Just this last weekend I think Lachlan has started entering the dreaded 4 month sleep regression. He also seems to have a shorter ramp up period when he wants something so that's been fun. My anxiety seems to grow in parallel to these changes and it makes me feel like I did when we first came home with him from the hospital. It's the unpredictability with sleep at night that throws me off. I hope it's just a cloudy phase and will pass. But one smile from him and I'm like awwww man no hard feelings!
We're also giving him more formula as I'm weaning off the pump (down to 3x a day). It took a bunch of trial and error with trying different brands and flavors before we found one he will tolerate. I've been feeling like a chemist with mixing frozen milk and formula in certain ratios so he'll eat it without a fuss. This is dumb, but it reminds me of the scene in True Blood when Bill helps newly changed Jessica find a mix of True Blood types that she'll like lol! One part type A to two parts type O or something.
He hates the taste of freezer milk alone so we disguise the taste by mixing it in with formula. But since formula lasts only 2 hours before it goes bad (1 hour if his mouth touches it), and breast milk lasts way longer, I'm afraid if I mix the two and doesn't eat it all within 1 hour, my milk will be wasted which is more valuable than the formula in my opinion because of what I have to do go make it. And if I don't make enough because I'm unsure if he's really hungry or just whining, he'll scream at me when he finishes too soon so I'll have to run and make more. Basically what I'm I'm trying to say is that I'm having a hard time accurately predicting how much he'll want to eat while mixing up a bottle because I'd hate to waste my freezer milk. When it was just all fresh milk, I'd just stick a bottle in his mouth and if he ate it great, if not, great, we will eat it later. I need to hone in on my psychic skills.
But man, I'm LOVING not having to pump in the middle of the night anymore and I can't wait to pack that pump away for good. I'll even go as far as to say it will be even easier when all the freezer milk is gone and it's just formula...no more mixing. Of course I feel guilt about this, but I had to reach a point on my own where I was finally able to give myself permission to quit. It was a goal of mine to make it to 4 months with some sort of breast milk and I did it. And if we ration it, I think we can get to 6 months with one bag of freezer milk a day, which is my ultimate goal. Of course if breastfeeding was enjoyable and stress free for us, I'd be all about it. But it wasn't and everyone in this house values my sanity so....that's another post for another day. This month, I even tried for the hell of it to see if he'd accept the boob, but the answer was a clear no. So at least now I know there's no what-ifs and that helps in part with me coming to the end of my exclusive pumping journey.
But besides that, we opened up two new toys for him to use and he enjoys them for short periods of time; his jumper and bumbo seat. It's a cluttered rainbow-colored mess in here! So yea, that's where we are right now.
Here's what Lachlan's been up to this month...
Weighs 15.5 lbs and is 26 inches tall
Is laughing more
Can stand with our help
Rolls up on his side sometimes
Pulls toys and blankets up to his face
Is grasping toys and putting them in his mouth
Likes to put his blanket on his face before he falls asleep
Likes sitting in his jumper
Sort of likes sitting up in his bumbo with the tray (this is where he grasps his toys)
Is starting to make raspberry sounds
Moved up another diaper size (#2 now)
Hates the taste of freezer milk so we have to mix it in with fresh or formula
Doesn't really like to cuddle. Would rather lie on the floor or in his rocker :(
Lessons learned this month:
The farts smell worse than the poop.
Disable the doorbell, especially if you have dogs.
Don't count on your baby to enjoy the taste of freezer milk. Some milk gets a weird scent after it thaws from a lipase enzyme unless you scald it first, but who has time or the foresight for that? We just mix it in with formula and he eats it that way.
Expect checking out at Target to take an extra ten minutes because the cashier lady will want to talk to your baby! lol
Baby clothes sizes are so variable! He can fit in 3 month or 6 month outfits depending on the brand, and even within the same brand sizes can still vary. As a woman who hates buying jeans for this reason, this is all too familiar lol
Don't listen to slow sad songs while packing away baby clothes that no longer fit.
I hope his sleep gets back to normal for you soon! I remember when I stopped breast feeding around eight months, and I agree with you - it is SO much easier to just mix up a bottle of formula without all the pumping. I so hated pumping. And packing away baby clothes is so hard! I still have a box or two in my kiddos closet of the ones I just can't let go of. :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations you made it so far on the pumping! It is such hard work (I did it three times and this last time in my forties!) gawhddd!
ReplyDeleteI pumped for Emma 4 1/2 months enough for her and for me. Yes, breast milk is so precious. She still wakes up at night sometimes. What do I do? run for a bottle we're transitioning to fresh milk now. Doctor told me she is not hungry that it's a habit and she knows I am there for here. He said to get her out of my room...ah little does he know that my nine yr old still sleeps in bed with us :(
Lachlan is such a handsome boy!
thanks claudia! we think lachlan is waking and demanding food out of habit too. he certainly doesn't need the food but it's the only way he'll go back to sleep. his pediatrician said he shouldn't be waking up to eat at night anymore. i just laughed.
ReplyDeletethanks kay :) i can't wait to pack up all those pump parts haha
ReplyDeleteRemember: your baby need nourishment and you are providing it. full stop. While I am an advocate of breastfeeding, it's FAR, FAR more important that your baby be fed, regardless of the mode. I am glad to hear that you are feeding your baby and that he's clearly growing, happy and meeting milestones. That is important. Not the fact that you may purchase his meals from the store.
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