Annalise was born at 8 lb 8 oz. In the next three days, because my milk took a little while coming in and she apparently has a great metabolism, she lost 1 oz shy of a pound. My baby lost a pound! It was so horrible and scary and I was trying not to supplement with formula because it's for the best if you can avoid it.
When we went to the doctor though, they weighed her and said, Great news! Your baby gained weight! Um... no. I knew she hadn't. My milk hadn't come in. She looked skinny and dehydrated. She screamed all the time. What were they talking about?
"Um... I don't think that's possible," I said softly, trying to be polite.
"Oh, yes, yes," the nurse assured me, pointing to her charts. "She gained lots of weight! Good job!" She started to leave.
"Uh..." I stuttered. "But, I mean, uh... there's no way though. My milk hasn't come in. Look at her! She looks sickly. She's starving!" I wanted permission to give her formula because it clearly seemed for the best at this point.
The nurse left the room, convinced my baby was thriving and I was crazy. The doctor came in.
"Great!" the doctor said, looking at the chart. "She gained weight! Nice work." I repeated my concerns, adding that in fact it seemed like she had lost too much weight and was possibly starving a slow death. Even the little double chin she was born with was completely gone. The doctor told me I was wrong but I made enough of a fuss that she agreed to bring the scale back in and weigh the baby herself just to be sure.
"Oh, whoops!" she said. The nurse must have written it down wrong." Whaaa? "Yes, you're right, she's down to 7 lb 9 oz which is much too low! She needs to be put on formula immediately!" Nice that they tried to send me home with my starving baby to die. We gave her some formula right there in the office and the look on her little face when she got sustenance for the first time was so grateful and heart-breaking that my mother and I cried. My milk came in that night so that 1/2 ounce of formula was all she had to have. That was two weeks ago yesterday. We went back to the doctor yesterday morning and she was weighed and she gained 19 oz in 14 days! Which is wonderful! They like babies to gain an ounce a day, so Annalise did a little better than that which is very relieving and wonderful and puts my mind at ease since I never did get engorged so I was just hoping she was getting enough milk.
After making us wait 45 minutes in the waiting room (which totally messed up my perfectly-timed nursing schedule and caused the Bub to be very grumpy) we were called in. Annie-Poo retaliated by being placed on the scale and peeing freely once her diaper was removed. All over the scale, the floor and herself. This struck me as hilarious. It struck the nurse as less so.
When we went to the doctor though, they weighed her and said, Great news! Your baby gained weight! Um... no. I knew she hadn't. My milk hadn't come in. She looked skinny and dehydrated. She screamed all the time. What were they talking about?
"Um... I don't think that's possible," I said softly, trying to be polite.
"Oh, yes, yes," the nurse assured me, pointing to her charts. "She gained lots of weight! Good job!" She started to leave.
"Uh..." I stuttered. "But, I mean, uh... there's no way though. My milk hasn't come in. Look at her! She looks sickly. She's starving!" I wanted permission to give her formula because it clearly seemed for the best at this point.
The nurse left the room, convinced my baby was thriving and I was crazy. The doctor came in.
"Great!" the doctor said, looking at the chart. "She gained weight! Nice work." I repeated my concerns, adding that in fact it seemed like she had lost too much weight and was possibly starving a slow death. Even the little double chin she was born with was completely gone. The doctor told me I was wrong but I made enough of a fuss that she agreed to bring the scale back in and weigh the baby herself just to be sure.
"Oh, whoops!" she said. The nurse must have written it down wrong." Whaaa? "Yes, you're right, she's down to 7 lb 9 oz which is much too low! She needs to be put on formula immediately!" Nice that they tried to send me home with my starving baby to die. We gave her some formula right there in the office and the look on her little face when she got sustenance for the first time was so grateful and heart-breaking that my mother and I cried. My milk came in that night so that 1/2 ounce of formula was all she had to have. That was two weeks ago yesterday. We went back to the doctor yesterday morning and she was weighed and she gained 19 oz in 14 days! Which is wonderful! They like babies to gain an ounce a day, so Annalise did a little better than that which is very relieving and wonderful and puts my mind at ease since I never did get engorged so I was just hoping she was getting enough milk.
