Sleeping (and Eating) Habits

I suppose I should document Anna's sleeping habits for posterity. And sleeping is akin to eating when you are Anna's age, so perhaps I should discuss that as well.

Let's see. Where to begin.

Anna spent the first few days of her life at home breastfeeding. She cried. I cried. It was rough. Looking back, I don't think my milk had come in yet. We left the hospital when she was a mere 24 hours old, and I didn't have a very productive session with a lactation consultant, so I just wasn't properly prepared. My, um, bits were very very sore (and bloody) and Anna's little lips were so chapped. It was awful. And I think she was hungry all the time.

So. I started pumping. At first, I was so frustrated because I wasn't having much output. I finally figured out that my milk had just not come in yet and stopped freaking out. Anna was (and still is) a jewel of a kid and ate both via breast and bottle (and didn't get confused). At Day 5 post-partum, my milk came in and everybody was much, much happier. I was able to actually nurse more, but I kept up with the pumping, too.

Call me crazy, but I like pumping and feeding Anna with a bottle much more than I like nursing. My OCD tendencies require me to KNOW how much milk she is getting. And we all get more sleep because Anna doesn't get hungry every hour like she does (or did) when she nurses. Also, pumping allows somebody other than me to feed her. I love her, but I don't like feeling like a cow.

So, where are we now with the feedings? She takes 4 oz. at a time, usually every 3 to 4 hours. I supplement on occasion with formula, but I'm not crazy about doing that. For starters, formula smells like soured milk and tastes like it, too. (I got curious. And, yes, I've tasted my own breastmilk.) I also think that Anna spits up a lot more after a formula bottle. And, despite what the Internet says, I haven't noticed that she sleeps any longer after a formula bottle than after a breastmilk bottle.

I'm not the best pumper in the world, though. I should do it more often that I do. I think my supply would definitely be better. I worry that when Anna starts to want more than 4 oz. at a time, I won't have it for her.

Lately (the last 3 or 4 days), Anna has slept much better at night. Instead of getting up at 11pm, 2:30am, and 5am, she's actually slept from 8:30pm to 4 or 5am. It is wonderful! The daddy and I are much more rested! I do pay for her newfound nighttime sleeping habits during the day, though - Anna is awake more and a little bit more fussy during the day now. Nothing terrible and I'm certainly not complaining, but I haven't been able to keep house like I was because I'm trying to keep her happy. (Yeah, I know. Terrible job, huh? Grin.)

I have also noticed a change in her diapers. The change began two weeks ago or so. She isn't near as poopy as she was. In fact, she often goes the whole night now with just a pee diaper. I remember that after she was born I was concerned because she was poopy a whole lot more than she was just wet. Although, I may have just not noticed the pee amid the poop. When she made the change, I was worried because I thought she was constipated, but I have not noticed any actual sign of that except for the lack of poop. I do think that she poops more at one time now, so perhaps that makes up for the decrease in the number of poops.

That seems to be a fair statement with respect to where we are now. The daddy and I are currently debating over whose turn it is to change a suspected poopy diaper. A common conversation in these parts. Heh.