6 Month Stats

Look at me!!! I'm now 26.5 inches long and up to 15 pounds. The doctor said I'm way ahead developmentally, with my awesome ability to transfer objects from hand to hand and all. Then she saw me sitting and declared I sit with the skills of a 9 month old. She really knows how to make Mama feel good. Of course, I'm already a pro at that, too.

Dr. Tye

Yesterday Etta had a three month checkup, and Tye came along.  Etta is up to 12 pounds, 2 ounces, and Tye is a whopping 31 pounds!


Tye was so fascinated by the doctor's equipment that we stopped on the walk home to get her a play doctor's kit.  Apparently, she did not pay attention when the doctor used the stethoscope.

A Good Day

Today was a good day with lots of firsts.  It was the first time I tandem nursed the girls in front of non-family at this morning's La Leche League meeting.  I also met another tandem-nursing mom there- the first mom I've met in Brooklyn who is nursing a toddler, much less a toddler and infant. It's nice to know others exist.

We arrived home to find a package that contained a gift for Etta, which Tye happily helped open.  Inside was the most beautiful baby sweater I've ever seen, no exaggeration.  Remember the Bucktown Baby dress? Jen knit Etta a stunning cardigan.  This photo doesn't do it justice- the yarn is so soft that it creates a gentle haze around the sweet ruffles (the photo isn't blurry- the sweater is just that soft), and those red buttons are a collection of antique buttons, each one unique.  There are much more beautiful photos of it here, with better lighting. Oh, how I wish it would grow with Etta so she could wear it forever. At least until she goes to college...

This afternoon, we tackled our first doctor's appointment with both girls in tow, and it went really well. Etta is healing from her frenectomy beautifully, with no scar tissue forming (hard to believe that was only two weeks ago). All this was determined despite the fact that she slept through the entire appointment. Meanwhile, Tye played quietly and happily next to us.

We celebrated our big day with a long walk in the snow showers and then warmed up while we waited for pizza to be delivered. Not every day has been easy recently. This transition to two children has brought its bumps in the road.  Today, I may not have made dinner, our home may be scattered with toys and clothes, and the laundry may not be folded, but it was a good day with big firsts, great news, a beautiful gift, and happy moods throughout.  And a good day like today is worth celebrating.

All Tied Up

During the hours after Etta's birth, she nursed quietly and slept peacefully.  Our midwife left just a few hours after her birth, leaving us to catch up on rest and bond as a family of four, knowing she would be back the next day to check on us.  That evening, as Etta let out one of her first real cries, I caught a glimpse of her little pink heart-shaped tongue.  Etta is tongue tied.

The heart shape; it sometimes looks even more pronounced.

I wasn't at all surprised to see the tip of Etta's tongue being pulled down by her tight frenulum.  My paternal grandfather, his three daughters including my mother, and one of my younger brothers were all tongue tied, and all but my brother had their tongues clipped.  When our midwife returned the next day, she confirmed that Etta is definitely tongue tied, but thought that between the strength of her latch and her ability to to reach her tongue beyond her gum line, that we would be okay nursing in the short term at least.  The midwife decided to return again on the third day to weigh Etta again, just to be sure she didn't lose more than 10% of her body weight.  By then, Etta was within the 10% weight loss allowed and my milk was already coming in, so we felt good about waiting until our one week appointment with the pediatrician.


Signs of tongue tie include Etta's heart-shaped tongue; difficulty latching, staying latched or a painful latch; slow weight gain; and recurrent clogged ducts and/or mastitis (especially if combined with slow weight gain).  When a newborn is tongue tied, her shorter tongue makes establishing an effective latch difficult or impossible, which in turn makes emptying the breast a challenge (making the mother prone to clogged ducts and mastitis).  With that in mind, I started several practices to make sure Etta would get as much milk as possible and gain as much as she could in her first week.  


First, I made sure Etta nursed at least every two hours- and often, Etta ensured she nursed at even shorter intervals.  Because she was drinking less at each feeding than she would have been with a great latch, those feedings needed to happen more often.  During nursing sessions, I used breast compressions to help Etta empty the breast (Dr. Jack Newman has a great video on breast compression technique, which you can use with any nursling, available on YouTube here).  To help establish a sufficient supply, I let Tye nurse often in place of pumping after nursing, which prevents a low supply that can accompany a poor latch.  


