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More with the updates.
Alex gained five ounces between Monday and today. Poor little baby, she must have been starving. We are all doing the happy dance about her weight gain, including her pediatrician.
We continue to think that it's reflux. After about half her feedings, she's in obvious pain - screaming, arching her little back, stiffening. It's different from her normal cry in tone, and also it doesn't ramp up from whimpering - she can be relaxed and calm, almost asleep, and then instantly be screaming. That really seems like pain.
Her pediatrician agrees. He says that Zantac is such an innocuous medication that there's no problem with a trial to see if it helps, so he called in a prescription. She'll get drops three times a day. He said that if it works for her, we'll see results in 3-5 days... so the rest of this week is probably going to be very long indeed.
We worked out a plan with the lactation clinic, seconded by the pediatrician, to start working breastfeeding back into the equation. I'm going to start out nursing at every other feeding, alternating with bottles (and continuing to pump), and we'll increase the percentage of breastfeeding once we're sure she's feeding well from the breast. I'll take her to the lactation clinic twice a week to be weighed.
The news with my health is not so good. We went to the midwife today to follow up on my mastitis. When I took out my breast to show her my lump, there was a bright red patch the size of my hand on the opposite side from the lump, and a new lump starting in the red area. That shouldn't be possible on antibiotics, so it pretty much confirmed that whatever bug I have is resistant to the dicloxicillin I've been taking. So now I'll be on Keflex. The midwife warned me that I'll probably continue to run temperatures for another day or two. And of course, my breast will still hurt.
I've got calls in to a couple of friends from church to see if they can come over and sit with Alex and me for a few hours during the day, tomorrow and Friday. It's just very hard to handle Alex's pain episodes, plus pump multiple times a day, plus take care of things like eating, showering, and putting hot compresses on the mastitis, when I'm all by myself. And Michael really, really needs to get back to the office. So I'm trying to be good and ask for help.
We're also heading out to Babies R Us tonight to buy a swing. Alex is unimpressed with her bouncy seat, but she does like to be swung back and forth in her carseat. If a swing can help soothe her, we'd be willing to pay almost any price.
We continue to think that it's reflux. After about half her feedings, she's in obvious pain - screaming, arching her little back, stiffening. It's different from her normal cry in tone, and also it doesn't ramp up from whimpering - she can be relaxed and calm, almost asleep, and then instantly be screaming. That really seems like pain.
Her pediatrician agrees. He says that Zantac is such an innocuous medication that there's no problem with a trial to see if it helps, so he called in a prescription. She'll get drops three times a day. He said that if it works for her, we'll see results in 3-5 days... so the rest of this week is probably going to be very long indeed.
We worked out a plan with the lactation clinic, seconded by the pediatrician, to start working breastfeeding back into the equation. I'm going to start out nursing at every other feeding, alternating with bottles (and continuing to pump), and we'll increase the percentage of breastfeeding once we're sure she's feeding well from the breast. I'll take her to the lactation clinic twice a week to be weighed.
The news with my health is not so good. We went to the midwife today to follow up on my mastitis. When I took out my breast to show her my lump, there was a bright red patch the size of my hand on the opposite side from the lump, and a new lump starting in the red area. That shouldn't be possible on antibiotics, so it pretty much confirmed that whatever bug I have is resistant to the dicloxicillin I've been taking. So now I'll be on Keflex. The midwife warned me that I'll probably continue to run temperatures for another day or two. And of course, my breast will still hurt.
I've got calls in to a couple of friends from church to see if they can come over and sit with Alex and me for a few hours during the day, tomorrow and Friday. It's just very hard to handle Alex's pain episodes, plus pump multiple times a day, plus take care of things like eating, showering, and putting hot compresses on the mastitis, when I'm all by myself. And Michael really, really needs to get back to the office. So I'm trying to be good and ask for help.
