TRIUMPH!

I know it's early, but I think I may have found a solution to Leah's bottle defiance.


Allow me to introduce: 

The Sippy Cup.

Let me start with a little background. As you may know, I have not yet started Leah on solids. Dr. Pediatrician (Leah's Pediatrician, further known as Dr. P) recommends that she be able to sit up a little better on her own before we start anything. I have mentioned before that Leah is long and lean, which makes balancing pretty tricky for her. I am also in the midst of researching the Baby Led Weaning method for feeding. It's a british concept, and their definition of weaning is different than the american definition. The British term means " to add complimentary food". "Baby Led Weaning, quite simply, means letting your child feed themselves from the very start..." 


My understanding of the concept is to skip puree's and spoon feeding and start your baby on pieces of very soft foods that they can feed to themselves i.e. slice of cooked sweet potato, slice of avocado. I believe it stems from the fact that they used to feed babies rice cereal and purees at a much earlier age. Before babies have the natural inclination to put things - anything into their mouth. So spoon feeding was absolutely necessary. I will say that Leah has been putting EVERYTHING in her mouth for about the last month and a half. And an interesting little tidbit; she stopped taking her bottle and pacifiers about a week after she discovered her thumb.

Exhibit A

A couple of the pro's to the BLW method is that it helps baby develop their motor skills, they eat with the family because they can feed themselves; no else has to feed them. Which helps to avoid the food wars that can evolve from Mom and Dad being in control. Baby eats however much or little he or she wants. Breast milk and/or formula will still be their main source of nutrition. Check it out, it seems pretty neat. I had heard of it before, but reading Josey's experience peaked my interest. 


To tie that all together I started to wonder with the BLW concept, if Leah might just do better feeding herself milk. We tried different bottles, and different nipples, and different positions, and different milk temperatures, but none of that worked.We use the glass bottles, so I knew that was kind of out of the question. I started researching sippy cups for beginners. I really prefer the concept of glass or stainless steel, but the only stainless steel sippy's they had for beginners, did not get great reviews.


So I sat down on the floor with my legs open, and put her in between sitting the same way, but allowing her to lean on me for support. I put the sippy in front of her and let her decide what to do. She immediately picked it up and put the mouth piece in her mouth. Now, it was still completely level so she wasn't getting any milk. She just sat there and gnawed on it a little bit. I gave her a few minutes then I slowly guided the cup up in the air to help her get a little milk. It caught her a bit off guard the first time and she coughed a little, but she got it right away after that. The flow is super slow and requires suction or pressure on the mouthpiece to get any out, so I feel very comfortable giving to her to handle. 

I would basically let her explore it and do it her self with just the tiniest direction. 

And within ten minutes of the second day with the cup she was like JLO rockin the mic one handed. 

And after that she was all: What are you still doing here? I got this, fool! 
(Please excuse my pastey, pastey white legs)

So the test will be tomorrow, when she is home with my MIL. Hopefully she can maintain and hone this new skill. And finally get back to eating while I'm at work. Oh, and I think I'm going to start her on Sweet Potatoes this weekend. Woo hoo!

Bottle Embargo

Leah is currently waging a battle against her bottles. My little protester! That's right Leah, damn the ma- , Oh wait this is a bad thing. Since last week, Leah has been refusing to take a bottle. Which means on the two days she is with my MIL, she doesn't eat the entire 9 hours that I am gone. Well, my MIL tries to get her to drink, but it's probably only an ounce or so that she'll get down. Brian has even come home during the day to help try, but to no avail. 


I spoke with our Pediatrician as well as consulting Dr. Google and they both said there is not a whole lot I can do, and then they both made the same points:


1. Babies will not starve themselves. She is not smart enough to be so stubborn as to put herself in serious danger. Is it good for her not to eat? Of course not, but she will be okay. 
2. Eventually she will forget why she is not taking the bottle, and eat like normal again.
3. She will soon be on solids, so if she is not drinking by then she will at least have that. 


