Strike Two
Clio is at it again. We all seem to be thrush free -- they did their two weeks of treatment, I did mine, everyone's happy. But now, with the exception of sleepy middle-of-the-night feedings, Clio refuses to nurse. All I have to do is try to get her into position and pull out the ole boob, and she starts screaming. She wants that bottle something awful. It's stressful and frustrating and infuriating, to say the least. We don't see anything to suggest that she's teething or has an ear infection or is congested or any of the other things that frequently make babies go on nursing strikes. The trush, as mentioned, seems to be cleared up. (If it was ever there in the first place).
The most reasonable explanation seems to be that it has to do with my going back to work -- especially since this just started a few days ago. Apparently changes in routine can throw a baby off nursing temporarily, and obviously she's getting used to having more bottles.
So, I'm trying very hard to get her to nurse. Twice today, I've gotten her to relent eventually after 20-30 minutes of bouncing (I sit on a big fitness ball and bounce with her in my arms) and singing every freaking pop song, show tune, lullaby, aria, and classical piece I know--I hummed "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" in its entirety--until she basically wears herself out crying and is so hungry (I guess...) that she has no choice but to nurse. I also tried giving her expressed milk from a cup, which a la leche league person suggested. This pissed her off, which is, in part, the point. Given the choice between the cup and the boob, with the bottle option taken off the table, they'll give in and go for the boob.
I hate to feel like I'm in a battle of wills with my 14-week old daughter. I'm trying very hard to keep the mindset of "Oh you poor sweet thing, how confusing and frustrating this must be for you" instead of "oh you little shit, how confusing and frustrating this is for ME," but it's not easy. I just hope that this isn't going to be a weekly occurrence; I spend Thursday through Sunday retraining her to nurse, and then come Monday she hits the bottle again and we're back at square one. Baby AA anyone?
All this would, of course, be much easier to manage if there wasn't another baby in the picture who also needs feeding, holding, changing, playing, etc. And who gets upset by her sister's crying and sometimes nurses more fussily herself as a result.
I'm going to go eat some easter candy now.
The most reasonable explanation seems to be that it has to do with my going back to work -- especially since this just started a few days ago. Apparently changes in routine can throw a baby off nursing temporarily, and obviously she's getting used to having more bottles.
So, I'm trying very hard to get her to nurse. Twice today, I've gotten her to relent eventually after 20-30 minutes of bouncing (I sit on a big fitness ball and bounce with her in my arms) and singing every freaking pop song, show tune, lullaby, aria, and classical piece I know--I hummed "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" in its entirety--until she basically wears herself out crying and is so hungry (I guess...) that she has no choice but to nurse. I also tried giving her expressed milk from a cup, which a la leche league person suggested. This pissed her off, which is, in part, the point. Given the choice between the cup and the boob, with the bottle option taken off the table, they'll give in and go for the boob.
I hate to feel like I'm in a battle of wills with my 14-week old daughter. I'm trying very hard to keep the mindset of "Oh you poor sweet thing, how confusing and frustrating this must be for you" instead of "oh you little shit, how confusing and frustrating this is for ME," but it's not easy. I just hope that this isn't going to be a weekly occurrence; I spend Thursday through Sunday retraining her to nurse, and then come Monday she hits the bottle again and we're back at square one. Baby AA anyone?
All this would, of course, be much easier to manage if there wasn't another baby in the picture who also needs feeding, holding, changing, playing, etc. And who gets upset by her sister's crying and sometimes nurses more fussily herself as a result.
I'm going to go eat some easter candy now.
posted by Jane at 4:51 PM
2 Comments:
Candy is probably the best possible thing you can do for yourself right now...Unless you have some wine handy.
I'm sorry she's being so difficult. Although, it's good practice for when she's fourteen years old instead of fourteen weeks old.
mabe if Elsa gets Zantac, Clio can try Xanax...and share it with you.
seriously, now that i know how loud and unrelenting that LAA! LAA!LAA! can be, i wish i wasn't at such loss to make some lame comment about the Frustration. especially if Clio starts "winning" simply by wearing YOU out instead of herself.
maybe this is a prelude to that swimming scholarship she'll get from having twice the lung capacity of any of her peers.
Hope there's a big bowl of candy still half full.
Hope you didn't drive your in-laws out of the house? buster
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