3 weeks old
3 weeks and wide awake
First Family picture - 3 weeks old
little snuggle bug a.k.a. the legless baby as Keith calls her
4 weeks old
Getting some love from her big brothers
starting to look a little chunky again
Our sweet girl is already a month old. It's so hard to believe! And she has given us a run for our money! She is not a good nurser, and we've been to the doctor's office practically every other day for a weight check. We are exhausted to say the least.
In Hannah's first week, she was a little jaundice and required three bilirubin checks. She didn't really gain weight that week, and we didn't worry too much because she was so sleepy from the jaundice. No matter what we tried, we couldn't wake her to nurse so we started giving her a couple of bottles a day to make sure she was getting enough. The little stinker was very happy to drink a bottle while asleep. Something she couldn't do while nursing. By week 1, she weighed 6 lbs 6.5 oz and was in the 10th percentile.
Week Two - Hannah is still not gaining and is not back to her birth weight. The doctor has us come in every other day for a weight check. He calls Hannah lazy and an ineffective nurser. Nice labels for a newborn! She dropped to 6 lbs 4 oz. and then started to gain and went up to 6 lbs 7 oz, and then a whopping 6 lbs 9 oz. The doctor thought we were on the right track and said we didn't have to come back for two weeks. During this time, we were supplementing 3 bottles a day along with nursing.
In Hannah's first week, she was a little jaundice and required three bilirubin checks. She didn't really gain weight that week, and we didn't worry too much because she was so sleepy from the jaundice. No matter what we tried, we couldn't wake her to nurse so we started giving her a couple of bottles a day to make sure she was getting enough. The little stinker was very happy to drink a bottle while asleep. Something she couldn't do while nursing. By week 1, she weighed 6 lbs 6.5 oz and was in the 10th percentile.
Week Two - Hannah is still not gaining and is not back to her birth weight. The doctor has us come in every other day for a weight check. He calls Hannah lazy and an ineffective nurser. Nice labels for a newborn! She dropped to 6 lbs 4 oz. and then started to gain and went up to 6 lbs 7 oz, and then a whopping 6 lbs 9 oz. The doctor thought we were on the right track and said we didn't have to come back for two weeks. During this time, we were supplementing 3 bottles a day along with nursing.
Week Three - I decided to take Hannah in just to make sure she was gaining on Wednesday. She was not. She had dropped again to 6 lbs 6 oz and was in the 1 percentile. The doctor didn't know what was wrong and called her scrawny and placid. More nice labels. He ordered blood work and said if she didn't gain by Friday, he was going to admit us to the hospital. Needless to say, I lost it. He said Hannah's current diagnosis was Failure to Thrive. (Don't Google it when you are 4 weeks postpartum and already scared!)
Fortunately, her blood work came back normal, and we upped her bottles to 5 a day. The next day I met with a lactation consultant, and we determined as the doctor suspected that Hannah was an ineffective nurser. She knows how to latch, but falls asleep before she fills her tummy. She has just been eating enough to sustain herself, but not to grow. There's no cure except practice. And so we've been continuing to nurse and supplement with bottles. And she is gaining! On Friday, at 29 days old, she was up to 6 lbs 12.5 oz and was in the 3rd percentile! And on Monday, she was 7 lbs and still in the 3rd percentile, but we'll take it! We go back in a week for another weight check and we are hoping that she has continued to gain and has finally passed her birth weight.
We foolishly thought that the third child would be easy and that we would know what we were doing, however, Hannah had other plans for her parents. We are praying that her second month will be easier!
Fortunately, her blood work came back normal, and we upped her bottles to 5 a day. The next day I met with a lactation consultant, and we determined as the doctor suspected that Hannah was an ineffective nurser. She knows how to latch, but falls asleep before she fills her tummy. She has just been eating enough to sustain herself, but not to grow. There's no cure except practice. And so we've been continuing to nurse and supplement with bottles. And she is gaining! On Friday, at 29 days old, she was up to 6 lbs 12.5 oz and was in the 3rd percentile! And on Monday, she was 7 lbs and still in the 3rd percentile, but we'll take it! We go back in a week for another weight check and we are hoping that she has continued to gain and has finally passed her birth weight.
We foolishly thought that the third child would be easy and that we would know what we were doing, however, Hannah had other plans for her parents. We are praying that her second month will be easier!
1 comment:
Sorry to hear that things have been a little rough. Don't stress the bottle-feeding-business. I've learned that while "they" might say breastfeeding is the best, my little ones are turning out just fine on all the formula they've consumed!
We'll be praying for Hannah, and you too! Hope to meet her at Christmas (will you guys be in KS?).
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