Logan was 7 lb 1 oz at birth. 8 lb 7 oz at 2 weeks. 11 lb 12 oz at 2 months. 12 lb 11 oz at 3 months. 14 lbs 2 oz today at 4 months.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
4 Month Checkup
Today was Logan's 4 mth checkup. He is now 14 lbs 2 oz, 25.5 inches long and head circumference of 16.5 inches. He is in the 30% for weight, 66% for height and 36% for head circumference.
The doctor aggravated me today. Quite frankly, she pissed me off. She is concerned about his weight gain. He was in the 57% at 2 months and now in the 30% according to her charts (formula fed growth charts). She asked me if I'd been supplementing with formula. I said no, she didn't say anything but I think she was trying to hint that I should be. I will not, in any circumstance, give him formula unless he's actually losing weight and not thriving and I will only give it to him then if I've done EVERYTHING in my power to increase my supply. He is developing right on track, even advanced in some areas. For instance, he's not suppose to put all his weight on his legs til 5-6 months and he's already doing that. He's been holding his head up on his own for quite some time and he's really only suppose to have started that recently. He is an extremely happy, content baby.
When I got home I did a little research. According to kellymom.com, which is the breastfeeding bible to most breastfeeding moms, infants are suppose to gain anywhere from 5-8 oz/week, have 6-8 wet or dirty diapers (doesn't matter the contents), and double birth weight at 4 months. If they do all that, then they are getting enough. I added it up and from birth he has gained an average of 6.2 oz/week and has also doubled his birth weight exactly, which was 7lb 1 oz. Kellymom.com also had a breastfed infant growth chart, which is not typically used in pediatric offices since most mom's do not breastfeed anymore for some stupid reason or another. I charted out his progress from birth til now and he's actually right on track and has not decreased at all. According to this chart, at birth he started out right at 50% and from then on has been between 45-50% for weight. Apparently, he's going to be tall, like his PawPaw Johnson. Maybe he'll be our little quarterback instead of a linebacker.
It really aggravates me that since I'm doing the "right" thing by breastfeeding that I'm made to feel incompetent or that I'm failing as a mother because my baby (and other breastfed babies) is developing at a different (but normal) rate compared to formula fed babies. I really do not understand why society is so "OK" with formula, that it's even a standard that my child has to meet to be "normal". Breastfeeding just got easy. It's not a hassle anymore, growth spurts are pretty much over (at least the difficult ones), it doesn't take FOREVER for him to eat anymore. So why now, that it's gotten easy does someone have to come screw it up and make me think I've done something wrong? Formula is not even regulated by the FDA. Why would I want to put something like that in my child if I don't have to? I wish breastfeeding was more widely accepted as the way you're suppose to feed your babies. Breastmilk is NOT the same thing as formula and breastmilk is NOT just food. There's a lot more in it. For example, antibodies. My body knows when Logan is coming down with something and will provide him the antibodies to fight it. I had a terrible cold a couple weeks ago, Brent had a touch of it too, and you would think that it would definitely hit Logan pretty hard since he's a baby and all, but he didn't even get the sniffles. You know why?! Because my body gave him the antibodies to fight it off first before they started to work on me. That's probably why the cold is still lingering on weeks later, though. But it's totally worth it to me to suffer with a cold if that means Logan's not getting it. Also, breastmilk is specifically tailored to what my baby needs, unlike formula which has the same contents, vitamins, and calories all the time. Breastmilk is more digestible, reduces my risk of breast cancer, protects against Crohn's disease, protects against developing allergies and asthma in baby, decreases the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis in baby, decreases risk of osteoporosis in baby, aids in proper intestinal development, and most importantly, breastfed babies have a decreased chance of developing ulcerative colitis (that's what Brent has). No joke, go to http://www.promom.org/101/ if you don't believe me. Formula feeding is associate with lower IQ, increases baby girls risk of developing breast cancer later in life, increases my risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer, increases the risk of obesity and diabetes, increases allergies, increases baby's risk of ear infections, increased risk of SIDS, increased risk of developing childhood cancers...to just name a few. Go to the above link to read more, it's actually a very interesting article. So anyways, out of those few pros and cons, why in the world would someone think it's better to use formula?
