Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Natalie is three months old.
It's funny how fast times goes by. It's been almost a year since I got pregnant and 13 weeks now since Natalie's birth. her little personality gets bigger each month. For the most part, she's a happy, contented baby; it's just not always easy to go out and do anything with her along. She's a bit of a home girl and likes to spend the day snuggling with her mummy.Breastfeeding is still going fairly well. Admittedly, I'm still taking more ibuprofin than I would like but it's going down a little bit as I'm not quite taking it around the clock. It just all depends on how I'm feeling at the moment; some days are better than others. It's still going strong though and
I'm happy to say that I'm not pumping all that much these days. Sometimes I will pump a bottle in case she needs one and I'm not there or we're out and about but most of the time, I just feed her and not worry about the pumping especially as she is going longer between feedings. She's still sleeping through the night for the moment (I keep hearing from other moms that that will change as she gets older and starts dealing with teeth, growth spurts, and developmental milestones) and she usually takes a nap or two during the day that are a few hours long. Other than that, she eats about every two hours on average with her last feeding just before bed. It seems to be getting easier all the time as she's learning to open her mouth a little wider for a better latch. That hasn't always been the case which has lead to a bit of pain, especially after she's fed. I do have some problems with circulation in that area which does not help but the ibuprofin helps with that a lot. As always, there are good days and bad days but for the most part, the good days outnumber the bad. It's been worth it for me to know that Natalie's getting the best food she can possibly get and getting it right from the source. Not too many people around here understand that so it's been very helpful for me to seek support through online forums that are geared specifically for breastfeeding moms. I get the support I need and no one tries to push formula on me.
She's still not real big on baths. I think it's because I don't have the water warm enough. I'm afraid I'm going to scald her so I tend to make the water a little cooler than she likes. Showers are usually better for her because I don't make them quite as cool (as I'm standing in it too you know!). I'm not trying to make the bathwater cooler but it seems to be the case because she will have the biggest fit sometimes about going in the tub but will be fine if I pour warm water on her head to wash her hair. I guess that water is warmer than the water in the tub. It's something we're working on though because I would rather take baths by myself and I'm trying not to take them right at bedtime whereas it's better for Natalie if she gets a bath just before bed because then it helps her sleep (especially with a little lavendar bath in the water). She's only had a total of about two or three baths so I think it won't be too long before she takes to it all like a duck in water (only in this case, warm water). She did take to showers right away though but again, I think a lot of it has to do with water temp. I need to get one of those water temperature things so that I know just how to have the water set up for her. I swear, it seems like everyday there's something else I need to pick up. Someday, I hope that will no longer be the case. With the gas prices going up the way they are, it's just not economical to be going out once a week or more for some baby item or another, especially for something that can't be found at your local Wal-Mart.
| posted by Janeen at 2:05 AM
