is what is in Mother's Milk tea which is what I used. You can also try fenugreek 1000 mg three times a day along with the milk thistle/red raspberry leave pills. They work well together. It does not seem to me to be a problem but watch it for 24 more hours and let me know. During growth spurts, infants are trying to cause your body to produce more milk to meet the growing needs of the infant.
Being able to store up extra milk can be challenging even for mothers who are making lots of milk. The infant is usually breastfeeding on demand, he empties the breasts and then when you pump it is only 5-15 ml. But this is just the way it is. Two weeks before you start back to work, pump for 10 minutes after 2-4 breastfeeding sessions per day. Then you will add them all together to make a feed. Just because you do not get much milk does not mean that you are not making enough.
Let me know tomorrow if he is still breastfeeding non-stop. I sure hope you slept for those 2 2 hours stretches! There is one drug we prescribe for low milk supply but I do not think you need that.
Rest when you can.
MUSC Lactation Service

Guess who is 1 month old today?

Tillman....of course.  Nick's cousin, Jennifer, from Georgia visited us this weekend and took Tillman's one month photos on Sunday, 10.10.10.  Below is a few she took, and believe it or not, these were all taken at our home! 

This week, I've not been able to post due to Tillman cluster feeding.  He has only slept 20 minutes at a time (sometimes feels like 20 seconds) for the past 60 hours.  I know it will get better, but stay tuned for more post to come.  I have lots to talk about, just need someone to type it!

Another Letter of Encouragement! (Thanks to all my mom readers)

First let me say, thank you to everyone who reads. I often wonder if I am talking to myself or if people are actually reading and following (my readers don't seem to be the commenting type (shame, shame folks!)). It has been so nice to receive emails of encouragement and congratulations since Tillman arrived from you. Also, it has been wonderful to get to know you through email as well. Thanks so much!

Mom Reader-Letter of Encouragement with Breastfeeding (I have found that everyone has a unique story with breastfeeding. It isn't easy, and it isn't the "dreamy" picture they paint in the "books" and classes." It is HARD, TIRING & FRUSTRATING (at times). I hope that to-be-moms, breastfeeding moms, etc. read all of these mom letters of encouragement A. to know it is hard. B. to know there is more than one way of doing things besides text book style. C. to know you are not alone if you have troubles with feeding or take a different route to nursing your child.)

Fri, Sep 24, 2010 at 12:25 PM

I'll tell you what I did about breastfeeding - PUMPED! My daughter was born 6 weeks early (at MUSC) and was not a good latcher - it took 6 days for my milk to really come in, so while she was in NICU, they supplemented a little along with the 1/2 oz I could occassionally muster up with the pump. She had gone from 5.4 lbs to 4.8 lbs when she left the hospital a week later. I had to use a nipple guard when feeding- that's the only way she'd get any milk. I suffered through "breastfeeding bootcamp" for about 6 weeks (which included HOURS of cluster feeding at night) and finally came to the realization I would still feed her strictly breastmilk, but in a bottle. I went back to work when she was 7 weeks old and started pumping 6-7 times a day and then after several months was able to "train" my body to produce what she needed and then some. We were able to make it 6 months on strictly breast milk and had a month supply in the freezer to boot. Six years ago I couldn't find any other moms that did what I did, so at first I felt a little guilty.

Now, my son was a different story - he was an aggressive latcher (I wanted to thump that sweet hungry little head) and my milk came gushing out the day he was born (5 weeks early). I started strictly pumping with him at 3 weeks and we were both happier people since he didn't have to listen to me sob the whole time he ate :-) . Unfortunately I got a horrible UTI that took 3 weeks to cure when he was 4.5 months old and my milk supply completely dried up, despite all efforts to keep it going. Luckily I had about a month supply in the freezer for him as well.

Funny how motherhood makes most topics open for conversation with people you barely know :-) I have several friends that say it gets much easier after 6-8 weeks. I just thought I'd shed light on another way of breastfeeding (or "breastmilking")!

Best of luck with your journey!

It is nice to know I'm not alone

After yesterday's post about breastfeeding, I received two emails from "mom readers" who had the same issues with their children.  It sure does feel good to know Tillman and I are not alone. 
I look forward to meeting with the lactation consultant and the pediatrician today.  Hopefully, between the two appointment, we will see much progress with Tillman's feeding.

Here are excepts from the "mom reader" emails I received.  I think it is important to share these.  Not only for my readers who are to-be-moms, moms who may have had lots of trouble with breastfeeding and had to seek alternative and moms who are up right now (1AM) Goggling this very topic to find answers.

side note: I get hits everyday on the topics I write about each day from Goggle.  I have a traffic tracker on the blog to tell me how people arrived at the blog: key word searches, from Facebook, Goggle, etc.  Some of my most popular topics are the 9 week ultrasound, Slushy craving, the cheer, "my back aches my skirts too tight," in light of the latest news story regarding it this post has been visited by thousands of people (check out comments on that post), and growth scan just to name a few.