Anyways, enough venting. Kind of got off subject, but maybe that article will convince someone to breastfeed instead of nasty ol' formula.
Logan got his second round of shots today. I made Brent go with me because last time it was absolutely TERRIBLE, he screamed and screamed at the top of his lungs for what seemed like forever. But of course today, he's a brave little boy and hardly even cried. Brent probably thinks I was exaggerating, but Mom is my witness, and it really was as bad, if not worse, as I described it to be the first time around. She said I could start him on cereal, which I've been doing for about 10 days now. She said if he takes it well for 2 weeks then I can start stage 1 baby food and if he takes that ok for 2-3 weeks then I can start stage 2. I'm not sure though, because everywhere I look it says to not start baby food til 6 months. I think I'll do cereal til 5 months and then start adding some fruit to it and see how that goes. She said to start with veggies first then fruit because fruit is so sweet that they may resist the veggies because they are not as sweet. BUT, once again, she's apparently not informed on breastfeeding. Breastmilk is extremely sweet and most people suggest you start with fruit because it sweet but not as sweet as breastmilk and not as much as a shock as veggies would be.
I'm thinking about making my own baby food. Not because I'm the "organic, recycle, save the Earth, no preservatives" type (which I definitely am not) but because I think it would be fun. There's lots of recipes online, so I might give it a go. I just have to figure out how it's suppose to be stored. I checked out prices on the fresh and frozen fruits and veggies the other day at Costco and I think I could do it relatively cheap or cheaper than the jarred stuff.
Mom came down last weekend to watch Logan for us while we went to a Frito function and then out for my birthday. I'm a whole quarter century old now and I hate it! We had a good time though and Logan enjoyed his MawMaw time. I may be coming home Monday. Brent will be out of town Tuesday-Thursday. I have to work Wed. night and it is almost impossible to take call by myself. I'm not sure yet though, I may just tough it out.
The doctor aggravated me today. Quite frankly, she pissed me off. She is concerned about his weight gain. He was in the 57% at 2 months and now in the 30% according to her charts (formula fed growth charts). She asked me if I'd been supplementing with formula. I said no, she didn't say anything but I think she was trying to hint that I should be. I will not, in any circumstance, give him formula unless he's actually losing weight and not thriving and I will only give it to him then if I've done EVERYTHING in my power to increase my supply. He is developing right on track, even advanced in some areas. For instance, he's not suppose to put all his weight on his legs til 5-6 months and he's already doing that. He's been holding his head up on his own for quite some time and he's really only suppose to have started that recently. He is an extremely happy, content baby.
When I got home I did a little research. According to kellymom.com, which is the breastfeeding bible to most breastfeeding moms, infants are suppose to gain anywhere from 5-8 oz/week, have 6-8 wet or dirty diapers (doesn't matter the contents), and double birth weight at 4 months. If they do all that, then they are getting enough. I added it up and from birth he has gained an average of 6.2 oz/week and has also doubled his birth weight exactly, which was 7lb 1 oz. Kellymom.com also had a breastfed infant growth chart, which is not typically used in pediatric offices since most mom's do not breastfeed anymore for some stupid reason or another. I charted out his progress from birth til now and he's actually right on track and has not decreased at all. According to this chart, at birth he started out right at 50% and from then on has been between 45-50% for weight. Apparently, he's going to be tall, like his PawPaw Johnson. Maybe he'll be our little quarterback instead of a linebacker.
