Old Dog / New Tricks

Okay, so in my first post, I said that this little girl made me feel capable because this infant thing is easier the second time around. My only challenge was her spitting up. A HA HA HA HA! I was wrong kids, wrong. You see, this old dog had to learn some new tricks because this baby is different from the last.

We started having a problem where Elizabeth was terribly gassy and upset. She was having horrible blow-out poops and the amazing Exorcist-style spit ups that I described in my last post were increasing in frequency. I call the doc in a panic when it turns out, I should have just called a lactation consultant. Turns out problem was something called over-supply combined with over-active let-down. Sure, why not?

You see, when you nurse you produce two kinds of milk. Foremilk which is thin and watery (which takes care of her thirst) and hindmilk which is thicker and fattier (which takes care of her hunger). Now why in the hell God has not allowed our boobs to evolve so that both come out at the same time in some magic perfect ratio, I'm not sure. NOOOOO... one comes out an then another. Why is this a problem? Well... when you're trying to do some pumping and storage of milk (to have bottles handy for Dad to handle some feedings so I can sleep or for the baby sitter), you can actually throw off nature's lovely little balance and produce too much foremilk and not enough hindmilk. This is called over-supply. The symptoms? Terrible gas, bloating, thin/watery poops and projectile spit-up. Sound familiar? Wooo Hoo... strike one for mom.

So I had to spend days doing this fun nursing pattern and very little pumping so I could some how achieve the perfect balance of some milk to store, but no oversupply. Yay. Super Fun. I've finally found the balance though and have a much happier baby as a result. Of course, for a while, I stopped producing enough milk in my efforts to stop the over-supply and wanted to just bang my head against a wall. Too much milk. Too little milk. Too much foremilk. AAAAGGGHHH! This is why some women just say f#@! it and use formula.

Way #2 Elizabeth is different? Sleep issues. Now, she sleeps through the night already, so what issues can she have you ask? Well, her signs that she is too over-tired are unfortunately IDENTICAL to her signs for hunger. She starts WAILING inconsolably and sucking her fingers. HELLLLOOOOO... can we perhaps vary the signs so that poor mom doesn't panic and think that a growth spurt is imminent and then get frustrated because you're turning away from the breast like it's poison? Elizabeth does do the most hysterical face when you have the audacity to offer breast or bottle when she's not hungry but tired. Imagine the face a kid makes when they taste soap or shampoo. Very similar, kids, very similar. She sort of makes a BLAGHAH type sound and spits the offending item from her mouth. I should video tape it, really.

Way #3 Elizabeth is different. She's a definitely in need of some oral placating from time to time. I've had to use a pacifier a couple times just to stop the tired/cranky wailing because I'm just not always able to hold her while it stops and she drops into her quiet sleepiness right before her eyes shut and snoring ensues. I HATE using a pacifier. I actually haven't used it in a couple weeks and I'm learning to just let her cry or self-soothe with her fingers as her sleep pattern is starting to become more predictable. I get the feeling, however, it will be in my best interest to still have a couple pacifiers in the house. I'm hoping though, that I will only use them the way I did with William - putting them in the freezer for chewing during teething. Because I really don't want to blog two years down the road about how much it sucks to wean Elizabeth from the pacifier!