Keziah catching some z's at D&E's last weekend:
Well, it looks like breastfeeding Keziah is officially over. I was hoping to hang onto our morning feedings, but my supply quickly depleted and I found I was supplementing with a bottle every morning anyway. So, that’s that I guess. Now that she is taking bottles full-time, however, I can see exactly how much she is (or isn’t) drinking. So, now I have a new thing to worry about. Some days she drinks only 15 oz and even that is a struggle to get in her. I felt like today was a REALLY good day since she had about 20 oz. I asked some other moms on Babycenter and discovered that there are other babies out there who don’t drink a lot. And then some moms said their 7 month olds were drinking 30-40 oz. or more!! Wow. It’s been frustrating feeding her because she’ll drink steadily for a couple of minutes and then push the bottle away only to cry for it again a few minutes later. We do this for almost an hour with every bottle. It’s like she’s super-thirsty but gets annoyed at me for always shoving this thing in her face. Weird, since she’s been drinking from the bottle for months. I hope it’s just a phase.
Here is Micah playing in his homemade water table. We decided to throw out his inflatable pool a couple of weeks ago since it kept losing air, and we were hoping to just buy a hard plastic pool, but we haven’t been able to find one anywhere! Any suggestions?
I mentioned in my last post that Micah’s sleeping has been bad again. Last night he had Erik and I up countless times again. We used to be able to settle him down by taking him to the potty (I think he was uncomfortable with a full bladder but couldn’t recognize it in his sleepy state), but now we are dealing with multiple offenses every night for many hours at a time. It’s ridiculous and frustrating. Especially when our seven month old sleeps the whole night through. I just don’t know what to do anymore. We have tried shortening naps (and sometimes eliminating it altogether) and it doesn't seem to make a difference. We are starting to take away privileges but I’m not sure that will work… Erik is good at reminding me that we can pray about these kinds of things. So, that’s a good start! But I’d love some advice. Has anyone else had success with stopping these night-wakings?
On a happier note, we are looking forward to a little family vacation next week. I could tell you what we’re going to do, but I’ll let Micah fill you in (he’s most excited about playing “sand and pail”…)
12 comments:
Taeya's a drinker like Keziah in that she doesn't have very much. Her bottles were generally only 4/5 ounces, even when we cut her from 4 to 3 feedings/day. she's increased now that she's on milk, and has 6 ounces 3 times a day. But some babies just don't need that much. I would maybe suggest once she pushes it away, to put it away until her next feeding. Then she'll be thirsty enough to really drink some (hopefully). She'll learn that pushing it away means she's done. I started asking taeya when we were still nursing (when she would constantly break her latch), if she was all done. Eventually, she learned that if I said that, I was serious about ending the nursing session. And it still works with a bottle.
At the beginning of the summer i saw hard plastic pools at superstore...but haven't seen them since :( in the meantime, you're welcome to come play in ours!
Sadly, I have no advice for Micah's sleeping issues, but I hope they improve for you!!!
Sounds like you're going to have a great vacation next week. Yay!!!
Wow! That "sand & pail" vacation sounds pretty exciting! :) I loved Micah's enthusiasm---hope you guys have a wonderful time. Are you going to the island??
dear jamie!
in your post you mentioned that it´s really hot in your area! when it´s hot over here teresia won´t drink that much as well (i guess it´s too exhausting), so i let her drink more in the early mornings and late evening.....maybe that would help keziah too?!
the sleeping issues....i have not a real advice, but maybe it helps to find a ritual you can do every night with micah (if you´re not doing it already), like saying a prayer, singing a song....and after this he´s not allowed to get up for a certain amount of time! when i was nannying this helped a lot with one real fussy kid!
but still: you´re in my prayers!
leslie
Have a great time at the beach. Micah sure is excited!!
Hope you get the night issues sorted out with Micah.
P.S. I wouldn't worry too much drinking so much. As long as sure is gaining weight and happy that is all you need to know that she is getting enough to drink.
