Motherhood: Month one
Merry Christmas Eve Eve. It's hard to believe exactly one month ago it was Thanksgiving Eve and I got the present I'll forever be the most thankful for.
Wyatt turns one month old today!
Where does the time go? My little guy is already growing out of his newborn clothes. I feel like he'll be walking and off to school in the blink of an eye. I'm trying to cherish these moments of innocence the best that I can before they're just a memory.
Here's our one month update:
Wyatt
Our biggest initial struggle was getting him to eat. Specifically, waking him up enough so he could eat. After two weeks of sleeping no fewer than 23.5 hours each day, I'm proud to report that he's much more alert and awake now. Feeding is going well (he still wants to nurse every 1.5 hours around the clock…) and his weight proves that. As of yesterday, he weighed 8lbs 14oz. This is nearly 2lbs up from his 6lbs 15oz birth weight and close to 3lbs more than his lowest weight. He went from the 5th percentile of weight to the 25th in just 3 weeks!
His reflux remains quite the issue though. He's been on axid for a week and that's helped the vomiting. But he's clearly still in a lot of pain. It's heartbreaking to see him wince, bring his knees to his chest, and gasp for air. His constant feeding is a sign of his reflux, too. When his stomach is empty, it hurts, so he always wants to eat. His doctor doesn't want to switch his meds yet. Instead, I'm adopting a strict, digestion-friendly diet. For now that means no dairy and very limited amounts of caffeine, chocolate, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, other high fiber foods, high fat foods, and spicy foods. I'll completely eliminate these foods if I don't see a change in Wyatt's behavior in a week or so. I'm really hoping the meds + dietary changes are enough to turn my fussy baby into a happy baby. I just hate that he's in constant pain.
Mom
I'm not going to sugarcoat it: caring for a reflux-y baby is tough. The severe sleep deprivation is getting downright scary. Jeff now has to wake with me at every night feeding because I'm saying really confusing things- like claiming I'm already holding Wyatt when he's still in his pack n' play. Yikes!
Luckily, my parents are here until New Year's! This means I'll get some nap time and I'll pump so I can get help with night feedings. I'm praying that by the time they head back to NJ, my dietary changes will be enough to make Wyatt go longer stretches without eating which will lead to extended sleep sessions. Fingers crossed! The extra hands also mean I'll have time to workout which I'm really looking forward to.
My parents offered to babysit Wyatt so Jeff and I can go on a date or two. Well, we definitely plan on taking them up on their offer. One date will be a bike ride and the other will be a run. What can I say? The couple that plays together…
As for my postpartum body, that's been interesting. After quickly dropping 22 lbs., I've lost one pound in the past two weeks. I'm 9 lbs. away from my pre-pregnancy weight and 14 lbs. away from my "normal" weight. This really does not surprise me. I used to exercise hard and often; two-a-day workouts were my norm most days of the week. So why would I get the body that was a result of that back without doing that? I don't expect to return to my pre-pregnancy weight until I'm in training mode again. And while it is frustrating not fitting in any of my clothes, I'm not bothered by what the scale says. Like I've always said, the numbers that are most important to me are these:
Running 4 miles at a 9:10 min/mi pace, with negative splits, without walking at one month postpartum? I'm pretty darn proud of that! I'm sure as my pace drops and mileage increases, the weight will come off.
That's where we are one month into this journey. I can't wait to see what the next month brings! 
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December 23rd, 2011 - 14:06
Sorry to hear about all of the reflux issues…he’s still so stinkin’ cute though!!
December 23rd, 2011 - 14:13
That Garmin shot is impressive! I just found out I’m pregnant this week, and hope that 10 months from now I’m able to get my speed back that quickly!
December 23rd, 2011 - 14:23
Thanks for sharing such an honest post. I’m sorry to hear lil Wyatt has such tummy/reflux issues, but hopefully it’s just a phase that he’ll soon get out of.
In the meantime enjoy your family and first Christmas with your baby!!!
December 23rd, 2011 - 16:14
Gosh, I can’t even imagine how tough that must be for you. We had a rule when we were a lot more sleep deprived that if we felt like we were starting to fall asleep while holding her, we had to stand up and rock her until she fell asleep. I’m glad Jeff is waking up with you. And hopefully you’ll get a lot more sleep with your parents there!
I have to admit, I’m way jealous of your running. I can hardly run 2 miles straight at a 9-minute pace! You rock, girl!
December 23rd, 2011 - 22:57
I’m WAY jealous of the running! I can’t even run a mile at 9-minute pace. LOL You both an inspiration!
December 23rd, 2011 - 16:26
Great first month with your little one for the most part. I know you guys will really enjoy having family there over the holidays. Enjoy your biking and running dates!
