Our first days with Ellie have been incredibly rewarding, mixed with a little frustration. It's easy to just stare at her new face, or put my finger in the middle of her hand, or just walk around with her in the crook of my arm. (That's where the time is going, obviously.) Kim's mother Patty came up from Glendale, CA to help us out for the first couple of weeks, and I often hear her spontaneously giggle as Ellie's ongoing facial muscle movements produce a big smile or a quizzical look.
At the same time, we're learning that breastfeeding is indeed a learned skill. Kim and Ellie have had moderate success so far (despite an incredible amount of work); due to a few factors, Kim's milk has come in later than what is usually expected, so we're supplementing each feeding with a bit of formula to make sure Ellie is getting the amount of nutrition she needs. A lactation consultant spent a few hours working with us today, which was incredibly helpful. Hopefully, we'll get over this hump soon and get back to primarily breastfeeding.
Monday is our first appointment with Ellie's pediatrician, which makes us a little apprehensive because we've heard about this visit: a number of tests need to be made, which involves a lot of needles and a healthy dose of screaming. I'm sure Ellie might make some noise, too.
Hang in there on the nursing. I promise, it gets better. It took us 3 months. May yours go faster.
Posted by: Heidi Blondin | February 12, 2008 at 11:10 AM