1 Week Old

Today Elba is one week old! What an incredible week it has been. When we came home from the hospital we had our first small emergency. There have been a few of those! We didn't grab the last of the bandages with Vaseline from the hospital for the circumcision. Of course, it was mid-changing when we realized this. So, Mitch heads out to CVS while I am tasked with the job of making sure the site stays dry and clean. Oh, did I mention Elba was hungry and needed to nurse? This equals screaming baby! Another really exciting moment was one in which I left Elba diaper-less on the changing table and he rocketed liquid poop more than a foot as he lay on his side! I've never seen anything like it. I couldn't stop laughing, but Mitch was less than pleased.
I've had my own struggles; I still have constipation pretty badly despite taking Metamucil three times a day. My incision site is healing very well, but the process of getting up and down is still pretty painful. There is this stabbing pain I get on both sides of my lower abdomen every time I stand up that is enough to make me suck my breath in each time. Engorgement was relieved with hot shower, pump and cold compress treatments. That was crazy and unexpected. Because we were having so many problems with nursing after the initial engorgement and cracked/bleeding nipples, I decided to just start pumping and we would begin bottle feeding. This seemed easiest and inevitable. Mitch really wanted to be a part of feedings (and I'd appreciate the help), and with my having to be back to work in a month anyways...it just seemed the right answer. Elba had his first pediatrician visit yesterday to make sure everything worked and looked good (he is doing great - even almost back to birth weight). I asked about milk production increasing as his needs did and she said it should, but him actually nursing is a big part of that and I should try to nurse at least once a day. Since then, I put him back to breast and he took to it again, without issue!
Last night Mitch and I were able to put Elba down through the night without much hassle. He still woke every 2 hours or so, but I was able to feed him and get him and I back to bed each time. It was the best night so far (2 hours sleep, 1 hour wake, etc.), and then Mitch woke up and took the morning feeding for me; imagine my surprise when I woke up at 9am instead of 7am like I thought I would. I had a great morning which turned into a great day. I am amazed at how many sets of clothes we went through today though. He kept soaking his diapers and peeing on his clothes, despite us checking often for wetness! I am using 7th Generation Newborn Chlorine Free diapers right now that seem a little thin and maybe when we switch the the size one diapers next this will get a little better. We only have a few of these left and I'll start him on the size 1 Huggies I have lined up next tomorrow.

My weight today is 223.5 lbs - breastfeeding rocks!