She nurses perfectly with me, so on the days that I am at work, I only pump once instead of two to three times, that way I am extra full for her when I get home. Uncomfortable, but ready to oblige her growling little tummy. I usually pump every night about 3-4 hours after she's gone to bed, but I will skip it on the nights before I work that way her morning feeding with me is extra plentiful as well. At first I wondered if I should just go home on my lunch breaks to feed her, but our pediatrician just said that would only reinforce her not having to take a bottle...


I've read that changing the bottle/nipple can be helpful at times. But it only works about 40-50% of the time . I have been using Dr. Brown glass bottles, which worked PERFECTLY until recently. I went shopping yesterday, and found the nipple on the Tommie Tippie bottles to be the most different looking compared to the Dr. Brown. I'm disappointed that they only come in plastic with no glass alternative. But I'm sort of desperate at this point. So I'll give this a shot. She's home with my MIL right now, so I should know in a few hours whether it worked or not. 


My poor MIL has tried a lot of different things to help. She tried feeding her in different positions - Leah sitting up, laying down, on her side. She's tried feeding her on my nursing pillows. Still with no luck. So today she is going to take one of my night gowns with her when she feeds her to see if that will help. 


Any other suggestions, homies?

One Month

Dearest Leah,


Okay, so I'm like a week late posting this. In my defense I had written most of it on time, but needed to wrap it up. I was however, quite busy taking care of you. Alright no more excuses! Hey, this is my first letter to you since you've been on the outside of me!  Thanks for joining us by the way. (I wrote several that I didn't post) The last few weeks have been a complete whirlwind. I'm happy to say there have only been a handful of times where I've lost my shit because of your crying. And only because I couldn't fix whatever the hell it was that made you screech like a pterodactyl. And I hate that. It makes my heart hurt. I can't do anything else when you're crying, all I want is to fix it. Literally, I was in the loo while your Dad was holding you and I couldn't pee because you were crying. He was doing his best to calm you down, and he did eventually, but until you were quiet, I just sat there paralyzed.


I am loving every day with you. As exhausted as I am when your daddy hands you to me first thing in the morning before he leaves for the day, I can't help but smile. You're typically either half asleep or screaming for breakfast. Either way, I'm so grateful to finally have you in my arms again. I miss you even when I'm sleeping, and as much as I love the longer stretches of sleep for all of us, it some how seems too long since the last time I saw your squishy little face.


We started you on a pacifier about a week ago. And even though you take a little time to remember how to use it, it's nice to have that cork little piece of plastic to please you. We also started you on a bottle. I'm working on pumping regularly so that your dad can feed you more often. I think it's nice for you to have that time together. And for me to have my hands free for a few minutes.


One of my favorite things to do with you is let you sleep on my chest. And the only thing I like more than that, is watching you sleep on your Dad's chest. I try to get at least four or five naps with you each week like that. I can't explain how wonderful that makes me feel.


Sometimes when you're napping next to me or in my arms, you smile and laugh in your sleep. It's SO UNBELIEVABLY ADORABLE, I can't stand it. You've smiled a few times while you're awake, but it doesn't appear to be a reaction to anything, more like a reflex. So I can't wait until I'm able to make you smile regularly. It makes me exctied about all the laughs we have ahead.


Speaking of sleep. You wake up to feed about every three to four hours. There have been a few times that you sleep a WHOLE six hours straight. Which in theory seems awesome, but I wake up in anticipation of you waking up and then lay there while I think to myself, "she'll wake up any second now..." And then I lose sleep checking your bassinet every four and a half minutes for an hour. Super.


At your last pediatrician appointment you measured 22 inches, and weighed 8lbs, 15oz. And no matter how long my list is of things that I'm terrified are "wrong" with you, the Doctor says you are just perfect. 


And I couldn't agree more.


Can't wait to see what the next month brings...


Love, 
momma