One Week

So Verity has been here for one week.  How's she doing?  Well, that's hard to answer.  She is sleeping well and is pretty alert and happy when she's awake, gazing around at all the faces of her adoring fans that constantly surround her.  But she is not a wonderful nurser, and while I thought she was doing better, she instead is dropping weight like a rock.  Also, she hasn't pooped since Friday (not that it seems to be bothering her at all).

She was 9 pounds, 6 ounces at birth, and when we left the hospital last Thursday, she was down to 8 pounds, 12 ounces.  Saturday we went back for a weight check, and she was down to 8 pounds, 1 ounce.  My milk came in Saturday night, so I thought things would turn around.  We went back for another weight check on Monday, and she was down to 8 pounds, 0 ounces.  The doctor couldn't see any issues and felt like it would be temporary, especially since it seemed like she was nursing better now that my milk was fully in.  But when we went back again today, she was all the way down to 7 ponds, 11 ounces.  That's not too far off from losing 2 pounds in one week, which is huge for a newborn!  The lactation consultant at the weight check today also couldn't see anything really wrong--she has a good latch, she just doesn't want to suck long enough to get to the good hindmilk. So she's lazy!

The plan is that I will nurse, then pump and give her that milk as well.  I've done that today several times, so hopefully it will help.  It takes forever, though, and giving her a bottle after nursing doesn't do anything to help her nurse better.  If anything, it should make her lazier, since she'll expect that after nursing a bit, she gets the bottle, which is easier to drink from!  But I don't know that I can deal with using a supplemental nursing system, with the tube attached to my nipple and all that.  I just don't know that it is worth the hassle at this point.  Sigh.  Who would ever have thought that baby #10 would be so much trouble??  If I had any doubts that this should be the last one, they are banished now, LOL.  I seriously do not have the time or mental energy to deal with this!  I really thought that after the baby came, we would be able to get back into a good routine, especially with school, since I wouldn't be going to Bethesda twice a week for appointments and non-stress tests.  Now I'm going 3 times a week!  A good routine?  Ha!  Things are falling apart all over the place!  I don't know what I'll do if we can't get this resolved before it's time for me to start teaching again.  I still haven't even finished writing the anatomy exam the kids are supposed to be taking over the first 4 chapters!  I started that last Tuesday night before I went into labor, but I just couldn't concentrate, so I only got the first 11 or so questions written.  And now I am tired and foggy-brained, so . . .

We're praying that Verity will start gaining weight, as well as start nursing more diligently.  And also that I would know the best course of action.  We go back again Friday for another weight check, but that is also just with the lactation consultant, not with a doctor.  We're supposed to have her 2 week well-baby appointment next Friday, but I would say if she keeps dropping weight like this, we'll have to see a doctor before then.  If only I was dropping weight like that!  Instead, I am enjoying the carbs I have had to avoid the past 12 weeks, and all this stress is not making me think favorably about cutting back--bring on the ice cream and chocolate, LOL.