Using these techniques, Etta regained a good amount of the weight she lost after the birth by her one week appointment and weighed in at 6 pounds 8 ounces, close to the 6 pounds 13 ounces she weighed at birth.  By her two week appointment this past Thursday, Etta was up to 7 pounds even.  Although she wasn't worried about it, the pediatrician referred us to an Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist to look at the tongue tie because I expressed my concern at Etta's constant nursing, inability to clear the breast, and air intake during nursing causing extreme gassiness.  


Then, Thursday afternoon, I suddenly came down with mastitis.  I woke from a nap with a throbbing lump in my breast and within hours had a fever, chills, body aches, and a red, hot, swollen breast.  Thankfully, my mom is in town this week and was able to help entertain Tye and take care of me while I rested and tried a variety of natural remedies to take care of the infection.  By Saturday morning, with my regimen of raw garlic, increased vitamin C, topical applications of lavender essential oil, extra sleep, alternating heat and massage, and frequent nursing, my fever had broken.  I'm still keeping up everything I was doing because I still have a red, warm lump on my breast signaling at least a clogged duct, but now that the fever has lowered, I feel significantly better.  


At least, physically, I feel better.  Emotionally, I'm nervous about our appointment on Wednesday with the specialist.  I think Etta is a great candidate for a frenectomy, but I worry about the pain she'll experience and her- and my own- ability to cope with that.  Though my mom leaves town tomorrow, my dad will be here to help watch Tye during the appointment- something I'm extremely thankful for, since I don't think I could handle such an emotional appointment with Tye along, too (couldn't you just imagine the three of us all in tears, the doctor staring at us, speechless?).  


I'm hoping the frenectomy can be done quickly at the appointment Wednesday and that it provides a solution to Etta's weak latch, her constant nursing, and her gassiness, and that it prevents future bouts of mastitis.  Hopefully, the short-lived pain will be outweighed by the result of a happier baby, healthier mama, and easier nursing relationship.  Time, and likely a snip, will tell.  


Another great post on tongue tie, its symptoms and diagnosis, its affect on breastfeeding, and frenectomies was posted recently by Mommypotamus- a great read!  And Kellymom.com has great information available here.

Happy Birth Day, Etta!

On Wednesday, I washed three loads of laundry and baked two batches of cookies and cleaned our whole apartment top to bottom.  It wasn’t out of necessity- I was scrounging to find laundry dirty enough to wash and cleaning an already clean house.  I can only explain it as hormone-driven nesting, which felt like an intense, deep-down need to do those things.  It was the most intense of day of a week of nesting, during which time I accomplished everything on my to-do-before-baby list.  Physically, I was feeling quite uncomfortable- for almost a month, Baby Girl had been sitting so low I felt she might pop out if I squatted down; the Braxton-Hicks contractions were frequent and intense at times; and though the nesting hormones helped me accomplish an insane number of chores, they were keeping me from resting at all, and I was exhausted. 

Late that evening, while I was in the shower, I decided to have a little chat with Baby Girl.  With the hot water relaxing my sore back, I told her, You can come out any time now, Baby Girl.  We’re all ready to meet you.  I’m ready to meet you and kiss you; your Daddy might say he wants to work another couple days, but he has his whole life to work; and your sister is really excited for the milk you’re going to bring her.  We are all as ready as we’ll ever be, and we can’t wait to meet you.  You can come out whenever you’re ready.

I went to bed soon after, hoping for some rest.  I remember dreaming about contractions I was having, thinking These aren’t stronger than the ones I’ve been having, but each one is lasting longer.  I forgot how long actual labor contractions last. These are the real thing.  I’m definitely having this baby tonight.  So I should try to sleep through them for as long as I can….  Then soon after, These feel really close together.  Maybe I should be timing them.

Over the next two and a half hours, I had light but long contractions every 2-4 minutes as I took a warm bath, emptied the dishwasher, folded the last of the laundry, re-organized the refrigerator, and made chocolate chip almond flour scones.  Then suddenly, the contractions slowed and intensified.  The first intense contraction came, followed by another 10 minutes later, another 9 minutes after that, then 8, 7, 6, then several 5 minutes apart.  I called Linda, our midwife, at 3:02am and she headed over to us. 

