Tag Archives: Breast Feeding

Twenty Weeks Post Partum – The 411

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My angel is now 20 weeks old !  

She is growing by leaps and bounds and is growing super long.  She now weighs almost 16 pounds.

She can sit up with assistance for a little while before falling forward. 

She hates to sit down or lie down. She now prefers to sit up and stand up.  

A friend sent her an Amazon gift card for her christening so we ordered her a Fisher Price Jumperoo. I am still trying to put it together.  I deplore reading instructions and putting things together. Hopefully I will figure out how to get this seat part together this weekend before calling in the calvary lol.

I am completely and head over heels in love with my daughter !  She is the culmination of every dream I have ever had of a child.  

I soooo want to give her a sibling. I have been very depressed about that lately.   Because of the emergency hysterectomy,  I can not carry another baby. I am blessed to have four eggs on ice so that once I find a willing surrogate, my little girl can have a sibling.   I worry about leaving her in the world alone.  I want her to have a sibling that she is close to and to experience having a life growing up fighting and loving a sibling.   There is nothing like it !

I can’t believe that in a few short days, my baby will be five months old !  I am starting to plan her 1st birthday event.  I am doing a safari theme and am looking at trip packages to either Tampa Busche Gardens Africa or to Disney’s Animal Kingdom.   I am hoping my family will be able to go, but if not, it will be just us.

I ask that you all keep my mom in your prayers.  Not only has a knot formed under her breast that she just had surgery on (hoping its just scar tissue) but her anemia seems to be caused by something other than iron deficiency.   The doctor has ordered a colonoscopy and referred her to a Gastroenterologist for further review.  She is nauseated all the time and has been for quite some time.   The doctor assumed is was reflux.  Now I am scared to death, that given how much she sleeps and the fact that even with nausea medications are not very effective, that we are dealing with something far more serious. It is my prayer that God could not and would not be that cruel to allow her to be sick again.  There is only so much the human body can withstand.   Now that she is retired, I want her to be able to travel and enjoy her life and not have it marred by illness and fear of illness. 

Until next week….

Seven Weeks Postpartum- The 411

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photoshoot-at-7-weeks

My gorgeous girl (and I know no parent should ever boast about this type of thing, but I am completely objective !  lol)  is 7 weeks old.  This past week was a bit challenging due to a bit of colic.  I called her doctor and demanded to change her formula I am supplementing with to Earth’s Best Organic Sensitivity Formula and it has made ALL the difference !  The baby’s poop is normal now.  There is not a lot of trapped gas anymore and the baby is letting them rip ! (embarrassingly so !)

I am still exclusively pumping and I have not gotten another clogged duct (knock on wood) and I am pumping on average 5 to 7 ounces per pump.   I am still taking Motilium and will continue to do so. I am not yet sure how long I plan to continue pumping but I am hoping to continue until she is at least six months old.  Once we start her on homemade, organic food, I will more than likely stop pumping and only give her the Earth’s Best formula until she weans to organic whole milk.

Baby girl had her first professional photo shoot for a local photography studio this week.  Above is a sneak peek !

Mommy News:

My incision is completely closed now and it you can not even tell that I was cut open !  I am amazed at Dr. P’s work !  I wish she had suctioned the excess fat out and pulled that skin down then I would be A OKAY !  lol

I am feeling terrific and am down 54 pounds. I look great and am pleased with my body except my ass is gone!  Oh well… squats are on the menu now 🙂

Grandmomma / My Momma News:

My mother is doing a lot better.  She is still hooked up to wound vac and hopefully will be getting it off in the morning at the surgeon appointment.  We are headed to NYC on Monday so that I can vote and then the baby and I have doctor appointments this week too.  I have to check my post office box and then get a slice of pizza.  My mom was a bit sick for the past week so I took her to her PCP.  He determined that the infection was not 100% gone and he started giving her injection antibiotics.  She went back today for more blood work and she is now in the clear.

How your baby’s growing

Your baby’s brain is expanding in size and complexity. It will grow about 5 centimeters during the first three months.

You may notice short periods of time when your newborn is quiet and alert. This is prime time for learning. Use these calm intervals to get better acquainted with your baby – talk to her, sing to her, describe the pictures on the walls. She may not be able to add to your conversation just yet, but she’s absorbing language.

New textures, sights, and sounds are all learning opportunities. Even bath time becomes a laboratory for understanding the world around her.

Reaching out

Your baby’s hands should be mostly open now — ready to reach out to the world. In the early days of your baby’s life, grabbing was mostly automatic and instinctual and she couldn’t let go if she wanted to. Although she can’t really grab objects just yet, she can hold things placed in her hands. And, once she wraps her hands around something, she might not let go so easily. She’ll also begin to try and bat at objects, so keep potentially dangerous objects far from your little one’s reach. This means not holding hot liquids or sharp objects while you’re holding her.

Learning begins now

You may notice short periods of time when your newborn is quiet and alert. This is prime time for learning: Your baby’s brain will grow about 5 centimeters during her first three months!

Use these calm intervals to get better acquainted with your baby — talk to her, sing to her, describe the pictures on the walls. She may not be able to add to your conversation just yet, but she’s learning nonetheless.

New textures for her hands to feel and new sights and sounds (all in moderation) are all learning opportunities. Even bath time becomes a laboratory for understanding life.

Eyes can track objects

With both eyes now able to follow things consistently and well, your baby can track a moving object much better, something she may have been able to do for only brief periods since birth.

The stores are packed with developmental toys, but you’ll do just as well with everyday objects. Pass a rattle or a bright plastic ladle horizontally in front of her. Then try moving it up and down. This should attract your baby’s attention, though she probably won’t be able to smoothly follow things vertically for another three months and diagonally for another six months.

You can also play eyes-to-eyes by moving very close to her face and slowly nodding your head from side to side. Often her eyes will lock onto yours.

Remember, your baby is an individual

All babies are unique and meet milestones at their own pace. Developmental guidelines simply show what your baby has the potential to accomplish — if not right now, then soon. If your baby was premature, keep in mind that kids born early usually need a bit more time to meet their milestones. If you have any questions at all about your baby’s development, ask your healthcare provider.