Is it over yet?

The day after my last post, I started to wonder if Christina really was healed from the tongue-tie procedure. She was still having episodes of crying where nothing could console her. It wasn't constant crying like the day of the procedure, but it definitely was not normal for her.

Then, it happened again the next day. I started thinking that it couldn't be her tongue because the crying seemed to have no pattern. I thought she might be constipated because she hadn't had a poopy diaper in a day and a half. I know formula can do that sometimes. But then, she had a poopy diaper and although she was fine that day, the next day she had another episode of crying.

Every time I thought we were in the clear, she would end up crying inconsolable again. I began to think that maybe I had a colicky baby on my hands. She fit the description of a baby with colic and had every single symptom. Still, I wasn't completed convinced.

Finally, something told me that it might be the formula upsetting her stomach. So, I decided to quit the formula cold turkey. I was planning on getting Christina back on breast milk exclusively anyway, but in order for me to find out if formula was the problem, I knew I needed to just eliminate it asap. So, I did.

Today, is day four of 100% breast milk for Christina. I even eliminated the bottle, just in case that was the problem. I know babies can get painful gas from the air in the bottle, so I figured I should just eliminate that as well. I didn't have any saved breast milk that I could have put in the bottle, so that was an easy decision.

Since my breast milk supply wasn't exactly prepared to feed a (almost) two month old baby, it was not easy. For the most part, Christina has been breastfeeding every hour since we got rid of the formula. Thank goodness, I have not run into the problem of having empty breasts when she wanted/needed to nurse.

From what I have read, I believe that as she continues to nurse every hour, my body will eventually adjust and provide more milk for her at each feeding session, so that she will not need to nurse every hour. So far that has not happened, but I am still hopeful.

I am happy to report that Christina is really back to herself now. I think it is safe to say that the formula was the culprit for all of the crying. Thank goodness I was able to eliminate it, and figure this out.

Of course, solving one problem is never the end when you are a parent. Each day brings a new challenge.

Figuring out why Christina is not gaining weight . . . check
Getting Christina to gain weight . . . check
Finding a surgeon to fix Christina's tongue-tie . . . check
Having the tongue-tie procedure done . . . check
Getting through Christina's recovery . . . check
Teaching Christina to learn breastfeeding with her new tongue . . . check
Figuring out why Christina continues to cry when her tongue has healed . . . check

Now, what is next???

I am going back to work in two weeks. I have to say I am stressing out. CC is still not on a firm night time sleeping schedule. The breastfeeding, then bottle feeding, then breastfeeding has sort of thrown us off. I also have no clue how to get her on a napping routine. In addition to my concerns about her sleeping, I am going to need my milk supply to increase quickly. By the time I go back to work, I am going to have to be able to pump enough milk so that she can be fed by bottle while I am at work. If I don't have enough, I either have to quit my job, or give her formula. As much as I don't want to give her formula, I obviously cannot quit my job.

So I feel like I have to solve the sleeping and eating problems before I go back to work. I know I don't really have to, but it would make things much easier. If she isn't sleeping well when I go back, I'll just have to adjust to being up several times a night, and then going to work tired. If I can't pump enough breast milk for her to eat while I'm at work, we will just have to experiment with different kinds of formula and hopefully we will find one that doesn't upset her tummy. I guess it can be done, but I can't help but worry.

Plus of course, I don't want to leave my baby. But, I am trying not to think about that. Thank goodness for the first couple of months she will be taken care of by either Nik, my mom, or my sister Rachel while I am at work. That is a huge relief. Now when the end of January rolls around and she has to go to daycare three days a week, that is another story.