Email excerpts:
"I just read your latest blog post. I went through the EXACT same thing with "A." She finally dropped down to the 3rd percentile. It was VERY scary. We supplemented with formula every now and then even at newborn stage, and it never stopped her breastfeeding progress (when it finally took off). We started by supplementing in the hospital. Because I was in labor for 15 hours, and because my water broke at 5 pm but had no contractions (similar to you), I had had NO sleep in almost 48 hours. By the time our first night with her rolled around, I was shaking, crying, and completely beside myself. We decided for her to stay in the nursery and they cup fed her. The next night they brought her to me once during the night. Other than in the hospital, she never had straight formula - it was always formula/breast milk mix....in the hospital, the lactation consultant put water (I think) on my nipple to get "A" to suction better with a syringe and a tube attached to it. So, we took that little thing home, not realizing what we were doing or why we may need it. We fed her - finger fed her - with that tube and my breastmilk for about 6 days....We still gave her a bottle at night - we wanted her to be good and full, and it was always both formula and breastmilk - remember formula digests more slowly than breastmilk. I also didn't want her to become familiar with having to nurse to sleep. That would just be something else to have to break later....Anyway, I just wanted to share with you that I had been through the exact same thing. Don't freak out about it. I breastfed "A" for over 10 months and never regret continuing trying."

" I read your blog on breastfeeding and Tillman gaining weight and wanted to let you know we went through the same thing when I began to breastfeed. The first few weeks were nicknamed by me and my mom as "breastfeeding bootcamp". It takes a ton of work, but you will get in a groove soon and it will become like second nature. Because '"C" was so little they needed her to gain weight rapidly in the beginning so my pediatrician told me that no matter what I had to feed her every two to three hours no matter what. I had to wait until she weighed a little more before I was breastfeeding on demand. Anyway, I'm going to keep checking your blog on your progress and just know that it will become easy soon. The beginning is always hard because you just aren't sure of how much milk they are getting. Oh and one more thing, I breastfed "C" until she was done and then had to pump afterward to not get engorged. You do NOT want a breast infection. It is the worst!! Hang in there! xoxoox"

To my "mom readers" thank you for your emails and encouragement.  It sure is nice to know I'm not alone, and I hope by including your advice to me in this post will help a mom who is up in the middle of the night Googling this same topic!

Coburg don't have nothin' on me!

Tillman is breastfeeding, but I must say it is not easy.  It is just like anything in life worth working for-a college degree, running a marathon, a master's degree, etc.  I have done all of those, so this is just the challenges of being a good mom, and it is worth working for and not giving up.

We went to his first pediatican appointment yesterday.  Here is some email exchanges I had with the MUSC lacation services after his appointment.  Lacatation consultants are the best resource for mom-baby success with breastfeeding.  Dr. Villers told me before I delivered "you are a mom, and have no idea how to be a mom.  Tillman is a baby, and he has no idea how to be a baby.  It is a learning process you will go through together."  She couldn't be more right!


Email exchange:

From: Meredith
Sent: Thursday, September 23, 2010 2:08 AM
Subject: Feeding volumes

I need more of your advice.
Tillman went to the pediatrician today. They don't feel like he is getting enough to eat. She encourage me to talk to an Lactation Consultant about it and drink tons of water. We go back on Friday for a weight check. She says that his face shows signs of Jaundice and dehydration (little sinking in around the eyes and dry lips). If he doesn't gain enough by Friday, they would like for us to supplement or use some lactation devices to get him more intake.
Do you know what device she is speaking of? She said we could provide more volume without using a bottle nipple. She said there are devices that well mimic the nipple.
I feel he has eaten better over the past two days, but think we got him behind with my milk coming in and being engorged (yes people, the girls were like rocks! They were so hard, I couldn't even pump, but applying heat to them worked great!).

At birth, he weighed 6 lbs 3ozs.
Leaving the hospital he weighed 5lbs 9 ozs.
Yesterday he was 5lbs 13 ozs. She wanted him to be back to birth weight by now.
Thanks you for all the advice.
Meredith
-----------------------

Good morning,

Only a mother e-mails at 2 am. I think you have a good handle on it. He probably got a little behind with the engorgement. He should be eating at least 8 times per day for 15-20 minutes minimum, could be as many as 12 times with cluster feeding. He should be wetting 5-6 diapers and at least one stool (could be many). If he is doing this he should be doing well. Drink only to thirst, 8-10 glasses per day. Not gallons. Rest. The next 24 hours (before your next pediatrician's appt) should be all about breastfeeding and rest. Do not go out, or shop or anything. Just allow him to eat whenever he wants and wake him if he has not woken by 3 hours after his last feed. Put him skin-to-skin on your chest at 3 hours and wait for feeding cues. He should be eating within 30 minutes.
I am on tomorrow. What time is your pediatrician's appt? If he has not gained weight I can show you how to use the Supplemental nursing system. We have them here (MUSC). You just put breastmilk or formula in a bottle that has a tube that goes down to the breast. When he latches the tube goes in his mouth also so he will get extra breastmilk or formula when he sucks.
This is not uncommon. Don't worry. Try to stay relaxed and focused solely on Tillman and breastfeeding today.
Page me tomorrow after the pediatrician's appt. or if you have any questions.

MUSC Lactation Service