Around 3:30, I woke Tyler and we started our home birth preparations- making the bed, moving furniture to make room for the birth tub, setting the mood with music and candles as we kept the lights low.  When Linda and her midwife assistant arrived, Tyler started blowing up the inflatable birth tub while Linda checked me.  Six to seven centimeters.  The midwife assistant got a kick out of my ability to rattle off all the food I had made for them while enjoying a cup of tea at 6-7 centimeters, and we had a good conversation about being foodies and good restaurants in NYC and Chicago. 

During that time, I made one special request of the birth team- that they remind me to open my eyes when Baby Girl enters the world.  When Tye was born, I was focusing all my energy on pushing and in my concentration, didn’t open my eyes to witness for myself Tye’s arrival into our world.  I remember the sounds of her birth, the feeling of her body slipping out of mine, and the flood of emotions with incredibly vivid clarity.  There’s just no visual to go with it.  Since Tye’s birth, I’ve wished so much that I could have just opened my eyes to fully experience her entrance.  With this birth, my heart was set on keeping my eyes open to witness the entire birth.  As I explained to the midwife and her assistant, I didn’t want to miss out on anything.

Over the next few hours, I continued to move around during my contractions.  We called the doula who would be hanging out with Tye during the birth, and she arrived just as Tye woke for the day.  Sometime between 6:30 and 7, I got in the tub.

The water helped ease me through the contractions and relax even more between them.  I could feel Baby Girl’s head just a couple inches inside, which was encouraging.  By sometime around 8 am, the contractions were so intense that I threw up after one of them.  I kept thinking I’d be ready to push when the next one arrived- but as much as my mind wanted to enter the pushing stage, my body wasn’t in the same place. 

Then, in the middle of a contraction, my water broke.  The popping sensation felt like a swift punch to my contracted uterus- definitely the most painful contraction of the whole day.  But with that one contraction, my body was suddenly ready, and I began to push. 

The pushing contractions were long and right on top of each other.  I felt like I had about 15 seconds between them, if that.  During the first two, I remember thinking, If I keep pushing as hard as I can, I’m going to tear.  But if I ease up, it will take longer for her to come out…  But I quickly gave up on holding back and just let my body push as hard as I could.  As Baby Girl was crowning and I was feeling that Ring of Fire, I had this sudden vision of chunky newborn baby legs.  As I imagined kissing the chubby creases of Baby Girl’s thighs, my heart felt like it was going to explode with love for this little baby who was about to enter our world.  I felt myself pushing with a new, almost primal power.

Suddenly, I heard Linda say, “Okay, on this next push, you’re going to have a baby!” I could hardly believe it was happening so quickly.  Without a break, the next contraction came on and Baby Girl’s head came out.  I opened my eyes just as I pushed the rest of Baby Girl’s body into the clear blue water. 

In both of my birth experiences, the moment when baby’s body slips out of mine is purely, truly miraculous.  It’s as if a switch is flipped and my whole body- my whole life- is changed.  I feel that surge of maternal hormones flood my body immediately.  It’s hard to explain.  I know not all mothers feel that wash of emotions at the same time, and there’s nothing else to compare it to.  When else do we knowingly experience our lives changing so significantly in the blink of an eye?  For me, that moment- feeling baby’s slippery limbs slide into their own existence- is magical. It’s precious, powerful, and unforgettable.   And this time, my eyes were wide open.

As Linda scooped up Baby Girl, she said something about the cord, but I was so eager to hold Baby Girl in my arms that I barely listened.  Linda pulled the cord from around Baby Girl’s neck where it was loosely wrapped once, and finally, she was mine to hold.   In a few seconds, she took her first breaths.  She was bluish and had a thin layer of vernix over her body (she was, after all, only 38 ½ weeks), but with a little time and back rubbing, she pinked up as we let the cord continue to pulse.  I told Baby Girl over and over again how much I love her as Tyler proudly declared from behind the video camera, “Yup, she looks just like me.” 

Soon, I moved to the bed, where we were covered with warm towels before Tyler cut the cord and I delivered the placenta.  Baby Girl latched on like a little nursing champ as Linda gave me five tiny stitches where I had just slightly torn skin.

