A Breastfeeding "Yay"

Last night Lillian had fallen asleep on my chest after nursing when she woke up and wanted to nurse some more. I had already taken off the nipple shield, so I decided to try nursing without putting it back on. And she did it! And we haven't used one since! Wow, that was amazingly easy - I guess I just had to wait until she was ready to ditch it. ::fingers crossed that this continues::

The nipple shield is a PITA because I constantly have to wash and sterilize them, it's a pain to put them on because Lillian often knocks them off with her hands, (and then cries), and it makes nursing in public a more daunting task. Plus I always lose them. So, I am very happy with this progress!

Now we just need to get her to take a bottle again :P We went too long between bottle feedings and now she just screams when Greg tries to give her one. He is going to continue trying when I am out of the house, working out. I've heard this is a common problem that other families have overcome, so I am hopeful that I will be able to leave her for more than a few hours at some point!

That's It, I'm Cutting Out Dairy

I took the nurse's advice one step further and cut out all milk. Yesterday I didn't even have any yogurt or ice cream, (which I usually have every day). However, my lunch had some cheese on it, I had some sour cream on my fajitas, and I had a cup of hot chocolate. And last night Lillian got a big hive on her forehead and she was screaming. Her poop continues to be mucusy, too. I know it can take up to two weeks for the milk protein to get out of my system, so we may not see immediate results, but I am willing to try it if it might make her feel better. (I am also going to call the doctor on Monday.)

This should help with my weight loss goals too, considering cheese and ice cream are my weaknesses!

Reggae Dancing Baby

Lillian Has Poop Issues

Last night I noticed a small amount of red blood in Lillian's diaper. Of course this worried me and sent me off to the baby books and Google. Once I started reading about baby poop issues, I realized that she has also had mucus in her poop for at least a few days, maybe more - I thought it was just sticky looking poop and didn't think much of it. I realized she had several signs of milk allergies: blood and mucus in her poop, rashes (that I thought were just normal, mild baby rashes), and general fussiness.

So, I called her pediatrician this morning, and the nurse told me it could be a milk allergy, or it could be caused by her straining to poop. So I have to put Vaseline on her anus, (ew, I hate that word), at each diaper change to help move things alone, and I have to cut milk out of my diet, (but not all diary, thankfully). So, hopefully that will take care of things.

And, actually, it would be pretty awesome if this was caused by a milk allergy, because it's an easy fix, (I only have milk in my cereal and coffee), and I would be so happy if it reduced her fussiness so it would be easier to take her out in public.

In other news, my pleurisy is pretty much gone, thankfully. And I didn't even have to cut back on my exercise.

Speaking of exercise, holy hell, I am out of shape! I don't think I've ever been this out of shape. Before I was pregnant, a six mile an hour pace was taking it easy. Now that pace kills me and I have to knock it down to five miles an hour just to get through the workout! Oh well, it's kind-of fun to have a challenge and a goal to work towards.

Ugh, I Think I Have Pleurisy

My upper left back started hurting on Thursday and got worse yesterday. It hurts when I inhale and when I move in certain positions. The last time I felt this way, I had pleurisy. Luckily, at this point I have no other symptoms of a lung infection, so my CF doctor just wants me to take a lot of Advil and call if it gets worse or doesn't get better. I guess I shouldn't complain too much since it's been over a year since I've had any sort of lunsg issue, but I'm still super annoyed because I JUST got the okay to start "real" exercise for the first time since I was 29 weeks pregnant, and I am dying to get back into shape, (and fit into my clothes). I'm still going to hit the gym, but obviously I can't push myself very hard. Hopefully it will clear up quickly!

On My Own

Yesterday was my first full day taking care of Lillian by myself. It went well, and I am so excited and grateful that this is going to be my new job!

I am, however, very thankful I had help for the first six weeks! Greg took the first week off, my mom and aunt were here the second week, my mother in-law was here for 10 days after that, and then my sister was here for 16 days. The first five weeks were really rough and I don't know how I would have done it without help!

I had my six-week postpartum OB appointment yesterday, and everything checked out fine. I decided to go on the mini-pill because, even though it took four IUIs to get pregnant with Lillian, I REALLY do not want another one right now and am not willing to take the risk!