December 23rd, 2011 - 16:43
i feel badly offering advice but i have been there with my first born and the allergies to breastmilk…one day my daughter was fine and the next day there was blood in her stool and it was a lot and her doctor (along with the nursing support the hospital) said I needed to stop breastfeeding her ASAP. it was scary and I will never forget seeing the diaper…then i went on to nurse my son for a straight year so you never know what will work for one will not work for the other.
best of luck and happy holidays to you and your expanded family!!!
December 23rd, 2011 - 16:50
Oh wow! How scary. Luckily, he hasn’t had any bloody stools (so far) so I hope it’s not allergy-related and just reflux.
December 23rd, 2011 - 17:11
Oh my lord…Wyatt is soo handsome/cute/adorable/precious! And that’s saying something cause I see a lot of babies (I’m a nurse)…I sincerely hope you get more sleep soon! Happy Holidays.
December 23rd, 2011 - 17:54
Wyatt is so handsome! Excellent mileage and time!
December 23rd, 2011 - 21:56
Congrats on the fast mileage! My Dr told me no running till after my six week checkup so I am happily walking the dog at this point. I am praying for you that the diet helps and the reflux issues resolve soon so that Wyatt can be pain free and you can get some more sleep!
December 24th, 2011 - 05:56
Not sure if this will help you or not just my particular situation with reflux. My daughter who is 12 now experienced the same awful reflux your son is going through. She had stomach cramps, projectile vomitting, & was hungary all the time, I was nurseing also. I had to leave her completely still after a feeding to make sure she would hold down anything she had taken in. Long story short, I had to stop nurseing switched her to a soy formula & she was a completely differant baby. I was a hard choice but, she was much happier, feeling better, & rested for more then an hour or 2 at a time.
December 24th, 2011 - 08:18
Thanks for sharing! We’re not there yet, but we’ll definitely consider formula if we can’t find anything else that helps.
December 24th, 2011 - 12:21
I know its mentioned a LOT and I hate harping on things…but the food allergy route is what we realized our problem was with our baby. We did the zantac, prevacid, and others for her severe reflux and vomiting. In the end it was dairy (look for casein and whey), soy is the HUGE HUGE HUGE one for her, peanuts/tree nuts, and then some crazy ones like sesame seeds! There are more but I won’t bore you!
Your already eliminating a lot (YAY, great job!) just look for those hidden things like whey and casein. Also, consider dropping the soy. We have to eliminate even lecithin and oil but she’s super sensitive. That being said, great job! Praying he’s better soon!
December 24th, 2011 - 12:59
Yikes! Sounds like you went through a lot to find out what baby is allergic to! I’ll definitely keep this in mind if he doesn’t get better. Thanks!
December 26th, 2011 - 14:11
When I was a baby, I had severe vomiting, reflux, etc. and they eventually found a formula that I could have after going through so many, because I couldn’t even be breast fed. Hopefully he will start tolerating your milk, but if not, the formula is called Proegestimil. It’s somewhat expensive, and (22 years ago) could only be purchased in pharmacies, but was a miracle worker with me (so my mom says
) Hope he gets better!
December 28th, 2011 - 12:37
Has your husband tried adjusting Wyatt? I know my chiropractor has adjusted lots of babies with reflux and some of them get immediate relief.
December 28th, 2011 - 14:08
Yup! His boss does and it hasn’t helped yet.
December 29th, 2011 - 13:50
He is so, so precious! Yes, it’s true… parenthood of an infant is exhausting! Funny that you thought you were holding him and you weren’t– I used to have the same kind of thing happen, I’d think she fell asleep on me and was still beside me when she was actually back in the co-sleeper. Crazy what a sleep-deprived brain will do! Glad you’re treasuring it though… pros and cons to each stage, and though things will get easier, you’ll never get the tiny baby stage back!
December 29th, 2011 - 17:41
Congrats on your baby boy! I have a 7 mo. old baby girl who was pretty easy overall – we used loads of mommy’s bliss gripe water in those early weeks. A few of my moms friends have sworn by the ‘nap nanny’. It’s ridiculously over priced but it seems to help babies with tummy troubles sleep. It only works when they are little and not rolling over. It might be worth a try? Everyone has a suggestion so I thought I’d add mine.
December 30th, 2011 - 09:53
Thank you! I heard about that, too, but he already rolls a bit so it makes me nervous.
December 30th, 2011 - 13:55
I think around 3 or 4 months they really roll over — for now (the first few weeks) they sort of ‘teeter totter’. I think there’s a strap or two to tighten around them (otherwise they probably would have been recalled by now).
December 30th, 2011 - 16:13
Ah! Makes sense
Thank you!
January 3rd, 2012 - 01:20
Hey Jen, I just was listening to this nutrition podcast and immediately thought of Wyatt, since she’s talking about reflux in babies. Maybe it might help?
http://www.weightandwellness.com/june_2011_dun.html – the June 4th episode at the bottom
January 3rd, 2012 - 08:54
thanks so much, Annet! I’m going to listen to it