A few bits and pieces.
Judah has been eating like mad this past week. I can't tell if he's teething, having a growth spurt, or if my milk supply isn't keeping up with him. He woke up last night at 2 am and seemed to be starving. I felt on his gums this morning, but I'm not really seeing much. Two days ago he woke up at 2 and then again at 4:30. He hasn't done that in weeks.
I did seem to pump out less than I have in the past when I was at work this week. But right after Judah was born, I was pumping ALL the time - so much that I had an overabundance of milk in my freezer. Eventually I just stopped pumping except when I was working, so I think my supply just sort of dwindled to only what Judah was actually eating. This week I've gone back to pumping after Judah eats, to try to increase my supply. I'm not sure it's really working yet.
One thing that had changed recently was that I was eating less and losing weight a little more quickly. So earlier this week I decided to take a break from WW for a little while just to see if that made a difference with how full Judah seemed. I had been losing about 2 lbs/week, which I guess was maybe just too fast.
As part of my attempts to fill my boy up a little better, we tried rice cereal for the first time. I hadn't really planned on starting so soon, but I don't want to starve my boy. We did it for two days in a row before I decided he's just not ready. I'll have to post the video soon.
Part of the problem is that Judah is the kind of baby who will always eat. If he's awake, and I put him to the breast, he's going to eat. The only time he's ever refused food is pretty much right at the end of a nursing session when he's decided he's had enough. So I have a hard time figuring out if he' still hungry or just wants to suck on something.
I think this is the hardest part about breastfeeding - it's difficult to quantify how much the baby gets and if it's enough. And breastmilk is so completely absorbed by the gut that it's very normal for babies to poop only every 2 or 3 days. (It's even normal for babies only to poop every week or two!) He's such a happy baby I have a hard time believing that he's starving.
Breastfeeding has gone incredibly well so far, and so I've been surprised this week by these problems. Hopefully this growth spurt/teething time/ slightly decreased supply or whatever will resolve soon and Judah will get back to sleeping a little better.
I did seem to pump out less than I have in the past when I was at work this week. But right after Judah was born, I was pumping ALL the time - so much that I had an overabundance of milk in my freezer. Eventually I just stopped pumping except when I was working, so I think my supply just sort of dwindled to only what Judah was actually eating. This week I've gone back to pumping after Judah eats, to try to increase my supply. I'm not sure it's really working yet.
One thing that had changed recently was that I was eating less and losing weight a little more quickly. So earlier this week I decided to take a break from WW for a little while just to see if that made a difference with how full Judah seemed. I had been losing about 2 lbs/week, which I guess was maybe just too fast.
As part of my attempts to fill my boy up a little better, we tried rice cereal for the first time. I hadn't really planned on starting so soon, but I don't want to starve my boy. We did it for two days in a row before I decided he's just not ready. I'll have to post the video soon.
Part of the problem is that Judah is the kind of baby who will always eat. If he's awake, and I put him to the breast, he's going to eat. The only time he's ever refused food is pretty much right at the end of a nursing session when he's decided he's had enough. So I have a hard time figuring out if he' still hungry or just wants to suck on something.
I think this is the hardest part about breastfeeding - it's difficult to quantify how much the baby gets and if it's enough. And breastmilk is so completely absorbed by the gut that it's very normal for babies to poop only every 2 or 3 days. (It's even normal for babies only to poop every week or two!) He's such a happy baby I have a hard time believing that he's starving.
Breastfeeding has gone incredibly well so far, and so I've been surprised this week by these problems. Hopefully this growth spurt/teething time/ slightly decreased supply or whatever will resolve soon and Judah will get back to sleeping a little better.
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