Tye could see me from the hallway, but she wasn’t quite ready to come into the room just yet. When I was ready to stand up and make my way to the bathroom, Tyler carried Baby Girl into Tye’s room.  Upon seeing the baby, she whispered excitedly, “Shhh, baby sleeping!”  Once I was back in bed, Tye ran in and jumped in next to me.  I took Baby Girl back and began to nurse her, and Tye asked to nurse.  I never thought it would be me, but now I have a photo of me tandem nursing just minutes postpartum.  And nothing could make me prouder than cuddling both of my girls, watching Tye reach out to hold Baby Girl’s hand, and hearing her say in her sweet voice (nipple still partially in her mouth), “Hi, Baby Sister.” 

As soon as our tandem nursing session was over, Tye went back to playing with her new favorite grownup friends and everyone else set about cleaning up.  Tyler made me scrambled eggs and we toasted our daughter’s birth with Dogfish Head 90-Minute IPA, the same favorite microbrew we drank to celebrate Tye’s birth.  Amidst the hustle and bustle, Baby Girl and I laid in bed, skin to skin, nursing on and off as we took each other in.

We called family members and I cried tears of joy as we shared our news.  Every time Tyler tried to take a picture of me, the reality of the moment hit me and I started crying again.  The pictures may not be the most flattering, but they hold that much more emotion for me.

By around noon, everyone left.  We all, in various states of undress, climbed into bed together and took turns snuggling skin to skin and sleeping.

Eventually, Tyler and I decided on a name for Baby Girl- Etta Maeve.  That night, the four of us slept in our bed, in our home together- Tyler, Emily, Tye, and Etta.  Our family of four.

An Abundance of Owies

I don't know if everyone's kids are like this or if it's just Tye, but every once in a while, she manages to fall- a LOT.  The injuries are rarely sporadic- rather, they come in waves.  After weeks without an owies, Tye has had several in the past two days, including two that left big scratches on her face.  

Her forehead was the result of a fall off the equipment at the playground, which is completely unusual for her.  The scratch on Tye's nose happened after a little fall on the small cement area in the back yard.  Her face doesn't tell the rest of the story- the running fall cushioned by a large bush, the fall off the kitchen chair that resulted in a major head bump, the skinned knees hiding beneath her leggings.  


If we were still in Chicago, I'd take Tye to the chiropractor.  After all, after this many tumbles, she is certain to need an adjustment.  But I've also noticed that an adjustment breaks the cycle of injuries.  I realize it could just be the end of Tye's fall phase, or as the old motherly wisdom suggests, perhaps she is finally becoming used to her body after a growth spurt.  The thing is, after months of regular adjustments, the pattern of falls-adjustments-no falls has been pretty obvious.  


Now we just need to find a chiropractor in Brooklyn.  

"Owie on nose."

Doctor Doctor

Our trip to the pediatrician for Tye's 12 month 15 month checkup on Friday went beautifully!  Yes, it was 3 months late, but it wasn't for lack of planning... Our doctor was out of town literally from Tye's birthday until Christmas.  Then, he cancelled our appointment- twice (frustrating, but I don't think that's common).  After that, we cancelled our appointment scheduled for the day after we received 2 feet of snow because we couldn't drive out of the garage.  So that's how you end up with your 12 month check up at 15 months.


Anyway, the appointment went perfectly well.  Tye was given a full check up and then a clean bill of health.  We've been fortunate to have found an amazing pediatrician who understands and appreciates our parenting decisions- a rare find, at least in Chicago.  However, as the nurse asked me, "You're still breastfeeding?  Is she still sleeping in your bed with you?" I couldn't help but thinking You know you're seeing a crunchy pediatrician when his questions are phrased like this.


We now have proof that Tye is growing, too.  At 22 pounds 10 ounces, Tye is in the 47th percentile for weight.  For height, she's in the 75th percentile, and for head circumference, she's taking after her mom's side of the family, placing in the 98th percentile(!).   Like the proud parents we are, we've been telling every soul we've seen this weekend how Tye stacks up against other children.  Sure, the thought that perhaps every person doesn't care about Tye's measurements flitters through my mind as the words are coming out of my mouth.  I just rattle off the numbers to them anyway and tell myself that if I were in their shoes, I at least wouldn't mind pretending to care.  Somehow, that makes me feel better.  Or maybe it's talking about Tye that makes me feel better.  Hmm, somehow I'm okay with either one.