It really aggravates me that since I'm doing the "right" thing by breastfeeding that I'm made to feel incompetent or that I'm failing as a mother because my baby (and other breastfed babies) is developing at a different (but normal) rate compared to formula fed babies. I really do not understand why society is so "OK" with formula, that it's even a standard that my child has to meet to be "normal". Breastfeeding just got easy. It's not a hassle anymore, growth spurts are pretty much over (at least the difficult ones), it doesn't take FOREVER for him to eat anymore. So why now, that it's gotten easy does someone have to come screw it up and make me think I've done something wrong? Formula is not even regulated by the FDA. Why would I want to put something like that in my child if I don't have to? I wish breastfeeding was more widely accepted as the way you're suppose to feed your babies. Breastmilk is NOT the same thing as formula and breastmilk is NOT just food. There's a lot more in it. For example, antibodies. My body knows when Logan is coming down with something and will provide him the antibodies to fight it. I had a terrible cold a couple weeks ago, Brent had a touch of it too, and you would think that it would definitely hit Logan pretty hard since he's a baby and all, but he didn't even get the sniffles. You know why?! Because my body gave him the antibodies to fight it off first before they started to work on me. That's probably why the cold is still lingering on weeks later, though. But it's totally worth it to me to suffer with a cold if that means Logan's not getting it. Also, breastmilk is specifically tailored to what my baby needs, unlike formula which has the same contents, vitamins, and calories all the time. Breastmilk is more digestible, reduces my risk of breast cancer, protects against Crohn's disease, protects against developing allergies and asthma in baby, decreases the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis in baby, decreases risk of osteoporosis in baby, aids in proper intestinal development, and most importantly, breastfed babies have a decreased chance of developing ulcerative colitis (that's what Brent has). No joke, go to http://www.promom.org/101/ if you don't believe me. Formula feeding is associate with lower IQ, increases baby girls risk of developing breast cancer later in life, increases my risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer, increases the risk of obesity and diabetes, increases allergies, increases baby's risk of ear infections, increased risk of SIDS, increased risk of developing childhood cancers...to just name a few. Go to the above link to read more, it's actually a very interesting article. So anyways, out of those few pros and cons, why in the world would someone think it's better to use formula?
Anyways, enough venting. Kind of got off subject, but maybe that article will convince someone to breastfeed instead of nasty ol' formula.
Logan got his second round of shots today. I made Brent go with me because last time it was absolutely TERRIBLE, he screamed and screamed at the top of his lungs for what seemed like forever. But of course today, he's a brave little boy and hardly even cried. Brent probably thinks I was exaggerating, but Mom is my witness, and it really was as bad, if not worse, as I described it to be the first time around. She said I could start him on cereal, which I've been doing for about 10 days now. She said if he takes it well for 2 weeks then I can start stage 1 baby food and if he takes that ok for 2-3 weeks then I can start stage 2. I'm not sure though, because everywhere I look it says to not start baby food til 6 months. I think I'll do cereal til 5 months and then start adding some fruit to it and see how that goes. She said to start with veggies first then fruit because fruit is so sweet that they may resist the veggies because they are not as sweet. BUT, once again, she's apparently not informed on breastfeeding. Breastmilk is extremely sweet and most people suggest you start with fruit because it sweet but not as sweet as breastmilk and not as much as a shock as veggies would be.
I'm thinking about making my own baby food. Not because I'm the "organic, recycle, save the Earth, no preservatives" type (which I definitely am not) but because I think it would be fun. There's lots of recipes online, so I might give it a go. I just have to figure out how it's suppose to be stored. I checked out prices on the fresh and frozen fruits and veggies the other day at Costco and I think I could do it relatively cheap or cheaper than the jarred stuff.
Mom came down last weekend to watch Logan for us while we went to a Frito function and then out for my birthday. I'm a whole quarter century old now and I hate it! We had a good time though and Logan enjoyed his MawMaw time. I may be coming home Monday. Brent will be out of town Tuesday-Thursday. I have to work Wed. night and it is almost impossible to take call by myself. I'm not sure yet though, I may just tough it out.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
2 weeks in review...
Little Logan's acid reflux seems to be doing better. His voice is back to normal and he's not spitting up as much. He still has his moments where it seems like the spit up is more than normal but that could be due to other things, like not burping good or something I ate. We have been dealing with some pretty bad gas at night which has kept him and subsequently me up at night, here the last week or so. Last night was back to normal though, so maybe that's past us! I hope so anyways because Mommy needs some SLEEP! There's no telling what I'd give to sleep all night at this point, well besides formula, of course!