The OB appointment was also our first excursion out of the house just the two of us. That part did not go so well :/ So far, taking Lillian out has not been easy. We haven't done it much because our pediatrician said to avoid taking her to public places until she is two months old. This is hard because it means I can't run to the grocery store while Greg is at work, but I am also afraid to take her to the grocery store anyway because she gets so fussy!

For example, my sister and I took her to a nursing store last week so I could return the scale and buy some bras. I nursed and burped her before we left. It was a 20 minute drive, and she was fussing by the time we got there. My sister watched her while I tried on bras, and I got about halfway through when she turned to full-on crying and I had to take her to their private room to nurse her. Another example is from this weekend: Greg and I took her to my work so I could clean out my office. Again, I nursed and burped her before we left, and she was screaming by the time we reached my work, (which was a 20 minute drive). I had to nurse her again in the car, and then she was fussy almost the entire time we were at the office, (for about an hour and a half), and I had to nurse her again while we were there.

At the OB's office, I decided I would be prepared and bring a bottle of pumped milk so I could easily feed her at the drop of a hat. It was only a five minute drive, and the appointment was short, so I thought it would be a piece of cake. Nope. She was on the edge the entire time, and started crying the second the doctor came into the room, so a nurse came in and took her out of the room so I could be examined. And then, as I was buckling her back into her car seat, she started screaming hysterically. I was so embarrassed, and now I am wondering how long it is going to be until I feel comfortable taking her out in public! I had a CF clinic appointment this Thursday that I decided to reschedule for next month because Greg can't watch her and I do not feel comfortable taking her to a three hour doctor appointment. I hope her fussiness gets better soon!

Other than that, Lillian is truly a joy and I am having so much fun. She is smiling and cooing a lot, and I swear I’ve heard her laugh a couple of times. Her favorite thing right now is when I read her a book after a diaper change, while she is still on the changing table. She smiles, kicks her legs, coos, and happily yells out the entire time. So.much.fun. I love this girl sooooo much!

And here is my current favorite picture of her, take last week before we went to the nursing store:

Smiles!

The First Month

I can't believe Lillian is already a month old! The past month has been an exhausting whirlwind. I had heard many times that the first few months are the most critical time for CF moms, (in terms of how a pregnancy might affect their CF), because they get rundown and miss treatments. I am happy to report that I have not skipped a single treatment, and, although I am rundown, I have not gotten sick yet. I think the fact that I barely leave the house and am not exposed to many germs is helping.

I've been averaging about 5-6 hours of sleep a day, including naps. The longest stretch of sleep I've had is about three hours. So, it's about what I expected and I am managing, but I am also really looking forward to getting more sleep in the future!

I am extremely lucky because I have had family hear to help since Lillian was born. Greg had the first week off work, then my mom and my aunt came for a week. After they left, my in-laws came for 10 days, and now my sister is here for two weeks. So I won't be without help until Lillian is six weeks old. It's been great because people cook us dinner, clean the house, and watch Lillian when I really need to catch a few extra hours of sleep (that last one has been critical!).

And, because I know weight gain is always a concern for people with CF, (as in, many people with CF have trouble gaining weight - although, because I'm pancreatic sufficient, this has not been an issue for me), I figured I'd report that I gained between 40 and 45 pounds during pregnancy and lost 25 to 30 of those during the first two weeks postpartum. So, I still have about 10 to 15 pounds to lose to make it back to my pre-pregnancy weight. I am already feeling anxious to fit back into my pre-pregnancy clothes - all I can wear now are maternity and work-out clothes, but I know it will probably take time. I can't even put my rings on yet!

Lillian is already growing and changing so much. I love watching her grow. She started cooing about a week ago and a half ago and smiling a few days after that! LOVE! Her favorite thing in the world is having her diaper changed. She looooves laying on the changing table and will make happy expressions and grunt and coo and wiggle once her dirty diaper is removed.

Speaking of diapers, we started using cloth diapers at about the two week mark, and I LOVE them! We are using mostly prefolds with covers. It really is super easy, and I feel so good about using them when I see how many diapers we are going through. We also have six extra small Bum Genius all-in-one diapers that are good for middle of the night changes and when we are away from the house.

Here are a few pictures from the past month:

This is How We Feel About Tummy Time :/


Okay, This is Better


First Bath


Sleeping in Mommy's Arms