Crunchier with time

Tyler: Should be interesting.  All this dude does is acupuncture. Told me the decrease in yang is reason.

Me: It's worth a shot, right? Chiropractor coming in now...

(Several minutes later...)

Tyler: What did you get me into?


These were the text messages exchanged between Tyler and myself yesterday afternoon.  Around noon, he had come home from the office, bent over like the stereotypical sitcom character with a thrown-out back, unable to stand or raise his arms.   We called Dr. Sobor, a doctor in pain management who spoke at a Holistic Moms Network meeting about a year ago.  Dr. Sobor specializes in using Western medicinal techniques combined with modern research to heal the source of pain, rather than simply prescribing pain relievers to mask the symptom.  When he handed out his information at the meeting a year ago, I held on to his card, convinced that some day, when Tyler finally couldn't stand his back pain any longer, he would be the person to see.


Dr. Sobor was working at his office in Glenview yesterday, so Tye and I drove Tyler up to see him. We walked (or hobbled, according to ability) into the office and Tyler was immediately shown to a room.  About five minutes later, we texted the above exchange.  Twenty minutes after that, Tye and I peeked into Tyler's room.  There he was, laying face down on a massage table his underwear and a hospital gown (Oh, how I wish I had a picture of that!).  Sticking out of his lower back were a dozen needles, half of which were hooked up to a box with mini jumper cables.  Two of them pulsed on and off every second.  A space heater was working hard in the corner, already creating a sauna effect to help loosen Tyler's muscles.


"How's it going?" I asked.  


"Uh, it's really uncomfortable, but if it works, I'll do this every day."


Already breaking a sweat, Tye and I left the room.  After another half hour, Dr. Sobor and the chiropractor went back into Tyler's room.  Not long after, I heard Tyler yelling, but clearly not in pain.  For those of you who know Tyler, you know that hearing him a room away is nothing unusual, so I didn't think much of it.  When Tyler finally emerged several minutes later, he was standing upright, walking easily.  He raised his arms over his head and proclaimed, "I'm a believer!"


Tyler was shown a list of stretches to complete twice daily, and we headed home.  In the car, he told me the yelling was him yelling "Ahhh!  Thank you!!!" to the chiropractor when he adjusted Tyler's back and Tyler found relief instantly.  The acupuncture had worked to loosen the muscles that were creating strain on his back, with the electric pulses functioning like a super-intense deep-tissue massage.  When he was finally adjusted, his back fell back into alignment.  He'll need a series of treatments and lots of stretching to stay pain-free.  But because the services Tyler received yesterday focused on healing the source of the pain rather than masking the symptom, he's moving in the right direction.  


And now that Tyler is regularly seeing both a chiropractor and acupuncturist, I can say that my husband is just about as crunchy as I am.

Teaching to Cook

The Chicago Tribune ran an article yesterday titled Make this recipe and call me in the morning: Doctors hope to fight obesity by teaching patients how to cook healthfully.  In it Janet Helm explains how Dr. David Eisenberg of Harvard Medical School is trying to teach doctors how to cook healthfully so they can, in turn, teach their patients to cook healthy meals.  I loved this excerpt: 

The definition of cooking has changed...  Now it's more likely to mean assembling and heating — and probably in the microwave, which has experienced a surge in popularity in the past few years, along with frozen foods.  For the first time, the lasagna eaten at home is more likely to be thawed from the freezer rather than made from scratch. If food doesn't come in a box with instructions, many people are just not sure what to do. 

While they may constantly hear about the virtues of fresh, whole and unprocessed food, and are told to eat more vegetables, whole grains and plant-based meals, people often feel ill-equipped to implement this advice. 

Even with the wildly popular television cooking shows, many people are not active in their own kitchens.  Has cooking become a spectator sport? 

I'm still left wondering, though- whose responsibility is it, really, to teach Americans how to cook?  I have a hard time believing that a program in which doctors diagnose, treat, and give cooking lessons during a ten minute appointment is going to be successful, especially without a sample kitchen in the exam room.  I'm all for treatments that include food over prescriptions and wish more doctors healed that way.  On the other hand, good doctors are a wealth of knowledge in their area of specialty, and I'm not sure I trust one to tell me how to bake a souffle- or even an egg.


