Crying it out

I...just...want 4 straight hours....of sleep.... Ferber, you aren't really helping much. Is it always this maddening???  </vent>

I refuse to touch my kitties

I feel terrible about it, but with as much as I'm holding baby, I just don't seem to be able to find the time to pet them. I know they are covered in bacteria, and my "new mom" OCD is in overdrive so I can't see myself petting them then touching baby in any way.

This "new mom OCD" thing came as a surprise, I thought it was just me. But there's an article on it, so it must be true right?

New Mom OCD

The secrets parents keep

Things I feel like parents keep from other parents-to-be:

1. Say good-bye to sleep. I know a lot of parents do actually say that, but usually it's said with a smile. Don't smile. Look at this parent-to-be in the eye and tell them gravely that they literally will not sleep for a few days and after that, REM will become the holy grail.
2. Having a baby means being completely self-less, even when you're sleep-less and all you want is "me" time. Sorry, that's a no go for the first couple months.
3. How about NOT mentioning how your lovely baby slept through the night within the first month? It gives the rest of us complexes.
4. The concept of sleep-training and how terrible it really is to hear your baby cry without being able to go to him. Now, I know it's not for everyone, but I wish someone would have mentioned it to me so I could have anticipated it and not gone seeking for it in sleep-deprived desperation.
5. It's ok to order in. You don't have to be perfect and have a spotless home and cook gourmet meals. Just take care of yourself and family by giving them and you as much love as you can. That's all that matters.
6. Be prepared to have your relationship tested.  Arguments over ridiculously petty things will arise, and most of it is because you are so tired. Talk it out, or take a break. Just remember the things that really matter and live in the moment.
7. Your will, your sanity, and your identity will also be tested. Although this is a self-less time, if you deprive yourself of small pleasures, you are so thinned out it's not healthy for you and you won't be able to be fully "there" for your family.
8. If you thought you knew love, you are in for a surprise. Once you look into this baby's eyes, you will discover a love so unexplainable intense it will turn your whole world upside down.

Just saying...

Whoever said you shouldn't cry over spilled milk was definitely not a lactating mother.

“Tis a Folly to cry for spilt milk.” Jonathan Swift’s Polite Conversation 1738

I won the Breastfeeding Battle!

Baby has always had trouble latching so for six weeks I'd pump and supplement with formula with a bottle.

At 4 weeks of pure bottle feeding, a nurse practitioner saw I had an appointment with a lactation consultant and you know what she said? "He'll never latch. He's had it too easy with the bottle, but I guess you can meet with her anyway."

Anyway, I was resilient.

After meeting a few times with the lactation consultant and going to BF support groups, I got some great tips to get baby to latch.

1. Feed him with Breastflow bottles. They have a shorter nipple and require baby to suck more like if he's on the breast.

2. Do some mouth exercises with him: put your left index finger and press lightly on his chin. When his mouth is open, insert your clean right index finger into his mouth and press lightly on the roof of his mouth with the soft side of your finger. This helps bring his toungue out and gets him sucking.

3. BF using a nipple shield and make sure his body is well supported and facing you.

4. Don't frustrate baby if he is too hungry. Do the mouth exercise then give him an oz of food then try to put him on. Drop some milk onto your nipple as he roots for it. If he starts crying/screaming, give him more bottle.

5. Be positive and don't give up. I have nothing against exclusive bottle feeding but if you desire to breastfeed just keep trying.