After making us wait 45 minutes in the waiting room (which totally messed up my perfectly-timed nursing schedule and caused the Bub to be very grumpy) we were called in. Annie-Poo retaliated by being placed on the scale and peeing freely once her diaper was removed. All over the scale, the floor and herself. This struck me as hilarious. It struck the nurse as less so.
She is in the 60th percentile for weight and the 80th percentile for height. Her head size is in the 75th percentile. She has grown half an inch since being born, making her now 21 1/2 inches. The doctor kept commenting on how big she was and how long her arms and legs were. She certainly doesn't look very big to me, but I was glad to hear it. Now I am excited for her to get chubby. She's still pretty skinny with no rolls or anything. She held up her head like a champ when placed on her stomach for her examination, and when the nurse measured her by gently pulling out one of her legs, she went from peaceful to screaming like it was being plucked from the socket. The nurse jumped back in fright and let go. Annalise immediately ceased scream-fire. Point well-taken.
They did a PKU test where they stuck her heel and sqeeeeezed the blood painfully onto a paper and we both cried mightily. That was the worst part.
Because she cries and fusses nearly constantly, I asked the doctor if I should try changing my diet by cutting out dairy and and she said it couldn't hurt to do it for four months. Done! Anything for some peace. She asked if Annalise will take a pacifier and I told her she hates it. The doctor nodded knowingly and reached for it herself, as though perhaps my binkie-stuffing skills were what the problem was.
"Sometimes she acts like it's choking her," I offered helpfully as the doctor put it in her mouth. As if on cue, Annalise erupted into a screaming choking fit so violent the doctor felt it necessary to immediately perform a mouth and palate check to ensure she wasn't deformed and unable to suck. Fortunately or unfortunately, this was not the cause of the problem. Annalise is formed just fine. She just hates the binkie.
"Wow," the doctor said, amazed. "She really does just hate this thing!"
Told you so.
They did a PKU test where they stuck her heel and sqeeeeezed the blood painfully onto a paper and we both cried mightily. That was the worst part.
Because she cries and fusses nearly constantly, I asked the doctor if I should try changing my diet by cutting out dairy and and she said it couldn't hurt to do it for four months. Done! Anything for some peace. She asked if Annalise will take a pacifier and I told her she hates it. The doctor nodded knowingly and reached for it herself, as though perhaps my binkie-stuffing skills were what the problem was.
"Sometimes she acts like it's choking her," I offered helpfully as the doctor put it in her mouth. As if on cue, Annalise erupted into a screaming choking fit so violent the doctor felt it necessary to immediately perform a mouth and palate check to ensure she wasn't deformed and unable to suck. Fortunately or unfortunately, this was not the cause of the problem. Annalise is formed just fine. She just hates the binkie.
"Wow," the doctor said, amazed. "She really does just hate this thing!"
Told you so.
Don't mess.
8 comments:
She is so cute!!
Some babies just don't like the paci. My two older kids both gave their up spontaneously and without fanfare at around 4-5 months old. Benny also gave his up rather easily.
Um, no offense to Annalise's sensitivities, but she looks a little chubby in that picture. Adorably adamant about staying out her face and chubby! She looks great!
She is definitely your daughter, Jess - intelligent, spunky, and a woman who knows what she wants!
I love that picture.
Why is it that everyone thinks you don't know your own baby? As though you are making up the weight thing, or the binkie thing. As though you are trying to make motherhood difficult. Thankfully, your daughter and you are totally on the same page and she performed on cue every time to reinforce what mommy had just said.
Haha, I think it's funny about her peeing too... and the doctor with the binkie. I'm glad you got them to listen about her weight! Are you still having to use formula or do you not have to, now?
Great stuff Jessica...Sounds like you're having quite an adventure. I hope she becomes more comfortable soon, so you can relax alittle yourself!
She looks wonderfully healthy to me! I do believe that it is quite normal for the babies to lose a little bit of wieght during the first couple of weeks. She is a cutie!
~Chelsea
I love that pic!
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