Orion is sound asleep on my chest as I write this; quite the balancing act to type and nurture at the same time!
In some ways we're lucky that he's such a mellow baby. He rarely fusses or cries, and generally only does that when he's got a burp he's working out. He does like to 'talk' and murmur and coo when he's awake and happy, though, which is really cute.
His generally quiet nature did cause us some trouble to begin with, however, as he was so sleepy - too sleepy. It was a three-ring circus here trying to get him awake and nursing. He wasn't waking on his own or initiating feedings, so we had to get him to wake up and then stay awake long enough to nurse. It doesn't sound that bad, but trust me, it was torture. We'd have to really upset him to get him to wake up, including undressing him, putting him down alone, turning on all the lights, loud music, and moving him around - both bodily and his limbs. Once we got him up (and usually crying or fussing after all that) we had to get him situated and then fight to keep him awake. This involved me holding him while Mom and Russell tickled him, moved his limbs around, put cold cloths and then eventually ice on him, and talked to him constantly. It could take up to an hour and a half to get him to nurse for 20 minutes total. Then he'd fall asleep, and we'd have to start all over again an hour or so later. It was exhausting and very disheartening, and I broke down and cried once or twice. I expected to have to calm a crying baby, but not to have to make him cry just to get him to eat. It was so hard to pick up my sweet, sleeping, adorable little guy and harass him until he ate enough.
And he still wasn't getting enough, even after all that work to get him going. On Monday morning I called the lactation consultant associated with WIC, but before she got back to me the nurse from the Birth and Wellness Center came for our home visit. We were lucky in that they've had so many births and new folks coming in that our home visit was done a day early; Becky's arrival was an important turning point in our frustration with getting Orion to eat.
He was looking good in most areas and I checked out fine, as well, but he had lost too much weight; over 10% of his birth weight. It went from 7lbs, 8.5ounces to 6lbs, 8ounces (6lbs, 12ounces was the minimum he should weigh). This was concerning for several reasons, dehydration and the possibility of jaundice being two of them. Becky recommended that we feed him every two hours for at least 20-30 minutes, and scheduled us to return to the Birth Center the next day to check his weight again. She also gave us two plastic syringes, one with a tube attachment and the other with a long, curved, thin nozzle on it. These would prove to be life-savers! We continued the three-ring-circus feedings for the rest of that day, but before we went to bed we got out the breast pump and fed him with the syringe and a finger in his mouth for sucking on. We continued that all night, which was easier for a couple of reasons. The most important was that we didn't have to keep him awake and working as long to get enough milk, as it only took him a couple of minutes of sucking to drain a couple syringe-fulls, and then we knew he was getting enough in a feeding. This eased my mind quite a bit, even if I was up most of the night attached to a machine and feeling much like a dairy cow.
The real benefit of the syringe-and-finger-feeding was that he got enough calories in his system and started perking up a bit as some of the lethargy passed. This made it easier to put him back on the breast, and by morning I was giving him a syringe and then getting him to nurse for a while before falling back asleep.
Tuesday morning, the wonderful cranio-sacral practitioner Laurel Wilkinson came to our house to work on Orion. The type of therapy she practices is a little hard to explain, but it's both body- and energy-work related and helps to get things flowing and the body responding properly. She worked on me a few times during the pregnancy and it really helped me to move and sleep better. In Orion's case, she helped get a twist out of his body that he acquired during labor, which also helped get his energy moving more steadily. We saw a marked difference that afternoon, as he was awake and alert more, fed more, and actually cried for the first time wanting to be fed.
Later the same day we went back to the Birth and Wellness Center, and Orion's weight gain was good - up to 6lbs, 14ounces, which was above the 10% line and meant he was doing ok. He was a touch yellow from jaundice, but it wasn't yet to the point that we'd have to take him to the hospital. We had a really helpful consultation with Nancy, the lactation consultant, which also helped me get a better grasp on how to do this breastfeeding thing. It's surprising how difficult it is to feed a baby; you'd think it would be a natural, easy thing, but instead it hurts and can be hard to get a handle on. However, after the consultation and the purchase of a pair of nipple guards, we're doing a lot better at it.
Tuesday was an important day and it really helped get us back up to square one... That night Orion marathon-nursed most of the night, and each night has been a little bit easier. I haven't had to use the pump again, and he's now initiating his own feedings every couple of hours or so, which is as it should be.
The only down-note for me at this point is that I'm having some trouble with one of the tears, as I'm still quite sore and swollen and the stitches have been very tight. I'm on couch detail today, not allowed to move around much (hence this lengthy update!) while I rest my poor bottom. I was concerned enough that I called the midwives last night, and got to talk to Allison, which was convenient as she was the one who stitched me up. She suggested that we get some nori, the seaweed wrappers used for sushi, and create a compress/poultice out of them by wetting them down and pressing them on to the sore spots. Russell went right out to get some nori, which is fortunately available at the grocery store, and I started using it immediately. What a difference! The swelling went down and the nori seemed to draw some of the yucky stuff out, while the compress itself guarded the stitches and kept them from rubbing on the pad. I'm feeling a lot better now, though I'm still not moving much and looking forward to a nice herbal sitz bath here soon...
In other news, things are going quite well. We started the diaper service today and Orion is in his first cloth diaper. We'll see how long this one lasts! Mom and Jo Ann have had some shopping fun and came home with more clothes, a baby tub, and a lamp. We also picked up some more all-in-one cloth diapers (genius things, those) and some mommy-care products from the Birth Center Boutique. On that note, I'd like to say that I really like every product we've tried from the Earth Mamma, Angel Baby line - the sitz bath herbs, the sore bottom spray, and the nipple butter have all been great.
Yesterday we had our first big outing, as we had another session with Laurel, then stopped in to the Red Hen, and actually ate out at Breadman's. Orion slept through his first restaurant experience in his car-seat carrier in the snap-and-go stroller. Everyone thinks he's just a cutie pie!
Russell has continued to be just awesome - he's changed the bulk of the diapers and does everything he can to support me through midnight feedings. He's just as snuggley and nurturing with Orion as he is with me and I am with the baby, so we're a pretty happy and well-bonded little family. He also loves to pick out Orion's clothes, and the ensemble in the above picture was his doing; Orion's first day in 'separates'! My mom has been really helpful in keeping up with laundry and helping us clean up, or just holding Orion so we can get up and move around. He's barely been put down since he was born... Jo Ann has been great, too, especially about making sure we're all fed. We've also had some fun visits from family and friends, and more little gifts and flowers have been arriving in the mail. It's wonderful to feel so supported, and our little guy is obviously loved. It's a good feeling!
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