We're also heading out to Babies R Us tonight to buy a swing. Alex is unimpressed with her bouncy seat, but she does like to be swung back and forth in her carseat. If a swing can help soothe her, we'd be willing to pay almost any price.
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It really helps to have company. I hope the new drug nukes the mastitis. and, of course, I'm glad that Alex is gaining weight. Very glad.
Much love from all of us.
A.
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We were given this (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0006FHFYS/qid=1115845669/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl75/002-4675388-3712023?v=glance&s=baby&n=507846) by friends whose daughter outgrew it, and we love it very much. The side to side motion is great for the little ones.
We previously had something like this (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00064NZRA/qid=1115845745/br=1-13/ref=br_lf_ba_13//002-4675388-3712023?v=glance&s=baby&n=549052) and neither of my first two liked it at all. They both went in it two or three times, and then that was it.
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t's just very hard to handle Alex's pain episodes, plus pump multiple times a day, plus take care of things like eating, showering, and putting hot compresses on the mastitis, when I'm all by myself.
Now *that's* the understatement of the year, as far as I'm concerned. Good for you for asking for help, and keep it up, for as much help as you can get from as many people as possible.
A baby swing is a very, very good thing. Unlike the previous poster, ours loved the back and forth ones -- I don't think the sideways ones were on the market when they arrived.
Both Kate and Colin had colic, and Colin had reflux. One thing that helped with the bouts of screaming pain was when we held them with their back against us, pressing lightly against their mid-section - sort of providing a counter-pressure to the gas and reflux, I think.
Hang in there with the pumping. Just say moo-oo, just say moo-oo ...
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A very weird thing that has helped two different sets of parents I know with a total of four babies: the "Baby Blaster." Take a blow drier on the lowest setting (make sure it's not hot air on that setting of course) and blow it straight at her face from a few feet away. I have seen babies who were screaming and thrashing go right to sleep when this is done. It doesn't always work, but I'm amazed it EVER does...take this for what it's worth.
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Only problem was that I tended to wake up as soon as we stopped.
*tentative yay*
But yes, your health is important too. Probably as important as Alex's, if not more so, as you have to be healthy to be able to look after her properly. So it definitely seems like a good idea to have local friends come to help look after you. Remember that if you feel bad asking for people to give up time, you can ask lots of people to come for a small amount of time each and spread the load that way.
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I hope you feel better soon.
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Poor l'il you and the hurting, fevery thing though. I'm very proud of the way you are taking care of yourself and asking for help.
I'm sending the Super Powerful Concerned Grandmother Vibes of Healing your way, m'dear.
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If there's anything I can do from afar please let me know. Godo thoughts/vibes/etc of course already flowing in your (pl.) direction.
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I have to be at work Ths. and Fri., but I could come over Saturday for a couple/few hours during the day if that would help. I could cook, I could grocery shop, or even try to help with the more personal stuff if that would work for you. I just can't do stuff that would expose me to a lot of allergens (pets/dust).
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I have what I think is your address (from January). If you want to send your phone # to me (same ID as on LJ) at livejournal.com, we could coordinate details. I could probably show up as early as 11 am, or later if that would be better -- I was going to go over to a friend's BBQ in Columbia mid-afternoon/evening anyway, so it would be pretty easy to swing by y'all's place for a couple/few hours, either before, or go to her place, go to your place, stop back by her place on the way back home, etc.
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TK
keflex
(Anonymous) 2005-05-12 06:51 am (UTC)(link)Glad to hear Alex is growing again, and things are in hand. Be careful with Keflex -- if you or Alex develop an itchy rash, however minor it seems in relation to other problems, see a doctor quickly. Some people (including me) are allergic to it, and though it starts out trivial, it isn't. You probably won't have any problems, but it's worth knowing. I left it a bit long because the rash seemed minor compared to recovering from a ruptured appendix.
I hope things keep improving and that you are feeling better soon.
Emma
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And that's great about Alex's return to eating and growth. :)
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MKK
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