Week 3 growth spurt

They say that babies go through growth spurts at various stages - first few days, 2-3 weeks, 4-6 weeks, 3 months, 4 months, 6 months and 9 months. Maybe today (10 March) is growth spurt day! EJ has been nursing almost non stop since we got back from the market.  I decided to go to the wet market with the CL and we brought EJ along in the stroller.  He didn't like it in the stroller - although he fell asleep, he woke up twice, once at NTUC and then at the wet market. Loves to be carried!!

Hmmm, he didn't manage a long nap at all!!! Constant nursing and burping... What a drinker!

This morning, E asked me about my frozen milk in the freezer. Apparently, he already noticed that I have built up a stash in the freezer... The milk bags have occupied the ice containers and 1/3 of the freezer! Well well, this is stocking up for rainy days. For days when he goes through growth spurts. Days when I returned to work and miss pumps.  For EMERGENCIES!!  :)

Mummy's birthday

3 April is my birthday...a good 37 years old this year.  Life is getting busy...but as Mary says...it will be busy but fruitful!  I'm blessed to have E...although he is a little deaf at times, but he is always ready to listen to my rants.  He has a good filter that is able to sieve the bad stuff, leaving the good things behind.  Able to sieve through all the information overload that I give him, to come up with workable solutions for the family.

Just thinking back on how things have changed over the last one year.  It's an amazing thing already that all the people that matter to me are gathered in this photo...just a year ago, I couldn't have imagine it happening.  And now one year later, we are all here in one photo.  

E woke up today, sleepily around 5-ish as I was pumping away in the kitchen to give me my birthday present - 3 huge bottles of bottle lotion from Body and Bath Works.  Hmmm...one year supply of lotion.  It will be good if I can diligently apply the body lotion each day, after bathing.  As it is, I can foresee that life will be a frantic rush when I return to work.  Rush to work, rush back home and rush to finish many things....so if I do manage to apply this lotion each time, it will be a great accomplishment.

This year's birthday may be simple, boring and un-happening, but sometimes, simple things are the best.

Jacob and his little feet....

Breastfeeding - a good start

During week 2, my CL managed to convince me to allow her to bottle feed EJ at night, while I can have a good rest.  I was a little edgy, because I didn't want my supply to drop, if I don't feed him at night.  But a check with Caro and yes, this method seems better, as we could track the amount of expressed breast milk (ebm) that was fed.  A jaundiced baby should be well hydrated.  So from 25 March or so onwards, I started sleeping without needing to get up and feed EJ.  Lovely rest, but the breasts ended up rock hard.  Urgh...engorgement.  I woke up to pump around 4am....

As the days passed, I realised this sleeping at night without waking up to pump is no good for milk supply...I should be pumping every 3 hours!!  Some days are good - I pumped twice at night.  Some days are bad - I only woke up at 5am after sleeping at 10pm.  Some days are good - I pumped in the daytime.  Some days are bad - I can't seem to pump any.  All in all, I think I'm getting paranoid and obsessed.  About freezing bm for future.  Well, you never know when you need to dip into your freezer stash.  I found out that it is common for mummies to get a chest freezer to store bm, but hey, isn't bf supposed to save money?  I don't think I want to spend money to get a chest freezer.  I'm just going to store the bm in my freezer and maybe in my mum's freezer.  We'll see how the supply goes.  But as of now....9 April (day 24), I would manage to store one packet of bm in the freezer from the night pump.  And managed to pump enough for one bottle in the day.  I feel blessed to start off  my breastfeeding journey like this.  With the Medela PISA that was given by my sister, there is no reason not to pump.  A double pump that is efficient just makes life so much easier.  And E was good enough to wake me up at 12 midnight, so that's the second reason why I should pump!  Waking up at 4am is the toughest.  The eyelids really refused to budge at times.  Well, reading blogs on ipad and searching pinterest helps keep the mind going....

Sunbathing.....

Our poor little baby has to sunbathe naked for two sessions of 3 days 2 nights, because of his bilirubin levels.  :(  Poor thing.

sunbathing 24/7 is no fun....

we managed to get him to sleep well, on his tummy, in the daytime

We did the phototherapy once we reached home on 19 March, for 4 days, since the phototherapy machine broke down on the first night.  I was super annoyed by the Baby Specialist, as the guy who came to set up the machine and the second uncle who came to replace the machine on the second day, set up the machine at different heights above the playpen.  Hmmm...do they know what they are doing?!?!

We went back to the PD one week later on 24 March and :( baby J's bilirubin levels are still not ideal and we had to continue the phototherapy treatment.  Oh well...at least, he weighed 3.59kg on day 8.  And finally, when we returned to the PD on 27 March, his bilirubin levels had dropped.  Not fantastic...but at least it was on a downward trend.  And he weighed 3.68kg on day 11.  Eating well....

Staycation at TMC

And so....as EJ was born super early at 6.21am on 17 March (EDD), instead of later in the morning or afternoon, E and I get to spend 3 days 2 nights at TMC.  A staycation, as Caro put it.  3 days, 2 nights of enforced rest, before I discharge home.

The experience of birthing EJ is so adrenaline pumping that you don't feel like sleeping, even though we haven't had a good night's sleep...both E and I were up the whole morning, excited, talking...just enjoying those few quiet moments together.  Talking about the morning's experience, finding out each other's version and perspective of the birth experience.

Doing paperwork - filling in birth cert application.

We managed to get some paperwork done in the afternoon, as E rushed to the office right before 4pm to process the birth cert.  Jacob Dela Rosa.  Short and sweet.  And the Chinese name is 王圣杰.  Given by Ellie.  Nice.  

In the evening, the grandparents came with G and later on, Henry and Lucille also popped by to visit.

Gloria is now a big sister!

It was still lovely to have our own time after the visitors left.  E is back to work for day 2 of the staycation and that's when I get my own time!  I just stayed in the room, enjoyed the TMC confinement food which consisted of moderate portions of protein, veg and rice and a good soup.  Baby J was brought to me regularly for breastfeeding and this time round, I could feel the difference in bf No. 2.  The afterpain or the pain in the tummy as he bf is intense.  I learnt that this is actually a sign of the uterus contracting.  So that's good news.  But still, each time, I bf him, I felt like biting my lips.  Very painful!

I also went to claim the TMC gift for baby J - imprint of his little feet in a piece of glass, which will be ready some time in future.  And I attended the parentcraft workshop at 3pm, which talked about bathing baby and breastfeeding.  I found the visit by the lactation consultant most useful.  She spoke fast and rapid, like a true blue healthcare professional, used to dishing out bits of advice in a no-nonsense manner.  But she's clear about her advice.  I found it refreshing to have someone just give me the facts without the wishy-washy stuff.  There are new things that I learnt, such as breast massage to relieve initial engorgement.  Massage with palms all around the breast, 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, 9 o'clock and 12 o'clock.  Massage the aerola with two finger, clockwise and anticlockwise.  Then stretch back the aerola and squeeze up to release the milk.  I managed to collect 5-10ml of colostrum in a cup for baby J.  Which is great as he was getting sleepy after bf, compared to the inital alertness after birth.

On the last day of our staycation, we were all packed and ready to discharge home.  But the nurse informed us that EJ has jaundice, and the level is high enough to warrant a stay in the hospital for phototherapy.  :((  I really didn't want him to stay and I didn't want to stay too.  So I got some quick advice from Caro and we decided to discharge home and rent the phototherapy machine.  We have to discharge asap and rush to the PD clinic to place the $50 deposit before 1pm.  So off we go....

All set for home!