So, to whom does the responsibility of teaching cooking skills belong?  


Is it our failing education system?  Home Economics classes have been cut along with music and arts classes in many school districts, or made optional, as it was in my high school.  


Is it the parents who don't cook?  Many individuals who cook would say they learned how growing up.  But in a world in which most families rely on at least two incomes, getting dinner on the table often means quick fixes and little real food preparation.  


Is it the Standard American Diet and the food system that supports it?  As seen in Food, Inc., a family living in poverty can eat fast food for less cost than fresh produce.  


Is it ultimately the responsibility of the individual to figure it out or figure out how to learn?  Sure, we can't all recreate the masterpieces on Top Chef, but following a show like Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Meals is fairly simple and reasonably healthy- especially when compared to fast food.  An even easier place to start would be Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade.  Cookbooks can be checked out at the local library for free.  There's even a Cooking Basics for Dummies book, with used editions available on Amazon.com for only $1.  


I am in agreement that knowledge is one of the main components holding Americans back in the battle for healthy eating (with cost being the other lead contributor).  I'm all about any program seeking to educate Americans and teach us how to cook healthy meals, especially if we can throw in some lessons on the benefits of local, organic produce.  I think we need to keep looking for a solution, though, and let the physicians do what they do best.  Until we educate the rest of America, they'll be busy dealing with the problems caused by poor diet.

The Doctor is In

The search is over- we have finally found a pediatrician we like!  Thanks to a recommendation from someone from Holistic Moms Network, we finally found a pediatrician who is kind, gentle, encouraging, naturally minded, and doesn't mind delaying or forgoing vaccinations.  


Tye's visit Thursday was fantastic.  The nurse was far gentler than any other nurse Tye has seen and played with Tye as if she was her own child.  When I thanked her for being so good with Tye, she said she just loved babies and had four of her own. It showed.  We took a few pictures, and Tye nursed a bit, while we waited for the doctor.  I just thought the naked little baby legs poking out of the Kozy Carrier were too cute not to capture.

The doctor was incredibly friendly and great with Tye.  He had the warm, grandfatherly bedside manner I had been looking for in a doctor for her, and he clearly went out of his way to encourage me, too (something more pediatricians should take the time to do when working with new parents).  He commended me for working with a lactation consultant to increase my milk supply and finally becoming independent from supplementation.  When I said that Tye hadn't had any vaccinations yet and I didn't want any at that visit, he didn't question my decision- not even once (and there was no lecture proclaiming the miracle of vaccines and ending with "Well, I really don't want to come to the hospital when your daughter is horribly sick with pertussis and rotavirus.")  I left the visit feeling encouraged, genuinely happy, and so blessed to have a healthy daughter- a far cry from past appointments that have left me near, or in, tears.  


Tye is a healthy little girl!  She weighed in at just 13 pounds, 5 ounces (I realize there are newborns that size),  putting her in the 15th percentile for weight.  When I commented on how skinny she is, the nurse reminded me that healthy breastfed babies are always smaller than formula-fed babies and ensured me that Tye is actually a healthy weight.  And, Tye is growing- she is 25 3/4 inches long (70th percentile), with a head circumference of 43.5 centimeters (88th percentile).  In the doctor's exact words, Tye looks "five hundred percent healthy."  Music to a mother's ears.  

Natural Remedies

Last night, I went to the Chicago Chapter Holistic Moms Network meeting. Each month, there is a new guest speaker, and this month's was Dr. Andrea Rentea, MD. She and her husband practice Family Medicine in Chicago, but their practice is a unique one here. They use natural remedies that they learned studying in Germany and Austria to help guide the body's healing process. Dr. Rentea's presentation was fantastic. She's a warm, friendly grandma-type who believes fully in treating, and parenting, the whole child. She showed us several natural home remedies for common childhood ailments, such as a fever, cough, sore throat, and ear ache, using grocery store produce and compresses. If a lemon compress or onion pack can relieve a child's painful symptoms, I'll try that before resorting to medications every time. There's no risk in applying a lemon water compress to my feverish child, and no side effects. Some of the members of the Holistic Moms Network take their children to see Dr. Rentea, and they vouched for the effectiveness of these remedies. It's amazing to me that something so simple, so completely harmless, can be effective in healing. Dr. Rentea also presented some herbal remedies using oil compresses and herbal steam baths. After the presentation, Dr. Rentea was kind enough to answer my question about Tye. About 2-3 weeks ago, she started having mucous in her stools, and for the last week she's had slight diarrhea. Dr. Rentea asked me about my diet and suggested that I start by taking birch charcoal (carbo betula), which will help Tye because I'm nursing her. She had some on hand and gave me a small pack of capsules with directions for taking them, as well as other home remedies I can try if the charcoal doesn't work. Hopefully this will help Tye. So far today, no diarrhea. If the charcoal doesn't solve the problem, I think there's a good chance I'll make an appointment with her in office to see what other ways we can address poor Tye's tummy troubles. The practice of trying natural remedies before prescribing antibiotics is one I'm interested in following.

