Gas, Colic, Reflux and a Happy Baby
"Hello Lukie" and "Sawaddee kup Lukie." I say these words to you every time you get up in the morning, Lukie. You are growing up so fast. I still remember when I brought you back home like it was yesterday. We have learned a lot together. On Thursday night of the second week, you woke up and cried like every night. I fed you like always. I thought you were hungry like every time. But this time when you latched on, the suckling did not continue like before and you still continued to cry and cry. What was wrong? What was going on with you? I tried walking you to the living room but you still cry and fussed.
Your voice was so lound it woke up Kun yai. It was about one o'clock in the morning. Your crying was very loud and made her concerned. I didn't know what was wrong and assumed it might be gas. Your stomach was very hard and you kicked a lot while I held you. Kun yai asked if I burped you enough. I thought I did, but actually not. Mommy didn't burp you long enough before putting you to sleep. Your crying made my heart break. It was a wake up call for me that I had to do a better job burping you every time after feeding. Since that wake up call, I know you need me to let gas out and not forget.
On the fourth week we went to New Jersey to visit Grandpa John and Grandma Lorraine. They were so very happy to be with you. Grandpa held you pretty much all day except when you were hungry and needed to be fed. Grandma and Grandpa tried to help me from being alone with you and having to do so many thing by myself after daddy's two weeks off from work were over. I can say that was tough. My body hadn't completely recovered yet and I had to start doing laundry, cooking, cleaning and taking care of you, too. I didn't even have time to go to the bathroom and, I think because I'm breastfeeding, all the water I drank became milk for you.
I felt relieved that someone could help me hold you sometimes and my back felt much better. It had started to hurt a little from me holding you all day long because you cried so often.
You cried about the same time every night, between six and 10 o'clock. Daddy and I tried to figure out what the problem was. We read the book and all your symptoms pointed to colic. Well, I hate to say that you are a colicky baby but you are...crying every day at the same time, nobody can calm you down except mommy but just for a while.
Do you know that the more you cry the more you upset youself, because crying so much also makes you gassy? We called and made an appointmet to see Dr. Halitsky. She said that the more you cry, the more air you take into your stomach.
Besides that, you also seemed to feel uncomfortable while you napped in the afternoon. One day you were laying down with me and I was feeding you as usual. Then, when I was going to pick you up for burping time, you threw up. It was a projectle thow-up, Lukie. I was so nervous and concerned. Dr. Halitsky called the hospital for an ultrasound to see if anything was wrong with your intestines. Thank God, everything was normal.
I told the doctor about how you would wake up in the middle of napping. You would cough, twist and turn your face and suddenly start screaming. This is a symptom of reflux, the Doctor said. I read the same thing in the book. Oh, my sweetheart, I don't want you to cry or feel pain at all. Do you know that? I would rather have the pain all to myself as long as it made you feel good, sweetheart. Even though reflux and gas are common in infants I just don't want you to cry or feel any pain.
I love to see you smile and be a happy boy. One of my very good friends said that when you can see your child's first smile it is so meaningful and so amazing. Your smile is the best potion to help relieve me from feeling down and tired. And we are seeing you smile now, Lukie.You make Daddy and I fall in love with you again and again. And it is a very special love. Please be healthy, sweetheart. I love you so much. If you understand, you will know I tell you this a thousand times every day.
Love you so much sweetheart,
Mommy
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Being a Mother!!!
Being a mother!!!
It's been one month, three weeks and five days already. It is true that time flies when you're happy. Since Lukie was born I can say that I haven't had a lot of sleep or time to do anything else.
I still remember when I was in the hospital the first night after delivering him. Because I wanted to breastfeed him, the nurse came in the middle of the night and woke me up. I was in between sleep and dream. I didn't even remember that I had been in the hospital to deliver my child. She touched my arm and said that I needed to feed him because he was crying non-stop. I opened my bra and started to feed him by instinct. I was a little surprised that he didn't just know how to latch and suck right away. My feeling was concern that he might be very hungry. What could I do?
The nurse said don't worry and keep trying. The first time he just didn't open his mouth. Then I tried to change his position to the other side. He still didn't know how to latch and continued to cry and cry. My heart beat as fast as his voice and I continued trying to encourage him to latch on. I asked the nurse if she could see if I had milk or not. She said yes, you do and it is colostrum and don't worry, it is enough for a newborn baby. Lukie stopped crying and went to sleep without feeding. He must have been very tired from being born. I felt guilty that I couldn't feed him. The nurse said that newborns can stay without feeding for 24 hours and a lot of them will lose a little weight after they are born. Then she asked me if I wanted him to be with me. Of course I wanted to be with him and wanted to spend time with him. So the first night I ended up staying up, holding him and hugging him until the morning. My husband was totally out because of helping me push.
