Boobs. In my head I sing this to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat. I feel like this is the mantra of my life right now. Here I am up at 2am spending some quality time with the girls and the new love of my life, the hospital grade breast pump. It's hardest at night to ensure I get a pump in every two hours. In fact this one is coming 3 1/2 hours after my last. Apparently I unconsciously turn off my damn alarm so I end up frantically waking up whenever I feel like I've gotten too much sleep. My DH noted yesterday that about every 3 days I crash. The only getting sleep in hour and a half or less increments, causes me to get exhausted and my body insists I need a nap. The good news is our fridge has a relatively large stash of liquid gold ready for Little Dude's consumption. I'm pumping more than he's eating and every other day we're heading to the store to buy storage containers. I really wanted to try to keep the breastmilk in the fridge as that's the place it loses the least nutrients, at this point though we're approaching the maximum time limit for our oldest stuff to be refrigerated. I'd rather not throw any away so I may have to begin freezing it.
Onto Little Dude news. He's finally broken 8 pounds. We've officially retired his tiny gDiapers, they are only good for babies 6-10 pounds, while the smalls start at 8 pounds and seem to fit him better now. He's sleeping for long stretches at night, a benefit of bottlefeeding. Although he's still getting easily digestible breastmilk, he's getting a bolus of it that fills him up and he doesn't wake to eat for hours. We're not comfortable letting him go for longer than 4 hours without eating so my DH has been waking him up the last few nights as he hasn't been waking on his own. Once he's up and given a bottle he remembers how hungry he actually is. DH goes back to work on Sunday and I'm really not looking forward to that, even more than he isn't. He's been so fabulous taking all the night time feedings so I can focus on pumping and getting sleep in between. I'll miss that help terribly. Little Dude is happy and healthy and gaining weight like a champ!! These are all things I am eternally thankful for. They make sleeping in less than hour and a half increments so very worth it. LD's week with Grandma was a whirlwind of adventure and lots of cuddles!! Grandma's gone and Grandpa has arrived to entertain the Little Dude-lebug. Little Dude is looking forward to lots of fun and cuddles with Grandpa!!
The picture on your left had side bar is soooo cute! I bet the pumping is so difficult at times, but I am sure it is well worth it!
ReplyDeleteUgh, I really feel for you, it stinks to be so tired like that especially with the prospect of DH going back to work soon. It really sounds, though, like you all are getting into a rhythm and hopefully, with a little help from grandpa, you'll be able to get in the naps you need.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever taken a peek at the Exclu.sively Pum.ping message board at iV.illage? I've heard that it can have some really helpful tips:
http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-ppexcluspump
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ReplyDeleteEverything sounds like it is going great!! Good luck when hubby goes back to work! Mine had to travel out of state for work so it was my first night alone with baby and everything went great! You and little dude will do fine!!
ReplyDeleteYou are doing wonderful. Don't beat yourself up for oversleeping! When I was pumping and bottle feeding I would go every 2-3 hours during the day, and up to 4 hours at night. It sounds like you have a really good supply- if you oversleep, it's your body saying the sleep is more important :-)
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