Hey Jamie! Just thought I'd let you know that it seems since the warm weather has hit James isn't really drinking much either. I try to get him to drink 6oz. every 3 hours, but that doesn't happen much. I usually just keep offering the same bottle for the next hour or so. Sometimes he'll finish it, but often I end up pouring it out. I'd say he drinks about 20-30oz a day - and he still gets at least one bottle a night. Today I was so frustrated because he wasn't drinking, so I put on a faster flowing nipple. He GUZZLED the bottle - all 6oz! It may be a fluke, who knows - but it worked. Maybe Keziah is hoping for a faster flow? Never hurts to try. I am using Avent bottles, and up till now was using the 2+ slow flow nipple. Now I am using the 3+ medium flow.
Hey Jamie - I hope you guys have fun on your trip!
I agree with Heather to try a fast flow nipple. Jackson was the same way but once I got switched nipples he drank more - not that he ever drank tons anyway but it helped.
I hope you nights get better - no advice but we'll pray for you.
Hey Jamie,
I understand your frustration with not drinking lots. Aidan maybe drinks 15 oz in a day as well. He just doesn't seem to be interested. I have been told that they will drink when they want it... I have been keeping a sippy cup of water/juice around as well and he likes to drink that sometimes as well. I figure that as long as they are peeing and gaining weight there really is nothing to worry about. I know that some dr. say they should get a certain amount everyday but if they are eating solid food they are getting calories from that as well. Good luck with it. I agree with your husband that praying about it is always a good place to start..I should pray about it more often too.
I hope you guys have a good time on vacation! It sounds like Micah will have fun regardless:)
Hmm, maybe it is just the weather - but you'd think the heat would make her want to drink more...? I've been offering her some water too which she seems to like.
As for nipple flow - we're already on the fastest one: #4! So I don't think that's the problem.
Hey Jamie
I thought I'd just add my two cents about the drinking issue. I work for a family doctor who delivers and sees tons of babies - his advice is always that a little baby or child will not starve themselves of for that matter thirst themselves to death - they just don't have it in them. When you nurse, you have no idea how much they get but if they seem happy and content then that's all that matters, so try not to overthink it just because you can "see" how much she drinks now. Also, the heat always makes my kids have less of an appetite too and I've had three different babies and all three drank different amounts from the time they were born until now. Sarah I don't think ever had more than a 5oz bottle at a sitting and Rylan at only 6 monhts drinks a full 9oz four times a day, but he is yet to be on any regular solids so that will change soon I'm sure. Hope this helps!
I have no advice on the sleeping situation with Micah but I feel your frustration - maybe Erik is right - pray, pray, pray, God cares about our sleep too!
Great post, love the "water table" idea, I need an idea for my "girls". Since I have only been a mom to toddlers for a few short days, they were pretty trying with some sleep issues. I finally had to say that if they didn't stay in their beds, I would have to take their favorite stuffy away. Worked great. I know it sounds mean, but they don't really care about anything else.
Also I know I live in SK but I saw a bunch of pools at Toys R us that are hard plastic.
Have a super vacation!
Hi Jamie. I just wanted to let you know that my 2 year old daughter was waking up at night a few months back. She would wake up many times a night and would be up for hours. My husband and I were so frustrated. We figured out after awhile that she was afraid. She didn't want us to leave the room and it was dark. So now she has 2 night lights in her room and we leave the door open a bit and I had to stand at her door for many nights and tell her to lie down and that mommy was there! Eventually she stopped waking up and now sleeps 12 hours at night. I hope this helps and remember that it won't last forever...even though it feels like it will. I'll keep you in my prayer!
that is strange that you can't find those pools! we bought ours years ago at superstore and it is a daily fixture lately (although I am convincing Steve to buy one of those big pools with the pumps/filters etc.. . so we all can swim!) but our plastic pool has gone through alot and never gotten a hole.
as for the sleeping, you can get tons of different advice on this issue, but the bottom line is, there is no method, book or person who can really tell you how to fix this problem. Every child is different and honestly I believe you are either blessed with good sleepers or bad ones. Aidan is our bad one and he still has problems sleeping and he is 5 1/2. I do find praying for him is the best thing that helps him at night.
also. . .Aidan and Cass grew out of there naps at 2 1/2. just a thought I had. They go to bed at about 8 at night and are exhausted so it is usually pretty easy.
anyways, now that I have written a novel, have fun camping, we are off in two weeks again, you should come to Calgary the last week of July into August.
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