The first thing is kind of a surprise to me and I hope that it is nothing, but we have to look into it. She has a midline ridge on her head, which the doctor thinks is her suture joining prematurely. It may be just a cosmetic issue but if it gets worse, like if this other suture prematurely starts joining as well, it could make her face form sideways. I guess that's cosmetic too, but if you have a sideways face, that's a little different than just crooked teeth or something. Anyway, the doctor told me I could call a specialist in Salt Lake and see what they think. If they decide it's a problem, they might do this big surgery to fix it. I'm really hoping it's nothing, but I'll keep you posted.
The second unfortunate thing is that my poor daughter is way underweight. She is supposed to gain around 2lbs a month, but in 2 months she has only gained 1/3 of 1lb! So at 6 months old, she is ringing in at a whopping 12.35lbs. I knew she was small compared to other babies but I just chalked it up to small genes, not malnourishment. I've never done this before, I'm not sure how I could have known that I was starving my daughter. Poor thing. Anyway, the doctor told me to start solids, which I was planning to do anyway at 6 months, and to start supplementing every other feeding with formula. That second part has proven a little more difficult than I planned. She has never really taken a bottle or pacifier very regularly and when she does allow something besides me in her mouth, she usually just chews on it. Garrett and I both tried giving her formula and formula mixed with breastmilk through a couple different bottles, a sippy cup, and a syringe. She cried fiercely with the bottle, chewed on the sippy cup, and whined while I squirted milk through the syringe. The syringe was the most successful, if you can call it success, because out of the 4oz I was trying to feed her (after I nursed this morning), she choked down about 1/3 of an ounce. I keep calling the nurses for advice but they haven't said anything very useful yet. Does anyone have any ideas? I guess I'll just keep trying. I hope that eventually this little string bean gains some weight.
I hope her head doesn't form improperly and that she consumes an appropriate amount of calories. Is that so much to ask?
4 comments:
No advice other than to keep trying. I am sure you have thought of this, but have you tried different shaped nipples, also different materials. Sometimes they like the natural looking ones (like rubber? brown ones) sometimes the silicone clear ones. Also the silicone can be thicker or thinner so you can try to see if one or another is better for her.
My favorite, as a mom and a girl who likes color, was these nipples I found in a grocery store. It was a six pack with 6 diff colored silicone nipples. I liked them because they were thicker and held their shape and didn't collapse. They were regular? shaped, not for wide mouth bottles.
If you decide to put cereal in her bottle, which is a no-no, I like the playtex vent-air bottles because the nipple have a tri-cut hole instead of little or bigger round holes. I was like a dot in the middle with 3 lines coming out in a 3 point star (so it opens bigger)and they have 2 different flow sizes for younger or older babies.
I hope your baby get fatter soon, but I do love the little ones the best.
I would advise you to contact a La Leche League leader (free) or a lactation consultant (probably costs money, not sure how much). They can give evidence-based suggestions that are baby-friendly.
They (LLL leader or LC) might recommend SNS (supplemental nursing system). You can look it up on kellymom.com to read a description. It allows baby to continue to nurse and stimulate your milk supply while still getting supplements.
Finally, just "food for thought" :) Typical first baby foods are low in fat and nutrients and just fill baby up so she isn't as interested in milk (mom's milk or artificial milk). So some doctors actually recommend delaying solids or cutting back if already started for underweight babies. Your sweetheart probably won't chunk up on rice cereal and bananas. She very well really does need supplements of your pumped breastmilk, someone else's milk, or formula. Those will really help, I'm sure!!
Please don't be too bard on yourself!! These things happen, even to experinced moms. I'm glad you found out now and now you can fix it. And as you learn, you can pass on ideas and suggestions to other moms so they don't go through the same thing.
Kellymom.com has some great suggestions for improving your milk supply. Pumping with a rented hospital-grade pump works for lots of moms. Also, returning to night nursing can really help improve supply. Your baby is a much better pump than any machine and your body naturally produces more milk and fattier milk at night.
Good luck, cuz!! Your sweetie is lucky to have you be her mom :)
My thought was trying a different type of bottle and as mentioned before different nipples slow and fast flowing.
Taven does not take a bottle either, but if we are gone from him from a long time we mix some milk with some oat cereal and he will take it with a spoon. Maybe since you are starting solids with her you could feed her the formula mixed with cereal and see if she will take it off a spoon? Just a thought, we have these soft spoons I really like from like smith's or something, they are playtex.
Oh, also, Taven would rather drink out of an open regular glass than a bottle or sippy, maybe you could get some soft plastic cups and see if she could drink out of those?
And my last idea is and SNS which is a supplemental nursing system. It is a tubing system that you put on when you nurse so that she will be getting formula as well as breastmilk. Medela is the only company I can think of at the moment that makes one, I am not sure if you can buy it in stores though.
Also, for solid foods I have read that if your baby is low in weight you can give them some more fattier food, like avocado, plus avocado is so soft.
I hope that everything goes well with her little head! If you are up in SLC and need a place to hangout for a while let me know, we live here now!
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