Breast feeding

For me, the most shocking thing about having a baby was how hard breast feeding was. I just assumed it would be very natural and intuitive. Put baby to breast. How hard could it be?

As it turns out, breast feeding can be exceptionally difficult. Will and I struggled with it for weeks. He would get terribly frustrated, and I was in a lot of pain. As it turns out, we couldn't seem to get a good latch. Even after multiple meetings with a lactation consultant and two La Leche League leaders, we just couldn't make it work.

Three weeks ago we stopped nursing and started bottle feeding. I felt terribly guilty about this, but then I realized it was breast milk, not breast feeding, that was important to me. I'm still a little disappointed that we can't nurse, but at least he gets my milk every time he eats.

I pump 6-7 times a day to maintain my milk supply. My goal is to give Will breast milk for at least 6 months. But pumping exclusively is a lot of work. I get a lot of plugged ducts since the pump isn't as effective as Will in draining my breasts. And yesterday I came down with a nasty case of mastitis, a breast infection. I'm on antibiotics now, but I feel terribly achy and sore all over.

Will's colic doesn't seem to be easing any, and we're starting to consider whether he's reacting to something in my breast milk. I'm off caffeine and chocolate as a test, but I'm also considering whether he could be sensitive to dairy. Some mothers report a drastic change in their child's mood when they remove certain foods from their diet. But the lactation specialist I spoke with said it's likely coincidental. Though you eliminate "trouble" foods and the baby starts to improve, it could also be that he's just grown out of it.

It's getting crowded in there... and other pregnancy updates

Baby takes up way more room in my belly now. No longer can I consume two bowls of cereal in one sitting (bummer). There just isn't room to eat as much as I'd like.

Baby enjoys resting on my bladder these days, so I feel like I have to pee all the time. Like literally, all the time. My current record: three times in 20 minutes. I might as well set-up shop in the bathroom.

I'm also getting some kicks in the ribs, so between the bladder-pressure and rib-karate, I hope that means baby is head down already. We'll find out at our appointment on Wednesday. We're only 30 weeks though, so if not yet, he's still got some time.

Long gone are the high-energy days of the second trimester... I'm so tired now! I feel like I did in early pregnancy. I have to nap for an hour or so almost every afternoon. I'm still sleeping really well at night... no complaints there. I'm just not able to get through an entire day without some rest. Growing a baby is exausting.

My apologies, this post is pretty whiny. But the discomfort factor has really ramped up in past week. Nature must do this so you have reason to want the kid out when the time comes.

Welcome back, feet

My feet have returned to their normal size. Sigh. I feel so much better.

It's hard to focus, let alone get things accomplished, when you're really, really ridiculously swollen. And hot. Swollen and hot are not a good combo for anyone.

But the humidity has dipped way down, and they're forecasting evening temps in the 50s tonight. Sleeping with the windows open again will thrill me beyond belief.

Pregnancy + Heat = Swollen

You should see how swollen my feet and ankles are. They're huge. Like HUGE. I feel like I'm hobbling around on stumps.

We have a mirror at the top of our staircase that reflects from the waist down. So every time I go up or down the stairs I catch a glimpse of my gigantic cankles. They're not pretty.

Ben reminds me that this heat is uncharacteristic for May, and even in August, this will probably be about the hottest it gets. Let's hope as the temperatures drop later this week, so do the size of my feet.

It's going to be a looooooong summer.

Weight Gain

I'm up 14 pounds from November, which is actually a little higher than the recommended weight gain for 22 weeks. It appears I will gain more than the 20 or so pounds I was hoping for. Boo.

More salads and green vegetables for me. They're better for baby anyway.

Heat Wave

I've never really been crazy about hot weather. Granted, summer is fun. Long days, bright sunshine, swimming, gardening, friends, food, cold drinks. But the hot weather just does not appeal to me. I'm happiest when the temperature is hovering around 65 or 70 degrees.

As we had our first hot weather preview day yesterday (temps reached 80 in Oshkosh), I was reminded of how much I hate the heat. And how I'll be in my third trimester for the three hottest months of the year. Awesome.

Lucky for us, we installed a nice new central air unit last year. And with the pregnancy card tucked firmly in my back pocket, there will be no competition for thermostat control. For once, my comfort trumps Ben's frugality. Now that's pretty cool.

Blech

Not feeling well today. A bit sick to my stomach and light-headed.

I might be dehydrated, so I'm trying to drink lots of water. And I didn't eat the best yesterday (hello Super Bowl food), so I'm eating lots of fruits and veggies and trying to avoid anything processed.

Is this how most people feel throughout their first trimester? Yuck. Here's hoping this is an isolated incident.