The hospital I delivered Carver at holds a weekly luncheon for new moms. I really like it so far. I have only been twice, but its nice to be around other babies and moms whose lives look a lot like ours. Besides free lunch, there's a lot of crying and feeding and dirty diapers. There have also been several stories that make me realize how cake Carver has been so far. From cracked nipples to only getting an hour of sleep at a time, from babies who won't sleep to babies who won't eat or gain weight, its enough to scare a non-mom into never wanting to become one.
The great thing about these lunches is no one feels alone. Chances are, if you're going through it, somebody else is too. There is a lactation consultant who comes to the group to answer any questions. We all went around and introduced ourselves, our babies and our problems. I had been a little concerned because Carver was only eating for 8-10 minutes at a time. On one hand, he now weighs 11 pounds, 15 ounces (he's basically gained a pound a week since birth-some take a month just to gain their birth weight back!), on the other hand, all the books say they should eat for about 15-20 minutes and on both sides. The lactation consultant said there's nothing to be worried about, I probably just have a fast let-down (flow). Come to think of it, yesterday when Carver was nursing, he pulled back for a second and I turned to get a burp cloth. When I turned back I realized there was a steady stream of milk squirting all over his face and the glider!
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2 comments:
Def. don't worry about the shortened nursing sessions, just go by him having enough wet diapers and you will be ok! As their jaws get stronger they will decrease more and more over time. I am so glad you have found a place to feel comfy around other new moms it is so important. For me it was La Leche League, it was so important to me, esp. in the first few months!
Thanks for the encouragement!
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