One Month Check-Up

This morning was Tye's one month check-up with our family care practitioner. We had been anxious to see how much weight Tye had gained since her last appointment, hoping for big numbers to match her obvious growth in length. Fortunately, measurements and weighing are done at the beginning of the appointment. Tyler and I both followed the nurse down the hallway to the baby station, where Tye weighed in at 6.6 pounds. I know we both visibly deflated at that number. I was holding back tears as we walked back to the exam room, now extremely anxious to speak with the doctor. That Tye was now 21 1/2 inches in length (up from 18 one month ago) went uncelebrated as we waited.

We talked with the doctor, who covered all the bases we've been covering- sufficient poopy diapers each day, strong latch and swallowing pattern, appearing satisfied after nursing. When we asked, she assured us that a vegan diet is completely sufficient for nursing. Even if I am lacking in any nutritional area, my body will take what it needs from me and give it to Tye. The doctor recommended that I try pumping regularly to be sure that I'm producing enough milk. She also suggested supplementing with one bottle of formula a day, offered after a nursing session in order to boost intake at one feeding, and returning in one week to re-weigh.

I had brought a suggested vaccination schedule, one that spreads out the vaccinations but includes them all, to discuss with the doctor. We talked about the vaccines while Tyler entertained Tye, and she seemed impressed with the proposed schedule. Before she left, the doctor suggested that we re-weigh Tye before we left, joking that gravity can change around 11 am.

Once again, we undressed Tye and made the long walk down the hall to the scale. When Tyler placed her on the scale, I know we both held our breath as we stared at the red digital numbers as they climbed... and stopped at 7.2! Stuck in disbelief, Tyler insisted we re-weigh her again- and again, she weighed in at 7.2 pounds. That was such a sense of relief! Her weight gain is still less than average, but at least she is gaining weight. The doctor suggested we try supplementing with formula anyway, but thought we could come back after the holidays rather than next week. We left the office feeling relieved that Tye had put on at least a little weight. Only parents get so excited about a fraction of a pound...

Tonight, I dusted off the breast pump and hooked myself up for the first time... quite a sight! My production seems to be adequate. Then we approached the next challenge- bottle feeding. We had Tyler present the bottle since some sources suggest it is easier to take a bottle from someone who doesn't have food on her chest. Tye took to it immediately. The flow seemed to be a little fast for Tye (it was a Medela bottle and nipple since that's what attached to the pump), but she managed well. Then, I breast fed Tye (babies are more efficient nursers and can get more milk out than the pump- and Tye definitely did). After that, we presented the formula (in a different bottle with an infant nipple). Once again, Tye welcomed the nipple. She barely hesitated as she tasted the formula, though I think (or maybe I'd just like to think) that she did make a face as she recognized the difference. The infant nipple seemed to help Tye manage the milk flow. As Tye drank the formula, I started to worry that she had always been hungry at the end of her feedings and wasn't receiving enough milk. All in all, though, Tye only drank about an ounce before letting me know she wasn't interested in more.

Pumping and providing extra formula showed that I could be producing more milk and that Tye would use it. I'm planning to go back to the same methods for promoting milk production that I did the first week of Tye's life (somewhat strangely, exactly one month ago)- milk production herbal tea and lots of skin to skin time. Hopefully, we can get my milk production up to a point that Tye won't want to take any formula after a feeding.

Tye is stirring now... time to go feed her. Quite a day today, huh? It was one of those when, looking back, this morning feels like a long time ago...