We went home last weekend. I finally got to see my girlfriends for the first time in what seems like forever! I really enjoyed catching up with everyone. We kept it low key and just chatted all evening at Big River. We also met Kristin and her new baby, Noah, at Applebees in Ft. O for dinner. Mom and Laura kept Logan for us. I knew I left him in more than capable hands, but I still called probably every thirty minutes to check in. Once we got in the car to come home Brent asked me if I felt guilty all night, because he did for leaving Logan. On Sunday we went up to Soddy to see Brent's family. We had lunch with Julie and Dave and then Lisa and her family came up. Of course Logan slept pretty much the whole time they were there. It was good seeing everyone, though!
At Granny J's house wearing his cousin Laura's hat.
Last Thursday I went to a consignment sale. I got 17 outfits for Logan for $50 and some of the outfits had more than 1 shirt to go with the pants, so it totalled to be about 20 outfits. I don't think I've paid more than $5 yet for an outfit for him yet. This Saturday we are going to yard sales to see what else we can find! I'm so glad Spring is just around the corner!
I was sick some this weekend. On Sunday I had what seemed to be a really bad cold and a fever. I felt a million times better on Monday, so whatever it was, it ran it's course quickly. I still have a sniffle and a little chest congestion but it's not too bad anymore. Brent seemed to have a touch of it on Monday, but has been feeling better as well. So far Logan hasn't showed any signs of being sick. From what I've read about breastfeeding, when I'm sick my body makes antibodies to fight whatever it is and passes them on to the baby through the milk so the baby either doesn't get it or it's not as bad if they do. Yay for boobie milk!! If he doesn't get this cold as bad as I had it, then the breastfeeding has been totally worth it!
Speaking of breastfeeding, we haven't been using the shield for almost 2 weeks. He had been able to latch without it occasionally, but nothing consistent until one day last week, he just all of a sudden got it. I didn't realize how much of a hassle the shield was until I didn't have to use it anymore. No more keeping it out of the dog's reach, searching for it in the middle of the night or having a hungry crying baby because we left the house without it or last minute detours to Target to pick up another one.
On Monday I took Logan outside for a walk in his stroller since the weather was so nice. He's still to small for it, but it was good for what little walking we did. He seemed to enjoy it until the sun came out in full force and hurt his little eyes.
Yesterday, Feb. 10, was exactly 1 year from when we found out we were pregnant. I remember thinking then, that this time next year, I'll have a 3 month old. I can't believe it's already been a year.
Laura is officially moving to Minnesota next Wednesday, Feb. 18th. We're meeting her and her boyfriend, Ben, for Lunch Sunday afternoon so I can see her one last time before she leaves. I guess that will be the last time I see her until our girl's trip : (
Logan will be 4 months old next week and he has a Dr's appointment on Feb. 24th so I'll update again then.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Acid Reflux
Logan's voice has become very hoarse. He sounds like he has a really sore throat and he has been spitting up way more than usual. For a couple days he went through 4-5 outfits and I wasn't changing him over just a little dampness, he was really soaked! We went to the Dr. on Monday to see what was going on. Our big boy now weighs 12 lbs 13 oz now. That's up 1 lb and 1 oz in 6 weeks. I'm have to put his diapers on tighter though because he's growing so long and getting skinny. They didn't measure him but I'm sure he's grown a couple inches at least. They are thinking that he may have acid reflux. He showed no signs of any other illness to account for the scratchy throat sound. They prescribed him Zantac to see if that will work, but it may take a week or so to see any results. Wednesday he was a complete terror. I could definitely tell that he wasn't feeling good at all and he cried all day. Nothing soothed him unless he had a boob in his mouth (that soothes all boys, though, right?!). So not only was he extremely fussy on Wednesday but Brent was out of town and I had to work, so needless to say I was about to pull my hair out! I probably should have found someone to work for me but I just got back from having 12 weeks off and I didn't want to burden anyone else more than I already had. Yesterday was a lot better but he still seemed as though he didn't feel well, but at least I got some smiles unlike the day before. He doesn't take the Zantac well at all, I have to mix it with gripe water just to get it down. I don't blame him though, it tastes awful! They should flavor all medication for children if they expect them to take it. Especially something long term like Zantac. I can already tell that the spitting up has improved, so hopefully he will get his voice back soon.