After the first night, I asked the nurse if I could have Lukie in my room all the time and she said yes. Two nights in the hospital went by pretty fast. We got home on Sunday afternoon. I remember dressing up Lukie with a very cute shirt and cute pants. The outfit looked a little too big but, believe it or not, it fit him perfectly by the time he was two weeks old.
The first two weeks I got help from my husband. That was very nice. He took two weeks vacation from work. He loves being with Lukie and feels so joyful at being a new father. I was struggerling with breastfeeding. My breasts were engorged, so hard and very painful. I didn't cry when I delivered Lukie but I cried when my breasts were engorged and I had to feed my son. The tears were from the pain but I told myself I would never give up.
All my friends from the web board gave me encouragement and told me to be patient. It will be fine in two weeks. Now I'm so glad I passed the being-a-mother test. To be a mother is difficult. I don't want to be a mother that could give her baby breastmilk but didn't even try. I think anyone could raise my child with formula and tell my child that she is his mom. I think that is cheating way if you can feed your child with breastfeeding and you don't. Level of being mom is different between formula mom and brestfeeding mom.
After all the pain and struggling from breastfeeding in the first month, now I have adjusted to the routine and love being a mother very much. Loving a baby that is my child is so powerful to me. The first week I felt like I never knew this little boy before. How could I get to know him? The more you raise your child by yourself the more you love him, too, and I believe every mother knows this.
To be continued.
It's been one month, three weeks and five days already. It is true that time flies when you're happy. Since Lukie was born I can say that I haven't had a lot of sleep or time to do anything else.
I still remember when I was in the hospital the first night after delivering him. Because I wanted to breastfeed him, the nurse came in the middle of the night and woke me up. I was in between sleep and dream. I didn't even remember that I had been in the hospital to deliver my child. She touched my arm and said that I needed to feed him because he was crying non-stop. I opened my bra and started to feed him by instinct. I was a little surprised that he didn't just know how to latch and suck right away. My feeling was concern that he might be very hungry. What could I do?
The nurse said don't worry and keep trying. The first time he just didn't open his mouth. Then I tried to change his position to the other side. He still didn't know how to latch and continued to cry and cry. My heart beat as fast as his voice and I continued trying to encourage him to latch on. I asked the nurse if she could see if I had milk or not. She said yes, you do and it is colostrum and don't worry, it is enough for a newborn baby. Lukie stopped crying and went to sleep without feeding. He must have been very tired from being born. I felt guilty that I couldn't feed him. The nurse said that newborns can stay without feeding for 24 hours and a lot of them will lose a little weight after they are born. Then she asked me if I wanted him to be with me. Of course I wanted to be with him and wanted to spend time with him. So the first night I ended up staying up, holding him and hugging him until the morning. My husband was totally out because of helping me push.
After the first night, I asked the nurse if I could have Lukie in my room all the time and she said yes. Two nights in the hospital went by pretty fast. We got home on Sunday afternoon. I remember dressing up Lukie with a very cute shirt and cute pants. The outfit looked a little too big but, believe it or not, it fit him perfectly by the time he was two weeks old.
The first two weeks I got help from my husband. That was very nice. He took two weeks vacation from work. He loves being with Lukie and feels so joyful at being a new father. I was struggerling with breastfeeding. My breasts were engorged, so hard and very painful. I didn't cry when I delivered Lukie but I cried when my breasts were engorged and I had to feed my son. The tears were from the pain but I told myself I would never give up.
All my friends from the web board gave me encouragement and told me to be patient. It will be fine in two weeks. Now I'm so glad I passed the being-a-mother test. To be a mother is difficult. I don't want to be a mother that could give her baby breastmilk but didn't even try. I think anyone could raise my child with formula and tell my child that she is his mom. I think that is cheating way if you can feed your child with breastfeeding and you don't. Level of being mom is different between formula mom and brestfeeding mom.
After all the pain and struggling from breastfeeding in the first month, now I have adjusted to the routine and love being a mother very much. Loving a baby that is my child is so powerful to me. The first week I felt like I never knew this little boy before. How could I get to know him? The more you raise your child by yourself the more you love him, too, and I believe every mother knows this.
To be continued.
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