Monday, October 09, 2006

Coming soon... A chubbier, happier baby!

Last Thursday, I took Amelia to her pediatrician for a routine visit, and found out that she is quite undernourished. The doctor was pretty concerned and told me that my breast milk quality was not good enough. I had been nursing her ever 1-2 hours, but she is still only 10 lbs. 13 oz. That was discouraging. He told me I need to start supplementing with formula after nursing her, and that I must come back for a weight check in two weeks. The can of formula he handed me was 42% corn syrup solids (!!!) I am now making my own formula each day at home, and with a little flavor tweeking, Amelia is drinking down quite a bit and spends less time crying and chewing on her hand. I am really really hoping this will help with her sleep issues!

I took this picture of her when she should be napping. It was a fun way to deal with my exasperation after several hours of trying to get her to go down for a nap! I also took her to a chiropractor, and the next day she was unusually mellow and content. She has actually put herself to sleep a few times since supplementing and adjusting. While this is a tough adjustment time for all of us, we are excited to think that Amelia could end up happier and quieter. I get so excited just thinking about it.

9 comments:

annie said...

It's so frustrating when they can't just tell us what they need. Glad to hear things seems to be getting better right away. And it sound like you are doing a great job being flexible and taking excellent care of your sweet girl.
Bring on the chubby rolls!!

Anonymous said...

hi ariana,
it's been quite a while since i've checked your blog. amelia is incredibly adorable! funny how time flies-she's grown so much! hope all is well with all of you! dean and i are anticipating the arrival of nathan dean (yes, we're having a boy!). i'm 33 weeks today and looking forward to my maternity leave on oct.27! miss you... michelle

Anonymous said...

Little darling Amelia! You're doing a great job Ariana. I'm glad to hear that Amelia is getting used to her formula. It will be fun to watch her chunk out!

Anonymous said...

aww, look at those beautiful cheeks!

Gretchen said...

Whew! What a relief to figure out what will help your little sweet pea. She really is a smart and curious baby and it will be a blessing to have her tummy full now!

Unknown said...

Thanks for checking in, Michelle! I have been thinking about you a lot lately, hoping your pregnancy is finishing nicely. I love your son's name and hope to meet hime someday.

abuelo said...

Amelia is getting prettier all the time. So glad you found the feeding problem, a little goat's milk never hurt anyone.

Anonymous said...

Hi Ariana,
How's Amelia doing these days? Is her feeding program coming along? I'm just checking in... been thinking about all of you.

Unknown said...

Hi A. Robin. I take Amelia to get weighed tomorrow, but we won't have a computer for a few days, so I won't get to post the news. I'm getting the formula-making down to a routine, so it's getting easier. And she does really like it, so that is an improvement! Thanks for thinking of us and checking in.