The Weight Gain Saga continues...

She only gained 2-3 oz in the last week.  She was between 10 lbs, 4 and 5 oz at the last weigh in.  This week she's only 10 lbs, 7 oz. The pediatrician wants us to go back up on formula about 4 oz or so (to about 14 oz a day).  I'm guessing at this point that she won't be off the formula before we start solids at 6 months.

She's also not napping well lately.  She's just catnapping 15-30 minutes.  She had been doing well about transferring. She'd fall asleep while eating and I could put her in her pack-and-play, and she'd sleep about 2 hours.  The past four or five days, she's been waking as I put her down or after maybe 5-10 minutes.  It's hard for me to get her to sleep without using the breast, although D can in the evening many times.  She usually gets really worked up if I let   It's also challenging since she eats every two hours or so when she's awake, there is not much time when she's not eating to get her to sleep.

Here's a video of her rolling over.

Need some prayers

I'm dealing with a situation right now that could use some prayers.  K is fine but I can't really get into details beyond that.

Formula weaning and K pics

K gained about 4-5 ounces  this week, which isn't terrible but it's not great either.  We are going to stick with 10 ounces of formula/supplement a day for the next week.  We'll see how her gain is next week on whether we continue to wean from the supplement, we stay where we're at with supplementing , or we go back up on the supplement.  She has about 3 more weeks until she's 4 months old.

K now rolls over almost immediately as soon as we put her on her back.

K, D and me on Independence Day.

K's pouty face.

K's baptism, June 5.

D and K on Father's Day.

D, K, and me on the beach in Hawaii after my brother's wedding.

K turned 3 months :) and 4th Anniversary

Here's a link to the post from our second anniversary with pictures.

K turned 3 months on Friday.  She is now finally 10 lbs as of Tuesday (1/2 lb gain this week), and just moved into her small prefolds and her Flip covers. I started her in her 3-6 month clothing yesterday, because she finally is outgrowing the 0-3 month clothing (especially with her cloth diapers).

She started rolling over about a week ago from her back to her tummy.  She is more content most of the time now after we've been supplementing.  She's getting better about sleeping.  We can put her in her pack-and-play if she has fallen asleep or she has even fallen asleep in there on her own a couple times.  She smiles at us and coos.

We are starting to wean off the supplement/formula.  We're planning on reducing 2-3 ounces every 2-3 days and I'm doing 10 ounces of formula a day this week and the rest breast milk that I have saved in my freezer.  I got a new Pump-in-Style pump, but I'm still trying to find a comfortable shield/flange.  The 24mm that came with the pump was too big (TMI) on my nipple and the 21 mm fits the nipple better but still doesn't have a good seal and is uncomfortable.  I ordered the Pumpin' Pal shields which are a completely different shape, and hopefully they will work better.

D and I are probably going to dinner tonight for our anniversary and most likely taking K with us.  I'm glad we'll actually be able to spend at least some of this anniversary together; D was traveling for our first anniversary and we both worked late last year.  Our second may have been the only one so far we spent together.

I need to post pictures of K soon.

Cloth Diapering Update (3 months old)

My post on my plan for my cloth diaper stash.
My post on cloth diapering at 1 month where I talk about washing and other stuff.




So far we've been using:
2 dozen Green Mountain Diaper Prefold Newborn (Orange)
6 Thirsties X-small Covers
Snappi Size 1 Triple Pack 
Baby washcloths (I have about 2 dozen I think) as wipes
6 Flip One-Size Covers with Snaps 
2 Fuzzibunz One Size Diapers 
1 Little Beetle Little-to-Big (One Size) Organic Wool Cover with Snaps
4 Thirsties Stay-Dry Hemp Insert, Small
2 Fuzzibunz Hanging Diaper Bags
G Diaper Flushable Inserts (when we travel) 
Planet Wise Wet Bag, Large

I also have but haven't yet used:
2 dozen Green Mountain Diaper Prefold Small (Yellow) 


K will be 3 months tomorrow and is no quite 10 pounds, so she is a small baby.  She still fits into the newborn size GM prefolds and Thirsties X-small covers.  She's getting close to outgrowing the newborn prefolds, but not quite and the smalls are still pretty big so will need to be folded.


