We had our easy days when Athena was so much easier to care for when she was a baby; sleeping through the night when she was about 2 or 3 weeks old. So, we thought raising a baby was easy (since we had it easy) and took up the challenge of going through the whole process, 4 years later (and not forgetting 4 years older ourselves - we haven't got much energy now you know!) Boy! Were we proven wrong and the challenge of dragging our aged body up from the bed when she "sings" in the night. And my dear Aricia is a hungry girl, she drinks every 2 hours!!
Yes, we all know that breastmilk is easily digestible and hey! it's good news coz' I've finally got the stimulation from her sucking that now my supply is good. At least she's now on breastmilk and I'm happy. The only setback is that since it's only my breasts that will produce milk (and not hubby's or mother's) so I had to be the only one struggling to get up from the bed everytime. And having just gone through a major surgery, the stitches are painful. I gotta take my time to move my body up from the sleeping position to standing position (carry her out from bassinet)back to sitting position and vv. Multiply that motion by 3-4 times in the night + xxtimes in the daytime. Darn! I'm like an owl in the night , I only take short nap in the daytime. I really wonder how I can survive on less than 5 hours of sleep. Well... all I can say is I actually did it!!
Then when she takes the milk, she likes to end it by taking my nipples as her pacifier. Ouch! When I pull her off, she cries. And oh yes! She has this very funny habit when she's drinking milk. She'll drink and then since it's so soothing, it sorta makes her sleepy right? She loses her catch and start crying, at the same time her head turning here and there searching for my nipple. Then she sucks for less than a minute and start crying (again) and then continue sucking. I just dunno what she's up to but for sure she's a cry baby.She loves it when I get so tired during the wee hours feed that I put her on me to sleep. And then I have problem getting up, had to ask hubby to carry her . But what aggitates me is during the early wee hours feeds, she'll drink and then open her eyes big big to look at me. When I asked her "what you looking at? You're supposed to be sleeping." She opens her eyes even bigger and give me a sponteneous smile. Sigh.....
In the first few days, I insisted that I do the feeding wholly by myself. And if anyone is to give water, to give her by spoon. Nobody complaint except for my mother-in-law (who on Sunday, I was discharged only the day before) made a remark early in the morning which apparently I heard it "who will feed a baby by spoon? Feed the baby by the bottle" Actually I don't know what's so difficult to feed by spoon, I mean she's only done it once whereas we've been doing it countless times even in hospital! And although my hubby supported by idea of feeding by spoon, he could have explained it to his mother the reason for doing so. If I hadn't bothered about Aricia, I'd also want to have things easy my way too. I could have let her drink from bottle straightaway, then at least I can have my rests (I'm supposed to be resting you know!)
Now that my supply is good, I've changed to pumping out my milk. It was a decision too, after I've seen bleeding on my scars (still bleeding) and tolerating the pain I've been getting on that side - I think I've been straining myself too much by getting up & down from the bed too often. So, I pump in advance a few feeds for Aricia. I tried latching her on yesterday to remind her about her latching on the breasts. Thank goodness, she hasn't forgotten about it. But it was a wrong move on my part, she ended up drinking & suckling a 'pacifier' and when I pull her off - she cries. So, you guessed it when she was happy and sleeping on me, I was in pain both on my nipple and my stitch.
We also decided to let her try formula feeding for her night feeds, hopefully to make her sleep longer. But alas! That hungry girl still gets up every 2hours for her 45ml feed. Athena didn't drink that much, only about 35ml and she can sleep for long period.
Anyhow, we will try for 1-2 more nights. If it's proven fruitless, then I might as well let her drink breastmilk in the night too! I just gotta pump more.
This is a photo of her today - at 13 day old. Ye-ye (dad) says she has grown, which we say she didn't. See for yourself whether she has thrived.
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