Two Week Stats

I'm still working on the birth story.  It'll probably be coming in installments because I have quite a few thoughts I'd like to share.  In the meantime, today marks 2 weeks since R. cruised into the world!  It's so hard to believe.  We took her to the pediatrician yesterday for her 2 week check, so while we didn't quite get the official 2 week stats, here's where she is at compared with birth:

Height: 
at birth: 19.5 inches
at 13 days: 20.25 inches (51%)

Weight:
at birth: 7 lb 3 oz
discharged from the hospital 40 hours later: 6 lb 7 oz
at 4 days old: 6 lb 8 oz (14%)
at 13 days old: 6 lb 14 oz (12%)

Head circumference:
at birth: 12.75 inches
at 13 days old: 13.75 inches (26%)

She is definitely growing, though she still seems so little!  Two weeks in, we're still sleep deprived and feeling a little clueless about this whole parenting thing.  Don't get me wrong, we are enjoying it immensely, but are constantly reminded about how little we know.  I'm trying to go with my instincts, but sometimes that's hard as well.

Her pediatrician said she should be gaining 0.5-1.0 oz every day, and it seems like she has been doing that since we brought her home.  The problem has been we've been needing to wake her up for almost every feeding.  The pediatrician said we should be waking her every 2-3 hours, so she can eat, so we had been waking her every 3 hours.  From a scheduling standpoint, that 3-hour schedule has been nice to know what's coming up, but from a happy baby/happy parents standpoint, it hasn't been working so well.  She's so sleepy that it's harder to get her to nurse, and then when it's time to put her down again, she's awake and fights sleep.

After her appt. yesterday and seeing that she is gaining an ok amount of weight, we decided to let her go 4 hours between feedings overnight, which meant she was sleeping 3 hours in a row.  The first segment she actually woke up herself and the 2nd one we had to wake her.  I think our goal now is to have her be the one to wake herself up for most (all?) of the feedings because things seem to go so much better.  I have a feeling though that this will mean she doesn't get her 8-12 recommended feedings because she's only getting 8 right now when we wake up for them.  Any advice from seasoned mommies out there regarding feeding and letting her sleep?

I also starting pumping yesterday because I've been concerned about my supply.  When my milk first came in, I was engorged big time.  I should have pumped that 1st week, but honestly, everything was so new, I didn't want to add the stress of pumping to an already full schedule where it felt like I hardly had time to eat.  My milk seemed to decrease/even out with what R. has been eating, but then I sort of had a few freakout moments this week about what if I don't have enough.  Given my PCOS, I know supply can be an issue, and I know I'm getting ahead of myself with worry, but I just want to be proactive given I feel strongly about trying to breastfeed as long as possible.  I know some people have taken fengugreek, gone back on Metformin, etc., and while I'm not at that point yet, making sure she's getting enough milk is at the top of my priority list.

I'll take all advice you're willing to give:-)  I'm going to have our doula come over again tomorrow to discuss both of these issues and give some tips, but I'll take any more you have to give.

And because I know you want another picture, here she is wide awake.  This was probably taken at 11pm, since that seems to be her most awake time:-)  I'm still waiting to get the CD of her newborn pictures.  I'll post more pictures after that.

Meet the Babe

Thanks to everyone who left such fabulous, congratulatory comments.  I feel so loved!  I know many of you have been dying for a picture, so here's one I took yesterday before we left the hospital to come home.  R. was 2 days old in the picture.

I have so many thoughts swirling around in my head...about labor and delivery, how our bodies (yes, even formerly IF, broken bodies) instinctively know how to give birth, how the recovery process is going, mama instincts about her baby, about nursing, about Baby instincts, seeing God's hand through these past 3 days, etc.

But sleep is low at the moment and every day is full of new challenges and things we need to learn through trial and error.  Every baby is different.  Our latest challenges are a gassy baby (she was spitting up lots of amniotic fluid after she was born), how to get her to burp well and get rid of the gas, and then the challenge of feeding her.  Her weight was 7 lb 3 oz when she was born, but when we left the hospital she was 6 lb 7oz yesterday morning and her pediatrician is a little worried.  A few hours after that, my milk came in as if my body knew she needed to put on some weight fast!  Amazing, huh?   We had just gotten the hang of nursing down and then it has suddenly become a new challenge.  Things are engorged and I'm trying to deal with it without pumping yet to see what happens these next 24 hours.

My heart is full and tears finally flowed when DH and I put her in her car seat to take her home yesterday.  I cried the whole car ride home.  It's still unbelievable to me.  Right up until the end, I still wondered if something was going to go wrong, if she was going to have physical or mental health problems, pregnancy still seemed surreal.  So far she is perfect!  I could just sit and stare at her for hours.  I'm truly in awe.  But I know I need sleep to help my body heal (lots of stitches down there, a few 1st degree tears and a 2nd degree one), so I'm off to rest since she's asleep at the moment.  Please know I've been thinking of you- my blogger friends- constantly these past few days.  I wish you were here with me, so I could share the details going on.  I will share her birth story and more in the future, but until then, know you're in my thoughts and prayers.