One Week of Minnie Marigold

 I am writing these lines from under a baby. Where I have been for the last week.

Ben goes to wrk on Monday. My classes start the following week. The kids start the week after that. Shit is about to get real.

Speaking of shit: 

Ok. So. Minnie was born at lunchtime on Thursday, and we were at home in my own bed by Friday afternoon. Because we left so soon, I had to do a doc visit and weight check Sunday morning with the family practice/peds doc on call, who happened to be my doc. I LOVE MY DOCTOR and have been seeing her for 17 years, so I was not at all stressed about the appointment.

Background: Minnie pooped 5 times in her first 12 hours of life. She also had her greenish brown transition poop on Friday before we left. And then NO POOP Saturday and NO POOP before the doc on Sunday.

More background: Minnie weighed in at 6 pounds, 13 ounces at birth. At midnight Friday (the hospital weighs babies around midnight because they hate to see moms sleep), she was down to 6 pounds, 8 ounces. I had SO MANY FLUIDS Tuesday-Thursday, so I wasn't worried, especially since I had colostrum, and by Friday morning it was becoming milk. And, despite the no pooping, she had plenty of wets diapers.

Still on Sunday, she was down to 6 pounds, 5 ounces, and my unflappable doctor told me to pump after feedings and supplement and come back the next day since she wasn't gaining or pooping.

Cue full panic mode. Because you guys know how I roll.

I stopped by the clinic pharmacy to get the double electric breast pump my insurance pays for, and we stopped at Target on the way home for a single battery operated pump, a single hand pump, and a Haakaa pump for good measure. Plus also bottles. And I asked for a can of the most expensive organic formula on the shelf and some nursery water just in case. Ben ran in while I sat in the car and fed the baby because of course.

I spent the rest of the day crying, pumping, and nursing. As soon as the clinic opened the next morning, I scheduled an appointment with a pediatrician and a lactation consultant. We went in Monday morning expecting bad news, but you guys! Minnie was back up to 6 pounds, 7.5 ounces!

The ped said calm down, stop pumping, enjoy her, and be careful what you wish for re: poop. Remember, a 3-day induction sucks, and neither of us was ready to be postpartum. Also come back Wednesday for one more check.

 The LC said try a football hold and really pay attention to active nursing time---make sure she gets 8-12 feeds in 24 hours. She also said that nursing an infant is different than nursing a toddler and I really needed to focus on her, which I had not really been doing. 

She started pooping Monday afternoon and has pooped um A TON since then. She eats every 2 hours all day and has had 3 and 4 hour stretches at night. I change her diaper between breasts, and she is wet every time.

Yesterday, she tipped the scale at 6 pounds, 9 ounces, which means she has 6 days to gain back the other 4 so she can be at birthweight by her 2-week appointment, which is one day early because we are trying to see her actual ped for the first time.

Have I calmed down? Um, judging from the excruciating detail here, it doesn't sound like it, huh?

Home!

Meeting their sis:

First feed in her new room

Middle of the night baby

Good morning crew:

First walk:

First matching outfits:

First side eye

Nursing entertainment

Cutest toss pillow

Biggest bro:

Just waking up:

Tummy time turned nap:

Seesters

Nope, have not calmed down:

Stuck under a baby

Good morning!

First stroller walk:

I love this headband

She sort of likes the moby. Just a half pound away from trying the Ergo!

In non-Minnie news, Dorothy finally got to have her socially distant outdoor dance recital!!

Wow!! What a week it has been!