We've now used the Flip covers both with the G diaper liners and with the prefolds.  They are working well and we've had almost no leaks, so I feel good about using them as our main cover once she outgrows the newborn prefolds soon.  I've even used the Flip cover by itself as a swim diaper, and it successfully kept breastmilk poop in.


At night, we use the wool cover and the hemp insert with a prefold. K has been a very heavy wetter since we started supplementing and we definitely need the extra absorbency of the hemp insert and the breathability of the wool cover.  The wool cover we have is a one size adjustable with snaps and we've been using it since about 6 weeks or so.  It hopefully will fit until she's pottytrained.   


We've also used the Fuzzibunz diapers.  They seem to work well and we haven't had any leaks.  I use them mainly as backup diapers for if she gets the cover dirty while we are out or if I get behind on laundry.  We'll also use them for when we have a babysitter, which will be a week from Sunday, for the first time.


K got a pretty bad diaper rash after starting formula, so we've been using rash cream on her with a muslin liner (just cut strip from a yard I got at the fabric store).  For minor rashes, we use a mix of Burt's Bees Baby Bee Diaper Ointment and California Baby Calming Diaper Rash Cream.  For more serious rashes, we add in Boudreaux's Butt Paste.  


Here's what I have in her diaper bag:
a change of clothes (at least a onesie)
wipes (I use the Ta.rget brand lanolin ones)
two prefolds (I don't generally bring a extra cover)
a Fuzzibunz pocket diaper
a couple G diaper liners
a couple disposable diapers
a travel changing pad (I highly recommend one; we have this one)
a wet bag for keeping the wet/dirty diapers in (I only have one Planet wise, so I also use a Munchkin ones too)
a couple burp cloths
my nursing cover


We use cloth almost exclusively even when we are out, unless we are traveling somewhere where we won't have access to a washer and dryer for a few days.  Even then, we use the diaper covers (either Thirsties or Flip) with the G diaper liners.  I do keep a couple disposables in case of emergencies.


There are a couple things I would like, would like more of, or want to try for baby #2:
BumGenius 4.0- I'd like one or two just to try them
another Little Beetle One Size Wool Cover with Snaps-I only have one wool cover and we use it every night unless it gets dirty and I have to wash it, then I have to use a different cover like the Flip
Mommy's Touch Newborn Cover- I'd like one or two for if we are blessed with baby #2+, for before the umbilical cord falls off, the Thirsties were a little too big for 6 pound, 6 ounce K when she was born and we ended up using disposables

18 ounces

K gained 18 ounces this past week.  The pediatrician wants her on 20 ounces of formula one more week and then we start weaning her off.  We are still supplementing at the breast and I'll hopefully get my new pump by Friday or Saturday.  Any advice on transitioning back to just breast milk would be appreciated, and I'm going to talk to my lactation consultant about it.

Supplementing at the breast

K won't take a bottle.  In some ways, this is good since I am ending up supplementing her at the breast so she is getting breast milk in addition to the formula and hopefully stimulating my breasts to produce more.  She also nurses at night without the supplementer.

What we are currently using is a gerryrigged version of an SNS (supplemental feeding system).  It's a feeding tube (5 French) attached to a 12 ml syringe.  I make up two 9 oz bottles of formula each night  and put them in the fridge.  I then pour an ounce or two at a time into a smaller bottle (K is very inconsistent about how much she takes at a feeding) and draw it into the syringe.  The tubes are tape on each breast basically right at the nipple.  K latches on and I make sure the tube is in her mouth. I push the syringe based on how quickly she is swallowing.  It's a bit messy and cumbersome, but it gets nourishment into her and hopefully avoids reducing my milk supply any further.  I may consider getting a manufactured SNS after we see how long we might need this.

If anyone has been able to wean off formula back to just breastmilk, I need some ideas for talking to my doctor once we can get her weight gain where he wants it.  I am pumping, but feeding is so timing-consuming I don't get to pump much and I haven't gotten my new pump yet.  Right now I'm getting about 3 oz a day if I'm lucky.  I am considering donated breastmilk.