We're coming home this weekend. My sister, Laura, may possibly be moving to Minnesota and we were suppose to have a going away party but her boyfriend hasn't received his contract yet so we didn't want to jump to any sort of party until everything was definite. It's kind of been up in air all week so we decided to go on up even though it seems as though there will be no party. It's a good excuse to get to see the family anyways. Mom is going to babysit for us Saturday evening. We haven't really had the opportunity to go places without the baby so it will be nice to go out with some friends, which I'm really excited about! Mommy needs a break! Sunday we are going up to see Julie and Dave and then we're heading back home in time to catch the Super Bowl. It should be a fun but quick trip.
In other news...Brent's building finished 10th in the nation for the year!! He doesn't act like it's that big of a deal but I think it is. He works so hard and he deserved every bit of praise he can get! Good job baby! I'm so proud of you!
We're coming home this weekend. My sister, Laura, may possibly be moving to Minnesota and we were suppose to have a going away party but her boyfriend hasn't received his contract yet so we didn't want to jump to any sort of party until everything was definite. It's kind of been up in air all week so we decided to go on up even though it seems as though there will be no party. It's a good excuse to get to see the family anyways. Mom is going to babysit for us Saturday evening. We haven't really had the opportunity to go places without the baby so it will be nice to go out with some friends, which I'm really excited about! Mommy needs a break! Sunday we are going up to see Julie and Dave and then we're heading back home in time to catch the Super Bowl. It should be a fun but quick trip.
In other news...Brent's building finished 10th in the nation for the year!! He doesn't act like it's that big of a deal but I think it is. He works so hard and he deserved every bit of praise he can get! Good job baby! I'm so proud of you!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Dear Time, Please STOP!
Dear Time,
Please stop right where you are! You are flying by way too fast! My baby boy was three months old yesterday and it seems like I just brought him home and it's all your fault, Time. I don't want the next three months to go by nearly as quickly, so if you can't stop please sssslllooooowwww down. I would greatly appreciate it!
Thank you,
Mommy
Please stop right where you are! You are flying by way too fast! My baby boy was three months old yesterday and it seems like I just brought him home and it's all your fault, Time. I don't want the next three months to go by nearly as quickly, so if you can't stop please sssslllooooowwww down. I would greatly appreciate it!
Thank you,
Mommy
Friday, January 16, 2009
HE GIGGLED!!
Logan is now laughing! And it's quite possibly the cutest thing I've ever heard!!! He woke up from his nap and I went up to get him. When I went to pick him up he put on his flirt face (grinning from ear to ear and batting his eyes) and once I started talking to him he must have thought it was the funniest thing in the world! He laughed for about 5 minutes at various things I did and now, of course, I can't get him to do it again!! It was like a light switch went on and all of a sudden he knew how to laugh. It wasn't like it was with the cooing, which gradually came about.
I think he also may be about to start teething. His hands have been in his mouth nonstop and his bottom gum looks a little red. He's also right in the middle of his 12 wk growth spurt (which may explain the hands in the mouth), so it looks like I'm in for some fun....
I'm on my 5th day of working 10 days straight. This weekend is going to be hell. I started this morning at 7a and won't get off til 9p tonight (I do have a 2 hr break). Then Sat. and Sun. I work from 8:30a-9p with only a 30 min. break. It will be interesting to see how it goes, especially with the possible teething and growth spurt! It will be a nice check though, I think there will be a little OT on it too!
I think he also may be about to start teething. His hands have been in his mouth nonstop and his bottom gum looks a little red. He's also right in the middle of his 12 wk growth spurt (which may explain the hands in the mouth), so it looks like I'm in for some fun....
I'm on my 5th day of working 10 days straight. This weekend is going to be hell. I started this morning at 7a and won't get off til 9p tonight (I do have a 2 hr break). Then Sat. and Sun. I work from 8:30a-9p with only a 30 min. break. It will be interesting to see how it goes, especially with the possible teething and growth spurt! It will be a nice check though, I think there will be a little OT on it too!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)