Thursday, June 7, 2012

Nursing mommy truths

My little nurseling has been going through something. He is farting like a man and really fussy.  I introduced rice cereal last week, to his delight.  Unfortunately he then started waking up at night. Now it's up to twice a night, and he isn't wanting to go back to bed.  This morning I heard him whine, then heard him rip one, so I know it's his tummy.  As a result, he's wanting to nurse much more often.  I think he'd stay attached if I let him.  Kind of like having a newborn all over. I'm trying, so far in vain, to work back to that sweet sleeping through the night thing. I stopped offering him the cereal earlier this week, but so far, not so good.

So as I'm nursing him for the fourth time in about as many hours, it occurs to me that there are just some truths about nursing that nobody tells you before you start.  Especially when you have an infant and a preschooler. Let me inform you. :)

1) Your preschooler will absolutely wait until you are nursing your infant and then decide he has to poop.  Yes, we're working on bathroom independence, but still getting streaks if mommy doesn't follow through, so to speak.  Never fails - the only times RJ has to poop are the times when T is latched on and half asleep. Ever been faced with the decision to wake your sleeping baby, try to wipe one handed, or let the preschooler be on his own? Yeah... I can't stomach nursing in the bathroom, or cleaning up streaks, so option 1 it is.

2) Your preschooler will strip from the waist down to go potty, and he will forget how to put his own clothes back on. It's okay though - you will learn how to sort out clothes with a baby latched on. Ambidextrously.

3) Your nurseling will sense when you are trying to be productive, and he or she will find a way to thwart you.  Yes, that's all kids, but my nurseling seems to be especially good at it. Like today when he was screaming while I tried to clean out the ferret cage, and then the bottom fell out of the 20 lb bag of litter... I think he did it.  I know he's just a baby, but his "FEED ME NOW" powers just took over and caused the whole thing to rupture.  I took the hint.

There are plenty of others, I'm sure, but these are my three of the day.  Maybe it's early sibling rivalry. Maybe they are learning how to tag team me already.  All I know is it's exhausting, but extremely fulfilling all at once!

15 comments:

  1. I can relate to this. It still goes on, lol. I'm occupied with one and the other two all of a sudden needs something, even of little importance it could be.

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    1. I have a feeling I'm in for a good 25 years of this behavior lol

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  2. LOL at farting like a man, and stripping... I love it.

    I remember my brief (4 months) experience with nursing. I hadn't nursed my first two at all, so when the third came along I was bound and determined to make it work. It didn't, so I ended up having to pump. It was a nightmare. I don't think I slept at all, for four months. I applaud the women who breastfeed for months and months... and I bow down to the ones that can nurse twins! I think being a nursing mom is SO demanding that awards should be handed out or something lol.

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    1. I had a really rough time with this one. It was pump, nurse, pump, feed pumped milk, repeat. I think I scared my sister straight into the formula aisle lol!

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  3. LOL! Aren't these the truth! As for your little one - have you tried Gripe Water? It's a natural, over the counter liquid that will help with tummy issues/gas. When I was nursing my son, if I ate anything tomato based he would get such a tummy ache. Gripe water was our savior! Hope he feels better!

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  4. I never nursed, but I can relate to children only needing things when you're preoccupied. My 3 year old had a tough time with cereal too. His digestive system did not get along with rice at all. He would SCREAM when he needed to poop and I would have to actually help him get it out. Sick, I know, but you do what you have to do. Cereal quickly lost out to regular baby food because I couldn't subject him to that anymore. I haven't even thought about putting rice into his diet now, for just that reason. I really don't want to have to help a three year old poop! lol
    OH, and as I'm reading this, my 5 year old is stripping COMPLETELY to go poop.... Ah, children...

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  5. Oh my goodness,this was my life with the boys being so close together!

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  6. I absolutely understand the little one with the introduction of the rice cereal or anything you eat that he doesn't like. Mylicon was our friend (probably similar to the gripe water mentioned in an earlier comment); it's an all natural gas relief drop for infants. Helps their little tummies feel better especially when mommy eats, say, broccoli and then nurses. Yeah, I did that only one time and my daughter let me and everybody else know that it should never, ever, happen again. I believe in the powers of your nurseling - and I want you to know that ambidextrous is not only on of my favorite words, but is something all nursing mothers become! It's like a bonus of nursing. Great fun!

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  7. It is definitely a challenge, and poop happens..lol I nursed 2 out of 3, and not for a very long time but I do remember the others needing me when I was with one...its definitely a juggling act.

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  8. Ooh, I just remembered it's Thursday. Which means it's the Breastfeeding Blog Hop over at The Slacker Mom (http://www.theslackermom.com) I don't know what this week's topic is, but you should totally check it out. Such an awesome group of women all supporting each other.

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  9. Thanks everyone! I will call the pedi and ask about gripe water, he still has the man farts going on. Glad I could give a giggle :)

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  10. My kids ALL far like a man. STILL. How old is your little nursling? Some things to think about: (from a seasoned (nonjudgmental, just information-filled mom)

    1. Feeding your baby any type of grain as a first food is now being linked to diabetes and childhood obesity. It also gives them a taste (and a blood sugar craving for), carbohydrates which, we know, is not a good thing. Our pediatrician with #3 actually told us to NOT do any type of cereal but to instead nurse consistently until baby was physically ready to eat "real" food. Grady's first foods were whatever we were eating. He now LOVES anything green and will eat whatever we are eating whereas the other two (who started on rice cereal at about 4 months) are picky assholes.

    2. If the cereal is giving babe stomach issues, he is likely NOT physically capable of digesting them. You might find that he does best with a switch back to 100% breastmilk. You might feel like you are nursing NONSTOP but it will pass. He is getting enough nutrition and will not stop growing. My #3 didn't start eating solids until he was 9 months old.

    3. Really look into Baby Lead Weaning (BLW). You can find some great support groups online and some fantastic BLW blogs. I can also help you with any questions you may have to ease your baby into solids

    Good luck! :)

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    1. Thanks :) stopped the cereal days ago and we've been nursing a lot so hopefully it will get out of his system. He will be 6 months on the 19th (need to update my profile info haha). My first had an oat sensitivity, with this one it's rice.

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  11. Hang in there! I so remember the nursling!

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