An end to the drama… I think

It’s been a tough 5 days.  It seemed as soon as the LC took us off our ‘plan’ and told us to just feed when he is hungry that Liam has been completely unhappy.  There have been noises you wouldn’t think could come from a 2.5 week old both in the burping and tooting department.  I’d say he’d rival his Uncle Ryan anyday!  Our first instinct was – he’s allergic to something I ate.  Crap – what did I eat?  Immediately cut out tomatoes because I have been having lots of pastas in the last few days.  No change.  Liam was getting even more upset and gassy and it got to the point that he wouldn’t even lay down on his back without writhing in pain and screaming a pitch that made our spine throb. Days passed and I ejected dairy from my meals… even though we have a nice new bucket of my favourite ice cream in the freezer.  No change.

Today… well last night-ish, Liam was inconsolable.  Wouldn’t lay down, wouldn’t sit up. Wouldn’t calm down dispite all of Daddy’s stories, or songs or perpetual motion tactics.  Nothing we could do.  There was a point where Liam was happy to lay on his belly with his head hanging over a pillow and toot, but that time had passed.

The toot position

So we moved onto Gripe water, some crazy named homeopathic stuff and then just went back to perpetual motion, leg pumps, belly massage and constant back patting.  Nothing worked.  So then we thought maybe he was starving.  Maybe Liam just wasn’t getting the milk he needed from me in our new ‘no supplementing’ plan.  So we cracked out the bottle again.  Loaded it with 60ml of boob juice and Liam drank it like he had just found an oasis in the dessert. What the….

And then he slept.

He slept for over 4 hours.  Both Kev and I woke up before he did and checked to be sure he was still breathing. 

And then he woke up.

Time to feed again.  Liam has only been taking 10 minute feeds at a time since Sunday.  It seems like he was getting more than his share when I counted his suck/swallow ratios… but reliably, he would stop at 10 minutes, pass out and his body would go limp.  That is all he wanted.  No matter how many times I ‘offered’ a second helping, he just didnt want any.

So, off to the nursery at 4am for a feeding.  10 mins later, Liam is passed out.  I am determined to make him eat more.  So I wait.  I know, given the last 4 days that he will wake up eventually and cry hysterically until he is fed again – so I wait.  He wakes 20 minutes later, burps, coos and does some leg pumps and passes out again.  This happens until about 6am before he is actually interested in feeding again.  Another 10 minute feeding.  By now I have a numb butt, a sore neck from half sleeping in a chair and I have to wee.  Shift change.

Kev takes post in the nursing chair.  Recommences perpetual motion, silly songs, fancy iPhone apps made to calm babies… Liam cries and cries.  I am too tired to respond and so lean Liam in Kev’s capable hands to catch 60 mins of sleep.

7:30am, shift change again.  This time we go skin to skin and I settle in for the long haul.  Another 10 minute feed followed by hours and hours of ‘kangaroo’ snuggling.  Liam is quiet but gassy.  9am Kev brings me some eggs and toast, to which I devour trying not to get crumbs in Liam’s hair.  11am I move into the bed to continue kangaroo.  Liam is less a fan of this location, but eventually settles.  12:30 bath time.

The rest is a blurr… but it eventually leads to us leaving for the hospital for another weigh in.

Today Liam weighed in at 8lbs 14oz at the Lactation Consultant.  That is a 9 oz gain in 5 days – more than ‘heathy’ according to Donna (our LC).  So what the heck is his problem?!  I feed Liam from one side and they weigh him again to see how much he has taken in.  85ml!  85ml in 10 minutes!  Holy crap!  I was worried he wasn’t getting enough.  85 is the high end of what he should be getting each feeding.  OKay – so he isn’t starving.  Phew!  It seems… after some discussion, that Liam is drinking too fast… or rather I am ‘letting down’ too fast and he is getting too much of the foremilk and not enough of the hindmilk.  For those who don’t know… hindmilk is where all the calories are.  Foremilk is like … sugar water essentially.  Not so filling.  Okay – things are coming together.

The gas is explained by his gulping of milk while it comes out too fast, and also because the composition of foremilk… well, let’s just say it is digested almost instantly and is already on it’s way ‘out’ while he is still drinking.

Anyways – long story short.  Crisis averted.  Drama has ceased.

Well… mystery drama atleast.  We still have a crying baby – but rumour has it they do that from time to time.  This must just be one of those times.