I must have done something VERY WRONG in a past life to be deserving this... not only does Annalise reject the soothing comforts of a pacifier, but the baby will not take a bottle.
Last night we got a breast pump. Because sometimes the baby sleeps through the night but I can't because my breasts are too full. I pumped two and a half lovely ounces last night after she went to bed, before I did. All for naught.
Just like with the pacifier, she rolls the bottle nipple around in her mouth, chokes on it, gags a little, screams a lot, and generally acts like she's being murdered. And I was so excited. Being able to feed from a bottle occasionally held limitless possibilities. We could go on our daily walks without her breaking into screams in the middle, necessitating me marching home with my head down, a dog leash in one hand, a stroller in the other and a shrieking girl tucked under one arm. We could go to the grocery store without incurring disapproving looks from people wondering why I am clearly pinching her under her covers. We could once in a while give the poor boobs a break.
2 1/2 lovely ounces down the drain. The possibility of taking the Bub in public without having to whip out my breasts every twenty minutes down the drain.
I better not die or she will have to be fed intravenously.
5 days ago
10 comments:
Dont you love it!!! HAHA.. Just think though when she gets older you wont have to wean her off a binki. Peyton has a death grip on hers 24/7. Im sorry we missed you two the other day. I would have LOVED to see you guys. Trev and I are in the process of redoing our countertops, so as soon as I have running water again we would LOVE to have you three over for dinner and meet little Annalise.
That stinks! But it's very common. I wasted lots of milk with Karissa and some with Austin too. I just don't bother to pump anymore. Your breasts will adjust to her and won't produce as much milk at night soon enough, but they will still be able to provide for her on the occasion that she does wake up, that's the beauty of breast feeding. At least she sleeps through the night sometimes!
Neither one of my kids took bottles or binkies. Sorry. You could try a different nipple for the bottle, but from experience it most likely won't make a difference. The up side is as she gets older (in a couple of months) she won't nurse as much and you can go in public. For now just enjoy the time you have with her.
By five or six months she will be able to sip out of a little cup with support. By a year, she will be drinking out of a cup mostly on her own (lots of fun spills).
It is such a blessing that she is nursing well, and breastfeeding in public is one of the most important thing you can do to help normalize the perception of meeting a child's needs in an authentic way.
I know it feels like a lot of nursing (and it is). I am interested to see how her nursing pattern shifts over time (if at all).
Canon still won't take a bottle! We should have tried it on him earlier like you are doing. Keep trying, one day it will take. Everson took his first bottle from Sister Springer. Maybe try someone who Annalise does not know very well. Just a thought.
You can freeze the milk, it will last for a few months (6 months in a deep freeze). My babies didn't take bottles either. On the bright side, you don't have to clean smelly bottles or breast pumps. You will get good at breastfeeding on the go...I always did it in dressing rooms (handicap stalls fit strollers great) and in the car before I went in a store.
p.s. have you tried letting her suck on a clean finger? that's what my pediatrician told me to try, although it never worked for me...
surrendering to the needs and wants of a new baby can be super hard. but you are still in early days and you really will look back at all this and laugh! it'll get better, and easier, and in the end you'll probably be at month two with baby #2 and think, "my first was so EASY..." :)
p.s. can I just say that I love reading all of your stories and comments about Annalise...it is SO nice to know that I'm not the only one that has had to deal with a challenging baby. it's quite therapeutic:)
To think you had relief...and then to have it yanked away from you must have been so frustrating!!!!! I'm sorry. Keep at it though...one of these days she'll surprise you.
You could be a really mean mom like me and just keep offering the bottle until she takes it. Actually I had to go back to work at 3 months so there was no choice. It was the most painful day for me because he refused the bottle and just cried and cries but I had to keep trying because I was going back to work. Finally around 8pm that night he took a bottle and did ever since. I was pretty emotionally drained to say the least.
Not that you are asking for my opinion but forget the freedom of getting to go out. These little ones grow up so fast and before you know it there 7!!! :) You are a great mom!
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